... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

32 tracks. CD

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are often processed through the electronics – in a way that's a good decade ahead of the curve, but never in a way that never denigrates her strength as a singer! At times, she's screaming like Betty Davis in a funky mode, at others she's getting raw and dirty in a Tom Waits vein, and at others she presages 80s club oddities like Klaus Nomi! Somehow these divergent modes work together, making this one of the most unique and trailblazing albums of Annette's career! Includes the funky break track "Pony", a pretty compelling number, plus "I'm The One", "Been & Gone", "Love Me Tender", "Blood", "One Way", "Gesture Without Plot", "Did You Hear Me Mommy?" and "7 Days". CD

Pretty wild stuff from Annette Peacock – almost a "no wave" record at times, with lots of quirky art rock overtones next to the jazz vocal stylings that are more of her typical bag. The album's got lots of heavy guitars from rockers that include Mick Ronson, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford, and Brian Godding – but it's also got a kind of cool approach to the music that goes for some nice faux-soulful takes on a few tracks, creating funk where we wouldn't expect it – and going for some warmer moments that soften Annette in ways that sound very nice. Our favorites are the cuts "This Feel Within", "Real & Defined Androgens", and "Questions" – and other titles include "Don't Be Cruel", "Dear Bela", and "My Mama Never Taught Me How To Cook". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

Early work from pianist Paul Bley – material that really shows his commitment to the songwriting strengths of the great Annette Peacock! The first two thirds of the set features European material recorded in Rome and Baarn in 1966 – Bley working alongside bassist Mark Levinson and drummer Barry Altschul, both of whom had joined Paul on the groundbreaking Blood album – and who work here in similar territory, but on shorter tracks that are still relatively free and open overall! The tracks represent key recordings of songs that Bley would rework later on – titles that include "Blood", "Touching", "Nothing Ever Was Anyway", "Kid Dynamite", "Mister Joy", "Albert's Love Theme", and "El Cordobes". The last third of the record features material from 1968, recorded in Seattle with a trio that features Gary Peacock on bass and Billy Elgart on drums – revisiting some of the same material, but with a very different vibe – on tracks that include "Mister Joy", "Touching", "Kid Dynamite", "El Cordobes", "Blood", and "Nothing Ever Was Anyway". CD

A great ECM trio date – tracks include "Open, To Love", "Touching", "Albert's Love Theme", "Cartoon", "Blood", and the title track "Nothing Ever Was, Anyway". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great ECM trio date – tracks include "Open, To Love", "Touching", "Albert's Love Theme", "Cartoon", "Blood", and the title track "Nothing Ever Was, Anyway". CD

Pivotal work from piano genius Paul Bley – an important recording done in Rome in the mid 60s, and one of those sessions that really helped Bley reinvent the sound of jazz piano at the time! The record's got this beautiful mix of free improvisation and group structure – a vibe that's very different than territory that Cecil Taylor was starting to explore, even though Bley can be relatively bold on the keys – with this sense of melody that lingers throughout, even on the more percussive passages – which feature superb work from a young Barry Altschul on drums, alongside bass from Mark Levinson, who is a subtle but powerful force in the proceedings! Titles include key tracks penned by Annette Peacock and Carla Bley – "Both", "Albert's Love Theme", "Ida Lupino", and "Touching" – plus a great take on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin". CD

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. CD

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. CD

A third healthy dose of music from the early years of the Jamaican scene – work that's a direct precursor to the trio group soul mode of the rocksteady years, and which provides a great bridge into the way that American soul music went on to have such a strong influence on reggae! The "doo wop" in the title is key here – as these tracks are definitely heavy on harmonies and lighter on instrumentation – very much tied to American expressions of the genre, and delivered by artists who'd both go on to later fame, and disappear in the shifting sands of time. Titles include "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. LP, Vinyl record album

Prime modern work from the great Paul Bley – a pianist who was really expanding his sound at this time – to a level that would soon make him a legend around the globe! The European date is a great chance to hear Bley really opening things up – playing freely, with an amazing command of the keyboard – faster flurries of notes at times than you might hear on his 70s material, but with an equally sensitive ear for space and sound – all balanced by perfect work from Kent Carter on bass and Barry Altschul on drums! There's an instantly haunting quality to the music – which is all unique original material from Bley's scene – titles that include his own compositions Bley's "Pablo" and "Mazatlan", plus Annette Peacock's "Both" and "Cartoon", and Carla Bley's "Start". LP, Vinyl record album

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. CD

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 wild little soundtrack that's equal parts biker and hot rod – a great rocking rarity that really bridges two sub-genres of rockish sounds in the 60s! The set's one of Mike Curb's great soundtracks for AIP – and like some of the others, it features a set of lesser-known talents coming together in a batch of tracks that works equally well as a rock album or a soundtrack! Some cuts have vocals, other feature fuzzy guitars riffing away instrumentally – a bit more surf/hot rod than psych, but still nice and trippy at times – and the lineup features the great "Theme From Thunder Alley" by Band Without A Name –plus "Pete's Orgy" and "Mud Fight" by The Sidewalk Sounds, "Calahan's Theme" by The Lorraine Singers, "When You Get What You Want" by Annette, and "Riot In Thunder Alley" by Eddie Beram – which is an excellent drum and sitar track that is worth the price of the album alone! LP, Vinyl record album

A Baker's dozen from Yoshihide Otomo with Portable Orchestra, Burkhard Stangl, Taku Sugimoto, Mari Furuta, Toshimaru Nakamura, Alessandro Bosetti with Annette Krebs and Sachiko M and Taku Sugimoto, Yoshihide Otomo, Sachiko M, and Annette Krebs. CD

A brilliant batch of funk soul tracks – deep deep tunes from the late 60s and early 70s – all hand-selected by the folks at soul-sides.com! The collection is the sort that trys to go way past the obvious – and although a few tracks are familiar, it does a great job of bringing together the music in a way that makes each track illuminate the next – setting themes, tones, and modes together with a subtle, but effective edge that really pays off. Some of the tracks have been on other reissues before, but compiler Oliver Wang is no stranger to the soul market these days – and he's gone out of his way to make sure the package has a strong payoff for both new listeners and older collectors alike! Titles include "Live & Let Live" by Jimmy Jones, "Morning Sunrise" by Weldon Irvine, "Masterpiece" by Clarence Reid, "Keep My Baby Warm" by Charles May & Annette May Thomas, "Time & Place" by Lee Moses, "No More Sad Songs" by Amanda Ambrose, "Jealous Guy" by Donny Hathaway, "Piece Of My Heart" by Erma Franklin, "Lovin You" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, and "Ordinary Guy" by Joe Bataan. LP, Vinyl record album

Pull on your board shorts, fasten those bikinis, and look out for speeding hot rods – we've got a killer batch of movie surf grooves for you soak up! Summer Beach Baby gathers up some of most sun-soaked, cornball fun tunes from the mid 60s surf days – soundtrack cuts featuring cast members and participating music groups from camp classics like Bikini Beach and Dr Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine – and features standout work by a few rock and garage heroes, to boot! 19 tracks in all: "Beach Party" by Frankie Avalon, "Secret Surfin' Spot", "Surfin' And A-Swingin'" by Dick Dale, "Pajama Party" by Annette, "Ride The Wild Surf" by Jan & Dean, "Bikini Drag" by The Pyramids, "Love's A Secret Weapon" by Donna Loren, "Gotcha Where I Want You" by The Exciters, "Surf Party" by The Astronauts, "Girls On The Beach" by The Beach Boys, "Hot Rod Roadster" by The Rip Chords and more! CD

Incredible work from Paul Bley – and a record that captures him in his excellent electric period, working in a different setting than we've heard him elsewhere! The group on the set is a trio – one that matches Bley's work on electric piano and synthesizer with percussion from Han Bennink and vocals, piano, bass, and additional synthesizer from a young Annette Peacock! Peacock is especially restrained on the record – especially if you only know her later, straighter work – and her contribution here is wonderfully subtle and extremely lovely. Side one features the track "Improvisie", a free improvisation with Bley on electric piano and synthesizer – and tonalities are as "out" as the playing, which is generally quite spacious and dynamic – though hardly quiet. The second side features a Peacock tune titled "Touching" that's a bit more intense – very much in the spirit of the work on the first side, and a unique slice of magic from this one-off session! CD

A never-issued performance from Horace Tapscott and his Pan Afrika Peoples Arkestra – the large ensemble that provided a perfect platform for the bigger ideas he was bringing into his music in the 70s! A record like this marks Tapscott as every bit the spiritual visionary as Charles Tolliver or Sun Ra at the time – as Horace is recording in California with a series of long, extended compositions – showcased beautifully by a lineup that includes Jessee Sharps on soprano sax, Adele Sebastian on flute, Gary Bias and Michael Session on alto, Linda Hill on piano, and both James Andrews and Charles Chandler on tenor saxes – many of them names you'll know from their own great recordings on the Nimbus label a few years later. Kamau Daaood provides a bit of spoken word on the set – and titles include "Ancestral Echoes", "Sketches Of Drunken Mary", "Eteral Egypt Suite", and "Jo Annette". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from vocalist Norma Winstone – a set that really helps bring her talents into sharp focus! Like Karin Krog, Annette Peacock, Sheila Jordan, and other female jazz singers of her generation, Winstone was always pushing the boundaries of her craft – taking a style that began with a simple jazz-based approach, and turning it into a whole new array of sounds and voicings! This landmark album from 1972, one of Winstone's first on her own (although she'd sung to great strength on some of Mike Westbrook's Deram sessions), features the singer moving into territory that has distinct touches of progressive jazz rock, but which also retains a mellow sense of melody – despite an easy temptation to get too overblown. Arrangements are handled by Neil Ardley, John Surman, and John Taylor – and titles include "Song Of Love", "Erebus", "Shadows", "Perkins Landing", and "Edge Of Time". CD

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. CD

Includes music from Dorothy Berry, Annette, Donna Loren, the Blossoms, Erlene & her Girlfriends, and Yvonne Carroll. CD

Female funk galore – and one of the greatest all-girl compilations we've ever heard! The set's a brilliant follow-up to the first Funk Soul Sisters set on BGP – but we've gotta say that we like it even better than the first, and really appreciate the wide range of unusual tunes collected on the set! There's a depth here that goes way past the obvious – a love of bad-rapping funky female soul that digs deeper, and comes up with some key gems that explode cliches and really expand our love of the music. Titles include both rare album and single tracks pulled from a variety of American indies of the late 60s and early 70s – and although many are by familiar artists, they offer up a side of their talents you really wouldn't expect! Titles include "Easily Persuaded" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Family Tree" by Little Rose Little, "Who Told You" by Jackie Moore, "That's How I Feel" by The Sisters Of Righteous, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo, "Love Connection" by Annette Snell, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, "Just A Mistake" by The Ebonettes, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "It's My Thing" by Betty Moorer, "Speed Ticket" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Get On Up & Do It Baby" by Marie Adams, and "Jesse Joe" by Jean Knight. LP, Vinyl record album

Daniel Speer on double bass, Annette Maye on clarinet and bass clarinet, and Myrek Pyschny on drums. CD

Titles include "Ida, I Do", "Undecided Now", "I'm Busy And You Can't Come In", "When The World Is At Rest", "Concentratin' On You", "Hello Bluebird", and "Rebecca Came Back From Mecca". CD