Early 70s Chicago folk scene featuring Jim Post, Steve Goodman, Ed Holstein, Ginni Clemmens, Fred Holstein, and Aliotta Haynes & Jeremiah. LP, Vinyl record album

A great set – cut when Curson was at the height of his youthful powers, and inspired by modernist ideas he'd picked up from Mingus and other contemporary jazz outsiders – including tenorist Bill Barron, who also plays on the LP! The recording is a perfect document of a time when the hard bop was folding into the new thing – in modes that were experimentally, yet never too far out – and always remembering to swing when needed, as in the case of some of Jackie McLean's best Blue Note work of the early 60s! The album's quite an obscure one – given to its original issue on the mostly-pop Old Town label – but it's a real gem in Curson's catalog, and includes the tracks "Antibes", "Nosruc", "Ahma (See Ya)", and "Flatted Fifth", a composition that went on to become one of Curson's classics! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Remember Me Baby", "Ask Anybody", "Kissin", "Amor", "Remember Then", "Oh What A Time", and "Cry Cry Cry". CD

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Fantastic work from Arthur Prysock – a singer who really helped redefine the role of the male singer in the 60s, even though he's hardly remembered today! The title cut is one of his anthems – the kind of song that's heartfelt, yet masculine at the same time – almost a different twist on territory that singers like Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson would explore in their work. Great arrangements – with a mix of strings and jazz – and titles include "I Worry Bout You", "My Everything", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "You Loved Me Yesterday", and "Keep A Light In The Window For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

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A beautiful record from a hell of a great singer – one who established a genre that was all his own, and set a whole new standard for male jazz singers in the 60s! Arthur Prysock's got some of the depth of the Billy Eckstine generation that came before him – but he's also got a mode that's more personal, almost conversational too – sophisticated, but never stand-offish – just this hip cat that really knows how to deliver a tune and make it his own! The arrangements here really fit that style too – nicely understated, but again with all these modern elements that really make things great – as Prysock makes his way through tunes that include "Only For You", "Let Her Wonder", "When I Fall In Love", "Imagination", "Don't Quit Me Now", and "Time After Time". CD

Two full albums from one of the most popular jazz singers of his day – back to back on the same CD, with bonus material too! First up is the album I Worry About You – fantastic work from Arthur Prysock – a singer who really helped redefine the role of the male singer in the 60s, even though he's hardly remembered today! The title cut is one of his anthems – the kind of song that's heartfelt, yet masculine at the same time – almost a different twist on territory that singers like Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson would explore in their work. Great arrangements – with a mix of strings and jazz – and titles include "I Worry Bout You", "My Everything", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "You Loved Me Yesterday", and "Keep A Light In The Window For Me". Next is Sings Only For You – a beautiful record from a hell of a great singer – one who established a genre that was all his own, and set a whole new standard for male jazz singers in the 60s! Arthur Prysock's got some of the depth of the Billy Eckstine generation that came before him – but he's also got a mode that's more personal, almost conversational too – sophisticated, but never stand-offish – just this hip cat that really knows how to deliver a tune and make it his own! The arrangements here really fit that style too – nicely understated, but again with all these modern elements that really make things great – as Prysock makes his way through tunes that include "Only For You", "Let Her Wonder", "When I Fall In Love", "Imagination", "Don't Quit Me Now", and "Time After Time". CD features four bonus tracks – "Do You Believe", "Good Rockin Tonight", "One More Time", and "Pianissimo". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A sweet little album of funky instrumental guitar! The record's one of the most obscure on the Westbound label – and it features guitar player Donald Austin going to town on 13 short little cuts with a tripped-out funky groove – sometimes fuzzy, usually funky, and always with that heavier kind of sound you'd expect from Westbound in the early 70s! Austin's guitar is very much in the mode of Eddie Fisher, Eddie Senay, or other kicked-back jazz funk players from his generation – an approach that's probably got a bit of Hendrix somewhere back in the mix, but which is more focused on the tighter side of the funk and soul instrumental spectrum! The album's like finding a stash of rare funky 45s – loads of great short tracks with titles that include "Sex Plot", "Crazy Legs", "You Want It, You Got It", "Side Saddle", "Nanzee", "Pea Shooter", "Do Me Right", and "Shake Your Head". CD

Genius, pure genius from a young David Bowie – an album that we've always treasured as much as Ziggy Stardust! This set's pre-Hunky Dory, pre-Space Oddity – and it's an amazing little record that's almost completely devoid of guitars – instead using weird woodwinds (lots of oboe!), soaring strings, and offbeat orchestrations to carry off the tunes – all of which are as weird, mad, and wonderful as anything Bowie wrote in later years! The subject matter of the songs is almost a dark reflection of the picture postcard England that you'd find in work by The Kinks – the local pederast, weird guy who lives with his mum, old military geezer who can't get out of the past, cross-dressing soldiers, a gravedigger about to meet his death, and hip Londoners gallivanting all over town – all delivered with a sharpness that's stunning. We honestly think the record is flawless – incredibly complicated instrumentally, but incredibly groovy too – with all the edge you'll always love in Bowie, but in a fresh young flavor too. Years back, as young Bowie-heads, we always passed this one by – assuming it was unformed early roughness – but it's not, and is an incredible album that would have been more than enough for any other artist to build a career on. Titles include "Uncle Arthur", "Sell Me A Coat", "Rubber Band", "Love You Till Tuesday", "There Is A Happy Land", "When I Live My Dream", "Maids Of Bond Street", "We Are Hungry Men", "She's Got Medals", and "Please Mr Gravedigger". LP, Vinyl record album

Solidly socking soul from Chicago – a great little set recorded with a really old school feel, but one that's also different than the usual deep funk record! The Uptown Sound have a vibe that's all their own – at one level, a quality that's steeped in classic soul – but at another, with a quality that's strangely offbeat too, almost with an undercurrent of darkness in some of the instrumentation that somehow mixes slight punkish roots into funk! Lead singer JC Brooks follows suit strongly – hitting topics that aren't your usual soul music standards, even though his vocals would be right at home with such fare – and instead, the album's got a range of themes that really keep an edge to the set, of the sort that's bound to find these guys a large audience way outside the usual deep funk underground. JC's a real superstar – even larger on stage, which is a recommendation to catch the group live! Titles include "Love One Another", "Hold You Back", "75 Years Of Art Sex", "How To Stop Loving Someone Who's Stopped Loving You", "He Does The Town", and "Berry Please". CD

Dave Brubeck's probably best known for the instrumental work by his classic quartet on Columbia Records, but during his years at the label, he also recorded some great work with singers too! Most of the tracks on the set are from the years 1960 and 1961 – a time of intense recording for the Brubeck group on Columbia, and a time when Dave's combo was paired with other artists on a variety of different sessions. The most famous of these tracks are probably the ones that feature Carmen McRae, and others are from The Real Ambassadors album – which included Louis Armstrong and Lambert Hendricks & Ross – and a great overlooked date with Jimmy Rushing, who was wrapping up Columbia work at the time. The core combo here features Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums – and titles include "Take Five", "Travelin Blues", "In The Lurch", "Weep No More", and "My One Bad Habit" with Carmen McRae; "My Melancholy Baby", "Ain't Misbehavin", "There'll Be Some Changes Made", and "Blues In The Dark" with Jimmy Rushing; "Since Love Had Its Way" and "Summer Song" with Louis Armstrong; "The Real Ambassador" and "Cultural Exchange with Armstrong and Lambert Hendricks & Ross; "That Old Black Magic" with Tony Bennett; and the incredible "Autumn In Our Town" with Ranny Sinclair – issued here for the first time ever, and a marvelously dark tune that carries echoes of later work by Karin Krog and Monica Zetterlund! CD

A pair of rare records by Sidiku Buari – issued back to back on a single CD! Feelings is a record that was issued on the tiny Precious label – home to only two Buari albums in its tiny catalog – and the set follows strongly on the work that Sidiku recorded in New York during the 70s, records that were initially issued just under his last name! The groove on some tracks is full of early 80s NYC touches – sweet electro keyboards that provide some great middle-ground shocks to the tunes – while beats crackle crispy at the bottom, and Buari sings these slinky soul vocals that are a lot more American than you'd guess from the Ghanaian recording of the album. But other numbers have more of a West Africa vibe – that updating of older modes that was taking place in Nigeria too. Titles include "Music", "Feelings", "Anowar", and "Yayo Papa". Sidiku Buari & His Jam Busters has a groove that definitely lives up to its name – a sweet 80s crackle with lots of tunes that jam in an old school funk style – keyboards, basslines, and rhythms right on the money – in a great Transatlantic bridge between Ghana and New York City! The set begins with the super-funky "Let's Go To Funky Town" – a tune with a break on the intro to rival some of the best funky club work of the time – and the vibe continues strongly through the rest of the set, on titles that include "Sophisticated Jammer", "Power To My People", "Rhythm Of Africa", "Minsumobo", and "Karambani". CD

A pair of rare records by Sidiku Buari – issued back to back on a single CD! Feelings is a record that was issued on the tiny Precious label – home to only two Buari albums in its tiny catalog – and the set follows strongly on the work that Sidiku recorded in New York during the 70s, records that were initially issued just under his last name! The groove on some tracks is full of early 80s NYC touches – sweet electro keyboards that provide some great middle-ground shocks to the tunes – while beats crackle crispy at the bottom, and Buari sings these slinky soul vocals that are a lot more American than you'd guess from the Ghanaian recording of the album. But other numbers have more of a West Africa vibe – that updating of older modes that was taking place in Nigeria too. Titles include "Music", "Feelings", "Anowar", and "Yayo Papa". Sidiku Buari & His Jam Busters has a groove that definitely lives up to its name – a sweet 80s crackle with lots of tunes that jam in an old school funk style – keyboards, basslines, and rhythms right on the money – in a great Transatlantic bridge between Ghana and New York City! The set begins with the super-funky "Let's Go To Funky Town" – a tune with a break on the intro to rival some of the best funky club work of the time – and the vibe continues strongly through the rest of the set, on titles that include "Sophisticated Jammer", "Power To My People", "Rhythm Of Africa", "Minsumobo", and "Karambani". LP, Vinyl record album

Terry Callier's first album for Cadet – and the kickoff of one of the greatest three album runs that any soul artist ever recorded! This one's got a different feel than the later two, as it takes songs by Terry, and structures them with these little musical "segue" tracks in between every song, done in a sparer folksy style that recalls Terry's roots in the Old Town scene in Chicago. At the time, Terry was making the transition from folk artist to soul singer – and he'd been picked up by Jerry Butler and The Dells as a promising young songwriter, one of the best talents of the second generation of Chicago soul stars. The record's a stripped-down affair that features a small group with Charles Stepney on harpsichord and organ, Callier on guitar, and backing vocals by Minnie Riperton, Shirley Wahls, and Kitty Haywood. The album kicks off with Terry's great little pop ditty "Ordinary Joe" – probably the catchiest song he ever wrote – then rolls into more somber titles like "Occasional Rain", "Do You Finally Need A Friend", "Golden Circle", and "Blues For Marcus". A totally unique album – and a prime example of the genius that was coming out of Chicago at the time! CD

A high school record, but also one of the first hip hop singles to come out of Chicago! Given that in the early 80s, Chi-town was still focusing mostly on soul (and soon, house), the Windy City was way behind New York in terms of hip hop production – and most early rap efforts came out as novelty tunes by local personalities. But this little gem has a surprising level of quality – simple old school backings at best, copping a Sugarhill groove from the start – but some nicely scripted lyrics from a number of Carver High School seniors, presented in a way that's a bit more staid than the usual east coast single – but still quite nice! The flipside has a mellower cut – a cool "Senior Song" that's done like some laidback 80s R&B ballad, but with a more youthful vocal approach. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rare live work from Johnny Cash – recorded right at the height of his late 60s fame on Columbia Records, but with a style that nicely takes his sound back to its roots! June Carter joins Cash at a few points in the performance – but most of the set jus has Johnny working with the Tennessee Three, in that spare chugging groove the group first developed when Cash was starting to record at Sun Records – presented here in a nicely unfettered way, as a contrast to some of his studio work for Columbia during the same period. The set's got 28 tracks in all – a nice mix of classics and other numbers – with titles that include "Bad News", "Jackson", "Long Black Veil", "Lorena", "Old Apache Squaw", "Guess Things Happen That Way", "Going To Memphis", "Orange Blossom Special", "Forty Shades Of Green", "Don't Take Your Guns To Town", "Ring Of Fire", "Long Legged Guitar Pickin Man", "Foggy Mountain Top", and "Wildwood Flower". CD

One of two great records that Cherry cut for the Sonet label while working in Sweden. The album features Cherry in the company of Swedish players like Bernt Rosengren, Agneta Arnstrom, and Bengt Berger – all of whom play in a very world jazz vibe, adding in lots of strange percussion, gongs, pianos, and other percussive instruments to the mix. Cherry even vocalizes a bit on one track, and he plays no trumpet at all on the recording – which shows an even greater commitment to exploring new modes of expression than you might expect. Titles include "Tibet", "Moving Pictures For The Ear", "Love Train", and "Gamla Stan – The Old Town By Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set – cut when Curson was at the height of his youthful powers, and inspired by modernist ideas he'd picked up from Mingus and other contemporary jazz outsiders – including tenorist Bill Barron, who also plays on the LP! The recording is a perfect document of a time when the hard bop was folding into the new thing – in modes that were experimentally, yet never too far out – and always remembering to swing when needed, as in the case of some of Jackie McLean's best Blue Note work of the early 60s! The album's quite an obscure one – given to its original issue on the mostly-pop Old Town label – but it's a real gem in Curson's catalog, and includes the tracks "Antibes", "Nosruc", "Ahma (See Ya)", and "Flatted Fifth", a composition that went on to become one of Curson's classics! CD

A great set – cut when Curson was at the height of his youthful powers, and inspired by modernist ideas he'd picked up from Mingus and other contemporary jazz outsiders – including tenorist Bill Barron, who also plays on the LP! The recording is a perfect document of a time when the hard bop was folding into the new thing – in modes that were experimentally, yet never too far out – and always remembering to swing when needed, as in the case of some of Jackie McLean's best Blue Note work of the early 60s! The album's quite an obscure one – given to its original issue on the mostly-pop Old Town label – but it's a real gem in Curson's catalog, and includes the tracks "Antibes", "Nosruc", "Ahma (See Ya)", and "Flatted Fifth", a composition that went on to become one of Curson's classics! CD

A lost bossa jazz classic from Dizzy Gillespie – recorded at a time when Lalo Schifrin was working in his combo! The record's got a cool, laidback kind of groove – one that's miles away from Gillespie's earlier bop work, and which shows him opening up his rhythmic conception strongly in the 60s. Rhythms are percolated by the piano of Schifrin, guitar of Bola Sete, bass of Chris White, and some well-chosen added percussion work – and the overall groove is one of the best American takes on the bossa jazz sound of the time, delivered with wonderful horn work from Dizzy on trumpet, Leo Wright on flute and alto, and Charlie Ventura on tenor! Even familiar tunes are transformed by the sound – and titles include "In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town", "Careless Love", "Taboo", "One Note Samba", "Pergunte Ao Joao", and "Chega de Saudade". CD

A lost bossa jazz classic from Dizzy Gillespie – recorded at a time when Lalo Schifrin was working in his combo! The record's got a cool, laidback kind of groove – one that's miles away from Gillespie's earlier bop work, and which shows him opening up his rhythmic conception strongly in the 60s. Rhythms are percolated by the piano of Schifrin, guitar of Bola Sete, bass of Chris White, and some well-chosen added percussion work – and the overall groove is one of the best American takes on the bossa jazz sound of the time, delivered with wonderful horn work from Dizzy on trumpet, Leo Wright on flute and alto, and Charlie Ventura on tenor! Even familiar tunes are transformed by the sound – and titles include "In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town", "Careless Love", "Taboo", "One Note Samba", "Pergunte Ao Joao", and "Chega de Saudade". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice batch of organ solos. Selections include "Robbin's Nest", "Mood Indigo", "Get Out Of Town", "Old Devil Moon", "All The Way", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the "blues" in the title – because the set's as much a soul jazz cooker as any of Groove's classic records for Prestige! The format's a bit different than usual – in that Groove solos on Hammond over large arrangements by Onzy Matthews – in a sweet organ/big band mode that's got plenty of bounce! The tunes are mostly from R&B sources, but done here with a groovy 60s approach – and titles include "Organ Grinder", "Mean Old Frisco Blues", "Your Red Wagon", "In The Dark", and "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town". CD

Harry James a long way from the swing years – and sounding pretty darn great overall! First up is the album Today – a hip 1960 swinger that features the trumpet of Harry James in front of some tight arrangements from Ernie Wilkins and Bob Florence, both talents who know how to update an older band sound strongly – with a leaner, cleaner groove than James ever got in the old days! Harry's solos are strong and bright, and he also gets some help from players who include Willie Smith on alto sax, Jack Perciful on piano, and Ray Sims on trombone. Titles include "Undecided", "End Of Town Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Ensemble", "Jersey Bounce", and "Lester Leaps In". On Harry James Plays Neal Hefti, Hefti does a great job of updating Harry's older swing style – and the backings here have a solid 60s bounce that's a lot groovier than you ever might have expected from a James record a few decades back! There's a great sense of dynamism in the rhythms here – clearly the same groove that Hefti brought to Basie, but tilted slightly different here – with enough room for James to take the lead on his solos. Titles include "The Creeper", "Mister Johnson", "Tweet Tweet", "Koo Koo", "Rainbow Kiss", and "Hot Pink".. CD

Beautiful work from that legendary trio that featured Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – the group that was sometimes known as Jarrett's "Standards" trio, but which could do so much more than such a name might imply! The songs are familar, and some are jazz standards – but they're also delivered with this fluid sense of shape and tone that's the best illustration of the group dynamics of each member – Peacock's sublime bass given more of a rhythmic focus than on some ECM albums, DeJohnette both open and swinging on the kit – and Jarrett bringing that exploratory vibe of his solo performances, but with more rhythm and interplay. Titles include "The Masquerade Is Over", "Old Folks", "Scrapple From The Apple", "Doxy", "One For Majid", "Moment's Notice", "When I Fall In Love", and even a reading of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". CD

Keith Jarrett in our favorite side of his talents – playing the long, improvised style that first made him a breakthrough artist on ECM in the 70s – and which still remains one of his most important contributions to the history of jazz! Even later years, Jarrett's sense of imagination on the keys is amazing – and here, you'll hear very few echoes of other improvisations – long tracks that show that Keith is always able to create spontaneously, at a level that few others can match – especially as he never goes too far outside, or seems to lose a sense of melody in his music. The work is divided up into shorter passages – the older Jarrett sometimes needs a break on the keys, but never in his cognition – and as with other concert recordings of this type, the encores are older standards – "Answer Me My Love" and "It's A Lonesome Old Town" – but both given a very free, open Keith Jarrett approach! CD

Bettye Lavette's best record yet for Anti- – a modern classic from a bonafide legendary deep soul singer – and she sounds as wonderful as she has in years! If her voice has picked up some grit over the years, it's no less beautiful – and the experience only enhances the material. The song choices are terrific – kicking off with the somewhat overlooked Dylan treasure "Everything Is Broken" – and several others eclectic, classic-level songs that span a number of genres – adapted masterfully into a timeless sound that's distinctly southern, but it eschews he retro revival style, for a unique vibe of it's own. Producer Craig Street and the tight group of musicians assembled for the record deserve a lot of credit, but none more than the inspiring Bettye Lavette! Includes "I'm Not The One", "Dirty Old Town" (plus a great closing slow version), "Yesterday Is Here", "Thankful N' Thoughtful", "Time Will Do The Talking", "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and more. CD

Beautiful music from Chicago, set to another Chicago-themed project – a film based around the Roy stories of writer Barry Gifford! Yet that literary reference aside, the music here has fantastic merits of its own, even if you've never read Gifford at all – a very different, more compositional side of the spectrum from vibist Jason Adasiewicz, yet still music that has a loose small combo vibe as well – serve dup by a cool quintet that features Jonathan Doyle on saxes, Josh Berman on cornet, Joshua Abrams on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! There's a mix of new tones and modern ideas that take us back to that late 50s time on the Chicago scene when Sun Ra's Arkestra was still in town – and the tunes penned by Adasiewicz are not only superb, but a perfect showcase for his incredible tones on vibes. Doyle is a real revelation too – a player we don't know well at all at this point, but whose sense of timing and presence really makes the whole record sparkle – as does the work of the rest of the better-known players in the group. Titles include "Ballad For Kitty", "River Blindness", "Walkin To Clinton", "Rudy's Basement", "Sand", and "Blue People". LP, Vinyl record album

Ten tracks that perfectly illustrate all that was great about Gene Ammons in his early days – a set of singles and 78s recorded for Chess in the late 40s and early 50s, done in a laidback and soulful style that had a tremendous influence on the work of other tenor players at the time! The recording quality is nice and moody, and the tracks hold up surprisingly well over the years – with titles that include "My Foolish Heart", "Goodbye", "Once In A While", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", and "It's The Talk Of The Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, their name marks them as part of that big world of prepackaged soul groups, and yes, their costumes on the cover may look a bit goofy – but over the years, this debut's got maybe a bit more staying power than some of their contemporaries! There's plenty of hip hop production in the mix – mostly handled by Dallas Austin, and with those kind of elements that you might find showing up in remixes of main cuts more than the album cuts themselves – but that also keeps things popping and hopping, and definitely does plenty to offset the youth in the vocals, which might not sound nearly as good on their own. So maybe think of the album as much as Austin's as it is the work of the group, and you'll get the vibe – with titles that include "Spyderman", "Mental Interlude", "Playground", "Little Soldiers", "Jealous Girl", "ABC", "That's My Girl", and "My World". CD

Sure, their name marks them as part of that big world of prepackaged soul groups, and yes, their costumes on the cover may look a bit goofy – but over the years, this debut's got maybe a bit more staying power than some of their contemporaries! There's plenty of hip hop production in the mix – mostly handled by Dallas Austin, and with those kind of elements that you might find showing up in remixes of main cuts more than the album cuts themselves – but that also keeps things popping and hopping, and definitely does plenty to offset the youth in the vocals, which might not sound nearly as good on their own. So maybe think of the album as much as Austin's as it is the work of the group, and you'll get the vibe – with titles that include "Spyderman", "Mental Interlude", "Playground", "Little Soldiers", "Jealous Girl", "ABC", "That's My Girl", and "My World". Cassette

A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual approach that goes quite out at times, but which also returns to a modal groove at others. Thanks to great playing by Harper and Farrell, the album's got a lot more soul than some others of the type at the time. Tracks include "The Actor", "Professor Moriarty", "Orchards of Engedi", "Tribe", and "Banyan Dance". CD

Writer Nelson Algren is one of our hometown heroes, and spent most of his key years right around the corner of Dusty Groove – so we're always a bit biased when it comes to his work – but you can trust us when we say that this well-done biography is almost as fantastic as some of Algren's classic books! Algren knew the streets of Chicago like the back of his hand – and his interaction with the city and its characters provided Algren with a life's worth of pain and pleasure – a richness of experience that really comes through in the biography. Nelson had a quick rise to fame with the success of The Man With The Golden Arm and a few other key books – but was also the subject of a long FBI investigation, and a number of other political pitfalls too – all documented here in great detail, along with his famous love affair with Simone DeBeauvoir. There's as much sadness and struggle to Algren's life as you'll find in one of his books – and the well-researched volume looks at a stunning array of material to give a full picture of his time and writing. 543 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

15 tracks – and a great selection of work by the team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson! The pair started out doing some excellent work at Motown during the early 70s – but it wasn't until they moved to Warner in the middle of the decade that they began to emerge as the powerhouse act they became for the rest of their career. Nick and Valerie changed the face of duet soul forever – taking it past the simple boy/girl themes of 60s work by artists like Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell or Maxine Brown & Chuck Jackson, into a strident, adult, hard-grooving mode that forever changed the way male and female voices interacted in soul music. The set kicks off with a live medley of older Motown hits, which makes for a good comparison of modes – then rolls into classics like "Send It", "Found A Cure", "Nobody Knows", "Love Don't Make It Right", "Don't Cost You Nothing", "I'd Know You Anywhere", "Somebody Told a Lie", "Is it Still Good To Ya", "It Seems To Hang On", "Happy Endings", "Solid", and "Stuff Like That", done with Quincy Jones. CD

A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". CD

A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". And then, if that's not enough, the 2CD package also features more material from the Prophecy sessions – 6 more tracks originally issued on the Albert Smiles With Sunny album – with titles that include "Saints", "Children", "Ghosts", "Spirits", and "Wizard" – all in different versions. CD

A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include "Kiss Me On My Neck", "Didn't Cha Know", "My Life", "AD 2000", "Bag Lady", "In Love With You", and "Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". The 9th Wonder produced single "Honey" is an unlisted bonus track. CD

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah – recorded for the most part, quite incredibly, during the same period and with the same collaborators as the mind-altering, murky and righteous hip hop funk experimentalism that was Part One – some months that must be among the most dizzyingly creative in Badu's career! We're reluctant to call Return Of The The Ankh a lighter listen than its predecessor, but, it's a less dense and outwardly experimental batch in the sonic realm – the emotionalism and the head nodding warmth is at the forefront, yet she's as uncompromising and real as ever. The sound is still innovative, unique and her own on all fronts, but the songs chosen for Part Two are ones you want to approach and embrace from the opening seconds – there's not as much of a tripped out overall vibe and you don't need to acclimate from a distance – these songs pull you right in! Includes collaborations with James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Ta'Raach, Karriem Riggins, Madlib and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Includes "20 Feet Tall", "Window Seat", "Agitation", "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)", "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long", "Love", "Out My Mind, Just In Time" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah – recorded for the most part, quite incredibly, during the same period and with the same collaborators as the mind-altering, murky and righteous hip hop funk experimentalism that was Part One – some months that must be among the most dizzyingly creative in Badu's career! We're reluctant to call Return Of The The Ankh a lighter listen than its predecessor, but, it's a less dense and outwardly experimental batch in the sonic realm – the emotionalism and the head nodding warmth is at the forefront, yet she's as uncompromising and real as ever. The sound is still innovative, unique and her own on all fronts, but the songs chosen for Part Two are ones you want to approach and embrace from the opening seconds – there's not as much of a tripped out overall vibe and you don't need to acclimate from a distance – these songs pull you right in! Includes collaborations with James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Ta'Raach, Karriem Riggins, Madlib and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Includes "20 Feet Tall", "Window Seat", "Agitation", "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)", "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long", "Love", "Out My Mind, Just In Time" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an actual narrative in the strongest of these cuts. It's not that she's forgone lyrics; but it's all about the ambience, not radio sing-a-longs. She also dives head first into her organic soul and hip hop hybrid sound a little more sparingly, but still better than any of the ladies that followed her lead after Baduizm. She channels Donald Byrd on the great "Think Twice", which is pretty indicative of the vibe as a whole. The groove is sorta mellow, but in a very tripped-out way, with deep organ washes and synth, scratchy soul guitar, and crisp organic beats. There's an appearance by Dead Prez on "Steady On The Grind", and a really sweet old school flavored remake of the great "Love Of My Life" track from the Brown Sugar soundtrack with Queen Latifah and Bahamadia, but for the most part Erykah is sweating soul on her own spiritual plane here. It's gonna take a little while to sink in, but this may be her best album (despite whatever naysaying BS you may read in mainstream reviews.) Tracks include "Bump It", the great single "Danger", "Woo", "Back In The Day" and "I Want You". CD

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an actual narrative in the strongest of these cuts. It's not that she's forgone lyrics, but it's all about the ambience, not radio sing-a-longs. She also dives head first into her organic soul and hip hop hybrid sound a little more sparingly, but still better than most who that followed her lead post-Baduizm. She channels Donald Byrd on the great "Think Twice", which is pretty indicative of the vibe as a whole. The groove is sorta mellow, but in a very tripped-out way, with deep organ washes and synth tones, scratchy soul guitar, and crisp organic beats. There's an appearance by Dead Prez on "Steady On The Grind", and a really sweet old school flavored remake of the great "Love Of My Life" track from the Brown Sugar soundtrack with Queen Latifah and Bahamadia, but for the most part Erykah is sweating soul on her own spiritual plane here. It's gonna take a little while to sink in, but this may be her best album (despite whatever naysaying BS you may read in mainstream reviews.) Tracks include "Bump It", the great single "Danger", "Woo", "Back In The Day" and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an actual narrative in the strongest of these cuts. It's not that she's forgone lyrics; but it's all about the ambience, not radio sing-a-longs. She also dives head first into her organic soul and hip hop hybrid sound a little more sparingly, but still better than any of the ladies that followed her lead after Baduizm. She channels Donald Byrd on the great "Think Twice", which is pretty indicative of the vibe as a whole. The groove is sorta mellow, but in a very tripped-out way, with deep organ washes and synth, scratchy soul guitar, and crisp organic beats. There's an appearance by Dead Prez on "Steady On The Grind", and a really sweet old school flavored remake of the great "Love Of My Life" track from the Brown Sugar soundtrack with Queen Latifah and Bahamadia, but for the most part Erykah is sweating soul on her own spiritual plane here. It's gonna take a little while to sink in, but this may be her best album (despite whatever naysaying BS you may read in mainstream reviews.) Tracks include "Bump It", the great single "Danger", "Woo", "Back In The Day" and "I Want You". Includes bonus tracks "Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop)". CD

A weird set of sitar and bongos backed sing-speak about gurus, devil gods, leprechauns, elves, opium, the wind, hippie boys and other oddball psychedelia enhanced storytelling from Kali,The Gypsy Star Child! We don't know a thing about Kali – she has a cute, girly-girl, Anytown, USA voice, but the hippie fantasy, pseudo spiritual storytelling is weird, yet genuinely committed – with droning, Eastern-tinged psych backdrops. Includes "A Game Called Who Am I", "Cosmic Remembrance", "A Cosmic Telephone Call", "From The Angel Liesle & The Buddha" and "How Can I Tell My Guru?" LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record that's as powerful as the political message of the title – the hippest record ever cut by Amiri Baraka, and that's saying a heck of a lot! Baraka delivers a long and complex set of poetic reflections on the state of Black America, spiritual awakening, and political redemption – set to musical backings that shift from funky, to jazz, to avant, and back again. Players on the set include Gary Bartz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Idris Muhammad, and Reggie Workman – and there's a host of additional players, percussionists, and vocalists that join Amiri in the delivery of his message. Titles include "Answers In Progress", "Peace In Place", "Bad News For Your Highness", "Was Gon Happen", "All In The Street", "Pamoja Tutashinda", and "Pull The Covers Off". One to listen to when you get past your Last Poets records! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few rare albums on the Maple label – a 70s imprint that's known for some incredible funk and soul! Despite the title, the set's a record that sounds a lot more down-home than uptown – thanks to hard-wailing vocals from Gloria Barnes herself, and a nicely rough-edged quality to the instrumentation overall – supposedly handled by Lee Moses and The Ohio Players – the latter of whom wrote a few of the songs too! The album's one of the few on Maple – and in a way, it's almost a female soul counterpart to the Lee Moses record on the same label – done in a similar mix of rootsy modes and east coast indie soul – occasionally sweet at points, but mostly deep soul overall. Titles include "Gotta Get Away", "I Found Myself", "Old Before My Time", "I'll Go All The Way", "She Wants A Stand In", and "You Don't Mean It". LP, Vinyl record album