The final album in the "qatsi" trilogy, and one that's got the same sublime Philip Glass scoring as the others – but which also features some beautiful cello solos from Yo Yo Ma too! Given that there's a darker side to this film, the warmth of the cello balances things out nicely – and occasionally creates a nice juxtaposition with a few of the more urgent moments in the larger orchestrations – which are performed by the Philip Glass ensemble. Titles include "Media Weather", "Old World", "Intensive Time", "Primacy Of Number", "The Vivid Unknown", "Point Blank", and "Definition". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With "Home Girl Don't Play Dat", "So Funky", 'Black Pearl", "Cleopatra", "It's A Long Way Home", "You Should Have listened", "Woman To Woman", "Hoes", "I Can't Take It No More", "A Few Good Men" and "Will You Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Ice Cube. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... CD

Yo Yo's first LP with "Stompin' To Tha 90's", "You Can't Play With My Yo Yo" (featuring Ice Cube), and "IBWC National Anthem". The production credits say "Produced by Ice Cube and Sir Jinx... with the funky hip hop punch by Delvon, Tha Funkee Homosapien." CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

American avant rock treasures Yo La Tengo's 15th album, and no, it's not a covers set of the legendary, almost same-titled album by Sly & The Family Stone, but a murkily melodic, fuzzy, moody, beautiful set of songs as richly inspired by their myriad, oft-stated, readily-acknowledged influences as ever, as only this band can do! All of that is to say it's Yo La Tengo all the way – instantly recognizable, inspired and inspiring stuff. Includes "You Are Here", "Out Of The Blue", "She May, She Might", "Ashes", "Esportes Casual", "Out Of The Pool", "Here You Are" and more. CD

... CD

The cello genius of Yo Yo Ma with the violin of Mark O'Connor, and the bass of Edgar Meyer! CD

An amazing little soundtrack – written in mid 60s Peru by jazz pianist Jaime Delgado Aparicio, but easily on a par with some of the best American or Italian scores from the time! The music's got a really wonderful feel throughout – jazz at the core, but with touches of spy soundtrack scoring and some of the lighter, more comedic modes of the Italian scene. Delgado uses a core combo with heavy piano, percussion, and some great trumpet and tenor – almost with the tightness of the Basso-Valdambrini group – but he also expands the sound with bits of strings and some fuller orchestrations, used to shade in some amazing colors that roll, dip, and turn with the beautiful grooves penned for the set. The whole thing's tremendous, with equally great production that creates some odd twists and turns that further keep things interesting as the album rolls on. Titles include "Elm Embajador Y Yo", "Sexy Surf", "Llegando A La Capital", "Isometria", "Todo El Mundo Me Persigue", "Lucha En El Mar", and "La Arana". Added to the soundtrack is Jamie's 1964 album – Jaime Delgado Aparicio Y Su Trio – a crackling bit of piano jazz from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – and a record that's somewhere between the best of Horace Silver on Blue Note, and some of the Brazilian bossa trios of the time! There's a strong sense of rhythm throughout – round, rolling basslines punctuated by great work on the drum kit – all topped by beautifully lyrical lines from Delgado Aparicio on piano – filled with color, light, and life throughout – and soloing with a depth that's rare for such a young player! Titles include a great version of Horace Silver's "Sayonara Blues", plus "The Climate", "Autumn Leaves", "Walkin", and "Blue Daniel". CD

With Fabolous on "Automatic" and Petey Pablo, Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, 8-Ball, and Bun B on "Rep Yo City". 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes two tracks produced by Gilles Peterson. LP, Vinyl record album

A bunch of nice, pumped up house mixes of this popular Janet cut. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The 7" single debut of two tracks from these Oakland underground legends! The Action Packed Gangsters deliver a nice lean groove for "Takin It To The Streets" – a mix of skittish beats and spare bassline that really serves things well lyrically, and which almost has an early Philly hip hop vibe! "Daily Routine" has that classic "Think" groove kicked up more, which does plenty for the lyrical power of the tune too! Both cuts great – and well-deserving of this treatment. 7-inch, Vinyl record

The debut of the J Davis Trio – Chicago's wholly unique late night jazz, spacey funk, leftfield live hip hop crew! The J Davis Trio combines some stripped down 70s soul jazz with a skewed, slightly sinister sense of humor – and can reference Roy Ayers and the Dead Milkmen on the same record – no mean feat. This Debut is a strong one! Tracks include "Bitchin Corrolla", "Keys To The Kingdom", "Car Talk", "Bossa Nova", "Thumb Piano", "Story, "Harmonics 5", 'Everythang'sEverythang" and more. CD

What's Bootsy Doin'? He's delivering quality late 80s style party funk, that's what! Bootsy in a real 80s funk groove, and this is among is best solo records – lots of post electro and early rap influences in his production, but there's still some old school-ed craft – with Fred, Maceo and the Horny Horns on board. A fun and funky record from Bootsy Collins. Titles include "Party On Plastic", "Subliminal Seduction", "Leakin'", "Shock It To Me", "Lovesong", "Yo-Moma-Loves Ya", "Save What's Mine For Me" and more. CD

Greatest hits compilation with the best from the NBN glory days. Tracks include "Hip Hop Hooray", "OPP", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", "Feel Me Flow", "Clap Yo Hands", "1, 2, 3", "Guard Your Grill", and the classic "Uptown Anthem" from the Juice soundtrack. Plus some World Trade Center references (from the first time...) on "Wickedest Mad Alive." CD

Maybe not the most politically correct of the entries in the Greasy Mike series of weird and wild 45s – as the collection brings together material that offers a postwar take on the East – in a weird mish-mash of rocking styles blended with imagined ideas of Pacific-rimmed culture! The territory is surprisingly playful, if you can put aside any sort of winge factor – and the "exotic" approach makes for lots of unusual guitar lines, offbeat arrangements, and even some cool reed solos too! The set features 16 titles in all – and tunes include "Husband Wife Lung Slices" by The Fugu Five, "Saki Rock" by The Windsors, "Hong Kong" by Jackie Lee, "Hot Sake" by Copper Penny, "Far East Rock" by The Manhattans, "Along The Ginza" by Yo Yo Hashi, "Tokyo Stomp" by Chuck Fayne, "Saki" by Earl Craig, and "Chop Suey" by The Dawnbreakers. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Dizzy – showing that he was a genius in any form of jazz! In the mid 50s, Diz had one of the hippest big bands going – filled with great young players that included Lee Morgan, Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Walter Davis Jr. The work he crafted here was partly an extension of his earlier bop sides, but also a demonstration of his desire to express himself in more expansive forms – kind of a hint of the direction he'd take in the 60s, with his work in Latin, soundtrack, and funk styles. The set combines tracks from 3 different Verve albums – and it also packages the material with a number of previously unissued tracks, and some great liner notes that do a wonderful job of summing up the spirit of the work. Arrangements are by AK Salim, Quincy Jones, Tadd Dameron, and Dizzy himself – and tracks include "Jordu", "Tin Tin Deo", "Groovin For Nat", "Dizzy's Business", "Jessica's Day", "Doodlin", "Yo No Quiero Bailar", "Birk's Works", "Tangorine", "Umbrella Man", and "Mayflower Rock". 42 tracks in all! CD

19 tracks in all, including "Do Yo Wanna Go Our Way?", "Here I Go", "Crash", "Crayola", "First The Sheep Next The Sheppherd?", "Last Mass Of The Caballeros", "WhatWhat", and "Kevorkian". CD

A rare set with a very unusual vibe – as the group features vocal harmonies that seem to echo Cuban and Mexican modes of the 60s, but set to grooves that are much more in keeping with their Peruvian roots! There's some especially great electric guitar in the mix – of the sort you'd hear on chicha cuts, but used with a stronger vibe overall – especially when some solos soar out as the vocal step aside – and the rhythms of the record are raw and rootsy, with an edge that's very different than Latin vocal groups were using anywhere up north at the start of the 70s! The whole thing is filled with plenty of fresh sounds and unusual groovers – and titles include "Me Voy A Monsefu", "Sandungueate", "Oye Mi Son", "El Tic Tac", "Flaca Y Despeinada", "Compay Gallo", and "Yo Me Voy De Aqui". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer early work by the Fania All Stars – caught live at the legendary Cheetah club, which was the heart of the New York salsa scene at the start of the 70s! The album is easily one of the best by the group – and features long tracks that really capture the jamming intensity that occurred on stage when this many great artists were brought together in one space – kind of the "next step" for the older descarga mode put fort at the start of the 60s, pushed forward into the prouder, more unified Latin scene of the 70s! All Stars on this date include Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Bobby Valentin, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and others – and titles on this second volume include "Ponte Duro", "Estrellas De Fania", and "Ahora Vengo Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

The title track on this one's a slammer, and the whole album has Leela James really working at the top of her game – maybe using a touch of her maturity to really sharpen her songwriting edge, and serve up the kind of material that really lets us focus on her strengths! There's a confidence here that's great – as James makes no bones about her ability to inhabit a tune, and come across acting like she owns it – a quality that's emphasized by the also-maturing talents of Rex Rideout as co-producer of the set. Yo Yo makes a guest appearance on "I Was Your Woman" – and other cuts include "Thought U Knew", "Good On Me", "Right Back In It", "Satisfied", "Be Your Baby", "Whatcha Done Now", and "When It's Over". CD

Wonderful work from Edmondy Krater – an artist whose revival is long overdue! Krater's roots are in Guadeloupe, but he works here in a great fusion of original styles and jazzier elements – the best spirit of the Parisian scene's long legacy of opening new musical doors, supported strongly by the work of the Heavenly Sweetness label in recent years! Krater plays trumpet, but also sings – and the combo has a warmly jazzy vibe – lots of great keyboards next to acoustic percussion – all bubbling over with a great sense of spirit and collaboration. Titles include "Metew Byen", "Kontak", "Fo Kontinye Goume", "J'Ai Traverse La Mer", "Se Tan Nou", and "Yo Vini Pou Danse". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking set from Eddie Lebron – a singer and pianist who worked with a variety of other groups, but who really shines here on this rare date up front in the spotlight! The set was one of a handful issued on the tiny Ghetto label, and features production from Joe Bataan – and a nicely gritty vibe that really lives up to the cover image – the best spirit of the Latin Soul generation, sliding into the New York 70s salsa years – with raw instrumentation throughout, and a vibe that may well beat the best on Fania Records at the time! The group features alto and tenor sax, both of which upscore the soulful quality of the grooves – and titles include the great "Eddie's Guaguanco", plus "Fui Sincero", "Yo Te Lo Dedico", "Rico Son", and "Pena". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most triumphant records from the first wave of Wu Tang Clan solo efforts – and an early 90s hip hop masterpiece that's hardly aged a day since! Tical is right up there with Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on the quality front. It's got the iconic Wu production aesthetic in peak form, and Meth himself does an incredible job here of not only cementing the Wu Tang's legacy, but setting himself up to be the Clan's breakout solo success story for years to come. Includes "Tical", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", "What The Blood Clot", "Meth Vs. Chef", "Biscuits", "I Get My Thang In Action", "PLO Style", "Sub Crazy", "Release Yo' Delf", the killer "Method Man (Remix)" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Bala Miller's got a great pan-African group here – one that's more from the western side of the scene, despite the pyramids mentioned in their name – with players hailing from Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon – all coming together in a mighty righteous style! The music is fairly cerebral – thoughtful tunes that have a layered blend of horns, guitar, keyboards, and sweetly-stepping rhythms – plus occasional organ, kora, goga, and kwarya – all given a stronger focus from the vocals in the lead, which shift between male and female singers, and some backup as well. Titles include "Ikon Allah", "Yo Gboko", "Opportunity Knocks", "Stretch Your Nose", and "All Work No Play". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back to back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Titles include the massive "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" (the virtual Mingus "trademark" tune), plus the tracks "Celia", "Hora Decubitus", and "II B.S.". CD features the bonus track "Freedom" – not on the original LP! CD

A really cool record, and one that uses the Cuban tres in a style that's nicely different than more traditional modes – often blending it with some of the hipper small combo Latin elements that had popped up on the New York scene in the mid 60s, which gives the instrument a very different energy overall! Mita handles the tres wonderfully here – electrified on most cuts, which almost creates the same sort of feel as those cool boogaloo records that Arsenio Rodriguez recorded in the 60s – not faithfully traditional at all, which is really the appeal! As with so many Mag Records productions from the period, there's all sorts of wonderfully offbeat elements going on – yet they never get in the way of the burning Latin grooves of the set, as you'll hear on cuts that include "Mango Mangue", "Arecibo", "Compay Chifuco", "Mita Descarga", "No Aguanto Mas", "Descarga En Botella Y Huiro", and "El Yo Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of classic albums from The Muscle Shoals Horns – with bonus tracks too! First up is Born To Get Down, by a group who were definitely born to get down – as they'd proved before on countless funk and soul sessions in the south – and as they prove once again with this masterful album on their own! The style here is surprisingly well-formed – not just horn players getting to shine in the lead, but a soul group with a tightness that matches some of the hippest, most sophisticated groups of the time – working here with really well-crafted rhythms that often hit an excellent midtempo groove, and avoid any disco-era cliches. Muscle Shoals legend Barry Beckett helps the group out on keyboards, arrangements, and production – and trumpeter Harrison Calloway turns out to be a surprisingly great singer in the lead. Titles include "Born To Get Down", which has a nice keyboard break in the middle, plus "Bump De Bump Yo Boogie", "Give It To Me", "Open Up Your Heart", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Break Down". Doin It To The Bone is a killer album from the Muscle Shoals Horns – and way more than just a set of studio players stepping out for some time in the spotlight! Sure, the MSH had worked on hundreds of sessions by this point – but there's also a sense of ownership and leadership they never had before – a real sense of trying something fresh, and really making the album all their own! To that respect, they certainly use their horns – but also work in plenty of vocals, too – and definitely emphasize the rhythms, which often have this cool compressed vibe that's very much in the best Earth Wind & Fire style – especially on the midtempo numbers that really make the album a killer. Production is by Barry Beckett, who goes for a nicely modern soul approach – and of all the horns, Harrison Calloway is probably the lead talent here – handling most of the arrangements, songwriting, and vocals. Titles include "What's Goin Down", "Dance To The Music", "I Just Wanna Turn You On", "Addicted To Your Love", "Beware Of The Rip Off", and "Keep On Playing That Funky Music". Last up is Shine On – an early 80s set from the mighty Muscle Shoals Horns, but one that cooks every bit as much as their funk classics from the 70s! At some level, this album may well be the group's funkiest – but in a style that's got some of the best 80s qualities in the grooves – the kind of tight basslines and sweet keyboard lines that marked some of the best work of the time – mixed with the group's sublime horn lines, which provide these jazzy inflections that really warm things up in a brilliant way! Most of the rhythms are nicely right in the middle – neither too uptempo, nor too head-noddy – and the whole thing's a really overlooked gem that's a standout funky set from the time. Titles include "Celebrate Recreate Participate", "She Was Once My Woman", "Shoalin", "More Than Ever Now", and "Don't Bust Yo Bubbles". 2CD set features bonus tracks – 7" mixes of "Born To Get Down", "Bump De Bump Yo Boodie", "Where I'm Coming From", and "She Was Once My Woman" – plus "I Just Wanna Turn You On (12" mix)". CD

A stunning set from saxophonist Jowee Omicil – dedicated to a slave uprising in 18th Century Haiti, but served up with a righteous vibe that's very progressive and 70s overall! The music is spiritual, but also very loose and avant – as Omicil switches between woodwinds and trumpet, and works with lean backing from Fender Rhodes, bass, and drums! The vibe is almost like that of vintage AACM projects – with a spontaneously creative approach that's very organic, and very personal – and Omicil has a great way of picking just the right instrument at just the right moment to shift the mood and really illuminate the music. Titles include "Call To Warzone", "AmBusKad", "KaLaLou Free", "Trace", "Bashquiat Intro", and "Spirit Yo Bak". CD

A stunning set from saxophonist Jowee Omicil – dedicated to a slave uprising in 18th Century Haiti, but served up with a righteous vibe that's very progressive and 70s overall! The music is spiritual, but also very loose and avant – as Omicil switches between woodwinds and trumpet, and works with lean backing from Fender Rhodes, bass, and drums! The vibe is almost like that of vintage AACM projects – with a spontaneously creative approach that's very organic, and very personal – and Omicil has a great way of picking just the right instrument at just the right moment to shift the mood and really illuminate the music. Titles include "Call To Warzone", "AmBusKad", "KaLaLou Free", "Trace", "Bashquiat Intro", and "Spirit Yo Bak". LP, Vinyl record album

The second solo album by The Chef – a record that had hard time finding space outside the massive shadow of his first solo landmark Only Built 4 Cuban Linx – and like other Wu Tang solo albums of the era, there's a number of gems on here that really never had a chance to get over a bar set set so high. Titles include "Yae Yo", "Casablanca", the Pete Rock produced near classic "Sneakers", "Raw", "Pop S**t", My Favorite Dred", "Live From New York", "100 Rounds", "Power", and "Forecast". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by trombonist Frank Rosolino – a hip set issued under the Stan Kenton Presents banner for Capitol in the mid 50s – but done in a smaller combo mode than you'd hear with Stan! The setting provides a great showcase for the emerging solo talents of Rosolino on trombone – a player with a soulful swing that get way past his goofy image on the cover – and which is set up here in the company of some great collaborators who include Charlie Mariano on alto sax – playing so strongly, the album might well include him as a co-leader – plus piano from either Claude Williamson or Pete Jolly, trumpet from Sam Noto, bass from Max Bennett or Curtis Counce, and drums from Mel Lewis or Stan Levey. There's not only a lot of Kenton influence in the players, but a lot of Bethlehem Records styles as well – a reference that definitely shapes the sound of this set, and makes it a strong one for any fan of 50s work on that label – or Mode Records as well. Titles are a mix of standards and originals – and include "Ragamuffin", "Linda", "Carioca", "Besame Mucho", "Yo Yo", and "Freckles". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early 90s moment for Run DMC – as the set has one of the first big major hip hop acts of the 80s, retuning themselves slightly for the new decade – in part by opening the door to added guests and producers for the record! The core energy that makes the trio so great is still very firmly in place – including inventive work on the turntables from Jam Master Jay – who produces here too, alongside Pete Rock, Jermain Dupri, EPMD, and Q-Tip too. Titles include the great title track, "Down With The King" – plus "Come On Everybody", "Can I Get It Yo", "Hit Em Hard", "Big Willie", "In The House", "Wreck Shop", "Can I Get A Witness", "Get Open", "What's Next", and "3 In The Head". LP, Vinyl record album