A masterpiece of new music for guitar from the legendary Glenn Branca – a set that both draws on all the minimal experiments on the New York scene of the 70s, and the big wave of underground music at the end of the decade! Branca effortlessly fuses the rock and compositional communities here – working with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and artist Ned Sublette – in a fierce set of tunes that blend four guitars, electric bass, and drums – all with an instrumental frenzy that matches some of the best early jams from Sonic Youth. Branca's approach is less freeform, but has very much the same intensity – and titles include "Lesson No 2", "Structure", "The Ascension", and "Spectacular Commodity". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the freest, most exploratory albums ever recorded by John Coltrane – and a unique session done with an expanded group of some of the most important avant jazz players of his generation! The format here is similar to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz album – in that the music is freely improvised, and spans the entire LP as a non-stop performance – one that has Coltrane in the lead, but which also features alto from Marion Brown and John Tchicai, tenor from Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson – and core rhythms from McCoy Tyner on piano, drums from Elvin Jones, and double basses from Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison. The record set the format for larger improvisatory groups in years to come – but is still one of the best examples of the form! CD features both "editions" of the of the album – making for a double-length set! CD

One of the freest, most exploratory albums ever recorded by John Coltrane – and a unique session done with an expanded group of some of the most important avant jazz players of his generation! The format here is similar to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz album – in that the music is freely improvised, and spans the entire LP as a non-stop performance – one that has Coltrane in the lead, but which also features alto from Marion Brown and John Tchicai, tenor from Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson – and core rhythms from McCoy Tyner on piano, drums from Elvin Jones, and double basses from Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison. The record set the format for larger improvisatory groups in years to come – but is still one of the best examples of the form! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most spiritual music that John Coltrane ever recorded! The package presents the full contents of the albums Om and Ascenscion – the latter of which is presented here in both takes of the long group improvisation – plus the long tracks "Selflessness" and "Kulu Se Mama". CD

Music from The Funky Lowlives, Lacarno & Burns, Sepia, Mark De Clive Lowe, MB, Minimal Boy, Streetlife Originals, Loungechic Productions, Ben Mitchell, Sepia, Columba Carina, and more. CD

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The Harriet Tubman Double Trio consists of Ron Miles on trumpet,Brandon Ross on guitar, Melvin Gibbs on bas, JT Lewis on drums, and DJ Logic and DJ Single on turntables. CD

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Titles include "Qliphoth Chokehold", "Exaltation", "Kheter Ascension", "Father... Our Pain", and "Your Bliss My Joy". CD

A graceful collaboration between the ever-eclectic Elvis Costello and New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – with Elvis's current backing group The Imposters providing a tight rhythmic backdrop that's punctuated by the Crescent City Horns! Toussaint's work as a producer/arranger/ace songwriter needs no introduction, and he and Costello & co. run through many great tracks from Toussaint's songbook in a sometimes mellow soul feel, and sometimes with some light Crescent City funk. Toussaint & Costello co-penned a number of new tracks for the set – mostly with an uplifting gospel soul inflection that's very nice! Tracks include "On Your Way Down", "Nearer To You", "Tears, Tears And More Tears", "The Sharpest Thorn", "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?", "The River In Reverse", "Freedom For The Stallion", "Ascension Day", "All These Things", "Wonder Woman" and more. CD

An amazing little group – one that starts with the ensemble improvisation energy of John Coltrane's Ascension, but then takes off into a whole new electrified direction of its own! Crimetime Orchestra boast a heady rhythm section in the form of Bugge Wesseltoft on keyboards, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on electric bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all players schooled in free jazz ways, but working here with an electrified sort of force – almost a rockish fusion undercurrent, which is mixed beautifully with the complicated horn lines of the other members of the group. Bassist Bjornar Andressen brings in a double-heavy bottom to the record – and other players include Vidar Johansen on tenor, Jon Klette on alto, Djetil Moster on tenor, Oyvind Brakke on trombone, Sjur Miljeteig on trumpet, and Anders Hana on guitar. Bugge recorded the whole thing, with some additional electric effects – and titles include "Rest In Piece" and the seven-part "Live Is A Beautiful Monster" suite. CD

Seminal work from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a half dozen albums recorded for the Black Saint/Soul Note labels, all of which show his depth and diversity – some with Douglas as a leader, some as a key player in other groups! Even at the start, Douglas showed a tremendous ability to step out into new settings and explore new ideas – which he certainly does on the albums in this set – each of which represents a different facet of his abilities, in ways that together make the package one hell of a collection! Albums include Parallel Worlds, which features a quartet with Mark Feldman on violin and Mark Dresser on bass; Force Green, led by bassist Mark Dresser, and featuring very interesting work on voice by Theo Bleckman; Bounce, a record by the John Lindberg Ensemble – led by bassist Lindberg, and also featuring saxes from Larry Ochs, and great drums from Ed Thigpen; Rova's 1995 recording of John Coltrane's Ascension, with three tenor saxes, two altos, two trumpets, two bassists, piano, and drums; Convergence, which features a group with Fedman on violin and Erik Friedlander on cello; and Dave Douglas Five, which has a quintet with Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Drew Dress on bass, and Michael Sarin on drums. 6 albums in all – all in tiny LP-styled sleeves. CD

An excellent bit of modern soul – a smooth seductive album that fits perfectly with an older mellow groove, but which also sparkles with the best recent efforts of the past decade. Maxwell's got a wonderful vocal style – reminding us a bit of classic Isley Brothers, Leon Ware, or O'Jays in a ballad mode – and it sits perfectly amidst warm jazzy arrangements by Musze, filled with all the subtle instrumental touches (keyboards, sax, and guitar) you'd find on a late album by Marvin Gaye, or some of the slow jams by the Isleys. The vibe is warm and acoustic, and the record's a wonderful return to a classic mellow midtempo soul style – and did quite well upon its initial release. Also interesting was the fact that the record was pressed up heavily on vinyl – something that was rare for a mainstream soul album at the time, and which was particularly ubiquitous in our hometown of Chicago, where DJs on the steppers scene were snatching up the record like hotcakes! Includes the titles "Ascension", "Whenever Wherever Whatever", "Lonely's The Only Company (parts 1 & 2)", "Reunion", and "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)" – but the whole thing's great! CD

An incredible swan song from Talk Talk – a group that nobody would have guessed would go in this direction from the early years of their catchy crossover new romantic pop! The sound here is something else entirely – a fully-formed extension of the ideas they'd been exploring on Spirit Of Eden – in these beautiful soundscapes guided by Mark Hollis and the rest of the group – and filled in with work from a range of jazz and string players, including the legendary Brit jazz trumpeter Henry Lowther! There's a sense of denseness and texture that really marks the music – and a lot more warmth than similar 80s projects that might have come from 4AD, Factory, or ZTT – instead almost a "new subtlety" that had a huge influence on so many other groups to come. Tracks include "Myrrhman", "Ascension Day", "After The Flood", "Taphead", "New Grass", and "Runeii". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the principal albums in trip hop's ascension into the mainstream, and the bright, extroverted flipside to Portishead's darker vision of the late 90s scene. Mo Wax honcho James Lavelle's longstanding Unkle project got a massive makeover when DJ Shadow became the prime sonic architect for the Psyence Fiction LP. Shadow throws everything but the kitchen sink into the thing, working with a wide range of vocalists and collaborators from hip hop innovators (Kool G Rap, Mike D) to whiny alternative rockers (Richard Ashcroft, Thom Yorke). With a project as busy as Unkle, the law of subjectivity pretty much dictates that you're gonna love parts, and hate parts – but Shadow was so on top of his game at the time, he somehow manages to hold it all together. It may not be his best ever work, but Psyence Fiction certainly holds up, and it's an essential piece of the puzzle! Tracks include "Main Title Theme", "Guns Blazing", "Blood Stain", "Unreal", "Chaos", "Rabbit In Your Headlights", Lonely Soul", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The title gets it right – as the album's easily the closest thing to free jazz that Ornette Coleman ever recorded – an album-length improvisation played by a "double quartet" that's overflowing with classic players! The style here is a fair bit like John Coltrane's Ascension album for Impulse – and like that one, the session features Ornette and his contemporaries really stretching out – blowing like never heard before on record, and working in a highly unstructured setting! Other players include Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Scott LaFaro on bass – alongside regular group members Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and both Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums. One long track – just titled "Free Jazz"! LP, Vinyl record album

A triumphant return for The Gorillaz – as improbably (impossibly!?) brilliant as ever! Much like the real life post-millennium culture we all inhabit, The Gorillaz exist in a world both virtual and physical – with artist and conceptualist Jamie Hewlett, singer/guiding force Damon Albarn, producer Twilite Tone and others providing a mood and aesthetic framework for an amazing roster of guest singers, rhymers and musicians on this one, who all really contribute a lot – especially to the lyricism and writing. Given the stylistically sprawling guests – both prominently billed and even more further behind the scenes – it's really impressive how well it holds together so cohesively from beginning-to-end. Way more than a cartoony supergroup, but you knew that already! Guests include Peven Everett, Mavis Staples, Danny Brown, Grace Jones, De La Soul and more, with an overall vibe Titles include "Ascension" with Vince Staples, "Strobelight" with Chicago indie soul legend in-the-making Peven Everett (and honestly one of the standout tracks, we're not just saying that out of hometown pride), "Momentz" with De La Soul, "Carnival" with Anthony Hamilton, "Let Me Out" with Mavis Staples & Pusha T, "Charger" with Grace Jones, "Submission" with Danny Brown & Keleta, "We Got The Power (Version 2:18:482) with Jehnny Beth (of Savages) and many more. 2CD deluxe edition includes a bonus CD with extra tracks – including "Halfway To A Halfway House" with Peven Everett, "Ticker Tape" with Carly Simon (!!!) & Kali Uchis and more. CD

A set that might come as no surprise if you love the music of Laraaji, but one that will definitely stun folks who only know Kramer from his early Shockabilly years, or his early days at Shimmy Disc! Yet in recent years, Kramer has become quite a talent in the world of ambient music – and here, he uses all of his studio strengths and instrumental creativity to really make a fresh setting for the cosmic tones and meditative lines of Laraaji – one that maybe has a larger sonic palette overall, and some wider sense of space – all still very much in the longform layers of peace you'd expect from Laraaji, but with a different flavor too. The set is billed as an "Ambient Symphony In 3 Movements" – "Submersion", "Immersion", and "Ascension". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem of spiritual jazz from the South African scene – a group led by pianist Tete Mbambisa, but one that also features some of the best work we've ever heard from legendary reedman Basil Coetzee! The album features four long tracks, all nice and long – modal numbers that really stretch out, and which give Coetzee plenty of space to create these mindblowing solos on tenor and flute – long lines that are full of spirit and soul, and which slide into some great solo work from Mbambisa too! The group also features Monty Weber on drums and Zulu Bidi on bass – and titles include "Wintertime", "Trane Ride", "Past Time", and "Irene" – the last of which features Tete on Fender Rhodes. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly inventive album from pianist Steve Kuhn – one that takes his earlier modern style, and fuses it with a warmer sort mode for the 70s! The approach is quite unique – in that Kuhn's core trio style is augmented both by additional percussion from Airto, plus occasional string quartet backing – for a sound that's fresh and different on each new tune! Some tracks feature Fender Rhodes, but most are acoustic – and Steve even sings a bit at one point, showing his newly discovered talent for penning a creative lyric. Our favorites are the groovers "The Baby (aka Saharan)" and "Time To Go (aka Tomorrow's Son)" – and the album also features a great version of "Pearlie's Swine (aka The Zoo)". Other tracks include "The Drinking Song", "The Meaning Of Love", and "Silver". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that features the legendary multi-instrumentalist Lloyd Miller exploring the Middle East – but one that seems to also open up with some other cultural flavors as well! There's a bit less jazz here than some of Miller's other sets from the time – as instrumentation is very heavy on the sort of global elements that he collected and mastered back home in the US – a mix of percussion, stringed, and reed instruments that are used in wonderfully evocative ways – often upbeat and grooving, but usually free of Western rhythmic constraints! Titles include "Turkey", "Arab World", "Zarb Solo", "Spain", "Shur", "Mahur", and "Amen Avci Vurma Beni". LP, Vinyl record album