A trio of classics from this groundbreaking group! First up is Living With The Animals – fantastic early work from Mother Earth – one of those special late 60s groups who emerged out of the rock, folk, and blues scenes – but who somehow managed to make a very special sound of their own! Part of the group's strength is the lovely Tracey Nelson – a singer who could have been a soul artist if she wanted – but who works here with a looser approach to generic conventions as she moves through a number of different modes – sometimes stepping aside for the group's lead singer, R Powell St John Jr, who also plays a bit of harmonica. Instrumentation is given some stronger currents from a combo that features Mike Bloomfield on guitar, Barry Goldberg on organ, and Luis Gasca on trumpet – and titles include "Marvel Group", "Mother Earth", "It Won't Be Long", "Down So Low", "The Kingdom Of Heaven", and "My Love Will Never Die". Make A Joyful Noise is an album that has slightly fuller backings than their debut, but in a way that only seems to bring out more of the soulful currents of their sound! The mix of rural inspiration and tighter presentation is a great illustration of the changing North Cali style of the period – and no surprise, a young Boz Scaggs is in the group, providing rhythm guitar next to the vocals of Tracy Nelson and R Powell St John. A few country legends provide extra support on fiddle, dobro, and steel – balanced nicely by a strong horn section too – on titles that include "Stop The Train", "Soul Of The Man", "Blues For The Road", "Come On & See", "I The Fly", "Wait Wait Wait", "I Wanna Be Your Mama Again", and "Then I'll Be Moving On". Last up is Satisfied – countrified rock from Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth – done in a warm and sincere style that goes way beyond any of the cliches of the genre! There's something about the way the group put together the tunes that really makes us like this one – an honesty that's not bogged down in any hippy dippy expectations, and which never tries to be anything other that what it is. And yes, that's not much of a good description of the set – but it's also our way of identifying the uniqueness that set Mother Earth apart from a lot of their contemporaries. Titles include "Satisfied", "Groovy Way", "Andy's Song", "Ruler Of My Heart", "This Feeling", and "You Won't Be Passing Here No More". CD

A really great duo set – alto from Bob Mover and piano from Walter Davis Jr – playing together here in a relaxed live setting that really has both players at the top of their game! Mover is an especially great surprise – and blows here with this openly flowing sense of imagination that's mindblowing – a raspy edge on the alto that hearkens back to some of the players who inspired him, but with this very personal quality that's at a level that was only captured on a rare few of his other albums. Davis is the piano giant you'd expect – with that masterful sense of tone and timing that resonated especially well on some of his overseas dates of the 70s – and the recording quality has this nice sense of room that only further underscores the intimacy of the two players working together, and which seems to do especially nice things for Mover's horn. Titles include long creative takes on "Star Eyes", "Bird Feathers", "A Nightingale Sang In Barkley Square", "Donna Lee", "Nica's Tempo", and "All The Things You Are/Prince Albert". CD

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last bold statements made by the Music Revelation Ensemble – recorded at the end of the 80s, but still very much in an angular mode that's somewhere between the Ulmer/Ornette experiments of the 70s, and some of the post-no wave jazz in New York! Neither of those comparisons are a surprise, given that the group had strong New York roots – and a lineup that includes James Blood Ulmer on guitar, David Murray on tenor sax, Amin Ali on electric bass, and Cornell Rochester on drums. Tracks are sharp-edged and freewheeling – sometimes with a ferocity that was a bit more common in the Naked City generation – and titles include "Exit", "Inter City", "Big Top", "Tap's Dance", and "No More" – all written by Ulmer. CD

One of the forgotten stars of the De-Lite/Vigor Records label of the 70s – a female singer who does a great job here with some nice crossover disco material recorded in Philly! Jeanne's got a vibe that's maybe a bit more down to earth than some of the trashed-up divas trying to jam into the scene – a quality that really sets the album apart, and which works well to balance the more polished arrangements from Bhen Lazaroni. A bit surprise is also the presence of Kool & The Gang – who show up on the final cut, "Stop Look & Listen" – a mellow stepper that has a great laidback east coast vibe! Other titles include "Are You Ready For This", "Come To My Room", "Goodbye Traveler", "Forget That Girl", "Tired Of Writing Songs", "Let's Make Love", and "Do Those Little Things". CD features a bonus 12" version of "Let's Make Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A genius album – Willie Nelson returns to his early Texas roots, and makes Ray Price sound better than he has in years! The match is no surprise, given that Willie wrote a few big hits for Ray before his own star shone brightly – and the album features these fantastic remakes, done in a small group mode that's almost western swing! LP, Vinyl record album

They got that title right, because with decades of performances on the strip, Wayne certainly earned the name of "Mr Las Vegas"! However, Newton oddly never recorded a live album in Vegas during his years working for Capitol – so this collection is oddly one of the few non-live packages in Capitol's Vegas Centennial Collection – and instead features studio work from Wayne's early albums for the label. But that's ok with us, because we love the jazzy pep of these sides – a pop-heavy, playful approach to tunes that follows nicely off Bobby Darin's style at the time – no surprise, as Wayne got a lot of help at the start from Bobby. The package does feature 2 live tracks, but recorded in Hollywood – "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You" and "Mack The Knife" – alongside studio tunes "Danke Schoen", "As Long As I'm Singing", "Strangers In The Night", "Wives & Lovers", "More", "Call Me Irresponsible", "LOVE", "I've Got The World On A String", and "Charade". CD

The amazing debut of NRBQ – a set that might come as quite a surprise if you only know some of this group's later work! The New Rhythm & Blues Quintet were maybe one of the first great groups to hail from Louisville – an early part of the legacy that would later include Squirrel Bait, Palace Brothers, Slint, and many others – and the group already show a unique placement at the crossroads – working sometimes in rootsy modes with a bit of twang, sometimes in rawer styles with a bit of garage, and even taking stops along the way for bits of influence from Sun Ra and Carla Bley! The mix of modes here is maybe a lot more along the lines of what was happening in the Bay Area scene of the late 60s – but is even more revolutionary as a lone sound from the heartland – and titles include "Ids", "C'Mon Everybody", "Stomp", "Hymn Number 5", "Stay With Me", "Hey Baby", "You Can't Hide", and a surprising version of Sun Ra's "Rocket Number 9". CD

The overlooked collaboration between Human League singer Philip Oakey and producer Giorgio Moroder! The duo initially worked together on the outstanding "Together In Electric Dreams" single – a surprise hit from Moroder's soundtrack for a forgettable movie – and given The Human League's move towards a dancefloor sound around the same time, the timing was perfect! Moroder lays down a soulful synth backdrop that rarely lets up – in fact, the first five tunes flow together almost like a continuous suite! Ultimately, this is a sweet, largely forgotten slice of quintessentially 80s sounds – in a style that's endured – especially when you consider its influence on groups like Passion Pit a good 25 years later! Other tracks include "Now", "Why Must The Show Go On", "In Transit", "Goodbye Bad Times" "Brand New Lover (Take A Chance)", "Be My Lover Now", "Valerie" and "Shake It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible pairing of talents – and a record that proves once again that the vibes of Roy Ayers are maybe one of the most powerfully soulful forces in the universe! It's no surprise that Roy's old records have formed the building blocks of key hip hop tracks over the years – and year, Ayers serves up vibes alongside fresh production from Oh No – in a set of all instrumental tracks that are overflowing with sweet vibes from the master, plus a blinding array of beats, samples, and other great production elements! Tracks are short and to the point, yet still deliver plenty – and titles include "Another Two 4", "Ice Cold Coolers", "Penthouse Elevators", "Intended Mayhem", "Short Tempers", "Dead Ringers", "Unbeautiful", "Leeches" and "Problems & Solvers". CD

An incredible pairing of talents – and a record that proves once again that the vibes of Roy Ayers are maybe one of the most powerfully soulful forces in the universe! It's no surprise that Roy's old records have formed the building blocks of key hip hop tracks over the years – and year, Ayers serves up vibes alongside fresh production from Oh No – in a set of all instrumental tracks that are overflowing with sweet vibes from the master, plus a blinding array of beats, samples, and other great production elements! Tracks are short and to the point, yet still deliver plenty – and titles include "Another Two 4", "Ice Cold Coolers", "Penthouse Elevators", "Intended Mayhem", "Short Tempers", "Dead Ringers", "Unbeautiful", "Leeches" and "Problems & Solvers". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from a great lineup – an assortment of players who've made quite a name recording sets like this one for the Japanese market! Tenorist Eric Alexander is very firmly in place on the set – giving it the same gentle soul and well-crafted sound as his own great albums – and other players include Jim Rotondi on trumpet, David Hazeltine on piano, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and Steve Davis on trombone. The horns in the frontline are beautifully poised throughout – tightly crackling on the head arrangements, then breaking out in soulful solos – in a way that reminds us a lot of some of the legendary work by the Benny Golson-Art Farmer Jazztet. It's no surprise that the group covers the Jazztet standard "Killer Joe" – and the album also features great versions of Duke Pearson's "You Know I Care" and Ahmad Jamal's "Night Mist Blues" – plus originals "Island" and "Hot Sake". CD

Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography! CD

Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff – a much richer album than you might guess from the cover and title! Pino Palladino and Blake Mills have a way of making some wonderfully fresh sounds here – Palladino on a variety of basses, and Mills on reeds, guitars, and a whole host of other instruments too! The music is jazz, but of the sort that goes most strongly for the overall sound of the group's output – maybe reaching forth past the sonic experiments of early ECM, but with a very contemporary vibe, and a spirit that's much more varied and filled with surprise overall! Players shift as much as the instruments from track to track – and the set features work from Sam Gendel on poly sax (which sounds great!), plus Larry Golding on flutes and mellotron sax, Marcus Strickland on bass clarinet, and Chris Dave on drums and percussion. The sound is great – very unique, in ways that are hard to describe easily in words – with titles that include "Soundwalk", "Man From Molise", "Djurkel", "Off The Cuff", "Notes With Attachments", and "Ekute". CD

Fantastic solo sounds from guitarist Jeff Parker – a set of recordings that were all done live, with no overdubs at all – but which really show a complex approach to his overall sound! Parker's almost in some of the more abstract territory here as on some of his Chicago Underground Duo recordings – but he's also maybe a bit more tuneful, while also more introspective – showing us a personal, human side of his music that's extremely moving – and which really comes as quite a surprise, compared to some of his other records. Some numbers almost have a Jim Hall-like fragility, while other points are more creatively textural – and the whole thing is really wonderful, and represents a whole new step for Parker – a musician who's already been blowing our mind for about 20 years. Titles include "Super Rich Kids", "Slight Freedom", "Mainz", and a beautiful take on "Lush Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the funkiest record ever made by guitarist Joe Pass – a real surprise from an artist we mostly know for his mellower and straight ahead work! The style here is tight electric funk, almost in a Groove Merchant sort of way – and given Joe's heavy use of hollow-body guitar on the record, and the warm chromatic hues in his tone, the style's a fair bit like O'Donel Levy on his 70s classics from the same era. Bassist Carol Kaye had a hand in putting together the record, and there's a similar feel here to her own best grooves – tight, studio-oriented work – but never slick or too commercial! Other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Paul Humphrey on drums, Tom Scott on sax and flute, and JJ Johnson on trombone – and despite the presence of these heavyweights, the record has a nicely soulful sound that's more indie grit than major label funk! CD adds some bonus tracks to the original record – and features 18 titles that include "Free Sample", "Better Days", "Head Start", "It's Too Late", "Gotcha", "Alison", "The Preacher", "Bass Blues", "Burning Spear", "Slick Cat", "Flying Down To Baja", and "Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's every bit as cool as its cover – and one of the strongest Blue Note sessions from Hammond organ legend Big John Patton! The tracks are long, and have a great loping rhythm – a groove that Patton creates by using the bass pedals alongside the drums of Ben Dixon – a player who really helps John break past more familiar Hammond modes – and helps establish that unique sound that really made the organist one of the strongest 60s players on his instrument! The rest of the combo is fantastic too – with Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Richard Williams on trumpet – the last of whom is a real surprise, if you only know his work with Charles Mingus. The tracks are nice and long, and have a good balance between soulful roots and more modern intentions – on titles that include "Just 3/4", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "The Rock", and "Davene". CD

A record that's every bit as cool as its cover – and one of the strongest Blue Note sessions from Hammond organ legend Big John Patton! The tracks are long, and have a great loping rhythm – a groove that Patton creates by using the bass pedals alongside the drums of Ben Dixon – a player who really helps John break past more familiar Hammond modes – and helps establish that unique sound that really made the organist one of the strongest 60s players on his instrument! The rest of the combo is fantastic too – with Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Richard Williams on trumpet – the last of whom is a real surprise, if you only know his work with Charles Mingus. The tracks are nice and long, and have a good balance between soulful roots and more modern intentions – on titles that include "Just 3/4", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "The Rock", and "Davene". LP, Vinyl record album