An overlooked gem from that moment when the acoustic underground of the 70s was sometimes getting lost amidst the new age deluge of the 80s – even though all of the best musicians still their best talents intact! Mike Marshall is one of those musicians – working here on mandolin and guitars alongside violinist Darrol Anger – in a warmly wonderful partnership that forges new roads ahead in instrumental music – pushing past some of the coldness of the post-jazz inventions of the ECM generation, and maybe finding a more American space in the process. Both of the leaders play a bit of keyboards – but hardly much at all – and the group does feature electric bass from Michael Manring – but these non-acoustic elements are really just used as shading around the edges, and still leave plenty of focus on the string performances that really make the record great. Titles include "Dolphins", "Dardanelles", "Bach Bouree", "Beloved Infidel", "Saurian's Farewell", and "Spring Gesture". CD

Sweet 70s pop from Martinha – a Brazilian singer with a wonderfully breathy voice! The album's a bit like some lost French session from the time – string-laden, but never in a cloying way – and often put together with a sliding sort of feel in the background, so that Martinha's vocals glide nicely across the tunes. The style's a bit different than other Brazilian female pop of the time – not really MPB, nor post-bossa either – and really with more of a European influence overall. Titles include "Minha Casa", "Erros E Defeitos", "Eu Era Voce", "Como Antigamente", "A Noite Combinamos", "Eu Quero", "Elementar", and "Dream A Little Dream Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Martino plays in a 2-guitar quartet – with Bobby Rose backing him up on guitar, plus rhythm accompaniment by Richard Davis and Billy Higgins. The sound's definitely in the trippier, post-hippie style of Martino's work, with a sort of looseness and fluidity that you either love or hate, but a nicely swinging rhythm underneath. Titles include "Footprints", "Road Song", "The Visit", and "Alone Together". CD

Masta Killa's solo debut – keeping the Wu Tang flag flying with pride in the early 00s with all the cinematic soul resonance and maybe a just little bit more of a gritty underground edge! It includes appearances by nearly the whole clique, including Ghostface, Raekwon, RZA, Meth, Deck, U-God and GZA is certainly one of the finer post-millennium Wu Tang solo efforts. production by Mathematics, True Master and Dave West. 16 tracks in all including "Born Chamber", "Last Drink", "Grab The Mic", "Queen", "Secret Rivals", "Digi Warfare", "Silverbacks" & more. CD

A majestic set of spiritual jazz numbers – performed by a core trio of Japanese pianist Miko Masuda, bassist Tsutomu Okada, and drummer Motohiko Hino – with guest performances by Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Takao Uematsu on tenor, and Hideo Miyata on flute! The added horns really push the album strongly past the usual trio style of the time – and it's clear that all players are drawing lots of inspiration from the post-Coltrane generation in the US – using new freedoms to really express themselves in their music, yet never going to far outside in their pursuit of a soulful sound. The tracks are all long and soaring, with some really great rhythms – and titles include "Prayer", "Add Some", "Pinocchio", "Black Daffodils", and "Hard Luck". CD

An important early album from saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze – maybe not one of the biggest names in Japanese jazz during the 70s, but certainly one of that scene's most striking players! The approach here is quite spiritual – long, open tracks that pulsate strongly – thanks to work on Fender Rhodes and piano from Toshiyuki Daitoku, bass from Tamio Kawabata, and drums from Ryojiro Furusawa – all players that hew to the rhythm as strongly as Coltrane's rhythm section might have in the 70s – and who really let their leader soar to the skies, with magnificent solos on flute, alto, and tenor sax! The music is quite exploratory, but never too far outside – that perfect balance from the post-Coltrane generation – and titles include "Images In Alone", "Don't Worry About Tenor Saxophone", "Earth Mother", and "Zekatsuma Selbst". CD

An important early album from saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze – maybe not one of the biggest names in Japanese jazz during the 70s, but certainly one of that scene's most striking players! The approach here is quite spiritual – long, open tracks that pulsate strongly – thanks to work on Fender Rhodes and piano from Toshiyuki Daitoku, bass from Tamio Kawabata, and drums from Ryojiro Furusawa – all players that hew to the rhythm as strongly as Coltrane's rhythm section might have in the 70s – and who really let their leader soar to the skies, with magnificent solos on flute, alto, and tenor sax! The music is quite exploratory, but never too far outside – that perfect balance from the post-Coltrane generation – and titles include "Images In Alone", "Don't Worry About Tenor Saxophone", "Earth Mother", and "Zekatsuma Selbst". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare 80s soul albums from the Windy City – presented here as a double-length collection, given that the groups were essentially the same act! First up is the debut of Maxx Traxx, an excellent 80s groove combo from Chicago – one of the city's last great indie acts in the years before the house generation – and an outfit who comes across with an incredibly tight sound that should have made them huge! The set cooks along in a really great way – bubbling with bass and keys like a BB&Q band album, but also sporting some really strong vocals from the group – coming together in great harmonies at surprising moments – which makes for a set that's a lot deeper than you might think at first. The ballads are as great as the groovers – and titles include "Time Has Come", "Tell Me", "You & I", "Let's Have A Party", "Don't Touch It", "To Be With You", and "Living Without You". Next is the album Reachin For It by Third Rail – a real lost group from the early 80s Chicago scene – but a great one! It's our guess that these guys never made it bigger because they were stuck on a tiny indie in the years after the big companies departed the Windy City – the sound is almost in the Omni mode, in that the group's a larger ensemble funk outfit, given an 80s groove spin, with some great post-Earth Wind & Fire styled instrumentation supporting the rhythms, and sweet compressed vocals that step out nicely. Titles include "Reachin For It", "If You Want It", "Just Had To Tell You", "Let Me Love You", and "Living Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

2 later albums from Curtis Mayfield – both recorded in the post-Curtom years! We Come In Peace is a set that originally got small indie circulation, yet one that shows that Curtis was still going strong into the 80s! Half the set echoes the upbeat dancefloor modes of the late Curtom years – the club-oriented groovers that Mayfield picked up during the disco years, but still managed to deliver with a surprising degree of soul, thanks to his classic vocals. Other tunes have a bit more of an 80s groove at points, but still a lot more warmth than chart soul of the time – minimal beats and keys, and rhythm that's never too stiff. The set's got a few gentler moments too – like the great "Baby It's You", and the cuts "This Love Is True" and "Everybody Needs A Friend" – both of which continue the warmer side of Mayfield's late 70s years. The set also features a remake of "We Got To Have Peace", and the cuts "Body Guard", "We Come In Peace", and "Breakin In The Streets". Take It To The Streets is later mellow magic from Curtis Mayfield – a set that has something of a quiet storm feel at times, which is a surprisingly great setting for Curtis' famous voice! The album's got a relatively laidback feel – never trying too hard for a hit, or to keep up with commercial soul of the time – and instead, Curtis just slides nicely into some sweetly stepping grooves that really bring out some of the best gentler sides of his groove. A few cuts get a bit uptempo, but never in a cloying way – almost with more of an early 80s club vibe at times – and titles include "Homeless", "Got To Be Real", "Do Be Down", "I Mo Git U", "Sucka", and "He's A Fly Guy". CD

An early moment of genius from post-Beatles Paul McCartney – a solo set that's wonderfully diverse throughout – filled with the kinds of cool little twists and turns we loved in his late Beatles records, and in his 70s killers with Wings! There's a newly-emerging sweetness going on here – that great sound that started to emerge with the McCartney album – where Paul was a proud, put-together family guy – easily one of the most confident of his fab foursome, and able to bring an incredible amount of charm to just about any style he wanted to try! Some of the best cuts here are the mellower, more personal moments – still delivered with an amazing rock-solid sense of musicianship and production, too – and even the rockers, which might sound clunky in the hands of anyone else, manage to come off with a great deal of charm as well. Titles include the wonderfully playful "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – plus "Too Many People", "Heart Of The Country", "Dear Boy", "Ram On", "The Back Seat Of My Car", and "Smile Away". Deluxe edition comes in a beautiful clothbound box and includes the original album in mono and stereo, the Thrillington instrumental album, bonus tracks, a DVD documentary, 112-page book, and lots of other goodies! CD

Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and London – and as with every one of his different projects, Makaya seems to bring a different voice to each live track here – recording with Brandee Younger on harp and Joel Ross on vibes in New York, Shabaka Hutchings on tenor in Chicago; Nubya Garcia on tenor and Ashley Henry on Rhodes in London; and Josh Johnson on alto, Jeff Parker on guitar, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on violin in LA! The rhythms are as amazing as the contributions from the different soloists – and the sound of the record is maybe something we'd call post-spiritual – moving past that Coltrane-inspired mode that's been revived so well in the 21st Century, while still holding onto its best sense of energy. The whole thing is fantastic – and titles include "The Count Off", "Brighter Days Beginning", "Universal Beings", "Mantra", "Young Genius", "Holy Lands", "Wise Man Wiser Woman", "Prosperity's Fear", "Atlantic Black", "Flipped Out", "Voila", and "Suite Hans". CD

Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and London – and as with every one of his different projects, Makaya seems to bring a different voice to each live track here – recording with Brandee Younger on harp and Joel Ross on vibes in New York, Shabaka Hutchings on tenor in Chicago; Nubya Garcia on tenor and Ashley Henry on Rhodes in London; and Josh Johnson on alto, Jeff Parker on guitar, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on violin in LA! The rhythms are as amazing as the contributions from the different soloists – and the sound of the record is maybe something we'd call post-spiritual – moving past that Coltrane-inspired mode that's been revived so well in the 21st Century, while still holding onto its best sense of energy. The whole thing is fantastic – and titles include "The Count Off", "Brighter Days Beginning", "Universal Beings", "Mantra", "Young Genius", "Holy Lands", "Wise Man Wiser Woman", "Prosperity's Fear", "Atlantic Black", "Flipped Out", "Voila", and "Suite Hans". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the career of the legendary Freddie McGregor – easily one of the best-known voices in reggae in the post-Marley years! The set captures Freddie at his youthful best – coming off of time doing vocal group work, but really shining strongly as a lead singer on his own – getting this nicely subtle Studio One backing that are heavy on the roots vibe, which makes a nicely deep rhythmic contrast to the sweetly crackling vocals of McGregor! The set came out at the start of the 80s, but it's got an instant classic vibe that resonates almost more strongly with some of the most soulful Jamaican recordings at the end of the 60s. Titles include "Bandulo", "We Need More Love", "What Difference Does It Make", "Go Away Pretty Girl", "Tomorrow Is Like Today", "Bobby Bobylon", "Wine Of Violence", "Gonna Take Over Now", "Rastaman Camp", and "I Am A Revolutionist". CD

A key moment in the career of the legendary Freddie McGregor – easily one of the best-known voices in reggae in the post-Marley years! The set captures Freddie at his youthful best – coming off of time doing vocal group work, but really shining strongly as a lead singer on his own – getting this nicely subtle Studio One backing that are heavy on the roots vibe, which makes a nicely deep rhythmic contrast to the sweetly crackling vocals of McGregor! The set came out at the start of the 80s, but it's got an instant classic vibe that resonates almost more strongly with some of the most soulful Jamaican recordings at the end of the 60s. Titles include "Bandulo", "We Need More Love", "What Difference Does It Make", "Go Away Pretty Girl", "Tomorrow Is Like Today", "Bobby Bobylon", "Wine Of Violence", "Gonna Take Over Now", "Rastaman Camp", and "I Am A Revolutionist". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Come Now Sister (ext mix)", "Freddie", "Homeward Bound", "Little Girl", "When I'm Ready (ext version)", "Rastaman Camp (ext mix)", and "I Man A Rasta (orig 7" mix)". CD

A key change for John McLaughlin – post-Mahavishnu, post-Shakti, and very much the electric guitarist promised in the title! The album's one of McLaughlin's more professional fusion outings of the 70s, but still has some of the earthiness of his roots – and despite a rather large lineup that includes players from both previous groups, plus some 70s fusion superstars, John still manages to make the album come across with a nicely personal feel. Guitars are acoustic and electric, six string and twelve – and titles include "Miles Davis", "Guardian Angels", "Singing Earth", "The Dark Prince", "The Unknown Dissident", and "Desire & The Contorter". 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

A really great solo album from Clyde McPhatter – nicely different than his earlier solo work for Atlantic! The ex-lead Drifter gets a sort of "Spanish Harlem" treatment as he sings this great album of city songs for Mercury, including "My Block", "Deep in the Heart of Harlem", and "Three Rooms with Running Water", all of which are exclusive (we think) to this album. Great stuff, and maybe our favorite post-Atlantic album by Clyde! Arranged and produced by Alan Lorber, with a nice sound that's missing from some of his later pop efforts. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal solo work from the great Joe McPhee – and a crucial album in linking the American and European undergrounds of the 70s! Joe's working alone here – on soprano sax and tenor – and getting some amazing sounds out of both horns – the kind of post-musical, highly-textural elements that are right at home in the European concert setting of the recording. The album was a legendary start to Hat Art – and to the international fame of McPhee – and side one features an extended tenor performance on the original composition "Beanstalk", and side two features tenor again on "Variations On A Blue Line", then soprano on "Motian Studies", as well as "Round Midnight" – played by Joe with just the right sort of soul to round out the record! CD