Seminal work from Wilco – one of those key records where they were firmly establishing themselves as one of the most solid, complete bands of their generation – maybe hitting instant classic status with an album like this! The set's both very contemporary and true to their roots – the kind of set you'd swear you heard on AM radio back in the 70s, but which never would have gotten played back then – thanks to the ever-sharpening songwriting skills of Jeff Tweedy, and the overall musicianship and production skills of the group. Titles include "Walken", "Leave Me Like You Found Me", "Either Way", "You Are My Face", "Impossible Germany", "Side With The Seeds", "Please Be Patient With Me", "Hate It Here", and "On & On & On". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic love letter to the great Townes Van Zandt – a set that features unreleased material from his genius stretch in the early 70s! The songs here include two new songs, variations on five others by Townes, and some surprising remakes – all done in a very stripped-down mode, with a vibe that's in keeping with his first few classic albums. And despite the fact that these are lost recordings, the sound quality is excellent – beautifully resonant presentation of the amazing vocals and subtle guitar – on tracks that include "Rex's Blues", "All I Need", "The Hills Of Roane County", "Sky Blue", "Blue Ridge Mountains (smoky version)", "Pancho & Lefty", "Silver Ship Of Andilar", "Last Thing On My Mind", and "Dream Spider". LP, Vinyl record album

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Late life brilliance from the legendary Charles Lloyd – a reed player who seems to have given the world more great music in the past 20 years than he had in the previous 60s! Lloyd keeps on moving forward with all these new ideas and fresh conceptions – and here, he blows tenor, alto, and flutes in a great quartet that features Jason Moran on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – all excellent players on their own, but musicians who also put their egos aside to fold into the richness of Lloyd's music. The set's got a subtle spiritual current throughout – nicely understated, but very pure – on titles that include "The Water Is Rising", "Defiant Tender Warrior", "Beyond Darkness", "Sky Valley Spirit Of The Forest", "Balm In Gilead", "Cape To Cairo", and "Ghost Of Lady Day". LP, Vinyl record album

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Produced by Johnny Winter – with cuts that include "The Blues Had A Baby & They Named It Rock & Roll", "Little Girl", "Deep Down In Florida", "Jealous Hearted Man", and "Mannish Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

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David Johansen wipes off the lipstick and kicks off his heels for this first solo set –sans drag, we're left with a normal looking dude – and one hell of a great, still glammy sounding record that's right up there in excellence with his New York Dolls canon! Wow, is this ever underrated. David would go on the tweak his style and persona in a bunch of different ways, to varying creative and commercial success. Here he's just out to make a kickass rock and roll record as he'd done with the dolls, sans the wardrobe and junkie hijinks, but with all the blistering rock guitar and gritty R&B influences. This one really blazes! Includes "Funky But Chic", "Girls", "Not That Much", "Donna", "I'm A Lover" and "Frenchette". LP, Vinyl record album

David Johansen's second post-New York Dolls solo record – and the first one where he really sheds the feral rock vibe – but with Mick Ronson on board as co-producer, it's still got plenty of pomp! David would go on to take many creative detours – but in this first real stretch, he's bringing in some Motown influences – with some R&B backing vocals here and there, along with ome sax, piano and other smoothed out touches. That said, it's not that huge of a jump – with some ruggedness and grit reminiscent of his earlier work –and it's got a bunch of really good songs. Titles include "Melody", "She", "Big City", "She Knew She Was Falling In Love", "Swaheto Woman", "Wreckless Crazy", "Flamingo Road" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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A really unusual second chapter of the first album from 80s underground psych giants Black Sun Ensemble – material that was recorded for that initial record, but which was lost in all sorts of different ways over the years – finally unearthed and brought together here as a stunning second album, thanks to the research that went into a recent reissue of the debut! There's plenty of freak, fuzz, and drone going on here – the group in territory that just about nobody else was touching on the American scene at the time – very dark, heady styles that are completely different from the polished pop of the paisley underground, and much more like some of the more substance-altered psych that was beginning to emerge in the UK. Titles include "Mayan Dance", "Ice Breaker (alt)", "Red Ocean", "Blue Thunder", "Heart Of The Sky", "Ruby Eyes Of China", "Mandolin Winds", "A Chunk Of Mandolin Love", and "Dove Of The Desert". LP, Vinyl record album

Formative Madlib beatcraft – music made by 'Lib from 1990-2000 – crafted into a tight full length album that feels as fresh as ever! History Of The Loop Digga features funky hip hop instrumentals made at a time when he was producing underground beat tapes for himself and the Crate Diggas Palace crew of MCs. Raw Madlib hip hop beats from the early days with spackled with bits of vocals from Madlib & his Quasimoto alter ego, Declaime and others, plus mad vocal samples. At the core, it's excellent leftfield hip hop productions that aptly predicts for the unbridled genius to come, mixed in 2010 and feeling very much of the here and now. 34 shortish tracks on the 2LP version for more than an hour of modern vintage Madlib. Titles include "Static Invazion", "Stakeout", "Rapper X Radio", "Last Day's Music", "Nothing For Nothing", "Live From Outer Space", "Further Adventures Of Walkman Flavor", "Real Days" "CDP Assassins" (Pts 1-6) and a slew of untitled episodes. LP, Vinyl record album

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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

Leon Michels has given us plenty of hip hop-inspired funk over the years, but this might be his first real hip hop project overall – a stunning set that mixes the live instrumentation of El Michels Affair with rhymes from Black Thought of The Roots – all at a level that might well set a new standard for both styles of music! The grooves are great – that subtle sense of drama that Michels always brings to the music – informed by old school action scores, but with the lean energy of a funky 45 – and although Black Thought has had live backing before, the El Michels approach here really seems to unlock something different in his vocals – maybe more power and drama than we might have guessed. Titles include "I'm Still Somehow", "Miracle", "Glorious Game", "That Girl", "The Weather", "I Would Never", "Grateful", and "Hollow Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The crowning achievement of ELO at their best – a double-length set in which the genius of Jeff Lynne gets extra space to fully flower – and his mighty talents don't let up for a minute! The record's given us some classics over the years – standout tracks like "Mr Blue Sky", "Turn To Stone", and "Sweet Talkin Woman" – but the whole thing works perfectly together – as a sublime sonic treat that has all the Lynne studio genius coming into full focus, moving between different textures of electricity and light, through a set of songs that sound infinitely different than the group just a few years before. Other tracks include "It's Over", "Night In The City", "Starlight", "Jungle", "Believe Me Now", "Steppin Out", "Sweet Is The Night", "Standing In The Rain", "Summer & Lightning", "Wild West Hero", "The Whale", and "Birmingham Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Oscar Peterson – one of his finest moments ever! The record is very different than most of Oscar's over-recorded trio format ones – and features Claus Ogerman crafting some impeccable backings of lofty strings and compressed horns, creating a pillow of air that takes Oscar's piano to the sky and beyond, floating into realms never dreamed of on other LPs! The set sparkles with a strident MPS easy groove – completely sublime, with a perfectness that we'd ascribe to a rare few albums, such as the similar-grooving Jobim album Wave, also helped out tremendously by Ogerman. Titles include "Dreamsville", "Sally's Tomato", "Sunny", "Wave", "Wandering", and "Ode To Billy Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

Benny Sings doesn't look too young on the cover, but his music here really has the youthful spirit promised in the title – a continued refinement of that contemporary soul style that's always made him such a standout in the scene – served up at a level that just seems to get better and better with each new record! The Cali image in the cover gives a hint to the sound on the record – as there's some slight AOR touches in the production, but used in a way that's nice and lean – sharp, but never overdone – which keeps things very intimate with the vocals, and really showcases that strong sense of charisma and hook that Benny brings to his music. Titles include "The Only One", "Distance", "Let's Go", "Movie Star", "Take Your Time", "Pyjamas", "Simple Love Songs", and "Young Hearts". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual collection, but you might already guess that from the cover – a whole host of obscure 70s mellow grooves – most of which fall into a space between indie singer/songwriter material, and some of the more polished AOR grooves of the time! Make no mistake, the "polish" here doesn't mean that things are commercial – just well-crafted, and set up with instrumentation that often has some warmly soulful touches that bring a special vibe to the sounds of the blue-eyed singers on the set! We're not sure we've heard any of these cuts before – and there's also some recurring themes on the record of deeper heartbreak and loss, which make for a nice contrast with the tighter instrumentation. Titles include "Divorce Song" by Randy Ream, "Leave Me Alone" by Ray Daly, "The Reason" by Kevin John Agosti, "Special Lady" by Starburst, "All Night Company" by Blackwater, and "Stargazer" by Kerry. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson sings with almost as much vocal intensity on his own as Sam & Dave brought to the original – followed by a tight solo that really matches the funky 70s vibe of the arrangements. Next are four more tracks from the Carnegie Hall sessions – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Sky Dive", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – Donald Byrd's first session with producer Larry Mizell, the man who went on to forever change the face of jazz funk! After rumbling around for a few years attempting electric styles that really didn't fit his mode, Donald wisely hooked up with Larry, and hit a groove here that would carry him for many many years. The album's a masterpiece of soul – heavy production with great keyboards, creating a nice set of grooves that let Byrd solo over the top, sounding better than he had in years! Great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Flight Time", "Sky High", "Black Byrd", "Slop Jar Blues", "Mr Thomas", and the prophetically-titled "Where Are We Going?" LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty collection of goodies that Donald recorded with the great Larry Mizell during the early 70s. Certainly not his all-inclusive best, but some of our favorite material by this legendary soul jazz trumpeter. The tracks have a sparkling electric jazz funk sound, with amazing production that keeps them drifting along with a very soulful vibe. Titles include "Sky High", "Street Lady", "Change", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Black Byrd", and "Flight Time". LP, Vinyl record album

All the hits! Includes "Mr Blue Sky", "Telephone Line", "Turn To Stone", "Evil Woman", "Strange Magic", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the album's awash in blue tones and darker hues – a bit Kenton in inspiration, but carried off with a lot more intimacy and sense of soul throughout. The group by this point is completely mature – and old bandmates like Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Cat Anderson and Ray Nance on trumpets, and Jimmy Woode on bass all fit together perfectly under Ellington's direction. Titles include Duke's great "The Sky Fell Down", plus "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Tenderly", "Dancing In The Dark", "Where Or When", and "Solitude". LP, Vinyl record album

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A wonderful album from guitarist Jim Hall – different than some of his other work, and with a slightly harder edge! The unique session has him playing in an MPS 60s mode – more straight-on than some of his more airy moments – with a sound and tone that still recalls his work with Paul Desmond or Art Farmer, but a more direct approach, and an occasional groove as well! The trio's as unique as the record – the great Jimmy Woode on bass and drums from Daniel Humair – and titles include "Blue Joe", "Romaine", "Young One For Debra", "Body & Soul", and a great version of "Up Up & Away", which soars to the sky in a way you'd never expect from Jim! LP, Vinyl record album

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Never-issued performances from Sun Ra and his legendary Arkestra – recorded live at Slugs in New York, and featuring the group in two very different modes! Side one features "Calling Planet Earth/We'll Wait For You" – from the same performance that also gave the world the Universe In Blue album – but presented with a very wild, freely improvised sound! The tune runs for well over 20 minutes, and features lots of shifts in presence and power from the individual instruments – with some especially great bass clarinet from Eloe Omoe, who takes a great solo – as well as work from John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Davis on alto, Ronnie Boykins on bass, and Kwame Hadi on trumpet. June Tyson also sings a bit – although the instrumental passages are the strongest draw. The remaining two tracks are much more in the Strange Strings sound of the group – although maybe looser and freer than the work on that album – as they feature mostly stringed instruments, from a variety of global sources, mixed with some woodwind elements and a bit of percussion – almost with a vibe that's like the mid 50s Moondog discovering free jazz! Titles for these two tracks include "Moonshots Across The Sky" and "Thunder Of The Gods". LP, Vinyl record album

We'll be the first to admit smooth jazz radio has made us very wary of GRP, but the label put out enough nice records in it's early years, we're constantly rethinking that opinion! This early set by Dave Valentin is a great example – as it captures the flautist at his early best, way before he got too smooth, and still had some credibility gained from his work on the NYC Latin scene. Arrangements are by Dave Grusin, who's working here in a sweet blend of his own fusion styles with a few more Latin touches to suit Valentin's roots – and titles include "Legends", "Bouree In E Minor", "Sea Pines", "Crystal Silence", "Afro Blue", "Masquerade", "Patterns For The Sky" and "I Want To Be Where You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

Notable players include Howard Johnson, Wayman Carver, Ernest Hill, Mezz Mezzrow, Teddy Wilson, Chu Berry, Wilbur De Paris, and Max Kaminsky. LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in approach, despite the larger musical backings. Chris' voice is at once personal and removed – a razor's edge of emotion, repressing some impulses, and opening up surprisingly at other moments. Titles include "Skyscraper Blues", "The Lady Sings The Blues", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Just In Time", "Baltimore Oriole", and "How Little We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

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Beautiful work from Randy Weston – and a unique electric session from the 70s! The feel is very different here than the angular modernism of Randy's roots – a warmer, more flowing sound – as you'd expect from the CTI label, and from Randy's use of electric piano as well as acoustic. The group is largeish, with key players who include Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, and Grover Washington Jr – and although there's a larger horn section on the record, they mostly hang back and let the main soloists do their thing. Don Sebesky arranged, and the tracks are still originals with an African-inspired approach to rhythms – but more warmly soulful overall, as is the CTI way! Titles include "Night In Medina", "Marrakesh Blues", and "Ifrane". LP, Vinyl record album

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A double-header of sweet-styled early work from Wes Montgomery! First up is the album Fusion – a pretty darn important record for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". Next up is a batch of ballads and late nite tunes from his trio recordings of 1963 – titles that include "Dreamsville", "Yesterday's Child", "For All We Know", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Too Late Now", "Whisper Not", and "For Heaven's Sake". LP, Vinyl record album

Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto is dedicated to Woody Herman – and played here by Herman's orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

A great later date from CTI – proof that the label still had its magic going on well into the 80s! The session's a larger group effort headed up by Don Sebesky, and featuring key solos by Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Hubert Laws – all of whom get plenty of room to do their thing on the album's longer tracks! Other players include Kenny Barron, Jack Wilkins, Jorge Dalto, George Mraz, and Steve Gadd – plus bit of added percussion – and although the group is large, the overall sound is relatively lean – spacious and airy, in keeping with Baker's best moments on records like these, and always sensitive enough to let Hall's gentle work on the strings of his guitar shine through nicely! Titles include "Malaguena", "Django", "Swan Lake", and "All Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet overview of the early years of Aretha Franklin's career – her formative days at Columbia Records, when she was working in a variety of styles before heading over to bigger fame at Atlantic! Even at this early stage, Aretha's one hell of a singer – and, despite what folks who listen to Jerry Wexler might say, this early Columbia work is pretty darn amazing throughout – steeped in a number of different modes, with bits of jazz, R&B, and early soul sewn together beautifully throughout. The double-length set is filled with key early moments from Aretha – and titles include "Don't Cry Baby", "Lee Cross", "Skylark", "One Step Ahead", "Evil Gal Blues", "Take A Look", "Runnin Out Of Fools", "People", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Take It Like You Give It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". This fantastic 50th Anniversary version features new mastering by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, an essay by Hanif Abdurraqib, and a full record of bonus material that includes "What's Going On (stripped)", "What's Going On (rhythm & strings inst)", "What's Going On (mix 1 with no strings or horns)", "Symphony (demo version)", and original mono single mixes of "What's Going On", "God Is Love", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Sad Tomorrows", "Inner City Blues", and "Wholy Holy". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early demonstration of the solo powers of Diana Ross – a live date from Vegas, and one that has her commanding the stage not just as a singer of soul music, but as a female star ready to rival the talents of any of her contemporaries in the mainstream! Ross shines here with a brilliant brightness right from the start – working with a large ensemble that echoes all her best Motown roots, but which also pushes things out in fuller, more vibrant modes too – as Diana runs through tracks that include old soul favorites, jazz standards, and even some surprising choices from the charts – at a level that's filled with poise, class, and soul throughout. Titles include a great "Supremes Medley", plus "Don't Rain On My Parade", "Corner Of The Sky", "I Love You Porgy", "My Man", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and a "Lady Sings The Blues Medley" with titles from the Billie Holiday songbook. LP, Vinyl record album

You might not guess it by the records that tend to grace our pages, but we do love some Neil Young around the Dusty offices. And while we'd like to say it doesn't get much better than this prime mid 70s LP, the old man's delivered so many great recordings over the years that would be a mighty statement indeed. An album that puts classic in "classic rock" though you're not too likely to hear any of this gold in rotation on your favorite station that peddles the overplayed genre. 8 tracks in all, including "Walk On", "See The Sky About to Rain", "Revolution Blues", "For The Turnstiles", "Vampire Blues", "On The Beach", "Motion Pictures" and "Ambulance Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from an overlooked guitar jazz talent of the 50s – a player who's best known for his 40s stints in the Nat King Cole Trio and The Three Blazers, with brother Johnny Moore – but who steps out here on his own in a straight jazz setting! This is one of Oscar's first records – recorded for the rare Skylark label, with pianist Carl Perkins and bassist Joe Comfort – on titles that include "Roulette", "Kenya", and "Blues In B Flat". LP, Vinyl record album

A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it features Gary McFarland production, and some great small group backings by a group that includes Richard Tee on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Herbie Lovelle on drums. Ruth's trials and tribulations are listed in detail inside the notes – and the record was one of the first re-discovery efforts that Brown undertook – a session that was trying to help her pay her dues, and expose her to the same sort of audiences that were lapping up Aretha Franklin at the time, but not giving as much attention to older singers. Tracks are a mix of (then) contemporary numbers and updated older tunes – with titles that include "Yesterday", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Lookin Back", "Try Me & See", "Miss Brown's Blues", "My Prayer", and "This Bitter Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A posthumous album from the mighty DMX – mirroring his career in way, from rugged and raging street anthems to soulful confessions and pleas to family. Exodus is heavy on guests appearances – and under the circumstances that feels right and fitting, to give this legendary voice the stars-studded sendoff he deserves – with one time rivals Nas and Jay-Z teaming up as show of respect, and appearances by Snoop Dogg, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys, Westside Gunn and more. Includes "That's My Dog", "Bath Salts", "Dongs Out", "Hold Me Down", "Skyscrapers", "Hood Blues", "Take Control", "Letter To My Son (Call Your Father)", "Prayer" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant pairing from the 50s hardbop years at Prestige – the tight trombone of Bennie Green, and the sweet trumpet of Art Farmer – both captured here at an early point when they had plenty of edge! The match is a great one – given the trumpet-like phrasing that often made Green stand apart from some of his contemporaries – and at some level, Bennie's even more punctuated, and with more bite than Farmer – leaving Art to warm things up a bit with his mighty fluid solos! Rhythms are nice and tight – just what both players need – and the group features Cliff Smalls on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – on titles that include "Skycoach", "Let's Stretch", "Cliff Dweller", "My Blue Heaven", and "Gone With The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album