Beautiful early work from John Klemmer – one of the most under-rated talents of his generation, and a great player who frequently gets overlooked because of his later, smoother work. This album is Klemmer's first – recorded with a soulful Chicago tenor sound, touched with some of the freedoms of the late 60s Cadet Records scene. The approach is a bit like Eddie Harris at his best – with Klemmer rolling out soulful, stretched out notes over backing by a Harris-inspired rhythm section that includes Melvin Jackson on bass, Wilbur Cambell on drums, and Jodie Christian on piano. The groove is very solid, very in the pocket – and Klemmer blows in a tradition that includes Frank Strozier and Eric Alexander – 2 other players who've made a strong contribution to the Chicago scene. Titles include "My Blues", "Will N Jug", "Passion Food", "Stand In the Sun", and "Later With Them Woes". CD

A pivotal album for Gladys Knight and group – as the record features their super-huge hit "The Midnight Train To Georgia", a landmark track that not only had a catchy pop hook, but which spoke volumes about African-American migration in the postwar years. The track's one of those you've heard a million times, but it's got a strength that still holds up tremendously. Part of this is due to great production work by Tony Camillo – who handled arrangements and studio work on about half the tracks – and part is due to Jim Weatherly, who wrote the song, and about half the others on the album. The whole album's great – one of the best Buddah Records moments for the group – and titles include "I've Got To Use My Imagination", "Window Raising Granny", "Where Peaceful Waters Flow", "Once In A Lifetime Thing", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", and "Storms Of Trouble Times". Includes three bonus tracks ; "We Don't Look For Trouble", "Alone Again" & "Rainbow Ride". CD

Flute man Moe Koffman was one of the strongest jazz talents on his instrument in the late 50s – an artist whose work on records like this may well have paved the ground for the success of Herbie Mann and others to come! The title's a play on Moe's earlier work on the "Swingin Shepherd" tune – a surprise instrumental hit, with a very sprightly groove – but the approach here is much more jazz overall, and really lets Koffman show off his chops – including a few points at which he blows alto sax too! The arrangements are fresh, and slightly modern – and the group features Ed Bickert on guitar, Hugh Currie on bass, and Ron Rully on drums – on titles that include "Marty's Mourge", "What Can You Do", "Doxy", "Sure It Is", "Alone Together", and "Cloud Nine". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 50s work from vocalist Abbe Lane – and a record that's made all the better by some great arrangements from Tito Puente! Abbe's getting past the sexy tricks of other records here – and singing in a dusky tone that works perfect with Tito's tight, choppy, and highly percussive arrangements. The set's got a wonderful blend of Latin and torch – with tracks that include "Take It Easy", "Green Eyes", "The River Seine", "Babalu", "Pan, Amore & Cha Cha Cha", "Noche De Ronda", and "Whatever Lola Wants". LP, Vinyl record album

Music of a very different style than some of Laraaji's other work – more tuneful and song-based – with shorter tracks that show a whole different side of his talents! Laraaji's gotten great acclaim for his homespun spiritual sounds – long tracks that first found a home in Brian Eno's Ambient series, then came out on a variety of self-released records, and have even seen a big new revival in recent years. But the music here is a mixture of echoey vocals and rhythm patterns – songs that almost feel like special prayers of motivation and uplift – a karmic legacy stripped down more for an 80s generation, but still filled with a rich amount of spirit! The man's a surprisingly strong singer, with a trippy quality that really fits his lyrics – and almost gives some of the songs a late 60s sort of LA underground vibe. Titles include "Is This Clear", "Hare Jaya Jaya Rama", "Great Bells", "Laws Of Manifestation", "Cosmic Joe", "We Shall Be Lifted", and "I Can Only Bliss Out". CD

Music of a very different style than some of Laraaji's other work – more tuneful and song-based – with shorter tracks that show a whole different side of his talents! Laraaji's gotten great acclaim for his homespun spiritual sounds – long tracks that first found a home in Brian Eno's Ambient series, then came out on a variety of self-released records, and have even seen a big new revival in recent years. But the music here is a mixture of echoey vocals and rhythm patterns – songs that almost feel like special prayers of motivation and uplift – a karmic legacy stripped down more for an 80s generation, but still filled with a rich amount of spirit! The man's a surprisingly strong singer, with a trippy quality that really fits his lyrics – and almost gives some of the songs a late 60s sort of LA underground vibe. Titles include "Is This Clear", "Hare Jaya Jaya Rama", "Great Bells", "Laws Of Manifestation", "Cosmic Joe", "We Shall Be Lifted", and "I Can Only Bliss Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Two albums from Peggy Lee on one CD. First up is I Like Men! – an obscure album of "guy" songs from the end of the 50s! There's a playful feel to the music that fits Lee's vocals very well – as do the bouncy arrangements from Jack Marshall, who turns out to be one of the best musical partners that Peggy could ever hope for! The set's got that nice jazzy groove that really makes Lee's return to Capitol Records so great – and titles include "Good For Nothing Joe", "Charley My Boy", "Jim", "Bill", and "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around the House". On Sugar 'N' Spice Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of arrangement that was the best 60s discovery for the Peggy Lee voice – and which allowed her to create a unique space for her own maturing sexuality in pop music. The whole thing's great, and avoids the cliches of some of the other Peggy Lee albums from the time. Titles include "I Believe In You", "Ain't That Love", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Sweetest Sounds", "Teach Me Tonight", "Tell All The World About You", and "Big Bad Bill". CD

One of the best records we've ever heard from pianist Lou Levy – a record that steps past the simple format of earlier records, into a style that's slightly modern, and very cool – thanks to the addition of vibes to his usual trio format. Larry Bunker plays vibes on the record, and rhythm's by Stan Levy and Leroy Vinnegar – both of whom hip things up nicely, and give the album a soulful bottom that offsets Levy's sprightly piano lines in a wonderful way. A real delight, even on the familiar tunes – and titles include "Gray Fox", "Tune Up", "Without You", "Wail Street", "Star Eyes", "Imagination", and "Indiana". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover of this one might make the album one of the campiest records on Verve – but the session's a surprisingly great one, with a straighter vocal approach than you'd guess! Monica's got a really sweet vocal style – a bit sexy, and certainly adult – arranged here with some nice jazzy touches from Frank DeVol, working in backings that are a lot hipper than those we remember him using with other singers from the time. Monica handles herself like a big girl in front of all those Marines – all-woman, but clearly not giving it away to the first man in blue who walks down the street. Titles include "Blues In The Night", "Miss You", "Rough Ridin", "All Alone", "The Song Is You", "Undecided", and "I'll Be Seeing You". CD

Massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums from Ramsey Lewis' early years at Chess Records – a spare set of bossa groovers that has the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt augmented by added Brazilian percussion and guitar! The sound is spare, sharp, and soulful – and the record's one of the first small combo bossa dates like this in the US – a 1962 effort that even predates most of Verve's better known bossa jazz albums of the 60s, and which matches their groovy energy wonderfully. The record's quite an unusual one for Lewis, and it's further proof that the trio with Young and Holt was an incredibly dynamic outfit! Two tracks on the album – "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and "Cara De Palhacao" – feature vocals, by Carmen Costa and Josef Paulo, respectively – and other tracks are all instrumental, and include "Samba De Orpheus", "O Pato", "Roda Moinho", "Roda Moinho", and "Cancao Para Geralda". CD

One of our favorite records ever from the great Sven Libaek – an artist who's possibly best known for his underwater soundtrack work of the 70s, but who shines equally well here on a 60s album that has him hitting the top of the waves! The music was written for a surf film in 1966, but has a vibe that's much richer than that – some vibes-heavy tracks that showcase Sven's background in jazz, and which tie nicely to some of the Bruce Brown jazz/surf soundtracks of the early 60s LA scene – mixed with other numbers that have more of an Aussie vibe, in that light wrapping of rhythmic currents and lyrical instrumentation! The vibes alone are worth the price of admission – and titles include "Bikini Girls", "The Lost City", "In The Wave", "To Ride A White Horse", "Turistas Turistas", "Bush Fire", "Break Of Dawn", and "Fun & Games". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Arto Lindsay solo, and at a level that really has his unique character coming out more than ever – definitely different than some of the more song-based records he gave us decades back, and very much in the territory of the sounds that made him such a force during the no wave generation! Arto sings and plays guitar – but the results are hardly as ordinary as that might make you expect – as Lindsay moves from noise one minute to sweeter crooning the next – all with an understanding of the boundaries of sound, and the pleasures in stepping back after reaching them in performance. Every track is a new surprise – and titles include "A Mirror Trying To Do Its Job", "Parallel", "Nothing", "The Famous Land Of Evening", "Your Hair Sticks To My Cheek", "Many Body", and "Yoga". CD

A fantastic set – 46 Chess Records recordings, including a few unissued titles! CD

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package brings together all of Little Willie John's hit singles for King, but also features the much more obscure b-sides too – making it an essential document of these legendary years – with a whopping 32 tracks that include "Now You Know", "Flamingo", "Spring Fever", "I'm Sorry", "My Nerves", "Do Something For Me", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Nobody Love You", "Fever", "Tell It Like It Is", "Letter From My Darling", "Don't Leave Me Dear", "Right There", and "All Around The World". CD

First up is one of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". Around Midnight's just about the best time to listen to Julie London – especially given her sultry late-night style of singing! This album's one that definitely follows in that mode – setting Julie's vocals to backings by Dick Reynolds – a bit fuller than some of her earliest Liberty albums, but still quite moody, and very much in the best spirit of the album's songs of adult love and loss. The song choices are especially great too – with some key mid-century classics that include "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lush Life", "Lonely In Paris", "Something Cool", and "You & The Night & The Music". CD

An incredible legacy of jazz – one that's certainly as disconnected as promised by the title, but which stands as a much-needed look at the many-sided talents of tenorist Allen Lowe! The set's on ESP Records, but often has sounds that are somewhat straight ahead – although often in a way that's a bit more than you might expect – as Lowe's a player with a strong knowledge of older generations of jazz, but who can put things together with a very contemporary ear – maybe best summed up in the Avant Garde Tribute To Louis Armstrong – a Knitting Factory performance that's part of this set. Lowe works with a compelling range of musicians throughout – maybe most importantly, trumpeter Doc Cheatham, who shows that in the 80s and 90s, he was still very open to new ideas – as well as Percy France and David Murray on tenor, Randy Sandke on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Matthew Shipp on piano and Farfisa organ – and many others along the way. The massive 8CD set features countless rare recordings from over 40 years of Lowe's career – private recordings, live sets, and lots more – a huge addition not just to his own catalog, but a revelation of a connecting web on the east coast scene for decades! CD

Some of the rarest dub work ever cut by this legendary Jamaican producer – music that originally appeared on two different records that only ever circulated in shabby TK Records 12" sleeves, often with the wrong information printed on the labels! Yet the set is every bit as seminal as the music on the Aquarius Rock collection of work from Herman Chin Loy – very late in the game for Jamaican dub, but also at a level that almost seemed to give Loy and the musicians a lot more freedom in their ways to explore and experiment in the studio! All the work was done at Herman's Aquarius Studio, with players who include Aston Family Man Barrett on bass, Mickey Chung and Willie Lindo on guitars, and Leslie Butler on keyboards. Titles include "It's Alright Dub", "Armagideon War Dub", "She's Gone Dub", "Troubled World Dub", "You'll Never Know Dub", "Song Of My Mother Dub", "Them A Fight Dub", "No Malice Me Chalice Dub", "Why Do You Idle Dub", and "The Greatest Love Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing sonic portrait of the modern city – one created on the early 70s Italian scene, but lost to the shifting sands of time, due to its release as a sound library-only album! We've heard Maria Teresa Luciani on a few other records of this nature – but this one may well be her greatest – music that's beyond categorization in the way it presents its subject – not really jazz or soundtrack styles at all, but also not some sort of too-modern compositional idiom either. Instead, the whole thing seems to make some sort of honest, organic sense – as it presents differing aspects of the city, both residential and commercial, public and private – often with a sense of darkness in the immediate approach, but also with a current of hope at times too. Titles include "Public Gardens", "Modern Residential Complex", "Supermarket", "Poor Neighborhoods", "Power Station", "Traffic", and "International Airport". LP, Vinyl record album

The secret history of Chicago house music – a side of the scene that's even more obscure than its many rare records or long-departed clubs! The book is a fantastic follow up to the first volume – and like that one, features rare flyers, posters, and ads for some of the underground Chicago house music events and venues – some of them legitimate entertainment venues, but others more obscure hole-in-the-wall places – including some churches that were surprising hosts to house music events back in the day! The book has no text, but features full color reproductions of dozens of flyers and posters – most of them very detailed and vibrant, with loads of information on obscure artists, DJs, and other forces helping to make house music happen – often emblazoned with addresses that will come as a real surprise if you only know the Chicago of the 21st Century! A beautiful book – and one that makes us proud to call Chicago our home. Book

Some of the greatest work ever by The Main Ingredient – a selection of their singles for RCA records from the late 60s and early 70s – but one that goes way past just the hits, in order to fully trace the evolution of their heavenly vocal style! The trio started out as an already-great harmony act in the late 60s – a group who were even sweeter and more soaring than some of their contemporaries – making them perfectly placed to move into some of the more righteous harmony modes of the 70s – including some surprising turns towards more righteous, political material. The 22 track package is the greatest we've ever seen on the group – 15 pages of deeply detailed notes, in true Ace/Kent mode – plus singles that include three by The Insiders, "I'm Better Off Without You", "If You Had A Heart", and "I'm Just A Man" – as well as Main Ingredient singles that include "Black Seeds Keep On Growing", "California My Way", "Magic Shoes", "Everybody Plays The Fool", "You've Got To Take It If You Want It", "Girl Blue", "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend", "I Was Born To Lose You", "Brotherly Love", "You've Been My Inspiration", "I'm So Proud", "Spinning Around", "I'm Leaving This Time", "Rolling Down A Mountainside", "The Gold Old Days", and "Shame On The World". CD

A really wonderful setting for the piano of Junior Mance – not a trio date, but a live session with a quartet – and one that features some very strong contributions from Houston Person on tenor! The vibe is almost more like some of Person's records of the time, but handled with a bit more care and class by Enja – and in addition to Houston's tenor and Junior's piano, the group also features Calvin Hill on bass and Alvin Queen on drums – two players who do a great job of keeping up with the boundless energy of the others on the album's nicely long tracks! Titles on this second volume include "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "Blues In The Closet", "Some Other Blues", "My Romance", and "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me". CD

The debut album from pianist Junior Mance – a session that showcases some of the harder, more soulful modes he'd soon bring to his great run of records in the 60s, but one that also has some of the more easygoing modes of 50s Verve Records too! Junior's got some surprisingly lyrical touches at times – still using plenty of hard left hand movement on the rhythms, which are augmented by Ray Brown on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – but also moving fluidly on the higher side of the keyboard too, crafting all these beautiful melodies that resonate with effortless ease! There's maybe less space between the notes than on some of Mance's work a few years later, and it's also clear that even at this young age, he's already a hell of a pianist, with a very individual touch. Titles include "Jubilation", "A Smooth One", "Miss Jackie's Delight", "Small Fry", "Love For Sale", and "Junior's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet jazzy keys from Mike Mandel – grooving here in a fuller jazz funk mode that's a bit like the best work of the 70s on Kudu Records! The approach is quite nice – with Mike handling all the electrics, and getting solo support from and array of jazzy players who include David Sanborn on alto, Gary Anderson on tenor, Darryl Thompson on guitar, and Wilbur Bascomb and John Lee on bass! The sound's a nice blend of funky and slick – and the album sports a great instrumental cover of Steely Dan's "Peg", as well as the original tunes "As Fine As You Are", "Pyramids", "Elephant & Castle", "Another Kind Of Spring", and "Jupiter Finger". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty strong 80s fusion – Cesar's on lots of electric keyboards, and the album features guest appearances from Ivan Lins and Sadao Watanabe. There's some nice moments buried in the mix, but the production is a bit slick, toning down the emotion and funk of Mariano's earlier records. Songs include "Amor Em Paz", "Send One Your Love", and "Tokyo". CD

One of the slickest of Dave Matthews' funk records from the 70s – but still pretty darn nice! Matthews was the mainman behind the legendary funk group The Grodeck Whipperjenny, and a key arranger in James Brown's sound of the Polydor years – but by this time, he moved into smoother club-type jazz, of the sort he'd penned for Idris Muhammad and other artists on the Kudu label. However, Matthews' always had a talent for the funky groove – and even these otherwise pop disco numbers shine with a musical intensity that surprises us – especially at moments like the funky drumbreak on "You Keep Me Hanging On", the freaky moog on "Shoogie Wanna Boogie", the funky bass solo on "California Dreaming", and the excellent keyboard work on "Gotta Be Where You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A really mesmerizing performance from a completely fantastic version of Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra – a smaller unit, and one that seems to bring even more focus to Rob's incredible musical vision of the past decade or so! Mazurek has grown tremendously as a player in the 21st Century, and matured into a role as a generous leader who really seems to bring out the best in the musicians he works with – in this case an all-star lineup that features Tomeka Reid on cello and electronics, Angelica Sanchez on Wurlitzer electric piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, Chad Taylor on drums, and Damon Locks on voice, electronics, and text. Locks and Mazurek have an especially strong rapport – especially as Rob vocalizes a bit too – and the performance takes all the spiritual expressions of previous Exploding Star records, refines them down with a new focus, then sends them soaring to the skies! The album features two long tracks – "Equations Of Love In Prismatic Waves Of Color" and "Driftless". CD

The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". LP, Vinyl record album

The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". CD

A really fantastic large project by Christian McBride – maybe one of his most ambitious records ever, and one that really lives up to its intention! The movement here is the Civil Rights movement – recalled through the words of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Rosa Parks, and Dr Martin Luther King Jr – then set to jazz instrumentation by a wonderful lineup that includes Warren Wolf on vibes, Steve Wilson on alto and flute, Ron Blake on tenor and soprano sax, Michael Dease and Steve Davis on trombones, Lew Soloff on trumpet, and Geoffrey Keezer on piano. Four different figures each take on the voices, with an approach that's as great as the music – actors Wendell Pierce, Vondie Curtis Hall, and Dion Graham – plus poet Sonia Sanchez – often shifting the words of the key figures throughout a single musical work, with results that are surprisingly powerful. Titles include "Brother Malcolm", "Sister Rosa", "Rumble In The Jungle", "Ali Speaks", "Soldiers", and "A View From The Mountaintop". A fantastic record – and one that reminds us of the great power in this nation, at a time when its light is sometimes eclipsed. CD

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

A triple-action classic from alto genius Jackie McLean – and one of those key records from the years when he stunned the world by moving from hardbop into the more experimental modes of the "new thing" generation! The approach here is very formative – not just for some of Jackie's spiritual expressions in the 70s, but also for the way that more creative jazz moved forward in years to come – as McLean is working alongside key players who include Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! Higgins' lyrical playing is a perfect complement to the more avant tones of the others – giving the album a free dancing soul, but also never letting things get too out of hand to lose the jazz basis of McLean's best work. The album includes an early recording of Tolliver's classic tune "Plight", plus the tracks "Wrong Handle", "Action", and "Hootnan". CD

A very apt title – as Jackie McLean sits in for a soulful session with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all "old bottles" at this point in their career, but working together beautifully to brew some very mellow "new wine"! The album's easily one of the best in the trio's run of the time – as Jackie's alto sax really helps flesh things out a bit more than usual – and moves the album past the trio sound of their other records. McLean gets plenty of space to do his thing on the longer tracks – and the piano of Jones, bass of Carter, and drums of Williams have a solid, soulful approach that's really wonderful. Titles include 2 McLean originals titled "Appointment In Ghana Again" and "Little Melonae Again", both remakes of older tunes – plus "Confirmation", "Bein Green", and "Round Midnight". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

A really great later effort from Helen Merrill – one recorded in Paris at the end of the 80s with some excellent tenor sax work from Stan Getz! The mode of the record is similar to other Merrill records from the time – spare, gentle, and moody – sometimes threatening to lapse into its own blueness, but wonderfully redeemed by Stan's solo lines – which push a boldness and raspy edge into the tunes that really livens things up. The album's a great demonstration of the Getz power on a vocal session – a sound that never overtakes the presence of the singer, but really brings in something fresh – a voice of its own that helps redefine the tunes and create some of the most exciting moments on the record. Other players include Joachim Kuhn and Torrie Zito on piano, JF Jenny-Clark on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and titles include "Music Makers", "Cavatina", "It's Not Easy Being Green", "Yesterdays", "If You Go Away", and "Just Friends". CD

A great lost bit of funk – and a pretty mysterious record, too! The record came out hot on the heels of Manu Dibango's big original version of "Soul Makossa" – and while it's got a groove that definitely leans towards Afro Funk, it's also got plenty of Caribbean touches too – a wicked blend of funk and island styles that's almost like The Beginning Of The End at some of the best moments – but with a touch of New York underground as well! We've never been entirely sure if the group wasn't just a Winley Records studio project – maybe The Rimshots under another name – but whatever the case, the record's a damn funky classic – filled with lots of original-sounding grooves that make the whole thing well worth tracking down. Titles include a version of "Soul Makossa", with a groove that's harder than the original – plus "Skin N Soul", "Good Groove", "Mozambique", "Finger In It", "Dance Girl", and the extended "Bahamas Melody". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Very nice set of Mingus' legendary Candid recordings – produced in 1960, after Mingus angrily departed Columbia records, and was finally given the freedom to work in the way that he wanted. The recordings are some of Mingus best – and they feature a righteous anger and sheer jazz power that's unmatched by few other recordings. Tracks include "Mysterious Blues", "Reincarnation of A Lovebird", "Bugs", "R&R", "Vassarlean", and more! CD

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back to back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Titles include the massive "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" (the virtual Mingus "trademark" tune), plus the tracks "Celia", "Hora Decubitus", and "II B.S.". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album – one of our favorite-ever records from Charles Mingus! The album was recorded in the same breath as his legendary works Tijuana Moods, The Clown, and Pithecanthropus Erectus – and it features the same sort of fire and emotion that made those classics so great. The group alone is amazing – with Horace Parlan on piano, Shafi Hadi on alto and tenor, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and the amazing Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet – all getting plenty of room to open up on the album's longer tracks! The work bristles with a sense of imagination and dark energy that Mingus hardly had in his music in later years – and each new tune brings a fresh sense of vision that never fails to astound us! In keeping with the "poetry" title, the album begins with an incredible 12 minute track "Scenes in the City" – which features a long spoken bit written by Langston Hughes about one man's love of jazz and the way that it affects his life in the city – all supported with excellent instrumentation from the group. Other titles are instrumental, and include "Nouroog", "New York Sketchbook", "Slippers", and "Duke's Choice". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The original production of Hamilton – written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. The soundtrack is very fittingly issued by Atlantic Records – given the strong undercurrent of soul and hip hop in the music – in a surprisingly effective blend of beats, rhymes, and larger orchestrations! Miranda himself plays the lead character, in a setting that also features great vocal performances by Leslie Odom Jr, Anthony Ramos, Daveed Diggs, and others – all served up in this lavish package that contains all the musical performances from the original production. CD

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". CD

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". CD

One of the rarest albums of Chicago jazz from the 50s – and one of the greatest, too! Although Walter Perkins' MJT+3 went onto cut a number of records on Vee Jay with a different lineup, this early session features an all-Chicago lineup that differs from the later one, which was augmented by later visitors from Memphis, like Frank Strozier and Harold Mabern. In their place are prime Chicago talents, like altoist Nicky Hill, trumpeter Paul Serrano, and the great AACM composer/pianist Richard Muhal Abrams (playing here without the Muhal in his name!) The album's a complete delight, and is filled with loads of original compositions by Abrams that mix hard bop lines with more exotic lyrical conceptions – a true meeting of all the sides of jazz bubbling under in Chicago during the 50s, and a delight to listen to over and over again through the years! Titles include "No Land's Man", "Little Brother", "Egypic", "End Of The Line", and "Temporarily Out Of Order". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Blue Note albums of all time – a record that's even better than the look of it's cover – which is already pretty darn classic! Hank Mobley had been making records for Blue Note for a number of years before this set – but Caddy For Daddy is one in which he really takes off – mixing earlier hardbop modes with a more complex approach to both rhythm and lyricism – matched with some wonderful work from Lee Morgan in the frontline, who was also really hitting new heights at the time – in a group that also includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The group plays this amazing mix of soul jazz and modal grooves that sets a whole new standard in the Blue Note catalog – and every cut is a winner, with titles that include "Venus Di Mildew", "The Morning After", "3rd Time Around", and "Ace Deuce Trey". Fantastic material all the way through, with tracks that will stay in your head for years – and one of the greatest jazz album covers ever! CD

A beautiful bit of electro pop from Modern Art – a group who was a much more obscure part of the UK post-punk scene than some of the artists recording for labels like Cherry Red or Factory Records! Yet there's also a sound here that really evokes some of the hipper strands of the latter – maybe the sound of early New Order, but without as much darkness, or the excellent From The Hip album by Section 25! Like that record, the approach here is spare and focused on electric percussion and instrumentation – used very tunefully, and on tunes that are surprisingly catchy, even though quite far from any commercial territory. The simplicity gives the record a surprisingly optimistic feel – and since the original run was only issued on cassette, the whole thing missed getting the attention it deserved the first time around. Titles include "Dreaming Again", "Discover", "Sad Delusion", "Oriental Towers", "Sand In Your Eyes", and "Stars" – with three bonus tracks too! CD

A rare British set, originally issued only on cassette – which means that most copies of the album were lost to the hinterland of oxide decay! The set's got a sound that's way more immortal than its original format deserved – very much in the best mode of early Factory Records – spare, stark, and moody sounds from sometime-Coil and Current 93 collaborator Gary Ramon! The tunes are surprisingly catchy, even when dark – and the music is a masterpiece of understatement – those great sounds before the industrial underground of the 80s got a bit too full of itself. Titles include "TV Screen", "Hello/Goodbye", "46 Botanical Species", "Protect & Serve", and "Tropic Of Cancer". CD

An excellent Japanese performance from the Modern Jazz Quartet – and a set that was issued in a bit of a lull during their 60s American years for Atlantic Records – which makes it even more important as a key part of their catalog at the time! The 1966 date has the combo in fine form – and almost stepping out with a bit of added soulfulness, in ways that echo some of the styles that Milt Jackson was exploring on his own at the time, and which seem to be brought back to the group! Milt's vibes are wonderful – ringing out with a great sense of pride and presence that may well go beyond earlier MJQ material – and titles include "Really True Blues", "The Cylinder", "Midsommer", "Animal Dance", "For Someone I Love", "Ralph's New Blues", "Pyramid", "Home", "Winter Tale", "Blues Milanese", and "Bag's Groove". CD

One of the first MJQ albums on Atlantic – and a bit fresher than some of their later outings, when it seemed like they were churning records out at the drop of a hat! Titles include an extended medley of standards, all given the MJQ touch – plus the drum-heavy "La Ronde", and the tracks "Baden Baden", "Bag's Groove", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

More material from the famous Last Concert record from the MJQ – not really the last concert ever from the Modern Jazz Quartet – but a set that seemed so at the time, given that the group went their separate ways for a number of years! The record's got the combo in really top form – very much back to the basics of their early time on Atlantic Records, with a sublime focus on that unique sound that no other group like this could match. Milt Jackson's vibes are chromatically aligned in this amazing way with the piano of John Lewis – and somehow the live recording seems to bring out even more tones in the bass of Percy Heath, who feels an even stronger presence here than usual. Connie Kay's work on drums are a masterpiece of percussive understatement – and titles include "The Jasmine Tree", "Tears From The Children", "England's Carol", "Blues In H (b)", and "Really True Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Thelonious Monk – a superbly-recorded live set from early 60s Paris – done with his legendary quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor! The music here is wonderful – tracks that are often quite long, and stretched out nicely from the Columbia Records material by the group – with especially long improvisations by Monk that really reignite our respect for his genius – and the kind of soulful solos from Rouse that are always a perfect match! The bass of John Ore is beautifully recorded too – maybe even more powerful here than usual – and Frankie Dunlop completes the group with wonderfully deft work on drums. Titles include "Nutty", "Bemsha Swing", "Evidence", "Body & Soul", "I Mean You", "Epistrophy", "Just A Gigolo", "April In Paris", "Crepuscule With Nellie", "Jakie-ing", and "Off Minor". CD

A beautiful live set from the legendary Thelonious Monk Quartet – that magical lineup you'll know from Monk's early 60s albums on Columbia Records, captured here in a concert performance that really opens up so many different currents of the group's sound! Monk is crucial, of course, on piano – but the group also moves with a perfect sense of timing for his music, thanks to the work of John Ore on bass and Frankie Dunlop on drums – a group who are then topped by some fantastic tenor work from the amazing Charlie Rouse – a hell of player at many levels, but one who always seemed to hit new heights with Monk! The double-length package really gives the group a lot of room to open up – and tracks move nicely between extended numbers and a few nice shorter bits – on titles that include "Just A Gigolo", "Well You Needn't", "Round Midnight", "Bemsha Swing", "Balu Bolivar Balues Are", "Crepuscule With Nellie", "Jackie-Ing", and "Blue Monk". CD

Ralph Moore's a player we always like to keep our ear on, and this album's no exception – a cracklingly soulful batch of tunes played with a razor-sharp quintet, all tied together beautifully with Moore's tenor on top! The date's great proof that rock-solid sessions could still be cut well after the classic Blue Note or Prestige Records years – and Moore's sense of timing and guidance easily matches that of many other tenor titans from previous years. And even more than some tenorists, who really see themselves as the star of the show, Ralph's got a sense of warmth and comradeship that always seems to bring out the best in his players – who on this date include Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and either Victor Lewis or Kenny Washington on drums. Titles include "Pheobe's Samba", "Girl Talk", "Line D", "Monk's Dream", "310 Blues", and "Hopscotch". CD

A pair of wonderful records – reissued here together as a single CD set! The core album Let's Make A Record is a starkly beautiful album from New Orleans street evangelist Sister Gertrude Morgan – recorded in 1968 with only voice and tambourine, but in a way that's got a highly rhythmic groove! Gertrude's been rediscovered of late, due to interest in her artwork – and this record itself is coming back strongly into the spotlight, thanks to King Britt's own brilliant reinterpretation of most of the tunes! But honestly, even if Britt hadn't picked up on this one, we'd still find it extremely compelling – because with only a tambourine to set the groove, Gertrude manages to shake out some tightly snapping little tunes that crackle with an earthy electricity that's pretty darn unique. Titles include "Let Us Make A Record" – which should be chanted at the start of every recording session from now on – plus "Way In The Middle Of The Air", "Power", "I Am The Living Bread", "He Wrote The Revelation", "I Got The New World IN My View", and "I Was Healed By The Wound In His Side". For the other LP, the cosmic talents of King Britt takes older acapella vocals and tambourine rhythms from New Orleans evangelist Sister Gertrude Morgan – originally recorded in 1969, but expanded tremendously here through use of additional keyboards, percussion, and a surprising amount of acoustic instrumentation! Britt's got his usual drum patterns and electronics in the mix, but there's also a fair bit of slide guitar, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and even a bit of lap steel on the set – all of which makes for a sound that's as folksy as it is modern – really opening up a whole new chapter in Britt's career! Titles include "Let's Make A Record", "Living Bread", "Devil's Music", "Power", "New World In My View", "Unceremonious", and "I Was Healed By The Wounds". CD

Paul Morley wrote famously for the NME during the key years of punk, post-punk, and new wave – which makes him very able to draw a rich portrait here of contemporary and scenemate Tony Wilson – the man behind Factory Records, The Hacienda club, and a huge legacy of music in the 80s and beyond! Morley also helped form ZTT Records, and is very smart and well-read – and he brings in a surprising amount of theory and other references – really getting at the politics behind the art and business impulses of Wilson – in a very detailed book that's way more than you might expect! Morley also opens the door to other voices along the way – with occasional commentary from contemporaries – before dipping back in to this very deep, very well-written look at one of the most important figures on the UK scene during the late 70s and 1980s. This heavy, hardcover edition is a massive 604 pages, with some images in the middle. Book

A lost classic from one of the greatest Brazilian sax players ever! This obscure session originally came out on the Equipe label, and was even briefly issued in the US on the Tangerine imprint – and the record stands as one of the greatest sides of jazz that Moura ever cut! Paulo handled all the arrangements himself, and the group's an all star one that features Pascoal Meirelles on drums, Wagner Tiso on piano, Luiz Carlos on bass, plus additional tenor sax, trumpet, and trombone next to Moura's alto sax. The set's a beautiful batch of warmly painted tunes – awash with color and life, showing both Moura's talent for lyrical interplay, and his tendency to blow in edgier styles. Titles include "Travessia", "No Brilho Da Faca", "General Da Banda", "Outubro", "Nem Precisou Mais Um Sol", and "Das Tardes Mais Sos". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish elements that also made Mouzon a key crossover player in the fusion years! The album was Mouzon's first, and in some ways may be one of his best – and has a strong jazz component, thanks to work from sidemen who include Sonny Fortune and Buddy Terry on reeds, and the great Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano. Alphonze wrote, arranged, and conducted all the tracks – and titles include "Crying Angels", "Funky Finger", "Spring Water", and "Sunflower". CD

The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". CD

The sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A magical meeting of two tremendous talents – saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla – heard here in a rare Italian recording from the 70s! The album's a really unique effort for both musicians – a bit more pensive and thoughtful than some of Piazzolla's usual work from the 70s, and much less jazz-based than Mulligan's other records – more in a soundtrack mode, and one that seems to have echoes of Gato Barbieri's score to Last Tango In Paris! Like that great record, this one mixes Argentine styles with freer, more fluid ones – updating roots with a 70s sense of sophistication, and really letting Gerry Mulligan take off in long, open-ended solos that are among some of his best work of the decade. Other instrumentation includes marimba, guitar, keyboards, and percussion from Tullio De Piscopo – plus a bit of strings as well – and titles include "20 Years Ago", "Close Your Eyes & Listen", "Deus Xango", "Aire De Buenos Aires", "Summit", and "Years Of Solitude". CD

A great little session by Murray – recorded at that point in the early 90s when DIW was turning out some especially soulful records! The group on the set features Fred Hopkins on bass, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums – and although you might expect a Coltraney feel from such a group, the range of expression is wider, in a variety of rootsier styles that Murray was using at the time. Titles include "3D Family", "Cousin Mary", "Hope/Scope", "Dexter's Dues", and "La Tina Lee". CD

One of Oliver Nelson's hippest albums – a bold statement of righteous energy, and a fantastic summation of all the genius he'd created during the 60s as an arranger for other people's records! The record is almost at a Duke Ellington level – a complex yet soulful suite of tracks for the post-60s years – complete with some sound effects of rioting and urban strife at the beginning, and a mix of modern, modal, and compositional styles that bursts out with pride and power that we wouldn't have heard in Nelson's music a decade before! The soloists are great – and the album features wonderful read work from John Klemmer, Frank Strozier, and Nelson himself – on great original titles that include "Self Help Is Needed", "I Hope In Time A Change Will Come", "Requiem Afterthoughts", "Lamb Of God", and "Martin Was A Man A Real Man". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last sessions Oliver Nelson ever recorded – a genius batch of work recorded for the Japanese East Wind label, and maybe one of his greatest albums ever! The set's a wonderful link between the sophisticated large group sounds that Nelson did for Impulse Records in the 60s, and some of the more expansive styles he was trying out on the Flying Dutchman imprint in the 70s – a batch of work that both has that sense of majesty that Nelson could command at his best, but which still retains an earthy vibe overall. The group is great – with soulful work from Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Jerome Richardson on soprano sax and flute, Buddy Collette on tenor and flute, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – and the rhythm section has some great Fender Rhodes from Mike Wofford, given more push from the electric bass of Chuck Dominico, and some open-ended drum work from Shelly Manne. Titles include a wonderful remake of Nelson's "Stolen Moments", the groover "Mission Accomplished", and the tracks "St Thomas", "Three Seconds", and "Yearnin". CD

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Don't confuse these guys with the British group of the same name, because this Nucleus is a Canadian rock group with a very heavy sound – a heady brew of fuzz guitar and freaky organ, all recorded with a nice raw edge! The group's one of the fiercest of the late 60s psych scene on Mainstream Records – and they jam here on 6 long tracks that build, burn, and bubble over with plenty of intensity – topped with some vocals that are surprisingly poetic at points, yet never in a way that's too soft to undercut the instrumental strength of the set. Titles include "Lost & Found", "Share Your Color", "Communication", "Judgement Day", "All About Me & The Spidery Bass", and "Jenny Wake Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest, wildest albums ever from Nurse With Wound – and a set that's completely different than most of their other material too! The album's got a feel that really lives up to the cover – sort of a parody of 50s lounge music, filtered through the sensibility of mid 80s British industrial – which means that the sounds come from an array of different elements – including original records, old tapes, live performance, and lots of electronics and production twists – which really abstract all the elements into this mad sort of bachelor pad nightmare! There's still plenty of the noise we love in NWW, but also a surprising sense of humor – not one that goes for easy jokes, but which like Current 93 at this point, is really beginning to find its aesthetic and hone its skills. The bulk of the record features the maddening "You Walrus Hurt The One You Love" – and the rest is "Great Balls Of Fur", billed as the last performance of Murray Fontana! Great 2CD version features a whole bonus disc of rare materials recorded at the same time – including "Elderly Man River", "Chicken In Drag", "Yoko's Anniversary", "It Just Ain't So", and "Excerpt From Pricksongs". CD

A Hollywood Party, recorded in New Jersey – with a groove that's every bit as tight as any of Odyssey's best records, but with a slightly jazzier vibe as well! The set's a great example of the way the trio pushed the 70s soul game further – taking the early 70s RCA AM radio style, and moving it forward with some elements from the club generation – but all at a level that was never throwaway disco either! The record's got a really rich feel from the start – and uses some great jazzy session players to flesh out the group's vocals in a wonderful way. Arrangements are by Sandy Linzer, who co-produced with Charlie Calello – and although there's some obvious disco fullness here, the main focus is on midtempo tunes that glide along in a slightly mellow way – almost like work by Side Effect from the time. Titles include "Lucky Star", "Single Again", "I Dare Ya", "Comin Back For More", "Hey Bill", and "What Time Does The Balloon Go Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Savoy Records 78s from Johnny Otis – with work from his whole large group of performers – including Little Esther, The Robins, Jimmy Rushing, Mel Walker, Preacher Lee Graves, and Redd Lyte! LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from Pacific Gas & Electric – the hard-wailing west coast group who later recorded more famously for Columbia Records, but who are completely on fire here! The set was done for the Bright Orange subsidiary of Kent Records – that LA imprint who did such a great job with blues, soul, and R&B in the 50s and 60s – and who really let the group here stay close to their blues inspirations, while also letting their freak flag fly with some very cool Cali elements too! As with so many of the other groups of their time who maybe started out in blues, PG&E are quickly moving into territory that's all their own – taking off with psychedelic elements and strongly soulful touches – served up with some great lead guitar work from Glenn Schwartz, some heavy fuzz bass by Brent Block, and raw vocals from Charlie Allen. Tracks include a great remake of the Bobby Blue Bland Tune "Cry Cry Cry" – plus"Wade In The Water", "The Motor City Is Burning", "The Hunger", "Long Handled Shovel", "Jelly Jelly", "Stormy Times", and "Live Love". CD

You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work! Not only does the set include all of the legendary Dial Records sides – which have been compiled elsewhere, but not as beautifully as here – but it also contains all of Bird's great recordings for Savoy, excellent tracks from the classic years, often poorly packaged over the years, but here part of a really wonderful set! This thing's got to be seen to be believed – as it's got a spiral notebook containing 8 CDs, with a slipcase for a big book that features loads of photos, notes on the session, and voluminous liner notes commissioned for the package. Plus, in addition to master and alternate takes of all the Dial and Savoy recordings, you'll also get sides recorded with Dizzy Gillespie for the Guild, Bel-Tone, and Comet labels! Wonderful stuff, and a great gift – for yourself! CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

One of the best soul records to come out on the Paula label in the early 70s – one with a number of beautifully soulful moments – and a few surprisingly funky ones, too! Although Bobby Patterson did a lot of work for other singers, this is one of the few albums he actually cut under his own name – and it's a lasting testament to his talents as both a singer and writer. It's got a nice mix of southern soul ballads and more uptempo tracks, and loads of original compositions by Bobby! Includes "This Whole Funky World is a Ghetto", "If You Took A Survey", How Do You Spell Love", "Make Sure You Can Handle It", "I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To", "Right On Jody", "Quiet! Do Not Disturb", and "I Get My Groove From You". LP, Vinyl record album