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A nice little set from Henry Threadgill – one of the albums that gave him greatest exposure to a bigger audience, and a set that pushes the sound of his work nicely! The record's got some of those touches from a time when the AACM was reaching out with its sound from earlier years – a mode that's not exactly more inside, but certainly more overtly expressive about its intentions, and sometimes a bit more melodically focused than freely improvisatory. There's echoes here of work the Art Ensemble and Amina Claudine Myers were doing during the same stretch – and the lack of commercial success of the record shouldn't indicate any aesthetic failure at all. Asha Puthli makes a surprising vocal appearance on the track "My Rock", and other players include Frank Lacy, Diedre Murray, Fred Hopkins, Pheeroan Aklaff, and Reggie Nicholson. Titles include "Award The Squadtett", "Hall", "Spotted Duck Is Pudding", and "I Can't Wait Till I Get Home". CD

Eleven tracks from Alexander Hope, Lynette Smith, C-Dock Featuring Dave Wells, Restless Soul, Julie McKnight, Mijan, Amira, D'Menace, and House Of Jazz. CD

Music from Kevin Yost, A Man Called Adam, New Sector Movements, Disorient, African Jazz, Groove Box and more! CD

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A gem of a record from the mid 70s west coast scene – a really overlooked set from vocalist Laura Allen, recorded with a wonderfully breezy, soulful sound! Laura's got a voice that's perfect if you dig singers like Linda Lewis or Maria Muldaur, particularly the former – a bit jazzy at points, but usually focused straight ahead – but with a gentle flow that's completely seductive. Production is nicely laidback – never too studio slick – but the instrumentation's also nice and tight, and Laura plays some cool instruments on the record – a bit of clay drums, zither, and dulcimer – which bring in some folksy touches to her music, especially alongside some of the electricity in the keyboards and guitar. Most songs are originals by Laura – and titles include "Opening Up To You", "Sunny Day", "Stairway", "Promises", "Love Can Be", "Come As You Are", and "Hole In My Bucket". CD also features enough bonus tracks for a full extra album – including "Looking At You", "Sweet Lovemaker", "Looking For The Right One", "Slip & Slide", "Back Door", and "Radio". CD

A pair of classic albums from Clarence Carter – back to back on a single CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the album This Is Clarence Carter – a seminal debut from the great Clarence Carter – proof that there was still a lot of genius to be heard in southern soul at the time! The 60s were just about over when Clarence appeared on the recording scene – and it seemed that most of the big names in soul had already grabbed most of the thrones in the kingdom. Clarence was a real comer, though – and his sweet style of southern soul was immediately popular, filling a void promptly after the death of Otis Redding, and setting a bit more fire than some of the other Atlantic male singers, who were waning a bit at the time. Of course, it certainly helps that that lil' ol' genius Rick Hall was behind Clarence's move – arranging and producing this album with some of the strongest, least cliched Muscle Shoals backings of the time. Titles include "Slip Away", "Funky Fever", "Thread The Needle", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Looking For A Fox", and "Slippin' Around". Next is Dynamic Clarence Carter – seminal southern soul from the legendary Clarence Carter – one of his early killers for Atlantic Records, all of which really stand out from most of his work to come in later years! There's a raw, raspy brilliance here that's undeniable – the blind singer stepping out with incredible confidence on a host of tunes that really run the gamut – numbers of love and loss, mixed with a few more contemporary pop tracks – but all given a unique Muscle Shoals twist that really transforms them. Carter wins our heart from the start with his version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" – then keeps on soaring through cuts that include "Think About It", "Steal Away", "Look What I Got", "That Old Time Feeling", "Let Me Comfort You", "Weekend Love", "Light My Fire", and "Too Weak To Fight". Includes 5 bonus tracks – "Take Me Use Me", "I'll Be Over After A While", "She Ain't Gonna Do Right", "There Won't Be Another Sunset", and "I'm Happy Go Lucky". CD

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

Valerie June's been bubbling under for almost a decade – recording work with other artists, doing a variety of projects, and finally getting her chance to shine in the spotlight with her previous debut – yet it may well be this well-crafted second album that finally puts the singer over the top! Valerie's completely her own woman here – not beholden to any sort of easy tags or cliches – including the "rootsy soul" or "folksy diva" tags that we heard batted around before – and instead, almost inventing her own genre for the record – which has a vibe that makes us guess that it's going to be the start of a huge legacy of fame to come for June. Her voice is timeless, the instrumentation is nicely understated, and the production is very easygoing – yet the whole thing comes across with a crispily compelling sound that could appeal to both hipsters and their more mainstream friends. That might sound like a dig, but it's not – just our way of illustrating the soon-to-be universal appeal of the singer! Titles include "The Front Door", "Astral Plane", "Long Lonely Road", "Just IN Time", "Slip Slide On By", "Two Hearts", and "Got Soul". CD

Early darkness from Ennio Morricone – an obscure mid 60s action thriller that combines boldly driving numbers with other tunes that slip into some of the spareness of his work for westerns! The work here is as mod and cool as you might guess from the cover – a bit more in a conventional 60s soundtrack mode, but still touches with great inflections on the woodwinds, and undercut by plenty of great lines on electric bass, guitar, and organ – all used sparingly but really effectively against the larger orchestrations! Tracks are often short, but really evocative – given a nice punch by Bruno Nicolai, who conducted the orchestra for the recording. A few tunes feature vocals by I Cantori Moderni – and titles include "Una Stanza Vuota", "Un Uomo Solo", "Colpo Alla Gioielleria", "La Prima Vittima", "Sul Lago Di Lugano", and "Una Tromba A Dallas". CD

A great bit of Aloha Soul from Phase 7 – a Hawaiian group who are right on the money from the very first note, and continue throughout with a wonderfully warm sound! The record's a bit upbeat, but not really clubby – more in the kind of sunny free soul vibe that we love from some of the best island soul groups of the time – delivered with a style that's upfront and unadorned, maybe a more honest take on some of the Cali soul that was coming out of the bigger studios on the west coast in the late 70s. The album's rock-solid throughout – crafted more as a whole set than going for a few singles – and titles include "Could It Be Love", "Chotto Matte Kudasai", "Playtime", "Slip Away", "You & Me", "So Good To Be In Love", and "Love Lifted Me". CD

An amazing second set from Sixto Rodriguez – recorded in the legendary Landsdowne Studios in London, with a groove that's a great extension from his debut! All of Rodriguez's best elements are in place here – his folksy guitar, personal lyrical style, and surprisingly biting approach to a variety of topics – and the London setting provides him with an even more sophisticated backdrop than before, one that creates a rich palette of sounds that takes the music in some really wonderful directions! There's a bit of strings at times, but most instrumentation is by a small combo – which includes Chris Spedding on guitar and Tony Carr on percussion – so that Rodriguez's vocals and guitar are really right up front in the mix, recorded with a brilliant balance between sharpness and compassion. Titles include "Climb Up On My Music", "Silver Words", "Heikki's Suburbia Bus Tour", "I Think Of You", "To Whom It May Concern", "Halfway Up The Stairs", and "Cause". 2019 CD version includes the bonus tracks "Can't Get Away", "Street Boy" and "I'll Slip Away". CD

The title's a great one – as The Boston Horns have definitely found their own groove – a super-tight approach to funk, but one that's never slick at all! These guys have the sort of sharpness you might find in an older soul instrumental combo – but they also bring a touch of jazz to their instrumentation at times – a hint of deeper sophistication that brings a lot more complexity to the record than you might expect, especially from set with such a simple-looking cover. Tenor and trumpet lead the assault – with a bit of flute and added alto at times too – and there's lots of great Hammond, plus other keyboards – kicked up nicely with guitar, bass, and drums. The keyboards get slinky and soulful on a few more laidback number – adding in a dose of 70s electric jazz to the funk – and titles include "Ain't Nothin To It", "Love Will Slip Up On You", "Blues For Ben", "In The", and "Speedball". Also features a bonus live track! CD

The second album from Little Feat – and it's a great one! Loose roadhouse bluesy and country rock-styled songs – infused with their own weirdness! This is one of those great examples of a band that not only loved, but could play down home American music of many kinds – and add their own personal craft and idiosyncratic charms to whatever they touched. Includes "Easy To Slip", "Cold Cold Cold", "Triple Face Boogie", "Sailin' Shoes", "Cat Fever", "Texas Rose Cafe" and more. CD

Amazing sounds from the legendary Rodriguez – the brilliant 70s singer who had a groove that was equal parts soul, funk, rock, and folk – and an overall approach that was pretty darn unique! Most numbers here have some acoustic guitar over slightly funky rhythms – perfectly scored to work with Rodriguez's raspy soul vocals, which have an undeniably heartfelt style – somewhere in a space between Terry Callier and early Jose Feliciano, but very much its own mode too! This CD features great gems from Rodriguez's years at Sussex Records – including three tracks not on the albums – "Can't Get Away", "Street Boy", and "I'll Slip Away" – plus other titles that include "Sugar Man", "Cause", "I Wonder", "Like Janis", "Jane S Piddy", "I Think Of You", "Inner City Blues", and "Sandrevan Lullaby Lifestyles". CD

A amazing look at the British indie scene during one of its greatest stretches – the mid 80s period when it seemed like new labels and new bands were springing up every week! The 2CD set takes its name from the influential C86 collection put together by NME at the time to showcase some of the best work – but this version expands the lineup to a whopping 72 tracks in all, and really stretches the scope to include some real lost gems. There's plenty of great work here from a time before the scene got mis-led by dance rhythms and too many stimulants – a cornucopia of long-lost labels and groups – most of them jangle pop wonders with great talents for penning simple, catchy little tunes! Titles include "World's No Place" by The Jasmine Minks, "Everything's Going Right" by The Avons, "Don't Slip Up" by Meat Whiplash, "Billy Liar" by North Of Cornwalls, "Outback Jazz" by Blue Aeroplanes, "Run To The Temple" by Bogshed, "Therese" by The Bodines, "Happy Head" by Mighty Lemon Drops, "Velocity Girl" by Primal Scream, "This Boy Can Wait" by The Wedding Present, "New Way" by Big Blame, "Console Me" by We've Got A Fuzzbox, "Inside" by 14 Iced Bears, "Darkess & Colour" by The Railway Children, and "Hedonist Hat" by Pigbros. Lots lots more! CD

Almost a continuation of music made a few decades before by the team of Darol Anger and Mike Marshall – but recorded with a depth and sensitivity that goes beyond their greater fame in the 80s instrumental acoustic years! The woodshop in the title is a good reference – as the rich tones of Angers violin and Marshall's mandolin and guitar are captured beautifully here – an American acoustic mode that has traces of jazz and folksier elements, all supported by light rhythm on most numbers. Titles include "Peter Pan", "Borealis", "Who Had Whom", "Slip & Slide", "The Creep", "Hearts Wait", and "The Unbearable Gift". CD

Great moments from the early years of Miles Davis – all brought together in one totally cool little box set! Like the others in this series, the package features each record in a tiny album-style sleeve – similar to the more expensive Japanese ones, but slightly different – and all packaged together here in a very cool little slip cover! Albums include the classic Round Midnight album, with John Coltrane; the sublime Milestones set, with a sweet modal groove; the amazing 58 Sessions CD, which features Miles with Bill Evans, Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley in a very Kind Of Blue groove; and 2 of the Gil Evans-arranged albums – Porgy & Bess and Miles Ahead! Together, the albums are a great slice of late 50s Miles Davis – and feature some of our favorites from these years! CD

Another wonderfully remastered set of beauties by one of country's sweetest and most critically overlooked charmers! Skeeter's best solo work kind of bridged the gap between 60s crossover country and Phil Spector brand pop, and we couldn't be happier to see RCA giving her the kind of reverential CD release she so richly deserves! Tracks include "Set Him Free", "The One You Slip Around With", "No, Never", "Optimistic", "The End Of The World", "Mine Is A Lonely Life", "Let Me Get Close To You", "I'm A Lover (Not A Fighter)", and "Bus Fare To Kentucky". 20 tracks in all. CD

A fantastic lost album from one of the 60's most under-rated female singers – done in a style that's far hipper than Barbara's work for Atlantic! The set's got a vibe that's totally great – proud and righteous – stepping out in a mode that shakes off the sweetness of Barbara's earlier records, and grooves into a much more mature 70s-styled groove – handled perfectly by producer Ollie McLaughlin! Although Barbara and Ollie hailed from Detroit, the set was actually recorded in Chicago at the end of the 60s – with arrangements by Mike Terry, and a sophisticated groove that has some of the bounce of records by JoAnn Garrett or Marlena Shaw at the time. Every cut is a winner – and the album's a no-filler gem that we treasure in our soul collection! The record includes of great tracks, including "Baby That's A No No", "Break Away", "Anyway", "You Made Me A Woman", "Oh, Be My Love", "How Can I Tell", and "Slip Away". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "That's The Way I Like It", "Ask The Lonely", and "Why Did It Take You So Long". CD

Includes the songs "See Emily Play", "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun", "One Of These Days", "Money", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (edit)", "Dogs", "Comfortably Numb", "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)", and "One Slip". CD

Rainbow Team, where have you been all our lives? You're a heck of a great little group – and we love the sound you've got on this second album! Sure, we know you're wearing a bunch of silly day-glo costumes on the cover – and that's probably what's made this record slip by our crates in the past – but one listen to the tightness of your grooves, and we're more than willing to forgive you for any bad fashion choices! The sound of the set is totally great – soaring along in the best sort of 80s groove mode – with tight snapping rhythms at the bottom, and a full set of arrangements that bring in some added horns and just the right amount of sweetening strings. And although Rainbow Team are Italian, the record's got a stone American soul sound – very much like the best of the Capitol Rare generation in the US. Titles include "A Song For You", "Let Em Be", "Please Let's Go", "Bite The Apple", "Hope He Wants", "Let's Forget", and "Don't Cry For Me". CD features the bonus track "Stay". CD

One of a series of mix CDs focusing on DJs who spin at the Fabric club in London. This volume features former Mo Wax honcho and stalwart UNKLE member James Lavelle, and as you can imagine, spans the gamut of funky modern headz music. We didn't really know what to expect from the mix, and a fair bit of the stuff on here falls into the post big beat-house & techno-influenced groove that's a bit more over the top than we'd expected, but it's put together and continuously mixed in a way that emphasizes the atmospherics and groove nicely. The tracks listing has 23 cuts, but since it's a mix, a few of the bits are a little short, like the intro and Rare Earth rock break that kick off the mix. It goes on from there to include the Psychonauts "Circles", DJ Shadow "Organ Donor", South "Broken Head II", Howie B "Hey Jack", Forme "Kick A Hole (Tigerstyle)", Green Velvet "La La Land", Lazonby "Sacred Circles" and ends up at Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place". Plus the whole thing's packaged ina nice metal box with a cardboard slip case. CD

A trio of early 80s efforts from Con Funk Shun in a 2CD set – with bonus tracks! Touch is a killer from the group – one of the few mainstream funk groups who actually managed to sound better and better with each new record – and on this set, they really seem to come into their own! Titles include "Too Tight", "Lady's Wild", "Give Your Love To Me", "Kidnapped", "Welcome Back To Love", "Touch", and "Play Widit". Includes 2 bonus tracks: "Lady's Wild (12" Version)" and "Body Lovers (12" Version)". 7 is not the group's 7th album, but a bold statement of the unity they feel as a 7 piece ensemble – perfectly lived up to in the record's well-crafted grooves! The album's one of Con Funk Shun's best overall – really solid, but never too slick, very tight in the bass department, but still soulful on the vocal tip, and never afraid to slip into a sweeter, more mellow tune. Titles include "Straight From The Heart", "Bad Lady", "Promise You Love", "I'll Get You Back", "A Song For You", and "California 1". To The Mix has snapping grooves and a sweet clubby sound. The bass is tight, the keyboards are electric, and the rhythms are great – never forced or stiff, and always flowing with a sense of soul that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries. Vocals are strong too – especially on the numbers that step things down a few notches – and titles include "Ms Got The Body", "Let's Ride & Slide", "Everlove", "Hide & Freak", "You Are The One", "Take It To The Max", "The Freak", and "Love's Train". Includes the bonus "Ms Got The Body (12" Version)" and an instrumental version. CD

Fantastic female soul – and an incredible collection of work from the young Betty Lavette – easily one of our favorite female soul singers of the time! The set brings together late 60s tracks recorded for the Calla and Silver Fox label – and as great as her later work might be, this is the stuff that will really blow you away – the real deal, right-on-the-money sort of tracks that made Betty a legend right from the get-go! Backings are often nicely funky, and production has that great gritty way of unlocking the full depth of Lavette's vocals without going for any easy soul cliches – a kind of purity that's really kept these tracks at the top of our stack over the years. The set features a great book-style cover, with notes on the music – and the CD also features a few duets with Hank Ballard, too! Titles include "He Made a Woman Out of Me", "Do Your Duty", "We Got to Slip Around", "Love's Made a Fool of Me", "Let's Go Let's Go Let's Go", "Hello Sunshine", "My Train's Coming In", "Nearer To You", and "I'm In Love". CD

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Features "The High Reel", "Night Town Boy", "Flower Among Them All", "Dearg Doom", "Faster Than The Hound" and more – 20 tracks in all! CD

Robben Ford on guitars, Jimmy Haslip on bass, and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. CD

Masterpiece records from Philly soul maestro Dexter Wansel – stepping out here in a beautiful blend of jazz and soul! Life On Mars is a fantastic bit of space age funk, easily the best album that Wansel ever recorded – and a sublime blend of Wansel's Philly grooving sensibility with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s. The result is a tight batch of crossover tracks that work well both as jazz funk groovers, and as smoother modern soul tracks. Includes the version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus lots of other nice ones, including "Life On Mars", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". What The World Is Coming To moves the focus back to soul a bit more than Life On Mars – but also keeps in plenty of jazzy touches! Dexter's groove here is similar to the best work he did with other Philly vocalists in the same time – and the set features guest vocals from Jean Carn and Terri Wells, sliding into a warmly soulful realm on the mellower tracks, and stepping out with a fully jazzed up groove on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "What The World Is Coming To", "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Holdin On", "Dance With Me Tonight", "Disco Lights", and "Prelude #1". 1978's Voyager is a bit like Dexter's space jazz classic Life On Mars – and with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly – plus Dexter arranged and produced just about everything! Tracks include "Solutions", "Voyager", "I'm In Love", "Latin Love", and "I Just Want To Love You". 1979's Time Is Slipping Away is a straighter Philly soul outing than some of Wansel's earlier work – a nice batch from a talent that was responsible for crafting some of the best smooth modern numbers at the end of the 70s! It features the killer cut "The Sweetest Pain" – a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Well – plus "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)". CD

Louis Armstrong on trumpet & vocal with Yank Lawson on trumpet, Jack Teagarden & Trummy Young on trombone, Barney Bigard & Edmond Hall on clarinet, George Dorsey & Hilton Jefferson on alto saxophone, Bud Freeman, Seldon Powell & Lucky Thompson on tenor saxophone, Dave McRae on baritone saxophone, bass clarinet & bass saxophone, Dick Cary, Earl Hines & Billy Kyle on piano, Everett Barksdal & George Barnes on guitar, Squire Gersh & Arvell Shaw on bass, Sid Catlett, Cozy Cole, Barrett Deems & Kenny John on drums & Velma Middleton on vocals. CD

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Includes the albums I Remember You, Milestone, and A Tribute To Chet Baker. CD

Special guest-Herbie Hancock. CD

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One of Dee Dee Bridgewater's greatest jazz albums, and a very important record in her career – as it marked a shift back to straight jazz vocals, after years of working in a more R&B inflected mode. The album's recorded in Paris, where Dee Dee's spent an awful lot of time over the years, and you can feel that familiarity in the way she presents the material – easily slipping back into a jazz vocal mode, working before an appreciative audience without any thoughts of crossover popularity, hitting that proud, strong, and free style that's been carrying her well for a number of years now. Includes a great version of "All Blues", plus the tracks "On A Clear Day", "Here's That Rainy Day", "There Is No Greater Love", and "Misty". CD

An incredible collection of work from Bob Brookmeyer – tracing the development of his sound in the 50s through a variety of different settings! The package begins with material from an original 10" LP session in 1954 – featuring Brookmeyer on trombone with backing by the John Williams trio. The set then expands to feature tracks recorded by Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, and Jimmy Giuffre as material that was originally issued on the album Traditionalism Revisited, but which also features tracks from that session that came out on other more obscure sources, including a Playboy jazz album and a Brookmeyer LP on Crown. The set then follows with a beautiful guitar/trombone session that features Jim Hall, Jimy Raney, and Brookmeyer – originally issued as The Street Swingers. Next up is material from a bluesy 1958 set, recorded with vocalist Big Miller, as well as Paul Quinichette, Al Cohn, and Jim Hall – for the album Kansas City Revisited. The set's completed by material from the beautiful UA album Stretching Out – which featured Zoot Sims, Harry Edison, and Al Cohn – and the whole thing's packaged with a great booklet that gives notes on the material. 37 tracks in all – in a limited, numbered set! CD

Beautiful sounds from Joanna Brouk – an artist who was sometimes lost amidst the new age scene of the 80s, but one who's got a much deeper, more intellectual approach overall! True, Brouk's music does have a certain meditative spirit – but she also was a student of Terry Riley and Robert Ashley, and drank deep of the new compositional spirit of the time – especially in the work of Riley, which is often reflected here, but in a more contemplative way than his own recordings. Music sometimes features a core line on flute, opening up and unfolding slowly – and there's also some nice piano, and even a bit of conch shell and Orca sounds too. Double-length set features the usual strong Numero Group level of notes and history – and contains 22 tracks in all, some of which were only ever issued on cassette! CD

The Lester in the title here is Lester Koenig, the legendary owner of Contemporary Records – for whom Ray Brown made this rare session as a leader shortly before his death! Ray had recorded often for Koenig in the 50s – probably most famously in the Poll Winners trio – but this session is a very different record indeed, and makes tremendous use of the piano of Cedar Walton and drums of Elvin Jones – in a way that's got the flowing, fluid, soulful energy of Walton's own best trio recordings of the 70s! Titles include the Walton originals "Ojos De Rojo" and "Something In Common", the Brown number "Slippery", and versions of "Sister Sadie", "Love Walked In", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

Ray Brown on bass – accompanied by Gene Harris on piano, and Jeff Hamilton on drums. CD

Beautiful live material by Chico – and the best record he's made in years! The set has a similar feel to the recent Gal Costa live set on BMG – with 2 discs worth of material, recorded with backing by a great little combo in an intimate live setting. Chico's voice is incredibly warm, and he accompanies himself on acoustic guitar throughout most of the album. It's fantastic stuff all the way through – and a real tribute to the stamina of Chico's power as an artist. Titles include "Paratodos", "Amor Barato", "Sem Voce", "Cecilia", "Aquela Mulher", "Injuriado", "As Vitrines", "Vai Passar", "Joao E Maria", and "Capitol Do Samba". CD

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A quartet date with Don Byas on tenor, Bent Axen on piano, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and William Schiopffe on drums. CD