The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". CD

A short detour in the 60s career of Chet Baker – one that we sure like a heck of a lot! This side is one of a couple that were recorded as an answer to the big success of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – with Chet's trumpet was backed by jaunty, brassy arrangements penned by Jack Nitzsche, and George Tipton. And while it might be easy to dismiss the tunes as copycat sound-a-likes, they're really not – as Nitszche brings in a much fuller groove to most of the numbers than Herb Alpert ever did – more of a sunny LA pop feel that has the whole group really gliding along on bold waves of sound all topped off by Baker's horn – sounding stronger and more confident here than on many of his other recordings of the 60s! Some numbers have a Latin undercurrent while others lean towards mainstream pop – a style that's bolder than A&M's approach to Tijuana – and one that explodes with some youthful LA energies! 12 tracks in all, including "Happiness Is", "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", "The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine)", "On The Street Where You Live", 'Armen's Theme", "You Baby" and "It's Too Late". LP, Vinyl record album

Live material from Bob Marley & The Wailers – recorded in an obscure nightclub in our hometown of Chicago during the 70s, and quite a nice change from some of the bigger label releases of the time! The band has a loose, very spontaneous vibe – and there's a nice flow to the longer length of the tracks – served up with instrumentation from Earl Lindon on keyboards and organ, Al Anderson on guitar, Aston Family Man Barrett on bass, and Carlton Barrett on drums – with backing vocals from the I-Threes behind Bob's lead vocals! Titles include "Rebel Music", "Talkin Blues", "Concrete Jungle", "Natty Dread", "I Shot The Sherriff", "Slave Driver", and "Midnight Ravers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of many, many posthumous compilations, but one with some nice rare bits. Comprised mostly of live recordings fromteh Wailers prime early 70s years, plus a few nice studio outtakes, and interspersed with snippets from a radio interview with Marley. Inlcudes "Talkin' Blues", "Burnin' & Lootin'", "Kinky Reggae", "Get Up, Stand Up", "Rastaman Chant", "bend Down Low" and "I Shot The Sheriff". Cassette

Mocko Jumbie is an unusual skill – a the word stands for stilt dancing at carnival time – something that Hugo Moolenaar could do very well, as you'll see on the cover – although he's even better here on record in a musical mode! The EP brings together four of the best tracks from Hugo's rare records – all of them funky, but in a Caribbean mode – with all these light colors bursting over the top of the lively rhythms – riffing guitar next to basslines, percussion, and keyboards – while Hugo calls out the lyrics with plenty of charm throughout. Titles include "Big Man Cry", "Give It Your Best Shot", "We Can Live Together", and "Children Children". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – maybe better this time around than the images on the screen for some of his other westerns of the period – more proof that the maestro was always willing to rise above, and give his best no matter what the setting! / Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven – the original 1978 soundtrack album and Morricone's cues programmed separately on one disc plus a bonus disc of extended score material and more bonus tracks! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting "Main Theme" and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. CD

Tremendous work from the mighty Ed Motta – an artist who never lets us down, and who just keeps getting better as the years move on! Back in the 20th Century, Ed asked us to move his records from our Brazilian section to Neo Soul – a move that was wise on his part, as Motta has become a soulful giant with really international appeal – a true global underground superstar, and a music maker that no home should be without! Motta's songwriting, production, and overall presentation is amazing – and he's moved far past the 70s heroes that first inspired him – including his uncle Tim Maia – to a point where a set like this is fantastic from start to finish, with a richness that belies all the focus and concentration that Ed brings to his work. Titles include "Tolerance On High Street", "Of Good Strain", "Gaslighting Nancy", "Safely Far", "Newsroom Customers", "Slumberland", "Confrere's Exile", "Quatermass Has Told Us", and "Shot In The Park". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Biggie, and a set that was instantly poised to catapult him to superstardom – even before his tragic death ended up doing that before the release of the record! And yes, the title's a bit cryptic – and given the fact that the material came out after BIG was shot, it might seem like a cash-in collection of left-behind tracks – yet it's not that at all. The long path to the album's creation represents a step forward to almost build a bridge between underground hip hop and mainstream soul – maybe in a way that would have calmed some of the coastal beefs that were taking place at the time – as the late, great one works here with an array of guests from both the worlds of hip hop and R&B – 112, Jay-Z, R Kelly, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim, Too Short, and others – in a classic set of tracks that includes "Hypnotize", "Kick In the Door", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Notorious Thugs", "Going Back To Cali", "Sky's The Limit", "Miss U", "Ten Crack Commandments", 'What's Beef", and "Nasty Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Not much of a title, but a vinyl-only collection that brings together 10 of Biggie's classics from back in the day – tracks that include "Going Back To Cali", "Notorious Thugs", "Big Poppa", "Warning", "One More Chance/Stay With Me (rmx)", "Juicy", "Who Shot Ya", "Hypnotize", "Sky's The Limit", and "Mo Money Mo Problems", with features by Mase and Puff Daddy! LP, Vinyl record album

Biggie's masterpiece! There's very little we could possibly say about this east coast landmark that isn't already etched in stone in the annals of hip hop history. Biggie's a master storyteller, whether he's spinning tales of violent street nihilism, his skills beneath the sheets, or blistering sadness and regret. This thing sounds as great in the new millennium as it did at the end of the previous one. All the classics: "Things Have Changed", "Gimme The Loot", "Machine Gun Funk", "Ready To Die", "Warning", "The What" featuring Method Man, "Ready To Die", "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "Respect", "Friend Of Mine", and the Premier-produced "Unbelievable". This remastered re-release of the album includes two bonus tracks – the legendary, oft-bitten track "Who Shot Ya" and "Just Playing (Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Kenta Okamoto has a great way of leading his Wu-Xing group here – often letting the other players really color in the sound, working in a blend of vibes, keyboards, and some guest saxophone that's mighty nice all the way through! The tunes have a soulful quality that takes us back to work of the American scene in the 80s – tuneful, yet still pushing the edges a bit – with work from Yoshiyuki Takuma on vibes, Mayumi Miyakawa on piano and keyboards, and Kohei Ando on alto and soprano sax – guesting on four of the album's six tracks. Titles include "Galaxia", "Sanitize", "Night Meeting", "Shot Gun", and "El Viento". CD

Very hard-burning work from Buddy's hip band of the mid 60s – a large ensemble, but one that features searing horn parts that cut through the bigger arrangements with ease! Buddy really had an ear for tuning power with personality at this point in his career – and although the group comes on with the raging energy that's every bit the Rich calling card in the 60s, they also more than make their individual voices known. Ernie Watts, Jay Corre, and Charles Owens all provide excellent contributions to the set – and titles include "Standing Up In A Hammock", "Luv", "Something For Willie", "Group Shot", "The Rotten Kid", and "New Blues". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – 3 alternate takes of tunes on the album, plus "Naptown Blues" and "Old Timey". CD

The Stones may be old, but they ain't dumb! Mick & co. must have noticed the huge shot of artistic credibility Justin Timberlake received after the Neptunes hopped aboard, which is something the Stones haven't had in a couple of decades. The 'Tunes do a pretty great re-imagined take on the classic rock staple – adding some sitar and Eastern string touches on top of their patented minimal claps, snaps, and thumps. On top of the full length Neptunes mix and an edit you get Fatboy Slim's mix, also in epic form plus radio edit. Cook's is a fine, bubble gum club mix with a Happy Mondays kind of vibe. The Full Phat mix strays the most from the original, keeping Mick's vocal and the whoo-whoos, but completely strips the band and adds all electronic beats. The original version is here for you kids who didn't realize there was one! CD

A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had already honed their craft, matured a bit, and were able to serve up just the right hook-heavy blend of hip hop and a touch of R&B – mixing both freewheeling fun with some feminist positivity and maybe just a touch of social consciousness in all the right ways. Titles include their classics "Whatta Man and "Shoop" – plus "Groove Me", "No One Does It Better", "Step", "Heaven Or Hell", "Big Shot", "Sexy Noises Turn Me On", "Somma Time Man", "I've Got Aids (PSA)", and "Break Of Dawn". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had already honed their craft, matured a bit, and were able to serve up just the right hook-heavy blend of hip hop and a touch of R&B – mixing both freewheeling fun with some feminist positivity and maybe just a touch of social consciousness in all the right ways. Titles include their classics "Whatta Man and "Shoop" – plus "Groove Me", "No One Does It Better", "Step", "Heaven Or Hell", "Big Shot", "Sexy Noises Turn Me On", "Somma Time Man", "I've Got Aids (PSA)", and "Break Of Dawn". This 30th Anniversary 2CD version is loaded with bonus tracks, including "Emphatically No", "I Am The Body Beautiful", multiple remixes of "Whatta Man" and "Shoop", "Heaven N Hell (Carron Hall Mix)" and more – plus new liner notes! CD

Swinging organ tracks from Shirley, with large band backing by Oliver Nelson, very much in the mode of Jimmy Smith's albums with Nelson on Verve! Includes a nice reading of the theme from "Shot In The Dark", plus "Hoe Down", "Shadows Of Paris", and "Great Scott". Also includes a side of trio material, including one track that features Shirley on vocals. Titles on that stuff include "Make Someone Happy", "5 O'Clock Whistle", and "The Blues Ain't Nothin But Pain". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Slave – an album that's still got the hard funk of earlier years, yet which also has the group sweetening up their sound in a great sort of 80s groove way! Most tracks kick along with that great rolling bass sound that the group practically invented – and which has been their everlasting legacy to mainstream funk – and Steve Arrington's still in the group on lead vocals, really hitting some soaring notes that help the tunes groove even more – all of which maybe makes the record one of the most perfect distillations of everything that made Arrington and Slave such a standard-setting group for the 80s! Titles include "Party Lites", "Snap Shot", "Smokin", "Wait For Me", "Funken Town", and "Steal Your Heart". CD features bonus tracks – "Snap Shot (12" version)" and "Wait For Me (7" version)". CD

Great later work from this 60s southern soul legend – a set that's maybe more rarities than hits – even though there's some classic Percy Sledge tunes in the mix as well, just served up in later versions! The collection's a great illustration of the way that true soul heroes keep on making great music long after the charts and radio play have kept them in the mainstream – and, apart from a rare few who get a late-life chance to work with a famous rock producer, or maybe get some Rolling Stone hype, there's plenty of others who never fully get that shot – yet keep on making wonderful music like this. As usual with Sunset Blvd, there's almost no details as to where the specific tracks are from – but we can say that the material is all from later in Sledge's career, and still has that incredible voice working through superb material – some lesser-known gems and remakes of some of his older Atlantic tracks. The set includes a few tracks on CD for the first time ever – remakes of "Spooky", "Warm & Tender Love", and "Sweet Soul Music" – plus "Hard Lovin Woman" – and other cuts include "Twine Time", "Honest As Daylight", "Blue Water", "It Tears Me Up", "Dark End Of The Street", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "She's Too Pretty To Cry", "Tell It Like It Is", and "If She Were Mine". CD

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album

Not actually music with Kim Novak – but a set of musical backdrops by Morris Stoloff – designed as a package for the film Jeanne Eagels! The cover has a great color shot on the front, and smaller images of Kim on the back – and the music is surprisingly dark and moody. LP, Vinyl record album

After Shock comes Panic – the sequel to Creed Taylor's previous album for ABC, and like that one, a very weird mix of jazzy backings, odd sound effects, and cool production techniques! The record begins with a familiar core – jazzy instrumentals, of the sort that Taylor was already producing for other artists, and would go on to do even more famously for Verve. But here, the music's really played with too – changed up in the middle of a song, as the rhythms get weird, sound effects come in, and the whole thing gets turned into a batch of spooky little scenes that more than live up to the title of the record – and the titles of the songs, which include "Alpine Honeymoon", "Wreck Of Old 97", "A Shot In The Dark", "The Fastest Gun", "No Smoking", "The Operation", and "The Prison Break". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of immortal standards performed by Vaughan, Washington, and Bailey with titles that include "Perdido", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Stormy Weather", "Summertime", "Moonglow", "Stella By Starlight", and more. Cover features a gorgeous panoramic shot of downtown Chicago in the 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark 80s record in the return of blues to the mainstream, right back in front of a rock audience with work like this – as the young Stevie Ray Vaughn cooks things up here on cuts that include "Couldn't Stand The Weather", "Stang's Swang", "Cold Shot", "Voodoo Chile", "Things That I Used To Do", and "Scuttle Buttin". CD

A landmark 80s record in the return of blues to the mainstream, right back in front of a rock audience with work like this – as the young Stevie Ray Vaughn cooks things up here on cuts that include "Couldn't Stand The Weather", "Stang's Swang", "Cold Shot", "Voodoo Chile", "Things That I Used To Do", and "Scuttle Buttin". CD

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Monkey Jump", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet masterpiece of 70s AOR from Japan – served up by Tatsuro Yamashita, who was easily one of the most soulful male singers on the scene in the years before city pop! The record's got a jazzy vibe that's great, and which really fits the R&B-inspired midtempo rhythms – almost as if Wayne Henderson had a hand in putting the whole thing together, similar to some of his late 70s productions for Fantasy Records – but with some occasional 80s touches that also hint at changes to come in the next decade. Vocals are all in Japanese, but the record's got a very universal appeal – and titles include "Rainy Walk", "Funky Flushin", "Hot Shot", "Touch Me Lightly", "Yellow Cab", "Nightwing", and "Full Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of early work from producer Joe Gibbs – the kind of all-burning material that made Joe such a fresh new voice on the rocksteady scene in Kingston, and a studio whiz who helped set the tone for countless others to come! There's a quality to this work that's wonderful – groups that are tight, but never uptight – and singers that are very much part of the groove, almost urged on by the instrumentation by the well-chosen studio players that Gibbs chose for these early gems on his Amalgamated record label. Titles include "Long Shot" by The Pioneers, "I'm Moving On" by Keith Blake, "Miss Tourist" by Errol Dunkley, "Hold Them" by Roy Shirley, "Train To Soulville" by Cool Sticky, "Push It In" by The Versatiles, and "Come Brothers" by Hugh Malcolm. LP, Vinyl record album

Foxy R&B, and a fair bit of soul as well – wonderful work from the previously-untapped Paso and Foxy record labels – headed up by legendary Chicago DJ Richard Stamz! Stamz was a key early force in African-American broadcasting in the Windy City – an important DJ not just in blues and soul, but also a TV figure as well – one who really helped get a heck of a lot of great music started in the early days of soul! This package features some real killers by artists who do a great job of skirting the rough line between blues and soul in Chicago in the 60s – some of whom would record more famously on other labels, like One-Der-Ful, but who really sound great here. The package was put together by the folks who've researched and recounted Stamz colorful life in print – and has a great array of rare music, plus stories of the DJ as well. Titles include "Say You Love Me" by Harold Burrage, "The Buzzard" by Freddie Robinson, "What's The Matter With You Sam" by The Ideals, "Just One More Time" by Loretta Branch, "You Gonna Cry" by Flora D, "I'm Trying" by Lee Shot Williams, "Gittin Along" by Willie Williams with the Howlin Wolf Band, "Goin Home" by Mary Johnson, "Please Love Me" by Harold Burrage, "Romeo Joe (part 1)" by Robert & The Rockin Ravens, and "Garlen's Mambo" by Ze Majestics. CD

A great collection of work from the underside of the Chicago recording scene of the 60s – tracks from the rougher, bluesier west side scene of the time! The work on the set comes from the Federal/King catalog, and not from Chicago labels – and most of it was produced by Sonny Thompson, in a style that's like his own R&B work, which always played big with Chicago crowds during the period. Most of the tunes date from the early 60s, but follow in modes that have lots of rougher 50s touches – often recorded with some nice echoey production that does a really great job of bringing out the looser spirit of the work. Titles include "I Resign From Your Love" and "Well Oh Well" by Syl Johnson, "Gibble Gobble" and "Got A Feelin" by Willie Wright & The Sparklers, "You're Welcome To The Club" and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams, "Twist Like This" and "I Was Gone" by Eddie Clearwater, "How Long Has It Been" by Jesse Anderson, and "I'm Tired Of Being Tossed Around" by Danny Overbea. CD

A seminal collection of work by one of the earliest figures in southern soul of the 60s – the amazing Arthur Alexander, a key link between 50s R&B and many years of great music to come! The CD features most of Alexander's early 60s recordings for Dot Records, including previously unissued numbers – some of the first soul sides to come out of the Muscle Shoals scene, most of which were recorded by a young Rick Hall. Alexander's voice is quite different than many other southern singers in years to come – but that's the great thing about these recordings, as they allow you to hear the genre in transition – with a sound that didn't just leap out of the minds of a few talents at Stax or Atlantic. CD features 21 tracks in all – titles that include "Black Cat", "You're The Reason", "Anna", "After You", "Where Have You Been", "A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Detroit City", "Go Home Girl", "Keep Her Guessing", and "I Hang My Head & Cry". CD

Freestyle classic by the one and only Debbie Deb, with an instantly recognizable melody. A guaranteed sure shot! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The American debut of The English Beat – aka the UK group The Beat, who'd been making some big waves with import 45s on the 2Tone label, the burst forth on our US market with a slight shift in name, due to another group hogging their original moniker on our side of the Atlantic! That bit of backstory hardly need matter, though – as the group wear their English loud and proud here, setting off a huge ska revival as they blend Jamaican roots with London attitude in the post-punk years – stacking up a set of classics that continue to groove many turntables all these many years later. Titles include "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Hands Off She's Mine", "Twist & Crawl", "Big Shot", "Best Friend", and "Jackpot". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazingly great early material George recorded for Mercury – filled with great tunes that sometimes get lost amidst the reissue market, a very nicely done 2 CD set that contains a total of 48 tracks in all! The cuts are drawn from the period when George was still nursing his Hank Williams influences more than the lost loves he became famous for, but there's still plenty of great weepers here to go along with the classic honky tonk. Titles include "Cup Of Loneliness", "Too Much Water", "Just One More", "No Money In This Deal", "Why Baby Why", "Flame In My Heart", "Window Up Above", "I Love You Because", "Tender Years", "Your Old Standby", "Glad To Let Her Go", "Big Harlan Taylor", "I'm Gonna Burn Your Playhouse Down", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "If I Don't Love You", "Mr Fool", and "Who Shot Sam". CD

Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting main theme and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Dangerous MC's" featuring Snoop Dogg & Busta Rhymes, "I Really Want To Show You" featuring Nas with K-Ci & Jo-Jo, "Rap Phenomenon" featuring Redman & Method Man, "Tonight" featuring Mobb Deep, "Let Me Get Down" featuring Missy Elliott, Craig Mack, & G-Dep, "Come On" featuring Sadat X, "Big Booty Hoes" featuring Too $hort, "Dead Wrong" featuring Eminem, "Notorious B.I.G." and "Would You Die For Me" featuring Lil Kim & the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, "Biggie" featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A., "Can I Get Witcha" featuring Lil Cease, "Who Shot Ya", and "If I Should Die Before I Wake" featuring Ice Cube, Beanie Sigel, & Black Rob. LP, Vinyl record album

Early 70s Cali country rock at its finest! This is the first album by Detroit-born, Texas-raised JD Souther – who has a deft hand for sadness-tinged songcraft, a charismatic and genuine southern drawl to his voice, and just enough grit to give his tunes the right kind of emotional undercurrent. There's a realness here that really sinks in. We sort of wish he would've shot to stardom is prominently as other Asylum singer-songwriters and his friends in The Eagles – he definitely deserves it – but there's something warm and cozy (and maybe a little selfish) about having him more to ourselves and other knowing fans. Includes "The Fast One", "Run Like A Thief", "Kite Woman", "Jesus In 3/4 Time", "It's The Same", "White Wing", "Out To Sea", "Lullaby" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great session by this excellent Chicago quartet – originally recorded in 1996, but unissued until 2000. The record is one of the most lyrical sets to come out of the Chicago underground in the past few years – and it offers a excellent chance to see a straighter side of the group's players, like Kent Kessler, Jim Baker, and Ken Vandermark. Vandermark is especially compelling here – and plays in a mode that should prove to any doubters that he's just as great on the inside as he is on the out. Titles include "No Go", "Tableau Shot", "Telleferro", "Chump Change", and "Non-Confirmation". CD

25 tracks including the huge hit "Shotgun", plus "Home Cookin", "Road Runner", "Hip City", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and "Do You See My Love". CD

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". CD

Volumes 1-3 in Tompkins Square's masterful compilations of both rare vintage and the deepest modern acoustic guitar folk experimental instrumentals – in a single package that's a perfect intro to the series if you're like us and late to get in on it! The material is in the Takoma Records realm of adventurous, genre melding (or skirting) greatness – stunning stuff that blends older recordings by masters both iconic and obscure, newer recordings by pivotal figures, and modern work by younger artists that are just as awe inspiring, and the mix of old and new is seamless! Volume 1 includes "Imaginational Anthem" by Max Ochs, "Bouba's Bounce" by Brad Barr, "White Mule III" by Jack Rose, "Untitled" by Sandy Bull, "O Holy Night" by John Fahey and more. Volume 2 includes "River Of Heaven By James Blackshaw, "Future Shot At Life" by Peter Lang, "Leaving The Apple" by Michael Chapman and more. Volume 3 includes "Zocalo" by Richard Crandell, "Sleep Architecture" by Greg Davis, "Goblins" by George Stavis, "Texarkana 1971" by Shawn David McMillen and much more. CD

One of the best American recordings of Brazilian keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami – even better than his work of the time with Azymuth! The set's got a freer feel than some of the Azymuth sides – allowing Bertrami the sort of freedom he rarely expressed so strongly (at least not until some of his recent albums for the Far Out label.) Tunes dance along on a mix of Brazilian rhythms and west coast fusion – all the while featuring some killer organ and electric piano from Jose, plus drums by Robertinho Silva, sax and flute from Jose Carlos, guitar from Helio Demiro, and guest vocals on one track by Aleuda. Titles include "Partido Alto #2", "Sheds & Weeds", "Parati", "Shot On Goal", and "Bye Bye Brazil". LP, Vinyl record album

A spiritual jazz classic – one of the rarest albums of its type from the 70s! This legendary session was recorded by Roy Ayers' keyboardist Harry Whitaker – working here as the leader of the Black Renaissance group, a one-shot ensemble that featured Woody Shaw on trumpet, Azar Lawrence on saxes, Buster Williams on bass, and Mtume on percussion. The session was cut in New York in 1976, but only issued on a rare album that came out briefly in Japan. Yet somehow, the quality of the work and the depth of soulfulness have created a strong aura about the session – making it an oft-cited influence by a generation of DJs and soul jazz listeners. The album only features 2 long tracks – both of them strong ensemble numbers that build modally searching grooves in a Strata East-like style, peppered with voices, both sung and spoken, in a hip, socially conscious mode. Both tracks – "Black Renaissance" and "Magic Ritual" are excellent, on a par with the best 70s spiritual soul jazz! CD

Titles include "Two Headed Man", "One More Shot", "Trading Post", "In The Dark", and "Eyeballin". CD

The full scope of genius from the legendary Alvin Cash – not just his 60s gritty groovers, but a host of later funk tracks as well – all packaged into a beautiful book-styled package! Cash is one of our favorite Chicago artists ever – a dancer by trade, but a flamboyant personality who always managed to make his way center stage – whether live or in the recording studio! The set begins with early "twine" numbers from Alvin – some romping heavy soul tracks that have a very deep bottom, and a raw sound that's equal part R&B and Chicago soul – definitely tuned towards the dancefloor crowd that was a natural fit for Cash's energy. As the set moves on, it then picks up some wicked late 60s singles for the Toddlin Town label, and also includes some excellent early 70s groovers for Sound Stage Seven – some of Alvin's hardest, heaviest numbers ever. The set features work by Alvin Cash with The Registers, Hundred Dollar Bills, The Crawlers, and Scott Brothers Orchestra – and titles include "Keep On Dancing (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky 69", "Moanin & Groanin", "Doin The Creep", "It's Party Time", "Funky Washing Machine", "Alvin's Doin His Thing", "Funky Street", "Doin The Ali Shuffle", "Whip It On Me", "The Charge", "Boston Monkey", "The Philly Freeze", "Alvin's Boogaloo", "Let's Do Some Good Timing", "The Bump", "Twine Time", "Twine Awhile", "The Barracuda", and "You Shot Me Through The Grease". CD

Perhaps the most heavenly of all the Chi-Lites albums, with soaring harmonies leaping all over beautiful Chicago soul production, and loads of great heartbreaking stories unfolding as the whole thing spins away! A true masterpiece from the Chicago scene – and filled with loads of wonderful moments that almost seem to be the group's answer to some of the growing wave of harmony soul coming from the east coast at the time. Includes the excellent title track, plus "Just Two Teenage Kids", "Too Late To Turn Back Now", "Someone Else's Arms", "You Smiled The Same Old Way", "My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin'", and "Love Comes In All Sizes". Nice cover, too, with a skyline shot of Chicago around the same time that Bob Newhart was working there as a shrink! CD

Perhaps the most heavenly of all the Chi-Lites albums, with soaring harmonies leaping all over beautiful Chicago soul production, and loads of great heartbreaking stories unfolding as the whole thing spins away! A true masterpiece from the Chicago scene – and filled with loads of wonderful moments that almost seem to be the group's answer to some of the growing wave of harmony soul coming from the east coast at the time. Includes the excellent title track, plus "Just Two Teenage Kids", "Too Late To Turn Back Now", "Someone Else's Arms", "You Smiled The Same Old Way", "My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin'", and "Love Comes In All Sizes". Nice cover, too, with a skyline shot of Chicago around the same time that Bob Newhart was working there as a shrink! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes covers of "Bette Davis Eyes", "Jessie's Girl", "Take A Chance On Me", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Leader Of The Pack", "Queen Of Hearts", "Whip It", "Heartbreaker", "Hold On Tight", and "Losing You (I Really Wanna Lose You)". LP, Vinyl record album

The continuing lost legacy of Patrick Cowley – the San Francisco 80s club maestro who made some famous records with Sylvester – but who also did a huge amount of underground sounds for porno films at the time! This set digs deep into that legacy – by featuring music that Cowley did for the 1982 film Afternooners, as well as a few other tracks from the time – material that's a great 80s extrapolation of the sorts of slinky funk you'd know from 70s porn! The sounds here are heavy on beats and keyboards – a much more slowed-down take on territory that Cowley explored on his club singles of the period – and the basslines are plenty heavy, and very seductive – as you might imagine, given the images they were used with on the screen. We should tell you that the package does include a few nude images inside – so be warned if you're offended by that sort of thing. Titles include "Love Come Set Me Free", "Big Shot", "Surfside Sex", "Hot Beach", "The Runner", "One Hot Afternoon", "Leather Bound", and "Bore & Stroke". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful black and white photographs of contemporary Cuba – most shot at a level that really gets at the timeless quality of life in the nation after the US and west have left it behind! The images are from both urban and rural locations, and do a great job of getting past some of the overdone shots we always see from Havana – in part because the black and white is a nice change from the oversaturated color that's usually used to portray Cuba, and also because the mix of non-Havana locations really opens the book up with a good sense of variety. The handsome art book is hardcover, with dozens of fantastic photographs, and a small bit of text. Book

Southern rock meets southern soul – all in this groundbreaking set from the team of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett! The quality quotient here is quite high – light years beyond so many later folks who tried for this territory, but then slicked it up for radio airplay – and in another world, both singers might have been just cutting gritty 45s for a colorblind local audience – had Elektra Records not given them such a great shot with this classic! The already great Bramlett core sound gets strong support here from studio stalwarts like Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price – and Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge also lend their talents to the proceedings too – on titles that include "Get Ourselves Together", "Ghetto", "Love Me A Little Bit Longer", "Soldiers Of The Cross", "Dirty Old Man", and a great take on "Do Right Woman". CD

A heady second chapter of a legendary funk group that were only around for a few short years, but gave us some great music in the process – presented here with 16 unissued tracks from their years in Los Angeles, including work from members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band too! With so much unreleased music, the set's like a fresh discovery of Dyke & The Blazers – adding new takes and versions to the material they recorded in LA before Dyke passed all too quickly – making for a long-overdue addition to their small body of recorded work. Titles unissued stereo mixes of "We Got More Soul (full length)", "Funky Walk (full length)", "The Wobble (full length)", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", "Funky Bull (full length)", "Booga Jivin", "Stuff (full length)", "Runaway People (full length)", and "Moon" – plus the never-issued "The Walk (part 1 east)", "Do It Together (orig mix)", "WUFO Radio Spot", "Day Is Comin (demo)", and "I'm So All Alone (alt)". Also includes the cuts "Black Boy", "It's Your Thing", "You Are My Sunshine", and "Shot Gun Slim" – all very funky! LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy early work by El Coco – a cool mix of electric keyboards and fusiony touches, in a style that made the group a real standout on the dancefloor! At some level, the album almost operates like a jazz set – thanks to the strong keyboards of Michael Lewis and the percussion of Laurin Rinder – but there's also a smoother groove going on, and a definite shot at the clubs that stands out on some of the album's catchier tunes. The keyboards are in a very cool "spaced out" mode, and a few cuts even hit some great 70s exotica moments too. Includes remakes of "Mr Lucky" and "Quiet Village" – which should show some of the influences of the team – plus the tracks "Let's Get It Together", "Fai Le Chat", "Gimme Some", and "Put On Your Jeans". LP, Vinyl record album