Hard driving work by Ted Curson! Jubilant Power is a pretty apt title for the set – played with a celebratory fire – combining the freer loft-style playing of his late 70s American work, with some of the tighter grooving rhythmic approaches of his early 70s sides in France. Chris Woods, a frequent partner from the Paris years, is in the group on alto and flute, cutting lines that match Curson's as well recallung the tenor of Bill Barron during the 60s. Other players include Andy Laverne and Jim McNeely on piano, Nick Brignola on alto sax and flute, Bob Merigliano on drums and Sam Jacobs on conga. Excellent stuff! Titles include "Marjo", "Song Of The Lonely", "Reava's Waltz", "Airi's Tune", "Searchin For The Blues" and "Ted's Tempo". CD

An overlooked gem from this great pianist – one of his few dates as a leader, and maybe the boldest of them all – as the session really soars with a heck of a lot of spiritual energy! The vibe here is maybe more in the Muse Records side of the spectrum than Strata East, but that's OK with us as the whole thing really soars with all this searching, modal energy – delivered by a very cool group that features Carter Jefferson on soprano and tenor sax, Cecil McBee on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Cheryl Alexander sings on one track – giving the record a slightly soulful vibe. Titles include "Dues We Have To Pay", "Black Raspberry", "I Love You", "Gee Monetti", and "Autumn Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Things really heat up in this second volume of Robert Darden's look at the rise of gospel in America – as he traces the music's journey from the pulpit to the public, from praise to protest – and really illuminates the power that gospel and its inspiration brought to black identity from the 60s onward! This volume is even bigger than the first, and really overflows with research and information – a hugely documented project that features pages of notes at the end, and black and white images throughout the larger first section – as Darden does a fantastic job of mixing music, politics, and cultural progression. Hardcover edition is 334 pages. Book

Part one of a massive two volume set that looks at the growth and change in African American sacred music from the Civil War onwards – shifts that occurred for years before the music became to be known as gospel, but with an ear towards all those elements that would really come to the forefront in the postwar years! Writer Robert Darden has roots both in the field of gospel journalism, and academia – and he blends both together in ways that follow a well-researched body of evidence, but also presents things in a very down to earth way at points. The book his hugely annotated, with some black and white images throughout – and is a fascinating look at this often-undocumented years of music. Hardcover edition is 210 pages. Book

BB King is a blues musician with a much richer story than most – one that's captured here in very vivid detail by the author, as he mixes together a wealth of historical research with quotations from interviews and other materials too – all of which really makes the long journey of BB King come alive, as he shifts from roots in the south to the Memphis scene, then California, then superstardom that made him one of the biggest blues figures of the 20th Century! There's a great flow to the book – down to earth details that really make you feel like you're following King on his rise to fame – yet the big section at notes also indicates that the author wasn't just throwing stories out there without any support, and did plenty to weave the whole thing together with an eye for the facts. Softcover edition is 481 pages, with some black and white images. Book

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With D-Sisive, Arcee, Lil Jaz and Nish Rawks. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best books we've ever read on any sort of creative scene and cultural moment – a superbly-penned account of the rise of underground comix in the 60s, and the growth and changes of the movement in the decades that followed! Author Brian Doherty makes the scene come alive in ways that are even more powerful than most music books that try to do the same – tracing the disparate roots of key figures like Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Trina Robbins, and others – as they end up converging in San Francisco in the late 60s, finding a way to express themselves through new styles and new means of production and distribution – then spread out as the 70s move in, and underground comix provide the building blocks for the graphic novel generation to come. The book is insanely well-researched, but also written with a lively style that really gets at both the creative talents and individual personalities of each of the folks involved – all at a level that makes for a hell of a read that goes way past the usual book on comics, music, or any other sort of cultural creative scene! Hardcover edition is 439 pages. Book

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A real breakthrough album for George Duke – one of his earliest for the Epic label, and an album that took him from the space funk underground to the top of the jazz charts! The album's got a great sound that mixes together all of Duke's influences – Latin rhythms, electric keyboard funk, and some of the freer jamming styles he picked up in the Bay Area scene – and he's joined here by strong crossover fusion players like Ndugu Chancler, Raul De Souza, and Stanley Clarke, all of whom help him forge a groove that's nice and tight. Includes the hit title track "Reach For It", plus the cuts "The End", "Diamonds", "Watch Out Baby", "Lemme At It", "Just For You", "Omi", and "Searchin My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Two really unusual albums from British drummer/singer John Dummer – an artist who was part of the British blues scene in the 60s – but who's something very different altogether! First up is John Dummer's Famous Music Band – a set that features key contributions from Nick Pickett on vocals, guitar, harmonica, vibes, and a host of instrumentation – all used in ways that really move past traditional blues-based modes – certainly there at the core, as in the work of the rest of the group – but already moving past any sort of slavish attempt to both be American, and even blues at all. We'd be tempted to call the approach roots rock, but it's also a bit weirder and more offbeat than that – part of that special spirit that's always made Dummer so unique. Titles include "Lady Luck", "Love Ain't Nothing But Sorrow", "Run Around", "Searching For You", "Nine By Nine", "Coming Home", "Green Leaves", and "Fine Looking Woman". Blue is a set that has the band of British drummer John Dummer moving over to Vertigo records – a shift that helps them sound even tighter and cooler than before! Singer Nick Pickett gets equal billing on the cover – and it's Pickett's contributions that really shape the sound – really offbeat vocals, plus guitar, organ, and even a bit of violin – used in that blues inspiration that got Dummer started, but with a weirder, more unusual style overall – at that moment when London was past being slavish to Chicago or Memphis! Titles include "Medicine Weasel", "The End Game", "Me & The Lady", "Time Will Tell", and "If I Can't Keep From Laughing". CD

Two rainy bits: "Ultimate Thunderstorm" and "Gentle Rain in a Pine Forest". The sticker on the front says "Contains Synthetic Silence", whatever that is. As the notes say, play at any speed, for different psychological effects. LP, Vinyl record album

A magnificent set of two great Booker Ervin sessions recorded in the 60s, and not released until the mid 70s in this great Blue Note two-fer. Record one has also since come out under Horace Parlan's name as "Happy Frame of Mind", and is a great post-Mingus sextet with a tight group that includes Johnny Coles and Grant Green, and featuring some nice Randy Weston material. Record two's a bit more searching, and has Booker with Woody Shaw and Kenny Barron, and was recorded in 1968 – one of the last sessions before his tragic early death! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Booker Ervin's last sessions – quite different than some of his earlier work, and a great indication of the way that he was stretching his style in the years before his untimely death. The group's a committed band of modernists, and includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, plus John Hicks on piano and Lennie McBrownie on drums. The tracks are short, but they're a compelling mix of Booker's searching tenor lines with warm lyrical accompaniment. Titles include "Boo's Blues", "Franess", "Stolen Moments", "Berkshire Blues", and a great reading of "Dancing In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". CD

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". CD

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". CD

Very righteous work from The Exciters – best known for their girl group recordings in the 60s, but recording here in a very heavy sort of 70s mode – strongly in keeping with the "Black Beauty" in the title! Arrangements and production on the set are by Herb Rooney – who takes the girls into territory that's much more deep soul than before, a space that really works wonders with the already-tremendous lead vocals of Brenda Reid. It's almost like the group were hanging back for years, waiting for the 70s to break before they could really show the hipper undercurrents that always set them apart from the rest of the groups in the 60s, but which were always eclipsed by their hits and sweeter material. Most titles are originals, and tunes include "Leaving Him Tomorrow", "Don't It Make You Just Feel Good", "Learning How To Fly", "I Can't Give In", and "Life Love & Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

The definitive classic of the post-millennium Flaming Lips! Weird and bubbly and soul-searchingly introspective at the the same time, metaphorically at least – there's only so much navel gazing that can happen on an album with a young girl vs giant robots motif – this one to another step in their newfound love of more layered sounds and electronics that came out so strong on the critically and fan-beloved, but at the time commercially overlooked The Soft Bulletin, with songs that manage to some of their oddest and catchiest at the same time. Includes "Fight Test", "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21", "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" (Pts 1 & 2), "Egotripping At The Gates Of Hell", "Are You A Hypnotist??", "Do You Realize??", "All We Have Is Now" and more. CD

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", "Francisco" and "Come In Out Of The Rain". CD

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", and "Come In Out Of The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "You're Not Functioning", "Searching For Truth", "All My Love", "Live To Be Someone", "Awakening (Rhythm Track)", and "Sugarfree". 12-inch, Vinyl record

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Gorgeous sounds from Xenia Franca – a Brazilian soul singer with a sound and style that should make her huge, if the world has any justice – but who's also more than great enough as the kind of special discovery that keeps us searching for unusual music from around the globe! Xenia's got a voice that's incredible – every bit as rich and powerful as any American female soul singer in recent years, but set to arrangements and instrumentation that are more inventive than anything in the mainstream – and which seem to get a special sort of crispy crackle from the Portuguese in the lyrics. We loved her first album, but this one is even more amazing – with titles that include "Magica", "From The Heights", "Ancestral Infinito", "Futurivel", "Interstelar", and "Animus X Anima", which features a guest appearance from Arthur Verocai! CD

Freddie Gibbs had been riding a creative peak for a few years in the run up to his high stakes move to Warner – and he comes out with a winning hand! His smart, charismatic, densely packed lyrics are as smart and slyly soul searching as ever on an album that almost serves as a concept album on the hollowness of fame – but with so many standout tracks with varied guests and producers, there's a little something for everyone here. Guests vocalists and producers include Madlib, Pusha T, Kelly Price, DJ Paul and others. Includes "Couldn't Be Done" with Kelly Price, "Blackest In The Room", "Pain & Strife" feat Offset, "Zipper Bags", "Rabbit Vision", "Dark Hearted", "Gold Rings", "Grandma's Stove" with Musiq Soulchild, "CIA" and more. CD

One of our favorite LPs from Chico, son of the great Von Freeman, and carrier of the torch of that great jazz family that included modernist drummer Bruz and leftfield funk jazz guitarist George. The group here includes Cecil McBee on bass, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Steve McCall on drums and Tito Sampo on percussion, and though the record references the AACM on the back, the playing has the less of the playful sensibilities many recordings from the AACM have and more of the searching spiritual quality of a post-Coltrane effort. The first side is a lengthy duet between Chico and bassist McBee, while the second side is the quintet recorded live, with some dynamic group interplay that recalls a Strata East type sound. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the number of great, post-Coltrane sides Chico would cut for India Navigation, with a searching quality that you might anticipate from the title. The group includes John Hicks, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart and fellow former AACM member Famoudou Don Moye. Titles include Horace Silver's "Peace", McBee's "Close to You Alone", plus "A Child is Born", "Autumn in New York", and "It Never Entered My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Stan's last truly great albums – a wonderful concert recorded in Copenhagen in 1987, with his late quartet that featured Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The soulful searching quality of the players is right in line with Stan's unfettered tone at the time – a honing down of his post-Coltrane wail, into more of lyrical one, with slight modal touches. All tracks are very long – and titles include "Voyage", "I Remember You", "I Love You", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited, Little Benny & The Masters and Rare Essence get together on this posse cut with a message, from around the time that the capitol city's murder statistics were raging out of control. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A record that maybe seemed like something of a one-off at the time of release – given that Gorillaz were more of a "virtual group" cooked up by Damon Albarn of Blur – but a set that's had surprising staying power over the years, thanks to a solid set of hip hop contributions from Dan The Automator, and guest work from Kid Koala and Del The Funkee Homosapien! The hit quality of the tracks soon eclipsed the fact that the Gorillaz were more of a studio project than a real band – and hey, maybe the whole thing was a nod at The Monkees – who had an initial start as a made-up band too. Titles include "Clint Eastwood", "Rock The House", "Latin Simone", "M1 A1", "Man Research", "Sound Check", "Double Bass", "Starshine", "Slow Country", "Re-Hash", and "5/4". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that maybe seemed like something of a one-off at the time of release – given that Gorillaz were more of a "virtual group" cooked up by Damon Albarn of Blur – but a set that's had surprising staying power over the years, thanks to a solid set of hip hop contributions from Dan The Automator, and guest work from Kid Koala and Del The Funkee Homosapien! The hit quality of the tracks soon eclipsed the fact that the Gorillaz were more of a studio project than a real band – and hey, maybe the whole thing was a nod at The Monkees – who had an initial start as a made-up band too. Titles include "Clint Eastwood", "Rock The House", "Latin Simone", "M1 A1", "Man Research", "Sound Check", "Double Bass", "Starshine", "Slow Country", "Re-Hash", and "5/4". LP, Vinyl record album

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". CD

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". CD

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". CD

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". CD

A fascinating look at the world of Mexican music in the 20th Century – put together in collaboration with Arhoolie Records, the label that's done plenty to reissue the music over the years! The book begins with the huge archive of recordings by the label's founder, Chris Strachwitz – then takes off in a number of different streams – providing historical context, critical evaluation, and even some discographical details – in the form of various lists and sections of music. The book looks at some key styles too – including corridos and mariachi, traced both through Mexican recordings, and US singles by Mexican-Americans – and the whole thing is only the tip of the iceberg, in relation to the 40,000 recordings that have been digitized by the University Of California Library as part of the project. Still, there's plenty here to get you started – a huge amount of information that's even more inspirational than some of Arhoolie's great reissues over the years – in an oversized book that's 226 pages, softcover, with many black and white images too. Book

A pivotal album for Chico – one that has him working with his hip group that included Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo, both of whom take Chico into a modal mode that would completely transform his sound! Lloyd's the center star on the album's version of his own "Forest Flower" – done here in "sunrise" and "sunset" passages – but it's really Chico's increasingly offbeat sense of rhythm that allows Lloyd and Szabo to develop their intense solos and searching grooves. Other titles include "Mallet Dance", "Love Song To A Baby", "Man From Two Worlds", and "Child's Play". Plus, the CD reissue features 4 bonus tracks – including "Transfusion", "Passin Thru", "Lady Gabor", and "Lonesome Child". CD

Never-issued live material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – the mighty Billy Harper, a tenor saxophonist who took the initial legacy of John Coltrane, then really ran with it in the 70s! The album is stunning right from the very first note – a perfect encapsulation of the way that Harper worked at his best – balancing order and chaos, dark and light, all with a searing, searching style that was brimming over with a sense of righteous mission! The group features the tremendous Virgil Jones on trumpet – making a really spectacular appearance, and showing the hippest side of his talents – next to Joe Bonner on piano, David Friesen on bass, and Malcolm Pinson on drums – an unusual group for Harper, and one that really makes the album stand out from his other gems of the 70s. The set was recorded live at the jazz festival in Antibes in 1975 – and each side of the record features an extended performance of a key Harper tune – the soaring "Cry Of Hunger", and the pulsating rhythmic tune "Croquet Ballet", which was first debuted on Lee Morgan's last session. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning work from one of the greatest players of the post-Coltrane generation – a classic session recorded overseas in the mid 70s, and one that's filled with soulful expressions from the great Billy Harper! Harper's tenor kicks off the set with an immediately gripping sound – as searing as Pharoah Sanders at his Impulse best – but driven on by searching, soaring modal rhythms that are all Billy's own – the kind of grooves he first forged with Max Roach, then really expanded on when given the freedom of a record like this. Other players include trumpeter Virgil Jones, pianist Joe Bonner, bassist David Friesen, and drummer Malcom Pinson – and titles include a killer take on "Croquet Ballet", which Harper originally recorded with Lee Morgan – plus the titles "Dance Eternal Spirits Dance" and "Call Of The Wild & Peaceful Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning work from one of the greatest players of the post-Coltrane generation – a classic session recorded overseas in the mid 70s, and one that's filled with soulful expressions from the great Billy Harper! Harper's tenor kicks off the set with an immediately gripping sound – as searing as Pharoah Sanders at his Impulse best – but driven on by searching, soaring modal rhythms that are all Billy's own – the kind of grooves he first forged with Max Roach, then really expanded on when given the freedom of a record like this. Other players include trumpeter Virgil Jones, pianist Joe Bonner, bassist David Friesen, and drummer Malcom Pinson – and titles include a killer take on "Croquet Ballet", which Harper originally recorded with Lee Morgan – plus the titles "Dance Eternal Spirits Dance" and "Call Of The Wild & Peaceful Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever Billy Harper records from the 70s – and one of the rare sessions of his that only ever came out in Japan! Billy is in incredible form throughout – and plays with a stunning sense of imagination and creativity on the 3 long tracks that make up this LP – stepping out with brilliant post-Coltrane energy that fires up his tenor, and takes him to the skies on these wonderfully long, creative solos. He's playing here with Harold Mabern on piano, Everett Hollins on trumpet, Billy Hart on drums, and Greg Maker on bass – and the session's got that warm spiritual sound that characterizes his best work – but also has a lot of hard-blowing solos with the haunting searching quality that keeps us coming back to Billy's work again and again over the years. Titles include "Loverhood", "Trying to Get Ready", and his classic, the title cut, "Soran-Bushi BH". CD

A fantastic recent album by Billy Harper – with a sense of greatness, majesty, and spirituality to rival his best 70s work! The album's got Harper working in a very classic mode – with a soulful quartet that features his yearning searching tenor blowing out over backing by piano, bass, and drums. Eddie Henderson adds some trumpet on a few tracks – but the main action is up to Billy, who never falters in his creativity, and is as nimble as ever when it comes to working out his unique spiritual jazz vision. Titles include the sublime "Soul of An Angel", plus "Thine Is The Glory", "Credence", and "Was It Here . . . Is It There?". CD

A beautiful return to acoustic soul jazz work for Wendell Harrison – after a string of more electrified albums in the 80s. Wendell's working here on tenor sax and clarinet – the latter of which he plays in these spiraling long lines that use the instrument in a searching, soprano sax-like manner – getting a sound that's really fantastic, and a depth of soul that really links the record back to the tradition of Wendell's work of the 70s. The group is great too – with players that include Kirk Lightsey and Pamela Wise on piano, Cecil McBee & Jaribu Shahid on bass, Doug Hammond on drums, and Robert Pipho on vibes – all working with Harrison on some creatively inventive tunes that sparkle with soulful energy! Titles include "Changing The Scene", "Merciful", "Fly By Night", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Spank", and "Tons & Tons Of BS". CD

A beautiful return to acoustic jazz for Wendell Harrison – after a string of more electrified albums in the 80s! Wendell's working here on tenor sax and clarinet – the latter of which he plays in these spiraling long lines that use the instrument in a searching, soprano sax-like manner – getting a sound that's really fantastic, and a depth of soul that really links the record back to the tradition of Wendell's work of the 70s. The group is great too – with players that include Kirk Lightsey and Pamela Wise on piano, Cecil McBee and Jaribu Shahid on bass, Doug Hammond on drums, and Robert Pipho on vibes – all working with Harrison on some creatively inventive tunes that sparkle with soulful energy! Titles include "Changing The Scene", "Merciful", "Fly By Night", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Spank", and "Tons & Tons Of BS". LP, Vinyl record album

A real gem from Woody Shaw's greatest period – a very hip sextet session, recorded with Hayes, Cook, Shaw, and a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Matthews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion. Tracks are long, and stretch out in that searching, modal style that Shaw was using a lot at the time – and although the Hayes/Cook team are listed as the leaders on the set, the record clearly owes a lot to Shaw's influence and style. A wonderful record that we just don't turn up often enough! Titles include "Ichi Ban", "Book's Bossa", "Pannonica", "Brothers & Sisters", and a great take on "Moontrane". CD

A real gem from Woody Shaw's greatest period – a very hip sextet session, recorded with Hayes, Cook, Shaw, and a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Matthews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion. Tracks are long, and stretch out in that searching, modal style that Shaw was using a lot at the time – and although the Hayes/Cook team are listed as the leaders on the set, the record clearly owes a lot to Shaw's influence and style. Titles include "Ichi Ban", "Book's Bossa", "Brothers & Sisters", and a great take on "Moontrane". LP, Vinyl record album

Headstone have a nice sort of bite here – a quality you might not expect from the obtuse look of the cover, but which comes across nicely in a blend of well-done guitar work and these oddly sinister vocalizations! Drums are sometimes slightly funky – not in a funk rock mode, but in a way that makes the bite of the vocals come through even more strongly a bit unlike anything we've ever heard, and mostly handled in the lead by Mark Ashton, of Rare Bird fame! The group's also got a violinist, but that instrument is blended in strongly with more familiar rock elements – on titles that include "Eastern Wind", "Karma", "Hard Road", "Turn Your Head", "Someone's Gotta Give", "Searching Light", and "Large Weather We're Having". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, hippest albums you'll ever hear from drummer Albert Tootie Heath – a set that's so different than his earlier work of the 60s, and which has the same sort of righteous, spiritual energy as the Heath Brothers album on Strata East! Albert's got a wonderfully loose vibe on the drums – and the added percussoin he brings into the mix – and the group here features slight electric currents from Kenny Barron on Fender Rhodes and Ted Dunbar on guitar – plus sublime reed lines from brother Jimmy Heath – who really blows it away on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – again like his best Strata East performance! Brother Percy Heath is on bass – which seems to be electric at points – and Curtis Fuller rounds out the group with some of that hipper, more searching trombone style he was using at the time – and the whole thing's wonderful, much more progressive than some of the other Xanadu Records sessions of the period. Titles include "Dunia", "Sub-Set", "Tafadhali", "Oops", and "A Notion". Features the bonus track "Wazuri Blues" – a piano solo by Kenny Barron. CD

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Black". CD

One of the greatest Joe Henderson albums of the 70s – a suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – and served up with some great accompaniment from Alice Coltrane! The style here is a wonderful mix of Coltrane's spirituality and Henderson's down-to-earth soulfulness – in a style that recalls some of the best moments on Coltrane's sublime Ptah The El Daoud album – a set in which Henderson's tenor was a key part. At times, Joe blows with a bit of Coltrane-like searching – but at others, he's bringing up more of a rhythmic pulse that really gives Alice a great focus – using her piano, harp, and harmonium alongside bass by Charlie Haden, violin from Michael White, and percussion from Ndugu Chancler and Baba Daru Oshu. Titles are named after the four elements – "Fire", "Air", "Water", and "Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Joe Henderson albums of the 70s – a suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – and served up with some great accompaniment from Alice Coltrane! The style here is a wonderful mix of Coltrane's spirituality and Henderson's down-to-earth soulfulness – in a style that recalls some of the best moments on Coltrane's sublime Ptah The El Daoud album – a set in which Henderson's tenor was a key part. At times, Joe blows with a bit of Coltrane-like searching – but at others, he's bringing up more of a rhythmic pulse that really gives Alice a great focus – using her piano, harp, and harmonium alongside bass by Charlie Haden, violin from Michael White, and percussion from Ndugu Chancler and Baba Daru Oshu. Titles are named after the four elements – "Fire", "Air", "Water", and "Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

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Maybe the best album ever from this late 70s Motown group – a set that's got the girls really stepping out with a nice degree of power – in a groove that's different than the usual female disco mode of the time! The record's got a much more fully-formed sort of feel – not just a female chorus with grooves, but a real soul group who really know how to put things together – especially given the album's really nice balance between groovers, midtempo moments, and ballads – all of which give the whole thing a very well-rounded feel. Arrangements are by Greg Poree, Sylvester Rivers, Greg Washburn, and Jimmy Holiday – and titles include "You Can't Turn Me Off", "Searchin", "Ain't No Love Left", "Let Me Get Close To You", "Love Is All You Need", and "Save It For A Rainy Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the true pop masterpieces of the 90s! This albums' a beautiful mix of Brian Wilson-y production, Capitol countrified pop, soaring LA 60s instrumentation, and about a million other influences! Genius Sean O'Hagan's put the whole thing together, and the record is the kind of lost pop treasure you've always hoped to find searching through the old LP racks – but never thought you'd get on a CD in the 90s. Includes the amazing "Checking In, Checking Out" – which outdoes Jimmy Webb in its Webb-ness; the moody "Giddy & Gay"; and lots of other nice moments like "The Goat Strings", "Track Goes By", and "Up In the Hills". CD

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from pianist Andrew Hill – a really unique outing that features the vibes of Bobby Hutcherson and a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore! The presence of Hutcherson brings a real "new thing" energy to the album – a feel that's similar to Bobby's classic Dialogue album, of which Hill was such an important part. But the searching tenor of Gilmore also brings a striking new level to the session as well – and his solos open up with a raw, earthy quality that really shades in the album with a great deal of feeling. Gilmore's role here is a bit like that of Joe Henderson on his freer Blue Note material – but his sound still undeniably unique, at a level that really makes us wish he'd recorded more albums like this at the time. The tracks are all originals by Hill, and include the titles "Duplicity", "Black Monday", "The Griots", and "Le Serpent Qui Danse". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too! CD

One of Andrew Hill's best records of the 70s – a soulful trio recording performed with Richard Davis on bass and Roger Blank on drums – and a real return to the glory of his 60s material! Hill's piano still has that fresh angular modern approach of his Blue Note sides – but the bass and drum work on the album ground it a bit more – adding in some additional rhythmic components, and giving the session the spiraling searching mode of some of the other Japanese trio sessions from the time, in the spirit of the best recordings on the East Wind label for which this gem was recorded! Hill wasn't always at his best in the decade, but he definitely shines here on some long, very expressive tracks – with titles that include "Mudflower", "Nefertiti", "Blue Black", and "Relativity". CD

A never-issued live performance from the legendary Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino – recorded live in concert, originally by the Three Blind Mice label – yet a date that's a lot more freewheeling than most of the more familiar studio material from TBM! All the tracks are long, soaring, and searching – very spiritual in nature, and kicked off with long solo work from Hino, as he builds up energy and then welcomes in the rest of the group – a killer lineup that features two tenors, one in each channel – Mabumi Yamaguchi and Yasuaki Shimizu – plus nicely raw guitar work from Kazumi Watanabe, very different than his tighter albums of later years – as well as bass from Nobuyoshi Ino and percussion from Yuji Imamura. Titles include "Olive's Step", "Flying Clouds", and "Running Water". CD

A never-issued live performance from the legendary Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino – recorded live in concert, originally by the Three Blind Mice label – yet a date that's a lot more freewheeling than most of the more familiar studio material from TBM! All the tracks are long, soaring, and searching – very spiritual in nature, and kicked off with long solo work from Hino, as he builds up energy and then welcomes in the rest of the group – a killer lineup that features two tenors, one in each channel – Mabumi Yamaguchi and Yasuaki Shimizu – plus nicely raw guitar work from Kazumi Watanabe, very different than his tighter albums of later years – as well as bass from Nobuyoshi Ino and percussion from Yuji Imamura. Titles include "Olive's Step", "Flying Clouds", and "Running Water". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from one of our favorite Japanese jazz artists of the 70s – and a warmly soulful batch of acoustic tunes from pianist Takehiro Honda! The sound here is much more far-reaching and exploratory than most of Honda's other work – a bit in a McCoy Tyner, post-Coltrane mode – with bold lines on the piano that spiral out in a really searching sort of way – and the album only features three long tracks, all of them great and very vibrant. The trio here features bassist Junie Booth and drummer Eric Gravatt – who give the record a lot of spiritual undercurrents – and titles include "Salaam Salaam", "Minors Only", and "Natural Tranquility". CD

A beautiful little session from Bobby Hutcherson – recorded live as a tribute to the legendary Keystone Korner jazz club in San Francisco – but even more important as a later meeting between Bobby and saxophonist Harold Land! The vibe here is a bit different than previous Land/Hutcherson albums – not as tightly righteous, but still tremendously soulful – gliding along with an energy that's always soaring and searching, but never in a way that's nervous or undirected. Other players include Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Buster Williams on bass – a perfectly-matched lineup that sets each tune on fire with their imagination. Titles include "Rubber Man", "Starting Over", "Crescent Moon", "Short Stuff", and "Prism". CD

Jazzy magic from the current Japanese underground – a hip group bubbling under, but with the same magic energy Jazztronik! Like Jazztronik, J's Bee blends together solid jazz roots and modern production – searching out some richly organic grooves that start slowly, build with spare keyboards and rhythms, and then take off to the skies with a really righteous sound. There's a bit of vocals on the set, but like Jazztronik, the group's equally well suited to working in an instrumental mode too. Tracks include "Eclipse", "Glow", "Naked", "Floating", "DB (Deep Blue)", and "Desert Skyline (Version 2)". CD

We're sure you know the group from their mega-hit oldie title cut – a garagey tune with a very catchy hook – but you might also appreciate them for the soulful finish they put on other tracks on this set, clearly inspired by groups on Atlantic, and going for a blue-eyed soul approach that they're not always known for. Titles include "Soul Searchin Baby", "Lots Of Pretty Girls", "Shake A Tail Feather", "Good Lovin", "The Lover", and "Love Makes The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

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Jazztronik alone are great enough – but this excellent collection really takes them to a whole new level, by letting in collaborative talents on a host of remixes – all of which further expand the groove of Jazztronik's recent Cannibal Rock and En:Code albums! In recent years, Jazztronik have deepened their sound even more than before – working in bright Brazilian and Latin influences to their mix of cosmic and jazzy dancefloor modes, all of which dance together beautifully in this wonderful set of work. The album is way more than just one of those "hey, let's let someone else mess with the originals" sort of projects – as all tunes here really keep the original Jazztronik spirit burning bright, and respect the vibe that first allowed all of this to happen! Titles on this first volume include "Dentro Mi Alma (Yoruba Soul rmx)", "Searching For Love (Rasmus Faber rmx)", "Working Days (DJ Spinna mix)", "Pathways Jazztronik Theme (Sleepwalker rmx)", "Get It Right (Isoul 8 rmx)", "En Code (As One rmx)", "Samurai (Yukihiro Fukutomi rmx)", and "City Of Rivers (Franck Roger rmx)". CD

A bold statement by one of the best underground jazz players of the 70s! Carter Jefferson cut his chops with Art Blakey in the years after Blakey had Billy Harper in the group – and seemed to follow Harper into some of the same highly spiritual, soulful territory at the time! Jefferson's a bit more inside, but equally searching in his style – and this key album as a leader is quite possibly one of the best-ever demonstrations of his talents. Carter's recorded here on tenor and soprano sax, in two different groups – one with Terumasa Hino on trumpet, and one with Shunzo Ono on trumpet – with a great lineup that includes Harry Whitaker on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums! Lani Groves sings on one track – and titles include "Why", "Rise Of Atlantis", "Blues For Wood", and "Changing Trains". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic soul jazz set from the 60s – one of the few ever cut by pianist Harold Johnson, and a record that brims over with youthful power and new ideas! The Harold Johnson Sextet were an incredible little LA soul jazz combo during the late 60s. Johnson was a very soulful pianist, and he had a heavy soul style that was similar to Ramsey Lewis' Cadet work – but which was also tinged with the lyricism of Horace Silver, and the emerging modal sound of Stanley Cowell. This first session by the group was originally issued on a small label, became a local hit, and was picked up by the Revue label for national distribution. It's got an incredible sound, and is very very catchy. The band features Johnson's piano in a very strong lead – plus flute, alto, and tenor. Billy Jackson plays a hard rolling conga behind the whole thing – and tracks include "House On Elm Street", "Watts '67", "Something Mellow", and "Yeah Uh Huh". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album from the overlooked reedman Rudolph Johnson – his second session for the Black Jazz label, and even better than the first! There's a soaring, searching quality to the record that Johnson never had before – a way of handling his tenor with a tone that Coltrane would have envied, and which sparkles with some of Rudolph's most soulful 70s contemporaries – like Sonny Fortune or Andrew White! The tunes are almost all originals, and have this depth of vision that really holds us rapt throughout – a way of digging in and continuing to find new meaning throughout the course of Johnson's solos – with superb rhythm backing from the trio of Kirk Lightsey on piano, Kent Brinkley on bass, and Doug Sides on drums. Lightsey is wonderful too – maybe his best performance on record – and titles include the sublime numbers "The Highest Pleasure", "The Traveler", "Time and Space", and "The Water Bearer". CD

A brilliant album from the overlooked reedman Rudolph Johnson – his second session for the Black Jazz label, and even better than the first! There's a soaring, searching quality to the record that Johnson never had before – a way of handling his tenor with a tone that Coltrane would have envied, and which sparkles with some of Rudolph's most soulful 70s contemporaries – like Sonny Fortune or Andrew White! The tunes are almost all originals, and have this depth of vision that really holds us rapt throughout – a way of digging in and continuing to find new meaning throughout the course of Johnson's solos – with superb rhythm backing from the trio of Kirk Lightsey on piano, Kent Brinkley on bass, and Doug Sides on drums. Lightsey is wonderful too – maybe his best performance on record – and titles include the sublime numbers "The Highest Pleasure", "The Traveler", "Time and Space", and "The Water Bearer". CD

One of the more unusual albums on Impulse – and a beautiful session that's filled with surprises you wouldn't expect! Elvin Jones leads a group of well-chosen bandmates in a hip set of tracks that's sort of a "letter" to Coltrane – with groupings that include either Roland Hanna or Hank Jones on piano, plus Richard Davis bass, and Charlie Mariano on alto sax! Mariano is the real highlight of the album, and his sparkling alto playing on the disc is some of his finest work from the 60s – really standing out in one of his few American sessions from the middle part of the decade – soulful, but searching too – very well presented in an album of Coltrane-ness. Titles include "Love Bird", "Fantazm", "Ballade", "Dear John C", and "Smoke Rings". CD

One of the more unusual albums on Impulse – and a beautiful session that's filled with surprises you wouldn't expect! Elvin Jones leads a group of well-chosen bandmates in a hip set of tracks that's sort of a "letter" to Coltrane – with groupings that include either Roland Hanna or Hank Jones on piano, plus Richard Davis bass, and Charlie Mariano on alto sax! Mariano is the real highlight of the album, and his sparkling alto playing on the disc is some of his finest work from the 60s – really standing out in one of his few American sessions from the middle part of the decade – soulful, but searching too – very well presented in an album of Coltrane-ness. Titles include "Love Bird", "Fantazm", "Ballade", "Dear John C", and "Smoke Rings". Also features the bonus track "That Five-Four Bag". CD

Very rare indeed – and one of the best 70s albums from Elvin Jones – thanks to a tight quartet lineup who follow his every move with tremendous energy! The style's not as all-out bombastic as Jones could sometimes be in these days – and with a group that includes Roland Hanna on piano, Art Pepper on sax, and Richard Davis on bass, Elvin's in company that allows him to be strongly expressive on both sides of the spectrum! Sure, there's a few searching, soaring numbers that show Elvin's Coltrane roots – but there's also some gentler more introspective moments too, ones that provide great space for solos from Hanna and Pepper. Titles include "Witching Hour", "Pitter Pat", "Tin Tin Deo", "Zange", "Sweet Mama", and "Passion Flower". CD

A gem of a record from the mid oughties – but one that's got all the charm of some of the Native Tongues classics from farther back – thanks to a superb mix of jazz and hip hop from MC/producer Kero One! The album's maybe Kero's greatest calling card – a set that really does more with less – as the instrumentation draws just the right bits from some of the energy going on in the neo soul underground, including live keyboard and trumpet solos – blended with wonderful lyrics that push a positive agenda, but without hitting you over the head too much. The whole thing's got an instant classic vibe, and maybe sounds even better as the years go on than many of its contemporaries – with tracks that include "Give Thanks", "Musical Journey", "My Story", "In A Dream", "Ain't That Somethin", "Tempted", "In All The Wrong Places", "Keep It Alive!", "The Cycle Repeats", "Fly Fly Away", "It's A New Day", and "Check The Blueprints". Japanese pressing features a bonus track – "My Story (DJ Mitsu rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A split album of early recordings by Otis Rush and Albert King – both featured here in early Chicago sides done for Chess Records in the years before their bigger late 60s fame! The style here is mostly stripped down, but still pretty tight – not as rough-edged as some of their Chess contemporaries, and with a fair bit of electric guitar driving most tunes along with a nice little groove. Albert King titles include "Searchin For A Woman", "Bad Luck", "Won't Be Hangin Around", and "Merry Way" – and Otis Rush titles include "So Close", "I Can't Stop", "I'm Satisfied", "So Many Roads", and "All Your Love". CD

A split album of early recordings by Otis Rush and Albert King – both featured here in early Chicago sides done for Chess Records in the years before their bigger late 60s fame! The style here is mostly stripped down, but still pretty tight – not as rough-edged as some of their Chess contemporaries, and with a fair bit of electric guitar driving most tunes along with a nice little groove. Albert King titles include "Searchin For A Woman", "Bad Luck", "Won't Be Hangin Around", and "Merry Way" – and Otis Rush titles include "So Close", "I Can't Stop", "I'm Satisfied", "So Many Roads", and "All Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the reggae in the title, as the album's a Miami funk classic through and through – done with maybe a very slight nod to the sounds of Jamaica, but served up with all those great TK Records styles of the mid 70s! Percussion is string, instrumentation nicely offbeat, and larger arrangements wrap nicely around the funky grooves at the core – a mix of acoustic percussion, bubbling basslines, and choppy guitars that never fail to delight! Labelmates Chocolate Clay helped produce the set – and titles include "Music Maker", "That's What My Whole Thing Is All About", "If It's Funky, Wake Me", "Safari", "Hold Down To The Funk", and "Searching". CD