A sweet set of remixes – material from the already-clubby album Body & Soul, taken to even further dancefloor territory by maestro Stefano Tirone! The core album already had a really upbeat vibe – with nicely varied vocals from Toco, Afra Kane, and Laura Fedele – and the remixes here balance things out in an equally great way – on titles that include extended remixes of "Pra Voce", "In The Name Of Love", and "Rosa Da Ribeira" – plus remixes of "Midnight Sun", "No Meio Do Samba", "Move On", and "Body & Soul" – and an Invisible Session remix of "Odoya". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring, spacey set from the mighty David Sancious – one of his 70s albums that's almost a genre unto itself, given the many different elements that David mixes into the music – touches of jazz, fusion, funk, and soul – but also delivered with the proficiency you might find in a record by a prog player too! No surprise, Sancious has backgrounds in all of those scenes, and wraps that experience together wonderfully here – playing keyboards, guitar, and handling lead vocals – with some added vocal support by female singers who emphasize some of the more soulful aspects of the music when the other musicians step out to solo and jam! Titles include "Dance Of The Glory & Playfulness", "The Dawn", "Dance Of Serenity & Strength", "Gone Is The Veil Of Illusion", "Dance Of Gratitude & Devotion", and "Dance Of Purification". CD

The first full length album by Italy's S-Tone – a very groovy group that's right in the best Schema Records tradition! Like other groups on Schema, S-Tone have a wonderful talent for mixing bossa influences, modern beats, and traces of jazz, vocal, and soundtrack inspirations – effortlessly combining the diverse in ways that few other groups can match without sounding all clunky and derivative. There's a professional poise to the record that really makes it sparkle – just the right notes placed at just the right moments, nothing ever too forced or out of line, with just the right amount of spaciousness to make the grooves hit home. Titles include "La Boca Del Rio", "Take 4", "Limbe", "Effetto Notte", "Memphis Freeway", "Bahia Mon Amour", and "Vai Ser Bom". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A really wonderful album from Tony Toni Tone – maybe the set that showed the world that they could be way more than a playful pop soul act – thanks to some surprisingly strong harmonies throughout! The set's not exactly old school, but it almost marks a revival of the sound of some of the classic 70s soul harmonies by groups like The Moments or Delfonics – especially in the more mellow grooving moments of the album – inflected at other points with more of the "mellow gangster" vibe of the more up-and-coming groups of their generation. Titles include the wonderful "Anniversary" – plus "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Tell Me Mama", "My Ex-Girlfriend", "If I Had No Loot", "Gangsta Groove", "I Couldn't Keep It To Myself", "Dance Hall", "Castleers", "Fun", "Leavin", and "Slow Wine". CD

The crossover rap classic from Tone-Loc! The biggest couple of hits are still ubiquitous decades later – and Loc himself, with that raspy voice and smooth charisma, still stands as one of more unique voices of late 80s hip hop. Loc-ed After Dark is also an early proving ground for the soon-to-be mega-producers The Dust Brothers, with "Cutting Rhythms", "Next Episode", and "Don't Get Close" – plus the hits "Wild Thing", "Funky Cold Medina", and more. CD

Includes "Holy Smoke & Gee Whiz", "Let Me Know", "Thinking Of You", "Top Notch", "Let's Get Down", "Lovin You", "Don't Fall In Love", and "Still A Man". Excellent harmonies, and a warm classic soul sound! CD

A crossover classic from the new Jack generation – and a record that maybe comes across with even more charm in the 21st Century than it did back in the day! Sure, the three Ts were never going to deliver the deepest soul or the hardest lyrics – but they've got a great way of blending together hip hop influences and damn catchy hooks, all at a level that really helped push soul music forward strongly at the time! The group produced the set themselves, and titles include their great remake of "It Never Rains In Southern California", the Vanessa Williams guest on "Oakland Stroke", and the titles "Sky's The Limit", "Those Were The Days", "The Blues", "let's Have A Good Time", "I Care", "Feels Good", and "All The Way". CD

The first LP from Tony Toni Tone – and a landmark in crossover R&B! The set is a great one throughout – tightly produced, but with a sense of charm that seemed to be missing at the time from other groups – especially male groups who got a bit blown off course during the quiet storm years. The youthful trio bring a new sort of energy back to male group soul – a sound that's not yet as heavy on the harmonies as it would be in later years, but which still gets things nicely back to basics. Titles include the huge single "Little Walter" – a true benchmark for the Rahael Saadiq empire – plus the tracks "Baby Doll", "For The Love Of You", "Pain", "Love Struck", "Who's Lovin You", and "Not Gonna Cry For You". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A crossover classic from the new Jack generation – and a record that maybe comes across with even more charm in the 21st Century than it did back in the day! Sure, the three Ts were never going to deliver the deepest soul or the hardest lyrics – but they've got a great way of blending together hip hop influences and damn catchy hooks, all at a level that really helped push soul music forward strongly at the time! The group produced the set themselves, and titles include their great remake of "It Never Rains In Southern California", the Vanessa Williams guest on "Oakland Stroke", and the titles "Sky's The Limit", "Those Were The Days", "The Blues", "let's Have A Good Time", "I Care", "Feels Good", and "All The Way". Bonus tracks include "Feels Good (12" party mix)", and "House Party II (ext club)". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Rare split jazz LP with a side each by Klemmer and Harris. Klemmer plays with Joe Sample on keys, Bob Magnusson on bass, and Alex Acuna on drums; and Harris plays with Bill Henderson on piano, Larry Gales on bass, Carl Burnett on drums, and Ray Armando on percussion, and with guest Phil Upchurch. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early chapter in the career of Kraftwerk – an obscure album issued only in the UK, and one that features the duo of Ralf and Florian augmented by three other players! The sound here is heavily instrumental, and very experimental – almost in the mode of some of the more adventurous German groups of the time, particularly those on Brain – with a blend of jazz-like improvisation and close-in, repetitive instrumental passages – the latter of which certainly bear resemblance to the earliest music of Kraftwerk! The lineup here includes organ – often heavily distorted – plus flute (both electric and acoustic), bass, and a wide range of percussion instruments played with unbridled freedom. Titles include "Tone Float", "Rhythm Salad", "Milk Rock", "Silver Forest", and "Noitasinagro". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Susie Ibarra, Roy Campbell, Rob Brown, and Steve Swell. CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The first full-length from Mos Def and Talib Kweli together as Black Star – a benchmark moment in hip hop history, and one of the finest duo vocal hip hip records of the 90s – and one of the best ever on Rawkus! In hindsight, it's all the more rewarding given Talib Kweli's longevity in proud, mic skills centric hip hop and while highs and lows of Mos Def's work as the years rolled along – and it still stands as strong (then) underground hip hop that takes on the ghetto fabulous themes of the day and well beyond. Stand out cuts include "Definition" "Twice Inna Lifetime", "Children's Story" – the Slick Rick classic redone along the lines of Jeru's "One Day" – and "Respiration" featuring Common Sense – and other tracks include "Brown Skin Lady", "Yo Yeah", "Thieves In The Night", "Twice Inna Lifetime and more. 13 in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A great trio set from pianist Luther Allison – not to be confused with the blues musician of the same name, although this Luther also brings in plenty of bluesy currents in his playing! The group's a trio – with Boris Kozlov on bass and Zach Adelman on drums – but it's clear from the start that Allison's the star of the show, as he has a way of setting up the tunes wonderfully at the start, then swinging them home with these fluid solos that often evoke old school giants of the format – like Chicagoans John Wright or John Young. Titles include a fair number of originals – including "I Owe It All To You", "Until I See You Again", "The Things We Used To Say", and "Lu's Blues" – plus the tunes "There But For The Grace Of", "New York", and a nice take on the Stevie Wonder song "Knocks Me Off My Feet". CD

A landmark in modern jazz – from the stark stares of the band on the cover, to the starkly haunting music in the grooves! The record makes a bold statement right from the outset – and more than lives up to its promise in the sound within – an amazing approach to modern jazz that's still quite powerful, even all these many years later! The group features Ornette Coleman on alto, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – moving at a fast, highly rhythmic pace that still leaves us breathless – filled with angles, but wrapped up in soul. The group make severe statements about the future of modern music in tracks like "Humpty Dumpty", "Beauty Is a Rare Thing", and "Kaleidoscope" – bouncing the efforts of the whole group off the beat, in a way that's both challenging and groove-heavy at the same time, a key summation of the genius of Ornette's early vision! CD

Cascading vibes from Behn Gillece – easily one of our favorite contemporary players on his instrument, and a musician who always seems to find a great way to resonate with his bandmates on a session! This date has Gillece mixing his warmly chromatic sound with great contributions from Art Hirahara on piano and Fender Rhodes, Diego Rivera on tenor, Altin Sencalar on trombone, and Patrick Cornelius on alto, soprano, and bass clarinet – musicians who don't all crowd in at once, but are nicely spaced in ways that really help shape the sound of the record when they appear. Rhythm is from Peter Slavov on bass and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums – and the record is filled with great original tunes from Behn – including "Between The Bars", "Mindful Moments", "Roamers", "It's Like Magic", "Due Up Next", "Thinking Cap", "Celestial Lullaby", and "Horizons". CD

Warmly-crafted alto work from Markus Howell – a player with an easygoing, soulful approach – one that almost feels at times like an updated take on territory that Hank Crawford was hitting in the 70s! At times, Howell's solos are a bit more complex than that reference might imply – but at other points he opens up with a nice sense of space between the notes, and an inherently rhythmic style that's given some good assistance by Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – a rock-solid rhythm trio who fit in well with the groove. Titles are mostly Howell originals, and include "Second Wind", "Gains", "Counterattack", "Hurry Up & Wait", "The Path", and "Trials By Fire". CD

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Trombonist Ryan Keberle might be hiding in the shadows a bit on the cover, but he comes on strong right from the very first note of this set – leading a strong group that soars wonderfully through a set of all-original compositions! The format here is slightly larger for a Posi-tone label session – and although Keberle's the leader and composer, the whole thing is awash in bold colors and tones from a variety of other players too – Alex Norris on trumpet and flugelhorn, Diego Rivera on tenor and flute, Michael Dease on baritone, Art Hirihara on piano, and Patrick Cornelius on alto, soprano, bass clarinet, and flute – a range of reeds that really bring a lot of depth to the music. The rhythms are great too – just the right amount of energy from Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – subtle one minute, bold the next – on titles that include "Fooled & Then Pushed Apart", "Stillness Within", "Make America Again", "Despite The Dream", and "Quintessence". CD

Steve Khan on guitar, John Patitucci on acoustic bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Manolo Badrena on percussion and voice. CD

Steve Khan on guitar, Ruben Rodriguez on baby and electric bass, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Marc Quinones on timbales, bongos, and percussion. CD

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green". CD

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence has a nicely measured sound on his horn – a tight sense of tone and phrasing, with a care of delivery that maybe hearkens back to Art Farmer at his best – which is a hell of a compliment from us! Josh is always holding a touch of energy in reserve – not that he's holding back, just that you know he could blow the top off the horn if he wanted – but is instead, damming up his sense of expression to flow out evenly and beautifully – with a flow that's augmented here by work from Diego Rivera on tenor, Art Hirihara on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. And in the best Posi-tone label mode, the album's overflowing with original tracks – titles that include "Prelude To A Farewell", "Texas Tenor", "Every Choice Comes With An Invoice", "Stony Mountain Mist", and "Between The Lakes". CD

David Liebman on tenor and soprano saxophone, piano, synthesizer, and wooden flute, Vic Juris and Mike Stern on guitar, Tony Marino and Anthony Jackson on bass, and Marko Marcinko on drums and percussion. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

The masterpiece by one of the greatest, most sincere rock bands of all time! Let It Be veers all over the place, or at least as much as jangly rock music can, in the best way possible. Includes the pseudo twangy opener "I Will Dare", with the distinctly midwestern hardcore of the group's earlier years showing up on "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", and Westerberg's great heart-on-sleeve, ragged balladry appearing for the closers. Like the Meat Puppets and X, the 'Mats really found themselves after they shed the rigid rules of punk rock, and developed into something every bit as honest and heartfelt. They followed the rock songbook just enough to keep their work warm and familiar, but with way too huge and hard-pounding heart to ever seem even the least bit derivative. Hell, they even make Kiss's "Black Diamond" sound sincere! Other tracks include "Favorite Thing", "Androgynous", "Unsatisfied", "Seen Your Video", "Gary's Got A Boner", "Sixteen Blue" and "Answering Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

A corker of a set from tenorist Diego Rivera – a player who's been around for a bit, but who really seems to find his groove in this Posi-Tone setting! The album's got Diego working with some great labelmates – including trombonist Michael Dease on all cuts, a name that's worth us checking out the album alone – plus work on various tracks by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Markus Howell on alto, and Behn Gillece on vibes! The core quintet also includes Luther Allison on piano, Andea Owens on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums – all playing nice and tight, so Rivera and Dease can really soar on their solos – taking off on tunes that include the Rivera originals "Connections", "Ties That Bind", "Nueva York", "O Moderno", and "Mother's Nature" – plus Dease's "Seiko Time", and a nice bold-voiced version of "Naima" – done very differently than usual! CD

Diego Rivera's a hell of a tenorist – and he plays a bit of soprano too – packing a heck of a lot into just a little bit of space, almost with the mix of hardbop and soul jazz we'd hear from 60s favorites like Benny Golson or Jerome Richardson! As with both of those artists, Rivera's got a way of making his presence known right from the start – but then never needs to overstate himself – as his playing is always right on the money, with just the right notes along the way – supported here by a crack quartet that features Helen Sung on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – plus trumpet from Etienne Charles on three of the album's twelve tracks. Many tunes are originals by Diego – just the right material for his balance of expression – and titles include "Indigenous", "Sombras Del Pasado", "Secret Life Of Plants", "Melina Maria", "BLM Plaza", "Shir Lashalom", and "Purpose". CD

Rich-voiced tenor work from Diego Rivera, a player who just seems to get better and better with each new album as a leader! The set follows strongly on Diego's previous – and as with that one, features that top-shelf Posi-tone presentation – with a focus on original material, a strong group of sidemen, and a nicely unified vibe! Other players include Art Hirihara on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – plus Pete Rodriguez on trumpet, also adding in some percussion at points that have a slightly Latin vibe. Titles include the originals "With Just A Word", "Tinte Latino", "Machete", and "Dignified Response". CD

Partly a rock combo, partly a vocal group, and all together one of the greatest acts to record for Roulette Records at the start of the 60s! The Rock-A-Teens have this tremendous sound here – a core vibe that comes from their own instrumentation, with the sort of strong tenor and guitar you'd find in a grittier indie group – mixed with a sense of wider range that has them really embracing the overall sound and style of the studio, especially at points where the echo seems to guide the sounds right back at their core! The album features the seminal single "Who Hoo", which features very cool wordless vocals – and other numbers mix a strong male lead vocal with other instrumental numbers and a few group harmonies too. Titles include "Janis Will Rock", "Pagan", "Lotta Boppin", "Oh My Nerves", "I Was Born To Rock", "Story Of A Woman", "Twangy", and "Doggone It Baby". CD

A standout set from trombonist Altin Sencalar – a player who seems to get better and better with each new record, not just for the soulful sound on his instrument, but also for his work as both a leader and writer of fresh new tunes! The record's got the tightness we love on the best Posi-tone label releases – and also features a slightly larger group too, with work from Diego Rivera on tenor, Markus Howell on alto and soprano, Anthony Hervey on trumpet, and Michael Dease on baritone – players who shift strongly between the solo work you'd know from their own albums as leaders, and a strong ensemble to color in Sencalar's tunes. Rhythms are great, too – and include work from Art Hirihara on piano, Paul Reyas Bueno on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – with occasional Latin currents from percussionist Pete Rodriguez. Titles include "Nuevo Dia", "The Sunday Affair", "Awareness", "Pocket Of Clave", "Blue Evening", "It's Easy", and "More Than One Answer". CD

A gem of a record, and one that might be easy to overlook – given the unfamiliar group name and relatively murky cover – yet a set that bristles with all of the energy of some of the best records on the Posi-tone label of late! There's a number of the label's key players here – working as a sharp sextet who manage to really pack a lot into each tune on the set – well-written numbers that are full of personal moments from players who include Markus Howell on alto and soprano, Willie Morris on tenor, Altin Sencalar on trombone, Misha Tsiganov on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums. Sencalar is a great player here – someone we really want to hear more of – and as with the label's best, the work here is mostly original, contributed by the players in the group – a lineup fo tracks that include "Grit", "Niecee", "Here To Stay", "The Path", "Flyover Country", "Seeley Street Song", and "Yasya". CD