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Kool Keith in fine form and in firm control, spinning wildly profane comic and cosmic wordplay as deftly as he has in years! Junkaz Lou is a solid production partner, laying down funky beats, lean, bright bits of keys and just spacey enough of an overall sound to frame Keith's freewheeling rhymes. Pairing lewd rhymes with creative metaphors, rolling from laugh out loud hilarious put downs to no one in particular to well-earned boasts on his own mic supremacy, Keith is at later era high point here. Includes "Cosmic Power", "Peter", "Rotary Engine", "Back Home" with Big Sche Eastwood, "Ultraman", "Push", "The Pivot", "She Can Play" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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The long-overdue return of Bettye Lavette to Muscle Shoals – the scene of her ill-fated album for Atlantic Records from the early 70s – hence the title of this album! The style here is certainly classic, and very old school – with backings provided by The Drive-By Truckers, whose member Patterson Hood has family ties back to the older Muscle Shoals scene of the 60s and 70s – and classic southern soul keyboardist Spooner Oldham joins the group wonderfully on electric piano for most of the record, bringing a sweetly warm style to the backings that sounds great next to the time-sharpened edges of Bettye's vocals. As with other Anti label efforts of this type, the sound is respectfully classic – no attempt made to update Lavette's style at all, and none of the cheesier bluesy material that Bettye might have been forced to sing, were she working with a lesser label. Titles include "Choices", "Jealousy", "You Don't Know Me At All", "I Still Want To Be your Baby", "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces", "Talking Old Soldiers", "Before The Money Came", and "I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now". CD

Pure wonderfulness from Dave Mackay & Vicky Hamilton – one of the hippest duos ever to record a jazz record! The duo are a bit like Jackie & Roy at their best – in that Dave plays piano (including a bit of Fender Rhodes) and sings duet vocals with Vicky Hamilton in a sweetly swinging way that sounds very very groovy. Yet the overall sound is even groovier than Jackie & Roy – touched with influences from Sunshine Pop and the hipper side of the jazz spectrum – in a style that's extremely inventive, and unlike anything else we can think of! Tunes are mostly originals penned by the pair, and instrumentation on the record includes flute and saxes from Ira Schulman and guitar from Joe Pass – alongside keyboards from Dave, plus bass and drums. There's a beautifully breezy feel to the whole record – really the blueprint for countless 70s jazz vocal efforts to come from others – and titles include "Happying", "If I Ask You", "4 Ira", "See My Rainbow", "Peek A Boo", "Free", "Silent", and "Reach Out". LP, Vinyl record album

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Wonderfully experimental music from Ennio Morricone – even darker at times than some of his famous horror soundtracks – and a record that was only pressed up in an initial small sound library run! The music has an offbeat blend of string elements, percussion, and other darker tones – recorded with some processing and unusual production touches – at a level that's very similar to Morricone's music with Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, who also make an appearance on the set! Most tracks have this sort of progression of elements – a quality that's not directly rhythmic, but which creates a core energy that holds the more obtuse elements together – and titles include "Controfase", "Tempo", "Con Ferma Ostinazione", "Follia", and "Degenerazione". LP, Vinyl record album

A great statement as a leader from drummer Paul Motian – a player that none would have expected to be hitting this territory in the decade before – the start of a great run of records that continued his break from more familiar rhythmic territory! The record's got a very strong ECM vibe, but also maybe a bit more bite, too – as the bass work of Charlie Haden is balanced by sharper sounds from Carlos Ward on alto sax – who really gets plenty of space to dominate the proceedings, with this open soulfulness that really adds a lot to the record. The set's also got twin guitars from Paul Metzke and Sam Brown, which makes for a great approach – especially as Brown moves between acoustic and electric. Titles include a beautiful reading of Haden's "Song For Che" – plus "Victoria", "Tuesday Ends Saturday", "War Orphans", and "Sod House". CD

A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards and sings a bit too – in a larger group that mixes in some very hip LA funky elements, a bit like some of the criss-crossing that Hugh Masekela did on his Chisa Records sessions! The style makes for a great bit of funky club with lots of deeper acoustic percussion elements in the sound – and titles include the massive break classic "Funky Drummer", plus "Nothing Is Free", "Spend Your Money", "Gas Line", "Sunkwa", and "Believe In Yourself". Special package – also includes the bonus 12" tracks "International Funk (voc)", and "International Funk (inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sideman include Miles Davis on trumpet, Nat King Cole on piano, and Max Roach and Roy Haynes on drums. CD

The title gets it right on this one, because The Persuasions sing all acappella – quite unique for soul music at such a time of heavy production! The group were a great throwback to an earlier era of vocal group harmony – and this album, recorded for Zappa's Straight label, gave them great exposure to a crossover audience that helped them thrive way into the 70s. There's a nicely rootsy feel here – almost what The Chambers Brothers were doing in the late 60s, but even more stripped down, due to the lack of instrumentation. The performance is a live one, and the recording really preserves the feel of the set – leaving in some of the introductions and crowd noise, which further authenticates their sound. Titles include "Drip Drop", "The Bounce", "Up On The Roof", "It's All Right", "Searchin' for My Baby", and "Don't Look Back". CD

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Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

A fantastic record – one of Shaw's real landmarks of the 70s, and a lasting testament of soul jazz genius! The record features Shaw working with a group that includes a number of like-minded players – Frank Strozier, Ronnie Matthews, and Stafford James – all of whom fit together perfectly with Shaw to craft some strident tunes with the same sort of modal groove and soulful spiritualism as his work on the Moontrane record. Titles include "Sashianova", which has a great modal groove, "Jean Marie", and "Tomorrow's Destiny" – but the whole album is great together, and we never tire of listening to it! CD

An amazing Impulse debut from Archie Shepp – easily one of his boldest musical statements ever, and a key announcement to the world that a new generation of modernists was on the rise! The album was co-produced by John Coltrane – who brought Shepp to the label, and almost gets out-done by Archie's sharply crafted musical vision on the set. The style here is that mix of freer lines and tighter conception that Shepp used with the New York Contemporary Five – and players include John Tchicai on alto from that group, plus Roswell Rudd on trombone, Alan Shorter on flugelhorn, Reggie Workman on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums. The lack of piano in the album is striking – and allows for plenty of horn interplay, but in a way that's much more cutting and dark than any of the piano-less horn dates from the 50s. Titles include 4 Coltrane compositions ("Syeeda's Song Flute", "Mr Syms", "Cousin Mary", and "Naima"), as sort of a tribute to Trane – plus Shepp's excellent "Rufus (Swung, his face at last to the wind, then his neck snapped)". CD

23 classic tracks from Nina's prime early years – laid out on one studio LP, and one great live set, recorded at Town Hall in New York! Titles include classics like "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", "Fine & Mellow", and "I Don't Want Him" – plus "Middle of The Night", "Summertime", "Return Home", "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", and "That's Him Over There". Lots of nice stuff, and it's some of her best material for the Colpix label! CD

Funky funky funky! Lonnie plays live with a tight group that includes tenor, guitar, and some very heavy drumming – really wailing at a level that was surprising for funky organists of the time, and which really set the pace for a whole new generation! The players are more obscure than on the usual Blue Note sides – save for Ronnie Cuber, who played baritone with Mongo Santamaria, and is one of the most underrated 60s funky players. Recorded live at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, and with a deep raw funky sound that must have blown the roof off the club! Titles include "Move Your Hand", "Layin' In the Cut", "Charlie Brown", and "Sunshine Superman". One of his best ever! Plus, this CD reissue also includes a bonus cut – "Dancin' In An Easy Groove" – which does exactly that, for about 12 minutes long! CD

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A record with a simple, elegant title – and a similar cover image too – but if you know Sonny Stitt, you know there's often plenty beneath the surface, and this classic Chess Records has plenty to offer, once you start listening! The album's right up there with Sonny's work for Roost – in terms of straight, strong, confident blowing – remarkably subtle, but also remarkably well-conceived, and proof that by the end of the 50s, Stitt had really matured greatly as a player – bringing so much to bear in very short space, and really coming up with imaginative solos in the process! The group's a quartet with Barry Harris on piano (although conflicting information also claims that it's Ramsey Lewis) – but Stitt's the main focus on this set, and for good reason – on titles that include "Jack Spratt", "Propapagoon", "This Is Always", "Everyone Does", and "Mr Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic pop glam from Sweet – easily one of the best torchbearers of the genre in the 70s! The album's got a sweetly compressed sound that's right up there with the best of Queen – but even more rocking overall, and without any of the too-flowery or too-flashy moments. Tunes are stompingly catchy, and filled with loads of fuzzy guitar that's mixed right down into the roots of the rhythms – and although this album doesn't have as many hits as some of the group's other work, it's a killer set through and through. Titles include "The Lies In Your Eyes", "Lady Starlight", "Action", "Yesterday's Rain", "Healer", "White Mice", and "Keep It In". LP, Vinyl record album

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Features Steve Turre, Andre Hayward, Douglas Purviance, Joe Alessi, Robin Eubanks, and Steve Davis on trombones – plus Stephen Scott on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

Far-reaching and incredibly soulful work from Mal Waldron and Gary Peacock! Both players are at the height of their powers here, and have a warmth and sense of interplay that makes the session one of the best they did alone or together during the time. The group's a trio, with Hiroshi Murakami added in on bass – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best Japanese trio sessions of the early 70s, with great recording, long drawn-out introspective songs, and free unbridled playing that you don't always get on American sessions by the same players. Titles include "Walking Way", "What's That", "She Walks In Beauty", and "The Heart Of The Matter". LP, Vinyl record album

With Nat Reeves on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums – plus Eric Alexander's tenor on a few tracks too! CD

Phil Woods on alto sax and clarinet – with Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Nick Brignola on baritone sax, Hal Crook on trombone, Nelson Hill on tenor sax, Hal Galper on piano, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums. CD

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Nice Japanese release of John Lennon covers on the ukulele. CD

You might know Viv Albertine as a member of The Slits – and that role enough would be more than enough to make this book exciting – but Albertine also gives us a surprisingly rich, surprisingly long tapestry of her life in music – one that begins years before The Slits came together, and which takes personal and professional pathways in later years that are quite a surprise! Viv's writing style is as straightforward as her music – which can make the book especially illuminating when she tells tales about other famous figures, or about the scene in general – which she always seems to view with a sharp eye. The book is 421 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

The incredible debut of Blondie! Before branching out into 70s NYC club culture informed pop, Blondie was first-and-formost an incredibly cool punk-era rock & roll band, though never really straight-up punkers themselves – filtering a love of 60s girl group vocals and seedier surf rock influences into catchy songs still raucous enough for CBGBs. While the live gig grit is buffed out of in the studio, there's no lack of game-changing greatness here – and titles include "X Offender", "Little Girls Lie", "In The Sun", "In The Flesh", "Rifle Range", "Kung Fu Girls", "The Attack Of The Giant Ants" and more. CD

A well-remembered classic from The Cars – one of those records that had the group finding a perfect way to tap into new wave energy from the underground, yet somehow manage to score some major hits at a time when American radio was still pretty shy of so many new sounds! This set still has the group pretty close to their Boston roots – commercial, but never too polished – and in addition to the title hit "Shake It Up", other tracks include "Think It Over", "Since You're Gone", "I'm Not The One", "Victim Of Love", "This Could Be Love", and "A Dream Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of French disco tunes – one that blends electric and acoustic, in a style that really foreshadowed the current sound of the Paris scene! The singles on the set were a cover of "In A Gadda Da Vida" – almost unrecognizable compared to the heavy original, and Giorgio Moroder-esque "Over & Over" with the bubbly sequencer underpinning the thumping disco beat. But the real gems here are the nice uptempo groover "Soul Sister" with a nice chirping guitar line and a disco remake of Babe Ruth's "The Mexican", that even has a quoted riff from "Apache" in it! CD

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

Bob's fourth record, and close runner up to Freewheelin' as the masterpiece of this early stage of his career. While the overly arch Times They Are A Changin' pretty much stood as the cornerstone of classifiable folk rock at the time, Another Side is just that. Dense, elliptical, and downright surreal at times, with some of the protesty stuff that made the media so happy & hungry, but much more layered and poetic. Another side is also much more reverent of and indebted to the Harry Smith field recordings that Bob studied so hard, the stuff that finally caught on with the general public in the early 90s. Titles include "Spanish Harlem Incident", "It Ain't Me Babe", "Ballad In Plain D", "Black Crow Blues", "I Don't Believe You", "Motorpsycho Nitemare", "To Ramona", "Chimes Of Freedom", "My Back Pages", and "I Shall Be Free No 10". CD

A very cool live set from the great tenorist Stan Getz, and one that really echoes some of the best styles of his Getz Au Go Go album – as it not only features guest vocals on a number of tracks from the lovely Astrud Gilberto, but also includes work from vibist Gary Burton throughout the entire performance! The combination of Burton and Getz is tremendous – one that wasn't captured nearly enough by Verve in the 60s, which makes these live recordings so essential – as Gary's modern chromatic elements really seem to unlock a fresh spirit in Stan's horn – all the fluidity of the bossa years, but with these unusual inflections that are completely mindblowing! The rest of the core group is equally hip – Chuck Israels on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums – and Astrud Gilberto sings on seven of the album's nineteen selections. Titles include instrumental cuts "The Singing Song", "Blues Walk", "O Grande Amor", "Edelweiss", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Jive Hoot", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – and the vocal numbers "Voce E Eu", "Corcovado", "Telephone Song", "Girl From Ipanema", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Samba De Uma Nota So". CD

Wonderful work from Incognito – perhaps their greatest album ever! By the time of this 1993 release, this Brit funky soul combo was in perfect form – blending together classic modes of jazz funk into a tight modern blend that's lasted a lot longer than anyone might have thought at the time. From the perspective of nearly a decade later, this album glistens like a lost soul jewel – perfectly fitting in between some of our favorite 70s albums, and a few of the better sides from recent years. The vocals are great, the riffing is tight, and the production is smooth and soulful all the way through. Tracks include "Still A Friend Of Mine", "Positivity", "Smiling Faces", "Do Right", "Talkin Loud", and "Thinkin About Tomorrow". CD

Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone and Paal Nilssen Love on drums and percussion. CD

A British group, but one who also bring in a bit of American straightforwardness as well – mostly in the way they strip down the vibe of the record, harmonize their vocals, and go for an approach that avoids some of the overblown modes of their contemporaries! There's definitely some great hard rock guitar in the mix – played by Les Nicol, who can really tear it up – yet the whole thing also has a way of sounding nicely different than late psych or nascent prog, maybe in part because of the American production and the album's initial release only in the US. Titles include "My Poor Mary", "Matthew", "Mark", "Luke", "John", "High In The Tower Of Coombe", and "Methuselah". CD reissue features seven more bonus tracks from the original sessions – including "Don't Ask Me & I Won't Lie", "Put Me Down Woman", "You Are My Sunshine", and other mixes of tunes on the album! CD

One of our favorite Jemeel Moodoc recordings of recent years – a sublime set of duets with bassist William Parker, and a record that's got a vibe that's even more spiritual than usual from both players! There's a sense of timelessness to the music we really love – a sense of improvisation that encompasses avant traditions in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and St Louis – but which also has a deeply personal spirit, too – as those rare moments when Parker really gets the chance to shape a session with his sense of soul – and here brings out a bold focus in Moondoc's alto that's really breathtaking. Titles include "Huey Sees A Rainbow", "Another Angel Goes Home", "Encore", "Theme For Pelikan", and "New World Pygmies". CD

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Korean singer Lee Sohn steps out here in a record for Miami's Place Pigalle – with backings from Don Ippolito, and titles that include "Luna Rossa", "Jezebel", "Day In The Life Of A Fool", "Island In The Sun", and "China Night". LP, Vinyl record album

With some help from Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Randy Meisner of the Eagles on backing vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

Greg Abate on alto saxophone, Claudio Roditi on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. CD

Geri Allen on piano, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, Lenny White on drums, Mino Cinelu on percussion, and others. CD

No heavy metal here – just tight and funky jamming from the mighty Brecker Brothers! There's a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title – but the whole thing's still very much in that mix of soulful fusion and jazzy soloing that the pair forged strongly in the mid 70s. Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. Tracks include "Inside Out", "Some Skunk Funk", "Sponge", "East River", "Funky Sea Funky Dew", and "Squids". LP, Vinyl record album

Features a long list of guest musicians including Roy Hargrove, Jon Hendricks, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and George Shearing. CD

An album issued in the years after John Coltrane left the Prestige Records label – but a set that includes some very compelling sounds from the early years, really showing the tenorist in a strongly spiritual transition! Coltrane plays tenor throughout, and the record also features the Red Garland trio, with Red on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and either Art Taylor or Jimmy Cobb on drums – but the set also features trumpet from the great Wilbur Harden on half the record – Coltrane's frequent partner over at Savoy Records, who comes into the music here with the sort of searching, open style that works so well with Trane's tenor! The music is partly in the Garland/Coltrane late 50s Prestige mode, but also has some of the deeper spiritual vibe of the Savoy years too – and titles include "I'm A Dreamer Aren't We All", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Bahia", and "Goldsboro Express". CD

The cover image here really demonstrates the charisma of Fela at his height – dozens of topless women, kneeling around the maestro and spelling out the number 70 – but to us, the music is what really shows the man's power – a bold, progressive statement of the new energy bubbling up on the African scene – served up here on two amazing side-long tracks! Tony Allen is at the head of the Africa 70 – and his rhythms are already incredibly complex, but always right on the money – mixed with heavy tenor from Igo Chico, great electric piano lines, and a fiercely collaborative sense of energy that makes every move of the entire group come together as one. Titles include "Lady" and "Sakara Oloje" – both completely sublime! LP, Vinyl record album

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Quite possibly our favorite album ever from Chico Freeman – a beautiful set that was originally issued only in Japan, and which has Chico hitting some of his strongest, most spiritual modes on record! The album features Freeman's reeds in the company of other Chicagoans – AACM players who include Henry Threadgill on saxes, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Douglas Ewart on flutes, and Steve McCall on percussion – plus added work from Cecil McBee on bass and Ben Montgomery on drums – both players who round out the group with a very solid rhythmic focus. There's a bold sense of direction to this record that you don't always get in other work from Chico – a sound that's almost more Strata East at points, and which serves to bring the AACM players into sharp formation, and a strongly rhythmic orientation at times. The whole thing's wonderful – very well-crafted, and filled with spirit and soul – and titles include "The In Between", "Like The Kind Of Peace It Is", "Morning Prayer", "Pepe's Samba", and "Conversations". CD also features a bonus 19 minute version of "Pepe's Samba". CD

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A beautiful package of rare work from the archives – two never-released recordings, brought together in a cool book-style package! First up is Living City – breathtakingly organic sounds from Jon Hassell – performing here live, and at a level that's a nice evolution from his studio modes in the earlier part of the 80s – with all sorts of long-blown lines, and nicely complex elements in the sound! Hassell handles both his famous electrified trumpet and keyboards, with a group that includes keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion samples – all mixed live by Brian Eno, who definitely adds a darkness to the whole proceedings – recalling the Fourth World experiments that he and Hassell had done about a decade before, but with a quality that really respects all the growth that Jon went through as an artist in the intervening years. Titles include "Ituri", "Alchemistry", "Mashujaa", "Paradise Now", "Nightsky", and "Adedara Rising". Next is Psychogeography – very heady work from Jon Hassell – a set that almost seems to showcase his skills as a producer as much as it does his always-creative work on trumpet and keyboards! The sound here is often very layered and dense – maybe Hassell's own take on the noisier territory of Miles Davis electric imports of the 70s – but warmer, and with more of the organic elements that we love in some of Jon's other material. The recordings have never been issued – and are reworked elements of some material that went into the City/Works Of Fiction album – but with a quality that's very different than that. Tracks are shorter than some of Hassell's ususal work, which only increases their density – as Jon plays with work from a group that uses guitar, bass, keyboards, and plenty of live and sampled percussion. Titles include "Cityism Superdcub", "Harambe", "Freeway", "Midnight", "Favela", "Waterfront District", "Cloud Shaped Time", and "Emerald City". CD

Excellent work from Jesse Mae Hemphill – a female blues talent who lay undiscovered for many years in Mississippi, then burst forth late in her life with a fantastic run of sounds like this! Most of the tunes are relatively spare – with Jessie Mae playing electric guitar in these hypnotic passages that cascade and revolve around one another – while she sings in this way that's almost harmonic in relation to her instrument. The approach is a bit like Howlin Wolf, but made very much Hemphill's own on these tracks – and titles include "Standing In My Doorway Crying", "Take Me Home With You Baby", "Crawdad Hole", "Bullyin Well", "Brokenhearted Blues", "Go Back To Your Used To Be", "Shake It Baby", and "Tell Me You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure early one from Groove Holmes! Despite the title, this one's actually a nice batch of pretty groovy tracks – played by Groove with two different trios, both of which give him plenty of room to stretch out, and prove that he always worked best in smaller ensembles! Lots of nice originals on the session – including "Groove Bird", "Do It My Way", "Minor Surgery", and "Sweatin". CD

An excellent collection of work by The Isley Brothers – featuring some of our favorite smooth funky tracks from the 70s by the group! The set's a nice one because it includes a lot of good tracks that are on albums that aren't that great all the way through, so you get a good album of all high-quality tracks, with cuts like "Between The Sheets", "That Lady", "Groove With You", "For The Love Of You", "Footsteps In The Dark", "It's Your Thing", "Fight The Power" and "Live It Up". CD

A key moment in the west coast hardbop scene – and one of the greatest early records from saxophonist Harold Land! The group's a really striking one – with the unique Dupree Bolton on trumpet, a great player that we really only know from this set – plus Herbie Lewis on bass, Frank Butler on drums, and the great Elmo Hope on piano! Hope's piano really gives the set an edgey finish that seems to bring out even more dark tones in Land's horn than usual – and another aspect of the session that's worth noting is its early production by David Axelrod – who really seems to have an ear for making all the elements gel together perfectly. There's a really free-thinking sound here that makes the album stand out from other LA work of the time – and titles include "The Fox", "Sims-A-Plenty", "One Down", and "One Second, Please". CD

One of the grooviest girl groups of the 60s – a fab trio who hailed from Brooklyn, and who worked in the best sweet styles of both soul and rock groups of the time! Reparata & The Delrons have a sound that's a real cut above the usual – a way of handling a tune that's free of some of the cliches of other groups from the period, but which also does a good job of bringing out their best elements too. It's hard to sum up just why the group's so great – but it's possibly because they were working at the end of the girl group era, and have a bit more of a depth to their work – a style that's also influenced a bit by harmony folk and Sunshine Pop, but which is stil unabashedly focused on shorter tunes with groovy hooks. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "El Condor Pasa", "Cecilia", "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright", "Baby Driver", "The Boxer", "The Only Living Boy In New York", "Keep The Customer Satisfied", and "Song For The Asking". CD

Sublime sounds from the Jim Snidero group – a combo that flows wonderfully together as a unit, then breaks out as a strong showcase for each individual voice as well! Jim's alto is tied up tightly with the trumpet of Tim Hagans in the frontline – propelled by Kevin Hayes' dynamic piano, and the bass of Dennis Irwin and drums of Billy Hart – and the record's got a special added bonus in the presence of Steve Nelson on vibes on the first half of the set – a player who really deepens and darkens the colors of the record nicely! Although all players were recording in different scenarios at the time, this unit really stands as some of the best work from this period – and shows that special something extra you'll get from Red Records dates – an inexplicable quality that often has the musicians really pushing past the usual. Titles include "The Web", "San Juan", "Mystery", "Forward Motion", "La Mesha", and "In A Daze". CD

Features the classic "Come & Get It" by Badfinger, written by Paul McCartney – and lots of nice instrumentals by Ken Thorne! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s set from this classic singer – with arrangements from Horacio Malvicino, and some more modern production touches from Lou Perez – on titles that include "Por La Vuelta", "Un Ano Mas", "Perfidia", "Tu Tienes Algo", "Porque No Ha De Ser", "Muchos Corazones", and "Tengo Que Acostumbrarme". LP, Vinyl record album