Nothing halting about this killer cut – a fuzzy, funky number that has lots of tripped-out guitar over heavy drums – and some phase-shifting chromatic element in the mix that may be processed vibes, or something far more mysterious! "Euler Spiral" is equally heady, but a very different number – a slow, spacey groove that takes its funk very slow – almost like some of the cool Johnny Harris instrumentals from years back! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pair of Thollem collaborations – back to back on a single CD! First up is a beautiful duet with Susan Alcorn – with a fantastic sound that has Alcorn's groundbreaking work on pedal steel mixing with the well-crafted electronics of Thollem – lines that really seem to find the right resonance with the steel strings, then expand the sound out in ways that are completely unexpected! Alcorn's become one of the most compelling improvisers in recent years – and this set is a good illustration of her growing talents. The other half features Thollem working with drummer Alex Cline – on a set that mostly seems to have Thollem using acoustic piano, but in ways that are very unusual – at times almost with a Charlemagne Palestine sense of minimalism! CD

With Matt Lux on bass and Avreeayl Ra on drums. CD

Titles include "Lauren Z", "Carnival", "Burgundy", "Nose Dive", and "Gator Bait". CD

Tony Dagradi on tenor and soprano saxophone, Steve Masakowski on guitar, David Torkanowsky on piano and organ, James Singleton on bass, and John Vidacovich on drums, percussion and vocals. CD

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". CD

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take hearing more than a few seconds of the opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and it's sequenced as a cycle: part one (In The Beginning) on side 1 and part two (Afterwards) on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and the record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders! The vibe here is much more jazz-based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using the former in long-spiralling lines that have a beautifully meditative quality, and which give the album a real Strata East-like sound. Mtume and Sonny Morgan play percussion, Cecil McBee plays bass, and the real star of the album may well be George Barron – who turns in some beautiful Sonny Fortune-like work on tenor and soprano sax! Titles include "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", "Rejuvenation", "Astral Traveling", "I Mani", "Aspirations", and "In Search Of Truth". The CD includes alternate takes of "Astral Traveling", "Rejuvenation", "Imani", and "In Search Of Truth". CD

One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and the record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders! The vibe here is much more jazz-based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using the former in long-spiralling lines that have a beautifully meditative quality, and which give the album a real Strata East-like sound. Mtume and Sonny Morgan play percussion, Cecil McBee plays bass, and the real star of the album may well be George Barron – who turns in some beautiful Sonny Fortune-like work on tenor and soprano sax! Titles include "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", "Rejuvenation", "Astral Traveling", "I Mani", "Aspirations", and "In Search Of Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and the record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders! The vibe here is much more jazz-based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using the former in long-spiralling lines that have a beautifully meditative quality, and which give the album a real Strata East-like sound. Mtume and Sonny Morgan play percussion, Cecil McBee plays bass, and the real star of the album may well be George Barron – who turns in some beautiful Sonny Fortune-like work on tenor and soprano sax! Titles include "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", "Rejuvenation", "Astral Traveling", "I Mani", "Aspirations", and "In Search Of Truth". CD includes alternate takes of "Astral Traveling", "Rejuvenation", "Imani", and "In Search Of Truth". CD

Tremendous live work from avant piano legend Cecil Taylor and always-creative drummer Tony Oxley – a duo who recorded most famously for FMP at the end of the 80s, but who also turned in some great live performances over the following decades! This set is definitely one of those – captured at a time when Taylor was not making many forays into the studio, but still very much at the top of his game in the sort of long form improvisational setting that defined his 70s material – especially when in the company of a player as great as Oxley! There's a balance here between percussive attacks and gentler flows on both instruments – spontaneous creativity in action from both musicians, on the very long titles "Power Of Two" and "Being Astral & All Registers". CD

Space seemed to be a logical direction for Lenny White to go – since his high-powered fusion drumming style is enough to power him right out of the galaxy! This album's a hard heavy batch of funky fusion tunes – with lots of hard drums by Lenny, and spacey spacey keyboards by the great Don Blackman! Patrick Gleeson had a hand in some of the synthesizer work, and he gives the album a similar astral sound to the work he did on the Mercury label at the same time. There's a lot of guitars in the lead, but they sound pretty nice next to Lenny's heavy drums – and titles include "Heavy Metal Monster", "Assault", "Climax", "Universal Love", "The Great Pyramid", and "Remembering". LP, Vinyl record album

Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't take more than a few seconds of opening title track, with Morrison's rawly passionate voice and spiritually yearning lyrics, to know this is a pretty remarkable creative leap from pop leaning sound of "Brown Eyed Girl" and other preceding efforts – , and it gets even more far out from there both lyrically and instrumentally! It's almost folk jazz, arrangements wise, with flute and largely acoustic instrumentation, a really spontaneous feel to the sessions, and always hypnotic, seemingly stream of consciousness vocals by Van. As loose and spacious as the sound is, the emotional resonance is pretty heavy, and sequenced as a cycle: part one In The Beginning on side 1 and part two Afterwards on side 2. A stunner! Titles include "Astral Weeks", "Beside You", "Cyprus Avenue", "Sweet Thing", "Slim Slow Slider", and "Madame George", plus four bonus tracks! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the title, as (thankfully) this isn't one of those records that ties itself to the dark days of 2020 – and instead, rejoice at the combination of sounds that come from the reed work of Aaron Leaney and the drums and percussion of Guy Thouin – who, we think, may well be making his studio recorded debut here, even though he's 83 years old! The tracks are short, and have a very earthy, organic quality – one that makes full use of the range of instruments on the set, which include Thouin's work on a variety of drums, gongs, and percussion instruments – and Leaney's bolder solos on tenor and alto, mixed with flutes, bells, and mbira. With that instrumental lineup, there's a nicely spiritual vibe to the record at times – on titles that include "Zumba", "Curfew", "Thembi Thouin", "Pontential", "Inward", "Bhariav", and "Turtle Island". LP, Vinyl record album

A Chicago group with a really great approach to improvisation – long tracks that seem to build out of a slow pulses of energy between the players – finding their "groove" at the start, letting things flow, then really adding a lot of their own voices to the mix! The main trio features Charlie Kirchen on bass, which is really the core of the sound – plus Ryan Packard on drums and a bit of electronics, and Paul Giallorenzo on electronics, keyboards, and pump organ – the last of which sounds as cool as you might imagine – and which really unlocks the sonic possibilities of the project! The great Ben Lamar Gay appears on side b, the long track "The End" – and his work on cornet really adds a lot of spirit and soul to the cut – a nice break from the others in a really great way. But side a is great too – and features the long improvisation "The Beginning". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that really comes on with a hell of a lot of power – tight, fast drums from Gerald Cleaver – matched with fuzzy, chromatic work on guitar from Brandon Seabrook – all punctuated with work from Cooper Moore on the diddley bow! The drums and guitar are the driving engine of the record, though – and really come on with a full, pulsating sort of vibe – very kinetic in energy, and served up on a range of shorter tracks that maintain a stronger fire than if the trio were working in longer improvisations. Titles include "Dank Esseintes", "Along Comes Diddley", "Absurdities IN Bondage", "Essential Exultations", "Flexing Fetid & Fecund", and "Dark Bogs". CD

One of the most unusual settings we've ever heard for the always-sharp saxophone work of John Butcher – a set that features lots of moogy moments from Pat Thomas, who uses both a theremini and electronics – alongside much more organic sounds on percussion from Stale Liavik Solberg! Butcher's always had this incredible ear for tones and unusual phrasings, but the trio here really brings out that quality even more than before – so much so, it's almost difficult to tell who's handling what elements at times – which is quite a testament to all three improvisers! Titles include "Dust", "Solution", "Threads", "Keys", "The Effort & A Smile", and "Heartaches". CD

You might know pianist Ra Washington from his work in Mourning A BLKstar or Vernacular, and he's even more powerful and righteous here in a collaboration with bassist Jah Nada – as the pair head up a collective that delivers music that's full of music and message throughout! There's a brooding intensity to the music that's amazing – very deep currents that certainly echo the basslines, but then resonate out even more strongly with a larger sonic palette that seems to draw everything together – from a mix of guitar, percussion, trumpet, reeds, and keyboards too – all elements used sparely, but with fantastic energy – spacing things out, moving them up, and setting the free to soar to the heavens on titles that include "Wrath Of Dawn", "My Father The Butcher", "Planting Seeds", "When The Angels Sing", "Hands", "Call To Prayer", and "Bobbi Lynn". LP, Vinyl record album

A solo set from Jordan Martins, but one with a fair bit of layered sounds – a mix of pedal steel, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and percussion – used together in ways that create a very rich sonic palette overall! Even moments with just a solo instrument still have a strongly resonant vibe – sounds that wash out to the edges in wider waves of color and tone – building slowly, but strongly – often with a very cyclical nature! Titles include "Thumper", "Budlong Dirge", "Incantation", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", and "C6 Daydreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from three great improvisers – two of whom we've known and loved for years, one of whom we're just beginning to discover! The trio features Ken Vandermark on tenor and clarinet, Joe McPhee on soprano sax and pocket trumpet, and Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar – the last of which is an instrument that's used in very different, very unconventional ways – more like a subtle sonic element, but still with some musical qualities – which then seems to create the same sort of balance in McPhee and Vandermark, both of whom are more fragile, more sensitive here than we've heard them in years! There's still a few more fully-blown passages, but the real beauty of the record lies in the more subtle sonic interplay, which is magical throughout. Titles include "Invitation To A Dream", "The Eyes Of Memory", "Rise & Rise", "Every Season Has Its Reason", and "I Am Because You Are". CD

Three really fantastic musicians – working together to turn out one the best records we've ever heard from any of them in years! Make no mistake, we love these guys in all sorts of other settings – but here, there's something really special, and definitely a cut above – this warm sense of spontaneous creation that almost seems to call up an image of the musicians as they work together – Mike Reed on drums, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Nicole Mitchell on flutes and electronics! There's a magic here that really represents the Chicago scene at its finest – the kind of sympathetic, respectful collaboration in which already-strong artists move each other forward together – a magic we hope you'll share on titles that include "AF", "Reflections", "No Side Effects", "JJ", "Soprano Song", "In Response To", and "Blessed". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful record from Rob Mazurek – and one of his most different recordings in years! The set's a quartet date, recorded live – and has especially strong input from Kris Davis, who plays both piano and prepared piano – using the acoustic instrument to inflect the music of Mazurek in a really different way! Also great is bassist Ingegbrigt Haker Flaten – always a great presence, but maybe more conventionally swinging at times here than usual, if that's possible. Although the bass may well be driven strongly by the drums of Chad Taylor – a longtime partner of Rob's, but also really showing the growth he's experienced since their more frequent projects from ten to twenty years back. Mazurek himself is almost understated, but in a way that lets the whole group work strongly as a whole – and Rob plays piccolo, trumpet, and modular synth! CD

Three giants of the Chicago improvised scene, coming together here in an album that recalls the best early recordings from the AACM! There's this open, collaborative spirit going on here – music that moves between structure and freedom, and which stands as a testament to the instant rapport between all three players – trumpet from Wadada Leo Smith, reeds from Douglas Ewart, and drums and percussion from Mike Reed – the last of whom often seems to let his elders set the tone, then find a way to make his own special contributions – at that level that continues to make Reed such a vital part of any group he engages with. Had Delmark issued this album in 1971, it would have gone on to become a classic – but it's an even greater feather in the cap of Astral Spirits – who do a great job here with presentation. Titles include "Super Moon Rising", "Unknown Forces", "Dark Tango", "Constellations & Conjunctional Spaces", and "Sun Beans Of Shimmering Light" LP, Vinyl record album

Three giants of the Chicago improvised scene, coming together here in an album that recalls the best early recordings from the AACM! There's this open, collaborative spirit going on here – music that moves between structure and freedom, and which stands as a testament to the instant rapport between all three players – trumpet from Wadada Leo Smith, reeds from Douglas Ewart, and drums and percussion from Mike Reed – the last of whom often seems to let his elders set the tone, then find a way to make his own special contributions – at that level that continues to make Reed such a vital part of any group he engages with. Had Delmark issued this album in 1971, it would have gone on to become a classic – but it's an even greater feather in the cap of Astral Spirits – who do a great job here with presentation. Titles include "Super Moon Rising", "Unknown Forces", "Dark Tango", "Constellations & Conjunctional Spaces", and "Sun Beans Of Shimmering Light" CD

Luke Stewart is the bassist and the composer here – but the quintet is a powerhouse at every level – with reed work from Ken Vandermark and Ed Wilkerson, piano from Jim Baker, and drums from Avreeayl Ra – a lineup who do tremendous things with Luke's music! The tracks are all long, and build beautifully in a mixture of core ideas and individual improvisations – with a quality that almost evokes Wilkerson's important work in 8 Bold Souls, but an execution that's more flowingly spiritual overall – a richness in Stewart's music that brings out very different qualities in both Ed and Ken. The whole thing's great – the kind of record that will really establish Stewart as a musician to listen for in years to come – and titles include "The Scene", "Harp & Concrete Silhouette", "Awakening The Masters", and "Brown & Gray". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool take on two holiday tunes from Vince Guaraldi – both of them done in very unusual versions! "Christmas Time Is Here" has lots of offbeat steel guitar, plus other instrumentation that shades in the edges and gives the whole thing a nicely moody, blue-tinged sort of vibe! "Skating" has lots more guitar and a nice sort of echo – cascading lines than are almost in a Les Paul sound, but with moody inflections and more pedal steel! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic step in the continuing evolution of the "Chicago Underground" project of trumpeter Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor – soaring out here in a set that's full of spiritual energy and a level of imagination that even surpasses their classic recordings from years ago! Mazurek blows piccolo trumpet, but also adds in some electronics – and Taylor is mindblowing on drums, playing with a style that's open, but always gently swinging – and matched with some synth bass from Josh Johnson, who also plays organ and piano on the set. The mighty guitarist Jeff Parker is the last member of the group – and like Mazurek, he's really come a long way in the past decade, and the quartet work together here at a level that has us falling in love with the Chicago Underground all over again. Moody at times, but never too loose – and titles include "Orgasm", "Good Days", "Batida", "All The Bells", "Unique Spiral", "Lome", "Westview", and "Strange Wing". CD

There's definitely a sense of concentric orbits taking place here – these long-spun lines that have a nicely cyclical quality – not always as straight in terms of rhythms, but with a pulsating energy that really has both players in constellation with each other! Rob Clearfield plays piano and Quin Kirchner plays percussion – and although the music goes a bit outside at points, the tracks still have this nicely structured sensibility – blocks of sound from both players, pushing past conventional rhythmic modes, yet still finding a way to groove! The album features two side-long tracks – "Orbit 1" and "Orbit 2". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully weird combination of sounds – one that might almost be called psychedelic jazz at times, yet which also has a more freewheeling quality as well! Brent Cordero plays a very cool combo organ next to piano and synth on the record – in a core trio that features Ryan Sawyer on drums and Peter Kerlin on a variety of basses – which are then augmented by differing contributions from track to track, shaping the color palette of the record in a wonderful way! Players include Daniel Carter on alto and flute, James Brandon Lewis on tenor, Jessica Pavone on viola, Aaron Siegel on vibes, and Adam Amram on congas – each making great contributions to the record – on ttles that include "Movement To Protect The People", "Decolonize This Place", "White Supremacy In Black Face", "Pyrrhic", "Between The Carrot & The Stick", and "Affordable For Who". LP, Vinyl record album

A group that's co-led by guitarists Brent Fuscaldo and Przemyslaw Krys Drazek – the former of whom also sings, while the latter adds trumpet to the mix! The record has the layered feel and mix of acoustic and electric instruments that we love from the Astral Spirits label – and in addition to work from the core duo, the set features contributions from Joshua Abrams on bass, Hamid Drake on percussion, Tatsu Aoki on bass and shamisen, and Thymme Jones on drums, piano, melodica, and walkie talkie! These other elements are often used in ways that are as subtle as the performance of the leaders – gently filtering into each other to create soundscapes that build with a subtle sort of power and a nice undercurrent of spirituality. Titles include "The Coyote Messenger", "Weaving Tongues", and "Blossoming". LP, Vinyl record album

A group here that features some key members from the American avant scene, but whose standout member might well be pianist Oscar Jan Hoogland – who contributed two originals to the set, and whose work on the keys seems to really direct the energy of this session that features fresh interpretations of tunes by Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk! The setting is quite a different one for saxophonist Keefe Jackson, but he's superb throughout – blowing tenor and sopranino sax at a level that has all the angular tones and inventive spirit that players like Steve Lacy or Charlie Rouse brought to their work in the Monk generation – but with all the freer qualities that live up to Keefe's legacy too! The rest of the group is great too – Joshua Abrams reminding us what a swinging bassist he can be, and Mikel Patrick Avery on drums – really punctuating the tunes nicely, on selections that include "Bemsha Swing", "The Happenings", "Epistrophy", and "Gotta Get Some Sleep – plus Hoogland originals "Wimpel" and "Aanhanguis". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length set that showcases the ever-growing, ever-evolving talents of drummer Quin Kirchner – working here in a variety of settings with help from some other great talents on the Chicago scene! Most of these tunes have a core sense of structure – and even when Quin is improvising more freely, he still finds a way to swing – working here on conventional drums, other percussion instruments, and even a bit of kalimba too – alongside a mix of players that includes Nick Broste on trombone, Nate Lepine on tenor and flute, Nick Mazzarella on alto, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Greg Ward on alto, Rob Clearfield on piano, and Matt Ulery on bass. Many numbers have a spacious, ambitious vibe – almost spiritual jazz, of a quality that really has us respecting Kirchner more than ever – and the double space of the album is really needed to allow this majestic message the room to unfold properly. Titles include "Ecliptics", "King Korn", "Jupiter Moon", "Horizons", "At This Point In Time", "Bata Chop", "Pathways", "Star Cluster", and "Moon Vision". CD

Really beautiful sounds from this great little group – an ensemble who definitely seem to evoke some of the organic qualities of the forest, while also moving between melodic moments and freer, almost windblown levels of sonic expression! At the core is the amazing Chad Taylor on drums – whose looseness and open ear are perfect for the proceedings – led by David Lord on a variety of guitars, and colored strongly by the work of Christine Tavolacci on flutes, David Tranchina on bass, and Nathan Hubbard on vibes, marimba, and percussion! The guitar mixes with other instruments in a really great way, unlocking marvelous colors throughout – on titles that include "Trees Yield Tomte", "All Orange Aleuria", "Nectria", "Wood Nymph", "Green Cap", and "Infant Elm". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare French album of funky fusion from drummer Daniel Bechet – dedicated to his father, the famous saxophonist Sidney Bechet – yet served up in a style that's nothing at all like the elder's musical legacy! Instead, Daniel works here in a warm blend of guitars and keyboards, especially the latter – as the set rolls along with a warm soulful vibe throughout, so that even the drums, while grooving, are wrapped up strongly as part of the overall sound! There's almost a Steely Dan level of perfection to the record – recalling the sound of the Hoops McCann project in the 80s – and titles include "Sweet Stuff", "Night Clouds", "Brother Jacques", "Saturday Night Flavour", "Don't Be Shy", "Astral Dance", and "Jacqueline's Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

"I rap with the Passion of Christ, Ni**a, cross me!" BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit affected by some of the criticism folks had for the spacious, astral Electric Circus LP – if you ask us Common had no reason to apologize, but we'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for another batch of tracks that sound like they could have been written on a front porch on the southside of Chicago. This is indeed that record – 12 tracks, few guest appearances, and a warm, consistent sound all the way through. There's a 3 track span on this album, from "Chi-City" through "Real People", that's seriously close to perfection. Welcome home, Common! Ruggedly produced by Kanye West, with a couple of stellar production contributions from Jay Dee! Other tracks include "The Corner" feat Last Poets, "Go!", "Faithful", "Testify", "Love Is. . .", "The Food (live)" (this great track has been circulating for a while since it was performed on Chappelle's Show, and we're thrilled Common and Kanye had the good sense to include it on the album), "They Say" featuring John Legend and "It's Your World (Part 1 &2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's a really beautiful showcase for the reed work of Sam Gendel – as he plays here alongside guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento, who really seems to unlock a different side in Sam's music! The album's got a lean vibe – very similar to some of Fabiano's other records, which we love – and Gendel blows soprano sax, but in this gentle way that's almost flute-like – skipping and lilting around the acoustic guitar at the core, as the pair play without any other backing at all! The record is another feather in Fabiano's cap, and has us really appreciating Gendel more than before – thanks to titles that include "Astral Flowers", "Ate De Manha", "Poeira", "Tupi", "Daiana", "Foi Boto", and "Capricho". CD

An album that's a really beautiful showcase for the reed work of Sam Gendel – as he plays here alongside guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento, who really seems to unlock a different side in Sam's music! The album's got a lean vibe – very similar to some of Fabiano's other records, which we love – and Gendel blows soprano sax, but in this gentle way that's almost flute-like – skipping and lilting around the acoustic guitar at the core, as the pair play without any other backing at all! The record is another feather in Fabiano's cap, and has us really appreciating Gendel more than before – thanks to titles that include "Astral Flowers", "Ate De Manha", "Poeira", "Tupi", "Daiana", "Foi Boto", and "Capricho". LP, Vinyl record album

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". LP, Vinyl record album

Valerie June's been bubbling under for almost a decade – recording work with other artists, doing a variety of projects, and finally getting her chance to shine in the spotlight with her previous debut – yet it may well be this well-crafted second album that finally puts the singer over the top! Valerie's completely her own woman here – not beholden to any sort of easy tags or cliches – including the "rootsy soul" or "folksy diva" tags that we heard batted around before – and instead, almost inventing her own genre for the record – which has a vibe that makes us guess that it's going to be the start of a huge legacy of fame to come for June. Her voice is timeless, the instrumentation is nicely understated, and the production is very easygoing – yet the whole thing comes across with a crispily compelling sound that could appeal to both hipsters and their more mainstream friends. That might sound like a dig, but it's not – just our way of illustrating the soon-to-be universal appeal of the singer! Titles include "The Front Door", "Astral Plane", "Long Lonely Road", "Just IN Time", "Slip Slide On By", "Two Hearts", and "Got Soul". CD

A landmark bit of avant prog psych from the American underground of the late 60s – the astral mindblower that is God Bless The Red Krayola & All Who Sail It! This second album is the group's early masterpiece – a brilliant, jarring psychedelic work of genius! It's got the strangeness of the Parable LP, but Mayo & the boys have a way with strange melody that escaped the earlier album. It's often buried under the astral wierdness and abrasive tendancies, but it nevertheless casts a spooky glow throughout! Tracks inclcude "Ravi Shankar: Parachutist", "Leejol", "Night Song", "Green Of My Pants", "The Jewels Of The Madonna", "Tina's Gone To Have A Baby", "Say Hello To Jamie Jones", and "Coconut Hotel". LP, Vinyl record album

A different sound than the 60s, sure – but you can't beat Donovan, no matter what the setting. Mickie Most produced, and all songs are Donovan originals – including "Maya's Dance", "Local Boy Chops Wood", "Astral Angel", "Dare To Be Different", and "Sing My Song. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing blend of astral jazz and atmospheric orchestral soundscapes – composed and directed by coronetist Rob Mazurek! Exploding Star Orchestra is an apt name, but it's more of a bright and glorious explosion than a calamitous one – a sweeping couple of soundtracky suites that's the culmination of a couple years of work by Mazurek and a major contribution from Nicole Mitchell on flute – plus Jeb Bishop on trombone, Corey Wilkes on flugelhorn, Jeff Parker on guitar, John McEntire on marimba and tubular bells, John Herndon on drums, Jim Baker on piano & ARP, Jazon Adasiewicz on vibes, Matthew Lux on bass, Mike Reed on drums, percussion & saw, and others. It's part informed improvisation, part boundary free composition, and pretty wonderful all the way through! We expected something special, but this one goes above and beyond. Following the Frequency project by about 6 months, this is the second near classic avant garde jazz album on Thrill Jockey in a relative short stretch! 2 multi-part titles: The 70s style soul jazz groover "Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 – Psycho-Tropic Electric Eel Drum and Part 4), "Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 – Fifteen Wais Towards A Finite Universe, and Part 5) – and the mellow, piano led centerpiece "Black Sun". CD

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to comeout in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". CD

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". CD

A stunner of a joint effort from Ethio jazz funk visionary Mulatu Astatke and psych funk genre-busting combo the Heliocentrics – a record we had the highest hopes for and still find wildly above and beyond our loftiest expectations! The collective touch on some classic Mulatu compositions, but the bulk of the material here is brand new, and purely collaborative – if you know the Helioecentrics or you know Mulatu, you can clearly hear what each bring to the table – and it works together brilliantly! There's often a gritty funk bottom end, the best drums and percussion, fat electric bass lines underneath Ethio jazz inspired sax, trumpet, trombone and flute – swirling psychedelic flourishes with theremin and other effects that never take away from the groove. Mulatu's on vibes, percussion, Wurlitzer, drums and keyboards – and his compositions and the Helios trade back and forth throughout the set. There's some additional Ethiopian instrumentation and atmospheric vocals in the mix on some tunes, and more of an astral, avant funk vibe on others, but there's always a brilliant confluence of styles. Bottom line, the album is everything we wanted it to be and more – this will undoubtedly be favorite for years to come! Titles include "Masenqo", "Cha Cha", "Addis Black Widow", "Mulatu", "Blue Nile", "Esketa Dance", "Chik Chikka", "Live From Tiger Lounge", "Chinese New Year", "Phantom Of The Panther", "Dewel"., "Fire In The Zoo", "An Epic Story" and "Anglo Ethio Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic spiritual soul jazz from Pharoah – recorded with an all star lineup that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes, and Michael White. The album's got a strong influence from the members on the set – particularly Lonnie Liston Smith, who seems to bring in a very nicely soulful approach to a few of the numbers, and Michael White, whose spiritual consciousness is still a bit rough-hewn and personal at this point. The record oddly shifts mood from track to track – going from the mellow soul of "Astral Traveling", into the loud free jazz of "Red Black & Green", to the modal grooving of "Thembi", and into the spiritual joy of "Love" and "Bailophone Dance" – all of which makes for a really wonderful album, one of Pharoah's strongest statements of the time! CD

Classic spiritual soul jazz from Pharoah – recorded with an all star lineup that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes, and Michael White. The album's got a strong influence from the members on the set – particularly Lonnie Liston Smith, who seems to bring in a very nicely soulful approach to a few of the numbers, and Michael White, whose spiritual consciousness is still a bit rough-hewn and personal at this point. The record oddly shifts mood from track to track – going from the mellow soul of "Astral Traveling", into the loud free jazz of "Red Black & Green", to the modal grooving of "Thembi", and into the spiritual joy of "Love" and "Bailophone Dance" – all of which makes for a really wonderful album, one of Pharoah's strongest statements of the time! LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous jazz, with plenty of soul – a killer collection of the mid 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith – all based around his legendary recordings for the Flying Dutchman label! Lonnie got his start on the hippest side of the jazz spectrum – including work with Pharoah Sanders on Impulse – but by the time of these tracks, he'd found a way to beautifully mix the righteous energy of his roots with some sweet mid 70s jazz funk touches – all served up in a sublime blend of electric keyboards and acoustic piano, and often expanded with lyrics that helped Smith cross over into a soul audience too! Few artists ever handled the balance as well as Lonnie – although this work certainly inspired dozens of others to try – and the set's a beautiful testament to his lasting power, with 15 great tracks that include "Visions Of A New World", "Cosmic Funk", "Get Down Everybody", "In Search Of Truth", "Expansions", "Beautiful Woman", "Golden Dreams", "Astral Traveling", "Meditations", "Devika", "Shadows", and "Sunbeams". CD

One of the best ever sets of sprawling, spacey soul funk and jazz from the impossible to pen in Burnt Sugar Arkestra Chamber – never an easy group to describe in a nutshell, and that's a good thing – their best work in years and their first effort for the Livewired label! Making Love To The Dark Ages is a weirdly apt title, starting out with kind of dark, bluesy soul backdrop for Lisala's vocal in the beginning of the opening three part suite "Chains And Waters", slowly building into a tense, free jazz groove that's unafraid to pepper it up with some psyche rock guitar, heady/heavy bass, keys and synth, sax and drums. Guitarist and group leader Greg Tate conducts a sprawling chamber with slightly altered lineups depending on the piece, with players including vocal chanteuse Lisala, fellow vocalists Jeremiah, Karma Johnson, Justice Dilla X (who moonlights on piano, too) and others, alto & tenor sax by Matana Roberts and Petre Radu Scafaru, synth by Bruce Mack, cello by Will Martina, acoustic and electric bass by Jason DiMatteo and Jared Michael Nicherson, drums by Chris Eddleton and Trevor Holden & others, guitars by Rene Akan, Vernon Reid, trombone by David Smith, trumpet by Lewis 'Flip' Barnes, Jr, – lots more instrumentation and orchestration. The record rolls in and out of evocative soul, bits of electro and hip hop soundcraft, spaced out astral jazz, sharp solos and textured bursts of noise – never sacrificing a confluent sense of togetherness for all of the diverse sounds. Titles include the suites "Chains And Water" and the title track, plus "Thorazine/81", "Love To Tical" and "Dominata (The Gabri Ballad)". CD

A surprisingly great batch of kick ass rock and roll tunes – southern fried, but done with a cosmic undercurrent that makes for a mighty weird approach! The drums are amazing – fierce right from the get-go, in a way that has made the record a favorite with break collectors for years – and the fuzzy guitars really step out strongly too – with just a slight southern twang, and a great edge that keeps things pretty funky at parts! Bobby Caldwell is in the group on percussion, piano, vibes, and bells – and he also co-wrote most of the songs on the album – and titles include the classic "Dancing Madly Backwards", plus "Myopic Void", "Frozen Over", "Thousand Days Of Yesterdays", "As The Moon Speaks", and "Astral Lady". CD

BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit affected by some of the criticism folks had for the spacious, astral Electric Circus LP – if you ask us Common had no reason to apologize, but we'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for another batch of tracks that sound like they could have been written on a front porch on the southside of Chicago. This is indeed that record – 12 tracks, few guest appearances, and a warm, consistent sound all the way through. There's a 3 track span on this album, from "Chi-City" through "Real People", that's seriously close to perfection. Welcome home, Common! Ruggedly produced by Kanye West, with a couple of stellar production contributions from Jay Dee! Other tracks include "The Corner" feat Last Poets, "Go!", "Faithful", "Testify", "Love Is. . .", "The Food (live)" (this great track has been circulating for a while since it was performed on Chappelle's Show, and we're thrilled Common and Kanye had the good sense to include it on the album), "They Say" featuring John Legend and "It's Your World (Part 1 &2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare non-Strata East 70s session from pianist Stanley Cowell – but one that still carries much of the same soul and spirit overall! The group here is a trio – with Stanley Clarke on bass and the wonderful Jimmy Hopps on drums – and the tunes themselves are perhaps a bit slower to get going than some of Cowell's creations on Strata, but they still often explode with freely lyrical energy and a great sense of creation. A few compositions are familiar from other records, but redone here with slightly different flavors – and Clarke plays a bit of electric bass on the set, which changes some of the pulse up a bit. Titles include "Emil Danenberg", "Miss Viki", "Cal Massey", "Astral Spiritual", and "Maimoun". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic space rock from Hawkwind – a gem from the early years of the legendary group – with long cuts in a proggier, stranger realm than some the more hard rocking records to come! In Search Of Space really sets a mood, with the trippy guitars and overall astral strangeness, and the vocals at this point are indebted to early Pink Floyd – and that is not a complaint! Great stuff! "Master Of The Universe", "Adjust Me", "Children Of The Sun", "You Shouldn't Do That", and "You Know You're Only Dreaming". CD

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A baker's dozen of tracks from Ernest Saint Laurent, Phoenix, Oomiaq, Scenario Rock, Cosmo Vitelli, Riff HiFi, P.Jack, Rob, Bertrand Burgalat, ZFO, Bosco, Mellow, Sebastien Tellier. CD

The classic debut of Air – one of the fresher avant pop albums of the late 90s to say the least, and one of the best since then, too! Perhaps the greatest achievement here is how they deftly layer such broad influences of the preceding few decades – from soaring string film schools, to nascent electronic pop, to fusiony jazz keyboards and much in between and beyond – into a wholly original vibe all Air's own that's as breezy today as it was at the end of the 90s. Includes "La Femme D'Argent", the standout classic "Sexy Boy", "All I Need", "Kelly Watch The Stars", "Talisman". "Remember", "You Make It Easy", "Ce Matin La", "New Star In The Sky" and "Le Voyage De Penelope". LP, Vinyl record album

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The groundbreaking first album from Neu – maybe not the earliest record in the Krautrock generation – but a set that certainly set a new sort of standard after it was released! The group mix together slow-building rhythms and plenty of fuzz – all recorded by the great Conny Plank, who has a way of blending the songs and all their many elements – instrumentation put together by ex-Kraftwerk members Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother – who mostly use guitars, bass, and drums – but end up turning them into something completely different with the help of Plank! Some of the tracks are quite long, and really take a great path to find their way forward – very different than Can or Cluster, at least from an outside perspective – but equally classic. Titles include "Hallogallo", "Sonderangerbot", "Im Gluck", "Negativland", "Weissensee", and "Lieber Honig". CD

A smooth set of soulful grooves – all very much in the Naked Music tradition (sensual sound, packaged in a cartoony cover with a naked girl – you know the deal!) Miguel Migs blends a range of current tracks that span the groove between house and soul – all quite pleasant, and sliding together with ease. Titles include "Highly Strung" by Headstock, "Happiness is Free" by Onda, "Endless Bow (Jimpster rmx)" by Hajime Yoshizawa, "Release" by Mindflight, "Atmospheric Beats (orig ext)" by Kerri Chandler, "The Dream (deep dreamer dub)" by Fusion Groove Orchestra & Simon Green, and "Tango Sed (Ron Trent drum mix)" by Batidos. CD

That Damon Albarn's a busy guy! When he's not busy being a rock star or mock rock star, he's off on holiday in some exotic locale – but making another record at the same time, like this one, recorded in Mali. We have to admit, though we were predisposed towards the bare field recordings – featuring Malians singing and playing guitar and kora – which sound great, the more produced numbers are suprisingly wonderful too, and though the CD's all over the map, it still plays like a beautiful journey from start to finish. As you may already know, music from Mali steers it's own course, quite different from most of the other Afrobeat and funky African grooves you'll find elsewhere on our page, with a light springy quality and unhurried openness. 16 tracks in all, including "Le relax", "Makelekele", "Tennessee Hotel", "Kela Village" and "Sunset Coming On". CD