A very unusual soundtrack from the Italian team of Guido & Maurizio De Angelis – best known for their crime work of the 70s, but here working on the music for an "unofficial" sequel to the Alien film, done as a low-budget production overseas! In this movie, the Alien has come to earth – and the sounds are very different from what you might hear in space – an unusual mix of electronics and acoustic guitar, the latter of which is clearly used to give the music a sense of place – with echoes, maybe, of some of the earlier western modes the brothers might have done. The best tracks are the ones that achieve a great balance between the electronics and guitar – which comes off with a very unique vibe. LP, Vinyl record album

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A great follow-up to War's first Music Band album – and proof that the group was still plenty darn funky at the end of the 70s! Although different from their original Chicano funk groove, the style here is still totally great – long, drawn-out funk that's filled with plenty of sharp edges, stepping basslines, sweet keyboards, and riffing guitars – sometimes a bit warmer than before, but in a way that's still plenty darn soulful. There's almost a bit more of an instrumental focus here than before – especially on the album's 13 minute remake of "The World Is A Ghetto". Other tracks include "Don't Take It Away", "I'll Take Care Of You", "Night People", and "The Music Band 2". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic second set from keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones – a musician we first came to love in the UK-based Ezra Collective, and one who's now effortlessly bridging a space between jazz and soul! The record's got a vibe that's as cosmic as its cover – but one that comes not just through creative keyboard work, but from a great overall conception of the songs – so that Joe's music flows out with a warm style that embraces our ears, then takes us on a journey to the heavens! This isn't the usual keyboard jazz, with references heavy on the past – as Armon-Jones is as forward-thinking as his best contemporaries on the London scene. The set features great guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on the tune "Yellow Dandelion" – and other guest appearances by Nubya Garcia, Jehst, and Obongjayar – on titles that include "Try Walk With Me", "Gnawa Sweet", "Icy Roads", "To Know Where You're Coming From", "The Leo & The Aquarius", and "Self Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A sharp-edged session of tremendous trumpet and tenor interplay – served up by the legendary quintet of Gianni Basso and Oscar Valdambrini! The album's got a sound that's as hip as it looks – a great approach to 50s modern jazz, done in a style that's equally influenced by west coast cool and east coast hardbop! Valdambrini's trumpet is beautifully measured throughout – with echoes of both Kenny Dorham and Chet Baker – offset by some deeper grooving on tenor from Basso, who plays with a strength and command that few American players of the time could match. Titles include "Come Out Wherever You Are", "Lo Struzzo Oscar", "Lotar", "Gone With The Wind", "Parlami D'Amore Mariu", and "Fan Tan". LP, Vinyl record album

The "air" here might well refer to the charged atmosphere in the arena during the live show that makes up this set from Be Bop Deluxe – a nice summation of everything that Bill Nelson and the group had done on their studio classics from the mid 70s, maybe stripped-down here a bit away from the studio! Yet somehow, the music also has that wonderful sense of compression that the group always got – a way of layering the sound at a level that's maybe post-glam, pre-punk, and without some of the fuller trappings of ELO, with more of a focus on the guitar. The whole approach holds up surprisingly well on stage – and titles include "Shine", "Fair Exchange", "Sister Seagull", "Blazing Apostles", "Life In The Air Age", and "Ships In The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Mary J Blige is as fresh and essential as ever here – still sticking true to the hip hop roots in her soul music, but with a contemporary vibe that shows that she's not just content to rest on her laurels from the old days! The set features key work from DJ Khaled, HER, Anderson Paak, Jadakiss, and others – and there's a style here that's lean, majestic, and mature – really a great fit for the more thoughtful lyrics that Mary's been giving us of late, as she absorbs the ups and downs of life's journey, and has a stronger ability than ever before to find the right way reflect. Titles include "Here With Me", "Love Will Never", "Love Without The Heartbreak", "Enough", "Need Love", "Good Morning Gorgeous", "Come See About Me", "Rent Money", "Tough Love", "Amazing", and "Gone Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of similarly titled compilations of tracks that features some of Jerry's finest (and famous) moments for the Vee Jay label. There's more than a few numbers here that have become pretty hard to find on vinyl, and the package doesn't appear to be all that special, the music is outstanding throughout. 12 tracks in all, including "He Will Break You Heart", "For your Precious Love", "Come Back My Love", "A Lonely Soldier", "Find Another Girl", "The Gift Of Love", "Where Do I Turn" and "Couldn't go To Sleep". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album that more than lives up to its evocative title – an early session from John Coltrane, filled with long tracks that slide along brilliantly! As with many other classic Prestige albums from Trane, backing is by the trio of Red Garland piano, Paul Chambers bass, and Art Taylor drums – all holding back nicely when Coltrane opens up on his solos, but also coloring the tunes with soulful lyricism in a masterful understatement. The sound is about as classic as you can get during these early years in The Great One's career – and titles include "Traneing In", "Slow Dance", "Soft Lights & Sweet Music", and "Bass Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An Italian comedy take on the story of Robinson Crusoe – one that's served up with lots of light musical touches, thanks to the team of Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis! The music here is a blend of tropical themes and some of the comedic 70s modes you'd guess from the cover art – rootsier percussion and a bit of light ukulele to create the "island" elements – and some warmer, fuller passages that evoke the Italian placement of the film – although overall, the music is probably more attuned to the acoustic elements than most of its type from the time. Heavy vinyl pressing features 12 tracks from the film – plus the 7" single versions of "Signor Robinson" and "L'Isola Di Robinson". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual project from electronic music legend Delia Derbyshire – sounds that were created for a film of abstract photographic images, but which work beautifully here on their own! Partner Elsa Stansfield contributes a lot of core elements to the music – Derbyshire works in sounds that are even more abstract and beautiful than her better-known music for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – and together, they create something that we'd be more likely to call a "sonic painting" than just an ordinary record album! The set also features a bit of spoken introduction by Pamela Bone – whose photographs formed the core of the images – but overall, most of the proceedings are instrumental, and come from the team of Derbyshire and Stansfield. LP, Vinyl record album

A great back to basics set from Edo G and Insight Innovates – part of a recent run of records on the scene that really seem to redirect hip hop to more straightforward modes – not at a retro level, but in a style that reminds us that at the core, the music is best when it's got a strong focus on beats and quality rhymes! Neither artist is out to change the world, but together they've got a way of uniting hip hop history with a contemporary sensibility – no fuzz or fluff, just tight at the core, and all the way through. Titles include "Just Listen", "Unite & Let's All Get Down", "It Takes Progress", "Good In Goodbye", "Never Too Late To Correct Mistakes", "Choose Your Path", and Set It Off", a tribute to Big Daddy Kane! LP, Vinyl record album

Homeboy Sandman is sounding very much at the top of his game here – on a record that almost seems to have two sorts of flavors, but both nicely unified by the work of producer Aesop Rock! The lyrics spin out with the kind of effortlessness that Sandman's always given us – charged up especially strongly at a few key spots, and with guest work from Aesop on the cuts "Lice Team Baby" and "Sheesh" – alongside other tracks that include "FYI", "Cow's Milk", "West Coast", "Go Hard", "No Beef", and "Lovin It". Record features two more tracks than the digital release – and LP also features instrumentals for all eight tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic live stuff from the classic early period of Kool & the Gang! The set swings mightily with a sound that's hardly matched on some of their studio albums, and the band proves that their tightness isn't just a batch of studio tricks as they blow away the crowd at the Sex Machine night club. There's lots of great live jamming here, and some of their best early cuts like "Let The Music Take Your Mind", "Who's Gonna Take The Weight", "Funky Man", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a strange mix of elements on the outside – a confusing title, a proggy-cover image – but one that's got a sound that's a perfect maturation of the fantastic sound of Alexis Korner in the 60s! Korner's one of the overlooked heroes in British music – a strong devotee of American blues, and maybe so much so that sounds more like his inspirations than most – but never in a slavish way, as Alexis is always able to full absorb the sound, and make you feel like it's coming from his own deep soul – and over the years, he really shifted things in these slight, but powerful ways – making his music a huge influence on a big generation of UK rock acts to come. Here, the double-length set is almost a "thanks back" affair – as Korner records with a huge all-star array that includes folks like Robert Plant, Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, Graham Bond, Lol Coxhill, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Ray Warleigh, Harry Beckett, and many more – a fantastic crossroads of all that's hip in British rock, blues, and jazz at the start of the 70s. Titles include "I Got A Woman", "Rockin", "She Foold Me", "I Wonder Who", "Dee", "Love Is Gonna Go", "Clay House Inn", "Evil Hearted Woman", "Mighty Mighty", "Sunrise", and "Hellhound On My Tail". LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost chapter in the career of Darlene Love – a soul singer who's maybe known best for her early work with Phil Spector in The Crystals – but who ended up with a long legacy in music, which is partly added to by this collection! The core of the set features some mid 60s recordings that Love made as the lead singer in The Blossoms – a great west coast female soul trio, represented here by a number of excellent singles for Reprise Records – including "That's When The Tears Start", "Good Good Lovin", "My Love Come Home", "Lover Boy", "Deep Into My Heart", and "Let Your Love Shine On Me". Those cuts are followed by two solo efforts for Reprise by Darlene – "Too Late To Say You're Sorry" and "If" – then preceded by a few other unusual sessions, including the track "TV Commercials" with guitarist Barney Kessel, and two Lee Hazlewood-related projects on "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" and "3625 Groovy Street", both issued under the name of The Wildcats. The set ends with a few cuts from later years – that time when Darlene was getting attention from a whole new generation – on the tracks "River Deep Mountain High", "He's Sure The Boy I Love", and two versions of "Mr Fix It". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from from David McWilliams – a UK artist with a sound that's based in folk music, but set to these magnificent larger arrangements that really send things over the top! There's a soaring majesty to the music – maybe somewhere in the Scott Walker camp, in part because of the sense of self-importance that McWilliams brings to the delivery of the songs, which is tremendous – a quality that would be cloying a few steps to the side, but which is perfect all the way through on these cuts! Mike Leander provides some wonderful arrangements on these tracks, David's voice is recorded with a nicely moody style, and the whole blend of modes here is incredible. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Joe Nicholas on trumpet, Jim Robinson on trombone, and Albert Burbank on clarinet and vocals. A New Orleans recording – but issued on a tiny postwar label down the street from the present Dusty Groove store! LP, Vinyl record album

The jury is sometimes out on the Mick Jagger on-screen performance in the Nicolas Roeg film Performance – but the soundtrack is something pretty separate entirely, and really says a lot more about the spirit of late 60s Warner Brothers Records in LA than it does the arthouse cinema scene in England! The great Jack Nitzsche composed a number of instrumental tracks for the score – maybe his first time in this mode, and prefacing some later 70s successes to come – with titles that include "Rolls Royce & Acid", "Harry Flowers", and "Natural Magic". Other Warner talents get a hand in the music too – as Randy Newman conducted all of Nitzsche's charts, and also sings "Gone Dead Train" – while Ry Cooder delivers bottleneck solos on "Get Away" and "Powis Square". There's also some nice soul-based moments – the cut "Wake Up N*ggers" by The Last Poets, and "Poor White Hound Dog" and "Performance" by Merry Clayton. And yes, Mick does get to sing on one tune – the album's "Memo From Turner" – and the set is completed by Buffy St Marie work on "The Hashishin" and "Dead Dead Red". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal sounds from The Residents – a record that's purportedly inspired by the ceremonial music of the Eskimo – but it's very a much a Residents album, and one that follows their own absurdist adventuresome impulses! There's often this cold, drifting wave of sound in the background that's as chilly as you'd expect – and on top of the sound effects and all around trippy electronic atmosphere, they're supposedly playing instruments made of the guts and bones of arctic wildlife! Titles include "The Walrus Hunt", "Birth", "Arctic Hysteria", "The Angry Angakok", "A Spirit Steals A Child", and "The Festival Of Death". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest pop albums of all time – a pure act of genius from Todd Rundgren, and one of the few cases in rock music where two records are actually better than one! The double-length set was Rundgren's third solo effort after the breakup of Nazz – but it's a broad step ahead from the first two, and a strong move into the kind of near-perfect, yet always-human pop that made Rundgren so great in the 70s. Sides one through three of the album were completely done by Todd himself – all instruments, voices, and production handled through the then-new magic of the 16 track studio – and Rundgren's really at his best here, working in the kind of personal modes that make his tunes so great, some of the best of the mainstream singer/songwriter generation. Side four has fuller arrangements and other players coming into the mix, but the core feel of the rest of the record is very nicely preserved – apart from a few tunes that perhaps get a bit too goofy. It's hard to imagine more great pop songs in one album – and the set's overflowing with genius moments that include "Marlene", "I Saw The Light", "I Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "It Takes Two To Tango", "Sweeter Memories", "I Went To The Mirror", "One More Day", "Song Of The Viking", and "Hello It's Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The final album from the Talking Heads, and a set that returns them to some of the global elements of their mid-period records, but with a vibe that shows lots of the shifting studio technology of the time! The set's almost a precursor of some of the remix modes that would show up on the world music market during the 90s – as David Byrne and crew effortlessly borrow beats and instrumentation from Latin, Brazilian, and other cultures – while still weaving those elements into tunes that resonate with the work the group had been doing on more recent records. Byrne's vocals have that maturing quality that echoes with more soulful currents than at the start – and the set features a fair bit of guest instrumentation, from rock, jazz, and world music musicians. Titles include "Flowers", "The Democratic Circus", "Cool Water", "Mommy Daddy You & I", "The Facts Of Life", "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the stranger chapters of the Holland-Dozier-Holland story of the early 70s – and one of the coolest, too! Warlock are a jazzy rock combo with plenty of soul – a bit like a twisted version of Blood Sweat & Tears, but with all the sinister energy you'd guess from the image on the cover! Most of the numbers have a nasty scratchy sort of vocal – almost Alice Cooper-ish, in keeping with the Warlock name of the group – but a few others get a bit more soulful and funky, belying the HDH connection of the group – sometimes even showing a righteous jazzy vibe, as kind of an odd echo of the Detroit Tribe Records scene. The best tracks have some jazzy phrasing in the mix, and let the guitars go off to the side – and titles include "Love Girl", "You've Been My Rock", "So Can Woman", "Thrills Of Love", and the 14 minute jammer "As You Die/Music Box", which almost has a Colosseum build to it! LP, Vinyl record album

A great mixture of organic ideas and electric sounds from Japanese pioneer Hiroshi Yoshimura – a set that follows the cycle of "green" through a progression of really lovely little instrumentals – somewhere between the minimalist experiments of Brian Eno in the late 70s, and some of the other Japanese electronic music of the time – but with this special quality that really makes the album a cut above the rest! The overall style is a bit hard to peg – this isn't electronic rock or computer pop, but it's also not highbrow minimalism better – a really special set of sounds on titles that include "Sleep", "Sheep", "Creek", "Feel", "Green", and "Teevee". LP, Vinyl record album

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes – and the package is very well-done – with super-heavy vinyl, and notes on all the tracks. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that has Frank Zappa really continuing to push the instrumental complexity of his music – showing the world that he's not just another long-haired casualty from the 60s, and instead an artist who just kept on getting deeper and deeper into his own really unique groove! The record's overflowing with instrumental tracks that some might argue had a huge impact on jazz fusion – especially that mid 70s moment when the door opened in jazz to some more rock-like solos and rhythms – and that link is maybe no surprise, given that the lineup includes work from older jazzmen who include Billy Byers on trombone and the great Fred Jackson on saxes – plus George Duke on keyboards and Ernie Watts on c-melody sax. As always, the drums of Aynsley Dunbar are superb – and titles include "The Grand Wazoo", "Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief", "For Calvin & His Next Two Hitch-Hikers", and "Cleatus Awreetus-Awrightus". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of work from De-Lite Records – one that goes way way past the bigger hits on the label from Kool & The Gang and the Kay-Gees! Instead, this one really digs deep – and comes up with rare 45s for a host of artists that we didn't even know recorded for De-Lite – obscure but great material that shows just how tied to the east coast scene the label was before it starting hitting the charts and the clubs! There's lots here you'll be hard-pressed to track down otherwise – and titles include "The Story Of Our Love" and "It Really Hurts Me Girl" by The Carstairs, "Super Soul Music" and "I Got To Get Close To You" by Yvonne Daniels, "Darling Baby" and "I Wish It Would Rain" by Beverly Hammonds, "I Need You" and "I'll Always Love You" by Felton Burks, "I Smell Trouble" by Johnny De'Vigne, "Love Making" and "When A Woman Loves A Man" by Jean Battle, and "I Saw You There" and "Keep Away" by The Appointments. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from this legendary Brazilian saxophonist – and one that's way different than the usual instrumental reading of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The setting is less of a bossa-inspired one than a post-Coltrane mode – as Victor Assis Brasil blows alto sax, and a bit of soprano – on long, stretched out versions of Jobim compositions – often given a bit of modal energy, thanks to the group's strong piano and organ performances by Dom Salvador. The rest of the players are all great, too – Helio Delmiro on guitar, Edson Lobo on bass, and Edison Machado on drums – all players who grew up in the bossa jazz years of the 60s, but who here are set free to explore new territory by producer Roberto Quartin. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Bonita", "Wave", "Quartiniana", and "Dindi". LP, Vinyl record album

Another gem from The Animals' overlooked late 60s years on MGM – a time when the group were easily making some of the most inventive music on the label! The styles here are even wider than before – definitely an attempt to showcase "every one of us" that made up the group – in a blend of spacey sounds, gentle folksy moments, and some of the rougher tones of previous MGM records. Many titles were written only by Burdon – a bit of a change from before – and showcase an increased use of acoustic guitar alongside his bleak vocals. Titles include "The Immigrant Lad", "Year Of The Guru", "Serenade To A Sweet Lady", "White Houses", "New York 1963/America 1968", and "Uppers & Downers". CD features a bonus single version of "White Houses". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic legacy of music from the UK scene – even though it's a pretty darn secret one as well! The Electric Banana were a very unique studio group – a combo who featured Phil May and Dick Taylor of the Pretty Things, right at a time when that group were at the height of their fame – working as a faceless studio combo with other musicians for the DeWolfe Sound Library label – all to create these tight, short rock tracks that would later end up getting used in film soundtracks and TV programs all through the 70s! This album features half vocal tracks, half instrumental – both the same tunes, but with vocals stripped out on side two. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Blue Note work from Dexter Gordon – an album that was recorded during Gordon's legendary run for the label in the 60s, but not issued until a brief vinyl pressing nearly 15 years later! The record's got Gordon vamping in tight hardbop formation – a sound that's strongly 60s Blue Note all the way through, and which shows the great control that the label helped bring to Dex's music – giving him new focus and energy to take off on much freer flights later in the 60s. Other players on the date include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass – and Hubbard's trumpet is an especially welcome element here on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "Hanky Panky", "Jodi", "Lady Iris B", "Clubhouse", and "Devilette". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic! This is the kind of soul that we still collect vinyl for! Freddie Hughes is one of the great lost voices of the 60s, and this sparkling album of soulful tunes is a real gem! He's not the same singer as the Freddie Hughes from Chicago – and he hailed from San Francisco, a very unlikely source for such great soul music. The session was recorded with Lonnie Hewitt (Cal Tjader's funky piano player) in SF – but it's got that perfect New York Wand/Scepter "deep soul meets uptown" sound. The tracks are mostly written by Hughes or Hewitt – and they are all pretty amazing, filled with hooks that just don't quit, and some heartbreaking verses that match the work of writers like Curtis Mayfield or Garland Green. Titles include "Send My Baby Back", "He's No Good", "Tonight I'm Gonna See My Baby", and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In". LP, Vinyl record album

Osie Johnson looks a bit blurry on the cover, but the music on the record is razor-sharp – a great demonstration not only of Johnson's skill on the drums, but also his rare talents as a leader! Osie graced countless top-shelf sessions in the 50s, but only got a rare few chances to work up front – and he does a great job here with a shifting lineup that includes Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Henry Coker on trombone, and Ernie Watkins on alto – all players used in differently-sized groups throughout the length of the set. Most tunes have a nice groove – a bounce that might refer to the "happy" in the title – and Johnson also sings at a few points, with this great raspy R&B style. Titles include "Osmosis", "Cat Walk", "Johnson's Whacks", "The Desert Song", "Osie's Oasis", and "Flute To Boot". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a cover that's a lot more hard-hitting than some of the later global efforts from The Latin Brothers – and one with a sound that definitely matches that image too! There's a raw sound here that's right in keeping with the best of Discos Fuentes at the time – music that clearly draws inspiration from the combo of Willie Colon up in New York, but which features backing from Fruko Y Sus Tesos, who have a style that's even more raw – with all sorts of great percussion next to the jazzy piano and soaring trombone lines! Piper Pimienta Diaz handles lead vocals – and titles include "Y Tu Que", "Echa Pa'Lante Camara", "La Perla", "Que No Pare La Rumba", "San Juan De Puerto Rico", "Son Dolores De Cabeza", and "El Picotero". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that forever changed the face of mainstream music in the 90s – a set that showed that a group could come from the underground indie scene and manage to take over the rest of the world with a record that went on to become an instant classic for a generation! Think what you want about the overwrought legacy of Kurt Cobain's place in pop stardom, the record itself still bristles over with power and energy that get way past all the cliches that you'll find on posters and t-shirts – one of the few cases in history where stepping to a major label allowed a group like this to really hit their heights. Titles include "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Drain You", "On A Plain", "Lithium", "Polly", "In Bloom", "Come As You Are", and "Lounge Act". Deluxe edition adds b-sides, studio sessions, rehearsals, and two tracks recorded for the BBC. LP, Vinyl record album

The third album from Queen, and maybe the record that finally had the rest of the world paying attention to their sound – as the set elevates the quartet past any sort of proggish roots, and unleashes the pop power that would come to dominate their music in the 70s! Make no mistake, the instrumentation is still impeccable – yet it's also fused perfectly with an overall sense of production that unifies the whole thing, and which really begins that sense of track to track progression that made their classics so great. The breakout cut on the set is the landmark hit "Killer Queen" – served up alongside other tracks that include "Now I'm Here", "In The Lap Of Gods", "Tenement Funster/Flick Of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley", "Misfire", "Dear Friends", "Stone Cold Crazy", "She Makes Me", and the reworked version of "Brighton Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

Lionel's first solo album after leaving the Commodores – and a solid bit of mellow soul that forever merged the genres of soul music and adult contemporary! Titles include "Serves You Right", "My Love", "Tell Me", "You Are", "Truly", "Just Put Some Love In Your Heart", and "Wandering Stranger". LP, Vinyl record album

Jackson 5, move over – because the folks at Numero Records have uncovered a whole host of rare kid soul acts from the 70s – most of them a fair bit funkier than their Motown contemporaries! The tracks here all clearly follow the lead started by Michael and his brothers at the end of the 60s – but the music is way more than just a simple copycat of Jackson modes – as each of these artists have a really individual approach, and a heck of a lot of personality in their music – despite their youthful years. In true Numero fashion, most of the cuts here are from tiny little labels – issued only as singles back in the day, but produced with a great deal of enthusiasm for the music – and a confident, competent sound that's quite striking, given the age of the performers. The package comes with complete notes on the music – opening up a whole world of lesser-known kid soul acts – and titles include the amazing "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy, plus "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "One Is Enough For One" by Jack & the Mods, "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates, "Jersey Slide (part 1)" by 3 Stars, "You Are My Dream" by 3 Simmons, "Can't Let You Break My Heart" by Quantrells, "If You're Looking For Love" by Triads, "Yellow Ribbons" by Atons, "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown, "Time After Time" by Step By Step, "Time" by Otis The 3rd, and "Little Girl" by Michael Washington. LP also contains a bonus track – part 2 of "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy! LP, Vinyl record album

The genius sound of the TK Records label, taken to a whole new level – as some of the coolest club classics from that legendary Miami label are served up here in a host of new edits by contemporary talents! The sound is great – all the funk and soul of the originals, but kicked up a bit here and there on the rhythms – and often edited in ways that the grooves are really expanded too! Titles include "Spank (Dimitri From Paris Classic Re-Edit)" by Jimmy Bo Horne , "Ghetto Music" by Ted Taylor, "I'm Your Boogie Man (Todd Terje edit)" and "I Get Lifted (Todd Terje edit)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "Do What You Wanna Do (Kon's Keep It Moving Mix)" by T-Connection, "Why Can't We Live Together (Late Nite Tuff Guy No More War Rework)" by Timmy Thomas, "Move Me Baby (Danny Krivit edit)" by Gwen McCrae, and "Jam On The Groove (Danny Krivit Edit)" by Ralph MacDonald. LP, Vinyl record album

Horace Andy is one of the few cats who can sing in the higher end of the vocal register, yet still come across with a totally badass vibe – thanks partly to the righteous message in his lyrics, and the hip-tripping grooves on the tracks – which could make just about any element sound great, and only reinforce the greatness of the Horace Andy style! The album's a stone classic, and for good reason – and titles include "Leave Rasta", "Do You Love My Music", "Hey There Woman", "Government Land", "Problems", "In The Light", and "Collie Herb". This set also includes the seminal In The Light Dub – one of those cases where a dub album contains all the brilliance of the original set around which it was based – yet comes across with a completely different sound altogether! The original record was focused strongly on the soulful currents of Horace Andy's voice – but the dub set is predominantly instrumental, which buries a bit of the political message in the lyrics – yet seems to paint the same sort of social pictures with the power of its sounds – a rich palette of rhythms, electronics, and effects – often with a darkness that's unspeakable in words, but incredibly powerful at a sonic level. Titles include "Dub There", "Government Dub", "Rasta Dub", "Fever Dub", "Dub The Light", "Dub Down Rome", and "I & I". LP, Vinyl record album

Chemical Brothers still riding high at the end of the 90s! In some ways, Surrender scales back on bigger, more boisterous big beat vibe for slightly hipper dancefloor vibe – but there's really a ton of ambitiousness here. Just a glance at the guest appearances is clue of how wild the ride is – a far reaching lot for sure – including Missy Elliot, Bernard Sumner, Hope Sandoval, Bobby Gillespie, Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev and more. Includes "Music: Response", "Under The Influence", "Out Of Control", "Orange Wedge", "Let Forever Be", "The Sunshine Underground", "Asleep From Day", "Got Glint?", "Hey Boy Hey Girl", "Surrender" and "Dream On". LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut LP by a near-forgotten act that blossomed briefly at the end of the 60s folk-rock boom – and deserve more than sidebar status in the book of modern music history! Earth Opera incorporated many styles into a sound that may not seem uncommon today, but was idiosyncrastic and unique in it's day, and still sounds great! The group was born from the collaboration of Peter Rowan and a young David Grisman, who recruited the rest of the members from the Boston Be-In and built an east coast take on the sounds that were sweeping California in the mid and late 60s. There's some nice jazzy influence creeping in to the bands singer/songwriter-plus vibe, with 10 songs in all, including "The Red Sox Are Winning", "As It Is Before", "Dreamless", "To Care At All", "Home OF The Brave", "The child Bride", "Close Your Eyes & Shut The Door", "Time & Again", "When You Were Full Of Wonder", and "Death By Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A really seminal album from Fela Kuti – searing live set that's presented with drummer Ginger Baker – formerly of Cream, and a huge supporter of Fela's music on the UK scene! Baker had already picked up a lot of Fela's influence in his music – and his presence here made for a key moment of global exposure for the new Afro Funk sound that Fela was creating with his Africa 70 group – playing here as part of the ensemble, which oddly doesn't seem to include Baker at all. That hardly matters, though, as the young Tony Allen is on drums, and the set features great trumpet from Tunde Williams and tenor from Igo Chiko – really wailing alongside Fela on the long tracks "Egbe Me O", "Ye Ye De Smell", "Black Man's Cry", and "Let's Start". LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible pop psych sounds from Grapefruit – a group who might be best known for their early inclusion in the Beatles' Apple Corps – but who can easily stand on their own with the strength of material like this! The production is superb, and the overall vision in the music is sublime – trippy touches, but never too many – and vocals that echo out with both a sense of harmony in the group, and some beautiful larger touches in the studio! The whole thing's got a subtle power that we'd rank right up there with The Zombies, just as they were starting to get great! LP, Vinyl record album

The US mono version of the debut album from The Hollies – a vital mid 60s record that's been unavailable for decades! The harmonie are great and there's something of a rawer edge to the music that sounds just great after all this time – Brit Invasion stuff that still sounds completely incredible – in mono and on vinyl, the way it's meant to be heard! Includes "Just One Look", "Talkin' Bout You", "Rockin' Robin", "Do You Love Me?", "Lucille", "It's Only Make Believe" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible relic of the early days of experimental radio – a series of sound collages from the Berkley-based Music and Folklore program by Henry Jacobs! Henry Jacobs was a real pioneer in audio collage – stringing together bits of jazz, folk music, sound effects, and spoken bits in a style that was years ahead of similar late 60s radio experimentation. The approach is sometimes jarring, sometimes comical – but always fascinating – and the note do a wonderful job of telling Jacobs' full story, and uniquely revolutionary views on sound. Titles include "Informal Rhythm Session", "Comments On The Indian Raga", "Loop 2 Channel Rhythms", "Audio Collage", and "Sonata For Loudspeaker". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter seques between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw emotion – but also measured with a maturity that gives his solos an incredible sense of economy that delivers a whole hell of a lot with just a few simple notes – a balance that comes through beautifully here, maybe even more so than on any other record by Howard from the time! He's playing here in a great group that includes Roland Alexander on tenor, Bennie Green on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Pepper Adams on baritone – and tracks include "Dusty Blue", "Groovin High", "Cottage For Sale", "Flyin Colors", and "With Malice Towards None". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing! This is one of the coolest sets we've seen in years – and everything about it is fantastic, from the package right down to the triple-length set of music! The set features rare unreleased recordings from Raymond Scott's legendary Manhattan Research electronic music studios – originally set up in 1946, and home to some of Scott's landmark early work on non-acoustic music during the 50s and 60s. Far from being the sort of turgid, dark knob-twiddling that computer music later became in the academy, Scott's early experiments are filled with a sense of whimsy and joy – exported directly from his early cartoon-based work, and applied in a fantastic way to his evolving musical inventions! The LP edition comes in three separate sleeves, plus a great 8 page booklet of notes, in a brilliant graphic style that complements the package even further! Don't forget the music, though – because it's totally fantastic – and kind of reminds us of bits of Jon Appleton's Syntonic Menagerie, Pierre Henry's early Musique Concrete, and later punk-era DIY electronics. That doesn't even come close to pinning it down, though – and with 3 LPs worth of material, the scope of the work is amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic comeback for the group – with renewed tightness, but still all the edge of the start of the 70s! Titles include "New Song", "Sister Disco", "Music Must Change", "Trick Of The Light", "Guitar & Pen", and the classic "Who Are You". LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous furry freakout from Frank Zappa – the start of a legendary run in the late 60s – and a record that is still as mindblowing now as it was all those many years back! There's a deadpan quality to the vocals that's unlike anything other groups were trying for at the time – a snotty aspect that's often forgotten amidst all the celebrations of Zappa's hippiedom, but which really makes the record stand out from the pack – giving it a kind of darkness that's a wonderful change from some of the too-earnest psych or folk rock elements of the period. Music is great too – and a lot more simple than in later years – a really tight blend of garage and psych that furthers the almost punky quality of the record. Titles include "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet", "Motherly Love", "I Ain't Got No Heart", "Hungry Freaks Daddy", "Wowie Zowie", "You Didn't Try To Call Me", and "I'm Not Satisfied". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare work from the 40s – 21LPs of music from the legendary Keynote label, all pressed on super-nice Japanese vinyl! The set also features 115 performances presented here for the first time ever – and comes with a great booklet, a Keynote photo album, and even a unique one-sided Lennie Tristano 45! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that shaped Latin jazz for years to come! The format of the set borrows heavily from the previous Cuban Jam Session LPs, but gives it a real New York twist that made the Alegre albums much stronger overall – and much more influential in a wider spectrum. A core group fo well-known players – Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Kako, Jose Chombo Silva, and others – come together in the studio magically – setting egos aside, and bringing their best work to the table in a hard-jamming style that defined the crackling jazz-based "descarga" style of the time. In addition to that, the production style has lots of conversation and hanging out sounds between the tracks, really setting the feel for the album with a great spirit that goes on to touch the music as well! A treasure that's still one of the best examples of the jam session at work – and with titles that include "Soy Feliz, "Ay Camino Y Ven", "Almendra", "Para Ti", and "Estoy Buscando a Kako". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous recording from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – done during the same Paris stretch as their Great Black Music classics on the BYG/Actuel label – and a set that easily matches, if not tops, those classics! You can really hear the group finding their own space here – taking some of the free jazz explorations of the Chicago scene in the late 60s, and forging them with an even earthier use of both percussion, and the more offbeat sonic possibilities of their own instruments – often with a sense of surprise that you don't always get from some of their later albums. Titles include the side-long "The Spiritual" – plus "Toro", "Lori Song", and "That The Evening Sky Fell Through the Glass Wall and We Stood Alone Somewhere?" (And they wondered why they never got their songs on the radio!) LP, Vinyl record album

Roy Ayers in a very Afro-styled mode – working here on his own after a famous collaboration with Fela Kuti – in a set that's filled with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style – but the overall influence is very much in the Afro-Funk vein, and the album's sort of a "part 2" to the Music Of Many Colors set that was cut a few years before. William Allen worked on the record with Roy – playing choppy Afro-Funk bass, and arranging and producing a lot of the material with Roy and Jaymz Bedford – and the record also features a host of extra percussion players, as well as some vocals by the lovely Sylvia Striplin. Includes the great groover "Africa, Center Of The World", plus "The River Niger", and a great remake of "Third Eye", which was on Everybody Loves The Sunshine, but is redone here with a heavier sound! Other tracks include "There's A Masterplan", "I'll Just Keep Trying", and "Destination Motherland". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever albums on Prestige Records from the 60s – and a set that's a fair bit different than most of the other work on the label! The set's an unusual outing for saxophonist George Braith – cut after his famous albums for Blue Note, and in a mode that's quite different – very far-reaching, and almost spiritual at points – with the blend of jazz and other modes that you might find on the Cadet/Concept sessions in late 60s Chicago! Braith plays a wide assortment of saxes – c-melody, alto and soprano – but his playing here is a bit different than the Roland Kirk-like vibe of before – sometimes more stretched-out and exploratory, in a Nathan Davis sort of vibe – sometimes wrapped up in some larger explorations from the whole group. There's moments of raw percussion with echoey production, others with wordless vocals floating alongside the lead soloist, and still others that have that catchy blend of soul jazz and exoticism you'd find in the music of Eddie Harris or Yusef Lateef – even though Braith here is completely his own artist too! The set features Jane Getz on piano, Jay Carter and Eddie Diehl on guitar, and Ben Dixon on drums – but there's also a lot of percussion, both Latin and otherwise, from a shifting lineup of players. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Del's Theme", "Musart", "Evelyn Anita", "Our Blessing", "Laura", and "Splashes Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing project – and a totally righteous little record – a set of songs all penned by Bob Dylan in the 60s, sung by a hip spiritual choir that includes performances from soul singers Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Edna Wright, and Gloria Jones! The mix of soul and gospel here is wonderful – very much in the spirit of The Voices Of East Harlem at the same time – with this progressive, positive vibe that goes way way past the original style of Dylan's music! Gene Page handled the musical arrangements, and Billy Page helped with the vocals – and together they really transform the compositions – creating a very different setting for the great lyrics of songs that include "The Mighty Quinn", "All Along The Watchtower", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Chimes Of Freedom", and "The Times They Are A Changin". A record that shouldn't work this well – but it does, and beautifully too! LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice compilation of tracks that features some of Jerry's finest (and famous) moments for the Vee Jay label. Lots of this stuff is darn hard to find on vinyl, and although the packaging's kind of boring, the music is excellent. Tracks include "Find Another Girl", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "When Trouble Calls", "Giving Up On Lov", "Need To Belong", and "I'm Tellin You". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing "silent" here – as the album's a bold entry in the electric years of Miles Davis – one that still features contributions from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams – but which also expands the lineup considerably – really reaching out towards the sound of Bitches Brew! Herbie's on electric keys here, working alongside Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul, who really help increase the flow of the tunes and enforce the "directions in music" stated on the cover of the set! Shorter's on soprano sax, playing in an even more angular way – and Dave Holland is on bass, replacing the sound of Ron Carter, getting some rhythmic assistance at times from John McLaughlin, whose sound really helps to shape the record! Titles include 2 side-long tracks – "Shhh/Peaceful" and "In A Silent Way/It's About Time" – both long, and both beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

There's few folks who can put together an album like Alabaster DePlume – and even amidst the heady company of his labelmates on International Anthem, it seems like DePlume has a really special way of mixing live performance with a whole host of studio-based conceptions! Alabaster's previous album was already a groundbreaking effort – but this set really pushes things over the top, with this really hypnotic blend of words and music, recorded at London's Total Refreshment Centre – at a level that's every bit as genre-breaking as any other work we've heard from that legendary locale. It's kind of impossible to describe the sound here in words – as DePlume mixes his tenor, guitar, and voice with a host of different instruments – contributions from London contemporaries on tablas, cello, electronics, guitar, and a range of other elements – including other voices added to the mix. Titles include "Don't Forget You're Precious", "I'm Gonna Say Seven", "Do You Know A Human Being When You See One", "I'm Good At Not Crying", "Now Stars Are Lit", "I Will Not Be Safe", "Who Is A Fool", and "The Sound Of My Feet On This Earth Is A Song To Your Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

The first solo set that Dr Dre cut after leaving NWA – and a record that not only set the tone for his solo career, but also for a huge run of albums from other folks in the years to come! Dre's as much of a production genius as he is a frontman here – really pushing forward some of the best elements he brought to the music of NWA, and also providing a great showcase for the young Snoop Dogg too! And yes, there were so many other records that tried to hit this territory right afterwards, and ended up more in the realm of parody – but the doctor really stays ahead of the pack here throughout, with a record that holds up surprisingly well over the years. Titles include the cuts "F**k Wit Dre Day", "Let Me Ride", "Nuthin' But A G Thang", "Lil Ghetto Boy", "A N***a Witta Gun", "B!tches Ain't Sh!t", "The Chronic", "Deeez Nuts", and "Stranded On Death Row". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous guitar work from the great Tal Farlow – easily one of our favorite jazz guitarists ever, and a player with a wonderful sense of tone and timing! This early album has Tal declaring himself loudly and firmly – using a style that's got some slightly raspy edges, and which is a nice change from some of the too-clean modes of other 50s guitarists. The album features a core original 10" album session with a group that includes Oscar Pettiford on bass, Barry Galbraith on guitar, and Joe Morello on drums – plus 4 more tracks from a trio with Red Mitchell on bass and Claude Williamson on piano. Titles include "This Is Always", "Tea For Two", "Blues In The Closet", "Gibson Boy", "My Old Flame", "Is There Somebody Lovelier Than You", "Everything I've Got", "You And The Night and Music", "Love Nest", and "When The Wind And The Rain Are In Your Hair". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking early work from drummer Milford Graves and pianist Don Pullen – a set of long, free improvisations that were originally issued on Graves' Self-Reliance Productions label! The music is even more striking than sounds from the time on the ESP label – and also really predates some of the freer work of this type from the European scene – as Graves is a monster on the drum kit and a range of percussion, reaching out with this scope of sound and deft command of his hands that's simply breathtaking – matched by energy from Pullen that really surpasses some of his later work too – almost Cecil Taylor-like vibes at points, mixed with other elements that are in a more familiar mode for the pianist. LP, Vinyl record album

A really seminal set from the legendary Richie Havens – one that perfectly illustrates his famous blend of folk, rock, and soul – on a set of tunes that have continued to inspire listeners for many years to come! The record's a great bridge between the 60s and 70s – showing some of the hipper modes of the east coast folk scene as it moved way past traditional styles in the latter half of the 60s – and prefacing some of the use of acoustic instrumentation that would later come in soul music – in the work of artists like Bill Withers. Tracks are mostly originals, and feature a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric guitar, piano, and plenty of rootsy percussion that really sends the whole thing home – and titles include "Here Comes The Sun", "Some Will Wait", "Patient Lady", "Missing Train", and "End Of The Seasons". LP, Vinyl record album

Moody material from Bobby Hutcherson – and one of the first records to feature his vibes in the company of tenorist Harold Land – a player who would help Hutcherson make some mighty fine music over the years! The set's got a super-hip group – with Stanley Cowell on piano, giving the record a warm, spiritual undercurrent – one that works perfectly with the lyrical soul of Land's horn. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include "Spiral", "Ruth", "Poor People's March", and "Visions". The album also includes one more track – "Jasper" – which was recorded in a 1965 session without Land and Cowell – but with Sam Rivers on tenor and bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Andrew Hill on piano! Recorded in the 60s, but only initially issued on vinyl in 1979! LP, Vinyl record album

A truly fantastic record, and one that's become the stuff of legend over the years – a rare CTI album that was only ever issued in Japan – and which may well be one of the coolest sessions recorded during the A&M years of the label! Trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding had recorded two other records for CTI during the period – both great – but this set has them stretching out in this really expansive mode that's completely unique – long tracks put together with complicated arrangements that really blow away anything else they ever did – funky, soulful, but also moving towards higher ideals too – a fantastic testament to the newfound arranging skills of Johnson, who handled most of the record. The group also features some amazing keyboard work from both Herbie Hancock and Bob James – who get plenty of room to roam – plus guitar from George Benson, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Grady Tate – a superb lineup who really make the whole thing shine. The depth of this music is hard to describe in words, but the whole thing's wonderful – and the set features just four long tracks – "Dontcha Hear Me Callin To Ya", "Musings", "Mojo", and "Recollections". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Atlantic album from Margie Joseph – a great second generation southern soul singer who really helped the label find a new sound in the 70s! Margie got her start on Stax, but she sounds even better here – a bit more mature, slightly more urban, and backed with a bad-walking set of arrangements by Arif Mardin that help pull her out of the country into a wider 70s soul mainstream. There's still plenty of rootsy touches on the set, and the blend is one that's similar to that of Aretha Franklin's work of the time – one that echoes older southern styles, but brings them up to date nicely with some more sophisticated touches. Titles include "Make Me Believe You'll Stay", "Turn Around & Love You", "Let's Go Somewhere & Love", "You Better Know It", "I'll Take Care Of You", and "I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from the great Bob Marley – material cut with the initial lineup of The Wailers, at a time before the group would go onto much greater global fame on Island Records! The equally legendary Lee Scratch Perry is at the helm on production – and although the music here has more rough edges than some of the polished commercial work of Marley's classic years, that also makes for a heck of a lot of appeal – and a quality that also links the group's work more tightly to some of the other Jamaican trios of the rocksteady years. A few cuts here were remade later, and titles include "Keep On Moving", "Don't Rock My Boat", "Fussing & Fighting", "Put It On", "Duppy Conqueror (Version 4)", "Kaya", "Memphis", "African Herbsman" "Brain Washing", and "Sun Is Shining". In the original Upsetter mono mix, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Completely killer work from Frankie Beverly & Maze – captured here at the height of their power, with that amazing blend of Frankie's lead vocals and the group's tight instrumentation – all at a level that so many others tried to copy, but never got this right! The sense of unity in the title really comes through in the music – a proud, progressive approach to contemporary R&B that always made Maze one of the more positive acts of their time – even if the message was played in a more subtle way than earlier groups in the 70s. At some level, Maze are picking up the torch that Earth Wind & Fire were dropping a bit by this point – but with an even more charismatic singer in the lead – and just the right blend of acoustic and electric elements in the instrumentation. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "I Wanna Thank You", "Love Is The Key", "We Are One", "Right On Time", "Never Let You Down", and "Metropolis". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary work – featuring Charles Mingus' great and chaotic Town Hall concert, one of those special events that achieved legendary status before it even started – not just because of the range of great musicians involved, but because the whole set was barely off the ground by the time it began! The set features a brilliant set of arrangements that Mingus barely copied and handed around before the show started – but that hardly stopped the music from being great, because everyone plays magnificently, especially Jerome Richardson and Charles McPherson, who was hitting a really great period here with Mingus. Tracks include "Epitaph", "Clark in the Dark", "Freedom", and "My Search". LP, Vinyl record album