A great lost crime jazz soundtrack – penned by Elmer Bernstein in the style of some of his best work from the 50s! There's a real Man With The Golden Arm feel here – as the orchestra rises and falls in a mode matching the Staccato title – and solos break out with a fluid and brazen sort of feel – plenty of jazz to show the west coast origin of the recording! Players include Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Dick Nash on trombone, Ted Nash and Dave Pell on saxes, John Williams on piano, and Barney Kessell on guitar. The show itself is pretty darn cool – and starred a young John Cassavetes as detective Johnny Staccato – a role that supposedly gave Cassavetes enough money to shoot the film Shadows in his free time! Great all the way through – with tracks that include "Staccato's Theme", "Thinking Of Baby", "Poi & Juice", "Deadly Game", "Night Mood", "Jazz At Waldo's", "Like Having Fun", and "MacDougal Street Special". LP, Vinyl record album

One dozen "berrys", all of them great – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies cliches – and which reminds us that at the start, his music was coming from the same Chess Records fount as Bo Diddley's riffing guitar and Muddy Waters' Chicago blues! The tunes all work together perfectly – and the familiar numbers fit in perfectly with overlooked gems that really make the album great – especially when Chuck's guitar is really given a chance to step out and solo. Titles include "La Juanda", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "It Don't Take But A Few Minutes", "Rock & Roll Music", and "Low Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

The great solo debut of Big Noyd – an MC who'd gotten an earlier hand up from Mobb Deep, whose Havoc and Prodigy really help out on the set! Part of that help was due to the fact that Noyd was behind bars while the album was in process – but his contributions here are key, really echoing that energy he brought to his appearance before – and set up with that nice sense of darkness that Havoc could bring to his production! The approach is great – leaner and less full of itself than west coast work that might hit similar territory – and titles include "The Precinct", "Recognize & Realize", "All Pro", "Infamous Mobb", "Usual Suspect", "Episodes Of A Hustla", and "I Don't Wanna Love Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard on the Moserobie label – and that's saying a lot, given the groundbreaking material the Swedish imprint has given us for almost 20 years! Daniel Bingert heads up a group that's very heavy on reed interplay, on a set of tunes that are Monkish at points, but also have some surprising funky touches – not in a conventional way, but at a level that really keeps things interesting! Moussa Fadera handles some plenty heavy drums, and gets bass accompaniment from Torbjorn Zetterberg – a player we always love, but who shows off a whole new side of his talents here. The reeds soar, cross, and sparkle – work from Per Texas Johansson on tenor and bass clarinet, Jonas Kullhammar on alto, and Charlie Malberg on baritone – who also plays piano. The leader Bingert also brings in some moog at times, and Karl Olanderson provides key work on trumpet – on titles that include "Tom Of Norway", "Mobley Phone", "Ulla My Dear", "Soul Nedgangen", "Kennet Lemur", and "Latin Good Times Spela Roll". CD

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard on the Moserobie label – and that's saying a lot, given the groundbreaking material the Swedish imprint has given us for almost 20 years! Daniel Bingert heads up a group that's very heavy on reed interplay, on a set of tunes that are Monkish at points, but also have some surprising funky touches – not in a conventional way, but at a level that really keeps things interesting! Moussa Fadera handles some plenty heavy drums, and gets bass accompaniment from Torbjorn Zetterberg – a player we always love, but who shows off a whole new side of his talents here. The reeds soar, cross, and sparkle – work from Per Texas Johansson on tenor and bass clarinet, Jonas Kullhammar on alto, and Charlie Malberg on baritone – who also plays piano. The leader Bingert also brings in some moog at times, and Karl Olanderson provides key work on trumpet – on titles that include "Tom Of Norway", "Mobley Phone", "Ulla My Dear", "Soul Nedgangen", "Kennet Lemur", and "Latin Good Times Spela Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the key records that helped the British scene leap forward in the mid 60s – even if the group never fully got their due at the tome! This set by Blossom Toes has gone on to become the stuff of legend – a record that fully embraced, the headiest psych modes of the period, but also delivered things with a unique vibe and quality level that really sets the record apart – putting it an elite space that would include debut albums from Pink Floyd and Tomorrow! The group are led by the incredible Brian Godding – a hell of a singer, and one whose voice is perfectly tuned to the offbeat production that really makes the whole thing sparkle – as does the fantastic work on guitar. There's some larger arrangements on the set at time, but they only seem to augment the genius at the core – on titles that include "Look AT Me I'm You", "The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog", "People Of The Royal Parks", "What On Earth", "The Intrepid Balloonists Handbook Vol 1", "You", and "Mrs Murphy's Budgerigar". CD

Boy, does the heavy slab psychedelic sludge grooves of Blue Cheer ever sound wonderful, even more than 40 years since it originally walked the earth! Outsideinside hit not too long after the classic Vincebus Eruptem, and damned if we can determine why it's not as celebrated as the debut. That fuzzed out stomp of a sound is back in full effect, as are the titanic drums and an overall sound that uses an electric blues influence as a springboard into heavy cosmic space. Includes their ferocious cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" plus "Feathers From Your Tree", "Just A Little Bit", "Gypsy Ball", "Come And Get It", "The Hunter", "Babylon" and "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

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A classic set that goes "slam" from the very first note – and which helped to set the pace for countless ensemble funk acts to come! Brass Construction had a wonderful sound that was the best-realized version of the east coast indie club combos of the mid 70s – funky at the bottom, but polished at the top, in a style that was equally appreciated by fans of disco and more classic funky soul! The "brass" in their title was certainly strongly supported – as the group used a brace of horns on the top of the mix, smoothly gliding over the choppier rhythms at the bottom. And while there's certainly some vocals on the set, they often take second stage to the tight instrumentation of the group! The set includes the classic "Movin" – virtually a blueprint for mainstream funk at the time – plus the tracks "Changin", "Love", "Talkin", "Dance", and "Peekin". LP, Vinyl record album

This beautiful record features 2 different recordings of an extended piece that Braxton wrote especially for a trio ensemble – and one recording features Braxton with Henry Threadgill and Douglas Ewart, the other features him with Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman. Both recordings feature the players on a huge host of different reed and percussion instruments, alternating freely in the kind of playful interplay that characterized the best work of the AACM. LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius – and the kind of female soul tune we'll never tire of! From the first note, the track oozes sadness – really blue in its approach, setting the scene perfectly for Brenda's great interpretation of Van McCoy's lyric. The hook's incredible – the kind that would grab you even coming out of the muddiest AM radio! The flip's nice too – a bit more upbeat, but with a similar approach. 7-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure Polish date from the great Gustav Brom – the Czech bandleader known for his great grooves for MPS and Supraphon! The styles here are something of a mixed bag – with some tunes that are straight swinging big band, mixed with a few others that show more of the jazz rock influence that Brom's become famous for over the years. Obviously, these latter tracks are the ones that really catch our ears – especially the funky "U Jazu Pod Mostem", which has a real MPS-like feel, and some great funky piano and sax – or "Malovane Sane", which has lots of electric guitar jamming around at the bottom of the groove! Other tracks include "American Patrol", "Chanson D'Amour", "Bogdan Boogie", and "Mahalia". CD

A powerful and righteous album from Brother Moves On – as you might guess from the title – a group led by singer Siyabonga Mthembu, who's worked with Shabaka & The Ancestors – in a lineup that also features some contributions from Shabaka Hutchings as well! The group span their South African roots with some of the contemporary London vibe – mixing jazz elements with vocals and other production elements – in a lineup that also features work from Mthunzi Mvubu on alto and Muhammad Dawjee on tenor. Shabaka Hutchings adds in some flute and clarinet to the group's songs – and titles include "Bayakhala", "Sphila", "Puleng (ext version)", "Sweetie Love Oh", "Mazel", "Ta Tom", "Itumeleng Revisited", and "Hamba The Reprise". LP, Vinyl record album

Chuck Brown and his Soul Searchers group are past the arch jazzy funk of their days on Sussex Records – and they're heading more towards that ensemble sound that would drive the DC Go Go scene in the early 80s. The formula is heard to best effect on the big hit "Bustin Loose", an old school party funk jam that you'll probably recognize immediately – and which put Chuck and the group firmly back on the map for another few years! The group also does a pretty good remake of "If It Ain't Funky", which was on one of the earlier Soul Searchers albums – and the album includes the original cuts "Gotcha Now" and "Game Seven". LP, Vinyl record album

Danny Brown steps up his game on Old – delivering on all the promise of his much-hailed previous Fool's Gold LP – and actually topping it! Danny's XXX was a mix of next-level smarts and production, balanced with knowlingly gutter dwelling rhymes – but this one is knowingly more "mature" on the vocal tip, to a degree – but don't worry, it's still Danny Brown! Once again, the production is brilliant – but with better pacing throughout, making this one of the stronger hip hop full lengths of '13. Includes production by Paul White, Rustie, SKYWLKR, A-Trak and others. Includes "(Old)", "The Return" with Freddie Gibbs, "Wonderbread", "Gremlins", "Torture", "Lonely", "Clean Up", "Red 2 Go", "Dubstep" feat Scrufizzer, "Dip", "Kush Coma" with A$ap Rocky & Zelooperz, "Smokin & Drinkin", "Break It (Go)", "Way Up Here" feat Ab-Soul, "Float On" feat Charli XCX and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly our favorite record ever from reedman Marion Brown – and very different than both his seminal 60s recordings, and his European sides from later years! There's a really earthy feel to this record – one that really lives up to the title, and which comes from the use of lots of percussion, played by just about every group member, ala AACM – but handled in a style that's warmly spiritual, and very organic too – right in line with the best Impulse Records vibe of the time, yet completely its own thing too! Brown plays alto and soprano sax, and is working with players who include Leo Smith on trumpet, William Malone on mbira and autoharp, James Jefferson on bass, and Steve McCall, Jumma Santos, Bill Hasson, and A Kobena Adzenyah on percussion – in addition to percussion plays by other group members too. Two tracks are spare, beautiful solos – almost a Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre vibe – and titles include "Buttermilk Bottom", "Once Upon A Time", "Tokalokaloka", and "Karintha". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Marion Brown – two albums we'd never be without! Geechee Recollections is quite possibly our favorite record ever from reedman Brown – and very different than both his seminal 60s recordings, and his European sides from later years! There's a really earthy feel to this record – one that really lives up to the title, and which comes from the use of lots of percussion, played by just about every group member, ala AACM – but handled in a style that's warmly spiritual, and very organic too – right in line with the best Impulse Records vibe of the time, yet completely its own thing too! Brown plays alto and soprano sax, and is working with players who include Leo Smith on trumpet, William Malone on mbira and autoharp, James Jefferson on bass, and Steve McCall, Jumma Santos, Bill Hasson, and A Kobena Adzenyah on percussion – in addition to percussion plays by other group members too. Two tracks are spare, beautiful solos – almost a Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre vibe – and titles include "Buttermilk Bottom", "Once Upon A Time", "Tokalokaloka", and "Karintha". Sweet Earth Flying has an unusually introspective quality, and features Muhal Richard Abrams playing piano, Fender Rhodes, and Ring Modulated Hammon Organ, plus Paul Bley playing some of the same on a few tracks. The two-keyboard sound is very cool, and the record's dominated by it in a way that we find really surprising, given the fierceness of Brown's sax playing on earlier sessions. Each side of the album features a long suite – side one has "Sweet Earth Flying" and side two has "Eleven Light City" – and each have the tracks drifting in and out, with piano lines swirling about in a soulful spiritual way, as Brown's alto and soprano snake through the elegant arrangements. Really fantastic stuff – and a record that's unlike any we've heard from him! CD

A pare of rare European sessions from saxophonist Marion Brown – back to back on a single set! First up is Gesprachsfetzen – a really wonderful collaboration between alto saxophonist Marion Brown and vibist/reedman Gunter Hampel – a set that's maybe one of the sharpest to come out of their work together! The music has maybe even sharper edges than some of Brown's previous records – a dose of some of the European modernism in which Hampel was steeping himself, but also with some more organic, spiritual qualities on the solos – not just Brown's, but the work of trumpeter Ambrose Jackson – who's pretty great here too. AACM legend Steve McCall is also in the group on drums and percussion, along with bassist Buschi Niebergall – and the set was recorded live, with titles that include "Gesprachsfetzen", "Exhibit A", "Babudah", "Tomorrow Is The Beginning Of The End Of Yesterday", and "Aba". In Sommerhausen is one of the key records that alto saxophonist Marion Brown made while working on the German scene at the end of the 60s – an incredibly fruitful period that seemed to unlock all this new energy in Brown's music in a mode that was similar to what happened when Don Cherry started making time on the European scene! Brown's key partner here is Gunter Hampel – who plays vibes, bass clarinet, and percussion – the latter of which is handled by the other members of the group too – a lineup that includes Ambrose Jackson on trumpet, Daniel Laloux on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – playing here before his better-known work with the AACM. Jeanne Lee brings some lovely vocalizations to the set – and titles include "Dance No 1", "Exhibit B", "Il Ne Chant Pas", "The Sound Of A Song", and "Malipieros Midnight Theater". CD

A pare of rare European sessions from saxophonist Marion Brown – back to back on a single set! First up is Gesprachsfetzen – a really wonderful collaboration between alto saxophonist Marion Brown and vibist/reedman Gunter Hampel – a set that's maybe one of the sharpest to come out of their work together! The music has maybe even sharper edges than some of Brown's previous records – a dose of some of the European modernism in which Hampel was steeping himself, but also with some more organic, spiritual qualities on the solos – not just Brown's, but the work of trumpeter Ambrose Jackson – who's pretty great here too. AACM legend Steve McCall is also in the group on drums and percussion, along with bassist Buschi Niebergall – and the set was recorded live, with titles that include "Gesprachsfetzen", "Exhibit A", "Babudah", "Tomorrow Is The Beginning Of The End Of Yesterday", and "Aba". In Sommerhausen is one of the key records that alto saxophonist Marion Brown made while working on the German scene at the end of the 60s – an incredibly fruitful period that seemed to unlock all this new energy in Brown's music in a mode that was similar to what happened when Don Cherry started making time on the European scene! Brown's key partner here is Gunter Hampel – who plays vibes, bass clarinet, and percussion – the latter of which is handled by the other members of the group too – a lineup that includes Ambrose Jackson on trumpet, Daniel Laloux on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – playing here before his better-known work with the AACM. Jeanne Lee brings some lovely vocalizations to the set – and titles include "Dance No 1", "Exhibit B", "Il Ne Chant Pas", "The Sound Of A Song", and "Malipieros Midnight Theater". CD

One of the great little organ combo that Odell Brown recorded with his crack group The Organ-Izers for Cadet. Lots of very groovy stuff, with Louis Satterfield on bass (before the Pharoahs and before Earth, Wind, & Fire), Curtis Prince on drums, Henry Gibson on congas, and Artee "Duke" Payne on tenor. A great bit of grooviness from the Chicago scene of the late 60's, and a great set of tracks that includes "Mas Que Nada", "Tommy's Thing", "Ain't That A Groove", and a very cool reworking of "Quiet Village", with a cool organ solo instead of piano! CD

Killer organ jazz from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – one of the few Chess albums recorded by organist Odell Brown, an artist who'd go on to behind-the-scenes fame in the world of soul later on in the 70s! Here, Odell hosts a cool combo that features his own Hammond work in the lead – with other local players who include Artee "Duke" Payne on alto, Tommy Purvis on tenor, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Master Henry Gibson on conga – all grooving nicely through short "combo" oriented organ cuts like "Get Off My Back", "Mirar, Mirar", "She's Coming My Way", "Tough Tip", and "No More Water In The Well". They play with a mix of funkiness and virtuosity, and with the same sense of wit as contemporaries like the Jack McDuff group or Young-Holt Unlimited! CD

Killer organ jazz from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – one of the few Chess albums recorded by organist Odell Brown, an artist who'd go on to behind-the-scenes fame in the world of soul later on in the 70s! Here, Odell hosts a cool combo that features his own Hammond work in the lead – with other local players who include Artee "Duke" Payne on alto, Tommy Purvis on tenor, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Master Henry Gibson on conga – all grooving nicely through short "combo" oriented organ cuts like "Get Off My Back", "Mirar, Mirar", "She's Coming My Way", "Tough Tip", and "No More Water In The Well". They play with a mix of funkiness and virtuosity, and with the same sense of wit as contemporaries like the Jack McDuff group or Young-Holt Unlimited! LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual high-concept project from Dave Brubeck – with the man himself on piano, in a setting that features the Cinncinnatti Symphony conducted by Erich Kunzel, with voices too! LP, Vinyl record album

An album with as much depth and richness as the title might imply – a wonderful record from Chico Buarque's newly sophisticated years at the end of the 70s! The set's got a quality that's almost timeless – an interwoven blend of styles that features some of Chico's modes from earlier years, but also an influence that's almost European at times – an approach that has Buarque rising up with some of the great global singer/songwriters, transcending standard MPB with a sense of confidence and personality that's really amazing. Arrangements are by Francis Hime, Tom Jobim, and Roberto Menescal – and most tracks have some prominent guitar played gently, but effectively next to the vocals – handled by players who include Octavio Burnier, Arthur Verocai, and Geraldo Azevedo. Titles are nearly all originals by Chico – with tracks that include "Vida", "Ja Passou", "Fantasia", "Qualquer Cancao", "Nao Sonho Mais", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Morena De Angola", and "De Todas As Maneiras". CD

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Shakin", "Can't Get Enough", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of Verve tracks, arranged by the great Ralph Burns, very much in the same style as his work on the legendary Jazz Scene set. The set's far from a "soloists with strings" snoozer, and features some stunningly edgey arrangements by Burns, with purposefully off-kilter orchestral parts, which provide a startling counterpoint to solos by players like Flip Phillips, Jimmy Hamilton, Roy Eldridge, Ray Brown, and Bill Harris. Hard to find in any format, and with the tracks "Pimlico", "Perpetual Motion", "Sprang", and "Taxco". Comes in a great David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A collection put together in the 80s of Jerry Butlers fantastic material from the late 60s when he went to Philly to work with the then young Gamble and Huff team. A dozen classic numbers in all, including "Only The Strong Survive", "A Brand New Me", "Never Give You Up", "I Could Write A Book", "Just Because I Really Love You", "Hey, Western Union Man", "Lost", 'Are You Happy", "Moody Woman", "What's The Use Of Breaking Up", "Don't Let Love Hang You Up" and "Got To See If I Can't Get Mommy (To Come Back Home)". LP, Vinyl record album

Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, Matt Bauder on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, Jessica Pavone on viola, Evan O'Reilly and Mary Halvorson on electric guitar, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. CD

Smoking work from Donald Byrd – post-Blue Note, post-Larry Mizell, and with a modern funk groove that's still pretty darn tasty! Not one to rest on his laurels – which he could have easily done with endless Mizell-based recordings – Donald shifts his groove here towards more of a boogie-styled 80s approach – one that's got the same sort of loping funk that was showing up in the work of Tom Browne and some of the younger players on the scene at the time. There's a fuller, richer, more soul-based approach to the set – but still some strands of the Mizell years – especially in the album's great keyboard work by Clare Fischer, and its use of chorus vocals on a number of tracks. Wade Marcus and George Bohannon helped with arrangements – and titles include a great funky remake of Fischer's "Morning" – plus "Veronica", "Gold The Moon, White The Sun", "Marilyn", "Pretty Baby", and "People Suppose To Be Free". CD

Smoking work from Donald Byrd – post-Blue Note, post-Larry Mizell, and with a modern funk groove that's still pretty darn tasty! Not one to rest on his laurels – which he could have easily done with endless Mizell-based recordings – Donald shifts his groove here towards more of a boogie-styled 80s approach – one that's got the same sort of loping funk that was showing up in the work of Tom Browne and some of the younger players on the scene at the time. There's a fuller, richer, more soul-based approach to the set – but still some strands of the Mizell years – especially in the album's great keyboard work by Clare Fischer, and its use of chorus vocals on a number of tracks. Wade Marcus and George Bohannon helped with arrangements – and titles include a great funky remake of Fischer's "Morning" – plus "Veronica", "Gold The Moon, White The Sun", "Marilyn", "Pretty Baby", and "People Suppose To Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty collection of goodies that Donald recorded with the great Larry Mizell during the early 70s. Certainly not his all-inclusive best, but some of our favorite material by this legendary soul jazz trumpeter. The tracks have a sparkling electric jazz funk sound, with amazing production that keeps them drifting along with a very soulful vibe. Titles include "Sky High", "Street Lady", "Change", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Black Byrd", and "Flight Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Massively jazzy soul from Donald Byrd – two "love" tunes from the late 70s and early 80s! "Love Has Come Around" goes in a whole new direction than his earlier Mizzell-styled work – snapping a sweet clapping groove, yet still keeping enough acoustic touches to keep things real – and coming across with the best mix of modes you'd hear in a classic Rodney Franklin track! "Loving You" is modern soul genius, a crisp stepping number with Byrd's trademark jazzy flourishes, soaring high on sweet strings, while keeping a really funky groove at the bottom – really one of the best mainstream blends of 70s club and soulful fusion from the time! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places & Spaces – tight, but loose at the same time – with Donald delivering solos that are very different than his work from the 60s, while Mizell finds this way to mix together all sorts of instruments, at so many different levels – but with a clarity that's mindblowing. Most tracks have a nice groove, a few points feature a touch of vocals – and titles include the classic, and oft-sampled "Think Twice" – plus "We're Together", "Makin It", "Rock & Roll Again", "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". CD

An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places & Spaces – tight, but loose at the same time – with Donald delivering solos that are very different than his work from the 60s, while Mizell finds this way to mix together all sorts of instruments, at so many different levels – but with a clarity that's mindblowing. Most tracks have a nice groove, a few points feature a touch of vocals – and titles include the classic, and oft-sampled "Think Twice" – plus "We're Together", "Makin It", "Rock & Roll Again", "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A great chapter in the career of trumpeter Donald Byrd – his post-Blue Note work with the group 125th Street NYC – which is kind of a second chapter to the jazzy fusion style he developed at the start of the 70s! This time around, there's an equal emphasis on soul and jazz – often with some strong vocals in the lead, but also plenty of room for Donald to stretch out and serve up the kind of perfect solos he worked out with the Mizell Brothers in the years before – modes that are continued here with some great guest help from singers and musicians who include Syreeta, Isaac Hayes, Jim Gilstrap, Wah Wah Watson, and Greg Phillinganes! If you like Donald Byrd albums like Places & Spaces or Stepping Into Tomorrow, you'll find that the sound here is a continuation of that mode – taken into the leaner funk territory that would come to play in the 80s. 2CD set features almost all the best tracks from those years, including some single mixes too – and titles include "Thank You For Funking Up My Life (12" disco version)", "Marilyn", "Butterfly", "Gold The Moon White The Sun", "Sexy Dancer", "Love Has Come Around", "Loving You", "Love For Sale", "Star Trippin", "I Love You", "Midnight", "Your Love Is My Ecstasy", "Have You Heard The News", "People Suppose To Be Free", "Morning", "I'm Coming Home", "Sunning In Your Love Shine", "Everyday", "Falling", "So Much In Love", and "Forbidden Love". CD

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The genius of Terry Callier – remixed! One of the greatest things to happen to Chicago soul legend Callier in recent years was his discovery by a host of cutting edge producers and DJs on the European scene – important talents who took his work to a whole new audience, by fusing Terry's original grooves with some more ambitious rhythmic progressions, keyboard lines, and other studio touches. And while you might fear that such knob-twiddling would muddy the waters and dampen Callier's spirit, such was not the case – as work in this vein only seemed to inspire Terry further, to stretch out his wings and reach new musical horizons. The tracks on this set offer a number of recent Callier recordings, remixed by the cream of the current UK and European scene – all as proof of how great this format is when applied to Callier's work. Titles include "Monuments Of Mars (Hopper mix)", "Running Around (Fug city mix)", "Love Theme From Spartacus (4 Hero No Skins mix)", "Sierra Leone (Block 16 mix)", "Darker Than A Shadow (Mitchell & Dewbury mix)", "Love Theme (Zero 7 rmx)", "Imagine A Nation (Funky Lowlives mix)", and "Just My Imagination (Tom Findlay & Keeling Lee mix)". CD

An early 70s gem from Captain Beefheart – not as wild-eyed and whacked out as the late 60s glories – but still a good stretch weirder than most of the post psych, blues-steeped rock of the time! Ultimately, it's still Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, despite it being billed solely to Captain Beefheart on the cover (and his only album NOT co-billed with The Magic Band) – and we'd say it's their first album to go for a consistent mood from beginning-to-end, and we love it for that! If the Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby records are the more feral early twin masterpieces – we'd say this one and Clear Spot are the wiser and more focused siblings, but no less classic! Tracks include "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby","Grow Fins", "There Ain't No Santa Clause On The Evenin' Stage", "Blabbern Smoke", "Alice In Blunderland", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Glider". Great 2LP version features lots of rare tracks – the never issued full length versions of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You" and "Pompadour Stomp" – plus the instrumental "Semi Multicolored Caucasian", and the tracks "Harry Irene", "Best Batch Yet (version 1)", "I Can't Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam", "The Witch Doctor Life (inst)", and "Two Rips In A Haystack/Kiss Me My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Brazilian diva Elizeth Cardoso lays down a number of tracks recorded either with the Zimbo Trio, or with Jacob Do Bandolim. The Zimbo tracks have a nice bossa feel, and the titles include "Cidade Vazia", "Abertura", "E Louxo So", "Tem Do", and "Derradeira Primavera". The cuts with Jacob Do Bandolim are a little more samba oriented, but have a nice groove. Those cuts include "Barracao", "Jamais", and "Mulata Assanhada". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung". CD

The full scope of genius from the legendary Alvin Cash – not just his 60s gritty groovers, but a host of later funk tracks as well – all packaged into a beautiful book-styled package! Cash is one of our favorite Chicago artists ever – a dancer by trade, but a flamboyant personality who always managed to make his way center stage – whether live or in the recording studio! The set begins with early "twine" numbers from Alvin – some romping heavy soul tracks that have a very deep bottom, and a raw sound that's equal part R&B and Chicago soul – definitely tuned towards the dancefloor crowd that was a natural fit for Cash's energy. As the set moves on, it then picks up some wicked late 60s singles for the Toddlin Town label, and also includes some excellent early 70s groovers for Sound Stage Seven – some of Alvin's hardest, heaviest numbers ever. The set features work by Alvin Cash with The Registers, Hundred Dollar Bills, The Crawlers, and Scott Brothers Orchestra – and titles include "Keep On Dancing (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky 69", "Moanin & Groanin", "Doin The Creep", "It's Party Time", "Funky Washing Machine", "Alvin's Doin His Thing", "Funky Street", "Doin The Ali Shuffle", "Whip It On Me", "The Charge", "Boston Monkey", "The Philly Freeze", "Alvin's Boogaloo", "Let's Do Some Good Timing", "The Bump", "Twine Time", "Twine Awhile", "The Barracuda", and "You Shot Me Through The Grease". CD

Cee-Lo Green gits up and gets out on his own – without the heavy burden of too many guest appearances – and the result may be the best album to come out of the Dirty South in quite a while! Cee-Lo's raspy, cotton-mouthed speak & sing style has always been one of the strongest attributes of the Goodie crew, and it's great to hear it stretched out over a fully-realized LP that is worthy of his unique talents. Sweaty, deeply funky, and a bit similar to the kind of material we used to expect from the Native Tongues at their strongest, but with Cee-Lo's unmistakable Cameo inspired croon out front. Includes "Bad Mutha", "Big Ole Words (Damn), "Closet Freak", "Live (Right Now)", "El Dorado Sunrise", "A Thug's Concern", "One For The Road", "Let Him Sing If He Wants To (Break)", "Suga Baby" featuring Big Gipp and Backbone, "Gettin' Grown", "Bass Head Jazz", "Microhard" featuring Jahalla and Kirland Underwater, "Under The Influence", "(Follow Me)", "Medieval Times (Great Pretender)", "Country Love", "Awful Thing", "Maintenance Man (Break)" "Young Man (Sierra's Song)", and "Well Damn, Lo (Break)". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet campy disco classic – and a record that's been close to our hearts for years! Celi Bee may have had white hair and a hokey kind of look, but she won us forever with her incredible "Superman" – a five minute homage to the man in red and blue, and the leadoff track on this debut set! "Superman" is a sweet disco number with lots of strings, heavy rhythms at the bottom, and an erotic vocal that seems to offer the big guy more action than Lois Lane ever did. The rest of the tracks follow in a similar sleaze disco mode, and titles include "Smile", "It's Sad", "Hurt Me Hurt Me", "One Love", and "Closer Closer". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Smile (alt mix)", "Hurt Me Hurt Me (alt mix)", "It's Sad (alt mix)", and 7" mixes of "Superman" and "One Love". CD

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

With Don Davis and Tim Moran on saxophones, Tom Schmidt on bow harp, synthesizer, and bass, Karma Sonam Targee on trumpet, and Stephen Walt on bassoon. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from percussionist Bobby Christian – a set that's a bit of jazz, and a bit of bachelor pad – the latter of which you might have guessed from the cover! LP, Vinyl record album

June's got rhythm, sure, but the real thing that makes her great is her dark and moody sense of melody! This album's one of June's late 50s efforts done with husband/arranger Bob Cooper – not as arch modern as some of her work with Pete Rugolo, but still in a style that's definitely inspired by that classic work. Backing is by a small group of LA jazzers – including Shelly Manne, Russ Freeman, Laurindo Almeida, Frank Rosolino, and Cooper – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Blue Moon", "I Can Make You Love Me", "When Lights Are Low", and "Gypsy In My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Original Mono recording – from 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On". CD

A killer hardbop session from the early 60s – one of Sonny Clark's later sides for Blue Note, and an album that features a great lineup of players that includes lesser-known Blue Note hornmen Charlie Rouse and Tommy Turrentine! The record crackles with the energy and imagination of Clark's best work for the label – leaping and loping along the grooves with a free-thinking approach to the tunes, and coming up with some exotically-tinged takes on the hardbop sound of the time – yet still allowing plenty of space for searing solo work. Ike Quebec joins the group on a few tracks as well, and titles include some of Clark's best compositions – like "Melody for C" and "Voodoo" – as well as the tracks "Eric Walks", "Midnight Mambo", and "Deep In A Dream". CD version includes 2 bonus tracks: "Zellar's Delight" and an alterate take of "Melody for C". CD

A killer hardbop session from the early 60s – one of Sonny Clark's later sides for Blue Note, and an album that features a great lineup of players that includes lesser-known Blue Note hornmen Charlie Rouse and Tommy Turrentine! The record crackles with the energy and imagination of Clark's best work for the label – leaping and loping along the grooves with a free-thinking approach to the tunes, and coming up with some exotically-tinged takes on the hardbop sound of the time – yet still allowing plenty of space for searing solo work. Ike Quebec joins the group on a few tracks as well, and titles include some of Clark's best compositions – like "Melody for C" and "Voodoo" – as well as the tracks "Eric Walks", "Midnight Mambo", and "Deep In A Dream". CD reissue also features a rare bonus cut, the great "Zellmar's Delight", and an alternate take of "Melody for C"! CD

Way more than just the usual snoozer you might expect from Clebanoff – thanks to a good dose of bossa in the mix! The style here is still heavy on the strings, as in the usual Clebanoff mode – but the overall arrangements are also considerably lighter, and trade previous romantic shadings for a breezier Brazilian mode – one that's carried off by lots of lightly snapping percussion at the bottom, and some great instrumental touches on guitar, vibes, and just a bit of flute! In a way, the record's almost a bridge between the older American and European instrumental style of the 50s and some of the new orchestrations that were being penned in Brazil in the 60s – a key early example of that influence on these shores, and featuring tunes that include "Land Of My Land", "Poinciana", "O Passaro", "Jazz Samba", "Mima", and Lalo Schifrin's "Whispering Bossa Nova". LP, Vinyl record album

The Texas tenor legend soars again – in three great albums from his later years! Funky Butt is strong later work by tenor sax legend Arnett Cobb – in a quartet session cut in New York in January of 1980 – sounding fresh and revitalized one of his final studio dates! Funky Butt actually isn't a left turn into a funk sound Cobb, but it is a pretty darn great showcase for his rich, full sounding and playful tenor approach – not too out of character from his work in the late 50s on Prestige. He's backed by a great group that includes Ray Drummond on bass, Derek Smith on piano and Ronnie Bedford on drums. It's got a few fairly stomping numbers, particularly the opener "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and their energetic take on "I Got Rhythm" – and the whole set is terrific – with the bluesy Cobb-composed title track, plus "September In The Rain", "Isfahan", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Satin Doll". Wild Man From Texas is a great overseas set from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a set done after a bit of a late 60s comeback on Prestige Records, and one that takes him back into even grittier territory overall! The great Milt Buckner is on the set on organ and a bit of vibes – and the record also features work from Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Buster Cooper on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, and Earl Warren on alto – players of a generation who really resonate well with Arnett's lead! Titles include "Where Or When", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Smooth Sailing", "Dutch Kitchen Bounce", and "Flying Home No 2". Again is a set that has the tenor of Arnett Cobb reunited with the Hammond of Milt Buckner – but in an unusual quartet that also features Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar! Brown's presence definitely brings out some bluesier currents at times, and the tunes also get plenty of that raw, raspy tenor treatment that Cobb can do so well – on tunes that include "Cobb's Boogie", "Deep Purple", "Cobb's Blues", "Light Like That", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

New Skin for Leonard Cohen, who by 1974 was ready to start singing with a bit more flair, and do so over more textured arrangements – but still raw both emotionally and in the unglossy instrumentation! The core of the sound is still Cohen's voice, his words, and acoustic guitar – but this record brings in some ragged acoustic instrumentation and loose percussion, as well as some more layered strings, some winds, and backing vocals – Janis Ian among the vocalists. On later records, bigger productions would nearly choke the natural life out of Cohen's songs, but this is one of those totally great records where the change in sound would actually enhance the material in the studio – allowing for one of his best albums of the 70s. Titles include "Is This What You Wanted", "Chelsea Hotel #2", "Lover Lover Lover", "Field Commander Cohen", "Ther Is A War", "A Singer Must Die", "Leaving Greensleeves" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set by Nat King Cole joined by conductor/bandleader Quincy Jones and his Big Band – performing live in Zurich on May 1, 1960 – and what an impeccable performance it is! Quincy was touring with a pretty amazing line-up in his Big Band at this point – with Benny Bailey, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Phil Woods, Sahib Shihab, Joe Harris and more – and they kick off the set with a couple gentler numbers before swinging more heavily on a couple, then introduce Nat – who's voice is in perfect form here. He sings his hits with the big band, some additional strings and a pared down trio format for a few – so we really get a broad representation of what these consummate performers can do in a number of settings, all in one concert, to boot. Wonderful stuff – released for the first time ever! Titles include "Moanin'", The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Airmail Special", "Unforgettable", "Sweet Lorraine", "Tea For Two", "Madrid", "The Phantom Blues", "Route 66", "Joe Turner's Blues", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" and more. Also includes a 5 minute interview with Nat. CD

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". CD

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit affected by some of the criticism folks had for the spacious, astral Electric Circus LP – if you ask us Common had no reason to apologize, but we'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for another batch of tracks that sound like they could have been written on a front porch on the southside of Chicago. This is indeed that record – 12 tracks, few guest appearances, and a warm, consistent sound all the way through. There's a 3 track span on this album, from "Chi-City" through "Real People", that's seriously close to perfection. Welcome home, Common! Ruggedly produced by Kanye West, with a couple of stellar production contributions from Jay Dee! Other tracks include "The Corner" feat Last Poets, "Go!", "Faithful", "Testify", "Love Is. . .", "The Food (live)" (this great track has been circulating for a while since it was performed on Chappelle's Show, and we're thrilled Common and Kanye had the good sense to include it on the album), "They Say" featuring John Legend and "It's Your World (Part 1 &2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible look at the format of vinyl – put together by a guy who's got one of the hippest record collections we've ever seen! John Corbett's been writing about music, art, and other formats for decades – but his real labor of love is vinyl records – a format he continued to embrace even at the height of the CD era – so much so that he talked Downbeat magazine into letting him write a special column on musical delights that had never made it to the digital format! Corbett helped plenty of music get reissued on CD himself – thanks to countless label projects – but he also always held a special place in his heart for the kinds of records that never got reissued – and those are the sorts of titles featured here – a massive run of music that runs from jazz to funk, American and European, totally obscure to completely common – presented beautifully together in this massive book! The volume doesn't just bring together Corbett's columns, but also offers up full color reproductions of all the record covers, along with a few other details too – to support efforts on dozens of artists – a huge list that includes Melvin Jackson, Bill Leslie, Black Grass, Night Blooming Jazzmen, Phil Seamen, Khan Jamal, Klaus Doldinger, The Mad-Hatters, Tommy Jones, Guy Warren, The Three Souls, United Front, Johnny Lytle, London Experimental Jazz Quartet, Paul Smoker, AK Salim, Noah Howard, Jack Wilson, and many others – a good number of whom have yet to be reissued. The book is wonderful – and Corbett's longtime declaration of being a vinyl freak is more important than ever, given the rebirth of the medium! Book is 250 pages, softcover, with color images. Book