A sweet 80s classic from Finis Henderson – and the kind of record that should have launched him on a much bigger run as a lead singer! Despite the plastic look of the cover, the album's really solidly put together – produced by Al McKay with a vibe that definitely echoes his work with Earth Wind & Fire, and a style that also shows some of Henderson's roots in the Chicago group Weapons Of Peace – which means lots of jazzy inflections with the grooves, in a style that works perfectly for Finis' style of singing. And given that Henderson has a range that sometimes hits Philip Bailey territory, the match is a great one – and gives the album a sense of class that other Motown soul from the time didn't always have. Titles include "Lovers", "Making Love", "Skip To My Lou", "Vina Del Mar", "Crush On You", "I'd Rather Be Gone", and "You Owe It All To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful classic from The Heptones – easily one of the greatest trios to emerge from the Jamaican scene in the late 60s – and one of the few who were really able to evolve their style as the years went on! The style here is to earlier Heptones material as the early 70s Impressions records on Curtom were to their 60s albums on ABC – more righteous in content, and hipper in overall expression – with this beautiful interplay between the vocals of Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewellyn, and Earl Morgan – all captured with this warm glow in the Harry J Studio! Includes material originally released in Jamaica on the album Book Of Rules, then issued by Trojan as Cool Rasta with additional tracks. Titles include "Black On Black", "Over & Over", "Peace & Harmony", "Dreadlock", "Suffering So" and and "Wah Go Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set from the early years of the UK funk scene – the smoking debut from Hi Tension, and a set that's filled with sharp numbers throughout! There's a strong jazzy undercurrent to the music – a bit like some of the sounds you might hear from the Fantasy Records scene – no surprise, since those records were always huge on the British scene – and quite possibly had an influence on the direction of Hi Tension here – with tight rhythms on the bottom, complicated jazzy changes on the instrumentation, and some tight horn parts that really soar along strongly with the vocals! Lyrics are mostly presented in an ensemble mode – produced warmly, with almost an Earth Wind & Fire mode – and the album was put together by Kofi Ayivor of Osibisa, with a slight touch of Afro funk in the mix. Tracks include the classics "Hi Tension" and "British Hustle" – plus "Autumn Love", "You're My Girl", "Power & Lightning", "Peace On Earth", and "Unspoken". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite head rocker here – a brilliant bit of funky jazz from Japan, and a record that beautifully balances acoustic and electric elements! Jiro Inagaki plays some heavy tenor and soprano sax on the record – working with a combo that includes electric guitar, electric bass, and organ – plus a trumpet joining Jiro in the frontline! The rhythms are tight, hard, and very funky at times – drenched in soul, but also filtered through a bit of a psychedelic influence, as you might guess from the cover on the record – and Jiro's choppy tenor and soprano come off with some of the same sharp notes and changes you might expect from the best European funky fusion of the time. Tracks include "Spoonful", "The Ground For Peace", "Head Rock", "The Vamp", "Back To Back", "High Jack", and "Twenty One". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite head rocker here – a brilliant bit of funky jazz from Japan, and a record that beautifully balances acoustic and electric elements! Jiro Inagaki plays some heavy tenor and soprano sax on the record – working with a combo that includes electric guitar, electric bass, and organ – plus a trumpet joining Jiro in the frontline! The rhythms are tight, hard, and very funky at times – drenched in soul, but also filtered through a bit of a psychedelic influence, as you might guess from the cover on the record – and Jiro's choppy tenor and soprano come off with some of the same sharp notes and changes you might expect from the best European funky fusion of the time. Tracks include "Spoonful", "The Ground For Peace", "Head Rock", "The Vamp", "Back To Back", "High Jack", and "Twenty One". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite head rocker here – a brilliant bit of funky jazz from Japan, and a record that beautifully balances acoustic and electric elements! Jiro Inagaki plays some heavy tenor and soprano sax on the record – working with a combo that includes electric guitar, electric bass, and organ – plus a trumpet joining Jiro in the frontline! The rhythms are tight, hard, and very funky at times – drenched in soul, but also filtered through a bit of a psychedelic influence, as you might guess from the cover on the record – and Jiro's choppy tenor and soprano come off with some of the same sharp notes and changes you might expect from the best European funky fusion of the time. Tracks include "Spoonful", "The Ground For Peace", "Head Rock", "The Vamp", "Back To Back", "High Jack", and "Twenty One". LP, Vinyl record album

A Japanese take on the sound of late 60s Woodstock – one that kind of takes all the best songs from the famous festival, then distills them into a batch of short, tight, funky jazz instrumentals! The approach is very cool – more funky than hippie, especially since the album begins with a massive drum break – although the instrumentation does have some nice fuzzy touches around the edges, particularly on some of the guitars and maybe a bit of the keyboards. There's brassy horns on the top, and lots of great rhythms on the bottom – and titles include "The Ground For Peace", "Spoonful", "Summertime Blues", "Mama Told Me", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Woodstock", "Knick Knack", and "Head Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early session from vibist Khan Jamal – recorded with his Philly-based Creative Arts Ensemble collective! The group follows strongly in the spirit of similar combos from Chicago and St Louis – particularly the latter – and Jamal's group is working here in a mode that's initiated by the original sonic experiments of the AACM, but taken to deeper, more organic levels. Given Khan's later work, the thing that's most surprising here is the sound texture of the record – because although seemingly improvised, there's also a greater feel towards a whole here – a spacey, ethereal quality that reminds us of some of Sun Ra's most creative moments. Jamal plays vibes, marimba, and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Monette Sudler on guitar and percussion, Alex Ellison on drums, Dwight James on drums and clarinet, and Billy Mills on both electric and acoustic bass. Although not overly electric, there's a shimmering quality to the music here – as if the production abstracted the original acoustic sound with weird echo and other techniques! Titles include "Inner Peace", "Drum Dance", "Cosmic Echoes", and "Breath Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing start for this seminal group – material that appeared on the albums Freedom Sound, Lookin Ahead, Tough Talk, Heat Wave, Stretchin Out, The Thing, Uh Huh, Powerhouse, and Give Peace A Chance – plus some unissued tracks too! CD

A classic album of jazzy diva soul, and one that put the Dorado label on the map. In spite of the record's age, we still get loads of requests for this one – and for good reason! The production's got that fresh, early '90's UK vibe, with a good mix of classic influences, and freshly crafted indie soul grooves – all topped off by Jhelisa's heavy heavy vocals. Titles include "Baby God", "Secret Place", "Hold My Peace", "There's Nothing Wrong", and "Friendly Pressure". CD

One of the best-ever soul albums to come out of Chicago – and it may well be one of the best soul albums ever! The set's the deepest that Syl Johnson ever recorded – and it takes all the hard, raw soul he forged on previous funky 45s – and spins it out in longer album format – with some wicked backings that more than keep up the funk from before, but which also help Johnson deepen the message of his tunes! The political vibe of the album comes through right away in the striking cover and title – and the title track is a 7 and a half minute gem – one of the boldest songs ever about disempowerment. Backings are by Jimmy Jones & The Pieces Of Peace – who really keep the sound deep throughout – and in addition to the classic title track "Is It Because I'm Black", other tunes include "Right On", "Together Forever", "Concrete Reservation", "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", "Black Balloons", and "I'm Talkin About Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever soul albums to come out of Chicago – and it may well be one of the best soul albums ever! The set's the deepest that Syl Johnson ever recorded – and it takes all the hard, raw soul he forged on previous funky 45s – and spins it out in longer album format – with some wicked backings that more than keep up the funk from before, but which also help Johnson deepen the message of his tunes! The political vibe of the album comes through right away in the striking cover and title – and the title track is a 7 and a half minute gem – one of the boldest songs ever about disempowerment. Backings are by Jimmy Jones & The Pieces Of Peace – who really keep the sound deep throughout – and in addition to the classic title track "Is It Because I'm Black", other tunes include "Right On", "Together Forever", "Concrete Reservation", "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", "Black Balloons", and "I'm Talkin About Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". CD

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album not just in the career of Quincy Jones, but in the development of the CTI Records sound as well – as this all-star effort is a perfect blend of all the hippest currents that were cooking up in the scene at the time! At one level, the record has Quincy taking back some of the sophisticated currents he was developing in soundtrack work of the 60s, but moving back to jazz – more groove than before, and more of a sense of space and timing – which is carried off by an excellent lineup that features plenty of electric piano from Bob James, plus work from Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Toots Thielemans on guitar and harmonica. There's also added soulful vocals at a few points too – more chorus than lyrics, at a level that hints at the jazz/soul crossovers that Quincy would do in the 70s – on a set of tracks that's completely sublime, with titles that include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace". CD

The title's a reference to a mis-heard Prince lyric back in the day – and it's clear that there's some influence from the purple one in the music – but at a level that's nicely distilled and taken into mellow-stepping territory that's mighty nice! The record's got a great way of bringing 80s elements future forward with a swirling sense of production – the intimacy of more personal projects by contemporary soul artists, who can deliver a grand vision of their own without needing to bring a full band into the studio! Tunes are trippingly soulful in a mighty nice way – and titles include "Sherbet Sky", "Arrive", "Pain Inside", "Peace Love Respect & Adoration", "Vilified", "Talk To You", and "All I Gotta Do". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the clubbiest African records of the 70s – and a set that would be equally at home on a New York dancefloor as it would back in Lagos! Orlando Julius was always a funky cat – an artist with one ear keenly tuned to the American funk and soul underground, and ready to fuse those grooves with a more Nigerian style overall. And here, Julius moves from heavy funk to warmer uptempo grooves – virtually creating the sound of African disco in the process! All instrumentation is super-sharp, and played by a great live group – and the long tracks really let all the musicians open up and get in some solos – but at a speed that's even more frenetic than on a record by Fela. Titles include "Disco Hi-Life", "Awade", "Children Of The World", and "Love Peace & Happiness". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully spacey set from guitarist Steve Khan – a record that has the leader playing mostly acoustic, but in a setting that's also got this nicely echoey vibe and some great electric touches! The record is as spacious as an ECM session, but has a very different vibe – maybe a quality that's less sonically organic, but equally powerful – as the steel strings of Khan's guitar have this raspy quality in the echo, and are matched with some contributions on other guitars from David Russell Young – and some very light electronics that shade in some of the background elements in a very gentle way. Titles include "In A Silent Way", "Peace", "Threesome", "Infant Eyes", and a long "Thelonious Monk Medley". CD

A key example of why the Japanese scene was so great at the start of the 70s – really mindblowing work from keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi, and every bit as wonderful as some of our favorite American sides from the time! Kikuchi acoustic piano with a warmly soulful sensitivity – alongside the Fender Rhodes of Masahiro Kikuchi, who has a hard-edged sound that almost takes off from Joe Zawinul's use of the instrument, then soars into even mightier territory. The style is somewhat loose at times, but never too free – and the group here is a sextet that also includes amazing alto from Kosuke Mine – an excellent player who's never gotten his due on this side of the Pacific. Titles include "Love Token", "Tenacious Prayer Forever", "Roaming In Darkness", "Young Bloods", and "Piece To Peace". CD

A 70s dub masterpiece – and one of the records that really set the standard for the genre! Producer Winston Riley first rose to reggae fame in the Techniques, but here he's a master of the instrumental mode – working with a group of all-star musicians at Harry J's and King Tubby's Studio – all to craft these spare, bassy grooves that are completely out of sight! There's a sense of understatement here that separates the music from later dub work – and the record's a great reminder that sometimes less is more – especially when it comes to exploring the deeper sides of the sonic spectrum. Titles include "Chalist Dub", "Staga Dub", "Dread Dub", "Mistry Maker Dub", "Red Gold & Green Dub", "Peace & Love Dub", and "Who Is The Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous soul classic by Mike James Kirkland – one that has every element to make a rare soul gem worth owning! There's great production (with lots of nice funky intros), great original songs (with a great, righteous vibe), and Mr. Kirkland's fantastic soulful voice. The album is divided into two halves – a "peace" side, which is more political – and a "love" side, which has some mellow soulful stuff. Totally great, and we've only seen the original a few times – so don't bother waiting for it, and just scoop up this reissue. Titles include "What Have We Done", "Where's The Soul Of Man?", "Hang On In There", "Baby I Need Your Loving", "It's Alright With Me" and more. The CD's got 3 bonus cuts, too – including Mike's funky classic "The Prophet" – plus "Together" and "Love Is". CD

A landmark in rare Cali soul – and quite possibly the greatest moment ever from the legendary Mike James Kirkland! The set's got a vibe that grabs you right from the very first note – a blend of funky rhythms and more righteous moments that are totally outta site – a careful balance that you'd be hard pressed to find done this well in any other indie soul set of the time. Mike's vocals are wonderful – with a depth that rivals some of his bigger contemporaries, but a slight roughness that makes them a bit more personal too. The album is divided into two halves – a "peace" side, which is more political; and a "love" side, which has some mellow soulful tracks – and titles include "What Have We Done", "Where's The Soul Of Man", "Hang On In There", "It's Alright With Me", "Give It To Me", and "Blota Blota". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally fantastic live set from Japanese drummer Yoichi Kobayashi – a musician who's played on the scene for decades, and who has a way of bringing forward all the strengths of those years to his music! The set features appearances from American all-stars, but more on them later – as the core group is great enough to win us over on the first half of the set, with an updated take on a Blue Note-styled groove, but with inventive rhythms that really open things up too – as the drummer works with Yutarao Suzuki on trumpet, Tomonori Sakurai on tenor, Heitetsu Rin on piano, and Koji Yasuda on bass – plus koto from Makiko Goda, who echoes some older jazz Japan styles in a great way. The second half of the set also brings in Eric Alexander on tenor and Vincent Herring on alto – both players who are as strongly soulful as you might expect – on titles that include "Uncle Eddie", "Akita Rap", "Yama", "Eddie Harris", "Peace", "The Gypsy", "Encounter", and "Safari". CD

The trio of pianist Yasuhiro Kohno work here with a really wonderful "+ One" – the vibes of Mashiro Kanno, who really adds a heck of a lot to the long-flowing grace of the tunes in the set! The album's a live one, but it's got all the warmth and creative intimacy of the best Japanese piano dates of the 70s – a quality that has Kohno's group pushing the edges, but never going too far out – very different than a more conventional piano trio session, with a mixture of boldness and lyricism that keeps things wonderful throughout the set! Tracks are all nice and long, the group features work from Tsutomu Numakami on bass and Hironobu Fujisawa on drums – and titles include "Village Festival", "Mr Nilson", "Time For Peace", "Song Of Island", and a very groovy take on "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set from one of the best young players on the Swedish jazz scene – tenor saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar, a player with boundless depth and imagination! The title of the set may be "plays loud for the people" – but we'd like to amend that to "plays proud for the people" – because Kullhammar's tone, timing, and sense of color are tremendous – extremely well-developed and mature, with a soulful intensity that takes us back to some of our favorite work by players that include Frank Foster and Benny Golson. Like Foster, Jonas often goes for a rhythmic approach to his tunes – blowing in a way that directs the overall sound of the set every bit as much as the bass and drums – and like Golson, he's got a raspy warmth in his tone that's beautifully human throughout. The group on the set is a quartet (mostly) – with Torbjorn Gulz on piano, and a great set of original tunes that include "Snake City East", "Slow Drop", "Miss Mira", "Behind Delight", "Peace 2003", and "Instant Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever by Labelle – known especially for the massive funky title cut, which has been an in-demand groover for years! "Moonshadow" begins with a nice funky piano intro, then rolls into a 10 minute groove that's really tasty – filled with lots of jazzy riffing, tasty conga, and a weird monologue by Patti that runs through different parts of the body and why you should appreciate them! The cut was lost on American audiences of the 70s, but became a huge one in the European jazz dance scene of the late 80s, probably because most of them couldn't understand how silly Patti's vocals were! The cut's nice and funky, though – and there's some other nice ones on the record, too, including "Sunday News", "Touch Me All Over", and "Peace With Yourself". Much more interesting than most of their stuff, with a hip mixture of jazz, soul, and hard grooving! CD

One of the greatest albums ever by Labelle – known especially for the massive funky title cut, which has been an in-demand groover for years! "Moonshadow" begins with a nice funky piano intro, then rolls into a 10 minute groove that's really tasty – filled with lots of jazzy riffing, tasty conga, and a weird monologue by Patti that runs through different parts of the body and why you should appreciate them! The cut was lost on American audiences of the 70s, but became a huge one in the European jazz dance scene of the late 80s, probably because most of them couldn't understand how silly Patti's vocals were! The cut's nice and funky, though – and there's some other nice ones on the record, too, including "Sunday News", "Touch Me All Over", and "Peace With Yourself". Much more interesting than most of their stuff, with a hip mixture of jazz, soul, and hard grooving! LP, Vinyl record album

A set that might come as no surprise if you love the music of Laraaji, but one that will definitely stun folks who only know Kramer from his early Shockabilly years, or his early days at Shimmy Disc! Yet in recent years, Kramer has become quite a talent in the world of ambient music – and here, he uses all of his studio strengths and instrumental creativity to really make a fresh setting for the cosmic tones and meditative lines of Laraaji – one that maybe has a larger sonic palette overall, and some wider sense of space – all still very much in the longform layers of peace you'd expect from Laraaji, but with a different flavor too. The set is billed as an "Ambient Symphony In 3 Movements" – "Submersion", "Immersion", and "Ascension". LP, Vinyl record album

Don Leisure is more of a producer and beatmaker than a jazzman – but he's got a very spiritual vibe here, thanks in part to very strong participation on the album from harpist Amanda Whiting – who brings in this amazing cosmic energy that's very similar to the vibe on her own great records! Most tunes have a mellow groove – laidback beats with harp from Amanda, and saxophone solos on three tracks, trumpet on one more – and two of the selections also feature excellent vocals from Deborah Jordan, the British soul singer we've dug for many years! There's a great blend of slow funk soundscapes and jazzy solos on the set – and titles include "Walk With Us", "Peace Of Mind", "The First Chant", "Just Be Free", "Crying Tiger", "Beyond The Midnight Sun", and "Third Bass". LP, Vinyl record album

The title does a good enough job of summing up the range of styles that Ramsey and his trio would use to please the crowds during their countless engagements in the early 60s – taking tunes from a variety of settings, including classical, and infusing them with a soul jazz style dripping in blues, and bound to make any tune instantly likeable! The trio on the set is Ramsey's famous one with Eldee Young and Red Holt – and Richard Evans joins the group on bass on 2 tracks. Titles include "Dance Mystique", "Peace & Tranquility", "Sadness Done Come", "Travel On", "For The Love Of A Princess", and "Misty Days Lonely Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful bit of soul jazz – much less trippy than some of Charles Lloyd's later work, and handled with a soulful flair that's a mix of Coltrane spiritualism, with an even larger dose of the sort of post-Trane experiments in jazz that would crop up during the early 70s on smaller independent labels – a scene that Lloyd really influenced with albums like this! The record's quite advanced for its time – and features Charles' tenor and flute next to piano by Don Friedman, bass by either Richard Davis or Eddie Khan, and drums by Roy Haynes or JC Moses – on titles that include Lloyd's classic "Forest Flower", plus "Little Peace", "Love Song to A Baby", "Sweet Georgia Bright", and "Bizarre". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material that was originally recorded in 1972 by organist Larry Young – some of his most outside material ever, and done with a bunch of young musicians who wail on all of these weird electronic instruments! The set's way wilder even than any of Young's albums that were issued at the time – including the classics with his group Fuel, or even his Lawrence of Newark album – and the album's got loads of wild, very noisy synth sounds and crazy percussion! The tunes come across as sheets and sheets of white noise – with Larry's organ going all over the place in freewheeling solos and groovy rhythm lines. Young plays Hammond, and other instrumentation includes Joe Gallivan on synth, percussion, drums, and steel guitar; Nicholas on guitar synth, ring modulator, hi-tension wires, wind, rain, and thunder (!); and Jimmy Molneiri on drums and percussion. Titles include "Love Cry", "Ancient Place"," Angels Wing", "Peace", and "Great Medicine Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Da mouf of da souf returns! This one boasts "100% natural beats/rhymes/lyrics and chicken." Needless to say, 'Cris's Dirty South roots are waved loudly and proudly on this follow up to his mega-breakthrough Word Of Mouf, with appearances by Chingy, Snoop, Lil' Flip and members of the Disturbing Tha Peace clique. Ya gotta love the album, if for nothing else, 'Cris's frequent and relentless badgering of gaseous windbag Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly seems to think 'Cris's belligerent drunken rudeness (quite obviously a SATIRICAL ACT) is ruining America more than any other element. Let's all write "The Factor", Fox News and the other babysitters and thank them for looking out for the kids, and all of us brainless monkeys who would do nothing but drink, smoke, and beat women if they weren't there to protect us from the evil rappers! (Sheesh.) Tracks include "Blow It Out", "Stand Up", "Splash Waterfalls, "Hard Times", "Diamond In The Back", "Screwed Up", "P-Poppin'", "Hoes In My Room", "Teamwork", "We Got", "Eyebrows Down", "Hip Hop Quotables" and more. CD

Do yourself a favor, and splurge on this album – you won't be disappointed! The record is a gem all the way through – a really unique mixture of LA soul jazz and African rhythms, with a sound that's almost like Hugh Masekela sitting in with the Jazz Crusaders! Of course, there's a lot of Jazz Crusaders in the set – as Wilton Felder plays electric bass on the album, giving it a fantastic loping groove – but there's also plenty of unique albums on the record, especially its way of approaching the rhythms with a sly, syncopated groove that's immediately infectious! Duke's trumpet solos are great, and they're augmented by tenor work by Chester Washington and trombone by George Bohannon – all nicely grooving on the album's brilliant blend of jazzy tracks. Titles include "Jungle Funk", "Afrikaloo", "Akagruge", "Like It Is", "Mafam", and "Peace Brother". Somebody put this one on CD – and do us all a treat! LP, Vinyl record album

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saxophonist Mike Makhalemele is in great company here – blowing these long, soulful lines in a combo that has plenty of mellow grooves – keyboards from Jabu Nkosi and bass from Sipho Gumede – both players who really know how to lay back, open up a groove, and let Mike do all the rest with his horn! The approach is a more stripped-down take on American soul fusion styles of the time – never too smooth or commercial, and definitely with some elements of older South African jazz in the mix, although in subtle ways. The main focus is on the tenor, which is great – on titles that include "My Thing", "15th Avenue", "Peace Train", "End Of The Road", and "Going West". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful 70s Latin soul from the legendary Bay Area combo that included Jorge Santana, Luis Gasca, and Coke Escovedo – all players who'd go onto great solo fame on their own, working together here as a youthfully inventive group that really set the tone for the west coast sound of the decade! This first album's a masterpiece in the California Latin Soul style – a sweet blend of Latin, jazz, funk, and rock that took up where the New York groups left off at the end of the 60s. The tracks are all pretty long – with some extremely tight instrumental playing, and plenty of room for long jamming solos. But the best part is the vocals – sung by Arcelio Garcia Jr, with a sweet style that's totally excellent. You probably already know that if you've heard the band's big hit "Suavecito", which is included here in a longer version than the original single – but you'll also hear that on the tracks "Cafe", "Pana", and "Peace". CD also features a bonus track – the single edit of "Suavecito". CD

A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all their own – and which really favors instrumental passages more than vocal moments on this debut album – with searing lead guitar from Omar Mesa, next to plenty of organ lines, flute, trumpet, and tenor – all carried with heavy bass and percussion, and peppered with lots of surprises along the way! The whole thing's tremendous – a massively funky first statement from the group – with cuts that include the extended suite "Peace & Love", plus other funky goodies like "Symphonic Revolution", "Rollin' On", "Warning Blues", and "Mandrill". CD

A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all their own – and which really favors instrumental passages more than vocal moments on this debut album – with searing lead guitar from Omar Mesa, next to plenty of organ lines, flute, trumpet, and tenor – all carried with heavy bass and percussion, and peppered with lots of surprises along the way! The whole thing's tremendous – a massively funky first statement from the group – with cuts that include the extended suite "Peace & Love", plus other funky goodies like "Symphonic Revolution", "Rollin' On", "Warning Blues", and "Mandrill". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's great cover image is an homage to the Death Wish soundtrack by Herbie Hancock, and Mantle references 70s funk group Mandrill in his name – but the sound here is very different than either of those two references might make you expect, more in a contemporary hip hop vein, but equally cool overall! The 70s sonic hints are delivered in the well-produced beats, which are peppered with great samples – all to provide a killer backdrop for a rotating cast of rappers who work in both English and Japanese – a lineup that includes BES, King104, Tetrad The Gang Of Four, Jomo, Jackson2, Vikn, A-Thug, and BD – on titles that include "Rest In Peace", "Only My Lyrics Is Real", "2Face", "Level The Vibes", "OG Theory", "Moment Of The Sexorcist", "Run the World", "Tied In A Row", and "Front Of Underground". LP, Vinyl record album

It's taken us a bit longer than expected to get this second installment in Maxwell's Black Summers' Night series – but it's been well worth the wait, given the greater depth in the music! All that we love about Maxwell's previous records is alive and well here – but there's also kind of a sharper edge to the sound, too – these fuller bottom currents that almost seem to be adding a second sort of instrumental commentary, alongside the lyrical activity up top – all while the whole thing is wrapped together with that warm keyboard flow that first made Maxwell stand out so many years back! There's almost this double edge to the whole thing – rough with the smooth, or turmoil under peace – which gives the whole thing a lot more power than this sort of record from some of Maxwell's contemporaries. Score another win for the mighty one – on tracks that include "The Fall", "Lake By The Ocean", "Lost", "Gods", "Fingers Crossed", "Hostage", "1990x", and "All The Ways Love Can Feel". CD

A very cool 2CD set that's one of the hippest collections of work by Curtis Mayfield that we've ever seen! Like other titles in the Free Soul series from Japan, this one digs past the obvious bits to include some overlooked album gems that you might have missed, and which are great to discover amidst the better known titles by Curtis. A fair portion of the tracks are more famous numbers, but the overall collection of tunes is great together! 32 tracks in all – and titles include "Never Stop Loving Me", "Tripping Out", "Hard Times", "Billy Jack", "Love To The People", "We Got To Have Peace", "Beautiful Brother Of Mine", "Future Song", "Keep On Trippin", "You're So Good To Me", "When We're Alone", "Back To The World", "No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song)", "Cannot Find A Way", "Ain't No Love Lost", "Love Me (Right In The Pocket)", "The Makings Of You", and "So In Love". CD

A great little live set from Curtis Mayfield – recorded in Europe in 1987, but with a sound that's pretty darn great – much more lean than a studio session, and with a spontaneous vibe that really does great things with the material! The music is played by a small jazzy combo that includes Master Henry Gibson on congas – and while the use of more modern keyboards make the set sound different than Curtis' classic Live album, the overall quality of the work is higher than you'd expect from the date. Titles include "We Gotta Have Peace", "Move On Up", "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Ice 9", "Back To The World", and "When Seasons Change". 13 cuts in all! CD

A great little live set from Curtis – recorded in Europe in 1987, but with a sound that's pretty darn great! The music is played by a small jazzy combo that includes Master Henry Gibson on congas – and while the use of more modern keyboards make the set sound different than Curtis' classic Live album, the overall quality of the work is higher than you'd expect from the date. Titles include "We Gotta Have Peace", "Move On Up", "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Ice 9", "Back To The World", and "When Seasons Change". 13 cuts in all. CD

One of our favorite Curtis Mayfield albums ever – a massive early 70s effort that's filled with wonderful songs all the way through, and quite possibly one of the most perfect realization of the righteous vibe of the early 70s Curtom years! Curtis is in fine form throughout – as a singer, composer, and producer – but he's also got some excellent Chicago soul help from arrangers Riley Hampton and Johnny Pate – both key talents on the 60s Windy City scene, still able to come up with a deeply soulful groove here – and both able to blend together strings and funk in the way that Curtis was going for at the time. Titles include the massive "We Got to Have Peace" – a tune that never gets old – plus "Underground", "Keep On Keepin On", "Now You're Gone", "Get Down", "Love To Keep You In Mind", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine". Plus four bonus cuts – "Underground (demo)", "Get Down (single version)", "We Got to Have Peace (single version)", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine (single version)"! CD

Groundbreaking work from the legendary Curtis Mayfield – a set that brings together some of the best tracks from his initial run as a solo artist on his own Curtom Records – work that's forever set the standard for righteous, message-oriented funky soul! Every cut here is a gem, and the selection of tracks is great – certainly some of the classics, but also some that aren't as well known, but equally groovy – stretched out here in a double-length set list that includes "Move On Up", "The Makings Of You", "Pusherman", "Future Shock", "Kung Fu", "Can't Say Nothin", "So In Love", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Get Down", "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly", "We Got To Have Peace", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "Do Be Down", "Between You Baby & Me", and "Only You Babe". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning early work from one of our favorite reggae groups ever – the mighty Toots & The Maytals, a key link between the soul styles of the Jamaican scene of the 60s, and the righteous years to come! There's a groove to the Maytals music that nobody else seems to get this right – or this tight – a fantastic criss-crossing of rhythms that's often nicely stripped-down, and which seems to set fire to the vocal interplay between Toots and the rest of the group – in a way that's as vocally explosive as the instrumentation at the core! Sure, these guys can harmonize as well as the rest of their contemporaries – but they've also got an even greater talent for trading back and forth, which seems to make every one of their tunes an instant groove. Titles include "Pee Pee Cluck Cluck", "Loving Spirit", "Dr Lester", "Gold Silver", "Koo Koo", "Revival Reggae", "Thy Kingdom Come", "One Eyed Enos", "A Time To Love", "9 O'Clock", "Know Me Good", "Got To Feel", "Feel So Good", and "Give Peace A Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

Most likely our favorite album by John McLaughlin – and one that features him in a wonderfully spare setting – alongside John Surman on saxes, Brian Odges on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums. The playing has a free and loose quality that McLaughlin would later lose on some his more fusion-y outings, and the group runs through some excellent post bop originals and modal excursion – all done with a wide open sound and a great sense of dynamics. Titles include "Extrapolation", "It's Funny", "Argen's Bag", "Pete The Poet", "This Is For Us To Share", "Spectrum", "Binky's Beam", "Really You Know", "Two For Two", and "Peace Piece". CD

Most likely our favorite album by John McLaughlin – and one that features him in a wonderfully spare setting – alongside John Surman on saxes, Brian Odges on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums. The playing has a free and loose quality that McLaughlin would later lose on some his more fusion-y outings, and the group runs through some excellent post bop originals and modal excursion – all done with a wide open sound and a great sense of dynamics. Titles include "Extrapolation", "It's Funny", "Argen's Bag", "Pete The Poet", "This Is For Us To Share", "Spectrum", "Binky's Beam", "Really You Know", "Two For Two", and "Peace Piece". CD

Most likely our favorite album by John McLaughlin – and one that features him in a wonderfully spare setting – alongside John Surman on saxes, Brian Odges on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums. The playing has a free and loose quality that McLaughlin would later lose on some his more fusion-y outings, and the group runs through some excellent post bop originals and modal excursion – all done with a wide open sound and a great sense of dynamics. Titles include "Extrapolation", "It's Funny", "Argen's Bag", "Pete The Poet", "This Is For Us To Share", "Spectrum", "Binky's Beam", "Really You Know", "Two For Two", and "Peace Piece". LP, Vinyl record album

Two sides of McLaughlin, both showcasing his spiritual exploratory inclination. The first side of this album features McLaughlin in a group with Billy Cobham, Airto, Charlie Haden, Dave Liebman and Jerry Goodman plus nice Indian touches from Mahalakshmi on sitar and Badal Roy on tabla. They perform two extended numbers, "Peace One" and "Peace Two", both modal free-ish excursions. Side 2 is solo guitar, or rather McLaughlin multi tracking himself, performing number of shorter pieces, like Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Miles' "Blue In Green", plus "Follow Your Heart", "Something Spiritual" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure from the 70s – a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years – thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire – funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics – but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years – and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts – from the famous "Evil Vibrations", right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling". CD

A funky treasure from the 70s – a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years – thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire – funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics – but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years – and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts – from the famous "Evil Vibrations", right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure from the 70s – a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years – thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire – funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics – but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years – and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts – from the famous "Evil Vibrations", right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling". CD

Solid is right – as the album's one of the best-ever from Japanese saxophonist Kosuke Mine – a really far-reaching quartet session with a wonderfully vibrant feel! One of the real strengths of the session is its keyboard work by Mikio Masuda – warm and soulful, a perfect platform for the more exploratory passages that Mine lays down on soprano and tenor sax – with that sharp, soulful, almost spiritual quality that makes him one of our favorite Japanese musicians from the 70s! The group also features Hideaki Mochizuki on bass and Arihide Kurata on drums – on three long tracks that include "Expectation", "You Make Me So Sad", and a version of McCoy Tyner's "Search For Peace". CD

An incredible meeting of two massive Chicago talents – with results that are even more amazing than you might think! We've always loved the music of flute player Nicole Mitchell – and have reveled in watching her get even more righteous and sophisticated in her projects in recent years – and we've always had deep respect for the words and wisdom of Haki Madhubuti, a writer who makes us incredibly proud to live in the Windy City. Yet together, these two genius talents resonate with even more strength than we might ever have imagined – as Nicole turns in some of her deepest music in years, to set up the right kind of setting for Haki's words – all served up in a mixture of jazz and spoken passages that almost blows away most classics of this nature from the 70s! The group is wonderful – with Mitchell on flute, alongside Pharez Whitted on trumpet, Tomeka Reid on cello, Harrison Bankhead on drums, Renee Baker and Zara Zaharieva on violins, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, and Jovia Armstrong – and singer Ugochi provides additional vocal support for Madhubuti's spoken lead – as the group also soars out on some strong instrumental passages too. The scope of Mitchell's writing is even broader than before – and titles include "Rise Vision", "Move Into Our Own", "Gwendolyn Brooks", "Often Hard To Believe", "Woman Black", "We Walk The Way Of The New World", "Peace Starts Inside You", "Blackman Unfinished", and "Too Many Of Our Young". CD

Some of the earliest work from AACM legend Roscoe Mitchell – tracks recorded before his legendary Sound album, hence the title – finally appearing here for the first time ever! Even in 1965, Mitchell is way ahead of his time – working at a free-thinking, free-wheeling approach to jazz that's a bit more New York than later Chicago music – but still completely amazing! Roscoe opens up on alto, often in tandem with trumpeter Fred Berry – in a group that also features Malachi Favors on bass and Alvin Fiedler on drums – a very open-ended combo that moves forward with boundless energy. There's echoes here of the best modern moments from Archie Shepp, Ted Curson, and Ornette Coleman in the 60s – and the long-overdue release of this music is a real cause for celebration – especially given that the package features lots of detailed history and helpful notes. Titles include "Mr Freddy", "Green", "Outer Space", "Akhenaten", "And There Was Peace", and "Jo Jar". CD

Some of the earliest work from AACM legend Roscoe Mitchell – tracks recorded before his legendary Sound album, hence the title – finally appearing here for the first time ever! Even in 1965, Mitchell is way ahead of his time – working at a free-thinking, free-wheeling approach to jazz that's a bit more New York than later Chicago music – but still completely amazing! Roscoe opens up on alto, often in tandem with trumpeter Fred Berry – in a group that also features Malachi Favors on bass and Alvin Fiedler on drums – a very open-ended combo that moves forward with boundless energy. There's echoes here of the best modern moments from Archie Shepp, Ted Curson, and Ornette Coleman in the 60s – and the long-overdue release of this music is a real cause for celebration – especially given that the package features lots of detailed history and helpful notes. Titles include "Mr Freddy", "Green", "Outer Space", "Akhenaten", "And There Was Peace", and "Jo Jar". CD

New work from pianist Jason Moran – one of Blue Note's more exciting new talents of the past 10 years. Moran's joined on the album by Sam Rivers, which is fitting, as the best tracks have a soulful spirit that recalls the creativity of Rivers' best "new thing" years at Blue Note. Rivers plays tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – and the pair are accompanied by Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Titles include "Earth Song", "Summit", "Say Peace", "Foot Under Foot", "Draw The Light Out", and "The Sun At Midnight". CD

Features Frank Morgan on alto and McCoy Tyner on piano, with Avery Sharpe on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. Tracks include "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Emily", "Search For Peace", "Frank's Back", and "Theme From Love Story". CD

You might not recognize the group's name, but you'll definitely know the three leaders – pianist Brad Mehldau, tenorist Mark Turner, and guitarist Peter Bernstein – coming together here in a session that's a real standout in the catalogs of all three musicians! Brad Mehldau somehow seems to have more of an edge, Mark Turner is warmer than usual, and Peter Bernstein makes his guitar ring out with bold colors and tones that really seem to hold the whole thing together! Remaining quintet members include Larry Grenadier on bass and Leon Parker on drums – both players who deserve equal billing with the M, T, and B – and titles include two takes on the great Jackie McLean tune "Little Melonae" – plus a version of Wayne Shorter's "Limbo, Horace Silver's "Peace", and the original tunes "Afterglow", "Phatasm", and "Belief". CD

A really bold step forward for David Murray – a seminal live recording that features one of the hippest big bands you'll ever hope to find! Murray really uses the date as a chance to express the full range of his musical talents – and often shows modes that are more traditional than you might expect, yet which are always touched with an undercurrent of modernism! The musical palette here is quite different than either the outside or inside sessions recorded by Murray with a small group at the time – and he really reaches back through a rich history of jazz in the performance, and updates it wonderfully with help from players who include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Olu Dara on cornet, Craig Harris on trombone, Vincent Chaney on French horn, Steve Coleman on alto and soprano sax, Rod Williams on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Butch Morris conducts – and titles on this second volume include "Dewey's Circle", "Roses", "David Tune", "Four Minute Marvin", and "Great Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Freewheeling duets between David Murray and Milford Graves – the former on tenor and bass clarinet, the latter on a nice range of percussion! There's an open, flowing feel to the record that really takes us back to Murray's initial moments of the 70s – an almost loft jazz looseness to the session that's quite a change from other Murray dates for DIW. Things get somewhat free at points, but both players have an inherently rhythmic structure that holds the work together – and titles include "Stated With Peace", "The Third Day", "Moving About", "Under & Over", "Essential Soul", and "Continuity". CD

Mylon LeFevre ended up on the more spiritual side of the spectrum in his later years – but here on this great early set, he manages to blend gospel roots with some great elements of southern rock and soul – all produced by Allen Toussaint, and handled with a surprisingly soulful groove at times! Mylon handles lead vocals and acoustic guitar – but he's backed by a very sharp combo who effortlessly blend influences from soul with rockish guitar lines – maybe more Capricorn Records than Cotillion, and given some additional soul touches from the backing vocals on the record from Merry Clayton, Clydie King, and Venetta Fields! Tracks are almost all originals by Mylon – and titles include "Who Knows", "Sweet Peace Within", "Trying To Be Free", "Pleasing Who Pleases You", "The Only Thing That's Free", and "Peace Begins Within". CD

The second sublime album from Neon Philharmonic – and one that seems to go even deeper than the first in its blend of ambitious musical themes and mature lyrical ideas! The presentation here is even more symphonic than on the first record – but at a level that's never soppy or sleepy – as there's a gentle groove on most tracks, loping around in these really lovely modes that make the tunes sparkle and glisten with the best sort of late 60s Warner Brothers wit! There's this wonderful mix of longing, nostalgia, and a kind of new vision for post-60s adulthood to the record – very hard to describe, but completely wonderful – at once completely heartfelt, but also with a great sense of distance on itself. Titles include "Long John The Pirate", "Do You Remember Dresden", "You Lied", "Forever Hold Your Peace", "Harry", and the wonderful "F Scott Fitzgerald & William Shakespeare". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly well-thought out set of tracks that is perhaps the only ever time someone at RCA did a good job with a soul reissue! The filled-to-the brim compilation features 16 tracks from the legendary New Birth Inc. collective that also included the funky combo The Nite Liters and the vocal group Love, Peace, & Happiness – all of whom recorded together under the aegis of ex-Moonglow Harvey Fuqua during his production stint at RCA in the early 70s. The combination of different groups and styles makes for a very lively batch of 70's soul and funk tracks – and the set features both classics and overlooked obscure material, all nicely remastered, and packaged with a great set of notes. Titles include "Got To Get A Knutt", "K Jee", "Comin From All Ends", "Afro Strut", "Wild Flower", "Keep On Doin It", and "I Can Understand It". CD

Definitely a special space from Carlos Nino – a record that seems to even deepen the sound of some of his recent cosmic explorations – to take Nino into territory that's far beyond jazz or much of his other modes too! The set features a bit of guest work from Iasos – an artist you'll know from his homegrown 70s meditative explorations – and that music really seems to inspire both Nino and Farmer Dave Scher, who work together here in a mix of percussion, lap steel, pedals, keyboards, and effects – to weave these very complex sonic tapestries, but with a quality that feels very organic, and every bit as at peace with the world as the image of the cover. The CD features a full album's worth of material, plus 6 more reworked remixes of the core tunes – and titles include "FriendshiptribeFire", "Cascaderience", "Espacio Especial", "Enterthadreeeam", "In theWoodsbytheOcean", and "Trippppp" – the last of which really sums up the spirit of the album! CD

Classic work from the O'Jays – presented here in a multi-channel SACD! First up is Ship Ahoy – a pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". Message In The Music is one of those records that really took Philly soul to the next level back in the 70s – a set that works amazing magic with the already-great harmonies of the O'Jays – pointing them even more strongly towards groove-heavy territory, while still keeping all the fragile, personal qualities of their earlier work! The title cut is a righteous anthem that never gets old – a perfect blend of subtle politics and homegrown soul – all polished to perfection in the Philly studios. And the rest of the record is equally mindblowing – a set where even the ballads have as much power as the upbeat numbers – as you'll hear in the lineup of tracks that includes "Message In The Music", "Darlin, Darlin, Baby", "A Prayer", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Let Life Flow", and "Paradise". Live In London is a seminal album in the development of Philadelphia International – who seemed to be taking a cue from Motown and Stax in the 60s, by bringing their biggest act to a European audience! The set features the O'Jays working as beautifully in a live setting as they had in the Sigma Sound studios – singing to arrangements by Dennis Williams, but still getting enough production by Bobby Martin to keep the sound in line with their better known studio work from the time. There's a bit of a deeper soul sound overall here – especially on the vocals, which crackle nicely with a live sense of spontaneity. Titles include "Back Stabbers", "Sunshine", "Love Train", "When The World Is A Peace", and "Put Your Hands Together" – plus a few vocal introductions! CD

Wonderfully groovy work from Rim Kwaku Obeng – an artist with African roots, but working here in the San Francisco scene of the early 80s – where he's clearly picked up a very international vibe in his music! Rim definitely plays some traditional percussion on the tracks, but there's also a more contemporary funky club approach too – a mixing of modes that's totally great, and which almost represents an 80s step forward for the already-great Bay Area soul vibe of the 70s! The first half of the set features material from the Too Tough EP – which has very cool female vocals, both a lead and a chorus – the latter of whom move around with the rhythms in this totally great way that almost feels like some New York cuts from the Danceteria generation. The second half of the set loses the female singers, but is still every bit as wonderful as the first – with these long grooves from Rim & The Believers that have the percussion, basslines, and guitars criss-crossing in even more amazing ways. Titles include "Shine The Ladies", "Love Me For Real", "I'm Not Going To Let You", "Peace Of Mind", and "I'm A Song Writer". CD

Wonderfully groovy work from Rim Kwaku Obeng – an artist with African roots, but working here in the San Francisco scene of the early 80s – where he's clearly picked up a very international vibe in his music! Rim definitely plays some traditional percussion on the tracks, but there's also a more contemporary funky club approach too – a mixing of modes that's totally great, and which almost represents an 80s step forward for the already-great Bay Area soul vibe of the 70s! The first half of the set features material from the Too Tough EP – which has very cool female vocals, both a lead and a chorus – the latter of whom move around with the rhythms in this totally great way that almost feels like some New York cuts from the Danceteria generation. The second half of the set loses the female singers, but is still every bit as wonderful as the first – with these long grooves from Rim & The Believers that have the percussion, basslines, and guitars criss-crossing in even more amazing ways. Titles include "Shine The Ladies", "Love Me For Real", "I'm Not Going To Let You", "Peace Of Mind", and "I'm A Song Writer". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual later entry in the KPM sound library series – a set that's mellower and a lot more meditative than some of the label's usual work – not action or funky soundtrack material, but instead an electronic set that resonates nicely with some of the Japanese minimal work of the time! The tunes here are of varying lengths, and really mix together a nice range of elements – some bright moments, some more obtuse sonic passages – sometimes with a bit of rhythm, oftentimes just flowing along on air! Titles include "New Infinity", "White Mirror", "Peace Bells", "Sleep Golden", "The Long Path", "Forest Motion", "Mountain Dreaming", and "Lost Oceans". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the righteous Philly groove of the early 70s – a sound that turned out to be a perfect foil for the trio's sublime, yet earthy harmonies. Arrangements are by some fo the best of the core Philly scene – Thom Bell, Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Bobby Martin – and the album's overflowing with great tunes that completely redefine the sound of group soul in the 70s! Includes megahits "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train" – plus "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People", "When The World's At Peace", "Time To Get Down", "Who Am I" and more! CD

A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the righteous Philly groove of the early 70s – a sound that turned out to be a perfect foil for the trio's sublime, yet earthy harmonies. Arrangements are by some fo the best of the core Philly scene – Thom Bell, Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Bobby Martin – and the album's overflowing with great tunes that completely redefine the sound of group soul in the 70s! Includes megahits "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train" – plus "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People", "When The World's At Peace", "Time To Get Down", "Who Am I" and more! LP, Vinyl record album