Crazy funk from a crazy-costumed geezer with an equally crazy name – one of those lost rare funky nuggets that's every bit as great as you might guess from the cover and title! Boobie Knight's a killer here – and works in a groove that's somewhere between Sly & The Family Stone and ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
A strongly message-oriented set, as you might assume from the title – and definitely the strongest work to date from the great Isaiah Collier – one of the most righteous musicians we've had the pleasure of discovering in the past decade or so! There's a rich, vibrant feel to the whole ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
An excellent set from drummer Brandon Sanders – one that not only makes great use of his own work on the kit, but also the vibes of Warren Wolf – always a very welcome sessionmate to our ears! The mix of snapping drums and vibes is great – further augmented by the tenor and ... CD(Jazz CD)
Rare grooves from a very unusual source – an album that was originally created to work with dance instruction, but which has a richness that goes way past those simple origins! The album's in a very elite group that also includes the jazz funk dance albums for choreographer Gus Giordano ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
Not the music of Bob Dylan – but a great little set that shows just how much Dylan's influence spread amidst various channels of the music world of the mid 60s – so much so, that it left behind a whole host of unlikely acts picking up some of his sounds and styles – and using it ... CD(Rock CD)
A long-overdue issue of this jazzy Peanuts classic – music that's delighted ears for decades, yet never got the same sort of commercial release as Charlie Brown Christmas music! As with that work, the music here all comes from the genius of Vince Guaraldi – and given the early 70s ... CD(Jazz CD)
The great Andy Smith has been giving us killer compilations for more years than we can count – but it also feels like he's really outdoing himself with this Disco Wonderland series – showing us that there's still such a huge amount of music to discover when you get past the mainstream ... CD(Funky Compilations CD)
One of the most beautiful, spiritual albums ever from saxophonist Nat Birchall – and that's really saying a lot, if you know his other records! As you can guess from the title, the spirit of John Coltrane looms large on the record – and the tracks are a mix of Coltrane classics and new ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
That's "Motel" California in the title, not Hotel California – and that should give you a good idea of the territory you're hitting here – the lower-rent underground of 70s country-styled rock – not the polished sound of the big groups on the major labels, but instead a ... CD(Rock CD)
A really fascinating mix of modes from DIY artist Beth Anderson – music that's partly poetry, partly word play – sometimes with the drum machine bits you'd expect from hip hop, but often with more of the arty vibe that echoes with Beth's presence on the downtown scene in New York at the ... LP, Vinyl record album(Rock LP)
The cover image is a great hint at the vibe of this gem of a record from London's Ezra Collective – but as with most of their music, there's a lot more going on than you might expect – certainly not a straight dance record, although the album's overflowing with really wonderful rhythms! ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
A stunning bit of funky female soul from the first decade of the century – a set that was sometimes overlooked on the global scene, but which easily matches the energy and punch of some of the more famous artists on labels like Daptone and Big Crown! Gizelle Smith is a hell of a singer ... LP, Vinyl record album(Deep Funk LP)
A fantastic set by this spiritual jazz ensemble from Pakistan – one who work with this really wicked blend of familiar jazz elements, some regional instrumentation, and some of the forward-thinking jazz ideas that have been bubbling up from the London scene of late! The music weaves together ... CD(Jazz CD)
A wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-H ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
Maybe the most ambitious album to date from saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins – a largeform project that expands on his previous music in great ways, and really opens up with a visionary quality that we never would have expected a few short years ago! The album's title is a key reference from the ... CD(Jazz CD)
A record that really telegraphs its energy with its title and cover image – as the record was cut in the London studio of Ash Walker, where Illa Ja took some time off from a European tour to craft some really wonderful tunes with Ash! The set's only got four cuts in all, but has a really ... LP, Vinyl record album(Hip Hop LP)
Mindblowing music from the great Frederic Rabold – a German jazz artist of the classic 70s MPS generation – and one who does a really great job of mixing funkier moments, spiritual currents, and some freer flights of inspiration! Rabold's maybe best known for work with his funky combo ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
A mighty nice Halloween collection – and one with a slightly different twist! The Numero Group have done a great job of taking on classic compilation series over the years – serving up their own versions of Ultimate Breaks & Beats, East LA soul collections, and other modes – ... LP, Vinyl record album(Halloween LP)
A totally great set of funky psych from this cool contemporary duo – a pair who've clearly drunk deep from a brew of all sorts of fuzzy, freaky sounds from the past – then found a way to create a lean take on those modes, with a sound that's very much all their own! The production is ... LP, Vinyl record album(Deep Funk LP)
The long-overdue second album from the Brand New Heavies – and one that came at just the right time to support the strong underground reputation the group were getting from a great range of singles issued during the early 90s! The sound hasn't changed much since their debut – at least ... LP, Vinyl record album(Neo Soul LP)