Few people could make a session cook like Johnny Griffin in his early years – and this late 50s sextet date is great proof of that fact! The album's a relaxed, open, almost unstructured set that might be dubbed a "blowing session", were it not for the tightness of the players and the relatively unified feel of the date. Griffin's tenor is very firmly in the lead, and he's very clearly the leader here – helping shape the sound of the group that includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's some really hard-wailing extended numbers that come across as full-on hardbop workouts – really driving things along as you might guess with a rhythm section like that in action – but other tunes show some more fully-fleshed sounds from the group – that slight undercurrent of modern expression that was always present in Griff's music. Titles include "Johnny GG", "Catharsis", "Stix Trix", and "What's New" – plus a take on "Woody N You" that just has Griffin wailing along with the rhythm section! CD

An excellent 2LP set that features material pulled from a number of Griffin's early albums for the Jazzland/Riverside label – including The Little Giant, The Kerry Dancers, Way Out, and The Johnny Griffin Sextet. The material is played by a number of groups – with musicians that include Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, Kenny Drew, Wibur Ware, Blue Mitchell, Julian Priester, Barry Harris, and Sam Jones – but it's united by Griffin's souful approach to bop, and by a youthful energy that made him one of the most striking tenor soloists of his generation, despite a young age. Titles include "Catharsis", "Hot Sausage", "The Message", "Playmates", "63rd Street Theme", "The Kerry Dancers", and "Little John". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of punk rock as a bonafide genre, and not only that, a record that changed the rules – stripping rock and roll back down raw essentials – and unwittingly appearing as one of the greatest rock albums ever made. Given the stripped, buzzing simplicity, it's impossible to describe this record without sounding like a blow hard, but you really can't overstate what these four goony guys from Queens accomplished. 30-odd years of the most visceral pop music concentrated into 2 minute, 3 chord blasts of beautiful sonic catharsis – and they could barely even play! It's astonishing. Thanks boys! Tracks include "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna Around With You", "Loudmouth", and "Today Your Love Tomorrow The World". LP, Vinyl record album

As great of a rock & roll album as there's ever been! It's impossible to describe this record without sounding like a blow hard, but you really can't overstate what these four goony guys from Queens accomplished. 30-odd years of the most visceral pop music concentrated into 2 minute, 3 chord blasts of beautiful sonic catharsis – and they could barely even play. Thanks boys. Tracks include "Blitzkreig Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna Around With You", "Loudmouth", and "Today Your Love", Tomorrow The World". 8 bonus tracks include original demo versions of many of the album tracks – plus never officially released outtakes from the sessions including "I Can't Be" and "I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed". CD

As great of a rock & roll album as there's ever been! It's impossible to describe this record without sounding like a blow hard, but you really can't overstate what these four goony guys from Queens accomplished. 30-odd years of the most visceral pop music concentrated into 2 minute, 3 chord blasts of beautiful sonic catharsis – and they could barely even play. Thanks boys! Tracks include "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna Around With You", "Loudmouth", and "Today Your Love Tomorrow The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff from No Wave legends DNA – 32 tracks from long out of print singles, EPs and live recordings – many on CD for the first time ever! DNA was one of the most uproarious acts in that increasingly legendary NYC scene – featuring Arto Lindsay's scratchy guitar and haggard banshee wail of a lead vocal presence, those primitive Bowery funk keyboards by Robin Krutchfield, and thumping, metronomic bass and drums by Tim Wright and Ikue Mori. The band's songs rarely marched past the 2 1/2 minute mark or so, getting in-and-out for a quick catharsis. These tracks trace the range of the under-recorded group perfectly, from the raw punk squall of the early singles to the funkier, sinister post disco sound later on. Amazing, awe inspiring stuff from a scene that keeps on belching greatness! Great notes and photos, here too! Includes "You & You", "Egomaniac's Kiss", "Not Moving", "Size", "New Fast", "New New", "Young Teenagers Talk Sex", "Police Chase", "Cop Buys A Donut", "Nearing", "Low", "Brand New", "Horse", "Forgery", "A New Low" and tons more! CD

Jimmy Webb's third and final album for Reprise – and a set that's got an even more personal, intimate feel than the first two! Most of the tracks here almost have an "artist at home" sort of quality – as if they were recorded in Jimmy's living room while trying out a few tunes on the piano, with a few friends to help him out. The songs overall are almost a bit bolder this way – not in the arrangements, but in the forcefulness of Webb's persona in this setting – and in the heavy use of piano lines on the best tracks. A few cuts have strongly pronounced country themes, and titles include a remake of "Galveston", his version of "Love Hurts", and the tracks "Song Seller", "When Can Brown Begin", "Piano", "Catharsis", "Once In The Morning", and "Hurt Me Well". LP, Vinyl record album