Miguel Migs has often skewed more towards the soulful side of the house and otherwise club groove sound, and he does so on an even deeper level with Outside The Skylike! This one features a diverse roster of guests – and an impressive one, too – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto, Capleton, Lisa Shaw, Evelyn Champagne King, Aya, Lisa Shaw and more! Really impressive work from Miguel, with timeless club soul influences going into inventive club grooves of his own unique inspiration. Includes "Tonight" and "Close Your Eyes" feat Meshell Ndegeocello, "Breakdown" and "Lose Control" with Lisa Shaw, "The Distance and "Don't Stop" feat Aya, "Life" feat Half Pint, "Changin'"f eat Sonny J Jameson, "The System" feat Capleton, "Getaway" with Georg Levin, "Zuzu" with Bebel Gilberto and more. CD

The title's no lie, as reedman Guillermo Gregorio plays here in two different trios – each of whom get space in different halves of the set! The first half features Gregorio on clarinet next to some very cool vibes from Carrie Biolo, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm – a lineup that has this amazing sense of sound, especially when the vibes ring out with a more dynamic cascading energy than the clarinet and cello – as if both of the other players have given Biolo plenty of space to shine on her own! The second trio features cello as well – played by Nicholas Jozwiak – next to Gregorio's work on standard clarinet, and Ivan Barenboim on contralto clarinet. The tunes from that group have a very strong focus on interplay between the two clarinets – fluttering around, almost as birds in the sky – while the cello provides a nice grounding. Titles include "Tres", "Cosa Rara", "Degrees Of Iconicity", "Fourth Piece", "NPA", and "Out Of The Other Notes". CD

A really unique album from pianist Roland Hanna – a set that allows him to show off all the amazing keyboard flow that he has on solo and trio dates – but in the larger space of a CTI Records session! Arrangements are by Don Sebesky – and while full, they're never overwhelming – so that the acoustic piano of Roland is always right out front, as dexterous as ever – with slight backing from a larger group of mixed electric and acoustic elements! The tunes are Gershwin and Hoagy Carmichael numbers, but that hardly matters at all – as the approach here is very unique and personal – and the album does feature trumpet from Chet Baker on one track, and soprano sax from Ronnie Cuber on another. Titles include "Skylark", "Stardust", "Oh Bess Where's My Bess", "The Nearness Of You", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

Two different slices of sound from keyboardist Sohan Wilson – both of them equally great! Side one of the record features a live jazzy combo working with Sohan – creating these cool jazz funk numbers that are steeped in 70s tradition, but which have a very contemporary cosmic vibe – not a rehash of older modes, but really new territory explored by the keys! Side two has more of a clubby vibe – beats, samples, and other elements that are topped with strong keyboard lines of a variety of modes – very 21st century, with some spectacular production on the rhythms – all of which will have us looking for plenty more of Sohan's music in the future! Titles include "Guerrero Eterno", "Feel It", "Hey Girl", "Anthem For The Universe", "All I Want Is Again", "Spring Birds", "Night Sky", and "Childhood Memories". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and wonderful work from Freddie Hubbard – a killer of an album recorded for CTI, and one of his most soulful efforts for the label! The album's got a bit more of a human heart than some of the more cosmic sessions Freddie cut at the time – a bit more contemplative and introspective, but no less open-minded and electrically charged. The assortment of players is all top-shelf – with Billy Cobham, Airto, Lennie White, George Cables, Hubert Laws, and George Benson all backing Freddie up on the set – and titles include a great take on "People Make the World Go Round", plus "Naturally", and "Son of Sky Dive", which grooves just like its papa! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest early albums from Japanese keyboardist Takehiro Honda – a real meeting of Japanese and European talents – as Honda plays electric and acoustic piano alongside tenor and soprano from the great Gerd Dudek – with bass from Gunter Lenz and drums from Motohiko Hino! The vibe here is very different from many of Honda's other early 70s albums – with very long tracks that open up and build spaciously, making some especially great use of Dudek's flowing talents on reeds, which can sometimes be sharp, sometimes warm – matched with some equally dynamic energy from the drums of Hino, who's also a really key part of the set! Tracks are all nicely extended – and titles include "Flying To The Sky", "Floating On The Sea", and "Dji Dji Eitch Eitch". CD

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Psych legend Sky Saxon gets backing here from Fire Wall – on titles that include "Love Dog", "Over Reaction/Hollywood Blvd", "House Of Mine", "Sha La La It's A Groovy Thing", and "Starving For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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Jon Irabagon on tenor and soprano saxophone, Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Luis Perdomo on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. CD

One of many live recordings that Otis made during the height of his career – issued by Atlantic after his untimely death, and a great example of the kind of energy he was putting over while winning th crossover crowds! The backing's by a nice little combo, and the tracks have a good raw quality that's even harder than some of Otis studio recordings from the time. Titles include "Respect", "These Arms Of Mine", "Pain In My Heart", "Mr. Pitiful", and a very nice version of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". CD

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Sweet Motown grooving from Grover Washington – a set that has him working with slightly larger backings than his Kudu years, but in a way that still lets his soulful horn stand strongly out front! As always, Washington is a killer talent on the soprano sax – able to inflect the instrument with these soulful twists and turns that he virtually invented at the time, and which so many others have tried to copy over the years. Yet the set also has Grover on a bit of tenor and baritone sax, too – plus some flute – all over arrangements mostly handled by the man himself, with a bit of help from William Eaton. Titles include "Snake Eyes", "Bright Moments", "Easy Loving You", "Love", and "I Can't Help It". 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

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With 21 tracks including "Sho Nuff I Do", "Cry For Me Baby", "Sunny Land", "Hawaiian Boogie", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Dusty My Broom". CD

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Hidefumi Toki is easily one of our favorite Japanese players from the 70s – an excellent alto saxophonist who always comes across with a sense of soul that's even deeper than his instrument! Toki has a way of putting together a session that's totally great – relaxed and open, with a lot of searching energy in his horn, yet never in a way that's ever forced or too outside – just kind of an organic exploration of the alto tones, but at a level that's much more common for 70s spiritual tenor players. This album's a real treasure from his Japanese catalog of the time – and features some very sweet keyboards from Mikio Masuda, plus rhythm from Ikeda Yoshio on bass and Steve Jackson on drums – on longish tracks that include "Sky View", "Rain Doctor", "Taro's Birthday", "I Love You Porgy", and "Let's Get Together". CD

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Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole". CD

Sublime soundtrack music from Edward Artemiev – not a big name for film scoring on this side of the Iron Curtain, but a really well-remembered talent for his classic 70s work for the films of Andrey Tarkovsky! Side one of this album features wonderful sounds from the film Stalker – music that begins in a sweet electronic mode, but soon gets darker – a weird space that's somewhere between the German elements of Cluster and Tangerine Dream, and some of the more abstract electronics of the underground academic scene! Yet throughout it all, Artemiev has a very visual approach to his sounds – one that steps out nicely on the one track from the film The Mirror, and an extended tribute to the director too. Titles include "Exodus", "Dedication To Andrey Tarkovsky", "Meditation", "They Go Long", "Stalker", and "Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the moodiest sessions on CTI from the early days – and a landmark album that took George Benson from the funky jazz scene into the upper reaches of 70s jazz. The record was put together by Don Sebesky, and it's a lot more high concept than some of George's earlier work – and proof that he was a totally great player who just needed a push in the right direction to find his own vibe. Other players include Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, and Airto – and titles include "California Dreaming", "El Mar", "White Rabbit", and "Little Train". This CTI Records 40th Anniversary edition was remastered using the original analog tapes. CD

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A legendary funk set from late 70s Chicago – served up by our own Captain Sky, aka Daryl Cameron – an imposing figure who often worked in the same space-themed territory as the P-Funk empire in the mid 70s! The difference here, though, is that Cameron wrote, produced, and put the whole thing together himself – with help from a few friends in the studio – making the album a great homegrown attempt to rival the strength of the bigger funk ensembles of the period – something The Captain and crew do pretty darn well throughout! There's lots of heavy bass on the set – a strong precursor of modes to come – mixed with riffing guitar, sweet keyboards, and plenty of tight rhythms – on cuts that include the famous sample cut "Super Sporm" – a killer extended track with a great conga break, and a tight old school sample sound – plus "Now That I Have You", "Saturday Night Move-Ease", "Wonder Worm" and "Can't Stop Now". CD

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". CD

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes of "Black Comedy" and "Country Son". CD

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes of "Black Comedy" and "Country Son". CD

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes of "Black Comedy" and "Country Son". CD

Dylan's wonderful foray into country rock – the great Nashville Skyline! He takes his voice into a strangely crooning arena that we hadn't heard from him before or since, kinda adding the mysterious vibe of the whole thing. Titles include a duet with Johnny Cash on "Girl From The North Country", plus "Lay Lady Lay", "Country Pie", "To Be Alone With You", and "One More Night". CD

One of Aretha Franklin's greatest records – and a complicated batch of jazzy tunes that features arrangements and production by Quincy Jones! The record breaks way past the stock southern soul style of some of Aretha's earlier work for Atlantic – and it features a more sophisticated style that hits a number of different moods, and which shows off Aretha's strong commitment to growth as an artist. Features a semi-hit reading of King Pleasure's old classic, "Moody's Mood For Love", plus "Sister From Texas", "Somewhere", "Angel", and "That's The Way I Feel About Cha". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Chicago soul from Mamie Galore! "It Ain't Necessary" has a rolling party groove that fits Mamie's husky vocal style really well. Monk Higgins is leading the arrangements, and the tracks' got a soaring northern groove that's very nice! "Don't Think" shows off Mamie's work on a ballad number – with slow horns vamping behind her, and some additional femal vocals on the chorus. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really cool take on the sounds of Studio Ghibli – one that brings classic melodies from the famous animated features into play with the production talents of Grey October Sounds – who delivers the goods with all the low-fi elements promised by the title! The approach is instrumental hip hop, but with a very different approach than usual – as the sweetness and spirit of the originals really grace the whole record in a really wonderful way – so that there's a sense of warmth and redemption that you'd not normally find in a record of beats, keyboards, and samples! Includes tunes from Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle In The Sky, and other Ghibli films – 10 tracks in all. CD

One of the best albums ever from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – a set that continues his development as a wonderfully expressive player on his instrument, but one that also opens up with a bit more bite at times, too – thanks to the presence of some sharp-edged contemporaries! The group's a sextet – with contributions from Hideyuki Kikuchi on alto, Akio Nishimura on tenor, and Tetuso Fushimi on trumpet – all musicians who can lay back in a soulbop groove if needed, but also come on with a bit more fire, too – almost working in a spiritual fusion mode on a few tracks, then balancing things out nicely at other times. Masabumi plays some very cool electric harpsichord on the Sadao Watanabe tune "If I Said The Sky Was Falling" – and other titles include "Matrix", "Green Dolphin Street", "In Fourth Way", and "Little Aby". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Bachir Attar. Produced by Bill Laswell. CD

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

A gorgeously and lush batch of material cut with arrangements by Peter Matz & Don Sebesky – with a surprisingly intimate feel! The strings soar, but the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – while Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies with any empty histrionics! Titles include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Cloudy Morning" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darker records to ever come out under the Moebius name – a set done in collaboration with legendary soundman Conny Plank and Mani Neumeir of Guru Guru – all key German talents of the 70s, ready to take on the new decade and beat them at their own game! There's lots of cold wave and post punk energy going on here – electronics that are more aggressive and sharp-edged than some of the earlier music that Moebius recorded – almost as if he knew all along that he could twist things a bit more heavily, which he definitely does here – on cuts that include "Speed Display", "Load", "Pitch Control", All Repro", "Search Zero", and "Recall". LP, Vinyl record album

"Skyscrapers" is a classic 70s cut by legendary Brazilian keyboardist Deodato – and here, Nautilus remake the tune for a new generation – using their crackling groove to really invent a piano trio approach to the song! "Another World" is one of their own – a track with this fantastic piano line at the start – really setting the tone with a joyous, upbeat vibe – before cascading over the nicely crackling drums and bass at the core! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Includes the hometown favorite, Chicago Bulls 'theme' music, "Sirius"– and of course, "Eye In The Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic work from the continuing version of Sun Ra's Arkestra led by Marshall Allen – and an album of rich sophistication that definitely shows the mature version of the group really finding their own sense of voice and spirit! There's a laidback take to the music that partly recalls some of the modes that the Arkestra had in their earlier days, when they were exploring some exotica currents mixed with more avant jazz inclinations – although the expression of the sound here is more focused and majestic, with slight string touches blending in with instrumentation of a more jazz-based mode – handled by Marshall Allen on alto and kora, Knoel Scott on tenor and baritone, Michael Ray and Cecil Brooks on trumpets, Dave Davis on trombone, Farid Barron on piano, Dave Hotep on guitar, and Tara Middleton on some mighty nice flute and violin. There's a richness to the sound that comes from all the other players involved in the proceedings – and titles include "Day Of The Living Sky", "Firefly", "Wish Upon A Star", "Chopin", "Marshall's Groove", and "Somebody Else's Idea". CD

A serious later session from Don Sebesky – one that shows that he's still capable of plenty of darkness in his music, even after scoring some smoother sets in the 70s! The album's definitely got something of a "jazz orchestra" feel – with a full orchestra that initiates the proceedings, and sets the scene with a low-toned, rumbling sort of style – before the album then opens up into some much more jazz solo-based work that has a much more redemptive feel! Players include Alex Foster on tenor, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Gordon Beck on piano, Richard Davis on guitar, and Joe Beck on guitar – all of whom get some nice space to state their cases as the album rolls on – on three long tracks that include "Bird & Bela In B", "Rite Of Spring", and "Sebastian's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

We've always loved the music of pianist Bernie Senesky – a Canadian musician with a richly lyrical, expressive style – one that doesn't always get the recognition it deserves on our side of the border! And we've also always loved the tenor of Eric Alexander – a player we've been following since his start, and who has had some amazing moments of growth in recent years – one of them on this record with Bernie, a player who seems to bring out all this warmer, more sensitive elements in Alexander's horn – as the two of them work together in a very unexpected pairing, but one that we'd love to hear more of on future recordings! Other players on the date include Kieren Overs on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums on most tracks, save for two, which feature Morgan Childs on drums and Dave Young on bass. Titles include the originals "Blues For EJ", Alexander's Realtime Band", "Stand Pat", and "Make Believe" – plus a nice take on "Matchmaker". CD

The big second album from Sky – a record that's twice as long as the first, and which gives the group even more room for instrumental explorations! As before, the guitar sounds here are both acoustic and electric – played by both John Williams, the virtuoso musician with classical roots, and Kevin Peek, who's got more rock experience – and the group also features really strong keyboards from Francis Monkman, plus bass from the great Herbie Flowers, and thundering drums from Tristan Fry! The sound is a balance of fullness and space – much more so than other fusion records of this nature – and while Williams' solos sometimes have older elements in their phrasing, the overall sound is pretty progressive – in the best 70s mainstream way. Titles include "Fifo", "Sahara", "Dance Of The Little Fairies", "Ballet Volta", "Gavotte & Variations", "El Cielo", and "Tristan's Magic Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary album on the legendary South African jazz label As Shams, and one that really continues the strong legacy of sounds it began in the 70s! The tracks have this long, building approach – strong rhythms at the core headed by pianist Kyle Shepherd, which are topped with work on saxes from Marc Stucki and trombone from Andreas Tschopp – both European players, who bring in some nicely modern inflections to the music, and maybe a slight touch of improvisation! Other group members include Shane Cooper on bass and Jonno Sweetman on drums – and titles include "Future Past", "The Storm That Guides You", "Porcupine", "Like A Leafe On A Tree", "All The Flame", "Radha III", "Kudu Chant", and "Method Of Moments". LP, Vinyl record album

The near-complete Salsoul recordings of Skyy – the funky club combo headed by Randy Muller after his work with BT Express and Brass Construction! With Skyy, Muller honed his groove even more than before – creating a really tight focus on bass-heavy bottoms, and focusing all instruments in the group into a solidly soaring sound that showed that funk was alive and well on the dancefloor – even well into the disco years! This massively overstuffed 4CD package features all the titles from Skyy's 7 albums from Salsoul – plus bonus tracks from 12" singles too! Set features great notes, and the full albums Skyy, Skyyway, Skyyport, Skylline, Skyyjammer, Skyllight, and Inner City – and bonus cuts include "First Time Around (12" version)", "Skyyzoo (12" version)", "Let's Celebrate (12" version)", "Call Me (7" version)", "Bad Boy (12" version)", and "Because Of You (JM after session M&M mix)". CD

Includes the compositions "Le Baiser De La Fee", Symphony In C", "Pulcinella", "Octet For Wind Instruments", and "L'Histoire Du Soldat (suite)". CD

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An obscure one from this Chicago group – not nearly as thundering as their name might imply, but still pretty decent overall. "Hard Times" is kind of a rock funk number, with some weirdly flanged guitars that pep things up a bit – but the best cut is "Sky Blue", a good midtempo club number, with kind of a rolling east coast pre-disco groove, and some nice funky flute! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Originally a Japanese-only session – and one of the best records ever by this legendary 70s jazz super-group – a real return to acoustic jazz roots, with a lineup that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums! There's a lot of the sorts of energy that some of the players created when working with Miles Davis the decade before – but shaped with some of the soulfulness that Freddie Hubbard unleashed during his early CTI years – very welcome here, at a time when Hubbard was getting more electric touches on some of his albums. Herbie's great too – and the album ranks with his other great Japanese-only albums of the decade – really given a sense of creative freedom that didn't always happen with the more commercial drive that Columbia was pushing in the US. The whole thing's filled with lots of long modal numbers, strong soloing all around, and a top-shelf presentation of the material – on titles that include "Tear Drop", "Fragile", "One Of Another Kind", "Papa Oriente", "Domo", and "Pee Wee". CD

An excellent lost album from Nancy – and one of her most original! The record takes the sophisticated soul vocals of her late 60s albums on Capitol, and twists them with a hip LA jazzy style arranged by Don Sebesky, and performed by The Crusaders and Arthur Adams. Great stuff, and with the tracks "Easy Evil", "Can I", "I Heard You Singing Your Song", "I Know I Love Him", "Don't Misunderstand", and "We Can Make It Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! CD

Seiki Shinohe performs music by Igor Stravinsky, Joji Yuasa, Takashi Yoshimatsu, Michio Kitazume, Tiberiu Olah, Isao Matsushita, and Olivier Messiaen. CD

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

A legendary funk set from late 70s Chicago – served up by our own Captain Sky, aka Daryl Cameron – an imposing figure who often worked in the same space-themed territory as the P-Funk empire in the mid 70s! The difference here, though, is that Cameron wrote, produced, and put the whole thing together himself – with help from a few friends in the studio – making the album a great homegrown attempt to rival the strength of the bigger funk ensembles of the period – something The Captain and crew do pretty darn well throughout! There's lots of heavy bass on the set – a strong precursor of modes to come – mixed with riffing guitar, sweet keyboards, and plenty of tight rhythms – on cuts that include the famous sample cut "Super Sporm" – a killer extended track with a great conga break, and a tight old school sample sound – plus "Now That I Have You", "Saturday Night Move-Ease", "Wonder Worm" and "Can't Stop Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Perhaps the most heavenly of all the Chi-Lites albums, with soaring harmonies leaping all over beautiful Chicago soul production, and loads of great heartbreaking stories unfolding as the whole thing spins away! A true masterpiece from the Chicago scene – and filled with loads of wonderful moments that almost seem to be the group's answer to some of the growing wave of harmony soul coming from the east coast at the time. Includes the excellent title track, plus "Just Two Teenage Kids", "Too Late To Turn Back Now", "Someone Else's Arms", "You Smiled The Same Old Way", "My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin'", and "Love Comes In All Sizes". Nice cover, too, with a skyline shot of Chicago around the same time that Bob Newhart was working there as a shrink! CD

Perhaps the most heavenly of all the Chi-Lites albums, with soaring harmonies leaping all over beautiful Chicago soul production, and loads of great heartbreaking stories unfolding as the whole thing spins away! A true masterpiece from the Chicago scene – and filled with loads of wonderful moments that almost seem to be the group's answer to some of the growing wave of harmony soul coming from the east coast at the time. Includes the excellent title track, plus "Just Two Teenage Kids", "Too Late To Turn Back Now", "Someone Else's Arms", "You Smiled The Same Old Way", "My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin'", and "Love Comes In All Sizes". Nice cover, too, with a skyline shot of Chicago around the same time that Bob Newhart was working there as a shrink! LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". CD

Dylan's wonderful foray into country rock – the great Nashville Skyline! He takes his voice into a strangely crooning arena that we hadn't heard from him before or since, kinda adding a mysterious vibe of the whole thing. Titles include a duet with Johnny Cash on "Girl From The North Country", plus "Lay Lady Lay", "Country Pie", "To Be Alone With You", and "One More Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool take on the sounds of Studio Ghibli – one that brings classic melodies from the famous animated features into play with the production talents of Grey October Sounds – who delivers the goods with all the low-fi elements promised by the title! The approach is instrumental hip hop, but with a very different approach than usual – as the sweetness and spirit of the originals really grace the whole record in a really wonderful way – so that there's a sense of warmth and redemption that you'd not normally find in a record of beats, keyboards, and samples! Includes tunes from Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle In The Sky, and other Ghibli films – 10 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album