A great sampler of 60s Detroit soul produced by the fantastic Ollie McLaughlin! Includes "Jan Jan" by the Fabulous Counts and the unbelievable "Almost" by Jimmy Delphs, one of our favorite soul tracks from the period, and a real heartbreaker with an uptempo groove. Lots more great stuff here too, including both well known and hard to get cuts, 15 tracks in all, including by "Cool Jerk" and 'We Got A Thing That's In The Groove" by the Capitols, "Ain't Gonna Give You Up" by the Volumes, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by the Counts, "You Better Move" by the Gambrells, "Sing a Sad Song" by Percy & Them, and "Am I Losing You", "Don't Sign The Papers" and "I've Been Fooled Before" by Jimmy Delphs. LP, Vinyl record album

Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – truly one of the great, filler free, beginning-to-end classics with not a wasted second! Part of the strength of the record is the top-shelf choice of production – work from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip – all of whom help the young Nas really find his voice with the right sort of vibe – on titles that include "NY State Of Mind", "Life's A B***h", "Half Time", "One Love", "Memory Lane", "Represent", "The World Is Yours", and "It Ain't Hard To Tell". Columbia has gone all out with the reverence on this double LP reissue, with remastered sound polish and a bonus LP with remixes of "World Is Yours", "Life's A B***h", "One Love" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell", plus bonus tracks "On The Real" and "Star Wars". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest girl groups of the 60s – a fab trio who hailed from Brooklyn, and who worked in the best sweet styles of both soul and rock groups of the time! Reparata & The Delrons have a sound that's a real cut above the usual – a way of handling a tune that's free of some of the cliches of other groups from the period, but which also does a good job of bringing out their best elements too. It's hard to sum up just why the group's so great – but it's possibly because they were working at the end of the girl group era, and have a bit more of a depth to their work – a style that's also influenced a bit by harmony folk and Sunshine Pop, but which is stil unabashedly focused on shorter tunes with groovy hooks. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Timmy Thomas – one that mixes together electronics and soul in this wonderfully unique mellow groove – a style that's hardly ever been matched again, and which may well put this album at the same level as Shuggie Otis' classic Inspiration Information set! Timmy's working here in a very unusual format – one that takes spare drum-machine beats, adds in warm keyboard chords, and graces the whole thing with smooth vocals to give it a real dose of soul! The contrast between the colder beats and Timmy's sweetly crackling voice is amazing – and creates a sound that echoes with love, loss, and loneliness – making the album one of the finest to come from the growing Miami scene of the 70s. Includes the landmark title cut "Why Can't We Live Together", plus "Dizzy Dizzy World", "The Coldest Days Of My Life", "Funky Me", "Take Care Of Home", "In The Beginning", and "Cold Cold People". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from the man that changed the way the world hears the Hammond! This album was Larry Young's first for Blue Note – and it's a mindblowing batch of tunes that push the organ into realms that had never been heard of in jazz. Young's got a real penchant for a modal groove – no doubt inspired by his friend and sometimes collaborator John Coltrane – and he's working here with a totally hip group that includes Sam Rivers, Grant Green, and Elvin Jones. The tunes are amazing – dancing with delight as they push the envelope, but never go too far to get overindulgent – and the album's filled with classics that include Green's wonderful composition "Plaza De Toros", plus originals by Young like "Tyrone", "Backup", and "Ritha". LP, Vinyl record album

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve – and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the time, and which works very well with Dee Dee's sweet vocal approach. Players include Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, George Duke, and other strong 70s fusion players – and overall, the record's probably Dee Dee's best non straight jazz album of the 70s. Tracks include "Sweet Rain", "Open Up Your Eyes", "Just Family", "Melody Maker", and "Children Are The Spirit (Of The World)". LP, Vinyl record album

BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit affected by some of the criticism folks had for the spacious, astral Electric Circus LP – if you ask us Common had no reason to apologize, but we'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for another batch of tracks that sound like they could have been written on a front porch on the southside of Chicago. This is indeed that record – 12 tracks, few guest appearances, and a warm, consistent sound all the way through. There's a 3 track span on this album, from "Chi-City" through "Real People", that's seriously close to perfection. Welcome home, Common! Ruggedly produced by Kanye West, with a couple of stellar production contributions from Jay Dee! Other tracks include "The Corner" feat Last Poets, "Go!", "Faithful", "Testify", "Love Is. . .", "The Food (live)" (this great track has been circulating for a while since it was performed on Chappelle's Show, and we're thrilled Common and Kanye had the good sense to include it on the album), "They Say" featuring John Legend and "It's Your World (Part 1 &2)". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost chapter in the career of the great Don Covay – material done after his original funky soul on 60s Atlantic Records, and before his return to fame in the early 70s on Mercury – done in a raw vibe that has a lot more grit than you might expect! There's touches of psychedelic blues in the instrumentation, which was recorded both in Memphis and Muscle Shoals – even though the record comes across with a vibe that's unlike any of the big hits recorded in those scenes at the time! Definitely a standout in the world of soul in the early 70s – with titles that include "Standing In the Grits Line", "Sweet Thang", "Stop By", "Bad Luck", "Hitching a Ride", and "What's In the Headlines". LP, Vinyl record album

The Crystals twist uptown, and take their groove to a whole new region in the process! The album's title is very apt, as the whole thing is a real blueprint for the uptown soul sound of the 60s – swirling strings, soulful vocals, and rhythms that have enough punch to keep things moving – even on the mellower moments – all crafted perfectly by the young Phil Spector! There's hardly any real twist tunes on the record – which is great by us, as it means that instead of gimmicky dance numbers, The Crystals really get to sparkle in the kind of heartbreaking soul numbers they've always done so well! Titles include the chilling "Please Hurt Me" – a classic from the Goffin/King team – plus "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen", "Frankenstein Twist", "Gee Whiz", "Another Country Another World", "Uptown", and "I Love You Eddie". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a charmer from Haircut 100 – one of a handful of great UK albums from the early 80s that mixed post-punk energy with warmer touches from jazz and Latin – all in a blend that's completely wonderful overall! Haircut 100 were never trying to change the world – and they certainly never passed themselves off as a real jazz combo – but they've got a great way of adding in just the right touches on sax, congas, and even a bit of vibes – all to create a captivating setting alongside Britpop guitar lines and the great vocals of Nik Heyward. Nik's way more appealing here than on his later work – unabashedly groovy, on tunes that include the classic "Love Plus One", alongside "Snow Girl", "Lemon Firebrigade", "Favourite Shirts", "Milk Film", "Surprise Me Again", and "Fantastic Day". LP, Vinyl record album

It's the end of the 70s, and the Isleys are still going strong – keeping it real by dropping some of the fake funk of a few years before, and going for a smooth soul sound that would be one of their biggest strengths during the early 80s. This sound can be heard to perfection on the tracks "Say You Will" and "Here We Go Again", both wonderful numbers that have this strident groove that's part "Harvest For The World", part compressed guitars and keyboards working in a smooth wall of sound. Those two alone are more than worth the price of the record, and other titles include "Pass It On", "Go All The Way", and "The Belly Dancer" – all done in the Isleys' trademarked "part 1 & 2" style! LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Milt Jackson was easily the hippest member of the Modern Jazz Quartet – and one of the few who could really open up into different sounds away from that combo! This sweet 70s set for CTI is totally great – a whole new chapter for Jackson's vibes, and a real re-setting of the soulful modes he'd explored as a leader in the 60s. There's a wonderfully warm and chromatic feel to the set from the start – as Milt's vibes are set in fuller arrangements from Don Sebesky – with added instrumentation from Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Phil Bodner on reeds. The highlight of the album is a nice long take on "People Make The World Go Round", but it's all pretty sweet, and other titles include nice versions of "Sunflower" and "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life" – and Jackson's own "SKJ" and "For Someone I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label – and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo – grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time – mixing together bright notes, funky rhythms, and plenty of great chord changes! Cecil Bridgewater's on trumpet, and the band has a really righteous feel – with lots of real soul and thoughtful playing mixed into the jazz funk grooves of the record. Massive – with titles that include "Sweat", "Lord Sideways", "Sweet Sister Funk", and a nice version of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

A damn great soul album! Sure, the record was a crossover classic that got played to death back in the 80s – but give it a listen now, and you'll be stunned to hear how fresh it sounds, and how much it reminds you of all the British soul acts that sprung up in the years after it was released. We're not saying that Sade had a direct influence on groups like Soul To Soul or Brand New Heavies – but this album's strong commitment to acoustic musical styles and real jazz playing made it a real standout in the often-tinny world of 80s chart soul, and a harbinger of the later return to warm soul styles that would be spurred on by other groups from the UK. Plus, Sade's vocals are incredibly well-wrought, and are the perfect vehicle to deliver songs like "Frankie's First Affair", "Hang On To Your Love", "Your Love Is King", and the seminal 80s slacker dancefloor anthem, "When Am I Going To Make A Living". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic to end all classics – and the record that showed the world that the kung fu genre could be every bit as funky as American crime and action films! Lalo Schifrin's at the height of his powers on this set – working in a blend of raw guitars, rolling bass, and choppy rhythms that groove about as fast as Bruce Lee's hands move on the screen in the film – and the album's a real standout in the 70s soundtrack scene, well worth all the hype and attention that's been given to it over the years! The record's one you'll dig if you're a fan of funk, or a student of Schifrin – and even after the passage of decades, it's still a tough soundtrack to beat. Titles include the classic "Theme From Enter The Dragon", plus "Bamboo Bird Cage", "The Monk", "Han's Island", "The Big Battle", and "The Human Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive, massive music from the great Johnnie Taylor – a set that's way beyond his early work on Stax, and even his disco hits of the 70s – but in a way that's even better than before! The album makes use of two great producers – Brad Shapiro for side one, and Don Davis for side two – both talents who have this way of mixing Taylor's deep soul vocals with some warmer modern soul modes – but at a level that moves way beyond cliche or commercial modes – with Johnnie as equally captivating on the mellow cuts as he is on the ballads. In a world where so many collectors are always digging for these completely obscure indie sides from the time, folks would do well to take note that the real gems are often on major labels like this – just lost in the shuffle next to the artists bigger hits. Titles include "Syliva", "Sneakin Sneakin", "I Wanna Get Into You", "I'd Rather Hurt Myself", and "The Heart Break Kid". LP, Vinyl record album

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure through and through – one of the most unusual Blue Note albums you'll ever hear, and a set that's one of the best-remembered from the team of pianist Jack Wilson and vibist Roy Ayers! Long before Roy struck out on his own in the world of funky soul, he worked often in the 60s with Wilson – and the pair have this unique way of blending vibes and piano that's completely fresh, and still unmatched all these many years later! Wilson's natural lyrical style blends with Roy's modal approach to a groove – and the pair soar out in space with these long-flowing lines that make the whole album a treasure. There's no horn players at all – as with Wilson's other small combo Blue Note date – and rhythm is from Varney Barlow on drums, and either Roy Brown or Buster Williams on bass. Titles include a wonderful version of "Sernata", an unusual take on Ornette Coleman's "The Sphinx", and the wonderful Wilson originals "CFD", "Most Unsoulful Woman", and "Harbor Freeway 5pm". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album by Rance Allen – one of the most overlooked talents in Stax's early 70s roster, and a real genius for blending his gospel roots with influences of the soul and funk scene of his time. Proof of this is the album's great remake of "There's Gonna Be a Showdown", done in a style that's more rootsy than other Philly versions, but which uses that good Philly bounce to push Rance's deep baritone into a whole new groove. Other good tracks include "To the Other Man", "If I Could Make the World Better", and "That Will Be Good Enough For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut of Bauhaus, one of the first albums on the 4AD label, and the start of a legacy that would have huge ripples for the next decade or two in underground music! At a time when so much of the British scene was caught up in post-punk modes, Bauhaus appeared to almost rework the best ideas of the early 70s – taking the best of Bowie, Bolan, and some of the glam world – and giving it a moody vibe that's almost without referent – especially when you consider that nobody had ever thought of the idea of goth in music before this! And while we might use that word, Bauhaus are hardly goth at all – just, sadly, the inspiration for countless lower grade sounds to come – and there's a real sense of urgency here that belies that darkness in the music – at a level that maybe could have had them being one of the great post-Joy Division challengers on Factory, had they been pitched a bit differently. Still, all references aside, the album's a great one to just dive into on its own – with titles that include "The Spy In The Cab", "Double Dare", "In The Flat Field", "Stigmata Martyr", "Nerves", and "God In An Alcove". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite David Bowie albums ever! Aladdin Sane was a real turning point for Bowie – recorded on the heels of the tremendously popular Ziggy Stardust album, but really pushing the boundaries past the more straight-ahead rock and glam of that record. Instead of just sitting on his laurels, Bowie tripped out into a wilder, weirder world with this one – mixing together elements of some of the baroque arrangements of early records, with the meaner leaner sound of the 70s – populating the songs with freaks, weirdos, and odd characters that gave the whole thing a really creepy edge. The whole thing's an oft-overlooked gem that, to us, is truly one of Bowie's most magical moments – and titles include "Drive In Saturday", "Panic In Detroit", "Aladdin Sane", "Watch That Man", "The Jean Genie", "The Prettiest Star", "Time", and "Lady Grinning Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power! LP, Vinyl record album

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". LP, Vinyl record album

Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real world street violence with a darkly comic sensibility, redefined usage of the word "blunt" forever more, and simply delivered one of the most influential rap (or rock, considering the astonishing crossover success) albums of the decade. Titles include "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump", "Hole In The Head", "Real Estate", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk", "Phunky Feel One", "Pigs", "Latin Lingo", "Something For The Blunted", and "Psychobeatbuckdown". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool 2LP, Japanese-only pressing of Musical Menu – one that features lots of bonus material, and a different set list than the original album! There's lots of great arrangements here from Charles Stepney, who makes the whole thing a real Cadet studios masterpiece! The sound's a bit like some of the Rotary Connection albums put together under Stepney's supervision – but given that the group is the Dells, the vocals are much much better, with a much stronger soul component – and fused with some incredible musical arrangements! Titles include "If You Don't Move I'll Fall", "You Don't Care", "Stand Up & Show The World", "Always Together", "Hallways Of My Mind", "Does Anybody Know I'm Here", "Don't Make Me A Storyteller", "I Hear Voices", "I Wish It Was Me You Loved", "Strung Out Over You", "I Miss You", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", and "Good Bye Mary Anne". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic blend of gospel and modern soul – and a set that definitely hangs more towards the latter, given the superb backings on the set! The great Horace Ott produced, after years in the secular soul world – and he definitely gives the tremendous voice of Shirley Finney the kind of soaring energy that really pushes her over the top – in a mix of modes that includes some great clubby numbers that have Shirley very much in the same territory as the Clark Sisters at the same time! Titles include "Give Your Best To The Master", "God Is Real", "Go On There's Something Telling Me To Go On", "Pray Again", "Lead Me Guide Me", and "Lovely Day Just A Little Talk With Jesus". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest soul duets ever cut to wax – brilliantly crafted, with a sound that influenced an entire generation of male/female teams! Titles include "If This World Were Mine", "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", "What You Gave Me", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", "Hold Me Oh My Darling", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "You're All I Need To Get By". LP, Vinyl record album

A Shaolin hip hop essential! Heavy numerological rhymes, and the some of the best production on any Wu project ever. One of our absolute favorite albums in the classic Wu pantheon – indisputably one of the very best – one of the very few that plays with hard solidity from start to finish. The way GZA's lowkey, unfazable flow delivers this sharp, gritty storytelling over prime RZA production – seriously, it is real Genius! Includes "Labels", "Cold World", "Shadowboxin", "Liquid Swords", "Living In The World Today", "Killah Hills 10304", "Investigative Reports", "Gold", "Duel Of The Iron Mic", "4th Chamber", "Hell's Wind Staff", "Unexplained", "Swordsman" and "I Gotcha Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Paul Horn – recorded way before he got all noodly, and started walking around in pyramids and stuff! The album captures Horn at the height of his early brilliance – interested in world rhythms, especially Indian, and showing a real penchant for a modal groove. He's working here on alto and flute, and grooving incredibly well with a group that includes Paul Moer on piano, Emil Richards on vibes, and the great Jimmy Bond on bass – all pulsating with a great deal of energy, and creating these catchy little tunes that dip, turn, dip, and allow Horn to really take off on his solos. A brilliant set throughout – with tracks that include "Benny's Buns", "Yazz Per Favore", "Mirage For Miles", "Moer Or Less", "Blue On Blue", and "Short Politician". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Kendrick Lamar, and the one that really helped bring his talents to the rest of the world – and maybe mark a whole new generation of hip hop in the process! At some level, Lamar is in the same territory as many of the south Cali rappers before him – with tales of rough life on the mean streets – but his approach here is very different, both in terms of the personal quality in the lyrics and the subtle drama in his presentation – and the lean production, which seems to strip things bare, and avoid the thuggish cliches that might celebrate such a background. Even the title alone hints at the tension that's made the record so durable over the years – and titles include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe", "The Art Of Peer Pressure", "Money Trees", "Poetic Justice", "MAAD City", "Singing About Me I'm Dying Of Thirst", "Real", and "Compton". Deluxe edition vinyl 3 bonus tracks: "The Recipe" with Dr. Dre, "Black Boy Fly" and "Now Or Never" with Mary J Blige. LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare Charlie Parker albums in a single set! First up is Bird On 52nd Street – one of the more obscure Charlie Parker sessions of the 40s – at least in the original release! The material was recorded in 1948, on a home tape recorder, but not issued until after his death – part of a huge wave of Charlie Parker material that hit the market at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s! The sound here is quite raw – made even more so by the recording quality – but it also offers up a good illustration of the sheer power of Bird back in the day, the kind of bold, bracing energy that made even more than the regular jazz world sit up and take notice. The group's a quintet – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and there's been a few tape tricks in the mastering, in order to come up with a better version of some of the recordings. Tracks are short – in true bebop format – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Out Of Nowhere", "My Old Flame", "How High The Moon", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Hot House", and "Chasin The Bird". Next is Bird At St Nicks – a posthumous issue of an early 50s live set by Charlier Parker – one of the many that were rushed to the public in the years after his early death. The set, like many of the other live ones from the time, isn't recorded that well – but the music is still pretty wonderful. There's a real focus on Bird in the way the microphone was set up – so although you hear the rest of the band comping in the background, the album almost works like a session of solo sax work by Parker – as his alto is right out front in the mix, playing with a faltering style at times – but in a way that only seems to deepen our vision of his genius. Players include Red Rodney on trumpet and Al Haig on piano – and titles include "Ornithology", "Star Eyes", "Visa", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "Confirmation". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful record by this little-known vocal quartet, who (we think) only made this one record for RCA. The sound is similar to some of the other RCA vocal groups of the time, and Bert De Coteaux did the arrangements, as he did with some of the other groups. The real treat, though, is when the music drops out, and the group comes out front, which they do on the great cut "The World Is A Place", a cool moody track that's been sampled at least once in the past few years. Other cuts include "Slow Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "Within Your Lifetime", "Are You Ready For This", and "Loving You". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakthrough album from Roberto Roena and his Apollo Sound combo – a record that showed the world that this scrappy little group could stand head to head with the giants of the 70s salsa years! As on other records, there's a strongly percussive vibe throughout – bongos from Roena, plus timbales, conga, and other percussion – all topped by a great horn section that features two trumpets, tenor, trombone, and flute – all of whom hit some wonderfully jazzy moments at time, filling in the set with some great tropical shades and colors! Vocals are by Tito Cruz and Sammy Gonzalez, and a number of well placed percussion and horn solos on just about every track. Titles include "Traicion", "Cucarachita Cucarachon", "En Mis Rosales", "Que Se Sepa", "Ese Soy Yo", and "Herencia Rumbera". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic to end all classics – and the record that showed the world that the kung fu genre could be every bit as funky as American crime and action films! Lalo Schifrin's at the height of his powers on this set – working in a blend of raw guitars, rolling bass, and choppy rhythms that groove about as fast as Bruce Lee's hands move on the screen in the film – and the album's a real standout in the 70s soundtrack scene, well worth all the hype and attention that's been given to it over the years! The record's one you'll dig if you're a fan of funk, or a student of Schifrin – and even after the passage of decades, it's still a tough soundtrack to beat. Titles include the classic "Theme From Enter The Dragon", plus "Bamboo Bird Cage", "The Monk", "Han's Island", "The Big Battle", and "The Human Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure, and a record that may well be our favorite Jimmy Smith album for Verve – a masterful meeting of his smoking Hammond work with some swingingly sophisticated arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Claus Ogerman! Both Nelson and Ogerman bring a fuller spectrum of horn work to the album than heard on other Smith sides of the time – using an almost orchestral approach to the backings, one that pushes Jimmy even further into the stratosphere as he solos madly on the organ! But don't think that the larger backings are clunky at all – because they're not – and there's a surprisingly deep soul to all the proceedings on the album, making it one of the tightest, grooviest, and deeply soulful records that Jimmy cut after leaving Blue Note! The LP includes two very long cuts – killer versions of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf" and "Slaughter On 10th Avenue" – plus shorter takes on "Bluesette", "Women Of The World", and "Wives & Lovers" that are all plenty amazing too! LP, Vinyl record album

Important second chapter work from Ornette Coleman – a record that marked a real shift in his sound from the Atlantic Records years – issued by Blue Note at a level that gave the rest of the world a chance to see what Ornette had been cooking up on the underground scene! The album was recorded in Stockholm – in the tradition of European live performances that saw Coleman grow so strongly in the mid 60s – and the tracks are long, free, and full of improvised moments – with Ornette adding in trumpet and violin next to his familiar alto – in a trio with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both fantastic players who can be loose at the right moments, and bring things back at others. Tracks are long and unbridled – with less of the rhythmic changes that you'd hear in work by the classic quartet, and more of a full-on fierce soloing mode. Titles include "Faces & Places", "Dee Dee", and "Dawn". LP, Vinyl record album

Although they didn't have as big of chart success as in earlier years, the O'Jays managed to do alright as the 80s moved in on them. Their sweet vocal style was a perfect match for Philly International's move to more modern soul production, and this album has them nicely set up by McFadden & Whitehead, still recording at Sigma Sound. The record includes the classic "My Favorite Person", one of the group's best later cuts, and a really catchy number – plus "Out In the Real World", "Don't Walk Away Mad", and "One On One". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those mixed-bag soundtracks that often showed up for lesser films of the hippie generation – a set that features some vocal rock tunes done especially for the movie, plus some much better instrumental tunes that really stand out! The real standout track here is the title instrumental "Time To Run" – but that's a really great one, with a fast funky cop show feel overall. There's clearly a religious bent to the film – most evident on the trippy "Alleluia", clearly a church track with chorus vocals, but done in a slightly tripped out way that's kind of spooky. Other titles include "I Love You" by Randy Stonehill, "Catch Me" and "Isn't It Good To Know" by Jerry Whitman, and "Traveling Man" by Barbara Sigel. LP, Vinyl record album

They certainly got the title right on this one – as Jo's singing a great batch of jazz-based tracks – and getting help from an array of small group players that include Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Conte Candoli, and Ray Nance! Arrangements are by Johnny Mandel, in a warmly chromatic mode that really helps take Jo's vocals away from the pop end of the spectrum – and into a lush and almost torchy mode that's a real surprise. Mandel does an especially nice job of working the horns into the mix – allowing for some slight but well-placed solo and introduction bits that really help shape the overall sound of the album. Titles include "For You", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Midnight Sun", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I Didn't Know About You", "Imagination", "Dream Of You", "Day Dream", and "I've Got The World On A String". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakout album for Edwin Starr – and the kind of full-on set that really helped give his music a bold new focus! Starr had already scored nicely on some playful tracks from the Motor City scene of the late 60s – but here, he emerges as a singer with a lot more depth than before – not only on the righteous tunes, like the classic title track – but also on some of the warmer ones too, which showcase a new adult style of singing we might not have expected a few years before! Unlike other Motown efforts of this level, there doesn't seem to be any core arranger and producer – which means that Edwin himself did an even greater job of pulling the whole thing together – a great run of tracks that includes the classic "War (What Is It Good For)", a killer version of "California Soul", one of the best Motown-penned tracks from the time – and the tracks "Time", "I Just Wanted To Cry", "All Around The World", "At Last I Found A Love", "I Can't Replace My Old Love", and "She Should Have Been Home". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit misleading – as Chico really wasn't much of a hitmaker, at least as far as the charts go – but the album is a wonderful collection of his groundbreaking work for Impulse, killer tracks that are head and shoulders above any of his earlier work! At the time, Hamilton was really going out from his more composed style of earlier years – exploring modal and eastern rhythms with the help of strong players like Gabor Szabo, Charlie Mariano, Charles Lloyd, Jerome Richardson, and Larry Coryell – setting up incredible off-beat grooves that proved to be a perfect foil for edgey reed solos, and tightly woven guitar work. The set's got a heck of a lot of great work from those years – and titles include "For Mods Only", "That Boy With The Long Hair", "Helena", "Baby You Should Know", "Manila", "Lonesome Child", "El Moors", "Transfusion", and "Man From Two Worlds". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early work from Jethro Tull – a formative set that really has the group deepening both their themes and their music! There's still a bit of blues rock at the core – but also some richer, more lyrical modes too – and Ian Anderson does a perfect job of bridging both worlds with his sublime work on flute – an instrument that must have seemed like an odd lead for a rock group at the time, but which is no surprise in the same generation that artists like Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk were making their own hip records – not to mention the great Harold McNair, who was a UK contemporary of Andreson. The whole thing's great – a record that's ripe for rediscovery, and which really gives back year after year – and titles include "A New Day Yesterday", "Back To The Family", "Fat Man", "Reasons For Waiting", "Nothing Is Easy", and the classic instrumental "Bouree". LP, Vinyl record album

Ha! This one really takes us back! The set was a massive breakthrough for August Darnell – one of his biggest hits since his day with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, with an equally appealing approach to the dancefloor. Tracks mix early 80s New York club styles with Darnell's mad retro/exotic take on the world – coming out with a sound that's slightly hokey, but equally catchy! Includes the hits "Annie (I'm Not Your Daddy)", "I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby", and "Stool Pigeon" – plus the cuts "Imitation", "I'm Corrupt", "No Fish Today", and "Loving You Made A Fool Out Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to go wrong with The Kinks at this point in their career – a time when even at their most basic, the group had something special that set them apart from most of their contemporaries! There's a definite bluesy undercurrent to most of the music here – an aspect that Ray Davies would shake a bit more in later years, but which here comes to light in a really good way – mixing up some rootsy energy with the jangly guitar lines that the Kinks used to shade in their grooves. Titles include the classic "So Tired Of Waiting" – plus "Come On Now", "So Long", "Something Better Beginning", "Come On Now", "Nothing In The World That Can Stop Me Worryin Bout That Girl", and "Look For Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Davies is really coming into his own by the time of this third album by The Kinks – penning almost all the tunes in the set, and really starting to stretch out with some of his more unique ideas! The songs are already beginning to show that picture postcard side of British pop that was the Kinks stock in trade during their best years – and the themes and subjects are really expanded from the group's music of the previous years – already shaking off their American influence, and bringing the world a decidedly English version of rock and roll. Of course, the album does feature the group's wonderful cover of "Milk Cow Blues" – still a nice link to the earlier years – plus the Davies originals "When I See That Girl Of Mine", "I Am Free", "Till The End Of The Day", "The World Keeps Going Round", "I'm On An Island", "It's Too Late", "You Can't Win", "Where Have All The Good Times Gone", "Gotta Get The First Plane Home", and "Ring The Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most successful of the later Kinks albums – thanks to the hit single "Come Dancing", which kind of tied together the group's later leanings with some of their sweeter, nostagic approaches from the 60s. In fact, there's a quality to the set that really has Ray Davies going back to his "little pictures" sort of approach – wrapping up individuals and individual subjects nicely in the space of 3 to 4 minutes. Titles include "Labour Of Love", "Definite Maybe", "State Of Confusion", "Heart Of Gold", "Young Conservatives", "Cliches Of The World", and "Come Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 70s magic from vocalist Irene Kral – one of a handful of albums that really had Kral setting herself apart from most other jazz vocal contemporaries! The approach here is very simple – just Irene's voice and piano backing from Alan Broadbent – but a hell of a lot goes on in the spare space, thanks to subtly expressive vocals from Kral – never too overdone, yet filled with a mature sophistication that's wonderful – almost conversational at points, yet always with a soft swing that reminds us that she's a jazz singer at heart. Titles include "Love Came On Stealthy Fingers", "I Like You You're Nice", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "A Time For Love/Small World", "Never Let Me Go", "Lucky To Be Me/Some Other Time", "Don't Look Back", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most sublime Hubert Laws albums for CTI – a set that features his incredibly soulful flute work floating over these beautiful large arrangements by Don Sebesky – all ticked by some sweet electric piano from Bob James! The sound is perfect – that balance of soul and sophistication that really made CTI a groundbreaking label at this point – and which made it a perfect place for a hip artist like Hubert to really hit his stride! And in fact, Laws may not have ever hit this height again – as even though later albums are all still pretty great, and plenty soulful, this set's got an extra something special that we never tire of hearing! Titles include "No More", "Morning Star", "Let Her Go", and "What Do You Think Of This World Now?" LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely different album than some of Peggy Lee's other albums for Capitol Records – a set of sophisticated arrangements, handled by Quincy Jones – which really give Lee the kind of setting to remind the world that she can be as compelling of a jazz singer as she can a vocalist on upbeat groovers! Jones here is coming off of work by his larger groups of the late 50s, and has a wonderful sense of tone and shading – creating this richness that's as deeply blue as the image on the cover, and which really works on the more melancholy currents that Peggy could hit at the right moments – those qualities that would get explored a bit more in later years, but which really find their way to open up here. The group features nice work from Benny Carter on alto and Victor Feldman on vibes – and there's a sense of loss and longing to the record that almost rivals that on the Sinatra album Wee Small Hours. Titles include "As Time Goes By", "If You Go", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "When I Was A Child", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking work from Ketty Lester – a really important singer who equally skirted the worlds of jazz and soul! Ketty's got a great sophisti-soul style on the set – working with arrangements by Lincoln Mayorga, and coming off with a sound that would clearly go onto inspire Nancy Wilson and Marlena Shaw. Includes the hit "Love Letters", plus "You Can Have Him", "When Day Is Done", "Lonely People Do Foolish Things", "Hello Lover, Goodbye Tears", and "Looking For A Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

The most understated album by the Lovin Spoonful – and possibly their best work ever! It's really a showcase for leader/chief songwriter John Sebastian and proto-country rock guitarist Zal Yanovsky. "Summer In The City" is the one that buttered the group's bread for the next couple of decades – but that's the lone concession to jangly-ass 60s rock (but oh, what a sweet concession it is) on a record much more indicative of what was going on in the pop world after Dylan brought the ghosts of the South out into it. Great, great stuff, including "Lovin You", "Bes' Friends", "Henry Thomas", "You & Me & Rain On The Roof", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest and grooviest hits from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – that completely charming little group that really warmed up pop at the end of the 60s! The tunes here are awash in bossa rhythms, and topped with the group's trademark two-gal harmony style – a sound that reaches out from both sides of the speakers and wraps you up with a wonderfully sweet feeling – while the grooves at the bottom really keep things moving. The set's filled with classics – titles that include "Fool On the Hill", "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Look Around", "Scarborough Fair", "Pretty World", "Look Of Love", "Day Tripper", and "Mas Que Nada". LP, Vinyl record album