Beautiful sounds from pianist Carla Bley – a musician who just keeps on blowing us away as the decades move on – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given how many years she's been making music! There's a really special quality to this record – a warmth and maybe just a slight touch of humor, but not in the overdone way of some of Carla's records from the 80s – much more subtle, and mixed with occasional currents of darkness – all handled with this understated sense of personality that perfectly showcases all three members of the group – Bley on piano, Steve Swallow on bass, and Andy Sheppard on tenor and soprano saxes. Swallow maybe sounds more wonderful here than we've heard in years – the record is a great reminder of how many great contributions he can make to music – and titles include the longer cycles of songs "Life Goes On", "Copycat", and "Beautiful Telephones (parts 1 to 3)". CD

Carla Bley on piano, Andy Sheppard on soprano & tenor saxophones, Steve Swallow on bass and Billy Drumm on drums. CD

Andy Brown on guitar, Jake Vinsel on bass, and Mike Schlick on drums. CD

Titles include "Original Dixieland One-Step", "Basin Street Blues", "That's A Plenty", "Dese, Dem & Dose", "Sugar Blues", "Milenberg Joys", "Careless Love", and more – 15 tracks total. CD

Andy Desmond wasn't the biggest name in pop during the mid 70s – but he's a singer/songwriter with a quality here that can compete with some of the best of his generation – a way of putting over a subtle tune with just the right of compressed production elements, almost in the territory of Gerry Rafferty at times, but often with a more personal vibe too. Titles include "Each & Every Day", "Canada", "Captain Of The Crew", "Schooldays Are Over", "Another Town Another Saturday Night", and "Just Another Song In The Moonlight". CD

An obscure solo set from Andy Desmond – once a member of Gothic Horizon, but clearly an artist ready to break out on his own – given the sound and scope of the record! The set mixes acoustic elements with some larger arrangements handled by John Gosling, who also co-produced the set with Dave Davies – who also plays some guitar on the record too – bringing in some of the more subtle charms of his own solo work. Desmond's got a very particular style – one that almost feels as if it's reaching for some bigger crossover world, but which in this setting is much more down to earth, so that his charms are never too overwhelmed. Maybe the vibe is a bit like early Gerry Rafferty solo work, before the AOR hits – but you can be the judge, on titles that include "She Can Move Mountains", "In your Life", "Why Not Write Me A Letter", "Annie", "So It Goes", and "Beware". CD

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David Grisman and Andy Statman on mandolin. CD

Andy LaVerne on piano, Rick Margitza on tenor and soprano saxophone, Marc Johnson on bass, and Danny Gottlieb on drums. CD

An unreleased 70s session from keyboardist Andy LaVerne – and a set that features a mighty hip assemblage of musicians! Stan Getz is on two of the album's tracks – soaring out in a way that's maybe more in his Captain Marvel mode, than some of his straighter work that was emerging at the time – a quality that possibly comes from the group's great work from guitarist John Abercrombie, who's got a really explosive variation of his usual chromatic style – served up here on both acoustic and electric guitars, and electric mandolin too. Bass is from Eddie Gomez and drums are from Billy Hart – save for two tracks that also include additional bass from Jon Burr and additional drums from Victor Jones – and LaVerne himself plays acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and minimoog – on titles that include "Come To Me", "Cappaqua", "Hymn For Her", "Get Back To Me", "Metropolis", "Dreamboat", and "Empty Shells". CD

A spot-on set from pianist Andy Laverne – all original material, penned by Andy himself, and underscored here by some excellent work on tenor sax from Ben Solomon! Solomon's got a richness to his tone that's great – a slightly dark edge that seems to bring out the same in Laverne's piano – as the pair work with tight rhythm accompaniment from Jason Tiemann on drums and Mike Richmond on bass – a pair who use a light touch, but in a very effective way – often gently swinging, but letting the piano and tenor really set the tone! Titles include "Corean", "Solace", "Bassline", "Tune For Tyner", "Flipside", and "Wistful Thinking". CD

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Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even more progressive work with a group like this! The players are all youthful geniuses who would go onto shape the sound of 70s jazz tremendously – working here at a point that already shows their brilliance – Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, and even Andy Bey, who sings vocals on the title track. The overall style is very similar to Bartz's early albums on Milestone, or to some of the Music Inc records on Strata East, which feature Cowell and Tolliver. It's no surprise that Cowell contributed 3 tracks to the set – "Effi", "Equipoise", and "Abstrutions" – and the group also performs a great version of Bartz's "Libra"! LP, Vinyl record album

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An unreleased album of sorts from roots reggae great Patrick Andy – tracks that were initially culled together by producer Yabby You in the late 70s, and which include a few never-issued tunes by Andy, plus rare stereo mixes of some other tunes too! If you know the famous title single that gives the album its name, you'll know the righteous vibe of everything else within – as Patrick's vocals have this quality that's very personal and very moving, as he works with bad-stepping rhythms that are great for his vocal versions, and the dubs that follow up most of the tracks. Titles include the unreleased tracks "Call On Jah", "Got To Give Some Help", and "Give Thanks" – plus a stereo mix of "Living In Mount Zion", and the cuts "You Don't Want Me (unreleased mix)", "Youths Of Today", and "Love Of A Woman Dub (unreleased mix)" – plus five more dub tracks too. LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of short keyboard tracks from Andy Clarke – including some cool "Moog Effect" cuts that are only a few seconds long! LP, Vinyl record album

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Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even more progressive work with a group like this! The players are all youthful geniuses who would go onto shape the sound of 70s jazz tremendously – working here at a point that already shows their brilliance – Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, and even Andy Bey, who sings vocals on the title track. The overall style is very similar to Bartz's early albums on Milestone, or to some of the Music Inc records on Strata East, which feature Cowell and Tolliver. It's no surprise that Cowell contributed 3 tracks to the set – "Effi", "Equipoise", and "Abstrutions" – and the group also performs a great version of Bartz's "Libra"! LP, Vinyl record album

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With Frank Collett on piano, Andy Simpkins on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Marcus Wyatt, Bheki Mseleku, the Sheer Allstars, McCoy Mrubata, Moses Khumalo, Zim Ngqawana, Andy Narell, and Hotep Idris Galeta. CD

A very cool little set – maybe not the deepest dive into the decade of the 70s, in that the package isn't full of unissued tracks or super-rare singles – but it does represent a great look at the decade that goes way past the hits, and much farther than the charts – including the sort of material that was slightly ignored at the time, but has gone on to be really appreciated in more recent years! The book-style set is filled with great choices and unusual tunes – work from both the US and UK scenes, some of it by bigger names represented here by more unusual cuts – some by others who barely cracked the mainstream, but did some great work at the time. There's one full CD of female artists, and a pretty unusual mix of titles – 71 titles in all, by artists who include Murray Head, The Records, Ronnie Lane, Terry Reid, Sandy Denny, Wendy Waldman, Freddie King, Montrose, Tim Buckley, Don Nix, Jerry Williams, Big Star, Tony Joe White, Delaney & Bonnie, John Prine, Michael Franks, Bobby Charles, Andy Pratt, Hirth Martinez, Robert Palmer, Jess Roden, Roy Harper, Patto, Sharks, The Roches, Linda Lewis Valerie Carter, and many others! CD

A fantastic introduction to the world of power pop – that tight, fast, catchy style of music that came about at the same time as punk – and which flourished for a few short years as a more tuneful take on the sound of the underground! Some of the artists here hit big in the years before, others were later smothered in the world of 80s chart hits and music videos – but for a brief, wonderful time, the record racks exploded with great singles and album tracks like these – tunes that almost were a back-to-basics approach after the era of AOR and classic rock, but without some of the sneering attitudes of punk. Most of the artists here are American, and there's a few gems here from the early 70s – key tracks that point the way towards the golden era – all captured beautifully by Ace/Big Beat with their usual detailed notes and history on the music. Titles include "Let Go" by Dirty Looks, "Come On Let's Go" by The Paley Brothers with The Ramones, "Baby It's You" by The Boys, "Nothing Comes Close" by Bill Lloyd, "Better Than Anyone Else" by The Toms, "Nuclear Boy" by 20/20, "Rock & Roll Is Dead" by The Rubinos, "One World" by Utopia, "Andy Please" by Van Duren & The Jody Stephens, "The Trains" by Nashville Ramblers, "Shake Some Action (first version)" by The Flamin Groovies, "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "I Need That Record" by The Tweeds, "Looking For The Magic" by Dwight Twilley Band, "Kerri" by Robert Johnson, "Radio Heart" by The Secrets, and "Teen Line" by The Shivvers. CD

Very cool work from Jean-Luic Aime – ex-member of Univers Zero, working here in a very heady brew of cold wave electronics! The music shifts between spare, almost tuneful numbers that remind us a bit of Minny Pops or Young Marble Giants – and some much more experimental sounds that belie Aime's legacy – done with a homegrown feel that would have been right at home in the darker corners of the early Crammed Disc universe! The album brings together tracks from a few different small-label cassette recordings, with full notes on the music from Andy Votel – and titles include "Prima Linea", "Scorpio", "Coaltar Saponine", "I Can Help You You Know", and "Ultrissima On The J's M". LP, Vinyl record album

Full-on power from drummer Elvin Jones – really opening up here on the kind of super-extended live tracks that he only ever seemed to record overseas! The concert has Jones leading a fantastic group – with twin saxes from Carter Jefferson and Duane Armstrong, bold piano from Fumio Karashima, guitar from Marvin Horne, and bass from Andy McCloud – a lineup that's even more boldly expressive than some of Jones' groups of the late 70s – as they work through many very long tracks that seem to give everyone plenty of individual solo space! The recording quality is great – really on fire, and able to capture both the strong group interplay, and the individual voices – on titles that include "Doll Of The Bridge", "In A Sentimental Mood", "George & Me", "Friday Night", "Antigua", "Elvin Jones Blues", and "My One & Only Love". CD

A weird and wonderful assortment of things from the collection of Andy Warhol – not his own artwork, but a mix of popular culture and special objects that certainly inform his creations! The slight bit of material on the front cover is only the tip of the iceberg – as the huge color volume is filled with things that include stencils, autographs, magazines, stamps, and so much more – all set up into a chapter-by-chapter structure that's based on the alphabet! That last aspect of the book is sometimes a bit of a reach, but it gives us a great way in to this amazing collection of objects that Andy Warhol brought together during his time on the planet – served up in a very heavy hardcover book, full color throughout, 320 pages in all. Book

Allen Lowe on tenor saxophone, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Randy Sanke on trumpet, Ben Goldberg on clarinet & bass clarinet, Andy Shapiro on piano & synthesizer, Jeff Fuller on bass, and Ray Kaczynski on drums. CD

Cool later work from Horace Silver – with some nicely complicated horn parts that remind us of his hip Blue Note projects of the 70s! Features a bit of vocals from Andy Bey – and horn solos from Red Holloway and Eddie Harris! CD

Writer Jon Savage is maybe best known for his work on the early years of punk in England – and here, Savage steps back just a bit – to contextualize the rise of the new music in all sorts of other styles that were bubbling up in the mid 70s! Part of the set is a pathway to punk – especially on some of the glam and power pop cuts that clearly point the way ahead – but there's also a nice mix of hard rock, a bit of prog, and even some catchier numbers that really fit the feel of the package – and show what a wonderful mix of modes was taking place in the mid 70s – a great wake up call to anyone who thinks that things were dead until punk came along! The 2CD package is overflowing with surprises – 44 tracks, with notes from Savage as well – for titles that include "So Far" by Faust, "Hey Joe (version)" by Patti Smith, "Kings Of Speed" by Hawkwind, "Third Uncle" by Brian Eno, "After Eight" by Neu, "Easy To Slip" by Little Feat, "Girl From Germany" by Sparks, "End Unkind" by Grin, "Andy Warhol" by Dana Gillespie, "Yang Yang" by Yoko Ono, "Vicious" by Lou Reed, "She Means A Lot To Me" by Smyle, "When My Baby's Beside Me" by Big Star, "One Of The Boys" by Mott The Hoople, "Max's Kansas City 76 (part 1)" by Wayne County, "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways, "Train Train" by Count Bishops, "I Don't Mind" by Dr Feelgood, "Slow Death" by Flamin Groovies, and "You Really Got Me" by Hammersmith Gorillas. CD

A beautiful little record from this overlooked Windham Hill team – pianist Barbara Higbie and violinist Darrol Anger – working here in an open live setting that really lives up to the best spirit of the label! Both instruments are used in very fresh ways – moving through that new acoustic underground generation into modes that are more open to new phrasing and concepts, yet without any of the colder, quieter styles you'd hear from ECM records of a similar generation. Instead, there's this subtle sense of brightness, but one that's never too cloying or sentimental – as the players work with a quintet that also includes Mike Marshall on mandolin and guitar, Todd Phillips on bass, and Andy Narell on a bit of steel drums. Titles include "Egrets", "Egypt", "Brann St Sonata", "Pumpkin Time", "Duet", "Tideline", "Near Northern", and "Daughter Of Cups". CD

Carla Bley on piano, Wolfgang Puschnig on alto saxophone, Andy Sheppard on tenor saxophone, Steve Swallow on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, Larry Goldings on organ, Gary Valente on trombone, and Lew Soloff on trumpet. CD

Players include Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, Lew Soloff, Gary Valente, Victor Lewis, and Wolfgang Puschnig. CD

Quite possibly David Bowie's first complete moment of genius – an incredibly-formed album that's filled with tunes beyond definition and description! There's still some traces of the earlier madman in the mix, but the overall sound is much more rock-heavy – although not without the fuzzed-up and full-on guitars of Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World – and often augmented with a bit of strings and softer touches that really bring out the humanity in the songs. The balance here is amazing – as is the fact that a few short years before, Bowie was singing "The Laughing Gnome", but is here one of the most sensitive songwriters of his generation. Tunes are quirky and personal, and titles include "Changes", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Andy Warhol", "Life On Mars", "Kooks", and "Queen Bitch". LP, Vinyl record album

A live album with Steve Coleman on alto saxophone, David Murray on tenor saxophone, Andy Milne on keyboards and piano, Reggie Washington on bass, and Gene Lake on drums. CD

Creative sounds from alto saxophonist Steve Coleman – working here with his Five Elements group, at a time that was one of his most productive! The group have an angular sort of swing – a style that certainly grows out of some more exploratory moments in 80s mainstream jazz, yet which here comes across with a warmer, more acoustic feel overall – never nearly as bogged down by some of the too academic moments that could hold back some of their contemporaries, or even Coleman at some earlier moments. Rhythms are stiff, but still nice and warm – thanks to drums from Gene Lake – and in addition to Steve's alto, the group also features piano from Andy Milne, bass from Reggie Washington, and a bit of tenor from Ravi Coltrane. Titles include "Dogon", "Flint", "Veritable Pedagogy", "The Khu", "Pad That", and "Multiplicity Of Approaches". CD

With Andy Milne on paino & keyboards, David Gilmore on guitar and guitar synth, Reggie Washington on electric bass, and Oliver Gene Lake Jr on drums and percussion. CD

Beautiful work from Adegoke Steve Colson – a warmly grooving set cut with vocalist Iqua Colson – possibly one of Steve's straightest records ever, but one of his most soulful, too! Iqua's got a fluid vocal approach that's mighty nice – and the Colson combo swings in a mix of modal moments and soul jazz roots – with work from TK Blue on soprano and alto sax, Andy McCloud on bass, and Reggie Nicholson on drums. Most titles are originals, with a really fresh feel – the kind of hopeful, optimistic spirit of jazz vocals, if you still no where to look – and titles include "Hope For Love", "At The Church Steps", "Picante", "Regina's Lament", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "After Revelation's Ease". CD

The magnificent voice of Chris Connelly serves up a sublime tribute to the work of Nico – a set that's not a reworking of just her key classics, but which also includes a huge amount of original new songs by Chris as well! Connelly put together the double length set after being inspired by the book on Nico, You Are Beautiful & You Are Alone – and the spirit of that well-penned biography really moves throughout the tracks, as Chris balances his own originals with really different takes on the Nico tunes – all at a level that really comes across like some modern day masterpiece that feels like it was years in the making! If you've never heard Connelly sing, you'll be blown away – and the setting of the whole project really seems to have him at his best – in a selection of two dozen songs that include "Ripcord Ripcord", "The Last Mile", "Union Square West", "Eulogy To Lenny Bruce", "I Cannot Care For You", "The Falconer", "The Black Rooms Of Richeleiu", "Reims 12/74", "A Slow Jones In New York", "Running Pure", and "Andy Incidentally". CD