A really unusual album in the Chet Baker catalog – a bit of a mystery from top to bottom, but with a classic vibe nonetheless! First off, the album's got Chet with guitar on the cover – odd, as he never plays the instrument – then the back lists Joe Pass on guitar as being on the record – but there doesn't seem to be any guitar at all! Instead, these appear to be mostly the older 50s Chet Baker vocal recordings for Pacific Jazz, with Russ Freeman on piano – but presented in a way that has the echo turned up, which actually sounds pretty darn cool. Titles include "That Old Feeling", "Look For The Silver Lining", "There Will Be Another You", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "My Buddy", "My Funny Valentine", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums Gato Barbieri ever cut – and a key link between his late 60s avant work with Don Cherry, and his Latin-tinged albums of the 70s! The album features Barbieri working with a New York group of avant players – including Beaver Harris on drums, Roswell Rudd on trombone, and Charlie Haden on bass – but the sound is a bit more focused and forward-moving than you might expect, thanks to a strong sense of rhythm on the date. Lonnie Liston Smith plays piano and Richard Landrum handles conga and percussion to give the set a slightly Latin flavor – and the overall sound is not that dissimilar from some of Pharoah Sanders' albums at the same time on Impulse. Barbieri's tone is fantastic – and the spiralling piano work by Smith really gives the album a lofty spiritual tone – on titles that include "Zelao", "Cancion Del Llamero", "Haleo & The Wild Rose", and "Antonio Das Mortes". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". CD

A real oddity – a soundtrack on Vee Jay records, the label best known for their groundbreaking work in soul, blues, and jazz. Even stranger, the score is for a schlocky Vincent Price film, based on a Jules Verne story – written by Les Baxter, in the flowery style he used for some of his late 50s, non-exotic work at Capitol. The album is performed by the 100 Men, directed by Cal Carter of Vee Jay – and titles include "Topage", "Flight Concerto", "Philadelphia", "Drifting Clouds", and "Over The Rocks". Nice painted cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few sessions ever recorded by tenor player Walter Benton – a great talent with a very strong voice, coming out of a gutsier 50s era, and growing into a capable hardbop player by the time of this set. The album's got Benton playing in a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and either Jimmy Cobb or Albert Heath on drums – and although the group's clearly not Benton's working unit, the overall sound of the record is quite strong, with very capable rhythm playing, and some nicely arcing solos with spirit and surprising touches. Titles include "Iris", "Night Movement", "A Blues Mood", "Azil", and "Walter's Altar". CD

One of the few sessions ever recorded by tenor player Walter Benton – a great talent with a very strong voice, coming out of a gutsier 50s era, and growing into a capable hardbop player by the time of this set. The album's got Benton playing in a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and either Jimmy Cobb or Albert Heath on drums – and although the group's clearly not Benton's working unit, the overall sound of the record is quite strong, with very capable rhythm playing, and some nicely arcing solos with spirit and surprising touches. Titles include "Iris", "Night Movement", "A Blues Mood", "Azil", and "Walter's Altar". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Featuring Joe Hooker and Puff Daddy. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Smoking live material from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – a set recorded at Birdland, aka The Jazz Corner Of The World – home to a number of key performances by the group! The lineup here features a key transitional version of the group – with the younger Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, already setting the combo on fire with their new ideas and very bold work on solos – and the great Hank Mobley on tenor, who'd worked with Blakey for a few years at this time – and provides this deeply soulful grounding that's as great as his own records, but maybe even a bit more open in the live setting. The great Jymie Merritt is on bass – one of Art's secret weapons over the years – and the set list of this first volume includes "Hipsippy Blues", "Justice", "Just Coolin", and a nice version of "Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

8 records across 4 discs! Included in this collection: The Big Beat, The Witch Doctor, Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Volumes 1&2, The Freedom Rider, Mosaic, 3 Blind Mice and The African Beat. CD

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, recording in the very familiar territory of the Birdland nightclub – in a format that was handled previously by the Blue Note label, but maybe never with a lineup this great! The performance features the sublime frontline trio of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all players that are their youthful best, and completely on fire with creative imagination under Blakey's leadership – the start of a great run for all of them as solo stars too. The tracks are long, and even if the tunes are sometimes familiar, the performances are spectacular – that special Jazz Messengers energy that makes records like this so great. This first volume includes the tracks "The Opener", "What Know", "Round About Midnight", and "The Breeze and I". LP, Vinyl record album

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, recording in the very familiar territory of the Birdland nightclub – in a format that was handled previously by the Blue Note label, but maybe never with a lineup this great! The performance features the sublime frontline trio of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all players that are their youthful best, and completely on fire with creative imagination under Blakey's leadership – the start of a great run for all of them as solo stars too. The tracks are long, and even if the tunes are sometimes familiar, the performances are spectacular – that special Jazz Messengers energy that makes records like this so great. This second volume includes the tracks "Night Watch", "The Summit", "High Modes", and "The Things I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, recording in the very familiar territory of the Birdland nightclub – in a format that was handled previously by the Blue Note label, but maybe never with a lineup this great! The performance features the sublime frontline trio of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all players that are their youthful best, and completely on fire with creative imagination under Blakey's leadership – the start of a great run for all of them as solo stars too. The tracks are long, and even if the tunes are sometimes familiar, the performances are spectacular – that special Jazz Messengers energy that makes records like this so great. This second volume includes the tracks "Night Watch", "The Summit", "High Modes", and "The Things I Love". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool set from the 70s – one that's part reggae, part sweet soul, and part funky jam – all served up with a nicely mixed up vibe that really makes the whole thing shine! The group hail from Barbados, and there's some great Caribbean funk on the record at times – especially on the instrumental moments, which have qualities that echo American funky 45s, but with a nice twist on the styles! The sweet soul vocals are great too – not heard often, but a nice feature when they appear – as is some of the more unusual organ and guitar expressions over reggae styled rhythms. A great record, with a strong sense of depth and variety – on titles that include "What A Life", "Don't Blame This Joint", "Sella", "Stop Leaning On The Shoulder Of Your Brother", "Let Me Get Stoned", "You're The Match", "I Just Can't Reach You", and a remake of "The World Is A Ghetto". LP, Vinyl record album

The first truly great David Bowie electric guitar album – an all-out, power-driven set of tracks played by a group that included Mick Ronson and Tony Visconti! Bowie's in prime pre-Ziggy mode here – ripping into tunes that blister with dark energy that are some of the first truly dangerous songs he ever recorded – with this strong undercurrent of mania that follows some of the darker whimsy of his earliest records – set to searing sounds that would forever help Bowie cross over to audiences who might previously have thought him an arty wimp. The set includes classics like "Saviour Machine", "The Width Of The Circle", "All The Madmen", "Black Country Rock", "The Supermen", and the title track, "The Man Who Sold The World". LP, Vinyl record album

The first truly great David Bowie electric guitar album – an all-out, power-driven set of tracks played by a group that included Mick Ronson and Tony Visconti! Bowie's in prime pre-Ziggy mode here – ripping into tunes that blister with dark energy that are some of the first truly dangerous songs he ever recorded – with this strong undercurrent of mania that follows some of the darker whimsy of his earliest records – set to searing sounds that would forever help Bowie cross over to audiences who might previously have thought him an arty wimp. The set includes classics like "Saviour Machine", "The Width Of The Circle", "All The Madmen", "Black Country Rock", "The Supermen", and the title track, "The Man Who Sold The World". Great Ryko pressing – with bonus tracks "Moonage Daydream", "Hang Onto Yourself", "Holy Holy", and "Lightning Frightening". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". CD

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more soulful, spiritual records to ever come from the horn of Peter Brotzmann – thanks to tremendous work from both Rashied Ali on drums and Fred Hopkins on bass – a duo who give the record a very different flavor than some of Brotzmann's other albums for FMP! The record gives lots of open space both musicians, and Hopkins is especially wonderful – almost inheriting a Jimmy Garrison legacy in his work here, with a balance between outside steps and a core pulse that really sounds wonderful. Ali's as great as on his late work with Coltrane – and Brotzmann seems to respond in spirit in his work on tenor, alto, and tarogato. Titles include "Songlines", "Two Birds In A Feather", "No Messages", "Old Man Kangaroo", "Man In A Vacuum", and "It Is Solved By Walking". CD

A wild, far reaching psychedelic rock kaleidoscope from Arthur Brown and his Crazy World! The sounds range from wailing organs and heavy drum backed bigness, to more of a tightly grooving r&b garage influenced trip as the core backdrop – with vocals ranging from falsetto freakouts to rambling speak singing craziness and bursts of brass. Nothing's predictable from one passage to the next, but the group sets a heady groove before it all gets freaky, and they find it again before insanity sets in. Titles include "Prelude-Nightmare", "Fire", "Come & Buy", "Spontaneous Apple Creation", "Child Of My Kingdom", "I Put A Spell On You" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest albums ever from organist Milt Buckner – a set that not only features his own great work on Hammond, but also some excellent vibes from Gene Redd! This isn't the Redd that was a member of Kool & The Gang, but his pops – and Gene works with Buckner here on arrangements to craft a sound that's much hipper and more soulful than usual for Milt – quite a change from some of his dates for other labels, especially some of the overseas ones. The rest of the group features Bill Willis on bass and Phil Paul on drums – and tunes are awash in cool tones and unusual sounds – handled very differently than in other versions. The album includes nice versions of "Take Five", "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Blues", and "Why Don't You Do Right" – all with a lot more of a soul jazz groove than you'd expect! CD

There's a wonderful sense of sound going on throughout this obscure set of dubs from the Bullwackies crew – music that's got some of the headier, bassier sounds of the generation – but which is also dappled with lighter touches at points, especially on keyboards – which makes the whole thing sparkle with a really timeless vibe! Joe Auxumite serves up vocals on about half the tracks on the set, and the instrumentals are equally great – working together with the more lyrical numbers to make a set that's maybe a lot more well-conceived overall than you might expect. Titles include "Shining Star", "Rain From The Cloud", "Simple Little Woman", "Troubled Land", "Recording Connection", "United Rock", and "Black World". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best recordings that Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams ever did together! The material here was recorded for the short-lived Warwick label in the early 60s – with a tight tight rhythm section that includes Jimmy Cobb on drums, Laymon Jackson on bass, and a very young Herbie Hancock on piano. Herbie kicks ass on his solos – and Byrd and Adams are very tight, with none of the clunkiness that sometimes mars their other work. The set includes a killer version of "Mr LuckyTheme", plus the tracks "Out Of This World", "Bird House", "It's A Beautiful Evening", and "Curro's". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best recordings that Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams ever did together! The material here was recorded for the short-lived Warwick label in the early 60s – with a tight tight rhythm section that includes Jimmy Cobb on drums, Laymon Jackson on bass, and a very young Herbie Hancock on piano. Herbie kicks ass on his solos – and Byrd and Adams are very tight, with none of the clunkiness that sometimes mars their other work. The set includes a killer version of "Mr LuckyTheme", plus the tracks "Out Of This World", "Bird House", "It's A Beautiful Evening", and "Curro's". CD

The rare debut of this soulful Jamaican trio! Titles include "Baby Why", "What Kind Of World", "Cheer Up", "Let Them Talk", "Be A Man", "No New Love", and "Got To Find Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Recorded live in North Carolina in 1972. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great early album by Jimmy – and one that was issued in the US by A&M, but was licensed from London in the UK. The production is great, and tracks mix raw rocksteady rhythms with some great arrangements that add some nice baroque touches at times, especially on the title cut, which features some very nice string parts. Titles include "Hello Sunshine", "Come Into My Life", "Hard Road To Travel", "Time Will Tell", "Many Rivers To Cross", and "My Ancestors". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

CD includes 28 tracks, with music by the early King Cole Trio, plus some nice solo material too! Titles that include "Nature Boy", "Too Young", "Send For Me", "Mona Lisa", "On The Street Where You Live", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Smile", and "LOVE". CD

Spiritual sounds galore – an amazing 2-fer from Alice Coltrane! Huntington Ashram Monastery is powerful work from Alice Coltrane – an incredible trio album that features her heavily on harp, plus a bit of piano – in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! The sound is wonderful – lush, yet contemplative – in a personal style that really shows Alice beginning to express herself in new modes after the death of The Great One. The us of harp is especially incredible – handled here with a sense of majesty that really leaves us breathless, and which goes far beyond other use of that instrument in jazz. And even Alice's piano is surprisingly nice – with these mellow, earthy undertones that bubble at the bottom and ground the whole effort on earthly territory. Titles include "Turiya", "HIS", "Jaya Jaya Rama", and "Via Sivanadagar". World Galaxy is one of Alice Coltrane's most ambitious albums of the early years – recorded with a full set of heavenly orchestrations! The core group features Alice on piano, organ, and harp – alongside Frank Lowe on saxes, Reggie Workman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, and Ben Riley on drums. Added to this combo is a much larger set of strings – swirling around in a rich musical backdrop that gives Alice's work a sense of majesty and power we could have never imagined. This is the album that really showed the world that she was far far more than just the wife of the late great one – a true mystical visionary with a sound that demanded to be heard! Side 2 features a recitation by Alice's spiritual mentor, Swami Satchdiananda – and the album features a wonderful version of "My Favorite Things", done with both organ and harp, plus the tracks "Love Supreme", "Galaxy In Turiya", and "Galaxy In Satchidandana". CD

One of Alice Coltrane's most ambitious albums of the early years – recorded with a full set of heavenly orchestrations! The core group features Alice on piano, organ, and harp – alongside Frank Lowe on saxes, Reggie Workman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, and Ben Riley on drums. Added to this combo is a much larger set of strings – swirling around in a rich musical backdrop that gives Alice's work a sense of majesty and power we could have never imagined. This is the album that really showed the world that she was far far more than just the wife of the late great one – a true mystical visionary with a sound that demanded to be heard! Side 2 features a recitation by Alice's spiritual mentor, Swami Satchdiananda – and the album features a wonderful version of "My Favorite Things", done with both organ and harp, plus the tracks "Love Supreme", "Galaxy In Turiya", and "Galaxy In Satchidandana". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – material recorded as the soundtrack for the Canadian film Le Chat Danse Le Sac – which features new recordings of material that Coltrane had done in previous years, but really updated by the fresh version of this group! Although the music was used in the film, which was an art house hit at best, it's never been issued on record before – and in fact, its existence was something of a mystery until not that long ago – quite a surprise, given that the sessions were done at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, and have a quality level that really matches the Impulse Records best by these musicians! The tunes are almost like this amazing bridge between the mid 60s Impulse years and the Coltrane sound at the start of the decade on Atlantic – as the grooves are modal, and most music is more inside than the group was hitting by 1965 – yet still burning with that searching spirit that made them so great. The lineup, of course, features John Coltrane on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole thing is an instant key addition to the catalog of this tremendous quartet. Titles include two takes on "Naima", three takes on "Village Blues", and the tracks "Like Sonny", "Traneing In", and "Blue World". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Danny Mixon on piano and organ, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Stanley Banks on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

... CD

A wild, far reaching psychedelic rock kaleidoscope from Arthur Brown and his Crazy World! The sounds range from wailing organs and heavy drum backed bigness, to more of a tightly grooving r&b garage influenced trip as the core backdrop – with vocals ranging from falsetto freakouts to rambling speak singing craziness and bursts of brass. Nothing's predictable from one passage to the next, but the group sets a heady groove before it all gets freaky, and they find it again before insanity sets in. Titles include "Prelude-Nightmare", "Fire", "Come & Buy", "Spontaneous Apple Creation", "Child Of My Kingdom", "I Put A Spell On You" and more. CD

This is not only The Crazy World Of Arthur Brand, it's the Strangelands! Strangelands was concieved and committed at the end of the 60s – a wailing freakout of a record if their ever was one. There's a hypnotic bent to the proceeds and solid musicianship that keeps it from spiraling too far out of control, with solid rhythms and addictive organ drones behind the wacked vocals and lyricism. The Strangelands tracks are separated into 4 parts dedicated to "The Country", "The City", "The Cosmos" and "The Afterlife". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little disco album that's a lot better than you might think! In some ways, this might be Crown Heights Affair's most perfectly realized album – as it's got lots of long tracks that mix the group's always-tight instrumental style with a spacey soul sensibility that's quite captivating. None of the cuts are standout slammers, but the album's pretty nice as a whole, and the songwriting gives the group plenty of good lyrics to work with. Titles include "Galaxy Of Love", "Dream World", "Things Are Going To Get Better", "I'm Gonna Love You Forever", and "Say A Prayer For Two". CD features a huge amount of bonus mixes too – including "Say A Prayer For Two (orig 12" version)", "Galaxy Of Love/I'm Gonna Love You Forever (original promo 12" medley)", "I Love You (unreleased 12" version)", and original 7" single versions of "Dream World", "I Love You", "Galaxy Of Love", and "Say A Prayer For Two". CD

Includes the songs "Okra", "Rain Shower", "Natchez Shopping Blues", "Your Lips", "Harlem Country Girl", "Zora","Young Mama", "Bubber (If Only)", "Father Blues", "Jungle Jay", and "Kiane". CD

... CD

A trio of great tracks from the Lovelife? LP! "Hey Young World Pt 2" features Phonte & Mystic. Produced by 9th Wonder. "Spread The Light" produced by Square4. "Day In Day Out" produced by Illmind. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A pre-punk bit of charged, hard grooving Motor City rock from Death – a lost record that takes a tightly coiled, blazing approach to their influences of garage rock and psychedelia – and a record that's all the better in that it was recorded way back in 1975! To put it bluntly, music didn't really sound like this in '75 – and it would be as easy to label the sound as something like, "mid 70s Detroit African American precursor to Husker Du", etc, but this is a honestly a pretty remarkable album for its time that we don't want to trivialize it with a lazy nutshell description. The group does distill their influences in a way that's reminiscent of some midwestern post punk, but Death is pre-punk, making it a really fascinating record, and a blast to crank up in your headphones! Titles include "Keep On Knocking", "Rock-N-Roll Victim", the longer, seemingly Arthur Lee influenced "Let The World Turn" (eventually nailing a fiercer sound the likes of which Love never messed with), "You're A Prisoner", "Freakin Out", "Where Do We Go From Here???" and "Politicians In My Eyes". 7 songs, 27 minutes, and pretty awesome. LP, Vinyl record album

There's never been a better bit of pop throwaway dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

There's never been a better bit of throwback dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". This great expanded 2CD edition includes a full CD of remixes, too – 26 tracks in 2CDs! Given that the weird mixes and extrapolations of tunes by the group were such a big part of their larger sound, the extra material really helps get a full picture of the album's greatness! CD

A fantastic early reggae hit – and a classic bit of rocksteady that never grows old! Desmond was one of the first artists to really crack the global charts, and this American pressing of "Israelites" is more than proof of his popularity – as well as a great little tune! 7-inch, Vinyl record

With Steve Wilson on alto and soprano sax, Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Steve Davis on trombone. CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A look at the important second chapter in the LA punk scene – the years 1982 through 1987 – examined in great detail by John Doe, who was very much on the spot as a member of the band X! Doe gets help from writer Tom Desavia, and both open the door to contributions from a whole host of others – Henry Rollins, Billy Zoom Dave Alvin, Maria McKee, Peter Case, Jane Wiedlin, and many others – all of whom lend their voices to provid a very vivid illustration of this point in LA – a time when the music went from the underground to the mainstream, and faced some key challenges along the way. Harcover edition is 328 pages, with a section of black and white images. Book

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

D12's sophmore full length is a pretty fair improvement over the largely forgettable debut – particularly the single "My Band", one of the rare cuts in which Eminem seems to have a pretty good time lampooning is own image. Other tracks include "Git Up", "Loyalty" featuring Obie Trice, "Just Like U", "In The Morning", "How Come", "D12 World", "American Psycho II" featuring B-Real and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A strange film, but a great soundtrack! George Duning came up with an excellent batch of jazzy tracks for the film – and most of them swing hard and tightly, with strong jazzy solos, in a manner that's similar to some of Mancini's best scores of the late 50s. A number of tracks have odd "Eastern" touches in the melody – mostly through the use of percussion – and this makes the jazzy tracks even nicer, and gives them a strange feel that's similar to some of the "east meets jazz" albums on Verve during the 60s. Titles include "Aberdeen Caper", "Gwenny Lee", "At The Namcock", "Groove For Suzie", and "Hit The Road To Dreamland". Towards the end of the soundtrack, some cuts have a more orchestral feel, and this is in keeping with the change of mood in the film. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

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

A pair of classics from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! First up is Spirit – a big hit for the group – and a great album of smooth funky soul! Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Of course, with Charles Stepney helping out on production, it's hard to miss – and he's one of the few cats who could handle a blend like this so well. The compression in the band's playing is impeccable – with just the right mix of spacey spiritualism, sophisticated jazzy playing, and a straight ahead love of the soulful hook. Includes the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney! That's The Way Of The World may be Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". LP, Vinyl record album