One of the few albums cut as a leader by trumpeter Henry Lowther – a great player on the British scene of the end of the 60s, but one who mostly labored in the service of other groups at the time! Lowther emerges here as an extremely visionary leader – one with a scope of expression and embellishment to match the work of some of his Deram labelmates at the time – especially Mike Westbrook and John Surman. For the album, Lowther plays both trumpet and violin – working in a group that includes tenor, bass clarinet, percussion, and some sparing, but beautiful use of electric piano – just enough to tipple along with the tunes in a lyrical way, and never too much to over-electrify things past the gentler notes of the acoustic instruments. The keyboardist for the set is the lesser-known Mike McNaught, and his work on the session is really wonderful – and the whole album has a gentle approach that's really great, and proof of the depth that was going on in the younger side of the British scene of the time. Titles include "Puppet Song", "Between", "Trav'lling Song", and "Plaything". CD

Before Carlos Malcolm would go on to cut the extra funky collector's item Bustin Out Of The Ghetto, he plied the Ska trade, and was one of the genre's leading lights in the early days of Jamaican music. Malcolm and crew bust out a fine batch of mostly instrumental horn driven tracks, with all 11 jaunty, skanking numbers from the original LP included here, plus one bonus track, including titles like "Skamania", "Run For Cover", "Hunchback No. 1", "Tiptoe", "Skaramouche", "Bonanza Ska", "Earthman", "Skokian", "Head Shrinker" and "Hopalong Cassidy". CD

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the early years of Henry Mancini – a hip jazzy TV score that we've loved for years! The jazzy theme to "Mr Lucky" is reason enough to buy this album – as it's got these wonderful warm washes of sound, interlayed in a way that makes you wish the track went on and on and on again – but Mancini brilliantly follows that gem up with a host of wonderful other tunes – cool numbers that move past even the familiar crime jazz that Hank had given us on Peter Gunn, into a level of instrumental sophistication that set a whole new tone for the 60s generation to come. Other tunes include "Lightly Latin", "Tipsy", "One Eyed Cat", "Chime Time", and "March Of The Cue Balls", a Mancini classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

A short detour in the 60s career of Chet Baker – one that we sure like a heck of a lot! This side is one of a couple that were recorded as an answer to the big success of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – with Chet's trumpet was backed by jaunty, brassy arrangements penned by Jack Nitzsche, and George Tipton. And while it might be easy to dismiss the tunes as copycat sound-a-likes, they're really not – as Nitszche brings in a much fuller groove to most of the numbers than Herb Alpert ever did – more of a sunny LA pop feel that has the whole group really gliding along on bold waves of sound all topped off by Baker's horn – sounding stronger and more confident here than on many of his other recordings of the 60s! Some numbers have a Latin undercurrent while others lean towards mainstream pop – a style that's bolder than A&M's approach to Tijuana – and one that explodes with some youthful LA energies! 12 tracks in all, including "Happiness Is", "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", "The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine)", "On The Street Where You Live", 'Armen's Theme", "You Baby" and "It's Too Late". LP, Vinyl record album

The title tips you off to the unique sound of the session – no bass at all in the group – just the tenor of Scott Hamilton, piano of Dave McKenna, and drums of Jake Hanna! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful quartet session from the young alto genius Jackie McLean – recorded for Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! That issue doesn't stop the set from being a classic killer, though – as the group features the stunning Sonny Clark on piano, still very much at the top of his powers, and a perfect match here for the sharp edges and new ideas of Jackie's horn – still very much in a hardbop mode, but with some of the edgier modernism that would burst forth in his "new thing" years. The rest of the group features Butch Warren on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both superb players – and titles include "Two For One", "Nicely", "Rainy Blues", and "Tippin The Scales". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful quartet session from the young alto genius Jackie McLean – recorded for Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! That issue doesn't stop the set from being a classic killer, though – as the group features the stunning Sonny Clark on piano, still very much at the top of his powers, and a perfect match here for the sharp edges and new ideas of Jackie's horn – still very much in a hardbop mode, but with some of the edgier modernism that would burst forth in his "new thing" years. The rest of the group features Butch Warren on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both superb players – and titles include "Two For One", "Nicely", "Rainy Blues", and "Tippin The Scales". CD

A wonderful quartet session from the young alto genius Jackie McLean – recorded for Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! That issue doesn't stop the set from being a classic killer, though – as the group features the stunning Sonny Clark on piano, still very much at the top of his powers, and a perfect match here for the sharp edges and new ideas of Jackie's horn – still very much in a hardbop mode, but with some of the edgier modernism that would burst forth in his "new thing" years. The rest of the group features Butch Warren on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both superb players – and titles include "Two For One", "Nicely", "Rainy Blues", and "Tippin The Scales". LP, Vinyl record album

A real gem on the Grabaciones Accidentales label – home to some of the most creative, inventive electronic music of the late 80s – especially for some of the Spanish artists that got their exposure on the imprint! This album's a wonderful testament to all that was allowed by new electronic developments at the time – particularly the way to capture a sound and transform it, served up here in a mix of programs and live instrumentation that provide a wonderfully dark palette of sounds! Tunes are nicely abstract at most moments – no set rhythms, and very little in the way of melody – yet there's also an inherent structure to many of the numbers that reminds us of the way that Asmus Tietchens might handle similar space. Titles include "Visibilidad Cero", "Viajar Recodar", "Daguerrotipo", "Baku 1922", "Conceptos Basicos", and "Rueda Viviente Que Pasea Con Espectador Automatico". LP, Vinyl record album

Island compilation of some of the Meter's best sides for the Josie label, including such rare funk goodies as "Tippi Toes", "Live Wire", "Chicken Strut", "Ride Your Pony", "Cissy Strut", "Funky Miracle", "Sophisticated Cissy", and more! Groovy textured cover, and a great batch of tracks from the old days! LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy load of funk from one of the greatest funk groups of all time! The set brings together original early Sansu/Josie recordings by The Meters – from that magical point when they were redefining the sound of instrumental soul with these lean, mighty killers from the New Orleans scene! Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Look A Py Py", "Tippi Toes", "Cissy Strut", "Chicken Strut", "Live Wire", "Here Comes The Metermen", "Message From The Meters", "Ride Your Pony", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

The Meters are struttin plenty here – stepping out with those hard, tight New Orleans grooves that practically changed the way funk sounded in the 60s – and which had a huge impact on the sound of so many other groups in the decade to come! The approach here is wonderfully lean – whomping rhythms, bubbling Hammond organ, and scratchy guitar work – all used in a nicely spare, understated way – very different than the fuller New Orleans sound of their later records – and very much the kind of energy of the funky 45 underground! The whole thing is fantastic – all great cuts, all the way through – given sharp edges through the production work of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, on titles that include "Same Old Thing", "Joog", "Chicken Strut", "Liver Splash", "Hand Clapping Song", "Hey Last Minute", "Tippi-Toes", and "Ride Your Pony". A bucket of breaks in every track! LP, Vinyl record album

The Meters are struttin plenty here – stepping out with those hard, tight New Orleans grooves that practically changed the way funk sounded in the 60s – and which had a huge impact on the sound of so many other groups in the decade to come! The approach here is wonderfully lean – whomping rhythms, bubbling Hammond organ, and scratchy guitar work – all used in a nicely spare, understated way – very different than the fuller New Orleans sound of their later records – and very much the kind of energy of the funky 45 underground! The whole thing is fantastic – all great cuts, all the way through – given sharp edges through the production work of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, on titles that include "Same Old Thing", "Joog", "Chicken Strut", "Liver Splash", "Hand Clapping Song", "Hey Last Minute", "Tippi-Toes", and "Ride Your Pony". A bucket of breaks in every track! CD features 2 previously unissued cuts – "Funky Meters' Soul" and "Meter Strut"! CD

Includes the songs "Cissy Strut", "Live Wire", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Pungee", "Tippi-Toes", "Soul Island", "Cabbage Alley", "People Say", "Hey Pocky A-Way", "Just Kissed My Baby", "Jungle Man", "Out In The Country", "Fire On The Bayou", "They All Ask'd For You", and "Trick Bag". CD

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on the set – a Philly vibe that really matches the best work from the Gamble & Huff stable, but with more of an indie vibe too – fitting for the Buddah Records placement of the set. The record features studio help from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, and Bobby Eli – whose work on the record helps link the style to the righteous grooves of groups like Soul Generation or True Reflection – both a good comparison to The Modulations too! Titles include "It's Rough Out Here", "I Found Love At Last", "Those Were The Best Days Of My Life", and "I'll Always Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles are on the cover of the "2023 Ultimate" year in review issue of Mojo – and if there's a stronger testament to their omnipresent legacy at our fingertips today, we can't think of it! Paul and Ringo open up about the unlikely new single "Now And Then" and so much more, in an issue that also includes an excellent roundup of Mojo's selected 75 best albums of the year, interviews with Damon Albarn of Blur, Bono and Adam Clayton of U2, features on Geddy Lee, Warren Zevon, Elliot Smith's pre-solo breakout work with Heatmiser, Gruff Rhys, Anohni, Martin Carthy and more. Also includes a free CD – with tracks by Young Fathers, The Tubs, Anohni & The Johnsons, Wilco, Rickie Lee Jones, the dearly-deparated Jaimie Branch and lots more. 15 tracks in all. Magazine

With Tony Levin on drums. CD

Keith Tippett on piano, wood blocks, pan pipes, and percussion – with Paul Dunmall on saxophones, Paul Rogers on bass, and Tony Levin on drums and percussion. CD

A relaxed small group session from saxophonist Oliver Nelson – a record that's quite different than some of his more tightly arranged dates, and a good reminder of this side of his talents! Oliver plays both alto and tenor sax on the album, and he's joined by a perfect group for the easy rolling groove of the tracks – Joe Newman on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – plus a young Ray Barretto on congas, who brings in the loping, stepping groove you find on other early 60s soul jazz sets of this nature. Nelson's sax is always a treat – blown with a sharper edge than you might hear with a big group – and the tracks are all quite fress too, and include "Tipsy", "Mainstem", "Ho!", "J&B", and "Latino". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant stuff – and exactly the place to start with Harry Nilsson! Long before his style had become cliched – or before it was copied by too many others – Nilsson cut this mad album of wonderful little songs – sort of a cross between folksy singer-songwriter work, and more baroque-oriented styles, like those of Scott Walker – and like Walker, in a really unique space of its own! The key element here is whimsy – and Nilsson let arranger George Tipton take him all over the map, from the somber tone of his classic "Without Her", to the spacious joy of "River Deep Mountain High", to the silliness of "1941", and the sad beauty of "She's Leaving Home". Great stuff all around – with a sound that's impossible to pinpoint, but which is perfect all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from Nimoy – and proof that his committment to being more than just a sci-fi actor was real, if not successful! The record features groovy pop and vocal tracks with arrangements by George Tipton, and a nice mod-ish feel that works well with Nimoy's Scott Walker-ish vocals and seriousness. The record features a number of very nice original tracks like "Contact", "Piece Of Hope", "The Man I Would Like To Be", and "Maiden Wine" – plus covers like "Cycles", "Nature Boy", and "A Trip To Nowhere". Very groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work on vinyl! Bird's great recordings for Savoy have often been poorly packaged over the years, but here you get the whole batch of seminal bop sides by the pioneering artist of the genre! Bird's the leader on most of these sides, but there's a nice set of recordings under Tiny Grimes and a very young Miles Davis too, with a host of players from the dawn of the bebop age, including Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Duke Jordan, Curly Russell, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. An as you'd expect from this kind of set, you get loads of multiple takes so you can hear these pioneering players creating the style that would change the face of jazz forever. Put together in 1978, this set features 66 tracks in all, spread out over 5 LPs, with a nicely annotated book, and includes "I'll Always Love You Just The Same","Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Now's The Time", "Thriving On A Riff", "Koko", "Donna Lee", "Chasin The Bird", "Buzzy", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Another Hair Do", "Bird Gets The Worm", "Barbados", "Ah-Leu-Cha", "Constellation", "Parker's Mood", "Perhaps","Marmaduke", "Steeplechase" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing avant session from the Czech scene of the 70s – and a record that may well be one of the most important to come out of the Eastern Bloc during the decade! Plastic People Of The Universe are a group who managed a legend that went way past their very tight national boundaries – kind of a secret global sense of attention that was spread through the intellectual underground, and forever cemented with this masterpiece of music! The album effortlessly shifts between free jazz, avant experimentation, art rock, and other mode used in these dark and powerful ways – a strong-burning torch that let the world know that Czech innovation was alive and well, even during years of strong Soviet oppression. Instrumentation mixes alto sax, theremin, claviphone, guitar, violin, and double drums – and titles include "The Wondrous Mandarin", "Look At You, All Sound Asleep", "Past My Window", "Constipation", and "Toxica". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing avant session from the Czech scene of the 70s – and a record that may well be one of the most important to come out of the Eastern Bloc during the decade! Plastic People Of The Universe are a group who managed a legend that went way past their very tight national boundaries – kind of a secret global sense of attention that was spread through the intellectual underground, and forever cemented with this masterpiece of music! The album effortlessly shifts between free jazz, avant experimentation, art rock, and other mode used in these dark and powerful ways – a strong-burning torch that let the world know that Czech innovation was alive and well, even during years of strong Soviet oppression. Instrumentation mixes alto sax, theremin, claviphone, guitar, violin, and double drums – and titles include "The Wondrous Mandarin", "Look At You, All Sound Asleep", "Past My Window", "Constipation", and "Toxica". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential New Orleans piano from Professor Longhair – an artist who was neither a professor, nor a man with much hair! The chrome-domed pianist had a huge influence on the sound of New Orleans R&B and soul to come – as he played in a triplet-heavy way that was rooted in blues, but provided a key link to the rhythms that would dominate Crescent City music in following decades. This album features original Atlantic sides cut in New Orleans in 1949 and 1953 – about as classic as you can get for Longhair, with tunes that include "Tipitina", "Hey Now Baby", "In The Night", "Ball To The Wall", "Who's Been Fooling You", "She Walks Right In", and "Willie Mae". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential New Orleans piano from Professor Longhair – an artist who was neither a professor, nor a man with much hair! The chrome-domed pianist had a huge influence on the sound of New Orleans R&B and soul to come – as he played in a triplet-heavy way that was rooted in blues, but provided a key link to the rhythms that would dominate Crescent City music in following decades. This album features original Atlantic sides cut in New Orleans in 1949 and 1953 – about as classic as you can get for Longhair, with tunes that include "Tipitina", "Hey Now Baby", "In The Night", "Ball The Wall", "Who's Been Fooling You", "She Walks Right In", and "Willie Mae". CD

2 funky classics from the legendary Pretty Purdie! Purdie Good is Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". Shaft is a full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing, slow-building mode as Ike's – but which comes across here as an instrumental with some great solo work from Houston Person – playing here almost in a Stanley Turrentine sort of mode! Other tracks continue the hip mix of jazz and larger backings – and feature a lineup of players that includes Neal Creque on electric piano, Gerry Thomas and Danny Moore on trumpets, Willie Bridges and Houston Person on tenors, Billy Nichols and Lloyd Davis on guitars, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, and Norman Pride on congas. The sound is warm without ever sounding too smooth – and Purdie's funky drums at the bottom ensure that most tunes are nicely lively. Titles include "Shaft", "Butterfingers", "Summer Melody", "Changes", "Way Back Home", and "Attica". CD

Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". LP, Vinyl record album

2 funky classics from the legendary Pretty Purdie! Purdie Good is Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". Shaft is a full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing, slow-building mode as Ike's – but which comes across here as an instrumental with some great solo work from Houston Person – playing here almost in a Stanley Turrentine sort of mode! Other tracks continue the hip mix of jazz and larger backings – and feature a lineup of players that includes Neal Creque on electric piano, Gerry Thomas and Danny Moore on trumpets, Willie Bridges and Houston Person on tenors, Billy Nichols and Lloyd Davis on guitars, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, and Norman Pride on congas. The sound is warm without ever sounding too smooth – and Purdie's funky drums at the bottom ensure that most tunes are nicely lively. Titles include "Shaft", "Butterfingers", "Summer Melody", "Changes", "Way Back Home", and "Attica". CD

A mid 90s set from REM, and one that marks a slight and nice shift for the band – working here with textures that are different than most of their music of the previous decade, including moments that have some of the moodiness you might expect from the stark black and white image on the cover! Michael Stipe is still at the top of his game, vocally – and songs definitely bear the hallmark of his songwriting strengths – on titles that include "How The West Was Won & Where It Got Us", "Two", "E-Bow The Letter", "Departure", "Electrolite", "Bittersweet Me", "New Test Leper", "The Wake Up Bomb", and "Low Desert". CD

One of the hardest-jamming Return To Forever albums – recorded with the post-Brazilian lineup that includes Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Lenny White on percussion, and Al DiMeola on guitars. Corea's very firmly in the lead – stretching out in heavy keyboard romps that really take off into space – propelled by fierce drums from White, heavy bass from Clarke, and a bit of tippling guitar from DiMeola. We kind of miss the subtlety of Airto's percussion, and the beautiful vocals of Flora – but the overall sound's still pretty wonderful and we do like the spaced-out keyboard touches! Titles include "Soceress", "The Romantic Warrior", "The Magician", and "Majestic Dance". CD

A massive bucket of breaks from drummer Karriem Riggins – served up here in a drums-only entry to the Madlib Library Series, at a level that might well make it the funkiest of the bunch! There's definitely some slight effects used here from time to time – maybe some edits too – but the core energy of the set comes from Karriem's rock-solid work on the drum kit, which you'll no doubt recognize from his wonderful contributions to many other records – although none have ever had the lean approach as this one! Titles include "Skippy White", "Motown Sound", "Bulldog", "Afriq", "Fam In Our Lives", "Brasilian Gangsta", "To The Jungle", "Tipster", and "Tony Vibes". LP, Vinyl record album

A later soundtrack in the legendary pairing of composer Nino Rota and director Federico Fellini – and a set that almost seems to have Rota picking up a few tips from his 70s contemporaries on the Italian scene! The music here is often more spare than before, and sometimes uses a key instrumental element – like a keyboard or guitar part, delivered with a languid energy that recalls work by Ennio Morricone or Stelvio Cipriani, mixed with a few other passages that have some more Rota-like melody emerging into the mix. There's an almost dream-like quality to the whole record, making it one of Nino's most striking from the 70s – and titles include "L'Uccello Magico", "Canto Della Buranella", "The Great Mouna", "Ricordo Di Henriette", "O Venezia Venaga Venusia", and "La Poupee Automate". LP, Vinyl record album

A later soundtrack in the legendary pairing of composer Nino Rota and director Federico Fellini – and a set that almost seems to have Rota picking up a few tips from his 70s contemporaries on the Italian scene! The music here is often more spare than before, and sometimes uses a key instrumental element – like a keyboard or guitar part, delivered with a languid energy that recalls work by Ennio Morricone or Stelvio Cipriani, mixed with a few other passages that have some more Rota-like melody emerging into the mix. There's an almost dream-like quality to the whole record, making it one of Nino's most striking from the 70s – and titles include "L'Uccello Magico", "Canto Della Buranella", "The Great Mouna", "Ricordo Di Henriette", "O Venezia Venaga Venusia", and "La Poupee Automate". Great pressing – with a huge amount of bonus material not on the original! CD

A later soundtrack in the legendary pairing of composer Nino Rota and director Federico Fellini – and a set that almost seems to have Rota picking up a few tips from his 70s contemporaries on the Italian scene! The music here is often more spare than before, and sometimes uses a key instrumental element – like a keyboard or guitar part, delivered with a languid energy that recalls work by Ennio Morricone or Stelvio Cipriani, mixed with a few other passages that have some more Rota-like melody emerging into the mix. There's an almost dream-like quality to the whole record, making it one of Nino's most striking from the 70s – and titles include "L'Uccello Magico", "Canto Della Buranella", "The Great Mouna", "Ricordo Di Henriette", "O Venezia Venaga Venusia", and "La Poupee Automate". Great pressing – with a huge amount of bonus material not on the original! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had already honed their craft, matured a bit, and were able to serve up just the right hook-heavy blend of hip hop and a touch of R&B – mixing both freewheeling fun with some feminist positivity and maybe just a touch of social consciousness in all the right ways. Titles include their classics "Whatta Man and "Shoop" – plus "Groove Me", "No One Does It Better", "Step", "Heaven Or Hell", "Big Shot", "Sexy Noises Turn Me On", "Somma Time Man", "I've Got Aids (PSA)", and "Break Of Dawn". This 30th Anniversary 2CD version is loaded with bonus tracks, including "Emphatically No", "I Am The Body Beautiful", multiple remixes of "Whatta Man" and "Shoop", "Heaven N Hell (Carron Hall Mix)" and more – plus new liner notes! CD

A classic session from one of the leading lights in RCA's modernist swing stable of jazz musicians during the 50s. Pianist Schaefer's working here with a number of different small groups that include players like Phil Woods, Hal McKusick, Nick Travis, and Milt Hinton – on varying styles that feature either a frontline of multiple altos, multiple trombones, or multiple trumpets. Schaefer wrote many of the tracks on the album – and titles include "This One's For Jack", "Song Of Love", "Real Lee", "Of Thing's Gone By", and "Let's Have A Cerebation". CD

A very cool little set – not a hokey album of big band music, but instead a set that has Hammond hero Shirley Scott taking on some of the same territory as Jimmy Smith on Verve Records! By that, we mean that she teams with arranger Oliver Nelson – who gives Shirley a very cool groove, and 60s updates of older tunes that turn out to be a perfect setting for her soaring solos on the organ! Titles include "Tippin In", "Roll 'Em", "For Dancers Only", "Little Brown Jug", "Sophisticated Swing", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

A great non-LP track from Blue Note – Bill Henderson's excellent vocal version of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues"! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An overlooked gem from Zoot Sims – a session that has him working in very laidback company with Jimmy Rowles on piano, who tipples the keys of the piano with a really timeless late nite kind of sound! The style here is a bit like that of the Rowles/Getz album The Peacocks – although a bit more straightforward overall, with a main focus on the talents of both soloists, coming together beautifully in a relatively spare setting. Bass is by George Mraz and drums are by Mousie Alexander – and the real surprise here is almost Sims, who blows with this open-ended, laidback tone that's really great – a bit languid, but never weary – and somehow with a lot more warmth than on many of his other too-tight records from the 70s. Titles include "Legs", "Shadow Waltz", "I Hear A Rhapsody", "Gypsy Sweetheart", and "Where Our Love Has Gone". CD

A rare second meeting between Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra – recorded for RCA a few years after their initial outing for Reprise, and done with a style that's even moodier than the first! Given that Nancy's less of a star at this point, Lee really dominates the album – and casts Sinatra in a space that's filled with his own dark themes of loneliness, pride, responsibility, and forbidden adult love. Backings are rich and large, but the voices are always upfront in the mix – and arrangers Larry Muhoberac and Clark Gassman really do a great job of getting the Hazlewood vision down perfectly. Most of the tracks are originals, and titles include "Got It Together", "Back On The Road", "Arkansas Coal Suite", "Congratulations", "Paris Summer", "Friendship Train", and "Tippy Toes". Also features two great bonus tracks – "Machine Gun Kelly" and "Think I'm Coming Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare second meeting between Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra – recorded for RCA a few years after their initial outing for Reprise, and done with a style that's even moodier than the first! Given that Nancy's less of a star at this point, Lee really dominates the album – and casts Sinatra in a space that's filled with his own dark themes of loneliness, pride, responsibility, and forbidden adult love. Backings are rich and large, but the voices are always upfront in the mix – and arrangers Larry Muhoberac and Clark Gassman really do a great job of getting the Hazlewood vision down perfectly. Most of the tracks are originals, and titles include "Got It Together", "Back On The Road", "Arkansas Coal Suite", "Congratulations", "Paris Summer", "Friendship Train", and "Tippy Toes". Also features two great bonus tracks – "Machine Gun Kelly" and "Think I'm Coming Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Jim Snidero on alto – with Mike LeDonne on Hammond, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Tony Reedus on drums. CD

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One of the classic sessions of Brit free playing by John Steven's ever-changing Spontaneous Music Ensemble. For this recording, the group is a quartet featuring Stevens, Trevor Watts, Ron Herman, and Julie Tippetts (recording here after only just recently shedding her Driscoll name and pop/soul career – and playing guitar, as well as singing.) Tracks include "One, Two, Albert Ayler", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sunshine pop from the Strawberry Alarm Clock – an album that's a bit trippy, a lot sunny – and just the right mix of psych and harmony soul! There's some wonderful overlooked nuggets on the record – tunes that go past their chart hits, and which really remind us that the group was definitely a cut above most of their contemporaries – with these edges and surprises that really keep things interesting. The mighty George Tipton helped arrange some of the best cuts – and titles include the massive "Barefoot In Baltimore" – a perfect bridge between the earlier 60s harmony sounds, and the headier mode of the later generation – as well as the tracks "Sea Shell", "Lady Of The Lake", "A Million Smiles Away", "Shallow Impressions", and "Eulogy". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty big collection of cuts from the legendary Sylvester – not the first music the Bay Area legend ever put on record, but the kind of tracks that really established his genius working as a key bridge between so many strands of life and music in the 70s! The package features key club tracks that made Sylvester a huge force in both the mainstream and underground disco scenes, most with other soul tracks that show just what a strong vocalist he was in just about any setting – served up here in a 26 track package that mixes album tracks, rare mixes, and important singles. Titles include "Down Down Down (12" mix)", "Over & Over (12" mix)", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight", "I Who Have Nothing (12" short disco)", "Was It Something That I Said", "Stars (12" disco version)", "Can't Stop Dancing", "Sell My Soul (12" disco version)", "You Are My Friend", "Fever", "Change Up", "Dance Disco Heat (12" disco)", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Thinking Right", "In My Fantasy", and "Could It Be Magic/A Song For You". CD

A massive double-header – one that features the first two Sylvester albums for Fantasy Records! First up is the self-titled Sylvester – a reworking of his older groove into one that we love more than any other that he ever used – a smooth modern soul style, not really disco, but with a driving approach that would certainly have worked well in the clubs! You gotta give Syl credit here – as it would have been easy for him to turn up the camp a lot in the 1977 disco days – but instead he's sticking strong to his soul impulses, and has come up with a wonderful album of tracks that's like the first Luther album – one that you can enjoy whatever your take on the man, without any introduction to his person or persona. Of course, a big part of the credit also goes to Harvey Fuqua – who's reemerged here from his years at RCA to produce the record – showing his always strong ability to seek out new talent, and bring out the best in them. Titles include "I Tried To Forget You", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Never Too Late", and "Over & Over". Step II is probably Sylvester's biggest album for Fantasy – and for good reason too! The set pushes onto the dancefloor a bit more than before – often with some slight keyboard touches that hint at the Patrick Cowley years, but with none of the coldness of those records at all. The great Harvey Fuqua's producing here with Syl, and the sound is rich and bold – an even more prideful statement than Sylvester's first album on Fantasy. Two Tons Of Fun deliver some great backup vocals, and Cowley lays down a bit of keyboards – and titles include the all-time disco classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real", plus "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Just You & Me Forever", "Grateful", and "I Took My Strength From You". CD

A massive double-header – one that features the first two Sylvester albums for Fantasy Records! First up is the self-titled Sylvester – a reworking of his older groove into one that we love more than any other that he ever used – a smooth modern soul style, not really disco, but with a driving approach that would certainly have worked well in the clubs! You gotta give Syl credit here – as it would have been easy for him to turn up the camp a lot in the 1977 disco days – but instead he's sticking strong to his soul impulses, and has come up with a wonderful album of tracks that's like the first Luther album – one that you can enjoy whatever your take on the man, without any introduction to his person or persona. Of course, a big part of the credit also goes to Harvey Fuqua – who's reemerged here from his years at RCA to produce the record – showing his always strong ability to seek out new talent, and bring out the best in them. Titles include "I Tried To Forget You", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Never Too Late", and "Over & Over". Step II is probably Sylvester's biggest album for Fantasy – and for good reason too! The set pushes onto the dancefloor a bit more than before – often with some slight keyboard touches that hint at the Patrick Cowley years, but with none of the coldness of those records at all. The great Harvey Fuqua's producing here with Syl, and the sound is rich and bold – an even more prideful statement than Sylvester's first album on Fantasy. Two Tons Of Fun deliver some great backup vocals, and Cowley lays down a bit of keyboards – and titles include the all-time disco classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real", plus "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Just You & Me Forever", "Grateful", and "I Took My Strength From You". CD

A pair of records from Tempest – a group formed by drummer Jon Hiseman after the breakup of Colosseum! First up is the self-titled Tempest record – music by a hell of a group from the glory days of the Bronze Records scene – a group who boast some fantastic guitar work from a young Allan Holdsworth that are more than enough to get them on the label – but who also have a richness and complexity that rivals some of the hippest prog acts on labels like Vertigo or Harvest too! Ex-Colosseum member Jon Hiseman handles drums and percussion with a mighty nice edge, Mark Clarke delivers some heavy sinister basslines, and Paul Williams echoes all of those strengths with his dark-tinged vocals – in a mode that's nicely beyond some of the cliches that other groups might hit on a record like this. Titles include "Gorgon", "Brothers", "Foyers Of Fun", "Upon Tomorrow", "Grey & Black", "Up & On", and "Dark House". Next up is Living In Fear – a really great record from Tempest – a group who have so many different things going on at once – guitars that would be right at home on a hard rock effort, rhythmic complexity that verges on prog, and a tunefulness that really sends the whole thing over the top with an unexpected appeal that keeps on going throughout the entire set! Maybe the tipoff is the group's great cover of "Paperback Writer" – showing a love of the harmony in earlier work by The Beatles – updated here to a more guitar-based, fuzz-heavy style for the 70s – and matched with some equally groovy songs that have us wondering why these guys never found more of a following at the time! Other titles include "Funeral Empire", "Stargazer", "Dance To My Time", "Living In Fear", and "Waiting For A Miracle". CD set features two bonus tracks – "You & Your Love" and "Dream Train". CD

An incredible feather in the already-large hat of Rob Mazurek – work that more than lives up to some of his boldest visions on previous recordings, but does so in a completely new direction! The album features a set of larger-form compositions all put together by Rob – in ways that show a remarkable ear for mature colors and concepts – handled by players who are both from the third coast of the Chicago scene, and from Brest in France – where all the music here came together! Even if you already know and love Mazurek's other music, there's something very different and special here – as Rob's cornet and direction shape the sound of a lineup that features incredible performances from Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Christiphe Rocher on clarinets, Jeff Parker on guitar, Lou Malozzi on electronics, Steve Berry on trombone, Christofer Bjurstrom on piano, Philippe Champion on trumpet, Tomeka Reid on cello, Nicolas Peoc'H on alto and soprano sax, Irvin Pierce on tenor, and Avreeayl Ra on drums. There's also some beautiful texts penned by Alexandre Pierrepont and background voice from Yannick Leblay – and while the idea of such trans-Atlantic avant jazz collaboration is nothing new, there's a very special, very unique quality to this set – almost as if the players had been working together for many years to realize Rob's vision. Titles include "Under The Hearts Snow", "The Game Circle", "Wild Gale", "On The Trapeze Of Minds Ferns", "Cobalt Of Chance", "This Is The Atoll", and "Drinkable Gold With Shadows' Liquor". CD

A rare and sublime set from Lucky Thompson – recorded at a real turning point in his career! The title refers to the fact that Lucky's working back on American shores after some extended time in Europe – and that fact is nicely hammered home by the cover image, which has Lucky standing on the docks in New York, next to a ship marked "France"! And it's funny, because somewhere in that journey home, Lucky picked up a whole new set of influences – trading the tighter swing-based sound of his classic recordings for a freer, more exploratory style – one that clearly has a bit of inspiration from Coltrane, but which is handled by Lucky in his own unique phrasing and tone. Thompson's playing a fair bit of soprano sax on the record, as well as some of his more traditional tenor – and the group's a beautifully understated quartet, with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Willie Ruff on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Evil Eva", "Slow Dough", "On Tippy Top", "Passionately Yours", and "Love". Added to the album is the equally great Kinfolks Corner – a record also done for the Rivoli label, and featuring a fair bit of soprano sax work from Thompson! The soprano gives Lucky a lighter, freer, more exploratory soul-based sound that's really unique – a bit Dolphy-inspired at times, but with a more inside approach, as in the work of Nathan Davis – so that even on numbers that might seem staid at the outset, the sax work has an edgey quality that's really wonderful. The session features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Frank Anderson on organ, Wally Richardson on guitar, and either Oliver Jackson and Walter Perkins on drums – and titles include "I'll Be Around", "Star Eyes", "Poor Butterfly", "Kinfolks Corner", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Caressable". CD

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One of the freshest groups on the New York scene of the 70s – really cooking on this firey set for Inca Records! There's some slight funky currents that really make the record stand out – a bit of keyboards from Sonny Bravo, and some sweet wah-wah guitar lines that don't seem to be credited on the cover, but which give the whole thing even more of a groove than previous albums! The mix of modern and classic is sublime throughout – handled by key arrangers who include Louie Ramirez, Sonny Bravo, Marty Sheller, and Luiz Perico Ortiz – and the album also features lead vocals from Camilo Azuquita and Jose Alberto, violin from Alberto De La Fe, and drums and timbales from Nicky Marrero. Titles include "Los Campeones De La Salsa", "Xiomara", "Baila Que Baila", "Tina Tinoso", "Si No Eres Tu", "Somos Dos", and "La Mujer Dominicana". LP, Vinyl record album

" A rerelease of two CDs in a budget box". Gold disc copies of "Mujicain: The Bristol Concert" and " Couple in Spirit II". CD

A groundbreaking set from British pianist Keith Tippett – an album of completely improvised material, all-acoustic – and performed with a group that includes Julie Tippett on voice and guitar, Frank Perry on percussion, and Roy Babbington on bass. The album's got a really organic feel – not nearly as free as you might guess from the improvised nature of the work – and more with a fluid, earthy approach that's heavily concerned with sound and spirit, and which reminds us a lot of some of the more challenging early 70s work on Impulse Records. Instrumentation is all acoustic (although the set was oddly produced by Robert Fripp!) – and titles include "Song", "Dance", "Blues I", and "Woodcut". CD

Amazing sounds from British pianist Keith Tippett – a startling crossroads of musical scenes that beautifully brings together the best jazz, rock, and jazz rock impulses on the UK scene at the time – still with a freshness and clarity that the work would never reach a few years later! The sound here is brilliant – often a bit funky at the bottom, and definitely stretching out to freer jazz ideas on the solos, yet always managing a sense of soul and swing that really gives the record a rock solid core – so that even loopy lines seem to land back on the ground, and set the group on fire with a whole new energy. In addition to Tippett's work on electric and acoustic piano, the set also features Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Marc Charig on cornet, Nick Evans on trombone, and Robert Wyatt on drums – on titles that include "Gridal Suite", "Five After Dawn", "This Is What Happens", "Thoughts To Geoff", and "Black Horse". CD

Amazing sounds from British pianist Keith Tippett – a startling crossroads of musical scenes that beautifully brings together the best jazz, rock, and jazz rock impulses on the UK scene at the time – still with a freshness and clarity that the work would never reach a few years later! The sound here is brilliant – often a bit funky at the bottom, and definitely stretching out to freer jazz ideas on the solos, yet always managing a sense of soul and swing that really gives the record a rock solid core – so that even loopy lines seem to land back on the ground, and set the group on fire with a whole new energy. In addition to Tippett's work on electric and acoustic piano, the set also features Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Marc Charig on cornet, Nick Evans on trombone, and Robert Wyatt on drums – on titles that include "Gridal Suite", "Five After Dawn", "This Is What Happens", "Thoughts To Geoff", and "Black Horse". CD

Never-issued work from pianist Keith Tippett – live studio recordings from 1970, and cuts that really capture Tippett at the height of his young brilliance! There's a vibe here that's often a bit different than some of his famous albums of the period – more modal in the rhythms overall, with long-spun cuts that sparkle with a beautifully spiritual sense of energy! The package features three tracks each from two different sessions in 1970 – both of which feature Elton Dean on saxes, Marc Charig on cornet, and Nick Evans on trombone – all sounding every bit as special and soulful as Tippett on the recordings. The first date also features Jeff Clyne on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums – the second has Roy Babbington on bass and Bryan Spring on drums – and titles include "In A Vacant Mood", "Thoughts To Geoff", "How Long This Time", "Five After Dawn", and "Green & Orange Night Park". CD

A stunning large-concept work from pianist Keith Tippett – done with help from a variety of singers, who really help elevate the music to a new level! Julie Tippetts, as you might expect, is a key part of the group – a sextet of singers who group together, then solo – while Tippett conducts a larger ensemble that features improvisations from Paul Dunmall on soprano sax, Kevin Figes on alto, and Ben Waghorn on tenor – plus additional contributions from the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, and what must be a larger organ – given that the work was recorded in a cathedral in England! Julie speaks a few text passages, but mostly sings – and the BBC Singers provide some larger backdrop for the soloists. CD

Keith Tippett on piano. CD

An early stunner from keyboardist Keith Tippett – served up with a punch and power that's missing from a lot of his later work! The music's a perfect blend of free-thinking jazz and some of the more progressive rock ideas of the time – not exactly jazz rock, not exactly avant jazz – but a really unique blend that flourished briefly in the UK for a handful years, under the guidance of Tippett and some of his key contemporaries! Deeper ideas are given a great sense of shape on the set – as Keith plays both acoustic and electric piano – in a cool combo that also includes Elton Dean on alto, Nick Evans on trombone, Mark Charig on cornet, and Alan Jackson on drums. The tracks have a nice little groove at the best moments – not really funky, but not that far off too – almost an echo of some of the MPS or other European styles. Titles include "This Evening Was Like Last Year", "I Wish There Was A Nowhere", "Violence", "Three Minutes From An Afternoon In July", and "Stately Dance For Miss Primm". CD

Keith Tippett and Matthew Bourne on piano –performing together in the studio and live in concert. CD

A seminal recording from Keith Tippett's Ark – a large ensemble of British avant players that coexisted with (and shared members from) Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath! The set was recorded at a time when many on the scene where exploring territory that could only be reached with a larger group – pushing the boundaries of British jazz with a forcefulness borrowed from more progressive experiments – yet still at the best moments (such as this recording), keeping things restrained enough to let even the smallest voices and ideas be heard. Both Keith Tippett & Stan Tracey are on piano – and other players include Elton Dean, Trevor Watts, Harry Miller, Peter Kowald, Phil Wachsman and Louis Moholo – plus vocals from Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nichols. The expanded set features 4 side-long compositions – and although the degree to which they were "composed" isn't explicit, because there's a lot of fiery free playing and interplay, the album's not without focus or direction, and never descends into a din, as a group this large might verge upon. Titles include "Frames", parts 1 to 4. CD

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Really mind-expanding work from British singer Julie Tippetts – an artist who's come a long way from the straighter soul sounds she was doing with Brian Auger in the late 60s! The album shows the same evolution expressed by many of Julie's British jazz rock contemporaries – a progressive, expanded sound that's brought in influences from different 70s strands in jazz and rock, and which exhibits a penchant for longer tunes that have a free interplay – yet one that's still pretty dedicated to rhythmic progression – ala mid 70s Soft Machine or solo work by Robert Wyatt! Keith Tippet plays piano on the session – which also has work from Elton Dean on reeds, Brian Godding on guitar, and Louis Moholo on drums – on tracks that include "Sunset Glow", "Mind Of A Child", "Lilies", and "What Is Living". CD

Really mind-expanding work from British singer Julie Tippetts – an artist who's come a long way from the straighter soul sounds she was doing with Brian Auger in the late 60s! The album shows the same evolution expressed by many of Julie's British jazz rock contemporaries – a progressive, expanded sound that's brought in influences from different 70s strands in jazz and rock, and which exhibits a penchant for longer tunes that have a free interplay – yet one that's still pretty dedicated to rhythmic progression – ala mid 70s Soft Machine or solo work by Robert Wyatt! Keith Tippet plays piano on the session – which also has work from Elton Dean on reeds, Brian Godding on guitar, and Louis Moholo on drums – on tracks that include "Sunset Glow", "Mind Of A Child", "Lilies", and "What Is Living". CD

Vocals by Julie Tippett, Martin Archer on keyboards, electronics and woodwinds and Peter Fairclough on drums with Micheal Somerset Ward on flutes, sax and sea flute. CD

These days, pianist Billy Tipton is somewhat of a legend – largely because "he", was actually a "she", masquerading as a man, and making a name for her/himself as a moody interpreter of standards. Billy's talents on the keys are certainly not enough to get him remembered on his/her own – but the album's a nice one to have if you're curious about the myth, especially because it's got the famous cover image of the masculine Billy, sitting at the piano surrounded by two busty girls! In fact, you'll probably never play the record – with tracks like "Marie", "Delilah", and "Christopher Columbus" – but the cover's worth the price alone! LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

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A great mix of jazz and blues from Joe Turner – a set that seems to draw from his Kansas City roots, yet also inflect the sound with some of the blues changes of the 70s! Joe's got two key soloists here – Sonny Stitt on tenor and alto, and Pee Wee Crayton on guitar – and the vamping piano lines of JD Nicholson ensure some very timely rhythms for the record, maybe tipping things a bit more towards the blues side of the spectrum overall. Titles include a very long take on "Lucille", the nine-minute "Martin Luther King Southside", which is a laidback blues with plenty of solo room – and the cuts "Everyday I Have The Blues", "Shake Rattle & Roll", and "Piney Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Piero Umiliani gave the world some fantastic soundtracks in the 60s, and incredible electronic and sound library work in the 70s – but in the immediate postwar years, he was a jazz musician at heart – as you'll hear in this great set of small combo jazz from 1959! The vibe is right up there with some of the hippest Italian moderns of the period – like the Basso/Valdambrini group, or work by Gil Cuppini – and if you've heard some of the early 60s jazz soundtracks from Piero, you'll know that he can definitely serve up straight jazz work when he wants to! Umiliani plays piano, and other musicians include Marcello Boschi on alto and flute, Ivan Vandor on tenor, Bill Gilmore on trombone, Peppe Carta on bass, and Roberto Zappulla on drums. All tracks are originals – and include "Tempo Jazz", "Tema In Blues", "Mezza Cottura", "Tipi Misteriosi", and "Battesimo Dell'Aria". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "You Got Me Worried", "Without You", "Can I Change My Mind", "I'm Tiptoeing Through", "Are You The Lady", and "It Was Fun While It Lasted". CD

Damn deep grooves from Nick Waterhouse – a singer we've always liked a lot, and one who really seems to sharpen his edge here with some great elements from older R&B! Nick's already proved himself to be one heck of a soulful vocalist – and this time around he picks up more grit from the pre-soul years – including some excellent twangy guitar, tippling piano, and snapping drums – all of which bring out some very blue elements in the lyrics. The overall feel is somewhere in the territory of the 50s 78rpm generation – particularly that of the indie labels that recorded their own styles of R&B – and the production follows nicely, with a very stripped-down feel. Nick's never too overdone – never tries to be too raunchy or over the top – just hits this great blend of soul, blues, and R&B in a very understated mode. Titles include "Sleeping Pills", "Holly", "Hands On The Clock", "High Tiding", "It No 3", and "Let It Come Down". CD

A great early album from Junior Wells – and one that really opens up that more soulful side of his talents that was becoming a Chicago hallmark at the time! The set was produced by Samuel Charters, but has none of the rootsy vibe of his earlier work on Folkways – and instead matches the harmonica and raw vocals of Wells with a bit of horn backings on a few tunes by the great Ed Bland (of previous Sun Ra cinema fame, and later funk arrangements) – blown by the unlikely mix of Tom McIntosh on trombone, with trumpets by Clark Terry, Wallace Davenport, and Jimmy Owens! The core group has the mighty Buddy Guy on guitar, with Walter Williams on rhythm guitar and Douglas Fagan on tenor – and Junior knocks it out of the park, on tunes that include "So Sad This Morning", "When My Baby Left Me", "Stop Breakin Down", "Somebody's Tippin In", "You Don't Love Me", "Little By Little", and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". CD

A terrific career-spanning anthology from one of Congolese music's most popular and influential figures! Papa Wemba first made his mark in 1969 as a co-founder of Zaiko Langa Langa, one of the great modernizers of Congolese rumba who employed a multiple singer frontline and ditched the horn section in favor of an all-guitar line-up. Wemba carried on this progressive mindset when he formed his own group, Viva La Musica, in 1974. The first CD of this excellent collection covers his early work with the band, where sublimely liquid guitar percolates, glides, and splashes over complex Cuban-flavored grooves. The second CD finds Wemba broadening his appeal as he spread his operations into Europe. While the sound definitely becomes slicker, his vocals remain deeply soulful and strong, the guitars even more crystalline, and the dense polyrhythms sturdier than ever. Wemba has come under fire in recent years, accused of illegally smuggling Africans into Belgium, but this essential document reminds us of his greatest accomplishments. Tracks include "Mere Sperieure", "Amina", "Bukavo Dawa", "M'Balumuna", and "Mi Amor". CD