Al Green's first LP – with a very different feel than his later work on Hi! The record's got a harder southern soul groove – almost in a Wilson Pickett/Arthur Conley mode, but with some sweeter elements in the backing. Al's voice is still incredible, although different than later, in that he's singing with a really open vibe, letting himself go a bit more, and not keeping in that smooth sophisticated mode of later years. Originally released by the tiny Hot Line label, and issued later by Bell Records when Al started to hit big with Hi Records during the early 70s. Titles include "Back Up Train", "Get Yourself Together", "Don't Leave Me", "Let Me Help You", "Hot Wire", and "Stop & Check Myself". CD

... CD

... CD

With 19 tracks including "Fine Dinner", "She's Funny That Way", "Say It Isn't So", "Sheik Of Araby", "Angel Face", "Body & Soul", "Bouncing With Bean", and "Bean Stalks Again". CD

... CD

A classic 1979 album from Phyllis Hyman! Hyman was one of the few female singers who started in the pre-disco years and managed to move through the disco years with a good groove – but never get totally swamped by the production styles of the day. She stuck close to her roots as a jazzy soul singer, and produced great albums like this – which mixed pop club grooves with more sophisticated arrangements, handled very well here by the production team of Reggie Lucas and James Mtume. Titles include the stormer "You Know How To Love Me", plus "Some Way", "Under Your Spell", "But I Love You", and "Give A Little More" – plus the previously unreleased "You're The One". CD

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters Charles Sullivan and Everett Blood Hollins, and saxophonist Sonny Fortune – both players who really help the album find some soulful structure! The album's all-instrumental, and has Weldon really taking off on the keyboards – not just using them for main solos, but also dropping in cool noisy bits and analogue effects that really sound great – almost out-Herbieing Herbie Hancock for the record, and turning in some of his biggest classics on wax! Titles include the massive sample cut "We Gettin' Down", plus "Jungle Juice", "Blast Off", "Softly", "Power & The Glory", "Yasmin", and "Pogo Stick". CD

... CD

The great thing about classic soul singers is that they never seem to drop the ball – and even late in the game, on a record like this, Chaka Khan shows us why she was one of the greatest stars of her generation! The set's a recent live one, with backing from a tight funky group – and the concert setting gives the whole thing a spontaneous, almost classic energy that a studio record might miss – with Chaka standing out loud and proud, and really knocking things out on new versions of classics that include "I'm Every Woman", "Everlasting Love", "Do You Love What You Feel", "Ain't Nobody", "What Cha Gonna Do For Me", "Through The Fire", "Sweet Thing", "Tell Me Something Good", and "Until You Come Back To Me". CD

A solid overview of RCA material from Evelyn Champagne King – from the disco era hits, catchy club soul, and synth soaked 80s grooves! Evelyn's sound is usually upbeat and catchy, but she's does her thing and more measured and and smoothed out soul numbers, and bass & synth grooves in the early 80s. Very nice stuff all around! Titles include "Shame", "I Don't Know If It's Right", "Music Box", "I'm In Love", "Don't Hide Our Love", "Betcha She Don't Love You", "Action", "Get Loose", "Teenager", "High Horse", "Your Personal Touch" and more. 16 tracks in all. CD

A true masterpiece of late 60s pop – music originally recorded for a TV special in 1969 – and one of the Kinks' greatest albums ever! The semi-concept album traces the woes, worries, and hopes of a British family, as one half is on the verge of emigration to Australia. The work comes out of the sort of songwriting that Ray Davies had been perfecting on albums like Village Green and Something Else – but the overall style is more sophisticated, yet not nearly as self-indulgent as some of the 70s concept clunkers. Instead, the songs are brilliantly tight, and stand on their own well past the concept of the original album. Titles include "Victoria", "Brainwashed", "Australia", "Shangri-La", "Mr Churchill Says", and "Yes Sir No Sir". CD version comes in a great book-styled cover, with very detailed notes – and CD2 features the Great Lost Dave Davies album – with titles that include "This Man He Weeps Tonight", "Mindless Child Of Motherhood", "Mr Shoemaker's Daughter", "Lincoln County", "Do You Wish To Be A Man", "Creeping Jean", and "Mr Reporter". Also features bonus tracks – "Plastic Man (stereo)", "Kign Kong (mono)", "Drivin (mono)", "Australia (Australian mono single edit)", "Lincoln County (mono single edit)", "Creeping Jean (mono single edit)", and "Hold My Hand (mono)". CD

Fantastic work from Ledisi – an artist we've loved for almost 25 years, and who maybe sounds better here than she has in the last decade! There's this back to basics approach that maybe recalls some of her self-released albums at the start – but mixed with the maturity in all the years she's learned as both a songwriter and a singer – the sort of vocalist who should be right up there in the soul music pantheon right next to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan! Robert Glasper helped a bit on the record – but as usual, Ledisi is the key driving force behind the set – making her equally skilled in the studio as she is on record. Titles include "WKND", "Without You", "Stone", "Wake Up", "What Kinda Love Is That", "Now Or Never", "Stay Gone", "Anything For You", and "Next Time". CD

... CD

... CD

This second collaboration between these two great talents is every bit as wonderful as the first – a great later set of bossa-revival work, done by Tom Jobim and Miucha in a similar mode to his earlier work with Elis Regina! The set was recorded in New York, with spacious production from the legendary Aloysio De Oliveira – and the result's a beautiful combination of lilting melody and warm vocals that shows that Jobim could still sound wonderful, even after his initial 60s classics. Chico Buarque and Joao Donato contribute to the magic, and titles include "Turma Do Funil (No Baixo Leblon)", "Triste Alegria", "Sublime Tortura", "Samba Do Carioca", "Falando De Amor", "No Cego", and "Dinheiro Em Penca". CD

Collects Moody's work for the Novus label and features Kenny Barron and Kirk Lightsey on piano, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and vocals, and Idris Muhammad on drums. CD

With Marc Cohen on piano & synthesizers, Todd Coolman on bass, and Akira Tana on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – not only in the history of the western, but in that of Ennio Morricone! The soundtrack, written for this hit Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, is everything you'd want in a 60s western – driving orchestral passages, twanging guitar parts, and spooky little bits that isolate the mood of a scene nicely. The work's an instant classic, and is still one of Morricone's strongest western soundtracks – even if it is one of the most familiar. 8 tracks in all – titles include "Almost Dead", "The Chase", "Without Pity", "The Result", "A Fistful Of Dollars", "Square Dance", and "A Fistful Of Dollars Suite". CD

Collects work by Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, Jelly Roll Morton & his Orchestra, and his New Orleans Jazzmen – plus trio and solo piano sides. Featured musicians include Sidney Bechet, Henry Red Allen, Barney Bigard, Wilbur de Paris, Paul Barbarin, and Pops Foster. CD

Features Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, Frank Isola on drums, and Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax. CD

... CD

... CD

Solo project from Parrish after EPMD split that still has some of the EPMD sound. With guest vocals by DAS Efx, Top Quality and 3rd Eye. Production by Parrish, DJ Scratch and 45 King. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Titles include "Canto A Luz", "Filomeno", "Campos Novos", "Po De Mico", "Nuvem", "Ainda", and "Andante". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 17 tracks. CD

... CD

A strong second set by Angie Stone – with production work by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Raphael Saadiq, Rufus Blaq, and others – warmly wrapped up in a NuSoul orgy of beats, smooth instrumentation, and gutsy soul vocals. Titles include "The Ingredients Of Love" with Musiq Soulchild, "Snowflakes", "Soul Insurance", "Brotha", "Pissed Off", "More Than A Woman" with Calvin, "Brotha Part 2", "Time Of The Month", and "Wish I Didn't Miss You". CD

Threadgill plays alto sax and bass flute and is joined by Ted Daniels on trumpet and flugelhorn, Bill Lowe on bass trombone, Diedre Murry on cello, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Newman Barker and Reggie Nicholson on drums and percussion. 4 tracks in all, including "Off The Rag", "The Devil Is On The Loose And Dancin' With A Monkey", "Gift", and "Sweet Holy Rag". LP, Vinyl record album

Dionne Warwick makes the spirits bright here – in a great album of holiday duets with a host of unlikely guest stars! Warwick's vocals have aged a bit in recent years, but in a way that brings down her range and makes her a surprisingly good fit for this really unusual mix of vocalists – a shift that the lady might not have been able to make as well during her classic years. The whole thing is maybe more of a straight Christmas album than a Dionne affair – but we meant that in a good way – and titles include "Frosty The Snowman" with Eric Paslay, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" with Dianne Reeves, "White Christmas" with Johnny Mathis, "This Christmas" with Aloe Blacc, "The Christmas Song" with Wayna Morris, "Silver Bells" with Chloe X Halle, "Jingle Bell Rock" with Michael McDonald, and "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" with Andra Day. CD

A nice overview of the best of the Wu Tang Clan – from their revolutionary early tracks to their best later singles! You'd never have guessed earlier in the 00s that their label would have taken the care to license the best tracks from the BMG and Sony years for one collection – at best, we'd have guessed there would be a great BMG "best of" and a so-so Sony "best of". Alas, those giant label groups merged into one mighty monster, so here we are with a stellar Wu Tang sampler from all four albums to date! 16 tracks in all: "CREAM", "Method Man (Skunk mix)", "Protect Ya Neck (Bloody version)", "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' To F Wit", "Can It All Be So Simple", "Reunited", "It's Yourz", "Gravel Pit", "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", "Shaolin Worldwide", "Diesel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Features music by Los Del Rio, Sandalo, Los Manolos, The Secados, and El Lupe. CD

A great compilation featuring Porter Wagoner, Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davis, Sons Of The Pioneers, Charley Pride, Dootie West, Eddie Arnold, Hank Locklin, and Don Gibson – 26 tracks in all. CD

Nice soundtrack to the now-legendary film by Bruce Weber that tracked Chet Baker during some of the last days of his life. The set's got a nice mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, with Chet in fine enough form at the time of the recording. Titles include "You're My Thrill", "Moon & Sand", "Zingaro", "My One & Only Love", and "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A quintet session featuring Ravi Coltrane on tenor and soprano sax, Geri Allen on piano, Ralph Alessi and trumpet, James Genus on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. CD

Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, Teddy Wilson on piano & Lionel Hampton on vibraphone. CD

... CD

Tom Harrell on trumpet, Jimmy Greene on tenor saxophone, Xavier Davis on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass & Quincy Davis on drums. CD

A pretty interesting change for this lovely lady of the AACM – as Amina Claudine Myers makes a shift towards more R&B-inflected jazz, working in equal parts vocals and piano with more electric instrumentation than you'd hear on some of her earlier albums. Although the move was kind of panned by some of Myers' more stalwart fans in the avant garde, years later the record actually sounds pretty great to our ears – kind of an 80s version of the sound that Patrice Rushen was trying for in hear earlier years at Prestige – soulful jazz mixed with a bit of vocals, and handled with touches that might make the work reach a wider audience. Some of the tracks sound a bit weak due to bad 80s keyboard work, but others sparkle with a warmth and soulfulness we hadn't noticed before. Titles include "BI", "Song From The West", "Happiness", "Keep On Loving", "Nolan", and "Nisamehe". LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson with Bert Brown, Franck Gariepy, Armand Samson, Roland Verdon, Russ Dufort, Albert King, Mark Wilkinson, Auston Roberts, Claren Jones & Ben Johnson. CD

... CD

Denny Zeitlin on piano & Charlie Haden on bass. CD

Titles include "I Only Watched", "Second Chance", "Strut", "Girls Nite Out", and "Love Talk". CD

Features Hargrove on trumpet and Antonio Hart on saxophone, with John Hicks and Geoffrey Keezer taking turns on piano, and Ralph Peterson and Al Foster on drums. CD

... CD

An excellent little album that Sergio recorded in the US – with a sweet funky electric sound that's very different than his other work! At some level, the album has a feel that's almost like a hip 70s soundtrack – sporting these great arrangements by Dave Grusin that bring in a lot more funk than you might be used to hearing on one of Sergio's albums, making the whole thing groove in a marvelous way – while still holding onto some Brazilian touches in the rhythms, and that sweet two-female vocal lead style of Sergio's other work. The set includes two funky Stevie Wonder covers – "Superstition" and "Don't You Worry About a Thing" – plus versions of "This Masquerade", "Voce Abusou", and "Double Rainbow". CD

... CD

The complete 1951 March Of Dimes radio show – recorded in 1950, but issued only as a transcription disc the following year! Features all the material from the original 16" transcription record – including a duet with Audrey Williams on "Help Me Understand", the tracks "Lovesick Blues", "Moanin The Blues", "When God Dips His Love In My Heart", and Audrey singing "Bluebird On Your Windowsill" – plus Hank talking a bit about infantile paralysis! And note – the back cover has a comment that replicates the original transcription disc – saying "please destroy transcription after campaign". But it's OK, you don't have to destroy this record! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice soundtrack to the now-legendary film by Bruce Weber that tracked Chet Baker during some of the last days of his life. The set's got a nice mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, with Chet in fine enough form at the time of the recording. Titles include "You're My Thrill", "Moon & Sand", "Zingaro", "My One & Only Love", and "Almost Blue". CD

A pretty interesting change for this lovely lady of the AACM – as Amina Claudine Myers makes a shift towards more R&B-inflected jazz, working in equal parts vocals and piano with more electric instrumentation than you'd hear on some of her earlier albums. Although the move was kind of panned by some of Myers' more stalwart fans in the avant garde, years later the record actually sounds pretty great to our ears – kind of an 80s version of the sound that Patrice Rushen was trying for in hear earlier years at Prestige – soulful jazz mixed with a bit of vocals, and handled with touches that might make the work reach a wider audience. Some of the tracks sound a bit weak due to bad 80s keyboard work, but others sparkle with a warmth and soulfulness we hadn't noticed before. Titles include "BI", "Song From The West", "Happiness", "Keep On Loving", "Nolan", and "Nisamehe". CD

A nice little set from Henry Threadgill – one of the albums that gave him greatest exposure to a bigger audience, and a set that pushes the sound of his work nicely! The record's got some of those touches from a time when the AACM was reaching out with its sound from earlier years – a mode that's not exactly more inside, but certainly more overtly expressive about its intentions, and sometimes a bit more melodically focused than freely improvisatory. There's echoes here of work the Art Ensemble and Amina Claudine Myers were doing during the same stretch – and the lack of commercial success of the record shouldn't indicate any aesthetic failure at all. Asha Pulthi makes a surprising vocal appearance on the track "My Rock", and other players include Frank Lacy, Diedre Murray, Fred Hopkins, Pheeroan Aklaff, and Reggie Nicholson. Titles include "Award The Squadtett", "Hall", "Spotted Duck Is Pudding", and "I Can't Wait Till I Get Home". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Includes music from Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra, Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Earl Hines & His Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra – 22 tracks in all. CD

A record that got huge circulation at a worldwide level – maybe making PFM one of the most-exposed groups of the legendary Italian scene in the early 70s – a wave of groups that took strong inspiration from the sounds of Yes, Genesis, and other UK acts – but really pushed the music with their own sense of creativity! The cuts on the album aren't just jamming rock – but really show a more expansive view, as long instrumental passages almost seem to draw from jazz or soundtrack complexity – with especially nice guitar, flute, violin, and keyboard lines – and vocals come in at just the right moments to send things home. Titles include "Mr 9 Til 5", "Old Rain", "Celebration", "River Of Life", and "Photos Of Ghosts". CD

James Carter plays baritone, tenor, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – accompanied by a shifting ensemble that includes Craig Taborn and Cyrus Chestnut on Hammond organ. CD

A sweet trio set from bassist Ron Carter – done with great piano from Kenny Barron and guitar from Herb Ellis – a really sensitive pair who make things swing gently with Carter throughout! Ron's warm basslines really direct the set strongly – and the lean recording style gives his careful notes plenty of space in the spotlight – really underscoring the lyrically brilliance of Barron and Ellis, who deliver a lot more here together than we might expect! Titles include "Blues For DP", "Summertime", "Quiet Times", "For Toddlers Only", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Airegin". CD

One of the most legendary albums on Blue Note – or maybe THE most legendary albums on Blue Note – a stunning session that shows what the label was capable of when it was really hitting on all burners – from the lineup to the music to the production – and even the classic cover art on the front! The album's a crowning achievement for pianist Sonny Clark – a player who'd already brought greatness to the world before the record, but really knocks it out of the park during the session – leading a razor sharp lineup that includes Art Farmer on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all coming together with some magic in the studio, crafting a sound that forever put Blue Note on the map! Tracks are long, open-ended, and almost effortlessly soulful – and titles include Clark's classics "Cool Struttin" and "Blue Minor", plus versions of "Sippin At Bells" and "Deep Night". Plus, this CD also adds 2 long bonus cuts – "Lover" and "Royal Flush" – both of which weren't on the original album! CD