A treasure trove of bluesy rock material – and a set that almost works as well as a straight album project from Nick Gravenites and Mike Bloomfield – as it does as the soundtrack for this offbeat film that starred Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland! The vibe here is a bit like other rock/blues indie soundtracks of the time – such as Heavy Traffic or Fritz The Cat but Gravenites and Bloomfield are also nicely focused, too – and most numbers stand very strongly on their own, not just as scene-setters for the movie. The set also features a bit of vocals from Maria Muldaur, keyboards from Merl Saunders, and some harmonica from Paul Butterfield – and titles include "If You Cared", "My Bag", "Common Ground", "Lonesome Star Blues", "Woman's Love", and "Brand New Family". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful entry in the Jazz Workshop series on RCA – and proof that the line of releases was definitely worth the promise of its title! Billy Byers was a well-known mainstream arranger at the time of this set – but here, he steps out in territory that's a bit more modern than usual – some largeish groups that are still a bit short of being a full orchestra – working in modes that are filled with great tones and colors, a bit like some of Ralph Burns' best from the same time. Byers plays trombone on all numbers – with players who include Nick Travis on trumpet, Al Cohn and Phil Woods on clarinet and saxes, Joe Venuto on vibes, and Moe Welscher on celeste and piano – all in a mode that's definitely got that RCA modern mid 50s feel. The set includes the original titles "The Tickler", "Billy Bones", "Chinese Water Torture", "The Funky Music Box", and "Misty Osie" – as well as "Thou Swell" and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest work you'll ever hear from the young Jim Osterberg – material that features the famous Stooges frontman playing drums, and doing a slight bit of singing! The group sound a fair bit like you might expect from the cover – a tight, sharp, local combo who do a great job both with their own material, and some of the well-chosen covers they recorded – the kind of stomping garagey material that would have been a hit in the small Michigan clubs at the time! Most vocals are by guitarists Nick Kolokithas and Jim McLaughlin, the latter of whom formed the group with Iggy – and Osterberg does sing lead on a pretty great version of "California Sun", and also contributed the original composition "Again & Again" – a tune that definitely points the way towards The Stooges, and is one of the creepiest things on here. Other titles include "Mona", "I Don't Know Why", "Slow Down", "Walk Don't Run", "Out Of Limits", "Surfin Bird", "Things We Said Today", and "Wild Weekend". Collection features a great range of material – even some early 1963 demos, when the group with just a trio! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the trippiest soundtracks of the 60s – a wonderful blend of psych tracks from The Electric Flag, and moogier electronic moments from the great Paul Beaver! The Flag are at their best here – playing tunes that move from short bursts of fuzz to longer jams – laid out with great work from Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites on guitars, Barry Goldberg on organ, and Buddy Miles on drums – with a nice sense of arrangement and juxtaposition that rivals Spirit's equally great soundtrack material for Model Shop. This one's more of an all-out rocker – although the moog balances things out nicely – and the whole thing's definitely a cut above the usual thrown-together exploitation soundtrack of the period. There's lots of little crazy cuts, and a long one called "Fine Jung Thing" – plus the titles "Gettin' Hard", "Peter Gets Off", "The Other Ed Norton", "Psyche Soap", and "Joint Passing". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz set – based around Jack Webb's character in the movie of the same name – and one that features a group of players that include George Van Eps on guitar, Matty Matlock on clarinet, Eddie Miller on tenor, and Nick Fatool on drums. The tunes are all named after a different shade of either blue or red – and have a dreamy, late nite take on trad jazz that's surprisingly nice. Titles include "Lobster", "Fire Engine", "Peacock", "Turquoise", "Periwinkle", "Midnight", and "Flame". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool live set from Nitin Sawhney – definitely working here "unplugged", as you might guess from the image on the cover! Yet Nitin's also not solo – as there's a cool combo here that features work tablas, bansuri, and cello – plus just a bit of electricity on keyboards from Nitin in a few spots! There's very strong use of duo female vocals on the set – sung by Eva Stone and Nicki Wells – who harmonize, then break apart, in a way that really brings a lot of richness to the material – on titles that include "Breathing Light", "Nadia", "Riverpulse", "Sunset", "Dark Day", "Homelands", and "Redshift". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing 2LP set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles include long versions of "Walkin", "Cherokee", "I'll Remember April", and "Woody N You". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles on this first volume include "Hot House", "Woody N You", and "I'll Remember April". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles on this first volume include long versions of "Walkin" and "Cherokee". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

Nickodemus wasn't the first to blend together a world's worth of influences with contemporary rhythms and production, but over the years, he's definitely risen to the top of the game – especially as he's moved into more subtle territory like this! The record is nicely freed from the dancefloor at times, which not only seems to allow more of blend of styles, but also really showcase the vocals from some of the album's mighty guests – in a lineup that includes The Illustrious Blacks, Antonio Uzana, Pat Kalla, and others. But if you dig his dancefloor work, don't worry, as there's still plenty of groovers too – in a set that includes "La Noche", "Mama Tchipp", "Plastic", "The Shadow Thief", "No Puedo Parar", "Race To Robotics", "Soul & Science", and "Mamaciterranea". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the coolest trumpeters from the LA scene of the 50s – reunited here in a never-issued album from the start of the 70s! At the time of the set, Jack Sheldon was the real star of the date – big on TV, and a very confident, cool player – as well as a singer with a wonderfully distinct sound (which some folks might remember from Schoolhouse Rock or The Merv Griffin Show!) Jack started out in the mellow modes shared by Chet Baker during his early years – but by the time of this set, he was a nicely different player – which makes the pairing with Baker so great – especially as this was a time when Chet was really laying low, and hardly recording at all. The rest of the group features Jack Marshall on guitar, Dave Frishberg on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Nick Ceroli on drums – a very sprightly combo who add a lot to the record – and both Chet and Jack sing on the record, in addition to serving up trumpet solos too. The record is an especially great one for Sheldon – very confident vocally, and really at the height of his powers here as both a singer and instrumentalist – with that wry approach that we love so much. Titles include "Evil Blues", "You Fascinate Me", "Once I Loved", "Too Blue", "Just Friends", "But Not For Me", "I Cried For You", and "Historia De Un Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic middle period work from drummer Idris Muhammad – a set recorded after his initial run of lean funk recordings for the jazz scene – with a bit more soul in the mix, and definitely a bit of boogie in the groove! Arrangements are by David Matthews – the maestro of the soul-styled charts who first honed his craft with James Brown – and the approach here is tight jazz funk, with both a good ear for the clubs, and some of the more sophisticated styles that the CTI/Kudu crowd could appreciate! There's some vocals at times – sung by Frank Floyd, Ray Simpson, and others – but the instrumental component of the album definitely takes the lead - with percussion by Nicky Marrero alongside Muhammad's tight drums – plus Hiram Bullock on guitar, Cliff Carter on keyboards, David Friedman on vibes, and solos from Ray Davis on alto and Jeremy Steig on flute. Titles include "One With A Star", "Boogie To The Top", "Bread", and "Stick It In Your Face". LP, Vinyl record album

Bobby Quesada's definitely earning his nickname of "the hard one" here – not just for his tough mafia look on the cover of the record, but also for the lively grooves underneath! The record's got a rougher and more ragged edge than some of Bobby's contemporaries – bold trumpet in the lead of most of the tunes, and a chunky percussive bottom that often has a fair bit of rootsy rhythms. Rhythms are wider ranging than you might expect – and vocals are by Luis Rodriguez and Felo Barrie. Titles include "Los Siete Refranes", "La Rosa Oriental", "La Mafia Del Guaguanco", "Le Duele Una Pata Al Pato", "Hay Un Fuego En Cienfuego", and "Guajira El Son Te Llama". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant record – Kenny Rankin's first, and a really unique mix of styles that's completely different from his more famous later albums! The album has a gentle folksy style with touches of jazz – a bit like some of Tim Hardin's work for Verve, but without as much of a sad loser finish. Arrangements are by the great Artie Schroeck, and they're a mix of jazz, strings, acoustic guitar – all wrapped up in the light and breezy style of Artie's great late 60s work on Verve. Rankin's voice has a really unique quality – sparkling with a harmonic mode that's got definite ties to folk, but bubbling with the jazzy phrasing that you'd expect to hear more from Tim Buckley or Nick Drake. Titles include "Cotton Candy Sandman", "The Dolphin", "Every Passing Moment", "In Never Changes", "Song For A Winter's Night", "The Girl I Left Behind", and "Minuet". LP, Vinyl record album

The team of Phil Woods & Gene Quill hit Prestige Records – and get a bit more space to blow than on other sessions of the time! The album's definitely got a quality that lives up to the "with prestige" in the title – a classy, careful sort of sound that's very much the height of alto work for the time – a style that's modern, yet never too much so – and informed by bop, but never in the shadow of Charlie Parker or Sonny Stitt. Rhythm is strong – by George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – but it's mostly there just to give the players the right impetus to blow nicely together. Titles include "Lazy Like", "Nothing But Soul", "A Night At St Nicks", and "Black Cherry Fritters". LP, Vinyl record album

A fresh new groove from The Fania All Stars – one that definitely has them picking up some of the Spanish elements mentioned in the title – the fusing them into the tight mix of Latin, club, and jazz they were doing at Columbia Records in the late 70s! These new elements are often light – a bit of acoustic guitar here, maracas there, or some slightly different rhythms – and they're warmed up nicely by the mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation used by the group – who are definitely at the height of their disco powers here! Core players include Papo Lucca on keyboards, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Johnny Pacheco and Roberto Roena on percussion, and Bobby Valentin on bass – and other players include Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Luie Ramirez on vibes, and Luiz Perico Ortiz on trumpet. Vocals are by Ismael Miranda, Pacheco, and Ruben Blades – and titles include "Spanish Fever", "Que Pasa", "Space Machine", "Donde", "Your Sereneness", and "Sin Tu Carino". LP, Vinyl record album

Great large group material from Gerry Mulligan – and a record that definitely defines the sound of his famous Concert Jazz Band of the early 60s! The group features a four part sax section – headed by Mulligan, with other players that include Zoot Sims on tenor, Gene Allen on baritone, Gene Quill on alto, and Dick Meldonian on alto – and the set also features work by Nick Travis and Conte Candoli on trumpets, and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and trombone – shading in some nice colors to the group's tone-heavy approach! Titles include "Out Of This World", "Sweet & Slow", "Bweebida Bobbida", and "Manoir Des Mes Reves". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan definitely earns her divine nickname here – singing sublimely here in a warmly jazzy setting from her early years at Roulette Records! The style's a nice extension of Vaughan's best sides at Mercury – and is almost a nice back-to-basics approach, the kind of reminder that Sarah always sounds best when she's heard at her jazziest – as on this album, with arrangements and piano from Jimmy Jones, and some great trumpet lines from Harry Edison! The sound is often nicely spare and laidback – letting Vaughan's vocals really come up strongly in the mix, and flow with a tremendously natural, but creatively dynamic style that really leaves us breathless. Titles include "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Somebody Else's Dream", "What Do You See In Her", "Jump For Joy", "Ain't No Use", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set of rare club and underground disco – filled with lots of tracks we haven't seen on other collections! Andy Smith has given us many amazing compilations over the years – sets that have a special mix magic, made up of rocksteady, reggae, vintage funk, and even some rockabilly too! Yet as Andy says here in the notes, he first got hooked on music in the disco generation – and has always had a life-long love of unusual and underground grooves – which he definitely demonstrates here, in a stunning selection of cuts that focus on the funkier side of the disco generation – with a good number of tracks that have turned out to be sample cuts over the years. Titles include "For The Love Of Money" by Disco Dub Band, "Patty Duke" by Cloud One, "Times Are Tight" by Jimmy Young, "Share The Night" by World Premiere, "Is It In" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Let It Flow" by Tamiko Jones, "Main Thing" by Shot with Kim Marsh, "Give It Up" by Neddy Smith, "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Holding You Tight (ext DJ mix)" by Sure Thing, "First True Love Affair (Andy Smith & Nick Halke reach up edit)" by Jimmy Ross, "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons re-edit)" by Joanne Wilson, "I Wanna Be Myself" by Don Laka, "Get Up & Boogie" by Freedom, and "Take Me To The Top" by Advance. LP, Vinyl record album