The second album by Argent – Rod Argent's project immediately after the breakup of the Zombies! There's plenty of Zombie-like ideas here – particularly those floating around the Odyssey and Oracle album, but they're also done without the dreamy pop style of Colin Blunstone's vocals, which makes for a much harder sound overall. Added into that the guitar of Russ Ballard, which really kicks into the tunes nicely, and you've got some great rock and roll work – written with a pop sensibility, but played with a razor-sharp edge that's pretty hard hitting. Titles include "Lothlorien", "Rejoice", "Pleasure", "Sweet Mary", "Where Are We Going Wrong", "Rejoice", "Cast Your Spell Uranus", and "Celebration". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the film of the same name – with some extracts from the film, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from this legendary Swedish jazz musician! LP, Vinyl record album

Third album from the Brit prog-rockers. This album is a bit funkier than their previous releases, as their Memphis soul influence is quite apparent here. Nice moments throughout, with a monster drumbreak on "The Rock". Other titles include "Breakthrough", "Decision/Indecision", "Devil's Answer", and "Black Snake". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Phil Bodner on flute, Frances Corsi on harp, and Eddie Costa on vibes! Titles include "Return To Paradise", "Pool Of Love", "Mahaka", "Baia", "Voodoo Moon", and "Adventures In Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album by Roy Ayers – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked funky soul gem from the incredible Roy Ayers – taking turns with both uptempo material and more smoothed out soul sounds – all done with Roy's trademark jazzy approach to the dancefloor! No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his more famous dancefloor ready work of the late 70s – and if it gets an extra point two for the incredibly cool cover photo, the slow burning grooves more than deliver on the promise! The album does a really nice job of rolling out both the sultry jazzy soul and the funkier Ayers modes, with sweet strings in spots, Roy's incomparable vibes, bass and keyboard grooving, and vocals that set the mood for both the slow jams and the funky stuff! Includes the extended mellow number "Don't Let Our Love Slip Away", one of Roy's better downtempo moments, plus great stuff like "Don't Stop The Feeling", plus "What You Won't Do For Love", "No Stranger To Love/Want You", "Shack Up, Pack Up, It's Up (When I'm Gone)", "Don't Hide Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by avant saxophone genius Albert Ayler – and very very striking! The setting is very spare, with only bass and drums backing Ayler up – and the way the album is mixed, Ayler's solos dominate the tracks in a way that isn't always the case with some of the more group-driven later work. His tone is amazing even in this early date of 1962 – and he completely blows away the other two players on the set, drummer Sune Spangberg and bassist Torbjorn Hulcrantz. The set was first recorded by the small Swedish label Bird Notes, and it's the beginning of a longtime love affair that Swedish modernists had with Ayler's tone and playing – a love affair that runs up to the current avant garde that includes Mats Gustafsson. Includes a mindblowing reworking of "I'll Remember April", plus versions of "Rollins Tune", "Tune Up", and Ayler's own "Free". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes Babbitt's "Phonemena For Soprano And Piano" performed by Lynn Webber and Jerry Kuderna, "Phonemena For Soprano And Tape" performed by Lynn Webber, and "Reflections For Piano And Synthesized Tape" and "Post-Partitions" performed by Robert Miller; Bassett's "Music For Saxophone And Piano" performed by Donald Sinta and Ellen Weckler; Smith's "Fancies For Clarinet Alone" performed by the composer; and Wuorinen's "Bassoon Variations" performed by Donald MacCourt, Susan Jolles, and Gordon Gottlieb. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual jazz session – one that features lead lines from Baby Laurence, who's a tap dancer and not a musician! The approach sounds odd, but it works surprisingly well – thanks partly to the group who backs Baby up on the different sessions on the record – players who include Paul Quinichette on tenor, Bobby Jaspar on tenor and flute, Nat Pierce or Roland Hanna on piano, and Skeeter Best on drums. Laurence's taps are as rhythmic as you might expect, but also carry a bit of a tune as well – enough melodic energy that they work surprisingly well without his dancing as visual accompaniment for the record! Titles include "Buck Dance", "Mall March", "Whispering", "Baby At Birdland", "The Sand", "Ornithology", and "Delila's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a great batch of blue eyed soul tracks – much harder-hitting than you'd expect from the name of the group, and done with a "live studio" feel that really makes the session kick! The group's a big one, of mixed origin – of the sort of party club type acts that used to play a lot in the south in the 60s – and alongside original tunes, they also really groove on some upbeat numbers in a soaring Sam & Dave sort of mode. Titles include "I've Been Trying", "I'm Losing You", "Hey You", "Such A Fuss About Sunday", "Soul Man", "Shake", and "I Feel Good". LP, Vinyl record album

A real killer from Gato Barbieri – part of an excellent run of early 70s sessions for the Flying Dutchman label! The album was recorded live, and it's one of those real cookers that have him sounding a heck of a lot like Pharoah Sanders – blowing with these sharp, soulful tones – and really stretching out in this amazingly spiritual way – quite different than some of his more mainstream playing in later years, and his freer sounds of the 60s. The group features Pretty Purdie on drums, Sonny Morgan and Na-Na on percussion, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Lonnie Liston Smith on piano – and Smith lays out these modal spiraling lines that really work wonders with a groove – and Gato solos over them in searing ripping blasts of sound, never going too far out, but hitting that great soulful mode that made Sanders' best work so great. Titles include "El Pampero", "Mi Buenos Aires Querido", and "El Arreiro" – and all tracks are long. LP, Vinyl record album

Two jazz giants of the 70s come together on this rare Italian recording from the late 60s – South African pianist Dollar Brand (Abdulla Ibrahim) and Argentine tenorist Gato Barbieri – both working here in spare duo formation, with edges that are a fair bit sharper than most of their later work! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds – a tremendous spirit that makes the record very different than freer jazz outings, and which maybe points the way towards some of the classic European tenor/piano recordings to come. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit – and titles include "Hamba Khale", "The Aloe & The Wildrose", and "To Elsa". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice lean set from Barclay James Harvest – a record that gets more to the core of their sound after the larger arrangements of some of their albums for Harvest Records – in a way that also seems to bring out more of an edge in their songwriting, too! The shift is somewhat subtle, but effective – as the quartet manage to find ways to make simple guitar and keyboard lines come across with this flowing vibe that often makes the sum sound way more than its parts – especially when set to the inventive themes covered by some of the album's lyrical topics! The drums are great, too – seemingly stronger than before – and titles include "Negative Earth", "Paper Wings", "The Great 1974 Mining Disaster", "Mill Boys", "Poor Boy Blues", and "Child Of The Universe". LP, Vinyl record album

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A weird little record from John Barry – the soundtrack to a 1963 television special recorded by Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her early popularity, and featuring Taylor reciting a variety of poems and speeches over music by Barry! There's a relatively high concept feel to the album – as Barry's backings are fairly string-laden and serious, penned to match the mood of Taylor's presentation of material written by William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Pitt, Winston Churchill, and Queen Victoria. And although Taylor speaks on about half the record, the best tracks here are actually the instrumental ones – which have more of the depth of Barry's serious soundtrack work from the time, and manage to have their own sense of presence apart from the star quality of Liz on the set. Arrangements are by Johnnie Spence, and titles include "Elizabeth", "London Theme Jazz Waltz", "Queen Elizabeth At Tilbury", "Queen Victoria", "English Garden", "The Fire Of London", "Lovers & Browning", and "London At Dawn". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-hitting Count Basie albums from the Roulette Records years – and that's saying a lot, given the power of Basie at the time! The set was recorded in Sweden, with a kind of triple-time energy that really has the whole thing burning right from the start – as the group's driven onward by some bold work on drums from Louis Bellson – who's working here with a lineup that includes Frank Wess and Frank Foster on tenor, Marshall Royal on alto, and Thad Jones on trumpet. There's a slight rawness to the recording – still as clear as other Roulette sessions, but with a bit more "liveness" too – a sense of place that really helps the performances sparkle. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Little Pony", "Plymouth Rock", "Backwater Blues", "Who Me", and "April In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Count Basie goes pop, and the results are mighty nice – a hard-swinging take on familiar tunes from the 60s, but all re-tooled the jazzy Basie way! The vibe here is right up there with the best Neal Hefti moments with the group – and although the arrangements are by Billy Byers, they've got that sense of tightness that Hefti first help bring to the band – a great setting for the inventive solos, and all the cool little twists and turns that make a record like this so great. And while you might think of the setting, or the title, as some sort of sell-out on the Count's part – the album's instead a perfect way to hear what made the Basie band so great – how they could completely transform tunes like "Pretty Woman", "Bye Bye Love", "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", "At Long Last Love", and "Go Away Little Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

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

The amazing debut of Be Bop Deluxe – a record that's made up of all sorts of familiar parts, yet somehow really manages to set itself apart as a whole! The young Bill Nelson is at the top of his game here – a hell of a guitarist, which we sometimes forget in his later work – and a vocalist with a sinister edge that gives the record a sense of darkness that matches the compressed production and overall moody vibe – a child of the Bowie/Bolan generation, but one that's a real black sheep of the family too! The strength of the record is impossible to sum up in easy words – but it's there for the hearing, right from the very first note – on titles that include "Jet Silver & The Dolls Of Venus", "Axe Victim", "Love Is Swift Arrows", "No Trains To Heaven", "Jets At Dawn", "Rocket Cathedrals", and "Third Floor Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Repackaging of the Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some of the early group's most tender, personal moments – real early gems like "The Warmth Of The Sun" and "Don't Worry Baby" - mixed in with more playful numbers like "Fun Fun Fun", "This Car Of Mine", "In The Parkin Lot", "Shut Down Part 2", and "Keep An Eye On Summer". It's this mix that really gets at the group's genius at the time – maturity creeping out amidst the youthful themes, in ways that few other 60s acts could ever hope to match. LP, Vinyl record album

Beach Boys karaoke – or kind of a "music minus one" album – but whatever the case, the set's a pretty unique outing in the field of 60s pop! The record's exactly what the title promises – a "stack o tracks" from the group's earlier records – rhythm parts, some instrumental bits – all laid out with key guitar parts missing and no vocals at all – so that you can pick up your instrument and play along with the record – and maybe get your friends to harmonize too! At the time, the approach seemed somewhat crazy – but after spending decades tracking down Smile-era bootlegs of Brian Wilson studio tracks just like this, the record's got a surprising sort of brilliance – almost as if Brian had guessed there's be a market for his "studio progress" sort of material. Titles include "Darlin", "Salt Lake City", "Wild Honey", "Catch A Wave", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Surfer Girl", "God Only Knows", "Little Honda", and "Let Him Run Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

Modern Records sessions by Jimmy Beasley – done for the famous LA label, but all recorded in Beasley's home town of New Orleans – with a very raw, early Crescent City vibe! Many of these cuts were done with the group of Dave Bartholomew at Cosimo's Studios – and they're filled with the kind of romping rhythms and piano lines that you'd know from some of Dave's bigger-name sessions with artists like Fats Domino or Smiley Lewis – yet Jimmy's approach here is nicely different, and far less familiar – almost jazzy at times, and with less of a need to "rock" than some of his contemporaries! That doesn't mean that these tracks don't groove with the New Orleans best – just that they've got some very cool, individual touches – and sophisticated shadings that we really appreciate. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual collection of early work by The Beau Brummels – pre-Warner material recorded for Autumn, but on a record issued by the Vault label! There's a great sense of jangle-pop throughout – a slight twang that would later unfold in different ways in Bradley's Barn, but which here works to give the tunes this little sense of sadness amidst the warmer melodies – which themselves are particularly great, and much better-crafted than some of the other US groups of this nature at the time. The boys definitely borrow a bit from The Beatles (including a name that gave them placement right next to the fab four in the record racks) – but maybe they're also drawing on some of the folk harmony groups from the SF scene they called home, too. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most electronic albums that Beaver & Krause ever recorded – a set that was issued as a Guide To Electronic Music, but which has a way more to offer than just a simple demonstration record! Unlike most other B&K albums, which can feature a bit of rock mixing in with the moog, this one is almost entirely analogue electronics – often played in a stark, spare way that has plenty of spooky tones – but also works beautifully together in a mode that's similar to other experimental electronic sets from the time, such as Morton Subotnick's contemporaneous records for Nonesuch. The tracks are very short, with concentrated bursts of sound, and have titles like "White Sound", "Ribbon Controller", and "Sawtooth". Comes in a box with a very cool book that explains a lot of different properties of electronic music. Great for sample-heads or for junior knob twiddlers. 2 LPs strong! LP, Vinyl record album

Vintage recordings with Billy Kyle, Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard, Carmen Mastren, and Wellman Braud. LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington's drummer from the 50's leads a thunderous octet that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Sam Most on alto, and Jim Cook on tenor. Bellson's drums are out front, and he kicks the group nice and hard through tracks like "Thunderbird", "Nails", "No More Blues", and "Back On The Scene". Like Bellson's recordings from the 50's, this one sparkles with tightness and a good sense of play between the musicians. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson sings with almost as much vocal intensity on his own as Sam & Dave brought to the original – followed by a tight solo that really matches the funky 70s vibe of the arrangements. Next are four more tracks from the Carnegie Hall sessions – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Sky Dive", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Black Milk's excellent Tronic – representing Detroit proudly, and succeeding as well as any producer/MC from those parts since Dilla left us! The way Black Milk captures a drum sound continues to slay us – it was the first element of his work that pulled us in, and continues to be our favorite – but he's also excellent at quality control – busily dropping filler free, tight records for himself and as a hired gun producer. Tronic features guests including Royce da 5'9, Fat Ray, Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price & DJ Premier. Titles include "Long Story Short", "Bounce", "Without You" feat Colin Munroe, "Hold It Down", "Losing Out" feat Royce, "Overdose", "The Matrix" feat Premier, Pharoahe & Sean Price, "Try", "Tronic Summer", "Bond 4 Life" feat Melanie Rutherford and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Black Sabbath – a set that further expanded the instrumental palette of their previous work, but all without losing an edge at all – for a record that forever helped cement their role in both the classic and hard rock canons of the 70s! Ozzy is great throughout, and both he and Tony Iommi bring in a bit of keyboard work, but in just the right way – almost adding a more sinister edge to the guitars – echoed by some especially nice acoustic piano at times, particularly on the instrumental cut "Fluff". Titles include the seminal title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" – plus "A National Acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself To Live". LP, Vinyl record album

Great acoustic blues from the legendary Scrapper Blackwell – easily one of the greatest musical talents to ever come out of the Indy scene! The recordings here are early, but already represent a pinnacle of blues achievement – a pushing forward of the use of the guitar in the music to new heights – thanks to Blackwell's well-crafted solos! Tunes include titles done both under his name, and featuring Scrapper with other artists – and tracks include "Kokomo Blues", "Down South Blues", "Penal Farm Blues", and "Trouble Blues (parts 1 & 2)" by Blackwell – plus "Good Woman Blues" with Leroy Carr, "Down In Black Bottom" with Black Bottom McPhail, and "Pack Up Her Trunk Blues" with Tommie Bradley. LP, Vinyl record album

Art Blakey at the Keystone Korner – really rattling the rafters with a great lineup that includes Bobby Watson on alto sax, David Schnitter on tenor, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet! Although the Shorter/Morgan lineup is always hailed as one of Blakey's best, we're also pretty partial to this great late 70s stretch of The Jazz Messengers – as it shows some wonderful early flowering of Watson's alto, and his songwriting abilities; Ponomarev's well-blown trumpet lines; and Schnitter's crisp, sharp lines on tenor – always carved out with a great depth of feeling. Add to the mix some great piano from James Williams, and bass from Dennis Irwin, and you've got a great lineup next to Blakey's drums – all working together in a rough-edged, hard soul space on tracks that include "Pamela", "Unlimited", "Dark Side Light Side", "Blues For Two", and "In This Korner". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Art Blakey's first true moments of genius! This transitional version of the Jazz Messengers included two parts – Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons – of the holy Morgan/Shorter/Timmons trilogy, and it's also got the added bonus of Benny Golson on tenor, who was at the height of his power at this point. The record really shines in ways that few Blakey albums shone since his days with Horace Silver – in that it's a forum for fresh new writing, most importantly Golson's landmark compositions "Blues March" and "Along Came Betty", and Timmons' instant classic "Moanin". The whole album's wonderful, though, and Golson's edgey modernism adds a strong dimension to the group's usual soulful romping groove! (And in fact, as a tribute to the group's success, the album was initially named Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, but quickly retitled Moanin in this version, after the big hit single!) LP, Vinyl record album

An explosive session from an expanded edition of the Jazz Messengers – recorded at a key point when Art Blakey moved the group up to six members instead of five! Although bigger than the group on most Jazz Messenger Blue Notes, the sextet have an energy that's almost tighter – a sense of poise, focus, and vision that's not just driven by Blakey's drum kit alone – but by the kind of unique magic that only happens during rare groupings in classic jazz. A key part of the energy here comes from pianist Cedar Walton – who's replacing the Bobby Timmons soul jazz mode with a sound that's a bit more expansive and visionary. But equally important is the three horn lineup of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Wayne Shorter on tenor – a two-brass frontline that's used far differently than other groups – bold one minute, but personal and sensitive the next. There's a mixture of warmth and driving energy here that's simply incredible – a prime example of Blakey taking things to the next level, when it would have been easy enough for him to sit on his laurels and keep doing the same thing over and over again! Includes classic readings of Cedar Walton's "Mosaic", Freddie Hubbard's "Crisis", and Curtis Fuller's "Arabia" – as well as Shorter's excellent "Children Of The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of amazing early records from Bobby Blue Bland – genre-setting material that was partly blues, partly soul, and still had some of the fuller currents of the earlier R&B years too! Bobby's voice is incredible – one of the most distinct in soul, and up there with Solomon Burke or Otis Redding for its unique sense of power – on titles that include "Jelly Jelly Jelly", "You're The One (That I Adore)", "You're Worth It All", "Your Friends", and "Ain't That Loving You". Fantastic all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a title that certainly fits the bill – as the amazing voice of Bobby Bland is as real here as it ever was, and blended with superbly soulful backings that take the singer's sound forward for a whole new generation! Some of Bobby's contemporaries were content to just stick in a straight blues mode – but Bland really grew and developed a lot as an artist, thanks in part to Monk Higgins and Al Bell – who are both at the production helm of the record, and balance the bluesy roots of Bobby with some richer soul backings that really knock the whole thing out of the park! We love Bobby Blue Bland during his early Duke Records years – but we love him equally as much for music like this, on titles that include "But I Do", "What A Difference A Day Makes", "Givin Up The Streets For Love", "A Song For You My Son", "Just You Just Me", and "Love Is Where It's At". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from Afro reggae trailblazer Alpha Blondy – and one of his best! The blend of Jamaican influlences and African heritage combine as passionately as ever on a batch of songs that includes "Afriki", "Jah Houphouet", "Apartheid Is Nazism", "Idjidja", "Kiti", "Sahel", "Come Back Jesus", "Djinamory" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Late 60s psyche pop on Atco from Bo Grumpus – a Boston group who only ever cut this one LP that we know of – and it's a groovy one! The sound has kind of tight pop combo groove with catchy melodies – fleshed out into trippier territory with some keys, trumpet, and overall bigger arrangements – some of which was done by Felix Pappalardi, who would go onto to bigger things with Mountain! Titles include "Sparrow Tune", "Think Twice", "Yesterday's Street", "The Breath O'Love", "A Knowing Young Touch", "Ragtimey Love", "Travelin In The Dark", "Brooklyn", "The Moon Will Rise" and "If I Came To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great – yet also with some cool twists and turns that make a record like this so great – the kind of chance-taking that A&M sometimes allowed its artists to take at the time! Backings are super-groovy – arranged by Artie Butler and Don McGinis – and titles include "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Teardrop City", "I Wanna Be Free", "The Countess", "Population", and "Two For The Price Of One" – a great cover of a Larry Williams & Johnny Watson soul tune! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great album of mellow jazz tracks – recorded in a very spare setting that has trumpeter Ruby Braff playing with pianist Ellis Larkins, and no other accompaniment! The setting's quite unusual for the time, and it makes for a relaxed intimate meeting between two strong talents that really differs from the work that either of them were recording elsewhere. But even more incredible is the way that the two players come together without additional support – working beautifully in a format that would have others faltering – always swinging the tunes despite the lack of bass or drums, and clearly very at home here with the extra space that lets both of them open up creatively! Titles include "Where Or When", "I Could Write A Book", "The Girl Friend", "Little Girl Blue", and "Thou Swell". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this cool Dutch group – a quratet with lots of piano and organ from bassist Robert Verwey, lead guitar and "mouthorgan" from Ron Meyjes, percussion from Frans Smit, and vocals and flute from Michel Van Dijk! The set's after Jan Akkerman left the group, but they still have a pretty striking progressive sound. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of lively samba tunes – played with lots of jazzy flourishes, and instrumentation that includes trombone, guitar, and accordion. Our lack of understanding of Portuguese makes the liner notes a bit difficult to decipher – but it appears that Sivuca's playing and singing on the record, as well as Wilma Valeria and the Trio Fluminense. Tracks have a quality that mixes rootsy samba rhythms with some of the tighter big band styles of the Odeon label – a great mix of sounds, if you ask us! Titles include "Passa Passa Moreninha", "Kalu", "Fogo Pago", "So Uma Louca Nao Ve", "Para Dancar", "Moreninha Ta", and "Maracangalha". LP, Vinyl record album

The film soundtrack version of this famous 60s musical, which was based around the sounds of Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The film version shares many similarities to the broadway one – translations by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, vocals by Shuman and Elly Stone – but the overall sound is quite different, as the versions presented here are more subtle, less campy, possibly due to the freer range of expression allowed to the actors on a film soundstage. Plus, this version also includes a few of Brel's best songs that were left out of the original show – making for a total of 26 titles that include "The Bulls", "Sons Of", "The Desperate Ones", "Amsterdam", "The Statue", "Brussels", "Funeral Tango", "Bachelors Dance", "Carousel", and "Next". If you want Brel in English, this may well be the best way to get it – as nearly all other English language versions of his work (by Scott Walker, Marc Almond, and others) came from these translations. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost gem from Anne Briggs – one of the lesser-known artists of the British underground folk scene at the end of the 60s – but a singer we'd rank right up there with the great Sandy Denny! Briggs works here in an ancient-sounding batch of material – the kind of tracks that conjure up the darker corners of the British landscape and its history – performed by Anne with mostly just vocals and guitar, but in a lyrical style that arcs, and turns, and dips with maybe more energy than if there were an entire group behind her. The style is spare, but never sleepy – and there's a hell of a lot of power in these tunes, especially on the few numbers that feature a bit of bouzouki as well. Titles include "Reynardine", "Young Tambling", "Living By The Water", "Maa Bonny Lad", "Blackwater Side", "The Snow It Melts The Soonest", and "Go Your Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever from Broken Glass – a group that features the great Stan Webb from Chicken Shack on guitar – bringing in all the strengths that he added to that well-known group! There's some of the blues rock inspiration of that earlier combo, but refined a bit more with a compressed sort of 70s Brit vibe – great production from Tony Ashton, who makes all the best licks and catchier lines of the songs really stand out – but without ever making the album sound too commercial. Titles include "It's Alright", "Keep Your Love", "It's Evil", "Ain't No Magic", "Broken Glass", "Take The Water", "Standing On The Border", and "Jersey Lightning". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features 9 tracks in all – with a couple of multiple takes, and titles include "Brownskins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to get work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings originally done in Europe for the Vogue label! On the first record, Brown's working in front of a Parisian trio that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett. There's 11 tracks in all, including "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "The Song Is You", "You're A Lucky Guy" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" plus "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Blue & Brown". On record 2, Brown's working here with Gigi Gryce in a sextet that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett – plus some big band material too. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic "with strings" session from Clifford Brown – nearly as well-done and perfect as some of Charlie Parker's sides for Verve, handled here with perhaps a slightly sweeter touch, as Neal Hefti's the man on arrangements. The core group's the Brown/Roach combo, augmented by a smallish string section – and Clifford's right up front blowing warm and glistening solos, with titles that include "Willow Weep For Me", "Yesterdays", "Laura", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "Portrait Of Jennie". LP, Vinyl record album

An enduring classic from James Brown – quite possibly the strongest of his late 70s albums, and a record that nicely balances the harder funk of the early part of the decade with a more sophisticated style that almost gets slightly jazzy at times! The vocals are planted strongly at the top of most tunes – really calling out the shots and directing the rhythms – even though they seem tight enough to keep snapping along on their own – and also noteworthy are some of the mellower numbers on the set, which are almost more compelling than some of the groovers! Titles include "Bodyheat", "What The World Needs Now", "Don't Tell It", "Kiss In 77", "Woman", "Wake Up And Give", and "I'm Satisfied". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty is right! This tasty batch of non-vocal tracks is darn hard to find, and it shows the pre-JBs James Brown group playing with a raw raw raw soul groove that show how nicely James folded his R&B roots into a 60s soul tradition. Includes lots of obscure ones – like "The Scratch", "James Brown House Party", "Suds", "Sticky", "Cross Firing", and "Hold It". Darn tough to find too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, it's a greatest hits set – but it's a damn good one! This 2LP set was always an essential part of our crates back in the 80s, because it includes an excellent range of James Brown work from the 60s and 70s – including a number of strong funky cuts, presented here in the original single versions. Titles include "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin", "Mother Popcorn", "Sex Machine", "Make It Funky", "Talkin Loud & Sayin Nothin", "Payback", "Get On The Good Foot", "My Thang", "Papa Don't Take No Mess", and "Funky President". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Oscar Brown Jr – a hip mix of jazz and soul, working in Brown's unique sense of showmanship, and his almost beat-like flair with a lyric! Ralph Burns and Quincy Jones handled the arrangements – and the album's filled with great original tracks by Brown, including "Mr. Kicks", "Opportunity, Please Knock", Love is Like a New Born Child", "Elegy (Plain Black Boy)", "Hazel's Hips", and many more! Nice jazzy groove, and very much in the best style of Oscar's 60s work! LP, Vinyl record album

A super-huge moment for Miami funk guru Peter Brown – a record instantly recognized by the silhouetted cover image of a perky nude in a window on the front, and for the very famous title hit, "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me?" Despite its hit status, the record's actually a pretty nice example of Brown's talents – with plenty of spare cuts that feature keyboards, percussion, and synth – plus some occasional vocals by Betty Wright, Pat Hurley, or the vocal group Wildflower. Titles include "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me", "Dance With Me", "Without Love", "Fantasy Love Affair", "You Should Do It", and "For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Roy Brown had a slightly softer edge than some of his R&B contemporaries – he could definitely rock and wail when he wanted to, as you'll hear on this set! The set does good job of digging through Roy's work from the late 40s and early 50s, pulling together 15 tracks that mix Wynonnie Harris-ish rockers (no surprise, as King often had Brown and Harris splitting "Battle Of The Blues" albums together), with mellower soulful tunes. Tracks include "Black Diamond", "Mighty Mighty Man", "Long About Midnight", "Miss Fanny Brown Returns", "Butcher Pete part 2", "Brown Angel", "Grandpa Stole My Baby", and the original version of "Good Rockin Tonight", which is a lot rawer than you'd expect! LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album from singer Tedd Brown – who mixes in a blend of jazz, blues, and calypso styles to his music! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Dave Brubeck albums from later years – and one of the hippest! The record is noteworthy for its pairing of Anthony Braxton and Lee Konitz – the former a rising star at the time, influenced strongly by the latter in his roots – showcased here in some rare moments of Braxton straight-aheadness! Brubeck's contribution is heard most strongly on the album's extended trio "Jimmy Van Huesen Medley" – played by Dave with Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. But we're most partial to the saxophone tunes – Konitz playing a spare duet with Brubeck on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", soloing with the group on "Like Someone In Love", duetting with Braxton on "All The Things You Are" – and stepping back to let Anthony play with Dave on a version of "In Your Own Sweet Way". Really great stuff throughout – and a unique Brubeck moment! LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of Buarque's songs either sung by him or by others and they include "Pedro Pedreiro", "Roda-Viva", "Construcao" and "Partido Alto" performed by Caetano Veloso, "Folhetim" sung by Gal Costa, and "A Banda" by Nara Leao, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

The US release of 3 soundtracks to films produced by Dino De Laurentis – the best of which is Roy Budd's Stone Killer. The soundtrack is one of the darkest Budd scores ever, designed to accompany a brutal police film starring Charles Bronson. The main theme has a nice electronic sound that's kind of like the "Mystery Movie" theme from the 70s, then the score moves into some nicely turgid regions that feature spare Fender Rhodes riffs underpinned by dark orchestral scoring. Occasional beats and jazzy rhythms move into the picture from time to time, and the overall sound is excellent! The other two soundtracks aren't as great, but they're both combined on one side of the record, and don't take up as much space as Stone Killers, which gest all of side two! LP, Vinyl record album

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A beautiful tribute to New York from jazz arranger Ralph Burns – perhaps one of the best of that odd postwar genre – the LP-long salute to the Big Apple! This set's got an unusual approach – great instrumentation from Burns, on a par with his more famous jazz scoring of the 50s – mixed with sound effects from all over the city – bits of voices, traffic, crowds, ships, and more – a wonderful pastiche of music and moments! LP, Vinyl record album

Jaki Byard brings plenty to the table here – playing both tenor and alto sax, in addition to his usual piano – and showing once again that he's not just a multi-instrumentalist, but also one of the most multi-voiced talents in jazz! Byard seems to bring a similar spirit of multiplicity to his players on the date – as Major Holly plays tuba and Fender bass, as well as his usual acoustic bass – and drummer Warren Smith also picks up a bit of tympani and vibes as well, especially on the tracks that feature added drummer JR Mitchell. Side one of the record features shorter tunes that showcase Byard's ear for many generations of jazz at once – titles that include "Ballad To Louise", "Just Rollin Along", and "LH Gateway Rag". Side two features part of Jaki's "Family Suite", which is a much more modern number overall – filled with beautiful little pictures in sound! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass – and titles on this first volume include nice long versions of "Soulful Kiddy", "My Girl Shirl", and "Cecile". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of Donald Byrd's early Blue Note albums – a sparkling set of hardbop tunes with a really souful edge! The album's one of a few that feature Byrd working with baritonist Pepper Adams – a frequent partner on his best recording dates of the late 50s, of which this set is one of the best. The rest of the group includes a rhythm section of Walter Davis, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – all grooving nice and hard – plus tenor work by the great Charlie Rouse, whose raspy tone really gives the set a tremendous amount of depth. Tracks are a good blend of originals by Byrd and Davis, swinging with the lyrical beauty of a Horace Silver set of tracks – and titles include "Devil Whip", "Bronze Dance", "Clarion Calls", and "The Injuns". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty collection of goodies that Donald recorded with the great Larry Mizell during the early 70s. Certainly not his all-inclusive best, but some of our favorite material by this legendary soul jazz trumpeter. The tracks have a sparkling electric jazz funk sound, with amazing production that keeps them drifting along with a very soulful vibe. Titles include "Sky High", "Street Lady", "Change", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Black Byrd", and "Flight Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album by Donald Byrd – the first one where he really started to click with jazz-funk producer Larry Mizell! Mizell and Byrd had worked together previously on the Black Byrd album – a soaring bit of futuristic jazz funk that took Byrd's career to a whole new level – but this album's the one where they really began to make the formula cook, blending together tight funky rhythms, spacey keyboards, soulful vocals, and some of Donald's best solo work of the 70s! The whole thing's a masterpiece, and all tracks sparkle – including "Lansana's Priestess", "Witch Hunt", and "Street Lady", one of the funkiest tracks ever on Blue Note. A haunting record with a beautiful spacey groove, and one of the best-ever albums on Blue Note! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from the team of Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce – crisp modern jazz, filled with soul, and never failing to swing! During the time of these recordings, Gryce was one hell of an arranger – with a tight ensemble approach that worked magic in a small combo setting. He was also a tremendous alto player – with a tone that was unlike any other musician at the time, magically sharp, with a sound that always seemed to inspire a great deal of energy from his bandmates. He gets plenty of that here from trumpeter Donald Byrd – sounding better on these sides than on most of his other 50s recordings – thanks also to some great accompanists, who include Tommy Flanagan, Wendell Marshall, and Art Taylor. Jackie Paris also joins the group on vocals for a few tunes – "Early Morning Blues" and "Elgy" – and some tunes feature additional horn work from players that include Benny Powell, Julius Watkins, and Sahib Shihab. Other tracks include "Sans Souci", "Speculation", "Stablemates", "Steppin Out", "Social Call", and "Satellite". LP reissues the albums Jazz Lab and Modern Jazz Perspective. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums to come out of the late 60s spoken word record boom – a collection of Bob Dylan tunes, read with a heavy English accent by actor Sebastian Cabot! Cabot's probably best known for his roles in the shows Checkmate and Family Affair – and he uses that familiar growly voice to great effect here on Dylan's tunes – spitting them out with a slightly bitter quality that's a fair bit different than Bob's original versions, but still very much in the same spirit! The backings are relatively spare – bits of strings, guitar, and other instrumentation – all handled by Irving Spice – and tunes include "It Ain't Me Babe", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Like A Rolling Stone", and "Blowin In The Wind". One of the best examples of "establishment hip" we can think of – and it's records like this that took more steam out of the left than Barry Goldwater ever did! LP, Vinyl record album

Candido cut sooo many great Latin records over the years, spanning a wide range of styles, we have a hard time deciding which we love the best. We like to think this may be his best album from the early part of his career, specifically because it features the master conga player amidst a tight jazz lineup, who leave him plenty of room to solo and just plain get down doing his thing. Dick Hyman's on organ, Joe Puma's on guitar, and Ernie Royal's on trumpet, with George Duvivier and Charlie Persip in the rhythm section. 8 tracks in all, including "Afro Blue", "Caravan", "Softly But Blue", "Blue Lou", "Blue Prelude", "Bongo Baby", "Blue Dirge" and "Candido Cocktail". LP, Vinyl record album

Totally classic work from John Carpenter – and maybe one of the greatest horror/slasher soundtracks ever! Halloween was already pretty darn great – but here, Carpenter pushes it even further – using all the best elements of the first – including the incredible theme – in ways that go even further, and which shake off any schlocky moments and turn into a total creepfest overall! The keyboards and electronics are wonderful – done with frequent partner Alan Howarth – and the sense of spacing and timing makes every musical moment a horrific delight! Titles include "Halloween II Theme", "Laurie's Theme", "The Shape Stalks Again", "Operation Room", and "Flats In The Parking Lot". LP, Vinyl record album

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A well-titled album from the great Benny Carter – already a giant in jazz, thanks to countless years blowing the alto sax as a leader and sideman in other groups – really opening up a fresh chapter of his career in a great run of smaller combo work in the second half of the 50s! This set's a great demonstration of the way that Carter was able to bring an older jazz experience into more modern modes in the postwar years – an edge on his horn that's still one of the most distinct voices on the alto, yet very different than Charlie Parker or other modernists who came after him – exquisitely matched here in a combo that includes Ben Webster on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Barney Kessel on guitar. Rosolino and Webster drop out on two tracks, piano is by Andre Previn or Jimmy Rowles, and the group's completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me", "Blue Lou", "A Walkin Thing", and "Old Fashioned Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Ok, ok, we'll admit it! When we were kids, we totally dug this hippy-dippy show and all of its insider jokes, games, and languages. Listening to this old soundtrack, though, we kind of wince to think how this drivel might have affected us if punk hadn't come along to make us totally boring and cynical for the better part of the 80s! With such favorites as "Zoom Theme", "Fannee Doodle", "Ballin The Jack", "I Believe In Music", and the legendary "Address Song"! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet soul classic from the young Gene Chandler! The record is built around Gene's hit "Duke Of Earl" – and it features Gene in a ridiculous looking "Duke" costume on the cover – but the record's a great one overall, and features some excellent late-night soul material in a sweet tenor-voiced harmony style! Bill Bunky Sheppard produced the record, and it's got a sophisticated approach that offers a number of different modes for Gene to shine – heartbreaking ballads, rousing uptempo numbers, and some cool exotic tunes. Titles include "Nite Owl", "So Many Ways", "Lonely Island", "Kissin In The Kitchen", "I Wake Up Crying", "Turn On Your Love Light", and "Daddy's Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful chapter in the career of Ray Charles – and a key album in helping raise his respect level a notch or two in the early 60s! We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns handled the arrangements, and given that the record was issued by ABC a few years before they brought Ray into a country mode, it's interesting to think what might have happened had his career continued this way. There's only a small number of vocal tracks on the record, and most of the rest feature Ray at the organ, grooving away very nicely! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Moanin", "I've Got News For You", "Mister C", and "Stompin Room Only". LP, Vinyl record album