An early leader session for Jimmy Cleveland – one that pulls him out of the Lionel Hampton group, and puts him in the company of a number of different all-stars – top level players that Mercury brought together in three different sessions for the album. Players include Lucky Thompson, Cecil Payne, Barry Galbraith, Wade Legge, Paul Chambers, and Jerome Richardson – and it's the quality of the ensemble grooving that really makes the album swing, a lot more than Cleveland's solos on his own. Titles include "Vixen", "Hear Ye Hear Ye", "See Minor", "Bone Brother", "Count 'Em", and "Little Beaver". LP, Vinyl record album

Post Funkadelic and Parliament work from George Clinton – an assortment of tracks from a variety of Columbia and Sony-related albums by artists who include Sweat Band, Mutiny, Junie, Bootsy Collins, Mico Wave, Philippe Wynne, and the P-Funk All-Stars! Most of the material here has an early 80s sort of feel – that second wave of P-Funk inspiration after so many other groups were grabbing the Clinton groove – and bass is especially upfront in the mix on most of these numbers, topped with vocals that are definitely in the style first encouraged by George back in the day. Titles include "Funky Kind" and "If Anybody Gets Funked Up" by George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, "Leakin" and "Party On Plastic" by Bootsy Collins, "Lump" and "Funk N Bop" by Mutiny, "Rappin About Rappin" and "Love Has Taken Me Over" by Junie Morrison, "Instant Replay" by Mico Wave, "Freak To Freak" by Sweat Band, "Breakout" and "Never Gonna Tell It" by Philippe Wynne, and "One Of Those Summers" and "Pumpin It Up" by P-Funk All Stars. CD

A mellow soulful classic by John Coltrane – and one of his best-remembered early albums for Prestige! The session has all the gentle glow that you might guess from the title – a laidback, open-ended approach that has Coltrane blowing long solos over rhythms from the trio of Red Garland piano, Paul Chambers bass, and either Jimmy Cobb and Art Taylor on drums – with just a bit of guest trumpet from either Freddie Hubbard or Wilbur Harden on three of the album's four tracks. The tunes are plenty long, and even with the added soloists, Coltrane still gets in plenty of space – on titles that include "Stardust", "Time After Time", "Love Thy Neighbor", and "Then I'll Be Tired Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

The team of Coltrane and Mobley seems like a strange pairing from the perspective of the history books – but at the time, the pair were two of the brightest new stars on the tenor, each with a sound and style that would make them huge, so it was no surprise that they were brought together for a blowing session like this on Prestige. The set's got a nice open ended feel – with 4 long tracks that give the players plenty of solo room, and a group that includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Elmo Hope on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Titles include "On It", "Weeja", "Avalon", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary group who never fully got their due – and maybe one of the creepier acts on the British scene at the start of the 70s! The cover art probably gives things away – but the sound of the record is even more haunting – with some acoustic elements that echo the acid folk movement of the time, but more dynamic energy at other spots that resonate more with prog – all topped by vocals that have a completely sinister sound that really makes the group stand out! Despite the acoustic guitars, these guys are hardly the traditional-leaning style of some of their folk rock contemporaries – and, if anything, it feels like they opened up some Pandora's box from the past, and let out all this weird Wicker Man energy. Titles include "Bitten", "The Prisoner", "Diana", "The Herald", "Song To Comus", and "Drip Drip". LP, Vinyl record album

Given that Chick Corea first got his start working in the New York Latin scene back in the 60s, the album's a bit of a return to his roots – even if the general theme here is Spanish, and not Afro-Cuban! The Corea Spanish Heart here is cast in some darker, more contemplative tones than more traditional Latin sides – but it borrows a wonderful array of modes from genres past – including bits of strings, percussion, and an overall more ambitious approach that sometimes shows up in Chick's piano work, or in the general construction of the tunes. The double-length set features a wide variety of Spanish-influenced numbers – played by Corea on acoustic piano and a variety of keyboards, with other players who include Don Alias, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, and Steve Gadd. Titles inclu de "Love Castle", "The Gardens", "Night Streets", "The Hilltop", "Armando's Rhumba", "Prelude To El Bozo", "Spanish Fantasy", and "My Spanish Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Given that Chick Corea first got his start working in the New York Latin scene back in the 60s, the album's a bit of a return to his roots – even if the general theme here is Spanish, and not Afro-Cuban! The Corea Spanish Heart here is cast in some darker, more contemplative tones than more traditional Latin sides – but it borrows a wonderful array of modes from genres past – including bits of strings, percussion, and an overall more ambitious approach that sometimes shows up in Chick's piano work, or in the general construction of the tunes. The double-length set features a wide variety of Spanish-influenced numbers – played by Corea on acoustic piano and a variety of keyboards, with other players who include Don Alias, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, and Steve Gadd. Titles include "Love Castle", "The Gardens", "Night Streets", "The Hilltop", "Armando's Rhumba", "Prelude To El Bozo", "Spanish Fantasy", and "My Spanish Heart". CD includes the bonus track, "The Clouds". CD

Stomping organ instrumentals from Dave Baby Cortez – a great little batch of work for the Clock label at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s, all of which helped to really find a place for the organ in American pop and soul! Cortez brought a style to the instrument that was as wild as some of the guitarists and saxophonists of his time – a mode that wasn't really jazz, was a bit R&B, and which helped give the organ a much leaner sound than some of its "skating rink" uses in pop during the decade before. Dave's clean style is a great fit for the jaunty, leaping rhythms of these tunes – with a dozen numbers in all, and titles that include "Piano Shuffle", "The Happy Organ", "Catnip", "Mardi Gras", "The Whistling Organ", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "Hurricane". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for some incredible instrumental interplay that comes from bumping Hammond lines, wickedly sharp drums, and non-stop riffing guitars – all of which take center stage, while the vocals only seem to be part of the mix to urge the instruments onward! Tracks are long and jamming – ala the early Westbound work from George Clinton – and although The Counts recorded before and after the space of this album, this set is definitely the group's masterpiece. Titles include "What's Up Front That Counts", "Rhythm Changes", "Thinking Single", "Why Not Start All Over Again", "Bills", and "Pack Of Lies" – plus the bonus tracks "Shortsville", "I Know Why" and "Rhythm Changes Reprise". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for some incredible instrumental interplay that comes from bumping Hammond lines, wickedly sharp drums, and non-stop riffing guitars – all of which take center stage, while the vocals only seem to be part of the mix to urge the instruments onward! Tracks are long and jamming – ala the early Westbound work from George Clinton – and although The Counts recorded before and after the space of this album, this set is definitely the group's masterpiece. Titles include "What's Up Front That Counts", "Rhythm Changes", "Thinking Single", "Why Not Start All Over Again", "Bills", and "Pack Of Lies". CD features two bonus tracks – "Motor City" and "What's It All About". CD

An unreleased gem from deeply soulful singer Carolyn Crawford – a cut that's got these slightly funky drums that really set the tone right from the start – this nice snapping groove that seems to have Carolyn's vocals soar even more! And those vocals take on a nicely different vibe on "Sugar Boy" – a warmer, sweeter tune that has this stepping groove that's really compelling – topped with some great female backing vocals next to Crawford's lead! 7-inch, Vinyl record

All the great early albums from Creation Rebel – plus their excellent comeback too! The set begins with Dub From Creation – not just the debut album from Creation Rebel, but also a set that marks the first studio work from the young Adrian Sherwood – part of the long On-U Sound legacy to come, and a wealth of other wonderful music! There's a spareness here that's great – maybe a bit less dark than later Sherwood projects, but no less stark – with melodica and keyboards weaving nicely amidst the dubby rhythms! Titles include "Basic Principals", "Dub Fusion", "Liberation", "Rising Star", "Vision Of Creation", and "Creation In A Iration". Next is Close Encounters Of The Third World – an early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". Rebel Vibrations features early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". Starship Africa is a brilliant Creation Rebel effort for On-U Sound from the dawn of the 80s – landing in the futuristic dub spacecraft that is their Starship Africa – percussion heavy and spaced out ingenuity from Adrian Sherwood & co! Tripped, echoey atmospherics that's cast as a soundtrack to movie that doesn't exist, the music is forward thinking, boundary busting dubby grooves exists out of time and sounds great to this day. Includes "Starship Africa" (Sections 1-5) and "Space Movement" (Sections 1-4). On Psychotic Jonkanoo, Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". From 2023, Hostile Environment is the first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". CD

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

Posse track with verses from Afu Ra, QNC, Jane Blaze, Fat Cat Kareem, Starang Wondah, TEF, and Krumbsnatcha; with production by Curt Cazal. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Killer fusion from keyboardist Jorge Dalto – who plays some especially great Fender Rhodes on the album, plus a bit of moog and Arp as well! The album's got a warm sound that never lets the keys get too spacey – a slight Latin undercurrent in the rhythms, and the album's slight vocals too – sung by Ruben Blades, Dalto and Adela. But most tracks are instrumental, and feature the keyboards very strongly in the lead – on top of instrumentation that includes Seldon Powell on tenor, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Victor Paz on trumpet, and Bernard Purdie on drums. Ronnie Foster plays a bit of minimoog on the set – and the record has the same soulful fusion feel as some of his best work – with a lean, spacious groove, but one that's always plenty darn soulful. Titles include "For Openers", "Dolphin Dance", "Theme In Berlin", "Stella By Starlight", "Time For Some Changes", and "I've Got You On My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Two killers from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – both records that are different from his Cookbook sessions with Shirley Scott, and his twin-tenor battles with Johnny Griffin! First up is I Only Have Eyes For You – easily one of our favorite Eddie Lockjaw Davis albums! The record's a lot livelier than most – and it's recorded with the little-known Paul Weeden trio, who featured a young Don Patterson on organ. Weeden's a pretty good guitarist himself, and the whole session has a nice groovy groovy feel. Titles include "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Street Lights", and "The Way You Look Tonight" – and all tracks are taken at a good clip, with a strong club sound to them. Next is Trackin – a tight little soul jazz cooker from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – done with a sound that's leaner and cleaner than some of his Cookbook sessions – thanks to great Hammond from Don Patterson, working here in the trio of guitarist Paul Weeden! The combo's totally great – nicely focused, and hitting that more mature soul jazz swing that started to really come into play during the mid 60s – that stripping down of the organ stops, focused bite on tenor, and tight comping of guitar – all of which the combo carry off wonderfully – with help from George Duvivier on bass and Billy James on drums. There's a nice long cut with a laidback groove called "Beano", and a number of other shorter standards given the tenor/organ treatment – including "What's New", "Day By Day", and "Robbin's Nest". CD

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Not actually a proper album – but still one of the greatest Miles Davis albums of all time! Side one features 10 tracks from Miles' amazing soundtrack to the film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud – with excellent work by French players Barney Wilen, Rene Urtreger, and Pierre Michelot, on haunting moody tracks like "Generique", "Lassassinat De Carala", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac", and "Dinner Au Motel". Great stuff – and with a wonderful sound that's like no other Miles album! Side 2 is equally great – as it features 3 classic sextet tunes – "On Green Dolphin Street", "Put Your Little Foot Right Out", and "Stella By Starlight" –peformed with Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans in that amazing Kind Of Blue mode of perfection. Truly one of our favorite albums of all time! LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? This is the ultimate Miles Davis album – the one that includes so many songs that we've heard way too much in Starbucks, in retail stores, or at a friend's house who claims to be a "jazz expert", but is really a yuppie dilettante. Yet somehow, over all the years, and all those playings, the record manages to still sound fantastic – a truly inspirational piece of music that's long deserved all the attention it gets! The legendary group on the album includes John Coltrane on tenor, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Bill Evans on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass – working with Miles in a relatively modal style, with brilliant rhythm changes and a wonderful sense of space. The whole thing's sublime – and titles include "Blue In Green", "All Blues", "So What", and "Freddie Freeloader". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album ever released by Sammy Davis Jr – a great debut for Decca Records, filled with a range of tunes that beautifully sum up his many talents! The Sam heard here is a fair bit straighter than the Sammy D of later Ratpack years – an amazing young singer with a really incredible voice – one that's just perfect for mellow ballads or more upbeat, swinging numbers. Backings are by Mort Stevens, Sy Oliver, and Joseph Gershenson – often with a hint of jazz, but usually with a fuller, more dramatic approach that matches the incredible vocal range of the young Davis. Titles include "And This Is My Beloved", "Lonesome Road", "Hey There", "My Funny Valentine", "Spoken For", "Birth Of The Blues", and "Stan Up & Fight". LP, Vinyl record album