The group's listed here as the Double Quintet of trumpeter Ian Carr, but the sound is right next to the best work of his Nucleus group for Vertigo Records – a groundbreaking blend of jazz and electric elements, served up in a style that's very different from American work of the time! At one level, Carr and his group mates have this sophisticated style that's awash in complicated colors and very rich tones – but at another, they're able to open up and really let things fly – not really in prog directions, or avant improvisation either – but with a very freewheeling spirit that has Ian and the group exploding with new ideas all the way through! Other players include Harry Beckett on trumpet, Brian Smith on tenor and soprano, Tony Roberts on tenor and bass clarinet, and the electric core of Chris Spedding on guitar, Ron Matthewson on electric bass, and Karl Jenkins on electric piano – on long takes of tracks that include "Element 1", "Bedrock Deadlock", "Torso", "Snakehips Dream", and "Spirit Level". First-ever release – pulled from a well-recorded radio session in 1970! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Very early work from the Jamaican scene – a set that includes cuts by artists who'd later record classic tracks in the rocksteady years, but who here are working in a much different mode! The title is plenty apt, but only gets at part of the sound – as this isn't straight doo wop as you'd know from the American scene, but instead some early group harmony – of the sort that would flourish even more strongly on famous Jamaican trio recordings of the late 60s – handled here with much more stripped-down instrumentation, and a shifting set of rhythms that mixes US influences with other more Caribbean modes. Titles include "Muriel" by Alton & Eddie, "Dearest Darling" by Jiving Juniors, "Til The End Of Time" by Chuck & Dobby, "Dearest Beverly" by Jimmy Cliff, "Heavenly Angel" by Laurel Aitken, "Do You Know" by Owen & Millie, "I'm Going Back" by The Charmers, "Diamonds & Pearls" by Dobby Dobson, "Album Of Memory" by The Mellowlarks, "Have Faith In Me" by Jiving Juniors, "Now You Want To Cry" by Prince Buster & The Charmers, "I Love My Teacher" by Chuck & Dobby, "Call Your Name Forever" by The Blues Busters, "I Love You Forever" by The Echoes Celestials, "Hear My Cry" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Guilty Convict" by Rupert Edwards, "Julie" by The Moonlighters, "Worried Over You" by Keith & Enid, "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. CD

A trio of albums from one of the most unique groups on the west coast scene! First up is Where's The Money – a classic live album from Dan Hicks and this mighty cool west coast combo – a set that's all stripped-down, and provides a great showcase for their amazing vocal and acoustic instrumental interplay! Dan's got two two female singers along for the performance – Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – both of whom do way more than provide backup, as they work with plenty of percussion, and harmonize along with Dan's lead on most tracks – in that cool blend of acoustic roots and jazzy inflections that made the group so unique. The lineup also includes violin, mandolin, and bass – plus guitar from Dan – on titles that include "News From Up The Street", "Shorty Falls In Love", "The Buzzard Was Their Friend", "Is This My Happy Home", "Dig A Little Deeper", "Reelin Down", and "Caught In The Rain". Striking It Rich features the great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". Last Train To Hicksville is completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

An incredible record from reedman Harold McNair – one of the key Jamaican jazz players who hit the London scene in the same post-colonial wave as Joe Harriott and Shake Keane – and maybe our favorite of the bunch! Harold's a hell of a talent on both tenor and flute – and although he might be best known for his background work on late 60s Donovan albums, he really soars here as a soloist – working with Ornette Coleman group members David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both of whom swing wonderfully in McNair's company! The album bills Izenzon and Moffett strongly on the cover – as if they're one of the main attractions – but what's most compelling is the way that McNair and pianist Alan Branscombe bring the American musicians into their own sort of groove – a modal, soulful style that's completely sublime – and which makes the album a killer all the way through. Titles include the original "Affectionate Fink" – plus great takes on "I Love You", "O Barquinho", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", and "Here's That Rainy Day" – all soulful swingers. CD

One of the richest 70s soundtracks ever penned by Piero Piccioni – a score for a film that was part action, part comedy – and which really shows the presence of both in the music! The film stars the great Alberto Sordi, but is set in New York – and Piccioni brings in all these American funk and jazz elements to the music – sometimes electric grooves that fit the 70s mode, sometimes older jazz styles that evoke an older generation of New York – blended with other tracks that have more conventional soundtrack strings and orchestrations! Piccioni himself handles the piano on the recording, I Cantori Moderni make an appearance, and titles include "Surprise Pastorale", "New York New York", "The American Dream", "Gunz Concerto", "Little Italy", "Love In Brooklyn", "Swingin' At Savoy", "Anastasia Mio Fratello", and "New York By Night". 2CD edition adds in 24 more bonus tracks on CD2 – a total of 37 titles in all! CD

Beautiful grooves from the Japanese scene – most of them from a time when its singers and musicians were leaning heavily on influences from American funk and soul, and turning out some wonderful music of their own! Lyrics on most tracks are in Japanese, but there's a really universal vibe to the grooves – great basslines, warm keyboards, and lots of jazzy touches in the instrumentation – a soulful, often funky approach that gives the collection an appeal that goes way beyond the boundaries of language! These aren't the mellow, electronic, or offbeat Japanese tracks of the 80s – and instead, the work here is overflowing with soul - on titles that include "Simple Another Love" by Jadoes, "Kimagure" by Kumi Nakamura, "Natsu No Hikari Ni" by Sumiko Yamagata, "Party Is Over" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Moonlight Flight" by Makoto Iwabuchi, "Paradise's Dream" by Arakawa Band, "I Wander All Alone (part 3)" by New Genration Company, "Sofa Bed Blues" by Haruo Chikada & Vibratones, "Tuxedo Connection" by Hitomi Penny Tohyama, and "Chigasaki Memory" by Mitsuko Horie. LP, Vinyl record album

A great early set from singer Ernestine Anderson – material recorded in Sweden with a sound that's even more sweetly swinging than some of her American albums of the time! The backings on most tracks are by Harry Arnold – one of the hippest Swedish leaders of the time, and an arranger who's clearly got an ear for the more soulful side of Anderson's vocals – hardly the sort of icy Scandinavian sort of groove you might expect! And in a way, Ernestine seems to sound even better in this setting than back home – almost a bit more balanced, with a slight sort of poise that comes through nicely on the ballads. Titles include "Experiment", "Day Dream", "Did I Remember", "Ill Wind", and "My Man". Japanese pressing, with 16 tracks – more than US version! LP, Vinyl record album

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

A never-issued live set from Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui – a tremendous player who was part of a special new generation of piano players in the 70s – very warm and fluid, but always with a sense of adventure too – in ways that make music like this very different than American work of the time! All tracks are nice and long, and Fukui begins the set with his classic "Mellow Dream" – spun out in an extended take with superb accompaniment from Satoshi Denpo on bass and Yoshinori Fukui on drums. As with so many of Ryo's recordings, the vibe here is far past a simple standard trio setting – as you'll hear on the group's inventive readings of titles that include "Mr PC", "Speak Low", "Body & Soul", and "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

3CDs, and one DVD – a heck of a lot of music in one groovy little box set! The 3CDs each feature a different overseas performance by American tenor legend Johnny Griffin – working in very familiar territory of Copenhagen, in long, open-ended recordings that really show his inventive strengths on the tenor sax! CD 1 features a 1964 performance with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on titles that include "Doctor's Blues", "Night In Tunisia", "Wee Dot", and "Body & Soul". CD 2 features a 1984 performance with Eddie Lockjaw Davis joining Griff in the frontline on additional tenor – with rhythm by Harry Pickens on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Funky Fluke", "Hey Lock", "Lester Leaps In", "Blues Up & Down", and "Oh Gee". CD 3 features a 1989 date, with Drew on piano again – on titles that include "Just Friends", "Isfahan", "Slukefter Blues", and "Hush A Bye". The set also features a DVD – with 3 tracks from a Village Vanguard performance by Griffin in 1981, with Ronnie Matthews on piano – on titles that include "A Monk's Dream", "56 & Closing", and "Opening/Blues For Gonzi". DVD also features 2 more 1985 tracks by Eddie Lockjaw Davis (without Griffin) – "S'Wonderful" and "Shiny Stockings" – both recorded in Copehagen. CD

One of the greatest albums ever from the oft-overlooked Terry Reid – a man who turned down an initial offer to be the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, but went on to record some great albums on his own! The album was Terry's first away from producer Mickie Most – and it's got a much more American vibe than previous efforts – with some nice rootsy touches on guitars (including steel and slide) from the great David Lindley, which really work perfectly with Reid's compellingly raspy vocals – and some slightly funky elements on the bass and drums! Willie Bobo makes a surprising appearance on the title cut "River" – which almost has a Chicano rock groove at times – and other titles include "Dean", "Avenue", "Things To Try", "Live Life", "Dream" and "Milestone". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful exotic work from George Shearing – a mixture of jazz piano, Latin percussion, and lyrical guitar and vibes – all intertwined beautifully in that unique groove that really set new standards at the time! The album's got plenty of jazz, but also a nice exotic twist too – thanks to the hip instrumentation – which has George balancing perfectly between a few key spots of American musical taste of the time – and finding a rich new territory of his own! Titles include "All Or Nothing At All", "Dearly Beloved", "Juana Palangana" "Afro #4", "Magic", "Mambo Balahu", "This Is Africa","Mambo Balahu", "You Stepped Out On A Dream" and "Estampa Cubana". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the Doo Wop promised in the title – as the set starts with raw harmony work of the 50s, then moves up to include a whole bunch of 60s soul too! The set's a great overview of the evolution of vocal group modes during these crucial years in American music – and some familiar hits are mixed up nicely with lesser-known gems – showing that the compilers really used their heads to put the package together. There's a total of 60 tracks in all, plus a nice booklet too – and titles include "I Believe" by The Earls, "For Sentimental Reasons" by The Cleftones, "The Girl I Love" by The Cadillacs, "I Count The Tears" by The Drifters, "A Casual Look" by The Six Teens, "Down On My Knees" by The Heartbeats, "Out Of Sight" by The Five Keys, "Come Back My Love" by The Cardinals, "Bad Boy" by The Jive Bombers, "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes, "Little Darlin" by The Diamonds, "Lonely Way" by The Skyliners, "The Angels Listened In" by The Crests, "A Wonderful Dream" by The Majors, "Let Me In" by The Sensations, "Smoky Places" by The Corsairs, and "Wish You Were Mine" by The Fireflies. CD

A well-done look at London's V4 Visions label – a small but important label on the underground scene in the early 90s – one who was close enough to the ground to pick up all the best styles that were taking place at the time! British soul had a bit step forward at the end of the 80s, and had even entered the American mainstream with a few key acts – but there was still plenty of experimentation taking place underground – new takes on American styles, interwoven with new jungle modes from London – and sometimes even with the grittier electro quality of street soul of the decade before! You'll hear all that and more here, served up in the usual well-done Numero style – normally reserved for older soul music labels, but very well suited here to V4 – on titles that include "What's This World Coming To" by Ashaye, "Just Dreaming" by Julie Stapleton, "The Way I Love You" by Rohan Delano, "I'm Believing In Love Again" by Maureen Mason, "Get Off That" by The Wades, "All The Way (guitar mix)" by Julie Stapleton with Ashaye, "Endangered Species" by Endangered Species, "Joy In The Jungle" by Jungle Biznizz, "Inflight" by Rohan Delano, "Fantasy (insight mix)" by Insight with Ashaye, "Just A Memory" by Endangered Species, and "If This Is A Dream" by Maureen Mason. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet cosmic disco from the Italian scene of the 70s – a record that was produced at a time when the inspirations of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream were really finding their way into the clubs! The group is really just the duo of Romano Musumarra and Claudi Gizzi– and the pair work together in this wonderful array of beats, basslines, and keyboards that really move past the usual – sometimes evoking the majesty of the prog years, but always holding onto the groove – and at other moments creating the sort of lean lines that made European acts like this such a strong inspiration for American electro and street soul in the decade to come! Titles include the side long "Automat" suite – plus "Droid", "Ultraviolet", and "Mecadence". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual set for both Dexter and Blue Note – first, because the set was recorded in Europe (not at Rudy Van Gelder's), and second because the tracks are all quite long! The album was recorded in Paris – and is cut in an open-ended format that's very much in the mode that Gordon would later use on late 60s and early 70s sessions for European labels. The group features (then) local contemporaries Kenny Drew on piano, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and is rounded out by Donald Byrd on trumpet and Art Taylor on drums. Tracks are long, but not meanderingly so – and feature a great mix of Blue Note hardbop, with some of the "roomier" recordings that were given to American players in Europe. Side one features an extended reading of Donald Byrd's "Tanya", and other tracks include Kenny Drew's "Coppin' The Haven", and a version of "Darn That Dream". CD

An incredible first album from The Moody Blues – way way different than any of their later high-concept work, and much more in the best soul and R&B-drenched material of the UK mod scene of the time! A number of cuts here are remakes of American soul tracks – including their stellar take on "Go Now" – and like some of the Moodies' best contemporaries, like Manfred Mann, the group really transform the material – and don't just offer up blue-eyed takes on the tunes. Instead, there's a free sense of play with the material – leanings that are definitely rockish on the solos, even though the overall vibe is quite soulful – and done with this tightly compressed style that's perfect for the vocals of the young Denny Laine – with a vibe that's further expanded by some nice use of echo in the production. Surprisingly wonderful – and very different than "Knights In White Satin" – with titles that include "Go Now", "I'll Go Crazy", "True Story", "Can't Nobody Love You", "I've Got A Dream", and "Let Me Go". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover's got an image of Frank Sinatra from later years, but the music here is all from the singer's early days as a solo act on Columbia Records – material that has the great one really reinventing the role of the male voice in American music, especially on well-crafted ballads and love songs like these! Sinatra's already amazingly mature for the time – a master of pointed understatement who blows away just about all of his 40s competition – on Columbia classics that include "I Dream Of You", "I Have But One Heart", "The Girl That I Marry", "Lost In The Stars", "If I Forget You", "Mam'Selle", "Put Your Dreams Away", and "It Never Entered My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful grooves from the Japanese scene – most of them from a time when its singers and musicians were leaning heavily on influences from American funk and soul, and turning out some wonderful music of their own! Lyrics on most tracks are in Japanese, but there's a really universal vibe to the grooves – great basslines, warm keyboards, and lots of jazzy touches in the instrumentation – a soulful, often funky approach that gives the collection an appeal that goes way beyond the boundaries of language! These aren't the mellow, electronic, or offbeat Japanese tracks of the 80s – and instead, the work here is overflowing with soul - on titles that include "Simple Another Love" by Jadoes, "Kimagure" by Kumi Nakamura, "Natsu No Hikari Ni" by Sumiko Yamagata, "Party Is Over" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Moonlight Flight" by Makoto Iwabuchi, "Paradise's Dream" by Arakawa Band, "I Wander All Alone (part 3)" by New Genration Company, "Sofa Bed Blues" by Haruo Chikada & Vibratones, "Tuxedo Connection" by Hitomi Penny Tohyama, and "Chigasaki Memory" by Mitsuko Horie. CD

Solo work from the great pianist Stanley Cowell, and a set that may well offer up some of his most focused performance in the format! The album's one long suite dedicated to the African-American fight for freedom – named after the "Juneteenth" date that's used to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation, and following the struggle through different modes up through the Civil Rights era. The music is some of Cowell's most expressive in years – served up in a variety of colors and styles, but always with a focused, unified approach that's completely compelling – especially given the very strong recording quality of the album. The music is supported by a 40 page booklet featuring vintage images as an archival documentary – with photos from 1865 through the early 20th Century – and titles include "Proclamation", "Nostalgia For Homelands", "Commentary On Strange Fruit", "Reality Dreams Echoes", and "Anticipation Of The Coming Of Freedom". CD

An amazing little set that's as compelling as the title and cover might imply – and easily one of our favorite Martin Denny albums ever! There's a sound here that is, actually, quite "hypnotique" – as Denny's core combo is expanded by some larger arrangements, Japanese instrumentation, and even some cool vocals by the Jack Halloran singers – all of which serve to create these pulsating musical lines that shift and sway with an extremely dreamy quality, one that can easily hypnotize us with its musical magic! The added sound really adds a lot to Denny's core group – and the record has some great tracks like "Jungle Madness", "American In Bali", "Chinese Lullaby", "Hypnotique", "Scimitar", and "Voodoo Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty funk from East Of Underground – an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany – originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it – as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark – with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording – done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits – but redone here with a nicely gritty feel – and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" – plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". LP, Vinyl record album

Sergio Mendes is definitely a swinger – especially on this jazz-based session that was recorded before his famous work with Brasil 66! This album was recorded in New York, at a time when Mendes was one of the hottest things brewing in the bossa scene in Brazil – and apart from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar, many of the other players are American jazz musicians – including Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Phil Woods on alto sax, and Hubert Laws on flute – all adding in some nice jazzy elements to the tunes! The music is all instrumental, and a great mix of jazz and bossa that really lets you hear the young Sergio's skills on piano. Titles include "Maria Moita", "Sambinha Bossa Nova", "The Dreamer", "Primavera", "Favela", and "Pau Brazil". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer funk from the Italian scene of the 70s – work by the Pulsar Music Ltd combo, originally used as the soundtrack for the crime classic Milano Violenta! Italian crime films were really hitting their height at the time – documenting the new wave of terror that was hitting the cities in the 70s – and music like this perfectly set the scene, with a sharp mix of funk, jazz, and other urban elements – all served up in a non-stop barrage of totally great cuts, of the sort that you'd only find sparsely on American soundtracks of the period. Music is composed by Italian jazz great Enrico Pieranunzi with Silvano Chimenti – and titles include "Leyla Theme", "Running", "Walking At Sunrise", "Six In", "Swinging Day", "Blue Funk", "Dreamland", and "Cat Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Vegas moment for Sinatra – with accompaniment by Count Basie, and arrangements from Quincy Jones, to boot! The set features some great spoken bits – really one of the first chances the American mainstream got to taste the Vegas vibe – and titles include "It Was A Very Good Year", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Come Fly With Me", "Street Of Dreams", "One For My Baby", and "My Kind Of Town". CD

One of the grooviest Verve albums of all time – a rare American session from Brazilian legend Marcos Valle – and his only US album to feature vocals! The album's even dreamier than Valle's early bossa sides from Brazil – and the setting has some nice Verve-like touches from Deodato – who handled the arrangements, and brings a nicely airy, nicely jazzy style to the record. Most tunes are sung as duets with his lovely wife Anamaria – made famous by the album's landmark groover "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" – an English-language version of Valle's earlier "Os Grilos". Other titles are all great too – and sport English lyrics that hardly ever got much exposure. In addition to the great "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", other titles include "The Face I Love", "She Told Me She Told Me", "Pepino Beach", "Chup Chup I Got Away", and "Batucada". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking live set from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – working here not in a small Tokyo club, but on the stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival – where he's clearly drawing inspiration from the global lineup to blow away most of the competition! Tracks are long, and really have Yamamoto hitting hard throughout – drawing strong inspiration from his influences on the American scene, but also showing some deeper, more sensitive styles too – that growing sense of feeling he brought to his music as the 70s wore on – really summed up perfectly here! The trio features Kunimitsu Inaba on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums – and titles include "Nanatsu No Ko", "It's All Right With Me", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Girl Of My Dreams", and "A Shade Of Love". CD

Wicked tunes hand-picked by the Japanese maestro of the groove – a heady batch of tracks collected by Yukihiro Fukutomi, with a brilliant melding of jazz, soul, and Latin influences! The set compiles 10 tracks from American and European sources – and features many hard-to-find remixes that surfaced briefly on expensive singles, but which have long gone by the wayside – making this collection even more essential to fans of the groove. Fukutomi presents the tracks in their entirety, unmixed – and titles include "Don't Mean A Thing (Incognito mix)" by Space Jazz Dub Men, "I Got Somebody New (original)" by Georg Levin with Clara Hill, "Everything (Yam Who rmx)" by Dwayne Morgan, "Life Rhythms (Raw Deal rmx)" by E Smoove, "Dreams Come True (Afronaught mix for Bugz In The Attic)" by Alison David, "Listen (Just Listen Louie's Master mix)" by Urban Species, "Cosmic Gypsy (Fila Brazilia rmx)" by United Future Organization, "I Just Wanna Say (Domu's Number One Mix)" by Michelle Lawson, and "Cloud 9 (Quenti Harris Shelter mix)" by Donnie. CD

One of the funkiest box sets we've ever seen – and amazingly issued by an American major label! The package is a treasure trove of funky work from a decade of Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and related labels – tunes pulled both from mainstream releases and much more obscure 45s! This one goes way past some of the silly "decade" sets from Rhino, and really displays a new level of cool and connoisseurship – one that finally appreciates the rich depths of funky work at their fingertips, most of which has not been properly reissued in the US! Tracks include "Gangster Of Love (part 1)/Gangster Of Love (part 2)" by "Get In The Groove/Somebody's In The World For You" by Mighty Hannibal, "Tampin/Oleancler" by Rhine Oaks, "It's Your Thing/Bring It Home To Me" by Cold Grits, "Stanga/Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Gossip/Tell Me What's On Your Mind" by Cyril Neville, "Engine #9/International Playboy" by Wilson Pickett, "Funky Nassau (part 1)/Funky Nassau (part 2)" by Beginning Of The End, "Mockingbird Sally/Nuki Suki" by Little Richard, "Funky To The Bone/I Want To Dance, Dance Dance" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters", "California Dreamin' (vocal)/California Dreamin' (instrumental)" by Eddie Hazel and more! CD

A classic groover from Yasuko Agawa – proof that the Japanese scene had an ear for soul in the years before Monday Michiru! The early 80s set is made up from equal parts jazz, soul, and Brazilian influences – all used nicely with tight, fusiony production that really works nicely with Yasuko's lighter-voiced approach to the lyrics. One of the highlights of the record is a remake of Viva Brasil's "Skindo-Le-Le", a great little groover with a catchy riff that's right in the Gilles P mode – but other tracks are pretty great too, and come together in a mix of different modes that's somewhat similar to an American jazzy soul album from the same time. Most of the arrangements are by keyboardist Naoya Matsuoka – and titles include "She-Senior Dreams", "Cinema", "Island Breeze", "Here & Now", and the very appropriate "Pardon My English". CD

There's nothing little about the talents of Roy Eldridge on the trumpet – as you'll hear in this hip set of tracks from the start of the 50s – material recorded in Paris with help from some great American sidemen! Half the tracks feature Roy's trumpet in a quintet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums – grooving in the relaxed, swing-based style that you'd expect from Eldridge's 50s work on Verve. Roy sings just a bit on the set – scatting alongside the lead vocals from Anita Love on a version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" – and singing a duet with Anita on the R&B-ish "Ain't No Flies On Me". Other tracks include "King David", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", and "The Man I Love". Remaining tracks are also from Paris in June of 1950 – and feature Gerry Wiggins on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – on instrumental tunes that include "Wild Driver", "Easter Parade", "If I Had You", "Nuts", and "Goliath Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing little about the talents of Roy Eldridge on the trumpet – as you'll hear in this hip set of tracks from the start of the 50s – material recorded in Paris with help from some great American sidemen! Half the tracks feature Roy's trumpet in a quintet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums – grooving in the relaxed, swing-based style that you'd expect from Eldridge's 50s work on Verve. Roy sings just a bit on the set – scatting alongside the lead vocals from Anita Love on a version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" – and singing a duet with Anita on the R&B-ish "There Ain't No Flies On Me". Other tracks include "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "The Man I Love", "Wild Driver", "Easter Parade", and "Just Fooling". LP, Vinyl record album

An easygoing city pop classic from Momoko Kikuchi – catchy but laidback at the same time – and nicely produced, but with a different vibe than some of the clunkier American work of the time! The record's a great illustration of the way that a singer like Momoko could find just the right balance with the backings – working with a set of arrangements from Tetsuji Hayashi, who also wrote the songs – carrying forward some of the pop and soundtrack styles of the time, and wrapping things up in a well-crafted record for Kikuchi. Titles include "Boy Friend", "Southern Cross Dreaming", "Ai No Surf Break", "Dear Children", and "Calendar Ni Initial". LP, Vinyl record album

Janelle Monae knocks it out of the park here – sounding every bit as great as before, but also hitting this righteous mode that really takes the singer to incredible new territory! If you loved Janelle's previous records, don't worry – she's still as catchy and playful as ever – but there's also a depth and darkness that's inspired by recent political turns in America – which Monae also uses to address issues that go back much farther in her experience, woven together in songs that are maybe even more politically powerful because of the way that they'll also win over the mainstream! Stevie Wonder gets the very first thanks in the long notes at the end of the book – and the mix of soul and message here definitely hearkens back to Stevie in the 70s – is all Janelle's own. Heck, even guests like Zoe Kravitz, Brian Wilson, and Pharrell Williams can't get in the way – on titles that include "Screwed", "Django Jane", "I Got The Juice", "Stevie's Dream", "Don't Judge Me", "Crazy Classic Life", "Take A Byte", "Do Afraid", "Americans", "I Like That ", "Pynk", "Jane's Dream", and "Make Me Feel". And hey, you've gotta love a record that's inspired both by Vibranium and Stevie Wonder! CD

Wanda Robinson was one of the first hip, black, female poets to set righteous words to funky music – and this album is one of her two classic sides for the Perception label from the early 70s. The format is spoken word over funky instrumentals – and backing is by Patrick Adams, James Moody, and others, mixing jazz, soul, and funk conceptions to fit the mood of each of Wanda's tracks on the set. The titles should give you a good flavor of the material – as the set includes "The First Time I Saw Loneliness", "The Great American Passtime", "Parting Is Such", "Tragedy No 456", "A Black Oriented Love Poem", "Instant Replay", "The Trouble With Dreams", and "Grooving". LP, Vinyl record album

One of best ever albums by Tom Waits – the beginning of his gutbuckety, Americana Carnivalesque era of dreamlike sinister romance and lovelorn surrealism! The tin pan piano ballads and get pushed a bit to the wayside for Tom's more mysterious and poetic side, and this begins one of the great second acts in pop/rock history. Includes the tracks "Underground", "Shore Leave", "Dave The Butcher", "16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six", "Franks Wild Years", "Down, Down, Down", "Rainbirds", "Just Another Sucker On The Vine", "Town With No Cheer", and others. CD

One of best ever albums by Tom Waits – the beginning of his gutbuckety, Americana Carnivalesque era of dreamlike sinister romance and lovelorn surrealism! The tin pan piano ballads and get pushed a bit to the wayside for Tom's more mysterious and poetic side, and this begins one of the great second acts in pop/rock history. Includes the tracks "Underground", Shore Leave", "Dave The Butcher", "16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six", "Franks Wild Years", "Down, Down, Down", "Rainbirds", "Just Another Sucker On The Vine", "Town With No Cheer, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Chris Woods – a genius reed player on alto sax and flute! Chris had a similar history to Nathan Davis, another richly talented American reed player from the same era – in that he was an American, but moved to Europe and achieved greater fame by becoming a seminal part of the scene during the early 60s. Woods recorded albums with Ted Curson, Marco Di Marco, and Georges Arvanitas – whose trio with Jacky Samson and Charles Saudrais is backing Chris up on this album. A few of the tunes are in a more standard jazz mode than Woods' other recordings, but there's also some great ones – like "My Lady", which is a soulful dancing waltz, and "Monsieur Lesbois In Paris", which has a nice stepping groove that's right up there with Woods' most soulful recordings! Other tracks include "Au Privae", "Love Theme For a Very Special Friend", and "Dreaming At The Woodside". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Patsy Cline left this planet all too soon – so soon that she never got a chance to record in the full length album mode that would soon be such a big part of country music expression in the 60s – which left it up to the labels to put together albums of her work after she died at a tragically young age! In other words, although these are greatest hits sets, they're also two of Patsy's greatest albums – filled with the kind of heartbreaking material that made her a country music legend right from the start – and an undeniable influence on American music for decades to come! The package features 24 tracks in all – filled with classics that include "Crazy", "Sweet Dreams", "Lovin In Vain", "Who Can I Count On", "Why Can't He Be With You", "Leavin On Your Mind", "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", "Your Kinda Love", "Does Your Heart Beat For Me", "When You Need A Laugh", "Faded Love", "Crazy Arms", "Blue Moon Of Kentucky", and "You Took Him Off My Hands". CD

Wonderful work from the great John Holt – a Jamaican singer who managed to find a real way to weave connections between reggae and the sweeter side of soul music in the 70s – often at a level that had John taking on songs from the American scene and making them sound even better with a reggae groove! Yet the work of Holt also goes way past that formula used on some of his hits – as you'll hear on this massive collection that offers up some of the greatest cuts he recorded for Trojan Records, plus some nice surprises along the way. Most of the tracks have a loping midtempo groove that's perfect for Holt's vocal approach – and the 2CD set features 50 tracks in all, with titles that include "Stealing Stealing", "I Wanna Dance", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Sister Big Stuff", "Stick By Me", "Ali Baba", "You Baby", "The Tide Is High", "Let's Build Our Dreams", "Sweetie Come Brush Me", "Wild Fire", "I'll Be Lonely", "My Heart Is Gone", "Strange Things", "My desire", "I'll Take A Melody", and "Time & The River". CD

Wonderful work from the great John Holt – a Jamaican singer who managed to find a real way to weave connections between reggae and the sweeter side of soul music in the 70s – often at a level that had John taking on songs from the American scene and making them sound even better with a reggae groove! Yet the work of Holt also goes way past that formula used on some of his hits – as you'll hear on this massive collection that offers up some of the greatest cuts he recorded for Trojan Records, plus some nice surprises along the way. Most of the tracks have a loping midtempo groove that's perfect for Holt's vocal approach – and the 2LP set features 28 tracks in all, with titles that include "Stealing Stealing", "I Wanna Dance", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Sister Big Stuff", "Stick By Me", "Ali Baba", "You Baby", "The Tide Is High", "Let's Build Our Dreams", "Sweetie Come Brush Me", "Wild Fire", "I'll Be Lonely", "My Heart Is Gone", "Strange Things", "My desire", "I'll Take A Melody", and "Time & The River". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the 2 terrific records ex-Fairport Convention singer-songwriter Ian Matthews cut for the Vertigo label in the early 70s – built around Matthews wonderful vocals and acoustic guitars, but with a tighter rhythmic backdrop the the typical post folk trope! The key here is warmth – particularly in Ian's vocals, which carries over on some great little tunes! Tracks include "Tigers Will Survive", "Midnight On The Water", "Right Before My Eye", "Hope You Know ", "Please Be My Friend ", "House Of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream", "The Only Dancer" and more, LP, Vinyl record album

A really great overview of the early years of deep soul singer Joe Simon – a massive 3CD set that brings together more of his work for the Sound Stage 7 label than we've seen in any other package! Joe doesn't always get his due, but back in the late 60s stretch when he recorded these tracks, he was a crucial figure in American soul – maybe a bit like Joe Tex, in that he came from deeper southern roots, but was able to bring a new sophistication to the music too – effortlessly handling funk, deep soul, sophisticated tracks, and even a bit of country soul too – all of which you'll hear in this well-done set! The 3CD collection features 61 titles that Simon recorded for the Sound State 7 label in Tennessee, including a number of singles-only cuts – titles that include "The Girl's Alright With Me", "Moon Walk (parts 1 & 2)", "I Got A Whole Lot Of Lovin", "Silver Spoons & Coffee Cups", "San Francisco Is A Lonely Town", "In The Ghetto", "Time & Space", "Wounded Man", "Come On & Get It", "In The Same Old Way", "Can't Find No Happiness", "Twinkle", "Dreamin", "Standing In The Safety Zone", "Looking Back", "In Reach Of Your Arms", "I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around", "The Chokin Kind", "San Francisco Is A Lonely Town", "Rainbow Road", and lots lots more. CD

One of a handful of righteous classics issued on Motown's Black Forum imprint in the early 70s – and a set that's maybe even more righteous than the rest – as it features a whole host of message-oriented tracks put together by the poet Amiri Baraka! The set was recorded live at the Apollo – and features both artists who have become legends in African American expression, and others who've not gotten their due over the years, but who are preserved wonderfully here in the setting of the performance – which bristles with a raw energy that's very different than some of the more good time records recorded at the legendary venue the decade before. Titles include "Black Is" and "What's Happening To The Heroes" by Kali, "A Folk Fable For My People" by Johari Amini, "Boppin" by David Henderson, "The Poet The Dreamer" and "Brothers The Struggle Must Go On" by Norman Jordan, "Notes From A Guerilla Diary" by Aski Mohammad Toure, "See Her Image In The River" by the Original Last Poets, "Pimp's Last Mack" by Stanley Crouch, "One Thousand Nine Hundred & Sixty Eight Winters" by Jackie Early, "Hip Men" by Amus Moore, and "Holy Days by Larry Neal. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning celebration of one of the greatest pairings in Brazilian music – and in American music as well, given that both Airto Moreira and Flora Purim recorded plenty of these cuts up in our neck of the woods! Airto's percussion is the stuff of legend – a key force in Brazilian recordings in the late 60s, and then equally important in American jazz – in famous recordings with Miles Davis and other artists, and plenty of great records on his own! Flora's vocals are equally crucial – a soaring, fluid approach that forever changed the way that female singers approached jazz – bred in 60s bossa, but instantly something new by the time the 70s came along – especially when Airto was supporting her with great grooves! This huge package brings together material that both artists recorded – often under the name of one or the other, but often with the other artist present on the recording – with a heavy batch of work from the 70s and 80s, but also crucial cuts from other years too! 3CD set features 37 tracks and a really great package – with titles that include "Love Lock", "The Happy People", "Hungry On Arriva", "The Road Is Hard", "Samba De Flora", "O Canto Da Sereia", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Papo Furado", "Xibaba", "Back Streets Of Havana", "Vera Cruz", "Flora's Song", "When Angels Crie", "Celebration Suite", "Casa Forte", "Black Narcissus", "A Secret From The Sea", "O Cantador/I Just Want To Be Here", "Jump", and "Hot Sand". CD

A stunning celebration of one of the greatest pairings in Brazilian music – and in American music as well, given that both Airto Moreira and Flora Purim recorded plenty of these cuts up in our neck of the woods! Airto's percussion is the stuff of legend – a key force in Brazilian recordings in the late 60s, and then equally important in American jazz – in famous recordings with Miles Davis and other artists, and plenty of great records on his own! Flora's vocals are equally crucial – a soaring, fluid approach that forever changed the way that female singers approached jazz – bred in 60s bossa, but instantly something new by the time the 70s came along – especially when Airto was supporting her with great grooves! This huge package brings together material that both artists recorded – often under the name of one or the other, but often with the other artist present on the recording – with a heavy batch of work from the 70s and 80s, but also crucial cuts from other years too! 5LP set features 37 tracks and a really great package – with titles that include "Love Lock", "The Happy People", "Hungry On Arriva", "The Road Is Hard", "Samba De Flora", "O Canto Da Sereia", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Papo Furado", "Xibaba", "Back Streets Of Havana", "Vera Cruz", "Flora's Song", "When Angels Crie", "Celebration Suite", "Casa Forte", "Black Narcissus", "A Secret From The Sea", "O Cantador/I Just Want To Be Here", "Jump", and "Hot Sand". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the Native American theme of the title, the group, and the cover image, the set is mostly a pretty straight mix of soul and rock, mid 70s crossover material with a flanged-out LA kind of appeal. Titles include "Interstate Highway 101", "Blood Sweat & Tears", "Cookin With D'Redbone", "One More Time", "Suzy Girl", "Only You & Rock & Roll", "Moon When Four Eclipse", and "Beautiful Illusions". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from John Prine, Henry Kaiser, Beth Nielsen Chapman, David Ball, Grey DeLisle, Mavis Staples, Ollabelle, Roger McGuinn, Suzy Bogguss, Will Barrow, Ron Sexsmith, and more. CD

From the vaults of Liberty and United Artists, with selections by Jay & The Americans, Bertell Dache, Johnny Maestro, The Belmonts, Patty Duke, Mike Clifford, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Bobby Vee & The Johnny Mann Singers, The Fleetwoods, Patience & Prudence, Johnny Burnette & The Johnny Mann Singers, and Jan & Dean. LP, Vinyl record album

Always-lovely work from Sabrina Malheiros – serving up a sublime blend of Brazilian roots and soulful overtones – a style that's easily made her one of the best artists on the Far Out label over the years! Sabrina's got a family lineage that traces back to Azymuth – and the music here has the similar blend of fusion instrumentation, earthy Brazilian percussion, and soaring American soul that you'll find in the best classics by that group – all with the added special spark that comes from her sweet vocals too! Production and arrangements are by Daniel Venom Maunick, who brings in a slight dose of Incognito soul too – really making for a record that's quite possibly the best we've heard from Sabrina so far – and that's saying a heck of a lot. Titles include "Lirio De Venus", "Bobeira", "Opara", "Candeia", "Fragil", "Can't Hide Love", "Primeira", and "Paranoia". CD

Pure vocal magic – featuring the lovely Flora Purim at the height of her California powers – working in a sublime mix of jazz, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms – a sound that she virtually invented! The group on the set is one of her greatest of the time – with players that include Joe Henderson, George Duke, and Stanley Clarke – coming together with some great Brazilian percussion from husband Airto. The tracks are tight and jazzy – and include "Light As A Feather", "Dr. Jive (parts 1 & 2)", "Butterfly Dreams", "Moon Dreams", and "Dindi". This is the stuff that virtually defined the Brazilian/American groove of the 70s – and it's still light years ahead of any of Flora's many imitators! CD

Pure vocal magic – featuring the lovely Flora Purim at the height of her California powers – working in a sublime mix of jazz, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms – a sound that she virtually invented! The group on the set is one of her greatest of the time – with players that include Joe Henderson, George Duke, and Stanley Clarke – coming together with some great Brazilian percussion from husband Airto. The tracks are tight and jazzy – and include "Light As A Feather", "Dr. Jive (parts 1 & 2)", "Butterfly Dreams", "Moon Dreams", and "Dindi". This is the stuff that virtually defined the Brazilian/American groove of the 70s – and it's still light years ahead of any of Flora's many imitators! LP, Vinyl record album