The cover's a bit creepy, but the album's still plenty great – old school Cameo still strongly in a funk-based mode, before some of the stiffer grooves of their later years! Bass is the ruler of the set – and most tracks here vamp around in a very heavy P-Funk style of groove – lots of guitar dancing around the rhythms, and plenty of spoken/sung vocals from the whole ensemble – not to mention a heavy dose of keyboards that helps keep things clean and lean! A partyful album if there ever was one – with tracks that include "Soul Army", "Enjoy Your Life", "Flirt", "Secrets Of Time", "I Owe It All To You", and "For You". CD

Excellent funky work from Lou Donaldson – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder". CD

Music from Hound Dog Taylor, James Cotton, Professor Longhair, Koko Taylor, Tinsley Ellis, Kenny Neal, Elvin Bishop, Roy Buchanan, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Sonny Terry, and more. CD

Music from Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Katie Webster, Elvis Bishop, the Lonnie Brooks Blues Band, Koko Taylor & her Blues Machine & an All Star Jam. CD

Excellent funky work from Lou Donaldson – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent funky work from Lou Donaldson – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Titles include "Red Beans", "Willie Fugal's Blues", "Crawfish Fiesta", "It's My Fault Darling", and "Her Mind Is Gone". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A classic early session from Alligator Records – with Hound Dog Taylor on guitar and vocals, plus Brewer Phillips on second guitar and Ted Harvey on drums – all working in a style that's a lot leaner than other work on the label! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Cheek To Cheek", "Cookin'", "Lou's Blues", "Dorothy", "Herman's Mambo", "The Blues Walk", "The Masquerade Is Over", "Funky Mama", "Caracas", "What Will I Tell My Heart", "Alligator Bogaloo", "Peepin'", and "Caravan". CD

An overlooked gem from The Holy Modal Rounders – the group's fifth album, and a set that shows them moving into a slightly more subtle style than before – but still with plenty of their trademark touches intact! The work often has a sweetly folksy feel – one that conjures up the city-to-country modes of some of the Marin County bands of the time – with some sensitive lyrics and instrumentation, all produced beautifully down in Nashville by the legendary Bob Dorough – who was doing some surprising rock projects around this time. Despite the joke of the title, there actually is a timeless quality to this set – one that might almost make the record a good place to start if you've always been curious about the Rounders, but a bit intimidated by the fame of their earlier classics. Titles include "Black Bottom", "Spring OF 65", "Boobs A Lot", "Alligator Man", "City Blues", "The Whole World Oughta Go On Vacation", and "Melinda". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime 70s work from pianist Fumio Itabashi, easily one of our favorite Japanese talents of the time – a pianist with a wonderful sense of rhythm and freedom at the same time – very much on display on this beautiful record! The tracks are long and flowing – full of feeling, and as lyrical at times as they are rhythmic – set up with perfect trio accompaniment that features Tsutomu Okada on bass and Takuji Kusimoto on drums – working with Fumio in this special sort of magic that's a bit hard to put in words, but which really demonstrates on record why this moment in Japanese jazz was such a special time! Ties include "TOH", "Alligator Dance", and "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album