The Reflections were a great lost soul group who cut one album for Capitol, plus a handful of singles. This nice one from 1975 features 2 strong cuts by the band – both with arrangements by Bert De Coteaux. "Three Steps" is a midtempo number, written by JR Bailey – and the flipside is more mellow, with a strong male vocal in the lead. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A Jerry Garcia solo album, but one with a fair bit of help from the Grateful Dead as well – as the group play on album half the album's tracks! Some of the music still has that slinky vibe of solo Garcia – and a number of tracks are warmed up by Fender Rhodes from Larry Knechtel – but there's also that fuller spirit that the Dead can bring to the music, yet delivered in a way that's nicely laidback compared to some of their own records. A nice meeting at the crossroads – with titles that include "They Love Each Other", "Catfish John", "Comes A Time", "It Must Have Been The Roses", "Might As Well", and "Mission In The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from one of the more sophisticated songwriters of the early 70s – with titles that include "Doppelganger", "The Talkative Woman & The Two Star General", "The New Enzyme Detergent Demise Of Ali McGraw", "The Earthquake In Los Angeles", and "The Air Crash In New Jersey". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Stella By Starlight", "But Beautiful", Body & Soul", "Where Or When", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Strange Music", "Goodnight, Irene", "Dear Little Boy Of Mine", "Mighty Lak' A Rose", "Cradle Song", "Nature Boy", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

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Kind of a "best of plus" set from Rick James – featuring some of his older work for Motown, plus a few new numbers to round out the set! As usual, the whole thing's written, arranged, and produced by the Super Freak himself – with that bass-heavy pop-funk groove that Rick virtually invented! Titles include "Super Freak", "You & I", "Mary Jane", "Dance Wit Me", "Give It To Me Baby", "You Turn Me On", "Bustin Out", "Fire & Desire", "Oh What A Night", and "17". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost chapter in the Stan Getz sound of the 60s – an album that features Stan blowing in front of some beautiful backdrops set by Lalo Schifrin and Claus Ogerman! The sound is super mellow – dreamy, but never sleepy – with Stan blowing in these soulful, magical, exploratory lines that sweep and swirl with his best 60s work. The sound is incredible – a whole new level of genius to a player who'd already recorded in so many other strong modes at the time – and titles include "Sleeping Bee", "Nitetime Street", "Early Autumn", "Charade", "Love", and "Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album that's often overshadowed by its hit – the 15 minute "B-Movie", which was sort of an overly-wrought protest piece about how the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was going to turn America into a bad b-movie. Not that that track's bad – although its politics have certainly dated by now – but the real strength of the album are the jazzy numbers, written in Gil's beautiful righteous style forged in the soul jazz underground of the 70s. These include the stellar "Is That Jazz?", a contemplative track about the future of the art form, a mellow version of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", the moody "Storm Music", and "Gun", a good groover with a message about the right to bear arms. LP, Vinyl record album

Key proof that Art Blakey was still going strong in the late 70s – continuing his 60s legacy of working with the best young players he could find, in a setting that was bristling with sweet soul jazz energy! This version of The Jazz Messengers includes some tremendous players – including a young Bobby Watson on alto, the great David Schnitter on tenor, James Williams on piano, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet – all grooving with Art in a style that steps nicely from the soulful Prestige Records years, when Blakey was leading the group with Woody Shaw and Carter Jefferson. Tracks are nearly all originals – loping and grooving with a soulful finish that's really wonderful, showing off equal parts of writing from nearly all corners of the group. The album's awash in soulful joy and love, and titles include "Reflections In Blue", "ETA", "Mishima", "Say Dr J", and "Stretching". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible session from the legendary Tribe Records scene – an equal effort from leader Doug Hammond and keyboardist David Durrah, who contributes some groundbreaking Fender Rhodes and moog work to the set! Hammond handles drums plus a bit of vocals and synthesizer on the session – working alongside Durrah in a groove that mixes electric and acoustic instrumentation into a totally righteous sound with lots of heavy Afro Jazz leanings. A number of tracks feature great vocals from Hammond – righteous, and with a beautifully soulful message-oriented approach – and a few other tracks, such as the classic "Space I" and "Space II", feature a sparer all-electric sound. The whole thing's wonderful – skittishly rhythmic, warmly flowing, and righteously beautiful. Titles include "Sea Of Nurnen", "Fidalgo Detour", "Reflections", "Space II", and "For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip gospel soul – handled by Eddie in a sweet southern style, with arrangements by Jimmy Roach and Paul Riser, and an approach that's more Memphis mainstream than it is gospel. There's some great mellow soul production on here – with some really righteous bits that almost feel like they were lifted from Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, with the same sort of building strings and well arranged overall sound. Titles include "You Are Never Left Alone", "The Door Is Open", "Reflections Of The Man Inside", "I've Been Touched", and "I'm Leaving It Up To You". LP, Vinyl record album

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Obscure small group work from Duke Ellington – trio sides recorded in 1953! Titles include "Janet", "B Sharp Blues", "Night Time", "Dancers In Love", "Kinda Dukish", and "Retrospection". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from Terry Knight & The Pack – with Don Brewer and Mark Farner who would later form Grand Funk Railroad – a set that has them coming together more tightly than before, at least from a musical perspective – but losing none of the rough edge that first made them great! Titles include "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "Love Love Love Love Love", "Come With Me", "This Precious Time", "Forever & A Day", and "Dirty Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous late 60s album from The Supremes – one that still has the Holland-Dozier-Holland team helming the set on production – and really soaring to the skies with this newfound sense of pride and power! The combination of the group's vocals and the Motown machine can't be beat – and although the album's not overtly political, it does stand forth with this righteous sort of quality that really shows how the whole enterprise was elevating soulful expression to new heights with a record like this! The studio work is sublime – perfect for setting up the tunes and letting the trio send them on home – on titles that include the stunning "Reflections", plus "Forever Came Today", "I Can't Make It Alone", "In & Out Of Love", "Bah-Bah-Bah", "What The World Need Now Is Love", "Up Up & Away", "Then", "Misery Makes It's Home In My Heart", and "Ode To Billy Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A live trio date from guitarist Lenny Breau – and a set that's maybe got a bit more of an edge than some of his studio albums of the time! Lenny introduces the set, which helps enforce the concert feel of the proceedings – then works through a set of nicely varied material that really opens up with his solos – sometimes very careful single-note lines, sometimes more complicated flurries that show references towards other styles, as a reminder that Breau was never just a straight jazz guitarist. Titles include the beautiful "Indian Reflections For Ravi" – plus "Bluesette", "Spanjazz", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "That's All", "Blues Theme #2", and "The Claw". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful late 70s albums from Bill Evans – showing a further evolution of his solo piano/overdub approach! New Conversations is a record that follows strongly on the format of Bill's famous "Conversations" sessions for Verve in the 60s – and like those dates, it features the pianist playing alongside himself, thanks to the magic of overdubbing. But unlike those, this one also features a bit of electric piano too – picked up from the Left & Right years, and played alongside the acoustic piano in a shimmering sort of sound that's really great. The tones are tremendous – almost more open and fluid than in any Evans trio dates of the time – and the whole thing's got a ringing quality that's as much about sonic textures as it is about melody. Titles include "Song For Helen", "I Love My Wife", "For Nenette", "Maxine", "Nobody Else But Me", "After You", and "Reflections In D". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful post-Atlantic album from Nikki Giovanni – much more intimate and personal than her better known work, with only Nikki's voice throughout the album – heard on a number of shorter poems! At some level, Giovanni seems to have left behind the more righteous themes of before, and is going for a mode here that's a bit more everyday – but still touched with the deeper reflections that make her so great. The titles of the poems tell enough about the subject matter – and they include "Parent's Never Understand", "Mommie's Daddies", "Ego Tripping", "James Shell's Snowball Stand", "Knoxville Tennessee", "Winter Poem", "The Drum", and "Kidnap Poem". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from the west coast scene of the 50s – and not to be confused with other similar-titled Chico Hamilton albums at the time! This one sports an abstract painting on the cover, and was recorded in 1956 at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles – not live, but using the space as a very open-sounding studio – with really amazing results! The lineup features Hamilton on drums, Paul Horn on alto and tenor sax and clarinet, John Pisano on guitar, Fred Katz on cello and Carson Smith on bass – kind of a second-generation of Hamilton's group, with Horn taking over wonderfully from Buddy Collette, and playing with even more sensitivity than before. The work's very much in Hamilton's best sprightly chamber jazz mode – with some great originals that include "Chanel #5", "Beanstalk", "Mr. Jo Jones", and "Reflections" – plus Hamilton-ized versions of "Satin Doll", "Caravan", "Soft Winds", "Siete-Cuatro", "I Know", and "Lillian". LP, Vinyl record album

Very righteous work from Esther Marrow – an overlooked soul singer who works with a hell of a lot of pride and power! The set's an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the 70s, and it's one of only two secular soul albums cut by Marrow – and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too! Esther's got some great help on the set from arrangers Richard Tee, Bernard Purdie, and Bobby Scott – each of whom set Marrow up with some small group backing that keeps things tight and soulful throughout – thanks in big part to the drum work, which is handled by Purdie, Jimmy Johnson, and Idris Muhammad. Other players include Tee on organ and piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and Ralph McDonald on congas – whose percussion really helps shape the sound of most of the grooves. There's a horn section too – used sparingly – and there's also a bit of backing vocals from The Reflections, although Esther's pretty much in the lead on all numbers. Titles include "Trade Winds", "Things Ain't Right", "Ask Me To Dance", "Woman In The Window", and "Ghetto". LP, Vinyl record album

As classic as it comes for late 50s Blue Note – and a key meeting between Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk! The group on the set features Rollins and Monk with JJ Johnson, Paul Chambers, and Art Blakey – all of whom push things more in the direction of Blue Note's sound of the time, then Monk's own recordings of the period for Riverside. But the contrast of modes makes for a really startling sound – one that has Monk "monking" it up next to the straighter rhythm section, and bringing out some more modern tones in Rollins' tenor work. Horace Silver plays piano on part of the set as well – but still keeps things strong – and titles include "Why Don't I", "Wail March", "Misterioso", and "Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

Diana and the ladies recorded live at London's Talk Of The Town nitespot – with arrangements conducted by Jimmy Garrett, and a set of tracks that includes a number of medleys of standards and late 60s pop tunes. Titles include "Mame", "Reflections", "In & Out Of Love", "Without A Song", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Michelle", "You Keep Me Hangin On", "The Lady Is a Tramp", and "The Happening". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the blues that you might expect from the title – although knowing Muhal Richard Abrams, there's no doubt some sort of blues influence lurking in the background of his complicated orchestrations for the date! The album's a suite of original compositions by Abrams – all numbers played by a largeish group with lots of wonderful horn patterns – complexly woven together with lots of shifting shapes and tones, then sometimes breaking out in bold, free moments of improvisation! It's records like these that show why Abrams was one of the leading lights of the AACM by the early 80s – as much an important composer as a musician – equally skilled at both levels, and very sensitive to the strengths of the players he chose to work with. Muhal plays piano here – and other group members include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Wallace Laroy McMillan on baritone and flute, Jimmy Vass on alto and flute, Eugene Ghee on tenor and clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Jean-Paul Bourelly on guitar, Michael Logan on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Titles include "Cluster For Many Worlds", "Quartet To Quartet", "Ancient & Future Reflections", "Du King", "Chambea", and "Duet For One World". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums the Four Tops ever issued on Motown – but also one of the best, and a set that really has the group taking off in a strong new direction for the 70s! Frank Wilson's at the production helm, and the set has all these cool little twists and turns that work perfectly with the magnificent harmonies of Levi Stubbs and the group – a mode that draws on all their vocal highlights from older years, but also refits them with a more spacious, more mature sort of sound! The approach is different than that used with the Temptations at the same time – less political, but still flowing with plenty of new ideas – handled by arrangers Jerry Long, Jimmy Roach, and David Van DePitte. The title cut – "Still Waters (Run Deep)" – is a perfect example of this – as the tune's got weirdly wonderful production, almost as watery as the cover image, and a bit of moog buried in there – which comes forward even more on the reprise of the song at the end of the record. Other titles include "Love Is The Answer", "Reflections", "I Wish I Were Your Mirror", "Bring Me Together", "LA (My Town)", and "Everybody's Talkin". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by Jamal – and one of his first albums to feature electric piano! The mode of the tracks is in that "stretching out" style he was using as the 60s came to a close – a bit inspired by McCoy Tyner, but more an exploration of the lyricism of his earlier work, set to the new freedoms of the jazz record style of the time. The group features Jamal's regulars Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and Ahmad plays both electric and acoustic piano on the album. Tracks include "Dolphin Dance", "Effendi", "Manhattan Reflections", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

MGMT's debut and certainly one the biggest spacey pop albums of the 00s, possibly THE biggest! The enduring hits "Time Time Pretend" and "Electric Feels" blend dense layers of vintage synth and keys with a modern sheen and memorable hooks – and there are plenty more like that here, with just hint of melancholy under the bright sound. Dave Friedmann, whose deft hand on some of The Flaming Lips most loved recordings was a great choice by MGMT to co-produce – we couldn't imagine any more appropriate! "Weekend Wars", "The Youth", "Kids", "4th Dimensional Transition", "Pieces Of What", "The Handshake", "Future Reflections" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

During the late 50s – after an initial burst of recordings with Blue Note, and before a later successful run for the label – Art Blakey recorded on a number of labels with a lesser-known version of The Jazz Messengers. This album's from that stretch – and like others from the period it's a darn nice batch of tracks, and while it lacks some of the polished tightness of the later Blue Notes it crackles with the energy that's been the Jazz Messengers trademark from day one. The group features Bill Hardman on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Sam Dockery on piano – and the set's a loose batch of hardbop numbers like "Casino", "Ugh!", "Mirage", "The Biddie Griddies", "Potpourri" and "Reflections Of Buhania". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn big collection of work from the 4 Tops – collecting the best of their early years at Motown on up through the 70s. There's a total of 39 tracks on the set, and titles include "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Ask The Lonely", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "It's The Same Old Song", "Something About You", "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Standing In The Shadows Of Love", "I Got A Feeling", "Bernadette", "I'll Turn To Stone", "You Keep Running Away", "Walk Away Renee","If I Were A Carpenter", "Yesterday's Dreams", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", "Everybody's Talking", "Reflections", "For Once In My Life", "A Place In The Sun", "Can't Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "It's All In The Game", "Still Water (Love)", "In These Changing Times", "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart" and "(It's) The Way Nature Planned It". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful post-Coltrane playing by the two Grubbs brothers (who get top recommendations from Pharoah Sanders and Naima Coltrane on the back cover!). The album's filled with spiritual spiralling intertwining alto and soprano sax lines, underpinned by soulful backing on piano, bass, drums, and percussion. The quality of the writing on the album is excellent – and we'd easily rank this one up there with the best work on Strata East from the time, or with Gary Bartz's first two albums for Milestone. Includes the long title cut, plus "Reflections (On New York City)", "Pisces", and a beautiful cover of "Naima". Really wonderful stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic solo piano album from Thelonious Monk – recorded live in San Francisco, and maybe one of his best albums ever in the format! There's a special sort of quality that makes Monk's solo work so different from his trio, quartet, and larger group music – this real understanding of the piano, and a personal sense of sonic shading, even when covering some of his familiar compositions – maybe a bit like the way that Sun Ra's solo piano is also so distinct. Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record – but the solo setting almost has him pulling the tunes apart slowly – contemplating their components, then stepping through them with new inspiration as he puts them back together. Titles include "Blue Monk", "Pannonica", "Remember", "Reflections", "Bluehawk", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Round Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive 3LP set that brings together most of the best work recorded by Diana Ross & The Supremes for Motown – done in the lavish style that Motown used in these deep Anthology series in the 70s! Each side of each record has a different theme, and the package also features dates for most of the material – making it a handy way to trace the evolution of the group's style. Titles include "You Send Me", "Love Child", "Reflections", "The Happening", "You Keep Me Hanging On", "My World Is Empty Without You", "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Ask Any Girl", "I Hear A Symphony", "Love Is Here & Now You're Gone", "I'm Livin In Shame", "No Matter What Sign You Are", and "Someday We'll Be Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the cheesy title and cover – this is a great compilation, with some really wonderful tracks from the 70s! Like the first set in this series, the focus is on older grooves that have a kicked-back, chilled-out approach to funk – and as such, the set is stuffed with wonderful tunes that we might have missed otherwise! There's a real genius to the package – similar to Irma's Quiet Moments compilation – and the track selection goes way past the obvious, or the familiar, to include tracks that have been locked away on older albums by artists that you might already know. The whole thing's great – as much of a delight in the morning as it is in the middle of the night – with tracks that include "Reflections" by Bill Conti, "Poobli" by Alphonze Mouzon, "Doubting Thomas" by Michel Legrand, "Chutney" by Mandrill, "Cha Chita" by El Chicano, "Night Breeze" by Bobby Lyle, "Feel The Vibe" by Loose Ends, "Close The Door" by Rufus, "The City" by Mark & Almond, "Suzanne" by Gary McFarland, "Snow Queen" by The City, "Say No More" by The Peddlers, "From Here To Eternity" by Engelbert Humperdink, "Walking In The Wind" by Traffic, "The Visit" by The Cyrkle, and "Elegy" by Colosseum. And we should warn you, album 2 has a few especially nice surprises – rock tunes we thought we'd never hear again, settled next to some great funky groovers. 26 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Gary McFarland – much more serious than some of his whimsical bossa sides, but also a stunning example of the depths of his talents! The group on the session isn't really an "orchestra" – just a combo with Gary on vibes, Bill Evans on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Phil Woods and Spencer Sinatra on reeds – plus some added strings. The tracks have the fragility of some of the collaborations between Bill Evans and Jim Hall – but also a bit more swing and space at times, and a wonderfully chromatic edge from McFarland's vibes! The feel's a bit like some of the work done by Gary over at Impulse – and titles include "Reflections In The Park", "Night Images", "Peachtree", "Tree Patterns", and "A Moment Alone". LP, Vinyl record album