A massive batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the wordless hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience yet! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electronic shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name on are laced throughout, but he also takes things a step into stranger territory – with spacey elements that buzz as much as they groove! The cuts never less than soulful and funky, and never steps into Madlib's brand of the weeded out style, either. We love how raw this all feels, too! It's easily identifiable as the work of Jay Dee, but at the same time wholly unpredictable! One of the better Stone's Throw hip hop efforts in a while – instrumental or vocal! 31 pieces in all: "Donuts (Intro & Outro)", "Workinonit", "Waves", "Light My Fire", "People", "Mash", "Airworks", "Lightworks", "Stepson Of The Clapper", "One Eleven", "Don't Cry", "Geek Down", "Thunder", "Gobstopper", "Walkinonit", "U-Love", "Last Donut Of The Night" and more. CD

A stone classic from New Orleans reedman Pony Poindexter – a set that's steeped in tradition, but also has a groovy feel too – and a date that features Pony on both alto and soprano sax! The latter instrument is especially nice, played with echoes of earlier Crescent City modes, but updated strongly with more of a modal 60s energy – almost a Coltrane-like inspiration, but in very different ways than Trane might offer up. Other players on the date are great too – and include Booker Ervin's tenor at is soulful 60s best, plus Gildo Mahones on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – all working with some very unusual rhythms that really make the set stand out from other Prestige dates of the time! Titles include "Happy Strut", "Gumbo Filet", "Front O Town", "Back O Town", "French Market", and "Creole Girl". But almost even better, the set also features 8 more bonus tracks – all previously unissued! Three are from the sessions for Gumbo – but the rest are from an unusual 1963 date that features the tenor of Booker Ervin with the organ of Larry Young and drums of Jerry Thomas – a really cool small combo group in the vein of Young's early Prestige work. Additional titles include "Wade In The Water", "Autumn Leaves", "Old Folks", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Absotively Posalutely", and "Blue & Sentimental". CD

Titles include "Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation", "Waves Within", "Look Up", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "All The Love Of The Universe", and "Stone Flower". CD

A stone killer from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey – one of her early albums for Blue Note Records, and a set that's a perfect summation of the best sides of her talents! The album's got a slightly different feel than Bobbi's work with Larry Mizell – yet still sports a similar approach that blends her amazingly spiritual flute lines with rich larger backings – in this case arranged by Horace Ott, Alphonse Mouzon, and Wade Marcus, in a sublime blend of electric jazz and soaring strings – all with a feel that's almost like some lost blacksploitation soundtrack! Given the lady's strength on her instrument, and her sharp sound on her solos, the record's got a focus and righteousness that takes it way past most contemporary efforts of this nature – a bold testament to the qualities that have made Bobbi one of our favorite players on flute for many many years. The set also features some wonderful Fender Rhodes – played both by Harry Whitaker and Paul Griffin – plus bass from Wilbur Bascomb, and heavy drums from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Love Theme From Fuzz", "Nubian Lady", "Lonely Town Lonely Street", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", Is This All", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "El Mundo De Maravilas", and a great version of Mouzon's "Virtue". CD

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too! CD

Seminal sounds from this great Detroit group – and a key look at their less-remembered music of the 60s! Although Fantastic Four are probably best remembered for their later disco work – including the Alvin Stone album on Westbound – back in their early days, they were a great Detroit vocal group with a sweet raw sound and some excellent harmonies. Although this album says it's a "best of", it's really the only full LP the group cut during the time – and it's a rare treasure of harmony soul, cut with a nicely stripped-down sound that makes the tracks shine like rough indie soul gems instead of Motown numbers. Titles include "I Love You Madly", "The Whole World Is A Stage", "Goddess Of Love", "As Long As I Live", and "Man In Love" – but the whole record's great! CD

Mindblowing lost work from Jimi Hendrix – studio tracks from the late 60s that were never issued at the time, brought together to make a completely sublime full length set! The package is way hipper and stronger than you might imagine – not studio snippets or replayed outtakes – but instead some strong full longs, and rare studio recordings of material that Jimi had mostly given the world in a live setting – all recorded between 1968 and 1970, and almost all issued here for the first time ever! The core group on most tracks is the trio with Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on bass – but the tracks also feature some surprising guests – including a bit of organ and vocals from Stephen Stills, tenor from Lonnie Youngblood, and guitar from Johnny Winter. One tracks features Jimi just duetting with Miles on drums – and there's another that even features Hendrix on vibes. Titles include "Sweet Angel", "$20 Fine", "Power Of Soul", "Jungle", "Cherokee Mist", "Send My Love To Linda", "Woodstock", "Mannish Boy", "Lover Man", "Hear My Train A Comin", "Georgia Blues", "Stepping Stone", and "Things I Used To Do". CD

A legendary set of live performances from Jimi Hendrix – both sets recorded in Maui in July of 1970, presented here officially for the first time ever – along with a bonus documentary on the performances too! The set is kind of the true counterpart to the botched Rainbow Bridge project – and features Jimi with Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums – really stepping out on some extended tracks that are filled with searing solos, and that undeniable charisma of Hendrix on stage – still wonderful, even near the end. Titles include "Hear My Train A Comin", "Fire", "Dolly Dagger", "Ezy Rider", "Message To Love", "Lover Man", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Purple Haze", "Red House", "Hey Baby/Midnight Lightning", "Straight Ahead", "Stone Free", "Jam Back At The House", and "Freedom". Also features a great DVD – with the documentary Music Money Madness – about the group's trip to Maui and the ill-fated Rainbow Bridge project – plus all of the existing 16mm footage of the two performances that day! Comes with a 32 page booklet, too – lots of never-published photos. CD

Sweeeeeet work from the wonderful Maysa Leak – quite possibly her best album so far! The record has a really warm original feel – far steps from the earlier Incognito-influences sound of past records (not that that was a bad thing, mind you – but it's even better to hear Maysa stepping out on her own!) The songs are incredibly seductive – a good blend of original tunes, and covers of work by Jhelisa, Earth Wind & Fire, Sly Stone, and other influential artists. Titles include "Friendly Pressure", "Out Of The Blue", "Mr So Damn Fine", "MSDF Interlude", "Tailor Made Love", "Family Affair", "Blue Horizon", "Osaka", and "Head To The Sky". CD

A record that gave Rare Earth one of their biggest hits ever – their hard-burning "I Just Want To Celebrate" – a killer classic that played big on both sides of the fence, and which definitely established the group as a soulful force that kept on going! At some level, the set almost seems to have them bringing in as much influence from the cultural crossroads of the Bay Area scene as the Detroit influences of their earlier work – maybe in part because the congas are really up in the mix on many tracks, which creates some slight Latin currents along with the Family Stone sort of energy that has the group rising up together on most of the cuts! Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "If I Die", "The Seed", "Road", "Any Man Can Be A Fool", "Someone To Love", and very cool reworking of "What'd I Say". CD

15 bass-heavy classics from the band that virtually invented the 80s groove sound! The set's a good selection of tracks from Slave's classic Cotillion albums from the late 70s, and it also includes 5 tracks from bandmember Steve Arrington, who went on to record with his Hall Of Fame group during the early 80s. Titles include "Slide", "Stellar Fungk", "Stone Jam", "Watching You", "Wait For Me", "Weak At The Knees", "Feel So Real", "Way Out", and "Are You Ready For Love?" CD

A stone classic – with "Southern Man", "Crippled Creek Ferry", "I Believe In You", "After The Goldrush", and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart". CD

A huge batch of Peruvian rock from the late 60s & early 70s – some hard driving and garagey, others more soulful or more psychedelic – fantastic stuff from groups like Los Incognitos, Los Texao, Madera Fresca, Free Love System and Opus! The groups work in a number of global rock influences, and they pull it all off very well, with excellent drumming and guitars on most tunes, and keys. Excellent stuff from the fertile Peruvian scene! A massive set of 21 tracks: "La Pelea Del Gobernador", "Stone" and more by Los Texao, "Un Paseo Por El Recuerdo", "Correteando Anoranzas" and more by Free Love System, "Ya Sera Tarde" , "Siempre Te Recordare" and more by Los Incognitos, "Amy Time" and "La Lenta Que Apura" by Madera Fresca, "Va Y Bien" by Opus and more. CD

Rare Motown – a treasure trove of obscure singles, b-sides, and collectors favorites from the glory days of this Detroit soul powerhouse! The set was put together for the UK soul market – and as such, it features a wealth of tunes that go beyond the usual Motown collections in the US – really excellent tracks that conjure up a whole new picture of the label that goes way beyond the hits. There's loads of killers on here – the kind of top-shelf numbers that make you say "Hey, why wasn't this one a hit too?" – and titles include "Blackmail" by Bobby Taylor, "California Soul" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, "My Love For You" by Marvin Gaye, "Come See About Me" by Choker Campbell, "Take Me Back" by Freddie Gorman, "You Got Me Hurtin All Over" by Barbara Randolph, "Look What You Done Boy" by The Lollipops, "Tear It On Down" by The Originals, "Red Hot Love" by The Four Tops, "Don't Wanna Play Pyjama Games" by GC Cameron, "Way Over There" by Edwin Starr, "It Happens Every Time" by Barbara McNair, and "If I Could Give You The World" by Hearts Of Stone. 21 tracks in all! CD

Titles include "First Love", "Right As Rain", "Chasing Pavements", "Cold Shoulder", "Crazy For You", "Melt My Heart To Stone", "Tired", and "Make You Feel My Love". CD

Fantastic material from Tim Buckley – rare tracks recorded in 1968 and 1973, both presenting two different slices of his too-short career – and standing together as a great addition to his too-small catalog of recorded work! The first half features small sessions from 1968 – with Tim on those amazing vocals of his and Lee Underwood on lead guitar – plus a bit of vibes from Dave Friedman, in a manner that echoes the great use of that instrument on his Elektra albums of the late 60s. The songs are dreamy, open, and have that sublime blend of blueness and flow that really set Tim apart from his contemporaries – titles that include "Danang", "Happy Time", "Buzzin Fly", "Song To The Siren", and "Ashbury Park" – all done in unusual versions. The second half of the record features material recorded in 1973 – songs that are a bit more tight, with more of an overall group feel – almost jamming in the way the whole thing comes together! 1973 titles include versions of "Honey Man", "Falling Timber", "Quicksand", "Stone In Love", "Sefronia", "Because Of You", and "The Dream Belongs To Me". CD

A seminal collection of work from Buffalo Springfield – a group with a short-lived existence on the LA scene, but an impact that shaped the sound of mainstream rock for many years to come! That effect is no surprise – given that the lineup features a young Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay – moving from folk influences into trippier, headier territory – and paving the way for both classic and country rock to come! Here at the start, things are nice and lean – well-penned tunes that pack a heck of a lot into a very short space – given key production help from Jack Nitzsche, Brian Stone, Jim Messina, and even Neil Young himself. Titles include "For What It's Worth", "Mr Soul", "Broken Arrow", "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Win", "Expecting To Fly", "Go & Say Goodbye", "On The Way Home", "Sit Down I Think I Love You", and "Kind Woman". CD

A stone classic from Kenny Burrell – a record that brought the guitarist to a whole new audience, with a wonderful sound that's a perfect summation of CTI at its best! The vibe here is perfect – spare, airy guitar lines from Burrell – playing with a freer style than usual, although with all of the deep soul of before – in ways that are a bit like the early Wes Montgomery material for CTI, but taken to the next level with a more sophisticated set of backdrops too! Don Sebesky handled arrangements, Freddie Hubbard solos alongside Kenny, and many track shave some mighty nice electric piano, too. Titles include funky track "Love Is The Answer", and mellower tunes "Child Is Born", "Do What You Gotta Do", and "Be Yourself". CD also includes the bonus tracks "A Child Is Born (alternate)", "Lost In The Stars (new mix)", and "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men (new mix)". CD

Five classic albums from Earth Wind & Fire – all packaged together in cool LP-styled sleeves – with some great bonus tracks too! First up is That's The Way Of The World – Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – and titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s – a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio – and the noise of the crowd going wild is enough to confirm that! Titles include their classic version of Skip Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love", plus the mellow jams "Yearnin' Learnin'" and "Reasons", the funky "Shining Star", and a great cover of "Sun Goddess", which was also done by Ramsey Lewis with the group. Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Titles include the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney! All N All is a stellar blend of jazz, funk, and soul, all done in that perfect style they'd hit by the mid 70s. And even though this one was a monster album, of the type that you see in everyone's record collection from the time, it's still got a freshness that we always forget about – and lots of nice twists and turns that show that the band hadn't lost their more sophisticated roots. Case in point is the wonderful "Brazilian Rhyme", a short little groover that you'll instantly recognize as a sample from the first Tribe Called Quest album. Other tracks include "Jupiter", "In The Marketplace", "Magic Mind", "Runnin", "Be Ever Wonderful", and "Serpentine Fire". I Am is a megahit album from Earth Wind & Fire – a record that spawned 2 of their biggest numbers ever – the mellow classic "After The Love Has Gone", and the club classic "Boogie Wonderland"! The rest of the album is equally great to follow in the strength of those two numbers – and like always for EWF, even when the group's hitting the charts big, they're still righteous as can be – with lots of great undercurrents that reflect their earlier years in jazzier styles! Other titles include "Star", "Wait", "You & I", "In The Stone", and "Can't Let Go". Plus, this set also features bonus tracks on the Gratitude, Spirit, and I Am albums too! CD

A stone kicker from Bennie Green – arguably his hardest swinging session ever, and an obscure indie release that stands nicely next to his late 50s Blue Note work! The set's got Bennie grooving hard on trombone, working with a quintet that includes Sonny Clark on piano, Jimmy Forrest on tenor, George Tuker on bass, and Paul Gusman on drums. Tracks are short and heavy-duty – with a very in-the-pocket sort of sound – showing perfectly why Green was one of the most soulful trombonists of his generation, and the kind of player who could make you love jazz trombone, even if you weren't an overall fan of the instrument! Titles include "Been Walkin", "Love At Last", "Hop Skip & Jump", "Blue Mambo", and "Change Up Blues". CD

Experience Hendrix – a phrase that's become a calling card for the proper presentation of the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix, but which first appeared here on a classic collection of his most famous tracks! The set's about as strong as you might expect from a Hendrix "best of" – no missing moments, and no sleepers either – just pure fire on vocals and guitar, on titles that include "Hey Joe", "All Along The Watchtower", "Purple Haze", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Stone Free", "Crosstown Traffic", "Manic Depression", "If 6 Was 9", "Foxy Lady", "Bold As Love", "Freedom", "Star Spangled Banner", "Night Bird Flying", "Angel", "Voodoo Child", and "Castles Made Of Sand". CD

A trio of albums from Junie Morrison, plus bonus tracks too – all to document the genius of the guy who really helped the Ohio Players find their groove! First up is When We Do – the solo debut of Junie – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". Freeze is a wonderful set from Junie – a record that has all the offbeat funk he was crafting with the Ohio Players during their Westbound years – and the same sort of heady sound that would make Morrison a perfect match with the P-Funk empire! The record contains the legendary track "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", which features a meeting between the Funky Granny (a near folklorish character from the early 70s, who'd appeared on records by Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players) and an alien, who tells urges to "buy this record, buy this record, buy this record" in a very silly voice! The funky comedy of this track is nicely matched by a range of other odd numbers and straighter soul cuts – and titles include "Freeze", "Super J", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "World of Woe", and "Cookies Will Get You". Suzie Super Groupie is a funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a concept album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those records, there's a pre-Prince approach to funk that draws heavily from Ohio Players and P-Funk elements – but which really gets a sharper, more sinister focus with Junie in the lead – at a level of soulful stardom that could have made him another Bootsy Collins, if folks were ever smart enough to figure out what he was doing at the time! Titles include the funky classic "Suzie Thundertussy" – plus "Super Groupie", "Surrender", "Junie III", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Stone Face Joe", "Suzie", and "If You Love Him". Set also features rare Junie cuts – including "Junie's Ultimate Departure", "Walt's Second Trip", "Tight Rope (single)", "Loving Arms (mono)", "If You Love Him (single)", "Super J (single)", and "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce (mono)". CD

Titles include "Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation", "Waves Within", "Look Up", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "All The Love Of The Universe", and "Stone Flower". CD

One of the greatest soul records of all time – and an album that we'd never part with! Gloria Scott only ever recorded this one full LP – but that's more than enough, as the whole thing's a masterpiece – produced by Barry White with the best of his 70s approach, and featuring songs written by lesser-known White protege, Tom Brock! Nearly every single cut's a classic – a mixture of deep soul, mellow soul, and slight traces of funk – all gliding effortlessly together with White's stone cold production, and Gloria's instantly captivating vocals. Titles include "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me, or Leave Me, Leave Me, Leave Me", "I Think Of You", "That's What You Say", and "Too Much Lovemakin" – and the whole thing's great! CD

Landmark harmony soul from The Stylistics – a set that's every bit as wonderful as their debut, with the kind of sweet, soulful sound that got played over and over and over and over again back in the day! The album's got a subtle sort of power, though – one that lies not only in its classic cover image, but also in the way that the group mix up the fragile themes of love with some deeper aspects of the human condition – heard to best effect on the classic "Children Of The Night" – a massive 7 minute number that stands nicely next to the shorter singles. Thom Bell produced and arranged the whole thing to Philly perfection – with lots of help from Linda Creed on the songwriting – and titles include "Children of the Night", "Break Up To Make Up", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "Stone In Love With You", "It's Too Late", "If You Don't Watch Out", and "Peek A Boo". CD

2 killers by The Temptations! Psychedelic Shack is a Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed in loads of psychedelic elements in a rolling righteous groove that was perfect for the political tenor of the times. The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer". All Directions is pretty darn great, too – with less of a coherent sound, but plenty of great tracks – including "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", and "Mother Nature". CD

2 killers by The Temptations! Psychedelic Shack is a Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed in loads of psychedelic elements in a rolling righteous groove that was perfect for the political tenor of the times. The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer". All Directions is pretty darn great, too – with less of a coherent sound, but plenty of great tracks – including "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", and "Mother Nature". CD

An assortment of Nujazz, downtempo, and electronic tracks from Germany – pulled together by the folks at Spinning Wheel Records, who we love for their collections of older groovy bits! The set features many exclusive tracks and previously unissued numbers – and it fits nicely with a Compost or G-Stone-type groove. Tracks from Max Fresh, Wiseintime, Jimpster, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Alex Phountzi, Reunion, Sonic Surfer, The Green Man, uss Gabriel, and BTO Spider & Jeremiah. CD

A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and playing piano, with backing that icnludes guitar, trumpet, and a bit of flute – all in a moody mode that really fits the style of the album's selection of songs. Titles include "This Is My Story", "I'm Through With Love", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", "Spring Is Here", "Heart Of Stone", and "For The Losers". CD

One of the most unlikely of success stories in the long string of posthumous Jimi Hendrix releases – a "new" album of studio recordings from Jimi that actually hits the mark. Billed as an unreleased album, the material has popped up on releases from time to time, but the new mixes and sequencing surpisingly do it justice and make this one worth picking up for Hendrix fans and newbies alike. It ain't on par with the first three albums by The Experience, but really, what is? Includes "Stone Free", "Bleeding Heart", "Mr Bad Luck", "Lover Man", "Fire", "Red House", "Lullaby For The Summer", "Ships Passing Through The Night", "Sunshine Of Your Love" and more. CD

The genius of Bird and strings is hard to describe – an edgey approach that really goes far past most other "jazz with strings" projects, not a ballad-driven one, but a tensely strained one that brings out some of Parker's best soloing, almost in a moody soundtrack-type way. The tracks are a lot freer and less bop-driven than some of Bird's normal work, and it's incredible to hear him soloing with such complexity – even more proof of the genius he clearly exhibited in relation to his contemporaries. This CD reissues one of the first 10" LPs to feature Bird in such material – complete with a great David Stone Martin cover, and 6 tracks that include "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "East Of The Sun", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me". CD

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

The Temptations going in all directions – and all of them pretty darn groovy too! The set's still heavy on the solid, righteous sound of Norman Whitfield – who gives some of the best cuts that psychedelic soul imprint he really perfected with the group – a quality that has a lot more funk than other Motown acts were getting at the time – yet still lets the harmonies soar! A few other numbers showcase a more mature ballad style – different than the sweet soul of their roots, and definitely with an adult vibe we really love. Titles include heavy funk on "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", and their great cover of Isaac Hayes "Do Your Thing" – some mellow mature covers like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" and "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" – plus the long version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and the tracks "Mother Nature" and "Run Charlie Run". CD

A classic full album that brings together some of Muddy Waters' earliest recordings for Chess – a great collection of early singles recorded in Chicago between 1950 and 1954 – most originally issued on 78rpm singles, and beautifully presented in this set! The work's relatively spare and rootsy overall – a great example of Chicago blues in its formative years, with some traces of a more southern style still in the mix – and titles include "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I'm Ready", "Rollin Stone", "Honey Bee", "She Moves Me", "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Standing Around Crying", "Long Distance Call", and "I Just Want To Make Love To You". CD

A collection that Milestone issued in 1973 that includes tracks from three of Byrd's early 60s Bossa Nova records – Latin Impressions, Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros and Once More/Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova. Byrd and his unamplified guitar are joined by Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums and Latin percussion; other players are also featured. The tracks are mainly composed by the big names of Bossa Nova – Jobim, Powell, Caymmi, Lyra – but there are several Byrd originals as well such as "Azul Tiple", "Bogota", "Mexican Song No 2", and "Amor Flamengo". CD also includes the album Once More! Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova, a lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". CD

A previously-unissued live date from Bill Evans – recorded in Copenhagen right at the end of the 60s, in a very hip trio that features Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums! There seems to be a bit more force than usual in Bill's left hand – a pulse that comes through nicely on a few tracks in particular – offsetting the brilliantly understated lyrical modes that always makes his music from this period so wonderful. The set features nicely dark versions of "Nardis" and "Waltz For Debby" – plus "Time Remembered", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Round Midnight", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "Emily". CD

Not the original Quatermass EP from The Heliocentrics – but material that takes off in an even fuller, heavier direction – and which may well be the funkiest sounds we've heard from these guys so far! The music is stunning right from the very first heavy bassline and sharp drum crackle – more focused, more full-on, and more funky than before – with this mindblowing mix of super-tight rhythms and nicely trippy work on keyboards and guitar – all freaky and fuzzy, but always with a sense of purpose, too – and never just crazy for the sake of crazy! These guys really hit a new high with this set – simply wonderful, and at a level that has us falling in love with them all over again. Titles include "The Pit", "Gas Bottle", "Discovery", "Phenomenon Of Man", "Telekinesis", "Night & Day", "Looking Back", "Mass Psychosis", and "The Final Conclusion". CD

A later set from tenor legend Red Holloway – but one that really revives the style of his 60s soul jazz classics on Prestige Records! Red gets plenty of old school company on the set – a group that features Frank Wess on additional tenor, Lonnie Smith on Hammond, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Paul Humphrey on drums – all cookers we love from years back, doing a pretty great job of keeping things groovy here. Titles include "Avalon", "3 Steps Up Clark", "Water Jug", "Struttin With Julie", "Good To Go", "Million Dollar Secret", and "Still Groovin". CD

A stone cooker – and one of the best versions of Porgy & Bess recorded in a jazz format! It's a slightly-forgotten fact that at the time of the big late 50s film version of Porgy & Bess, there was a bit of trouble with the soundtrack – so the market was flooded with other versions of Gershwin's score in a hope to fill the void. This is one of the best of that bunch – a very well-done set of tunes arranged and conducted by Bill Potts, recorded with a strong set of soloists that include Al Cohn, Gene Quill, Zoot Sims, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Charlie Shavers, Bob Brookmeyer, and Harry Edison. Tracks are the usual batch of Porgy & Bess numbers – "I Loves You Porgy", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "My Man's Gone Now", "A Woman Is A Sometimes Thing", "Summertime" – all woven together wonderfully in a rich tapestry of sound, with some particularly evocative solos. CD

The Ramones really caught their classic recorded sound for the first time on Leave Home – the second of their three perfect late 70s milestones. As amazing as the debut is, its two-channel shrieking buzz saw sound bowed nicely to the slightly more digestible but just as cathartic roar of the follow ups. Titles include "California Sun", "Glad To See You Go", "Suzy Is A Headbanger", "Pinhead", "What's Your Game", "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment", and "I Remember You". Also included on the CD are "Babysitter" and the great "Carbona Not Glue" – previously left off all but the first vinyl pressing to accommodate the minor hit they had in "Rock 'N' Roll High School". The bonus material on this Rhino edition consists of a 16 track, 1976 live recording from the Hollywood Roxy – not bad for a record that only had 15 tracks to begin with! The live set is heavy on tracks from the debut, and includes "Loudmouth", "Beat On The Brat", "Chain Saw", "53rd & 3rd", "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", and "Havana Affair". CD

An overlooked gem from Rollins – and a record that has him playing with a bit of an electric feel, in a style that's similar to some of Joe Henderson's early 70s Milestone sessions! Similar to Henderson's albums, George Cables plays a bit of electric piano on the set – grooving nicely in a chunky style that brings a lot more rhyhtm than usual into Rollins' playing. The result might not be totally great if you're a fan of hardbop Sonny, but to our funky ears, it's a real treat – and has made the album a treasure that we've loved for years! Tracks are long, and tunes include "The Everywhere Calypso", "Poinciana", "Playin In The Yard", and "Keep Hold Of Yourself". CD

A smoking little bop set from Sonny Stitt – recorded live at the Keystone in 1981, as sort of a "summit meeting" of horns – one that features Richie Cole and John Handy in the frontline with Sonny! The rhythm section alone is enough to cook this one up nicely – with Cedar Walton on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the sextet is expanded by Bobby Hutcherson, whose vibes seem to bring an even deeper level of soul to the set. But the main focus here is on the horns – and it's a focus that's well-kept, especially on the longer tunes, which really sparkle in the range of tone and mood expressed. Highlights include an extended "Ballad Medley" and versions of "Wee", "Lover Man", and "Star Eyes". (And by the way, that's "bad", as in "good" – in case you couldn't guess from the title!) CD

An uptown sound, recorded downtown at the Blue Note – a bold large ensemble outing from McCoy Tyner, and one that reminds us of that great group he was getting in the 70s! The players here are all super-hip – showing that key Tyner ear for picking sidemen – and the lineup includes Virgil Jones and Kamau Adilfu on trumpets, Steve Turre on trombone, Joe Ford and Doug Harris on alto and flute, Ricky Ford and Junior Cook on tenors, and Louis Hayes on drums – all moving with tight formation, over the sort of soaring Tyner numbers that always win our heart! Titles include "Lotus Flower", "Genesis", "Three Flowers", "Blues For Basie", and "Love Surrounds Us". CD

A seminal bit of work from Mike Westbrook – recorded back in the early years of his career, when he still had a pretty sharp edge! Like Westbrook's first few albums on Decca, this set features the British avant jazz maestro playing piano with a large ensemble of some of England's finest jazzmen – including Ray Warleigh, Alan Skidmore, Harry Beckett, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Rutehrford, and Harry Miller. Norma Winstone sings on a few tracks, bringing in her lovely voice in the way that she does on Westbrook's best albums – but overall, the set's a bit more out there and more avant than some of his earlier work, but still has the majestic cohesiveness that makes his work of the time so great. The work is one long piece, split into 9 segments. CD

An amazing set that documents the early years of the Zamrock scene – the funk and psych informed Afro Rock pioneered by vocalist and African guitar legend Rikki Ililonga and his group Musi-O-Tunya in Zambia from 1973 to 1976 – and compiled beautifully in this great set from Now Again/Stones Throw! It's incredible stuff that blends fuzzed out guitar psychedelia, raw rhythms and brass-heavy funky soul. Ililonga's legacy is represented strongly on the record made by the group he founded, Musi-O-Tunya – who work with electric guitar, bass, sax, western and African drums and percussion – as well as the Zambia album, credited to Rikki Illilonga, in which he sings and plays all instruments except trumpet. The set also includes his Sunshine Love album, in which he sings and plays all instruments except bass and drums – and a it's got a rawer, bluesier psych soul approach overall. The CD version compiles most tracks from those albums plus Musi-O-Tunya's Wings Of Africa LP and bonus tracks from 7-inches from the time. 31 tracks on 2 CDs and comes a great, book-bound package with extensive liner notes by Eothen Alapatt and an interview of Ililonga by Eothen. Disc one includes Musi-0-Tunya tracks "Tsegulani", "Mpondolo", "Walk And Fight", "The Sun", "Dark Sunrise", "The Wings Of Africa", "Jekete Yamankowa" (Parts 1 & 2), "Mpulula", "Smoke" and more. Disc 2 features tracks from the Rikki Ililonga cuts "Sansa Kuwa", "Sheebeen Queen", "Stop Dreaming Mr D", "The Nature Of Man", "The Queen Blues", "Working On The Wrong Thing", "Sunshine Love", "Angel Black" and more. CD

Early 70s magic from Sonny Stitt – two albums recorded in 1972 for the Cobblestone label! First up is Tune Up – a great one from Stitt's post-Prestige years, and a real back-to-basics effort that recalls the genius of his work on Roost! The format is straight and simple – Stitt's tenor and alto fronting a quartet that includes Barry Harris, Sam Jones, and Alan Dawson – all playing in a way that puts Sonny in command on all tracks, blowing with an amazing tone that makes us want to throw away all his funk, organ, and electric outings, and just concentrate on these straight acoustic sides. Stitt has a way of blowing the reed like he's got his whole mouth moving into the sax – an earthy, human, and personal feel that first came out strongly in his work during the late 50s, but which has grown even more by this point – even if you couldn't hear the development on other sets. And given our love of funk and electric sides, we're honestly surprised we find ourselves championing a record like this from the early 70s – but it's a great one, and not to be missed if you remotely dig Stitt! Titles include "Tune Up", "Idaho", "Just Friends", "Groovin High", and "Blues For Prez & Bird". Constellation is all bop and all soul all the way through, and recorded with a tight quartet that features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums! The style's a bit like Sonny's work of the late 50s, but there's also a fluidity to the rhythm section that makes it a bit different too – a sound that's warm, open, and soulful – creating a space into which Stitt settles nicely and blows like mad. There's no gimmicks at all, just solid classic jazz skills – and titles include "Casbah", "Constellation", "By Accident", "Webb City", and "Topsy". CD

Killer funky stoner soul from LA! This album is one of the best by Charles Wright and his legendary funky group – and it features some straighter soul material, like the big hit "Loveland", or their mellow take on "Light My Fire" – plus some great heavy funk numbers, like "Till You Get Enough", "Everyday People", and "Must Be Your Thing". The record's a huge testament to the strength of the group – as they handle the soul material just as well as they do the funky stuff that they're more famous for – and we really dig this one for its tightness and straight ahead positive soul! CD

Throw away all your 70s electric funk records – because the classic sound is back, and fresher than ever! Yesterday's New Quintet is a side project from hip hop producer Madlib – and the group's firmly steeped in a love of the mellow funky sound of 70s labels like Kudu and CTI. Vibes collides with Fender Rhodes collides with sweet drumbeats collides with slight touches of turntablist production – for a sensational full LP debut that's one of the best new funky records we've heard in years! The sound is incredible – and these guys really do a heck of a lot more than just recreate an older style of music. They take all the hip hop/beathead love of 70s mellow jazz funk, and lift it firmly into the 21st Century with a whole new set of hooks and grooves! Titles include "Julani", "Papa", "Daylight", "Hot Water", "Sun Goddess", "Last Day", "Broken Dreams", "Life's Angles", "Keeper Of My Soul", and "Uno Esta". CD

A stone classic – not just from Sam Cooke, but in the genre of "best of" records too! The set's overflowing with classic singles from the legendary soul singers – almost the perfect record to start with if you've ever wanted to sample Sam's genius – that amazing voice, intimate sense of presentation, and undeniably mature, masculine sound that forever changed the face of soul music! Every track's a winner – and titles include "Only Sixteen", "You Send Me", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Having A Party", "Twistin The Night Away", "Wonderful World", "Summertime", "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Sad Mood", and "Bring It On Home To Me". CD

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

A superb set of duets between Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams – a set that's a key part of Johnny's rise into soul music during the 70s, and one that also forms a cornerstone of the early career of Deniece Williams too! Williams' soaring vocal range is a great match for the trademark Mathis modes – and the pair take on some great tunes that are mostly in a midtempo groove, which allows for all this fantastic interplay between the vocals – at a level that really shows what the duo can do together, and how they're not just two superstars who happened to be in the same studio. Titles include "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ready Or Not", "Touching Me With Love", "Me For You You For Me", and "Until You Come Back To Me". CD

A sweet Cali set from The Meters – one that loses a bit of their rougher roots, yet still holds onto plenty of funk at the same time! By the mid 70s, the New Orleans soul sound had broken out of the underground, was residing happily in mainstream LA. Allen Toussaint already produced a bucketful of albums for Warner Brothers, and The Meters themselves are working in a crossover territory that has them touring with the Rolling Stones and hitting a whole new range of college-type audiences. The group's smoothed things out considerably, but still manages to funk nicely at the best moments – in a warmer way than during the Josie Records years, but still with a groove that's much deeper than most of their contemporaries. Titles are a much a "trick bag" as the title – with a cover of Earl King's "Trick Bag" that features guest vocals by Earl, a remake of "(Doodle Loop) The World is a Little Bit Under the Weather", one of their best from the Josie days, a cover of "Honky Tonk Woman", which we can only assume was played on tour with The Stones – plus the original cuts "Chug A Lug", "Mister Moon", and "Find Yourself". Includes the bonus tracks "Love The One You're With", "What More Can I Do?", "Down By The River", "Come Together" & "Big Chief". CD

Dam-Funk and Snoopzilla, aka Snoop Dogg, teaming up as 7 Days Of Funk – and it's not merely a new day for the timeless G-Funk sound – they're packing a whole week of it! Producer Dam-Funk and MC/singer Snoop couldn't be a better match – Snoop delivering laidback rhymes and easy going funk singing with a deep love for 70s and 80s G-Funk – and Dam-Funk was born to carry on the legacy of that vibe. Thankfully, they're doing it for Stones Throw – a label that no doubt allows these guys to do it as they see fit without pressuring them for a hit single – so this is creative win, and a hell of a lot of fun! Guests include Bootsy Collins, Steve Arrington and Kurupt. Titles include "Hit Da Pavement", "Let It Go", "Faden Away", "1Question?", "Ride", "Do My Thang", "I'll Be There For You" and the bonus track "Stystamatic" feat Tha Dogg Pound. CD

A stone classic from Supersax – a record with plenty of classic bop elements, despite a very 70s-styled group name and cover! The combo's a large one, and features tight horn formation deftly cutting through a host of bop classics – lots of ensemble passages at the start, then breakout solos that really get things going! Horn players include Conte Candoli on trumpet, Carl Fontana on trombone, and supersax players Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, and Jack Nimitz on baritone. Ronnell Bright, Lou Levy, and Walter Bishop Jr handle the piano – and titles include "Confirmation", "Lover Man", "Salt Peanuts", "The Bird", "Groovin High", and "Yardbird Suite". CD

A haunting tribute to the late John Coltrane – not just a "friend" of McCoy Tyner, but a key musical partner back in the 60s! The album's a solo piano effort – extremely intimate, but still played with that long-flowing majesty we always love in McCoy – and two of the tunes are famous Coltrane compositions – "Naima" and "The Promise" – and another is a spiritual reading of "My Favorite Things", done in a completely different mode than Trane's version. Other titles are Tyner originals – "Folks" and "The Discovery". CD

Really wonderful stuff – and one of Gary Bartz's greatest albums ever! This double-length live set was recorded around the time of his NTU Troup albums for Milestone – but it's a bit more straightforward than those sides, going back towards a searching soul jazz sound, with some slight touches of electric funk. The group features Hubert Eaves on electric and acoustic keyboards, Stafford James on acoustic and electric bass, and Howard King on drums – and the wonderful bass work of James really creates some great platforms for Bartz and Eaves to stretch out on long long solos. Gary vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – almost in the style of Andy Bey on his NTU albums – and the set list includes "Uhuru Sasa", "Jujuman", "Bertha Baptist", "The Warrior's Song", "Mama's Soul", "Sifa Zote", "I've Known Rivers", "Don't Fight That Feeling", and "Peace & Love". CD

Hazy beatcraft steeped in Indian soundtrack style funk, strings and percussion from the indefatigable Madlib – Volumes 3 & 4 in the Beat Konducta series of the increasingly adventurous and conceptual outings – 2 volumes on 1CD! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East – but the way in which the beats bluntly thump is quintessential Madlib – you know it and love it from the first beat! 'Lib really breathes fresh life into this approach – going miles deeper than anyone out there doing the Bollywood-hip hop hybrid – coming up with a sound all his own. CD version includes the complete Volumes 3 & 4. Masterful! Titles include "Enter Hot Curry", "Indian Hump", "Onthanewthing", "Indian Deli", "Rumble", "Dancing Girls Theme", "Piano Garden", "Dark Alley Incidental Music", "Early Party", "Fifth Chant", "The Rip Off (Scene 3)", "Sitar Ride", "Get It Right", "More Rice", "Indian Bells", "Smoke Circle", "Sha Sound", "Another Getaway", "Raw Ground Wire", "Main Title" and more. CD