Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow-up to Claudio Roditi's Braziliance record – and like that set, a record that's filled with a similarly warm and breezy groove! There's a range of bossa and post-bossa elements at work in the mix, plus some slight Latin jazz touches too – and Roditi's horn sounds wonderful in the setting, really stretching out with these well-blown lines over work from a group that includes Romero Lubambo on guitar, Michael Dease on trombone, Helio Alves on piano, John Lee on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. All songs are originals by Roditi – and titles include "Slow Fire", "Piccolo Blues", "A Dream For Kristen", "Blues For Ronni", "Vida Nova", "Winter Dreams", and "Spring Samba". CD

Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! CD

Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning rare material from Sonny Rollins – from a period when he wasn't doing that much work in the studio! The double-length package features Sonny blowing with a great sense of majesty and freedom – working in trio format that recalls his classic Vanguard recordings for Blue Note – but with Ruud Jacobs on bass and Han Bennink on drums – both great players who really help Rollins keep his modern edge! This isn't just a pickup overseas rhythm section – as Bennink is fantastic, at a point right before he was moving into free jazz – and Jacobs is a hell of a bassist who always makes a group sound great. The set features four studio tracks – "Blue Room", "Four", "Tune Up", and "Love Walked In" – plus more live material from the same month – long tracks "Love Walked In", "Four", "On Green Dolphin Street/There Will Never Be Another You", "Sonnymoon For Two", "They Can't Take That Away From Me/Sonnymoon For Two", and "Three Little Words". Also features a 100 page booklet – with rare photos, essays, and even an interview with Sonny! CD

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A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". CD

A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning live recording from Sarah Vaughan – recorded in the late 70s, when she was at a whole new height in her talents – and at a level that's far more dynamic and striking than some of her other records from the time! The double-length set presents the first-ever commercial release of a beautifully recorded performance originally done for NPR – with Vaughan in a very open, expressive mode alongside a trio with Carl Schroeder on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – working at a small club in New Orleans with a wonderfully soulful vibe! Vaughan shines beautifully on the ballads, but really blows us away with the swingers – hitting some edges we don't always hear on her 70s sides for Pablo, Groove Merchant, or Mainstream – managing vocal complexity with inherent rhythm, all with effortless ease. The sound quality is wonderful – and titles include "I'll Remember April", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "The Man I Love", "Watch What Happens", "If You Went Away", "I Could Write A Book", "Time After Time", "Somebody Loves Me", "My Funny Valentine", "Everything Must Change", "Send In The Clowns", "Sarah's Blues", and "East Of The Sun". CD

Really really wonderful work from legendary organist Larry Young – a set of rare recordings that we'd easily rank right next to our favorite Blue Note albums that Young cut as a leader! The sides here were done for French radio in the mid 60s, but they're hardly throwaway quickie tracks or lame live sides – and instead are superbly recorded selections that feature Young's organ in the company of really great musicians who include Woody Shaw on trumpet and Nathan Davis on tenor! The music is mostly from the ORTF studios, with impeccable sound – and tracks stretch out in that long, imaginative way that Young brought to his famous Unity album for Blue Note – a complete reworking of the role of Hammond in jazz, set to new modern modes, which are definitely emphasized by the work of Davis and Shaw. A number of tracks were recorded under the name of the Nathan Davis Quartet – with the addition of Billy Brooks on drums and a few more add in Sonny grey on trumpet and Jean-Claude Fohrenbach on tenor – both great players who join Shaw and Davis on some very extended tracks. The whole thing's wonderful – impeccable sound, great notes, and lost material that's a key addition to the too-small Larry Young catalog! Titles include "La Valse Grise", "Discotheque", "Trane Of Thought", "Luny Tune", "Larry's Blues", "Talkin About JC", "Black Nile", and "Beyond All Limits" – as well as a 20 minute reading of the classic "Zoltan". There's also even one track that has Larry playing some Monk-like piano – really great! CD

A warmly well-crafted second set from the trio of pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart – one that has an even more cohesive, group-directed vibe than their debut! The setting's a bit different, the group have grown a lot together, and there's a resonance here that's wonderful – with Hays' piano ringing out on all these long, lyrical lines – as Street wraps things together with a sense of flowing spirit – and Billy Hart continues to be a mature master showing that less is often more on the drums! The approach is maybe illustrated perfectly on the group's take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" – which could be a thematic title for the album – but the whole thing's great too, on titles that include "Song For Peace", "Irah", "Throughout", "Butterfly", "Capricorn", and a very fresh take on Milton Nascimento's classic "Bridges". LP, Vinyl record album

American trombonist Allen Hermann teams up here with Japanese trombonist Itsumi Komano – a player you might know from her work in the Bon Bones duo, and one who sounds nicely different here! The twin horn approach sometimes shows a lineage with JJ Johnson and Kai Winding in their small group records – tight leads, then very individual solos – but Hermann and Komano also have this way of crafting crisp colors of their own, by really finding a resonance between the horns in all these different ways that change up nicely from track to track. The rest of the group features Asami Yato on piano, Yutaka Yoshida on bass, and Yusuke Yaginuma on drums – and titles include "I Could Write A Book", "How Insensitive", "Early On", "Blues For A & I", "It Was A Beautiful Thing", and "Hear & Now". CD

Killer early material from Freddy King – a blues album, but one that's also got a strong resonance with instrumental soul and early funk! The record is "Strictly Instrumental" – as the cover says – and a nice batch of short bluesy groovers that feature Freddy's great guitar work! Freddie was way more than just a blues guitarist, as his style here was a definite precursor to funk – hard, heavy, and with the kinds of little tricks that would be taken up a lot by other players in the funky 45 era. Tracks are all nice, and titles include "San Ho Zay", "Side Tracked", "Wash Out", "In The Open", "Heads Up", "Just Pickin", and "Swooshy". CD

A Round Two KO from Timo Lassey – modern jazzy sounds with classic resonance from the Finnish saxophonist and his killer combo – featuring a couple of standout vocal numbers featuring Jose James and with sharp production by Teddy Rok! The group delivers timeless jazz with passion and verve – no mere revivalists here, this is a group that drives deeply grooving swing, bop, Latin jazz and other classic influences with contemporary swagger. Jose James is one of our favorite contemporary vocalists and he always exudes a jazz depth, but to hear him in a setting where can go all in with it is wonderful – but those numbers don't steal any fire from the instrumental grooves that are the heart & soul of the set. Tenor & baritone sax man Timo Lassey is backed alto Ari Jokelainen, the always excellent Jukka Eskola oin trumpet, Mikko Mustonen on trombone,Georgios Kontrafouris on keys, Antti Kotjonen on bass, Teppo Makynen on drums and Abdissa Assefa on percussion. Includes "The More I Look At You", "Shifting Winds", "Ya Dig", "Some Love", "Deeper Into", "Fooling Rosetta", "Backyard Puma" and "Buzz Beater Stomp". CD

Tenorist James Brandon Lewis has really been on fire in recent years – always opening up new doors in his music, and surprising us with each new record, which seems to have a slightly different flavor that further expands his palette of sound! Here, Lewis presents some beautiful original compositions with a group that has amazingly fluid drum work from the great Chad Taylor, lovely colors on piano from Aruan Ortiz, and these rollingly soulful basslines from Brad Jones – all players who are seamlessly tied to Lewis tenor, as the four paint these really wonderful pictures in sound. The approach is more structured than some of Lewis' other recordings, but at a level that's still filled with bursts of personal expression throughout – on titles that include "Every Atom Glows", "Archimedean", "Resonance", "Per 5", "Tessera", and "Code Of Being". 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

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. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully joyous work from Myra Melford – a set recorded early in the career of the pianist, with her first trio – and abristle with sound that really grabs us right from the start! Melford here seems to be working in a level that's maybe as post-Tyner as some of the post-Coltrane saxophonists of the decade before – fully aware of the freedoms of space and motivation of rhythmic pulse, but really finding her own voice too – with a very imaginative trio that features the excellent Reggie Nicholson on drums and some really beautiful bass from Lindsey Horner. There's a resonance between the musicians that's completely captivating – and the bass of Horner seems to bring out something really special in the piano of Melford that we don't always hear in later years. CD

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". CD

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take hearing more than a few seconds of the opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and it's sequenced as a cycle: part one (In The Beginning) on side 1 and part two (Afterwards) on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". LP, Vinyl record album

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". LP, Vinyl record album

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George", plus four bonus tracks! CD

A really great solo project from Charles Prest of Flamingods – a set that's got a completely compelling mix of psychedelic elements, contemporary beats, and some of the fuzzier sounds of the UK scene in the 80s! There's definitely a resonance here with that 80s moment when folks started to re-embrace psych after the punk years – but Charles also filters it through a more 21st Century vibe – creating these cool little songs that are very personal, and with a quirky vibe that really fits his image on the cover! Prest wrote, performed, and produced the whole album himself – and titles include "Annapura Guest House", "Blue Jurdab", "Villa", "Desiree", "Budaiya", "Decca Divine", "Beulah Spa", and "Dud Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Roberto Olzer has an amazing touch on the keys of the piano – a sense of subtle feeling and emotion that's almost as if he's playing a piece by Chopin, but delivered with more of the fluid lyricism of jazz overall – which makes for a really wonderful blend throughout! The trio features bass from Yuri Goloubev and drums from Mauro Beggio – both players who often hang back and let the resonance of the piano take the lead – on tracks that include the originals "Deliverance", "Parisian Episode VII", "And After", "Canova", and "A Simple Song" – plus takes on "The Old Castle", "G Spot Tornado/Sleep Dirt", and "Celeste". 2LP version also features bonus tracks – "Sakura Nagashi" and "Ninja Re Bang Bang". LP, Vinyl record album

Viola player Jessica Pavone leads a string trio here – but the result is very different than you might expect, if you're only thinking of music in terms of jazz or more traditional elements – as there's a blend of strings, textures, and tones here that's completely wonderful! In addition to Pavone's viola, the group also features Aimee Neimann on violin, and Abby Swidler on both viola and violin, depending on the track – both musicians who add their voice to one track, along with Jessica – but mostly have this way of finding great sonic resonance together, with a quality that's both abstracting from the original modes of the instruments, yet never too far to make them sound unfamiliar. Titles include "Done & Dusted", "Hidden Voices", "The Pitches & Notated", and "Closeness Unnoticed". CD

Early work from bassist Barre Phillips, and a set that stands as a key starting point to an amazing run of records for decades to come! Phillips is playing here solo throughout, live and in a church – a setting that creates a wonderful resonance in his sound, as he moves throughout one long improvisation without any overdubs or effects at all – a progression that's breathtaking throughout, and handled very differently here than any of his similar records from later years. There's a bare, stripped-down quality that's incredible – and at a time when German saxophonists were blowing their heads off, or UK contemporaries were mixing jazz with electric rock, the whole thing is a very personal, very unique moment in sound! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sun Ra's greatest albums of the 70s – recording during the same sessions that yielded the famous Space Is The Place record for Blue Thumb, and done with a very similar feel – an expansive configuration of the Arkestra in peak form! The range of expression is really incredible – from the spiritual soul jazz of "Pan Afro", to the lightly grooving June Tyson vocals of "Neptune", to the extended suite "Discipline 27-II", a stretched-out spacey number with vocal "dramatizing" by Ra, Tyson, Ruth Wright, and Judith Holton. That track's a particularly great one, with the kind of spiritual resonance behind the spacey approach that rarely comes through as strongly on other albums – but the whole set is wonderful, and judging how reminscient of it some of the best, similarly-minded underground jazz is decades later – the whole thing is an amazing testament to how strong Ra's influence is today. LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Tom Rainey is the leader, but he's a nicely subtle talent here – really letting the group finds its sound and shape as a whole – which makes for some beautiful interplay between the trumpet of Ralph Alessi, saxes of Ingrid Laubrock, piano of Jacob Sacks, and bass of Drew Gress! All five elements of the group have an immediate resonance together – one that almost makes you feel as if the set was conceived as a drum-less session at the start, letting the other four sounds come together – although that would hardly be the case, with Tom's name up front! Alessi and Laubrock sound especially nice in each others' company, and Gress has a way of hanging low, and really filling out the sound – on titles that include "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Just In Time/In Your Own Sweet Way", "What's New/There Is No Greater Love", "Stella By Starlight", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

Not the first solo album from Lou Reed, but definitely the one that established him as a major force away from the Velvet Underground – and a record that still stands as one of the best from this groundbreaking early 70s moment in music! Part of the record's strength is its resonance with the Ziggy Stardust world of David Bowie – who produced the record, and had Spiders From Mars guitar genius Mick Ronson adding some extra guitars to the whole set. Yet at the same time, it's Lou Reed's brilliance with both songwriting and delivery that really makes the whole thing amazing – capturing a moment when New York was rotting out from the inside, when danger seemed to come from simple moments, and when the rules were changing faster than anyone could keep up with. A fantastic example of this is the amazing "Perfect Day" – but the whole album's incredible, with titles that include "Hangin Round", "Satellite Of Love", "Andy's Chest", "I'm So Free", "Vicious", and the always-classic "Take A Walk On The Wild Side". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy, soul-baring lyricism delivered with spiritual resonance and wise authority by Gil Scott-Heron – his first album shot in far too many years, and a direct hit – essential listening for longtime listeners and neophytes alike and a well worthy entry in a legendary career! Scott-Heron is documenting his world as profoundly and poetically as ever here, and the production is built with spare, haunting beats and atmospheric bits of strings, guitar, keys, loose atmospherics and hazy electronics – loosely framing his voice and giving it all the room in needs to carry the mood. Gil sings and speaks with equal authority throughout, and you can hear the years in his voice like never before, giving him the worn edges of the old soul he always evoked. This is a record we're proud to put among his treasured recordings of the 70s and early 80s. Titles include "On Coming From A Broken Home" (Parts 1 & 2), "Your Soul And Mine", "I'll Take Care Of You", "Where Did The Night Go", "Running", "The Crutch" and more, including several interludes that are pretty amazing – captures of conversation that show Gil nearly as charismatic and poetic in "off" moments as he is recording a song. Also includes 2 covers, "Me And The Devil" (the Robert Johnson song) and the title track, Smog/Bill Callahan's "I'm New Here", given a whole new life. Expanded anniversary version also features some great material recorded at the same time – the titles "Handsome Johnny", "My Cloud", "Piano Player", "King Henry IV", "Jazz", and 2010 live studio takes of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Is That Jazz", and "Winter In America". CD

The title's a wonderfully poetic one, and the music is too – very open improvisations between Sabu Toyozumi on drums and Yuji Takahashi on piano – along with plenty of percussion from both musicians too! There's a very spacious approach to the music – lots of thoughtful interaction between both players, as they find sonic resonance that never overwhelms at all, yet which is still freely spontaneous – beautifully organic in approach, and stretched out on two long tracks that make up the album – "Lovely Silver 6000 KM" and "Shoulder Blade & Hip Joint". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only full LP ever recorded by Harry Taussig – blending folk & blues based solo guitar traditions with his unique style – on this great, private press rarity from 1965, dug up by the folk & roots heroes at Tompkins Square! It's really fine stuff, which should appeal to folks who dig the Fahey & Basho style of primitive guitar, but Taussig brings his own flavor to the pot. The tunes have a bit more rag in them, and a real love of lonely blues guitar, and his playing the right kind of ragged to our ears, giving it a natural and truthful resonance that cuts deeper to our souls than players who go for perfection or prettiness. Very highly recommended! Tracks include Taussig's adaptation of "Baby Let Me Lay It On You/That'll Never Happen No More" by Reverend Gary Davis, plus "Blues For Zone VII", "Rev's Rag", "Sugar Babe, YOur Papa Cares For You", "Rondo To Death", "Dorian Sonata", "Fate Is Only Once" and more. CD

A pair of Thollem collaborations – back to back on a single CD! First up is a beautiful duet with Susan Alcorn – with a fantastic sound that has Alcorn's groundbreaking work on pedal steel mixing with the well-crafted electronics of Thollem – lines that really seem to find the right resonance with the steel strings, then expand the sound out in ways that are completely unexpected! Alcorn's become one of the most compelling improvisers in recent years – and this set is a good illustration of her growing talents. The other half features Thollem working with drummer Alex Cline – on a set that mostly seems to have Thollem using acoustic piano, but in ways that are very unusual – at times almost with a Charlemagne Palestine sense of minimalism! CD

Wilco's post-millennium masterpiece! After years of adventurous sounds and increasingly poetic lyrics being subtly layered over their country rock roots, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was such a radical departure from their first couple albums that it was legendary upon arrival. What's so amazing about it is that it's essentially an art rock album with rootsy heart, somehow carrying the emotional resonance of earlier heart-on-sleeve songcraft with hardly a twangy riff to be found. Titles include "Kamera", "Radio Cure", "Jesus Etc", "Heavy Metal Drummer", "Reservations", "Poor Places", "Pot Kettle Black", "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", and "Ashes Of American Flags". CD

Wilco's post-millennium masterpiece! After years of adventurous sounds and increasingly poetic lyrics being subtly layered over their country rock roots, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was such a radical departure from their first couple albums that it was legendary upon arrival. What's so amazing about it is that it's essentially an art rock album with rootsy heart, somehow carrying the emotional resonance of earlier heart-on-sleeve songcraft with hardly a twangy riff to be found. Titles include "Kamera", "Radio Cure", "Jesus Etc", "Heavy Metal Drummer", "Reservations", "Poor Places", "Pot Kettle Black", "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", and "Ashes Of American Flags". LP, Vinyl record album

Rarities from the mighty Yabby You – with some remarkably strong, though little heard rootsy dub from Yabby and his extended brethren – including some recently discovered bits! The title Deeper Roots works on dual fronts. It's got pretty rare material, discovered by the always deep diggers at Pressure Sounds – but the material has deeper spiritual resonance, too – with a nice Rasta vibe running throughout! Yabby is joined by King Tubby, Barrington Spence, the rarely recorded Prince Pampidoo, King Manuel, The Prophets and others. Includes "Valley Of Joeasaphat" and "Joeasaphat Rock" with Smith & The Prophets, "Don't Touch I Dread" with Barington Spence", "Tutch Dub" with Prophet All Stars, "Dip Them Bedward" with Prince Pampidoo, "Dub Them Bedward" with Prophet All Stars, "Forward On The Track" with King Miguel, "Caymamas Rock" with King Miguel & The Prophets, "Cleo's Dub" with Hot City Allstars and more. Also includes some exclusive dub plate mixes with King Tubby – featuring Tommy McCook, The Prophets and others! 19 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

An album of surprising brilliance – recorded late in the career of Yes, but one of the group's biggest hits ever! And while we've always been fans of Anderson, Squire, & Co, we're also ready to admit that the real star here is Trevor Horn – who produced the album and put the whole thing together with the kind of choppy feel as his best early productions for ZTT, especially work by Art Of Noise. The album's "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" still has a great resonance to our ears as a street-grooving number from the electro years – even despite its chart and radio fame at the time – and other tracks on the album follow in a nicely similar groove. Other titles include "Hold On", "It Can Happen", "Cinema", "Leave It", "Our Song", "City of Love", and "Hearts". CD

An important early 70s live album from Neil Young – in part because it contains some fresh material, not just live takes of studio songs – and stands at a pivotal time in Young's career and creative development! Neil gets support from the Stray Gators, and the set also features guest appearances from Graham Nash and David Crosby – but it's the melancholia of Young that really dominates the record – almost as if he's sheepish about bringing out some of the new songs, which only seems to give them more resonance overall. Titles include "The Bridge", "Yonder Stands The Sinner", "Time Fades Away", "Journey Through The Past", "LA", "Don't Be Denied", "Love In Mind", and "Last Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early 70s live album from Neil Young – in part because it contains some fresh material, not just live takes of studio songs – and stands at a pivotal time in Young's career and creative development! Neil gets support from the Stray Gators, and the set also features guest appearances from Graham Nash and David Crosby – but it's the melancholia of Young that really dominates the record – almost as if he's sheepish about bringing out some of the new songs, which only seems to give them more resonance overall. Titles include "The Bridge", "Yonder Stands The Sinner", "Time Fades Away", "Journey Through The Past", "LA", "Don't Be Denied", "Love In Mind", and "Last Dance". Includes the bonus track "Last Trip To Tulsa". LP, Vinyl record album

The folks at Numero bill this set as "the only boogie record you'll ever need to own" – and while we might take issue with that, as there's so many great boogie records out there in the world, we can say that the set features some great 80s-styled groovers from their never-ending vaults of music! The set ranges across different labels and scenes, to bring out the best of some overlooked gems that barely got any play back in the day, but have a style that's gained new appreciation for contemporary ears – a lean, post-disco groove that's got plenty of resonance with soulful styles of the 21st Century scene! Titles include "If You Love Me" by Stylle Band, "Let's Boogie Tonight" by Unit Three, "Quick" by Steven, "Lady Luck" by Duke D, "Contagious" by Ronnie Robbins, "You & Me" by Pete & Cheez, "Slippin In The Night" by Contrast, "Burning Up" by Donnell Pitman, and "Don't Touch It" by Maxx Traxx. LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice selection of tracks from the contemporary underground in Porto – work that's much warmer, acoustic, and jazz-based than you might guess from the image on the cover – and which, together, is so wonderful that we're thinking of booking a trip to Portugal, just to visit this scene in person! Many tracks have some sort of rhythm program, but they're almost all warmed up by live jazz solos in a variety of styles – and mixed with others that have more acoustic elements and a stronger acoustic presence too – which makes for a wonderfully soulful array of tracks, some of which have some resonance with work from the Brazilian scene as well. Titles include "Crazy Beat" by Hugo Danin & The New Vibe Sessions, "Kintsugi" by Bardino, "Leftwing" by Minus & MrDolly, "Magenta RK" by Johnny Virtus, "Out Of The Gate" by Sair, "Do Outro Lado Do Mar" by Pedro Ricardo, and "Red Cosmos" by Azar Azar. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet sounds from a real golden age in Japanese music – a time when the scene had picked up plenty of influences from the US scene, but was carefully crafting some great styles of their own! The music here has touches of jazz, fusion, soul, and AOR – but there's a special balance that's a bit different than American chartbound material of the time – tight, but never too slick – and with a great ear for allowing the more interesting sides of the music to come forth in all the best ways – so that although catchy, the tunes aren't just going slavishly for a hook or a hit! There's a lot of resonance in the instrumentation with some of the scene that had Japanese jazz musicians working with American fusion players – but the overall approach is maybe more soul-based overall. An even deeper set than the first volume – with titles that include "Kanpoo" by Yumi Murata, "Hidari Mune No Seiza" by Tetsuji Hayashi, "Yubikiri" by Eiichi Ohtaki, "Vibration" by Kimiko Kasai, "Pink Shadow" by Bread & Butter, "The Tokyo Taste" by The Sadistics, "Blind Curve" by Momoko Kikuchi, "Skyfire" by Eri Ohno, and "Rainy Saturday & Coffee Break" by Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station. CD

Sweet sounds from a real golden age in Japanese music – a time when the scene had picked up plenty of influences from the US scene, but was carefully crafting some great styles of their own! The music here has touches of jazz, fusion, soul, and AOR – but there's a special balance that's a bit different than American chartbound material of the time – tight, but never too slick – and with a great ear for allowing the more interesting sides of the music to come forth in all the best ways – so that although catchy, the tunes aren't just going slavishly for a hook or a hit! There's a lot of resonance in the instrumentation with some of the scene that had Japanese jazz musicians working with American fusion players – but the overall approach is maybe more soul-based overall. An even deeper set than the first volume – with titles that include "Kanpoo" by Yumi Murata, "Hidari Mune No Seiza" by Tetsuji Hayashi, "Yubikiri" by Eiichi Ohtaki, "Vibration" by Kimiko Kasai, "Pink Shadow" by Bread & Butter, "The Tokyo Taste" by The Sadistics, "Blind Curve" by Momoko Kikuchi, "Skyfire" by Eri Ohno, and "Rainy Saturday & Coffee Break" by Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet sounds from a real golden age in Japanese music – a time when the scene had picked up plenty of influences from the US scene, but was carefully crafting some great styles of their own! The music here has touches of jazz, fusion, soul, and AOR – but there's a special balance that's a bit different than American chartbound material of the time – tight, but never too slick – and with a great ear for allowing the more interesting sides of the music to come forth in all the best ways – so that although catchy, the tunes aren't just going slavishly for a hook or a hit! There's a lot of resonance in the instrumentation with some of the scene that had Japanese jazz musicians working with American fusion players – but the overall approach is maybe more soul-based overall. An even deeper set than the first volume – with titles that include "Kanpoo" by Yumi Murata, "Hidari Mune No Seiza" by Tetsuji Hayashi, "Yubikiri" by Eiichi Ohtaki, "Vibration" by Kimiko Kasai, "Pink Shadow" by Bread & Butter, "The Tokyo Taste" by The Sadistics, "Blind Curve" by Momoko Kikuchi, "Skyfire" by Eri Ohno, and "Rainy Saturday & Coffee Break" by Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. LP, Vinyl record album

A definite wild safari of grooves – an unusual batch of tracks that mix together 70s disco modes with other global touches – all served up in a mighty groovy style! Electric and acoustic instruments run side by side here – congas next to keyboards, riffing guitars next to chanted vocals – and the tracks often remind us of some of the coolest work coming out of the French scene during the late 70s club years – although it's clear that these tracks come from a wide variety of sources. Titles include "Ayala Red" by The Mighty, "Simbora" by Simbora Orchestra, "Safari Love" by Resonance, "Sunara" by Crispy & Co, "Bilboa Dance" by Sweet Bananas, "Ramses Theme" by Ramses Ballet, and "Mayaguana" by Antillas Mayores. LP, Vinyl record album