MF Doom left our planet all too soon, and he left behind a great legacy of music, too – including a previous collaboration with the Czarface collective, nicely matched by this posthumous set! The balance here is great, and the set brings the metal man of mystery into great play with his collaborators and guests who include DMC, Kendra Morris, and Del The Funky Homosapien – all coming together on an album that's every bit as fun as the first time around, and maybe even more essential, given that we're not going to hear that much more from the unissued archives of MF Doom. Titles include "This Is Canon Now", "So Strange", "Young World", "Mando Calrissian", "Doom Unto Others", "The King & Eye", and "Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A previously unissued album from Indian guitarist Amancio D'Silva – recorded during his legendary run of work at Lansdowne Studios, but making its first-ever appearance here! The work on the set is every bit as far-reaching and progressive as some of D'Silva's official releases – and like those sides, this one does a tremendous job of blending complicated guitar lines, unusual rhythms, and some super-hip instrumentation! Amancio has a way of playing guitar that's a bit like Gabor Szabo – airy and exotic at times, with a free-flowing quality that's really explored nicely here on the longish tunes on the set. Players include Don Rendell on saxophone, Stan Tracey on piano, and Alan Branscombe on flute, vibes, and electric piano – but best of all is the use of sitar and tabla on the record – often employed sparingly, but in a way that adds some great echoes of Indian music. Titles include "A Street In Bombay", "What Maria Sees", "A Song For Francesca", and "Konkan Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An underground classic from Karen Dalton – a record that's almost out of time, given its early 70s release – as Karen sings with spare backings that are almost in a Folkway Records mode at points, but with all these headier currents that are also indicative of the Bay Area generation too! Dalton's voice is completely unique too – unlike anything you'll ever hear – phrasing that almost hearkens back both to vintage jazz and Appalachian folk, but a style that's more long hair – as are some of the backings too. The set was recorded upstate in Bearsville – and really has all the hallmarks of the freedoms of that scene at the time – summed up beautifully on material that includes "Something On Your Mind", "In A Station", "Take Me", "Same Old Man", Are You Leaving For The Country", "Katie Cruel", and "How Sweet It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic later work from Bobby Darin – material that's quite different than the simple pop of his early Atco years, and even the jazzier style he used earlier on in the 60s! The set is one of two issued by the Direction label – and features Bobby taking off from some of the Tim Hardin-inspired modes he was using later on at Atlantic – picking up some of the deeper themes of the earlier singer-songwriter years – and singing in a very moody, contemplative style! According to some, Darin was aware that his health only gave him a few more years to live – which was part of the introspection of the music – and although the style owes a lot to Tim Hardin and some of his contemporaries, the songs are all originals by Darin – with some elements that are very different than before. Tracks include "Hey Magic Man", "Light Blue", "Distractions", and "Song For a Dollar". Features four bonus tracks too – "Sweet Reasons", "Maybe We Can Get It Together", "Baby Man", and "RX Pyro (Prescription Fire)". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Lockjaw and Griff were a mighty team together – and their records from the 60s cook with incredible intensity. This great set brings together 2 albums – The Tenor Scene and The Midnight Show – both recorded at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, on January 6, 1961. The group's incredible – a mixture of hardbop and moderism that's unstoppable – and all tracks are long, all with incredible two-tenor solo sections, plus some nice soulful piano from Junior Mance. Titles include "Bingo Domingo", "Land Of Dreams", "Bean O", "Robbins Nest", "Our Delight", and "Light & Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

Basically a 10" issue of a slightly abbreviated version of The Birth of The Cool, legendary work from Davis that needs virtually no introduction from us – large group sessions that virtually define the "cool" in cool jazz! The work's quite different from Davis' earlier bop sides with Charlie Parker – and show a distinct influence from modernists like Gerry Mulligan (who is on the recordings) and from the experiments of the Tristano school. Miles is less the leader than the creative visionary – as all players come together in a perfect blend of sound, perfectly polished, and with a very dark edge. 8 tracks in al, including "Jeru", "Moon Dreams", "Vernus De Milo", "Deception", 'Godchild", "Rocker", "Israel", and 'Rouge". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Miles Davis concert – recorded in 1957, with many of the same players he used for his classic soundtrack to the French film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud! The group's a quintet with French players Barney Wilen on tenor, Rene Utreger on piano, and Pierre Michelot on bass – grooving with help from Kenny Clarke on drums – and tracks are longish and include many late 50s jazz standards – like "Bag's Groove", "Four", "Walkin", "Round Midnight", and "Lady Bird". Barney Wilen's young tone is razor sharp at this point – and makes for a great counterpoint to the sweeter horn of Miles, coming together with the same magic they shared in their wonderful soundtrack work together. There's a bit of crackle in the recording quality, but the concert's well worth seeking out! LP, Vinyl record album

A real enigma from Miles Davis – rare material from the Blue Note vaults, issued here for the first time ever – and done as a totally sweet 10" album! The cover and package are great – and the music is even better – very much in the most sparkling spirit of Davis' early 10" albums for Blue Note – with a lineup that includes JJ Johnson on trombone, Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto sax, Gil Coggins on piano, Percy Heath or Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Art Blakey or Kenny Clarke on drums! Titles include "Enigma (alt take 1)", "Kelo (alt take 1)", "Chance It (alt take 3)", and "Chance It (alt take 4)". LP, Vinyl record album

Live work from Birdland – one group with JJ Johnson on trombone and Brew Moore on tenor – another with Sonny Rollins on tenor and Kenny Drew on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Gil Coggins on piano, and either Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums – on titles that include "Tempus Fugit", "Kelo", "Enigma", "Ray's Ida", and "CTA". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning piece of jazz history from the young Miles Davis – and a record that's got maybe one of his coolest covers ever! The 10" release was Miles third for Blue Note – and fetaures a smoking quartet with Horace Silver on piano and Art Blakey on drums – giving Miles almost a Jazz Messengers sort of punch, which creates this beautiful groove underneath his well-phrased solos! And while some of this work was later issued in other Blue Note album formats, there's a punch and sharpness to this 10" format that can't be denied – on titles that include "Lazy Susan", "Take-Off", "The Leap", and "Weirdo". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 60s issue of earlier work that Miles cut in the 50s – some great tracks that show him breaking from the tighter shorter bop work of the earlier years, and heading into some stretched out sides that have a very open-ended approach. The group on the session is mostly a quartet – with Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Art Taylor – but two of the album's four tracks also feature Jackie McLean on alto. Tracks are long and titles include "Dr Jackle", "Bitty Ditty", "Minor March", and "Changes" – and it's great to hear Miles blowing with vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". LP, Vinyl record album

A much different album than you might expect from the cover – hardly the funky 70s set implied by the Big Fun-styled cover – and instead a lost slice of work from his groundbreaking late 60s years! The set was recorded in 1967, but unissued until Miles late 70s time away from the studio – hence the cover, which attempts to contemporanize the record – and the music is very much in the dark moods and sharp tones of Filles De Kilimanjaro, and features a somewhat similar group! The core quintet of Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums handles the first half of the set – but the group's then expanded to include Chick Corea on electric piano along with Herbie on keys – and Ron Carter steps out so that Dave Holland can bring some more modern tones to the bass. Tracks are all somewhat long, and titles include "Capricorn", "Water Babies", "Sweet Pea", and "Two Faced". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing meeting of two very different players who might not normally record together – although maybe not as much of a surprise, given that the set was recorded in the St Louis home turf of both Miles Davis and Jimmy Forrest! At the time, Miles was already a star, but Jimmy was becoming a hell of a tenor player – one that seems to have more of a bop affinity here than on later records – blowing head to head with Davis, and really stretching out on long solos throughout. The rhythm section features Charles Fox on piano, Johnny Mixon on bass, and Oscar Oldham on drums – and titles on this first volume include "Ray's Idea", "Night In Tunisia", "Wee Dot", and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Gary Davis on six and twelve string guitar, plus a bit of harmonica – on titles that include "Lovin Spoonful", "Samson & Delilah", "You Got To Move", "Twelve Sticks", "Buck Dance", and "Twelve Gates To The City". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An Italian comedy take on the story of Robinson Crusoe – one that's served up with lots of light musical touches, thanks to the team of Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis! The music here is a blend of tropical themes and some of the comedic 70s modes you'd guess from the cover art – rootsier percussion and a bit of light ukulele to create the "island" elements – and some warmer, fuller passages that evoke the Italian placement of the film – although overall, the music is probably more attuned to the acoustic elements than most of its type from the time. Heavy vinyl pressing features 12 tracks from the film – plus the 7" single versions of "Signor Robinson" and "L'Isola Di Robinson". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet soccer comedy from the 80s Italian scene – one that's scored with a fair bit of electric elements, but also a fair bit of percussion as well! The story's set in Brazil, and the music is this cool combination of more familiar 80s keyboard modes with samba-influenced percussion – often lively, colorful grooves that are matched by the keyboards doing these sonic waves that almost feel more like they could have come from a brass or woodwind instrument! The mood is playful and upbeat throughout – and this first-time vinyl issue of the material features 20 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Sam Dees was one of the greatest unsung talents in 70s soul music – an important writer, arranger, and general background talent who helped so many other singers hit the heights – but who hardly ever issued much work under his own name! Apart from key singles and an important album on Atlantic, the recorded legacy of Dees isn't what it should be – given his impact on music, especially deep soul – but fortunately, sets like this have come along to correct that lack! As part of Sam's creative process, he would often record songs first on his own – not as rough demo tracks, but as surprisingly well done studio versions to illustrate the material – tracks that were often better than later versions of his tunes, and most of the other commercial soul on the market. This sweet set brings together 12 of those tracks – private recordings from Sam, of songs he'd later give to singers like Loletta Holloway, Ben E King, and others – an essential record from the great Dees, pressed up on super-heavy vinyl! Titles include the previously unissued "Married But Not To Each Other" – plus "Good Guys Don't Always Win", "Who Are You Gonna Love", "Con Me", "Only Lonely People", "False Alarms", "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache", "The World Don't Owe You Nothing", and "Black Tattler". LP, Vinyl record album

The instant-classic debut of Iris DeMent – a record that came out in the 90s, but which has a classic country vibe that not only lives up to DeMent's hardscrabble roots, but which also really blows away any sort of retro or "alt" attempts to hit territory like this at the time! Dement doesn't need to fake anything at all, or hang her music in "authentic" trappings – as it's all there, right at the start – beautifully understated, and set to instrumentation that's a lot different than mainstream Nashville at the time – but which also isn't trying to ape any 50s or 60s modes either. The whole thing's a beautiful testament to one of the freshest new voices of her generation – with titles that include "Our Town", "When Love Was Young", "Mama's Opry", "Higher Ground", "After You've Gone", "Let The Mystery Be", and "Infamous Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky fusion from one of the hippest drummers of the 70s – the mighty Les DeMerle, a player who's given the world plenty of samples over the years! The grooves on the set are some of Les' best – tightly snapping in a warm mix of electric and acoustic playing – with tight bass work that matches Les' drums perfectly, and lots of snaking horn solos from the great Don Menza. Josh Hanna sings on a few cuts, giving the record a more soulful feel than any of Les' other albums – and the whole thing's smoking at a level that really almost surpasses the best of DeMerle's studio work. Titles include "San Quenti Quail", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Sambandrea Swing", "Quetzal", "Ambidextrous", and "Island Winds". LP, Vinyl record album

A great companion album to the Les DeMerle Concerts By The Sea record – every bit as funky as that one, and for good reason too – as this set was recorded at exactly the same time! The package offers up the legendary drummer in a sweet 70s setup – great Fender Rhodes and Clavinet in the group from Ramsey Embick, who works perfectly with the dynamic drums of the leader – plus the great Don Menza on tenor, soprano, and flute – always a great musician on a record like this! There's some added congas in the group, the bass is electric, and the whole thing kicks nicely – on titles that include "Daggerpoint", "In Transit", "Transcendental Watusi", "Ear Food", "Manfred 8", and "Once Upon A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of funky drumbreaks – cut by a drummer who's a legend among funk fans, but who hardly ever gets mentioned in history books of jazz! Les DeMerle was a lesser-known LA player, and he had a monster approach to the kit – which is why most of the few albums he cut are very in demand for fans of a good funky drum break, as well as the longer grooves! This one's a stellar session that mixes together straight funk with some strong choppy fusion numbers – and it was issued on the tiny Dobre label, which came out with some excellent obscure sides during the 70s. Raul De Souza's on trombone, Milcho Leview plays piano, and Robby Robinson plays plenty of nice electric keyboards. Includes the break-heavy tracks "Moondial" and "Funk It!", the jazz dance cut "Canned Heat Suite", the choppy funky "Bacchanal", and the great groover "Kaballa". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual project from electronic music legend Delia Derbyshire – sounds that were created for a film of abstract photographic images, but which work beautifully here on their own! Partner Elsa Stansfield contributes a lot of core elements to the music – Derbyshire works in sounds that are even more abstract and beautiful than her better-known music for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – and together, they create something that we'd be more likely to call a "sonic painting" than just an ordinary record album! The set also features a bit of spoken introduction by Pamela Bone – whose photographs formed the core of the images – but overall, most of the proceedings are instrumental, and come from the team of Derbyshire and Stansfield. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) – working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers – recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time – and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins – all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace – singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality – and together, the whole group have a undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane", which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan – plus "Chick Chick", "Attica", "Too Little, Too Late", "Boll Weevil", "Don't Be A Stranger", and "Well Done, Weldon". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic Eric Dolphy albums – back to back in a single set! First up us Outward Bound – Eric Dolphy's first album ever as a leader – recorded almost immediately after his arrival on the New York scene! The sound here is already bolder and stronger than the Dolphy experiments on the west coast – sharp-edged and freely exploratory, in a way that pushes the playful lyricism of the Chico Hamilton years aside, and reaches out into the new territory hinted at by the title! The group is a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – and the overall sound is a beautiful mix of modernist hard bop and some of Dolphy's later freer styles. Dolphy plays his usual mix of alto, flute, and bass clarinet – and the tracks include "245", "Miss Toni", "Les", and "GW". Out There is Eric Dolphy's second album as a leader – and already a bold step forward from the first! The format here changes from the more standard lineup of before – as Dolphy drops out other horn players, loses the piano, and brings the cello of Ron Carter into the frontline! Backing is by the bass of George Duvivier and the drums of Roy Haynes – and the mix of cello and bass creates the freely spirited sound that allows Dolphy to take off on even freer solo flights. The session has a very moody, very dark feel – especially on the tracks where Dolphy is playing B flat and bass clarinet – and titles include "The Baron", "Eclipse", "Sketch Of Melba", "Feathers", and "17 West". LP, Vinyl record album

Part 3 to the Five Spot recordings from Eric Dolphy – issued here as a "memorial" to Booker Little, even though Little was still alive for the recording! The album features especially searing work from Dolphy, and was part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording. The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – and titles include "Number Eight" and "Booker's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Darkly beautiful sounds from the duo of Don & Stevie Gere – a husband and wife who work here with a style that's folksy, but a bit spooky too – possibly due to the fact that the music within was recorded in their California home, and never issued for years! There's a deeply personal feel to the songs here – almost like we're peeking in on the intimacy of the couple, but as they try to put together a message to reach outside of their home too – themes of their own love mixed with greater societal issues – later taken up as some of the songs were reworked by other artists like David Gates, Curt Boettcher, and Waddy Wachtel. Yet there's an innocence to these original recordings that's really mindblowing – rescued from oblivion on aging acetates, and represented here on cuts that include "Sweet Sugar", "Keep An Eye On You", "Another Blue Day", "What Do You Think Of Me", "Kindly", and "Tell Me Now". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A 2LP set of rare Doors – the LA Woman Workshop Sessions – three sides of never-before-released tracks from the sessions, plus a laser-etched fourth side with the "Electric Woman" art originally issued with the landmark LA Woman LP! The vinyl focuses exclusively on the unreleased material – with alternate versions of "The Changeling", "Love Her Madly", "The Wasp (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)" and "Riders On The Storm", plus versions of "Cars Hiss By My Windows", "LA Woman" and "Been Down So Long" featuring rhythm guitar by Marc Benno. Last, but not least the previously unreleased song "She Smells So Nice" and "Rock Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing quite like the voice of Nahawa Doumbi – a sound that's lean and powerful at once, haunting and heartfelt, and served up here on a set of tunes that were originally only issued on cassette in her homeland of Mali! The music features really deft guitar work from N'Gou Bagayoko – who crafts these lines that are as rhythmic as they are melodic – dipping, turning, and making great musical moments alongside the fantastic lyrics. Titles include "Tou Dibile", "Djankonia", "Sokono Woulouni", "Nianimanjougou", and "Kourouni". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Dr John at his freaky deaky best – working here in a mindblowing mix of New Orleans roots and late 60s psych – all served up in some heady studio space and instrumental touches! The sound's unlike anything that ever went before – and is way better here than on some of John's later, straighter material – clearly the work of years of creative genius, as the Doctor, Mac Rebennack, draws on both his heritage from the Crescent City, and his years of work in the underground rock scene in LA! Harold Batiste handled the arrangements – and the record really paves the way for so many famous LA/New Orleans albums to come in the 70s – but never with results this mindblowingly trippy. The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – and titles include "Mama Roux", "Croker Courtbullion", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", and the original version of "I Walk On Guilded Splinters". LP, Vinyl record album

Two sublime early tracks from pianist George Duke – both from his first MPS album, never issued in the US! "My Soul" has this great rolling groove, with congas from Armando Peraza giving things a nice Latin vibe – as George plays both piano and Fender Rhodes together, for a very warm sound! "Au Right" has lots more great Rhodes – a killer solo that bumps along beautifully over funky drums! 7-inch, Vinyl record

First volume of this rare recording of live material by Bob Dylan – issued here with no label in a plain white cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Live material from Bob Dylan – mostly solo with just acoustic guitar and harmonica! Titles include "Mixed Up Confusion", "Long Song", "Ride Willie Ride", "Can't Go Home This Way/100 Miles", "Turn To The Rain & The Wind", "Long John Gone", and "I'll Keep It With Mine" LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like Trio Esperanca or Quarteto Em Cy – but the setting is a bit different, and borrows as much from Latin music at times as it does from Brazilian rhythms – often served up with some really bold, jazzy currents in the instrumentation that really send the whole thing over the top! Titles include "Pe No Chao", "Cristalina", "Horas", "Meu Lugar", "Rio Seco", "Ave No Ninho", "Sertao Mar", "Esse Amor", and "Pai Do Criacao". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as the group features key members of some acts from the Ivory Coast in the late 70s, mixed with various Motown session players in the studio – all in a way that offers up a completely different take on Cali soul from the time! The African artists contribute a lot of vocals and work on kora that's especially beautiful – and the other players are led by Gregg Middleton on bass, who also does all the arrangements – and the combo features Ernie Fields on saxes, Nolan Smith on trumpet, and Fred Wesley on trombone! Every song has a nicely different flavor – and titles include "Fasso", "Sing A Happy Song", "Desire", "I Love All", and "Mogofindeou Sopeunte". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from this obscure funky group – a combo who hailed from Indy, only issued two albums back in the 70s, but also left behind this wicked batch of unissued cuts that were recorded up in Chicago! The group have a vibe that's every bit as great as their warmly collaborative look on the cover – clearly an ego-less funky combo who are able to shift singers and moods from track to tracks – trading leads between singers Anthony Joseph Roberts and Pamela Tanner, and also bringing lots of jazzy instrumentation into the mix too! These guys had been together for a number of years before recording the set, and are clearly at the top of their game – woodshedding hard away from the limelight, but knocking it out of the park with cuts that include "69 Cents", "I'm In A Hurry", "Shell Of A Man", "Where You Lead", "That Is Why", "Love So Strange", and vocal and instrumental versions of "See The Light". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work by The El Dorados – a solid smoking vocal group from 50s Chicago, with a sound that was a key influence on 60s soul! The set brings together a number of the group's classic Vee Jay recordings – but it also goes way past the traditional "best of" styled set, in that it features some unusual numbers too, plus a few unreleased tracks! As with all Solid Smoke albums, the production's incredible – with great notes and sound quality. Titles include "I Began To Realize", "A Rose For My Darling", "Lord Knows I Tried", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "It's No Wonder", "One More Chance", "3 Reasons Why", "A Fallen Tear", "Love Of My Own", and "Bim Bam Boom". LP, Vinyl record album

Vocal by Gladys Palmer. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

2LP set of Roy Eldrige's classic Verve sides from the mid 50's, featuring the great trumpet player in a variety of groups that include Herb Ellis or Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Oscar Peterson on piano and organ! The organ sides by Peterson are perhaps some of the most intriguing on the set, and they include "Love For Sale", "Dale's Wail", and "Oscar's Arrangement". Other tracks include "Little Jazz", "Roy's Riff", "Echoes Of Harlem", and "Feeling A Draft". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

With featured soloists Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Otto Hardwick, Barney Bigard, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Rex Stewart, and Ivie Anderson. LP, Vinyl record album

With Joe Benjamin on bass, Sam Woodyard on drums, Harold Shorty Baker, Willie Cook, and Clark Terry on trumpets, Ray Nance on cornet, Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders, and Johnny Hodges on alto, Russell Procope and Jimmy Hamilton on alto and clarinet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone and bass clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

Deep and bluesy work from the all-star Ellington group of the late 50s – a beautifully recorded album that moves way past the simple cliche of its title! The set features a host of original tunes from Duke Ellington and other members of the group – and players include Jimmy Hamilton on tenor, Ray Nance on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, and the wonderful Johnny Hodges on alto – playing here at the peak of his later powers. Titles include "Three J's Blues", "Smada", "C Jam Blues", "Sweet & Pungent", "Blues In Blueprint", "The Swinger's Jump", and "Blues In Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes sessions by Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, and Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums to ever issue recordings made at the Newport Jazz Festival – quite a big hit, and the beginning of a real trend in jazz! The set's also some great work by Duke – free to perform in a setting that's not bound by some of the time restrictions of earlier years, which lets him offer up three long tracks with a great deal of sophistication over previous recordings. Titles include "Jeep's Blues", "Diminuendo & Crescendo In Blue", and "Newport Jazz Festival Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Mid-40s recordings with the classic Ellington Orchestra line-up with Rex Stewart, Taft Jordan, Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Al Sears, Sonny Greer, Al Hibbler, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Duke Ellington albums, and a sometimes-overlooked work that stands as one of his best compositions from the time. The "Liberian Suite" was originally issued as a 10" LP, and is one extended suite of tracks commissioned by the Liberian government for their centennial celebration in 1947. The piece starts with the haunting "I Like The Sunrise", with vocals by Al Hibbler, then leads into 5 "Dances", with solo work by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, and Tyree Glenn. "Tone Parallel To Harlem" is added to the album, taking up all of side two, and is another beautiful extended work – the kind that really showed tremendous growth in Ellington's style. LP, Vinyl record album

A great LP issue of material that originally appeared on 78s during the Duke's first big rise to fame! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from Duke – a set that has that nicely mature approach to arrangements, with a group that includes Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson on trumpets, and Lawrence Brown on trombones. Titles include a "Johnny Hodges Medley" – plus "Boola Boola", "Chromatic Love Affair", "Put-Tin", and "Swamp Goo". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful stripped-down set of piano work from Duke Ellington – presented here in an obscure set of duets recorded with Billy Strayhorn in 1950, finally issued as a full package by Riverside in the mid 60s – at a time when more folks seemed to be paying attention to Duke's stylings on the keys! The tracks are all relatively shortish, and accompaniment includes bass from either Lloyd Trotman, Joe Schulman, or Wendell Marshall, plus a bit of drums from Jo Jones. Strayhorn plays celeste on two numbers, and some numbers feature either artist solo. Titles include "Oscalypso", "Flamingo", "Cottontail", "Bang Up Blues", "Johnny Come Lately", "Tonk", "In A Blue Summer Garden", and "Blues For Banton". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Earlier Stax work recorded by The Emotions, not issued at the time and packaged together into a pretty great album during the time of the girls' bigger fame on Columbia! The work here is surprisingly great – not really filler at all, and in a style that's almost hipper than any of the material that appeared on the trio's two full albums for the label. There's a definite 70s current running through most of the tracks – soul that's less sweet and more sophisticated than other older sides, and which really shows that the leap from Stax to Columbia wasn't a very big one at all. Titles include a great version of "Put A Little Love Away", plus "Shouting Out Love", "Anyway You Look At It", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Running Back & Forth", and "Baby I'm Through". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady record from the Venezuelan scene of the 70s – a record that mixes hard rock energy with prog-styled instrumentation, all at a level that creates some really dynamic sounds overall! These guys take off right from the start – and although the record's a concept album, the approach here is maybe a bit more open overall, and liberates the set from some of the traps that an Anglo group like this might fall into – or maybe it's just us and our weak understanding of Spanish, which allows us to take the tunes as they come! Titles include "Kazmor El Prisionero", "Mi Cancion", "Inocetnes Perdidos", "Prisa", "Advenimiento/Trayectoria", and "El Asuente". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing later work from Booker Ervin – far more modern and far-reaching than you'd guess from the "Texas" title in the set! Although Ervin first came onto the scene as a strong-voiced tenorist from a Texas tradition, through the course of the 60s he'd really expanded his musical vision – working with Charles Mingus, Jaki Byard, and others to push his already-soulful sound into a freer-thinking mode that was one of the most compelling approaches to tenor at the time. And while this change had been documented on some key sides for Prestige and World Pacific at the time, this rare 1968 session for Blue Note is perhaps one of the best of the bunch – but oddly was somehow never issued at the time, and only made a brief appearance in 1976, as part of a 2LP set. Ervin's working here with a totally hip group – one that has Woody Shaw in the frontline on trumpet, and a rhythm team of Kenny Barron on piano, Jan Arnet on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all grooving with Ervin in styles that recall the modal vamping and soaring energy that Shaw would later bring to his own solo work in the 70s. Tracks are all longish, and filled with a sense of life and exploration that shows that Ervin was growing tremendously in this last stretch of his all-too-short life – never too free, always in control, yet roaming the skies in search of new notes and sounds! Titles include "Gichi", "Den Tex", "Lynn's Tune", "204", and an early version of Shaw's "In A Capricornian Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic never-heard performance from one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century – a live date recorded in Madison, WI – and exactly the kind of record that reminds us why Bill Evans in a live setting is maybe even more revelatory than Bill Evans in the studio! It's impossible to describe what makes this record wonderful, but the whole thing just grabs us right from the very first note – with that balance of strength and subtlety that makes Evans in the 70s so amazing – balanced out by equally mesmerizing work from Eddie Gomez on bass! The Gomez/Evans interplay is captured fantastically here – and given just the right sort of subtle support from Eliot Zigmund on drums – and despite the fact that the material has never been issued before, the whole thing's completely top-level work, and on a par with anything in Bill's catalog of the 70s. Titles include "Up With The Lark", "Sugar Plum", "Minha", "All Of You", "Some Other Time", "Someday My Prince Will Come", and "TTT". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful late work from piano legend Bill Evans – a set that was recorded in 1977, but not issued until after his death in 1980 – at which point it became an instant essential in his catalog! As with so many of Bill's 70s recordings, the session benefits from the bass work of Eddie Gomez – rich, round, and warm – a perfect accompaniment for Evans' sometimes faltering piano work at the time – and a player that Evans was incredibly lucky to be working with during much of his later years. Elliot Zigmund is on drums, a beautifully sensitive player – and the set includes a sublime version of Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe In Spring", plus the tracks "Theme From Mash", "The Peacocks", "Sometime Ago", and "Gary's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful late work from piano legend Bill Evans – a set that was recorded in 1977, but not issued until after his death in 1980 – at which point it became an instant essential in his catalog! As with so many of Bill's 70s recordings, the session benefits from the bass work of Eddie Gomez – rich, round, and warm – a perfect accompaniment for Evans' sometimes faltering piano work at the time – and a player that Evans was incredibly lucky to be working with during much of his later years. Elliot Zigmund is on drums, a beautifully sensitive player – and the set includes a sublime version of Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe In Spring", plus the tracks "Theme From Mash", "The Peacocks", "Sometime Ago", and "Gary's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest work ever issued by the great Georgie Fame – a 4-track EP that features all instrumental tracks with Georgie on the Hammond – serving up a unique groove that really spoke to the changing London scene of the time! The rhythms here are part of the package, and definitely echo some of the new immigrants and their styles arriving in West London – while Fame's solos on organ also show plenty of influence from American players too, both in the jazz and soul instrumental modes! Titles include "Rik's Tune", "JA Blues", "Orange Street", and "Stop Right Here". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Saxophonist Shamek Farrah is best known for a pair of legendary 70s albums on the Strata East label – but he was still working strongly in the American jazz underground for years after that – as you'll hear on this brilliant batch of live recordings from the end of the 80s! The album was initially only issued as a cassette sold at gigs, and it shows Farrah sounding wonderful in the company of trumpeter Norman Person – blowing alto and bringing the fire he had on his 70s spiritual jazz recordings – as he and Person work in a few different groups, alongside some especially great piano work from either David Durrah or Sonelius Smith – both players with strong legacies of their own! Garry Hammon joins the pair on tenor on two tracks, Marvin Neal on trombone on one, and the final track is a trio number without Farrah, showing wonderful phrasing from Person next to Smith's piano. All titles are nice and long – and tunes include "Negative Forces", "Aisha", "Footprints", "Timeless Beginning", and "I Remember Clifford". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album