A wonderful vocal set – with jazzy backings by Bill Holman! Titles include "Impossible", "Hooray For Love", "Shake Down The Stars", "I've Got The Sun In The Morning", and "They All Laughed". LP, Vinyl record album

Herb Alpert's definitely Going Places by the time of this set – and his trademark Tijuana Brass sound proves itself to be a great fit for just about any sort of number! The album kicks off with the wonderful "Tijuana Taxi", a sublimely jaunty tune that almost takes Herb into Bacharach territory – and which is followed up by the even-greater "Spanish Flea" – an ear-popping anthem that's one of the greatest bits of 60s instrumental pop ever recorded! And over and above those two tunes, the album's still got plenty more to offer too – a wonderful array of tracks all given the Tijuana touch, with titles that include "More & More Amor", "Mae", "Walk Don't Run", "Felicia", and "Cinco De Mayo". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a very striking title – and a wonderful sound to match – this warm, fluid blend of the vocals of Nia Andrews and a rich keyboard-heavy environment – one that features a fair bit of contributions from Mark De Clive-Lowe! Nia also plays piano and keyboards, and it's clear that she's an equally comfortable instrumentalist – and often envisions her vocals wrapped around her keys – yet never in a way that's trying to hide her singing, as Andrews is clearly one hell of a vocalist in the making! Titles include "Little Girl", "Linger", "Might Be Eternity", "The Road", "Cleo & The King", "Seems So", and "The Ceiling". CD

A key album from a fantastic point in the career of trumpeter Chet Baker – his later years, a time when most of the world was ignoring Baker's talents, but Chet was still in a hugely creative mode, and turning out some of his freshest sounds in decades! There's a wonderful quality to the whole record – and vibist David Friedman is a key part of the sound, as he really matches the air inclinations of Chet, as the pair are backed by Buster Williams on bass and Joe Chambers on drums and percussion – a fantastic duo who only make things sound even better. 4 of the album's 6 tracks are Friedman originals – including "For Now", "Shadows", "Syzygies", and "Lament For Thelonious". CD

A jazzy group, but one that's not straight jazz either – as they work with a strongly rhythmic vibe that's somewhere between classic fusion and some of the contemporary sounds we love on Schema Records – maybe no surprise as this combo also hails from the Italian scene as well! There's a great mix of keyboards in the music – Korg Sigma, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CP70, and Farfisa Synthorchestra – the latter of which sounds especially great, and gives the music some great spacey touches around the edges. Rhythms are all live, and have some great currents from classic boogie and late 70s club – but the vocals on most tracks bring in a special sort of vibe, in part because the singers shift, and the lyrics are in Italian. Titles include "Malavita", "Fuga Finale", "Citta Futura", "Napoli Visionaria", and "Oro Di Miele". LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare KPM sound library grooves – back to back on a single piece of wax! "Name Of The Game" is fantastic – slow funk, but super-heavy – with measured drums that space things out as keyboards really take their time to build up the mood, before serving up a mighty sweet solo in the middle! The drums break nicely by their own at one point too – and "Confunktion" has a similar slow funk start, then really builds with frenetic energy on the drums – almost a proggish take on funk at times! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible full length debut from vocalist Mario Biondi – a jazz singer we'd rank right up there with the legendary Mark Murphy – supported here with great backings from the High Five Quintet! The grooves here are in a soaring, tightly-stepping style – very much the best club jazz mode of the contemporary European scene – with all-acoustic instrumentation, and rhythms that move along at a really great dancefloor pace! Mario's vocals are really unique too – with a little rasp that catches slightly, and really brings a timeless quality to his voice – mixing personal feeling into the lively numbers on the album, with an unexpected depth that really makes the album stand out from similar sessions of this type! There's echoes of hip vocal jazz work from years past by artists like The Peddlers, Bobby Cole, or Mark Murphy – and titles include "A Child Runs Free", "No Mercy For Me", "This Is What You Are", "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes", "Rio De Janeiro Blue", "Handful Of Soul", "On A Clear Day", "Never Die", "No Trouble On The Mountain", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Gig". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing departure for David Bowie – hardly the kind of record you would expect from his oboe-filled tunes of a few years before – and really the start of the groundbreaking, earthshaking, reinventionist era of his genius! There's a spacious, soaring quality to Space Oddity that's every bit the kind of magical music you might hope for in a set recorded at the close of the 60s – a shift into new modes, new sounds that seem to suck up all the best influences in rock from the previous few years, but fuse it into a new cosmic vision for the next decade. And while others might stumble on cliche with the weight of such a task, Bowie pulls it off brilliantly – mixing his fuzzier feelings with some of his more personal leanings – and showcasing a newly deep sense of songwriting here that's really amazing. Some tunes have the sensitivity of work on Hunky Dory, while others burn with the fire of Man Who Sold The World – all in a balance that never sounds schizophrenic at all. Titles include"Space Oddity", "Memory Of A Free Festival", "God Knows I'm Good", "Cygnet Committee", and "Unwashed & Somewhat Slightly Dazed". LP, Vinyl record album

A modern classic from Dee Dee Bridgewater – one of her hippest albums of the later years, thanks to a great choice of material, and some really wonderful execution! The album's a beautiful set of straight jazz vocal readings of some of Horace Silver's best compositions, and it also features guest appearances by Silver and Jimmy Smith – both players who still had plenty going on at the time of the sessions. The real strength, though, is Dee Dee – as she proves once and for all that she's one of the best female true jazz singers of this era, capable of rich emotion on ballad tracks, and swinging free vocalese on more uptempo numbers. Titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pretty Eyes", "St. Vitus Dance", "Soulville", "Lonely Woman", and "Tokyo Blues". One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the past 10 years! CD

A righteous treasure from the end of the 60s – an album of vocal tracks recorded by the Minister Of Information for the Black Panther Party, set to backings from the legendary jazz visionary Horace Tapscott! Elaine Brown's less of a soul singer than a powerful speaker who delivers the lyrics with an almost folksy quality – singing boldly and with a sense of power that matches Tapscott's great orchestrations for the record – done in a style that's a fair bit like his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra work for Nimbus Records, but a bit more inside – given the vocal setting of the record. Titles include "The Meeting", "The Panther", "Assassination", and "Very Black Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A 2LP set of work by The Chambers Brothers – one studio disc, and one live one, recorded at the height of their fame before a very lively audience! Disc one features Love Peace & Happiness – a set that features a number of original tracks, played with a harder soul feel than some of their other records at the time. Includes the extended "Love Peace & Happiness" suite, plus the funky "If You Want Me To", and "Have A Little Faith", "Wake Up", and "Let's Do It". Disc two features a live set at the Fillmore East – with Chambers-y versions of tunes like "People Get Ready", "Everybody Needs Somebody", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Bang Bang", and "You're So Fine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest American albums to be issued under Kenny Clarke's name – a smoking set of boppish tracks that groove in a very early 50s Blue Note sort of way! And in fact, the tracks are a bit longer than the usual Blue Note bop sides, which makes them open up with some even longer solos – and creates plenty of space for the septet lineups to do their thing. The album features 2 different groups – one with Milt Jackson on vibes, Frank Morgan on alto, Walter Benton on tenor, and Gerald Wiggins on piano; the other with Jackson on piano (!), Henry Coker on trombone, Frank Wess on tenor, and Charlie Fowlkes on baritone. Titles include "Inhibitions", "Klook's Nook", "Telefunken Blues", "Skoot", "Sonor", and "Blue's Mood". CD

A set originally issued as a Record Store Day goodie back in 2021, and a record that provides the full Czarface experience by combining a very cool comic book with the tracks on the set! Inspectah Deck drops out here, as the set's really an instrumental set – and works almost like one of those cool 70s Power Records comic/record combos – although more as a soundtrack to use while you're reading the comic! And even if you don't have the book, the music's pretty great on its own – with titles that include "Winged Fingers", "Voyage Dans Le Temps", "Rise Of Czar Noir", "Avant Czar", and the cuts "Czarface Theme 3099" and "Czarbot Theme" – which feature vocals from Kendra Morris! LP, Vinyl record album

MF Doom left our planet all too soon, and he left behind a great legacy of music, too – including a previous collaboration with the Czarface collective, nicely matched by this posthumous set! The balance here is great, and the set brings the metal man of mystery into great play with his collaborators and guests who include DMC, Kendra Morris, and Del The Funky Homosapien – all coming together on an album that's every bit as fun as the first time around, and maybe even more essential, given that we're not going to hear that much more from the unissued archives of MF Doom. Titles include "This Is Canon Now", "So Strange", "Young World", "Mando Calrissian", "Doom Unto Others", "The King & Eye", and "Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

Import collection of some more obscure Miles moments from the late 50s Columbia years! There's 4 tracks recorded with the orchestra of Michel Legrand – and players that include Coltrane, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Bill Evans: "Jitterbug Waltz", "Round Midnight", "Wild Man Blues", and "Django". 2 tracks from a recording by the Brass Ensemble Of The Jazz & Classical Music Society, one led by John Lewis, the other by Gunther Schuller, are surprisingly wonderful – very much in the mode of Miles' work with Gil Evans, with a similar glistening sound on Miles' trumpet, and warm chromatic washes of sound underneath to provide the perfect soloing vehicle. And there are 4 numbers, a pair each from the Coltrane/Garland incarnation of the quintet, "Sweet Sue" & "Budo", and a transitional sextet from 1962, "Devil May Care" & "Blue Xmas". LP, Vinyl record album

A live and lively little bossa vocal set – recorded at the Cangaceiro nightclub, with backing by a really great small combo! The style here is similar to other live bossa jazz sets from the time – such as Elis Regina's classic with the Zimbo Trio – and although Helena's vocal style is a bit full and sometimes emotive, the spontaneous nature of the performance really helps keep things lean and clean! The combo here is named after the club – and features Raul Mascarenhas on piano and supposedly Rildo Hora on a bit of harmonica – although he doesn't seem to appear on the record as much as the cover might indicate. Titles include "Oitavo Botequim", "Penumbra", "Ponto E Chuva", "Aconteceu", "Desilusao", "Verdade Da Vida", and 2 longer "Pot-Pourri" tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group – and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out – with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums – and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock jamming! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but overall most of the set is instrumental – in a really right on and progressive style that we totally love. This is the kind of record that always got passed by in the 80s when everyone was looking for hard James Brown grooves, but which is very much in fashion now with the blunted funky crowd. Cuts include "Hymn To Mother Earth", "Another Country", "Disillusioned Man", and "Mercy (Variation No. 1)" – plus bonus tracks "Fuzz Oriental Blues", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Message To Mankind". CD

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best work so far from this really wonderful group – a magnificent match of the keyboards of Robert Glasper, the saxophones of Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, and the superb production talents of 9th Wonder – all working together in a stunning blend of jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop! The tunes have a sharpness and focus that's even more powerful than previous work by the lineup – like they've really found that special space where the all-stars can come together in a united voice that really soars – working with key contributions from Phoelix on vocals, alongside Arin Ray and Ant Clemons. Titles include "Insane", "Watts Renaissance", "For Granted", "Secure", "Can't Go", "The Lower East Side", "Love Love", and "Answered Prayer". CD

Maybe the best work so far from this really wonderful group – a magnificent match of the keyboards of Robert Glasper, the saxophones of Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, and the superb production talents of 9th Wonder – all working together in a stunning blend of jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop! The tunes have a sharpness and focus that's even more powerful than previous work by the lineup – like they've really found that special space where the all-stars can come together in a united voice that really soars – working with key contributions from Phoelix on vocals, alongside Arin Ray and Ant Clemons. Titles include "Insane", "Watts Renaissance", "For Granted", "Secure", "Can't Go", "The Lower East Side", "Love Love", and "Answered Prayer". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Duke Ellington gem from the late 50s – a session that has a decidedly different look than some of his other records of the time! We don't know if the Duke was into Sun Ra – but it almost seems like he was copping his thunder with this title and band name – a fair bit more flashy than the usual presentation for the Ellington group! The record's not nearly as trippy as you'd expect – but it's still a prime set of Ellingtonia from those key late 50s years – material played by a smaller group of "Spacemen" than Duke's fuller orchestra – with a bit more room for small group interaction, almost in a Verve mode. Players include Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonzalves on tenor, Quentin Jackson on trombone, and Jimmy Woode on bass – and titles include "Avalon", "Midnight Sun", "Spacemen", "Bass-ment", "Early Autumn", and "Jones". CD also features a bonus alternate take of "Jones". CD

A sweet set from the digital generation, but one that shows that the best spirit of the roots reggae years were alive and well in the music of a singer like Horace Ferguson! Horace has this gently grooving style that's mighty nice – up in the higher range of the spectrum, which almost seems to bring a more human, youthful quality to his presentation of the message-oriented lyrics – all backed with production from Prince Jazzbo, who keeps things nice and lean in a mix of rhythms, basslines, and keyboards! Titles include "Tranquilizer", "Tickle Me", "Hunts Bay", "Slave", "Gazuma", "Great Stone", and "Sensi Addict". LP, Vinyl record album

Lawrence Fields is a pianist with a wonderful blend of complexity and rhythm – a player who can spin out quick lines that almost verge into modern jazz territory, yet one who also holds things back to reach the right sort of interplay with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and Corey Fonville – trio members who really set fire to the lyrical ideas in Lawrence's music! Fields is young, but comes on here with a depth that almost makes us think of mature Cedar Walton at his best – and the set's full of original tunes that showcase Field's strong powers as a composer as well. Titles include "LBF", "New Season Blues", "Moving On", "Parachute", "Yasorey", "Vision", and "Sketches". CD

A beautiful classic from mid 60s Verve – and the kind of a session that we wouldn't have expected to come off so well! In a style they were using with older artists at the time, Verve brought Ella and Duke into the studio together – with Duke's band and compositions providing the structure of the set, and Ella handling vocals. The tunes are mostly Ellington classics, but they provide a nice change of pace for the Fitzgerald of the 60s – taking Ella into more sophisticated territory on some darker themes that really surprised us. Players are all of the Ellington stalwarts of the time – and titles include "Imagine My Frustration", "Duke's Place", "What Am I Here For", "Azure", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Passion Flower", and "Something To Live For". CD

A true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album – one that has Aretha Franklin returning to her roots in gospel music – but working with all the strength and power that Atlantic Records had to offer! From early years recording as a young voice alongside her father's congregation, Aretha has matured into a hell of a lead singer – and really knocks it out of the park here alongside the mighty James Cleveland, and the Southern California Community Choir! While it might have been nice to record the set back home in Detroit, the California setting for the material works perfectly to elevate Franklin to a special place in the heavens – tying together her heritage in beautiful ways, and making for another great stride forward in her career during the 70s. One of the best ideas ever for a soul music concept album – with titles that include "Mary Don't You Weep", "How I Got Over", "Precious Memories", "Wholy Holy", "Never Grow Old", "Amazing Grace", and Climbing Higher Mountains". This package really expands past the original album – and adds in all these other tracks recorded during the proceedings, which were done over the course of two different nights in November of 1972 – with a mighty set of long tracks that quadrupalizes the original double album! CD

The legendary first album by The Fugs – a set that was first issued on Folkways Records, then later on ESP – and which is maybe a perfect bridge between these different underground worlds in the 60s! Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg, Peter Stampfel, and the others are clearly budding hippies – but there's also a quality here that's different than the scene a few years later – maybe pulled equally from the late beat world, and the underground film world – no surprise, as Harry Smith produced the record for the group, and really has a great ear for their rootsier elements on acoustic instruments. The whole thing was recorded in two afternoon sessions in 1965, and still remains a record with surprising power after all these years – on titles that include "Slum Goddess", "Swinburn Stomp", "Supergirl", "Boobs A Lot", "My Baby Done Left Me", and "I Couldn't Get High". CD adds in 11 more bonus tracks - additional material from the original sessions – plus material recorded at the Night Of Napalm at St Marks place in 1965! CD

One of the most fully-formed albums from The Fugs – still quite hippy dippy, but with a focus that's sometimes missing in their other work! And despite the somewhat major label placement of the set, there's arguably even more power here than on the group's earlier indie sides – thanks to strong use of the best elements that make up the tunes. There's still a great mix of styles going on – from Buddist chanting, to sing-song poetry, to some countrified rock – and the album's got enough room for playful detours, but always snaps back into some stronger song-based modes. Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso both make guest appearances, and titles include "Exorcising The Evil Spirits From The Pentagon October 21, 1967", "War Song", "Dover Beach", "Turn On/Tune In/Drop Out", "Wet Dream", "Hare Krishna", and "Aphrodite Mass". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass Hit", and "Things To Come" – but on this album from 1965, he's reunited with Dizzy for a large group set of tracks that feature Diz as the main soloist – at a level that really shows the growth of both men at the time! Fuller's charts are large and full, but with a sense of space that's really amazing – almost like some of the soundtrack work Dizzy had done for The Cool World – with a mix of soulful and modern moments that's really wonderful. The group's kind of a mix of hip LA players – with Phil Moore Jr on piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Jimmy Bond on bass – plus a larger set of horn players backing Dizzy up. Titles include a number of great originals – such as "Be's That Way", "Big Sur", "Things Are Here", "Man From Monterey", and "Angel City". CD

One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass Hit", and "Things To Come" – but on this album from 1965, he's reunited with Dizzy for a large group set of tracks that feature Diz as the main soloist – at a level that really shows the growth of both men at the time! Fuller's charts are large and full, but with a sense of space that's really amazing – almost like some of the soundtrack work Dizzy had done for The Cool World – with a mix of soulful and modern moments that's really wonderful. The group's kind of a mix of hip LA players – with Phil Moore Jr on piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Jimmy Bond on bass – plus a larger set of horn players backing Dizzy up. Titles include a number of great originals – such as "Be's That Way", "Big Sur", "Things Are Here", "Man From Monterey", and "Angel City". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked gem by Funkadelic – the group's last album for Westbound, and a record that really has them growing into a great new groove! Bootsy and Eddie Hazel have stepped aside for the set, but that gives Bernie Worrell plenty of room to work his magic on keyboards – in a way that really increases the spacier elements of the set, and almost trades a messed-up moogy sort of feel for the heady guitars of earlier years – a slippery kind of Funky Worm groove that we totally love! The set is self-described as "delightfully putrid" on the Pedro Bell cover – and we couldn't agree more! Titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Let's Take It To The People", "How Do Yeaw View You", "Butt-to-Butt Resuscitation" and "Take Your Dead Ass Home!". CD features the bonus track "Undisco Kidd (45 edit)". CD

Two rare albums from this great pianist – back to back on a single CD! First up is Jazz Argentino – key work from Ruben Lopez Furst, a wonderful pianist from the Argentine scene of the 60s – heard here on one of his greatest albums ever! Despite the local placement in the title, the set's got a really universal appeal – a quality that easily puts Baby Lopez Furst in the company of Bill Evans, Hampton Hawes, or a rare few imaginative pianists from up north! Furst's sense of color and timing are wonderful – ringing out fluidly, yet always with a sense of surprise that keeps us hanging on each new note – nothing that's ever hokey or heard-before – handled here with a vibrancy that's simply stunning. Many numbers are trio tracks, but the set also features guest trumpet and tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Israel", "Un Abajea Duriente", "Los Viejos", "Al Este Del Sol", "Sometime Ago", and "Cartas De Amor". Next is Jazz En La Universidad – one of the real highlights of the Argentine jazz scene of the 60s – a seminal album from pianist Ruben "Baby" Lopez – easily one of that country's greatest jazz musicians in the decade! Ruben's got a sound that opens up with the lyrical sense of space and tone first introduced by Bill Evans, but he's also more note-full at other moments – playing with a command of the piano that would have made him huge, had he recorded on the American or European scenes of the time! There's a warm balance between his instrument, the bass of Jorge Gonzalez, and drums of Nestor Astratta – one that goes past conventional piano trio modes, and which really reminds us of our favorite Saba/MPS sessions of the period. Titles include "Un Poco Alegre", "Hombre Amaestrado", "En Tu Dulce Modo", "Hermosoa Amor", and "Necesitare Alguien Mas". CD

Some of the funkiest work we've ever heard from Vernon Garrett – recorded in California, but with a nicely gritty southern soul sound! The tunes have some of the bluesy inflections of Vernon's more famous work – but they also come across with a groove that's tighter, especially on the drums, which snap out of the warmer backings with a kick that's a bit unusual for a record like this – and which keeps things lively throughout, even on some of the mellower numbers. Vernon's vocals are great – rich, and touched with a bit of Tyrone Davis-like styles – and female vocalist Margaret Love makes an appearance on many of the numbers on the record too. Titles include "Satisfied Woman Satisfied Man", "I Made My Own World", "Don't Do What I Do", "I Learned My Lesson", "Going To My Baby's Place", "Love Junkie", and "Something Went Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from one of our favorite trumpeters on the European scene! First up is Portrait – a set that stands as a tribute to trumpeter Dusko Goykovich's 70 years on this planet – and a record that features him in a variety of settings too! Other players include Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, Tony Lakatos on tenor, Steve Gut on trumpet, Isla Eckinger and Ray Drummond on basses, Abraham Burton on alto, and Kenny Barron and Tommy Flanagan on pianos – on titles that include "Recado Bossa Nova", "Balkan Blue", "Adriatica", "One For Klook", and "Inga". Next is Swinging Macedonia – a legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje". Brandenberg Concert features one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene of the past few decades – heard here in a completely sublime setting! Dusko Goykovich has played in many styles and many ways, but hasn't ever done a date with full strings before – a long-overdue placement for his wonderful tone on trumpet – shimmering out front of a larger ensemble, in the manner of classic "with strings" dates by Dizzy Gillespie or Art Farmer! Altoist Peter King arranged the album – and titles are all originals by Dusko, some of which you might know from earlier records – reworked here beautifully for the new setting. King also solos on a handful of tracks too – a rich voice that provides a nice balance with Dusko's trumpet. Strings are never overdone, and the album's always got a nice swing from a core rhythm trio that features Renato Chicco on piano. Titles include "Good Old Days", "Handful O Soul", "Danca Comigo", "St Germain Des Pres", "Adriatica", "In My Dreams", and "I Miss You So". CD

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients". CD

Beautiful harmony soul from Act 1 – a group we totally love when they're in this mode – just grooving enough to open up the vocals a bit, stepping along with some great east coast sweet soul production! "Night Of The Wolf" is a completely different track, but equally groovy – a sharp funky instrumental with all sorts of fast-riffing guitar, taken from a rare Italian sound library album of the 70s – and topped with a cool whistle that almost has a spaghetti western vibe! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Beautiful early work from Cannonball Adderley – and a record that's quite different than most of his better known sets from the time! The album's more spare and stripped-down than usual – with Cannon's alto in a quartet alongside Bill Evans on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. The style is almost more that of Evans than it is Cannonball – lightly lyrical, with a good sense of space – in a way that has Adderley playing out front very strongly, cutting some beautiful lines with his solos, in a really unfettered way! Titles include versions of two of Evans' tracks – "Waltz For Debby" and "Know What I Mean?" – plus nice moody takes on other material, like John Lewis' "Venice", Clifford Jordan's "Toy", and Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early work from Cannonball Adderley – and a record that's quite different than most of his better known sets from the time! The album's more spare and stripped-down than usual – with Cannon's alto in a quartet alongside Bill Evans on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. The style is almost more that of Evans than it is Cannonball – lightly lyrical, with a good sense of space – in a way that has Adderley playing out front very strongly, cutting some beautiful lines with his solos, in a really unfettered way! Titles include versions of two of Evans' tracks – "Waltz For Debby" and "Know What I Mean?" – plus nice moody takes on other material, like John Lewis' "Venice", Clifford Jordan's "Toy", and Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Almost everything soulful at Capitol Records in the mid 60s – packed together in one sweet little place! The set's a winner in a great line of Cannonball Adderley live dates from the time – produced by David Axelrod, and done with that great mix of angular, slightly electric groove the combo was virtually pioneering – thanks to help from Joe Zawinul on electric piano, and Nat Adderley on cornet! Cannon also plays some great soprano sax – an instrument that he was taking off beautifully with at the time – and sets fire to a few great tunes with the instrument. But as if that's not enough, Lou Rawls joins in on vocals on a few cuts, and Nancy Wilson comes in on a few more – and the album alternates singing with instrumentals in a really great way. Titles include two very nice extended tracks by Joe Zawinul – "Rumplestiltskin" and "The Scavenger", both of which are over 10 minutes long, and which have the group stretching out in a nice live vein – and other cuts include "The Scene", "Somewhere", "Sweet Emma", and "Zorba". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". LP, Vinyl record album

A gently beautiful record from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – one driven by a desire to create open space, which Ambrose does wonderfully in the company of Bill Frisell on guitar and Herlin Riley on drums! All players have a great sense of timing and work with a "less is more" sort of approach – a quality you'll certainly know from some of Frisell's music, but which is delivered here with a warm balance that's also nicely different than those recordings too! In the wrong hands, the set could have the coldness of an ECM recording, but instead there's a much more sensitive approach going on here – but also one that's never sleepy or too laidback. Titles include "Mr Frisell", "Owl Song 2", "Weighted Corners", "Grace", "Mr Riley", "Henya", and "Flux Fuelings". CD

One of the few recorded meetings of alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and pianist Toshiko Akioshi in the studio – quite strange given that they were a couple at the time! The session's easily one of the last great American sessions by either player – a work that shows Mariano's alto really building on the strengths of his work in the 50s, and Akioshi's piano shedding some of its early bop influences, and going for the richly-toned sound that would serve her greatly in the 70s. The long tracks here offer plenty of space for Charlie's sharp tone to really do its thing – and that raspy warmth of the 50s is even more deeply soulful at this point – and augmented by a new sense of composition that gives the record some of its best tracks. There's almost a nascent sense of spiritualism here – quite unusual for the time – and titles include "When You Meet Her", "Toshiko's Elegy", "Deep River", and "Little T". CD

One of the few recorded meetings of alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and pianist Toshiko Akioshi in the studio – quite strange given that they were a couple at the time! The session's easily one of the last great American sessions by either player – a work that shows Mariano's alto really building on the strengths of his work in the 50s, and Akioshi's piano shedding some of its early bop influences, and going for the richly-toned sound that would serve her greatly in the 70s. The long tracks here offer plenty of space for Charlie's sharp tone to really do its thing – and that raspy warmth of the 50s is even more deeply soulful at this point – and augmented by a new sense of composition that gives the record some of its best tracks. There's almost a nascent sense of spiritualism here – quite unusual for the time – and titles include "When You Meet Her", "Toshiko's Elegy", "Deep River", and "Little T". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most sensitive 70s albums from guitarist Jan Akkerman – a set recorded with larger backings from Claus Ogerman, who really helps Jan find a newly mellow side of his sound! Gone are some of the too-jamming, rock-inspired modes of Akkerman's other records – and in their place are open, flowing lines on guitar – played with a sensitivity that reminds us a bit of some of Jim Hall's more ambitious albums of the same period – although even a bit more classically-oriented overall. Ogerman's arrangements are wonderful – full and lush, but never too sleepy – and titles include "Nightwings", "Modinha", "Espanoleta", "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", "Love Remembered", and "The Seed Of God". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest racing soundtracks we've ever heard – a set that's a lot more funky than some of the better-known racetrack film scores that were coming into the racks during the late 60s! The vibe here is almost a bit like some of the sound library material of Alessandro Alessandroni – lots of great melodic elements, wrapped around rhythms that are nice and slinky on the slower moments, and downright funky on the faster ones – mostly instrumental, but with just a bit of vocals at points from I Cantori Moderni – that very cool harmony group that Alessandroni used on many recordings. The instrumentation is never too complex, and the focus feels more small combo than some of the larger orchestrations on Italian scores at the time – served up here in an assortment of 17 tracks from the film! LP, Vinyl record album

Demonic sounds, but surprisingly sweet as well – done with this easy-flowing style that's really wonderful – and much more similar to the seductive sound library work of Alessandro Alessandroni, than to some of the starker, darker horror of the time! There's definitely some spooky passages, but they're almost always warmed up in really nice ways – both with keyboards, and with these wordless vocals from the lovely Giulia De Mutiis, who drifts through the record like some sexy ghost. Her vocals almost give the whole thing a more dream-like feel at times – not too atmospheric, but with clouds of sweet sounds that blow through the space in a wonderful way. Titles include "Demon Night II", "Demon Arise", "Dark Dreamer", "Devil's Nightmare", and "Erotic Demon". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Eric Alexander in a trio mode – soaring out with a lot more space and soul than some of his albums with a pianist – and that's saying a lot, given the wonderfully soulful sound of that work too! The style is a mode that Alexander has explored a bit over the years, but which really comes out with great force here – and opens up a sharper, more biting tone than you might be used to hearing from the saxophonist over his 25+ years of recording! It's almost as if Eric's awoken with a whole new sense of spirit – and we mean that quite literally, as the album has Alexander arising as a very powerful saxophonist in a spiritual tradition – with a sound that's still very individual, but which has links to a legacy that includes Pharoah Sanders and Charles Lloyd – something we never would have said about Eric just a few years ago. The other trio members are key to the sound, too – Doug Weiss on bass and Jonathan Blake on drums – and titles include "Corazon Perdido", "Luquitas", "Mars", "Magyar", "Big Richard", "Second Impression", and "Frenzy". CD

Always-great work from singer Lorez Alexandria – still sounding wonderful, even at this late date! Her presentation's a bit earthier than before, but no less poised than on earlier sessions – with the same sense of space and timing that's always made her one of our favorite jazz singers! And as always, there's a soulfulness to the music that really makes the whole thing sparkle – a sound that goes way past overdone torchy vocals, or hackney sets of standards – in that unique space that Lorez seems to inhabit nearly on her own. Backing is by a group that includes Houston Person on tenor, Bruce Forman on guitar, and Michael Carvin on drums – and titles include "Star Eyes", "Make Someone Happy", "My One & Only Love", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". CD

A great one from drummer Rashied Ali – issued here on his own Survival label! Ali's perhaps best remembered for his spare backing behind Coltrane's solo sax on the record Interstellar Space – and we're tempted to say that there's a similar vibe going on here – as the record just features Ali on drums and percussion, and the great Frank Lowe on tenor, plus Japanese flute and a bit of percussion too. The approach is nice and open, in a loft jazz mode – and Frank blows with a rough-hewn emotion that brings a lot to the session, and which provides a good grounding for Ali's sometimes loose work on drums! The original album features one long improvisation – "Duo Exchange" – but it's expanded here by more than a full album's worth of bonus material, really great recordings that appear here for the first time ever, pressed up beautifully. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully sensitive work from pianist Geri Allen – a session cut with a core trio of Ron Carter on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, but one that sparkles even more from guest contributions by Wallace Roney and Carmen Lundy! Geri's piano is at the forefront of the set – sliding out gracefully with a sound that's not exactly timeless, but which has a soulful energy that reminds us a lot of some of the best styles of her roots – focused a bit more here, and augmented on a few tracks by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus, a vocal group who hardly dominate the record, but float in very gently alongside Geri's piano – almost in a style that's similar to the use of voices on some of Duke Pearson's last recordings for Blue Note. Titles include "Portraits & Dreams", "Oh Freedom", "Melchezedik", "Well Done", "La Strada", "I Have A Dream", "Nearly", "In Real Time", "Our Lady", and "Timeless Portraits & Dreams". CD features a bonus disc with a version of "Lift Every Voice & Sing" by vocalist George Shirley with the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. CD

The Allman Brothers at their best – and a key 70s set that may well have the group working at their peak! All their best southern roots are firmly tied together here – not just the country-touched approach to rock that was the group's calling card, but also their ties to some of the Georgia soul scene as well – an element that really surfaces in some of the album's piano lines and rhythms, which really help underscore the depth of the tunes – and give the group a solid footing that's stronger than some of their more cliched contemporaries. These tunes hold up wonderfully over the years – and have a visionary approach that almost sparkles even more strongly here in the 21st Century than when we first started digging their sounds on radio back in the 70s. Titles include "Southbound", "Jessica", "Pony Boy", "Wasted Words", "Ramblin Man", "Come & Go Blues", and "Jelly Jelly". LP, Vinyl record album

Herb Alpert's first-ever album – a runaway hit that was the birthplace of so many groovy things – not just the start of the Tijuana Brass sound, also the birth of A&M Records! The album's the first to feature Herb's trademark take on the Mexican band style – done here with a bit more "jaunty" pop stylings than in later years, including a "rocking" electric bass that kicks along nicely at the bottom of some of the more chart-oriented tunes. The first full album on A&M – and the beginning of an empire – with titles that include "The Lonely Bull", "El Lobo", "Desafinado", "Mexico", "Never On Sunday", and "Struttin With Maria". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A legendary group from the 70s Nigerian scene – one who could be as trippy as they were funky – often in ways that had them using studio production to really get some cool effects from their vocals and guitar! There's a spacey edge to most of these tracks – one that comes through most strongly on the mellower moments – which include one or two slow-funk killers that are quite different than the usual sounds of Lagos! But even the more upbeat numbers have this wash around the edges – which seems to filter things together in an unusual way, and really make them come out sounding great. Titles include "Try Me", "Deep Funk", "Mind Twister", "Lay On The Ground", "Don't Drive Me Out", and "Time For Me To Go". CD

A fantastic look at the underground world of jazz record bars in Tokyo – served up here in a stunning array of full color photographs that showcase dozens of spots! The book is a great document of the "jazz kissa" – small bars where the owner is a lover of music, has a huge jazz record collection, and pours out drinks while spinning records in a very intimate, laidback space! Most of these club have stunning sound systems – often pictured in the book – and they are tiny, with just a few seats for drinkers/listeners – which makes the experience of enjoying a classic jazz record there feel even more unique. There's a bit of text, but most of the hardcover volume is full color photographs – presented in beautiful artbook style. Book

Wonderful music from Lucas Arruda – an artist who embraces some of the warmest, most soulful styles of Brazilian music from back in the 70s, but manages to deliver them with a crisp contemporary spin! There's a lot of vintage Azymuth-styled grooves here – wicked rhythms, excellent keyboards, and a jazzy sensibility that makes for a magical flow throughout – and while there's some great soulful vocals on the set, the album also has plenty of strong instrumental moments too – a real delight all the way through, and an instant classic that may well even top Lucas' previous albums! Andre Mota lends some great vocals to the set – and titles include "The Mountain", "4:28 AM", "Novos Planos", "Ominira", "Projecoes", "The Bravest Heart", "Chant & Dance", and "Abraco Pro Ed". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from one of the greatest soul groups to ever come from Chicago – a sublime quartet who had a way of voicing their tunes that was really head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries! This killer record showcases The Artistics' genius right from the start – mixing in some deeper soul modes than you might expect from the Windy City side of Brunswick Records – yet still keeping the Chicago contingent firmly in place thanks to production by Carl Davis, arrangements by Sonny Sanders, and a wonderful set of material written by the likes of Eugene Record, Floyd Smith, Marvin Smith, and Gerald Sims. The vocals are wonderful – rawer at some moments than others, which really gives the album a great sense of personality – and titles include their hit "You Left Me", plus "The Other Side Of Sadness", "Fading Memories", "Man With Feeling", "Have No Pity", and "Ain't That The Way It Goes". CD features two bonus tracks – "You Make Me Happy" and "Nothing But Heartaches". CD

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges". CD

Near-perfect work from Ashford & Simpson – really grooving in full powerhouse mode here, and never missing a beat! By all rights, the team should have run out of steam by this point, but the album's another winner from their sublime Warner years – caught in a unique space between chart soul, ensemble funk, and disco – taking all the best elements of each, and really sending the whole thing home with some incredible vocals and impeccable production and arrangements! Titles include "Rushing To", "Love Don't Make It Right", "We'll Meet Again", "Get Out Your Handkerchief", and "I Ain't Asking For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing halting about this killer cut – a fuzzy, funky number that has lots of tripped-out guitar over heavy drums – and some phase-shifting chromatic element in the mix that may be processed vibes, or something far more mysterious! "Euler Spiral" is equally heady, but a very different number – a slow, spacey groove that takes its funk very slow – almost like some of the cool Johnny Harris instrumentals from years back! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Funky African work from Fred Fisher – a Nigerian trombonist who crafted his own unique groove at the end of the 70s! Fred both sings and plays trombone – the latter with a Fred Wesley-like soulfulness – and his rhythms here are really wide-ranging, and embrace a host of new styles coming into play at the time – including a fair bit of influences from American soul! Some cuts have a rootsy groove, while others move into tighter dancefloor territory – never in a commercial style at all, but with traces of boogie and other 80s modes in the mix. Vocals are sometimes in English, which furthers the global appeal of the music – and the set brings together tracks from 4 different albums by Fisher. Titles include "Say The Truth", "Asa Sa", "Iye Ye Mu Elediamemisise", "No Way", "Let Love Free", "WTFS", "Beautiful Dancer", "Happy Blue Night", "The Beginning Ishan", "Ehimedede", "Babajoo", and "Ebi Lolo". 2LP set features 12 tracks in all. Note: The music on the whole set is great, but there are a few tracks that suffer sound-wise from some distortion in the masters used. Most of the other tracks are fine, though. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! CD

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue reunion for Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll (now billed as Tippetts) – and a late 70s session that sounds quite a bit different than their mod soul of the 60s! The format here is still somewhat in a soul-based vein – but the sound is much more 70s, and much more "adult" as well – sometimes smooth, sometimes mellow, with Julie singing in a way that's still heartfelt, but not with the clear nod to American soul of her earlier work. Brian's still playing plenty of keyboards, although not getting in as many licks as on his own albums of the decade – yet still with enough space to help transform some of the best tunes. Titles include "Git Up", "Freedom Highway", "Spirit", "Future Pilot", "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "No Time To Live", and "Nothing Will Be As It Was" – a great English remake of a song by Milton Nascimento! LP, Vinyl record album

Takumi Awaya's pictured on the cover along with his bass – in an image that will give you an idea of the richness of the set, with Awaya's instrument often stepping out as the leading force of the trio – alongside the piano of Takuma Yamamoto and Naoki Takahashi! Yamamoto still gets in plenty of space, but the record, which is a live one, is often a lot more about the interaction between bass and piano instead of just having the piano in the lead – captured with warm tones that really recall some of the more inventive Japanese trio sessions of the 70s. Titles include a great remake of the Ryo Fukui tune "Mellow Dream" – plus "Pretty Woodstock", "Breeze Suite", "I Should Care", and "Too Late Now". CD

An archetypal album by Roy Ayers – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded, remastered version of the album Prophecy – early work by Albert Ayler, recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after his untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". Newly remastered version of the full concert – with 10 tracks in all! CD

Two Latin funk classics – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Azteca album – a crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's got a great blend of modes – Latin soul, touches of funk, and plenty of the jazzy inflections you'd expect from a lineup that includes Coke Escovedo on timbales, Paul Jackson on bass, Lenny White on drums, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, Tom Harrell on trumpet, and Victor Pantoja on congas! Vocals are by Pete Escovedo – who brings in a heady soulful sound to the set – and the vibe is a bit like work by Malo or El Chicano, but even more jazz-based overall! Titles include "Peace Everybody", "Empty Prophet", "Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me", "Azteca", "Ah! Ah!", and "Mamita Linda". Next is Pyramid Of The Moon – a really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh. Titles include "Red Onions", "Mazatlan", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Mexicana, Mexicana", and "Love Is A Stranger". CD

Amazing early work from Azymuth – rare demo recordings done at the home studio of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami, in the short space before the group issued their legendary debut! The tracks here are as much jazz funk as they are the later modes that Azymuth would put forth – killer instrumentals that are really driven by great keyboard lines from Bertrami, who'd already been making music in other formats for years – and who works here on Fender Rhodes, Arp, Clavinet, Hammond, and a range of other keyboards too! The drums are fantastic, too – handled by a young Ivan Conti, who gets help on percussion from an early fourth member of the group, Ariovaldo Contesini – and as you might guess, the incredible basslines of Ivan Mamao Conti really help the whole thing groove. All material is very well-recorded – these aren't rough or unfinished tracks at all – and the whole thing should just be thought of as a first chapter for the group, right before they started putting out their famous records. Titles include "Prefacio", "Castelo", "Melo Do Cuica", "Xingo", "Laranjeiras", "Eqiupe 68", "Unknown Song For Mario Telles", "Manha", "Duro De Roer", "Quem Tem Medo", "Juntos Mais Uma Vez", and "Bateria Do Mamao". CD

Late work from Chet Baker, but great work too – and sounds that have Baker returning to an incredibly strong sense of force in the final year of his life! We love some of Chet's records from earlier in the decade, but many of those are a bit laidback – kind of a beautiful exploration of space and lanquidity. But here, Baker's got a hell of a fire – blowing crisp notes that are given a wonderful drive from a quartet that features Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! Chet sings a bit, but the real showcase is his trumpet work – superb, and maybe still at the top of the range of trumpeters working at the time on the planet – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Stella By Starlight", "For Minors Only", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a nice reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most iconic rock and roll shows of all time – the late 70s farewell to The Band, captured by Martin Scorcese in a famous film of the same name – and presented on record in a package that really lives up to the majesty of the moment! In the world of 2LP live sets of the 70s, the 3LP presentation gave the group even more space to stretch out and say their goodbyes to the world – while also opening the door up for a large lineup of guests who include The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Ron Wood, Van Morrison, Dr John, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, and other well-chosen artists who allow the group to show off their roots and inspirations while also wrapping things up. Robbie Robertson produced, and the whole thing is pretty darn iconic from start to finish – on titles that include "The Last Waltz", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In", "Down In South New Orleans", "Forever Young", "I Shall Be Released", "Rag Mama Rag", "Further Up The Road", "Dry Your Eyes", "Evangeline", and "The Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Gato Barbieri's later recordings – but don't hold that against it! The set's a smoother effort than most of Gato's earlier work, but it's also still pretty darn soulful – done in a way that allows plenty of space for his raspy reed work on tenor to flow over the top of larger arrangements that have a nice electric touch. Players include Eric Gale and Joe Beck on guitars, Don Grolnick on keyboards, and Mtume and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – both of whom give the tunes a nice earthy undercurrent when needed. And while we might be put off by the larger, more heavily-arranged sound – Gato himself is still in charge of the charts, and keeps things nicely focused in a soulfully expressive way! Titles include "Firelies", "Fiesta", "Europa", "Don't Cry Rochelle", "Behind The Rain", "Los Desperados", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

Brigitte Bardot's best known on these shores as an actress, but during the 60s she cut some really fantastic work on the scene in Paris – including a fair bit of groovers that were done with help from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Bardot provided a fantastic new voice in the world of pop music – a singer who was unabashedly open about her desires, and very different than the more melancholy stars of a few years before – a quality that's further emphasized by the wonderfully groovy instrumentation used on most of these tracks! Production and arrangements are superb – and put this music in the best territory of the grooviest 60s French pop by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc, and a rare few others. This is the first-ever English-annotated collection of work from the period – and features a whopping 25 tracks from her recordings for Philips and Disc AZ – titles that include "Harley Davidson", "Contact", "Neu Au Soleil", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "La Madrague", "Les Hommes Endormis", "Je Voudrais Perdre La Memoire", "Mr Sun", "Le Diable Est Anglais", "Tu Es Venu Mon Amour", "John Et Michel", "Gang Gang", and duets with Serge Gainsbourg on "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". CD

Four of the more obscure RCA albums from the great Bobby Bare – all brought together here in a single set! First up is the very unusual English Countryside album – a special set that has the vocals of Bobby Bare paired with a group from the UK – Liverpool's Hillsiders, who sing with a style that's a bit folk, and a bit rock – but which takes on a very distinct country vibe amidst the RCA production of Chet Atkins! Both Bare and The Hillsiders sing solo on the record – but most of the set has them paired together, and the presence of all those voices on the tracks create a nice sense of spontaneity – maybe a hint at the more relaxed recording approach that Bobby would use on his big albums of the mid 70s! Titles include "Sweet Dreams", "Six Days On The Road", "Find Out What's Happening", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "Goin Home", "Blue Is My Lonely Room", and "I Washed My Face In The Mountain Dew". Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn is a seminal album in the career of Bobby Bare – and the record that really has him turning from a young smiling country singer to the kind of more adult, mature talent that would really send him over the top! The album's promise of "controversial country songs" is certainly apt – as in addition to the great Tom T Hall title cut, the album also features Bare taking on great material from Kris Kristoffersen, Mel Tillis, and even the team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn – all set to arrangements that are nicely more sophisticated than those used on the more pop productions of some of Bobby's earlier albums. Titles include "Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn,", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "Watching The Trains Go By", "Skip A Rope", "Rainy Day In Richmond", "Cincinnati Jail", "Wild As The Wind", and "Drink Up & Go Home". I Hate Goodbyes is the record that marked the return of Bobby Bare to RCA Records in the early 70s – and one that also marks the start of a very different phase in Bare's career! This time around, Bobby's handling the production himself – working with the kind of thoughtful, mature material that would really let him open up – songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, the team of Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, and even an early tune from Shel Silverstein – who would soon become one of the biggest contributors to Bobby's records. The vibe is very different than his RCA material of the mid 60s, and in a great way – on titles that include "I Hate Goodbyes", "Restless Wind", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Send Tomorrow To The Moon", "You Know Who", "An Offer She Couldn't Refuse", "What's Your Mama's Name Child", and "Poison Red Berries". Last up is Cowboys & Daddys – an overlooked gem in the mid 70s RCA years of the great Bobby Bare – and a set that really shows the dedication that Bare had during these years to finding the most sophisticated material of the new country generation! The list of songwriters alone is great – as the set features tracks from Terry Allen, Shel Silverstein, David Hickey, and Tom T Hall – plus an early contribution from Bob McDill, with whom Bare would soon record a lot more material on albums to come. There's a mature, laidback vibe to the whole set – different than some of the more playful Bobby Bare albums of the time – and titles include "Chester", "The Cowboy & The Poet", "Amarillo Highway", "Speckled Pony", "Calgary Snow", "Last Dance At The Old Texas Moon", "Pretty Painted Ladies", and "The Stranger". CD