... LP, Vinyl record album

The title certainly gets it right – as the great keyboardist Bob Baldwin turns over some sweet mellow takes on the classic music of Stevie Wonder! Bob's the mainman at the helm for most of the record – working on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards – and even vocalizing just a bit – and there's also sweet instrumental contributions on the album from U-Nam and Chieli Minucci on guitars, Marion Meadows and Ryan Kilgore on saxes, and Ragan Whiteside on flute – all players who know just how to get into the right sort of 70s vibe that Baldwin's going for on the record! The focus on Stevie's tunes makes the album a bit hipper than some of Bob's other recent albums – although we also like those quite a bit – and titles include "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Creepin", "The Real Thing/Keepin It Real", "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You Most", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today" – plus the Baldwin originals "Stevie" and "Wonder Wander". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most evocative albums ever recorded by the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – a set created at Brigham Young University, in Utah – but filled with a mix of different styles from the other half of the planet! Miller plays a variety of stringed instruments and percussion – including some great xylophone, shamisen, tabla, and santur – and is joined by flutes and recorders, tar, ching, and vocals from two different female singers – both used sparingly, in ways that barely get in the way of the instrumentation! There's less jazz here than some of Miller's later projects – and the record's got a vibe that almost makes it feel like some classic Ocora recording of sounds from Japan, China, Viet Nam, India, and other points east. Titles include "Hakimi", "Co La", "Luu Thuy", "Sakura", "Karpagame", "Seh Gah", and "Amen Avci Vurma Beni". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most striking, most unusual settings for the voice of Leon Thomas we've ever heard – a rare 1970 performance with the Brit group Nucleus – done right at the same time that Thomas was recording his classics with Pharoah Sanders! The initial approach is similar, and the songs are familiar – but the overall execution is quite different given the change in instrumentation – as the Nucleus lineup includes Ian Carr on trumpet, Chris Spedding on guitar, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and Brian Smith on tenor, saxophone, and flute! Tracks are all nice and long, and rhythms begin with a slightly similar mode to Thomas' other records – but the use of Spedding's guitar is especially striking, as is Carr's trumpet – which has a very different quality than any American player that Thomas ever worked with. The sax and oboe lines are especially nice – often exotic, but in more of a European spiritual way than an American one – and throughout it all, Thomas really holds the course with some wonderful vocals – on long tracks that include "One", "Chains Of Love", "The Journey", "Echoes", "Damn Nam", and "The Creator Has A Master Plan". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most striking, most unusual settings for the voice of Leon Thomas we've ever heard – a rare 1970 performance with the Brit group Nucleus – done right at the same time that Thomas was recording his classics with Pharoah Sanders! The initial approach is similar, and the songs are familiar – but the overall execution is quite different given the change in instrumentation – as the Nucleus lineup includes Ian Carr on trumpet, Chris Spedding on guitar, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and Brian Smith on tenor, saxophone, and flute! Tracks are all nice and long, and rhythms begin with a slightly similar mode to Thomas' other records – but the use of Spedding's guitar is especially striking, as is Carr's trumpet – which has a very different quality than any American player that Thomas ever worked with. The sax and oboe lines are especially nice – often exotic, but in more of a European spiritual way than an American one – and throughout it all, Thomas really holds the course with some wonderful vocals – on long tracks that include "One", "Chains Of Love", "The Journey", "Echoes", "Damn Nam", and "The Creator Has A Master Plan". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of underground Thai rock we've seen – and it certainly is The Heavier Sound Of the Luk Thung Underground – including a uniquely Thai vision flavored with a Black Sabbath riff, psych makeovers of Thai folklore, and a bunch great tunes that meld Bangkok life with western garage and psychedelia masterfully! All of the tunes are heavy in their own way, but it's by no means heavy in a simple hard rock way – loads of impassioned vocals, astounding percussion, tripped out guitar and other strings and woozy organ keep the arrangements exciting, and the otherworldly aspects play nice with accessible melodies. Titles include "Kuen Kuen Lueng Leung" (the aforementioned heady take on Sabbath's "Iron Man"), "Ruk Kun Samong" by Plearn Promdan, "Pai Joi" by Rung Petchburi, "Nam Mun Pang" by Sroeng Santi, "Dub Fai Kui Gun" by Sroeng Santi and more. 14 massive slabs of heavy Thai psych in all! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of underground Thai rock we've seen – and it certainly is The Heavier Sound Of the Luk Thung Underground – including a uniquely Thai vision flavored with a Black Sabbath riff, psych makeovers of Thai folklore, and a bunch great tunes that meld Bangkok life with western garage and psychedelia masterfully! All of the tunes are heavy in their own way, but it's by no means heavy in a simple hard rock way – loads of impassioned vocals, astounding percussion, tripped out guitar and other strings and woozy organ keep the arrangements exciting, and the otherworldly aspects play nice with accessible melodies. Titles include "Kuen Kuen Lueng Leung" (the aforementioned heady take on Sabbath's "Iron Man"), "Ruk Kun Samong" by Plearn Promdan, "Pai Joi" by Rung Petchburi, "Nam Mun Pang" by Sroeng Santi, "Dub Fai Kui Gun" by Sroeng Santi and more. 14 massive slabs of heavy Thai psych in all! LP, Vinyl record album

There's no waiting for Zion here – as A08 deliver the goods right from the start – a very righteous blend of reggae, West African, and other styles – but all served up with a lean approach that takes the influences very far past their roots! The group were previously known as Africaine 808 – and maybe the condensing of their name is a reference to the way the styles are condensed here – brought down to just their basics, but then topped with contributions from an array of different guests from a variety of global sources. Titles include "Water", "Pomplemousse", "I Want More", "Kisumu Bound Bus (Nyatiti mix)", "Sunset", "Bubbles", "Life", and "Yamahaica". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A key early album from the young Cannonball Adderley – an a set that crossed over big, thanks to a mix of strong jazz solos from the leader and very inventive rhythms in the arrangements! The group here is larger than Adderley's usual quintet/sextet lineup – and includes reed work from Oliver Nelson and Jerome Richardson, trombone from Melba Liston, piano from Wynton Kelly, and even a bit of congas from Ray Barretto – all working under the hip leadership of Ernie Wilkins, who crafts these great charts for Cannon to solo over the top! A key moment of genius is the title track – a beautiful reading of Galt MacDermott's "African Waltz" – and other tracks include "Blue Brass Groove", "Something Different", "The Uptown", and "Letter From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning celebration of one of the greatest pairings in Brazilian music – and in American music as well, given that both Airto Moreira and Flora Purim recorded plenty of these cuts up in our neck of the woods! Airto's percussion is the stuff of legend – a key force in Brazilian recordings in the late 60s, and then equally important in American jazz – in famous recordings with Miles Davis and other artists, and plenty of great records on his own! Flora's vocals are equally crucial – a soaring, fluid approach that forever changed the way that female singers approached jazz – bred in 60s bossa, but instantly something new by the time the 70s came along – especially when Airto was supporting her with great grooves! This huge package brings together material that both artists recorded – often under the name of one or the other, but often with the other artist present on the recording – with a heavy batch of work from the 70s and 80s, but also crucial cuts from other years too! 5LP set features 37 tracks and a really great package – with titles that include "Love Lock", "The Happy People", "Hungry On Arriva", "The Road Is Hard", "Samba De Flora", "O Canto Da Sereia", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Papo Furado", "Xibaba", "Back Streets Of Havana", "Vera Cruz", "Flora's Song", "When Angels Crie", "Celebration Suite", "Casa Forte", "Black Narcissus", "A Secret From The Sea", "O Cantador/I Just Want To Be Here", "Jump", and "Hot Sand". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest cuts ever from reedman Harold Alexander – served up here in the 45rpm single version, which is short, tight, and really concentrates on the funky drums at the core – although still also topped with plenty of fierce funky flute from the man himself! Speaking of funky drums, Pretty Purdie is on the flipside with "Heavy Soul Slinger" – a cut that definitely earns its name, as the funky drums mix with great conga, massive bass, and this warm organ line that really sends the whole thing home! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A nicely expanded version of the great Ghibli Jazz concept – delivered here in a live setting that's maybe got even more brilliance than the studio albums! There's a dynamic sense of presentation right from the start, partly the sense of the concert space in the mix, partly the energy from the crowd – and if anything, these tunes are more groovers than the previous studio albums – and topped with really great vocals from Yuriko Kuwahara. Titles include "Tonari No Totoro", "Kaze No Toorimichi", "Mononokehime", "Itsumo Nandodemo", "Jinsei No Merry Go Round", and "Umi No Mieru Machi". LP, Vinyl record album

All That Jazz expand their sound here, as you might guess from the winds and wood hinted in the title – using saxes and a bit of strings in a great way over their surprisingly dynamic grooves – almost at a level that seeks to link the club jazz modes of the Tokyo scene with some of the thematic elements of the world of Studio Ghibli! The melodies are as spare and compelling as before, but the presentation is nicely full – light strings and other orchestrations in the background – while the core energy comes from the piano, heavy bass, and dancing drums – on titles that include "Kazeno Toorimichi", "Kazeno Tanino Maushika, "Umino Miero Machi", "Kimio Nosete", "Monokoke Hime", "Ano Natuse", "Tonarino Totoro", and "Ashitakasekki". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Bossa with a great American twist! Nancy Ames was an American pop singer of the 60s – one who did mostly folksy tunes with a light California feel, and who here is coming up with some great bossa nova numbers, set to arrangements by Stu Phillips! The package has all the sunniness of a summer LA afternoon at the beach – with the driving groove of a pop bossa session from Rio. The album's perennial favorite is Nancy's remake of "Mas Que Nada" (done here as "Pow Pow Pow") – but there's loads of other wonderful numbers, and the whole album's great! Titles include "Laia La Daia", "Love's Like Wine", "So Nice", and "A Man & A Woman". As the song says – Pow Pow Pow! Her greatest LP by a mile, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Ernestine Anderson at the height of her powers – caught during a very successful run at Concord Records, where she was easily one of the hippest things going down at the time! The group here is a trio, and very tight – Hank Jones on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums – all shifting easily to fit the mood and personal demeanor of Anderson's performance, which is a fair bit more dynamic than other jazz singers of the period. In a way, the record's got a similar feel to Lorez Alexandria's albums from the time – hip soul jazz vocals at its best, with just the right twists, turns, and rhythmic impulses to keep things interesting – but not enough to goof things up too much! Titles include "Big City", "Welcome To The Club", "All Blues", "All I Need Is You", "Spring Is Here", and "I'll Never Pass This Way Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

An unreleased album of sorts from roots reggae great Patrick Andy – tracks that were initially culled together by producer Yabby You in the late 70s, and which include a few never-issued tunes by Andy, plus rare stereo mixes of some other tunes too! If you know the famous title single that gives the album its name, you'll know the righteous vibe of everything else within – as Patrick's vocals have this quality that's very personal and very moving, as he works with bad-stepping rhythms that are great for his vocal versions, and the dubs that follow up most of the tracks. Titles include the unreleased tracks "Call On Jah", "Got To Give Some Help", and "Give Thanks" – plus a stereo mix of "Living In Mount Zion", and the cuts "You Don't Want Me (unreleased mix)", "Youths Of Today", and "Love Of A Woman Dub (unreleased mix)" – plus five more dub tracks too. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the standout moments in the career of Rod Argent – a record that gave his self-named group one of their biggest hits ever, yet a set that still kept all the depth and diversity of their other records too! The album starts out with the group's famous "Hold Your Head Up" – the anthemic strutter that crossed over big, and which burns here with plenty of great organ lines from Rod. Other numbers really mix things up – rocking harder than Rod's Zombies work, but also showing some complicated sensibilities too – brought out nicely by co-producer Chris White, who also wrote most of the songs on the date with Argent. Titles include "Pure Love", "He's A Dynamo", "Hold Your Head Up", "Be My Lover Be My Friend", "Keep On Rolling", and "I Am The Dances Of Ages". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the film of the same name – with some extracts from the film, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime soundtrack music from Edward Artemiev – not a big name for film scoring on this side of the Iron Curtain, but a really well-remembered talent for his classic 70s work for the films of Andrey Tarkovsky! Side one of this album features wonderful sounds from the film Stalker – music that begins in a sweet electronic mode, but soon gets darker – a weird space that's somewhere between the German elements of Cluster and Tangerine Dream, and some of the more abstract electronics of the underground academic scene! Yet throughout it all, Artemiev has a very visual approach to his sounds – one that steps out nicely on the one track from the film The Mirror, and an extended tribute to the director too. Titles include "Exodus", "Dedication To Andrey Tarkovsky", "Meditation", "They Go Long", "Stalker", and "Train". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a Fred Astaire vocal record – and instead some very groovy Latin material recorded under his name! LP, Vinyl record album

A really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Badfinger's early 70s win streak continues on Straight Up – a straight up classic set of tuneful 70s rock with big emotions and catchy songs – one that keeps just enough grit underneath those killer melodies! Titles include "Take It All", "Bably Blue", "Name Of The Game", "Perfection", "It's Over", "Sometimes" and more. This might be the group's most consistent batch of songs to date, and it's essential early 70s rock for sure. LP, Vinyl record album