New recordings from Willie Jones – a singer who's been working in soul music since the late 50s – first as a key member of The Royal Jokers, and more recently as a solo artist on his own! Willie got his start in Detroit, but the style here is more deep soul overall – done with a southern tinge that recalls some of the recent revival work by Bettye LaVette or Mavis Staples. Bettye actually makes a guest appearance here – singing with Willie on the track "Without Redemption" – and the set also features guest work from Steve Cropper and Black Francis – on titles that include "Fire In My Soul", "Don't Mean A Damn", "Rollin & Smokin", "Troubled World", "In The Wind", "Reasons", and "The Road From Rags To Riches". CD

A really heady record from British drummer Brian Bennett – an artist known for both jazz and funky sound library work – here stretching out in a mode that really fits the image on the cover! The tunes are longer than some of Bennett's earlier sound library material – almost a mix of progressive energy with jazzier funk – a lot cooler than the disco reference in the title might imply! The set's got tremendous keyboards from Francis Monkman – who handles all the spacier elements, while the drums of Bennett works the rhythms with bass from Alan Jones – on long tracks with plenty of complexity, but also plenty of groove! Titles include "Voyage", "Solstice", "Chain Reaction", "Pendulum Force", "Air Quake", and "Ocean Glide". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of funky jazz tracks from the legendary MPS label! The folks at Crippled Dick have outdone themselves this time – and have even surpassed their previous set of MPS grooves by collecting a totally excellent batch of cuts, most of which haven't ever been reissued before! If you pay attention to jazz funk at all, you'll know that the German-based MPS label is one of the world's best sources for incredible grooves – and the label had a 20 year tradition of mixing musics from many different sources, and for delivering some of the most groundbreaking funk of the 20th century! Titles on this stunning set include "Titty Chickie Fitterbug" by Jasper Van't Hof, "Faces In Reflection 2" by George Duke, "Scratches" by Charly Antolini, "Knock Out" by Dieter Reith, "Miss Maggie" by Rolf Kuhn, "Powerstart" by Roland Kovac, "Baiafrock/Volker" by The New Dave Pike Set, "Volcano's Daughter" by Nelson Riddle, and "Bulgarian Beans" by Rimona Francis. LP also contains the bonus cuts "Sarava" by Baden Powell, "The World Is A Ghetto" by George Shearing, and "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic slice of work from WEB Dubois – materials showcased at the Paris Exposition of 1900, in a special exhibit in which Dubois tried to convey the reality of black life in America to a larger international audience! The materials include a number of handmade charts, graphs, and maps – all created by DuBois as an early sort of data analysis, with a very visual punch – images that instantly conveyed the black experience in America in the years after the Civil War – combined with a range of photographs that provided visual illustration of the contents. Much of DuBois' efforts were to showcase advancement and achievements – and the large 11" x 17" presentation of the softcover book allows the reproductions of these materials to really get the kind of prominence they had at the exposition. The book is the first-ever reproduction of all these items, along with the photographs – and features a new essay by historians Stephen G Hall and Jacqueline Francis. Book

With selections by Jo Jones, Cozy Cole, Panama Francis, JC Heard, Oliver Jackson, Michael Silva, and Ed Thigpen. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the last recordings that Bud Powell ever cut – recorded by Alan Bates of Black Lion, but not issued until years after Bud's death. The group was recorded in Paris, with French bassist Michel Gaudry and the great American drummer Art Taylor. Titles include "Blues For Bouffemont", "In The Mood For A Classic", "Una Noche Con Francis", and "Little Willie Leaps". LP, Vinyl record album

A great live set recorded in 1962 with some of Cal's best players in the group – pianist Lonnie Hewitt and drummer John Rae, joined by bassist Freddie Schreiber. The groove's a bit less Latin than usual, but the jazz vibe is very strong – and Tjader really shines with the local crowd at San Francisco's famous Blackhawk night spot. Titles include "222 Time", "Noonie's Groove", "Weep", and "Fred's Ahead". One of the more obscure Tjader Verve sides, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer live work from Mongo Santamaria – two sets recorded at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco during the early 60s! First up is Mighty Mongo – an excellent obscure Mongo Santamaria album – and one that features a nice jazzy groove played by one of Mongo's best groups ever! The band features Joao Donato, the famous Brazilian pianist, doubling up on trombone on a number of tracks – something you never hear on his Brazilian albums! Other players include Pupi Legaretta on violin, Jose Chombo Silva on tenor, and Rolando Lozano on flute – plus percussion from Willie Bobo on timbales. The album's a live one – with some great Latin jazz energy – and titles include the tasty "Descarga At The Blackhawk", plus "Bluchanga", 'Sabor", and "Bacoso". Viva Mongo is a hard burner from Mongo Santamaria's San Francisco years – a live date cooked up in close company at the legendary Black Hawk club! The group's a very jazzy one – but with a bit of a pachanga feel at times too – thanks to instrumentation from Jose Chombo Silva and Pupi Legaretta on violins, and Rolando Lozano on flute – whose interplay makes for some great melodies on the set. Rudy Calzado sings vocals on a few numbers – and Pat Patrick plays baritone on one tune too. Willie Bobo plays timbales – and titles include "Pachanga Twist", "Para-Ti", "Mambo Terrifico", and nice covers of "Close Your Eyes" and "Body & Soul". CD

2 live cookers from Cal Tajder – back to back on a single CD! The set begins with Night At The Blackhawk – one of Cal's best late 50s dates for Fantasy Records – thanks to some smoking tenor sax from Jose "Chombo" Silva! The album has Cal working in the very comfortable territory of San Francisco's Blackhawk Nightclub – in a combo that also features familiar players Vince Guaraldi on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Willie Boby on drums, and Mongo Santamaria on congas – all musicians who'd previously helped Tjader hit some of his best Latin grooves! But the addition of Silva on a few tracks here really makes the set crackle – giving it a gutsy, soulful fee that you don't always get on some of Tjader's other records. Tracks are longish – and titles include the nice original "Bill B", plus jazzy versions of "I Love Paris", "Blue & Sentimental", and "Night In Tunisia". Live & Direct is great live work from Cal Tjader – one of a number of sets but at his home turf of the Blackhawk Nightclub in San Francisco! The album's nicely laidback, with tracks that stretch out a bit more than Tjader's studio work for Fantasy Records – often hitting a slight Latin groove at times, but with a bit more of a straight jazz vibes feel overall! The great Lonnie Hewitt's on the group on piano, coloring in the tunes with some very soulful notes – and in addition to Cal's vibes, the rest of the lineup includes Victor Venegas on bass, and Willie Bobo on drums. Mongo Santamaria on congas and Rolando Lozano on flute join in on the track "Mambo Terrifico" – and other titles include "Racoon Straits", "Bad & The Beautiful", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". Note that the CD omits the track "The Continental" from Live & Direct – due to space restrictions. CD

A killer! As revolutionary as the music and political climate was in the Bay Area in the late 60s and early 70s, it's damn near criminal that there haven't been more representative collections of the music – enter Luv N Haight Records, who are here with the first ever comprehensive compilation of Bay Area funk and hard soul! The kind of funky music that came out of the Bay in the period differs a bit from a lot of mirror sounds from the other coast, the midwest and the south –artists and groups like Sugar Pie Desanto, P-I-R Square, Marvin Holmes and the Uptights, San Francisco T.K.O and others work with short, tight, hard-clapping blasts of 45 funk. Where the funk of other scenes was designed to bounce you along an elastic groove, the Cali school for the most part specialized in short, sweaty, scratchy numbers that were designed to get you on your feet, than knock you straight on your arse! Truly amazing stuff – all funky 45 numbers, many of which are available for the first time on CD! 16 treasures: "Git Back" by Sugar Pie Desanto, "Foxy Girls In Oakland" by Rodger Collins, "Pickin' Cotton" by Johnny Talbot, "Find Yourself" by Marvin Holmes, "Check Me Out" by Kittie Denise, "Trippin' On The Sound" by Jeannie Tracie, "The Trip" by Eugene Blacknell, "Fantasy" by P-I-R Square, "Oomph" by Marvin Holmes, "Herm" by San Francisco T.K.O.'s and lots more – plus great foldout notes with details on each track. A great sounding, long overdue document of a great scene! CD

One of Cal Tjader's best late 50s dates for Fantasy Records – thanks to some smoking tenor sax from Jose "Chombo" Silva! The album has Cal working in the very comfortable territory of San Francisco's Blackhawk Nightclub – in a combo that also features familiar players Vince Guaraldi on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Willie Boby on drums, and Mongo Santamaria on congas – all musicians who'd previously helped Tjader hit some of his best Latin grooves! But the addition of Silva on a few tracks here really makes the set crackle – giving it a gutsy, soulful fee that you don't always get on some of Tjader's other records. Tracks are longish – and titles include the nice original "Bill B", plus jazzy versions of "I Love Paris", "Blue & Sentimental", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

The drums do plenty of talking here – in a wonderful set that looks at the return of deeper rhythms and percussion to the global house music underground! Just at a point when some pretenders were trying to claim too-strong influences from Cuba, Africa, and other deeper cultures – artists like these came into the fray and reminded us that if you're going to make a musical statement, you better have the sound to back it up – which they did wonderfully, with the kind of creative reworkings of percussive modes that you'll hear on this set! Gabriele Poso did a really wonderful job of choosing the tracks here – a no-nonsense batch of work that will make you throw away every "fake" Afro-remix you've got in your collection. Titles include "Naja" by Guem, "Cafe De Ochun" by Gabriele Poso, "Injection Of Blackness" by Malika B & Dave Hucker, "Polyrhythm Jizm (Lay-Far edit)" by Free Association, "Long Distance Lover" by Babatunde Olatunji, "Tembandumba" by Toto La Momposina, "Drum It Up" by Dudu Tucci, "Coming Home" by Mustapha Tetty Addy, "Ven Francisco" by Silvestre Mendez, "Guiro Elegua" by Bobby Matos, and "Ninu Opon Ori Tiwa (Kiko Navarro re-edit)" by Sola Akingbola. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the sort of stodgy affair you might think from the "concert" in the title – and instead a relaxed, nicely-grooving little set – recorded by Cal Tjader in the very familiar territory of the Blackhawk night club in San Francisco! The recording quality is less live than other Tjader location recordings – less audience noise, or room feel – and instead a sound that's as crystal clear as any of Cal's great studio recordings from the time – served up with a warmth and glow that gets us right from the very first note! Tjader's vibes seem a bit harder-edged than usual – and the group's a quintet with Vince Guaraldi on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Willie Bobo on timbales and drums, and Mongo Santamaria on congas. Titles include "Mi Guaguanco", "Cubano Chant", "Viva Cepeda", "A Young Love", "Tu Crees Que", and "Mood For Milt". CD

Genius early work from west coast leader Gerald Wilson – heard here many years before his famous 60s sides for Pacific Jazz, on material from one rare 1954 album, plus a full bonus live set from a few years before – issued here for the first time ever! The 1954 studio work is especially great – done in a style that still shows Wilson's bold talents for unified grooving and breakout solo moments – but with perhaps a bit more touch of the exotic than even some of his Spanish and Latin-tinged sides from later years. Most of the tunes here are original Wilson compositions, handled in an array of colors and tones that are breathtaking, and which really beat most of the better-known mainstream LA leaders of the time at their own game! Players include Paul Gonsalves, Teddy Edwards, Clark Terry, John Anderson, Addison Farmer, and Jerry Dodgion – and titles include "Algerian Fantasy", "Romance", "Black Rose", "Mambo Mexicano", "Lotus Land", and "Bull Fighter". The second half of the CD is from a live date recorded at San Francisco's Veteran's Memorial in 1950 – with quality that's certainly a bit more "live" than the other tracks on the CD, but still relatively strong overall – especially given the half-century since the time of recording. The lineup for this batch of tunes includes Melba Liston, Ernie Royal, Wardell Gray, Stan Getz, Sonni Criss, and Gerald Wiggins – a very unusual batch of all-star players – and titles include "Hollywood Freeway", "Out Of Nowhere", "Sea Breeze", and "It Had To Be You". CD

Amazing music from one of our favorite periods of Thelonious Monk – a time of new discoveries, new strengths, and some great work with tenor sax! CD

Tony's classic – with the big hit "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" – and other titles that include "Rules Of The Road", "Candy Kisses", "Marry Young", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Smike", and "Tender Is The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little relic from the San Francisco scene of the late 60s – the first album released by a group who'd been making some big waves in the city for the past few years, but never hit the fame of some of their contemporaries! The group originally featured Dan Hicks – of Hot Licks fame – who had departed by the time of this recording, yet still left some of his own love of roots elements in their sound. But there's some rougher moments too – sharper guitars, and a bit bolder vocals – alongside other tunes that have a slightly warmer, more nostalgic appeal. Titles include "Time To Get Straight", "High Coin", "Easy When I'm Dead", "When I Go Sailin By", "Wabash Cannonball", and "When The Movies Are Over". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 60's material from Woody Herman & The Herd. Woody's Winners is a live recording from San Francisco, a run of shows that produced enough material that some of it was included on Jazz Hoot. Tracks include "I Can't Get Started", "Northwest Passage", "Sidewinder", "Satin Doll", "Black Opal", "Watermelon Man", "Greasy Sack Blues", and "Opus De Funk & Theme (Blue Flame)". CD

The complete Opera House recordings by Sylvester – material that partly appeared on the Living Proof album back in the 70s, but which is greatly expanded here – with over an hour of previously unreleased music, and extended performances of some tunes! The set documents a key moment of mainstream greatness from the legendary Sylvester – an extended performance at the Opera House in San Francisco at the end of the 70s – and one that documents a tremendous advancement for the underground singer at the time! The setting is perfect for the richness of Sylvester's music – done with a full orchestra that uplifts the sound even more than on the studio records, while still keeping plenty of disco currents in the music – as the great singer steps out in the lead and really soars, especially on some of the extended numbers! The record includes a "Sylvester Day Proclamation" from the city of San Francisco – plus cuts that include "Body Strong", "You Are My Friend", "Dance Disco Heat", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Could It Be Magic/A Song For You", "Blackbird", "Everything Must Change/You Are My Love", "Sharing Something PerfectBetween Ourselves", and "Lover Man". CD

The complete Opera House recordings by Sylvester – material that partly appeared on the Living Proof album back in the 70s, but which is greatly expanded here – with over an hour of previously unreleased music, and extended performances of some tunes! The set documents a key moment of mainstream greatness from the legendary Sylvester – an extended performance at the Opera House in San Francisco at the end of the 70s – and one that documents a tremendous advancement for the underground singer at the time! The setting is perfect for the richness of Sylvester's music – done with a full orchestra that uplifts the sound even more than on the studio records, while still keeping plenty of disco currents in the music – as the great singer steps out in the lead and really soars, especially on some of the extended numbers! The record includes a "Sylvester Day Proclamation" from the city of San Francisco – plus cuts that include "Body Strong", "You Are My Friend", "Dance Disco Heat", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Could It Be Magic/A Song For You", "Blackbird", "Everything Must Change/You Are My Love", "Sharing Something PerfectBetween Ourselves", and "Lover Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Pryor really busted into the mainstream with this one – as the album secured him a grammy for best comedy LP in the year it was released. Recorded live in San Francisco, at Don Cornelius' Soul Train – with tracks that include "Wino & Junkie", "Flying Saucers", "Black Man/White Woman", "I Hope I'm Funny", "Exorcist", and "Wino Dealing With Dracula". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic run of records from Waylon Jennings – brought together in a single package! First up is Lonesome Onry & Mean – a pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". Honky Tonk Heroes is genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". This Time is one of those Waylon Jennings records from a time when he could do no wrong – fighting the stronger powers at RCA to really find his voice – recording at the studio of Tompall Glaser, with great production help from Willie Nelson – who was enjoying his own transformation at the time too! As with the previous two gems from this period, the choice of material and presentation is great – songs by Willie, JJ Cale, and Billy Joe Shavers – in a set of titles that include "Heaven Or Hell", "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way", "This Time", "Pick Up The Tempo", "If You Could Touch Her At All", "Walkin", "Slow Rollin Low", "Louisiana Woman", and "Slow Movin Outlaw". Ramblin Man is Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. Features bonus tracks too – "Laid Back Country Picker", "The Last One To Leave Seattle", "Big Big Love", "Got A Lot Going For Me", "The Last Letter", and "The One I Sing My Love Songs To". CD

One of the biggest moments in the career of guitarist Harvey Mandel – an album based around his famous cover of "Cristo Redentor", a tune written by Duke Pearson for one of Donald Byrd's "with voices" albums, which was then turned into a spacey guitar classic by Mandel's trippy work. The tune's here in full force – backed up by an album of like minded tunes – 60s trippy guitar mixed with jazz influences, in a messed up Bay Area style that was every bit the product of its time as more famous rock albums coming out of the San Francisco scene. Titles include "Cristo Redentor", "Before Six", "The Lark", "Snake", "Long Wait", "Bradley's Barn", and "You Can't Tell Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Funk from Belgium? Believe it or not, stranger things have happened – and we can promise that if you played these tracks back to back with more familiar grooves from other 70s sources, you'd quickly find that these Belgian grooves are right up there with the best of the bunch! The set's maybe a more sophisticated follow-up to the excellent Funky Chicken collection, which documented some grittier Belgian 70s material a few years back – and this one shows off a wickedly sharp batch of tunes that include funky fusion, sweet sound library numbers, and lots of really inventive cuts that are plenty funk, but often take some great chances too – in ways that almost make us think that the nation's scene was so small that musicians from different genres were often hanging out together, and breaking down lots of musical boundaries in the process! Titles include "Funky Chimes" by Francis Coppieters, "My Chinese Girl Likes Kung Fu Fighting" by The Sumos, "Traveling On Rhythms" by Bud Hunga & His Diplomatic Music, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Tiger Walk" by The Peter Laine Orchestra, "Faded Lady (inst)" by SSO, "Barabajagal" by The Flying Guitar, "Scratch My Back (parts 1 & 2)" by The Soul Scratchers, "Skylab" by Electronic System III, "Free Way Exit" by Guido Carnagy, "Guess We'd Better Break Up Now" by Etta Cameron, "Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose" by Philip Catherine, "Riff For Peggy" by Roland Thyssen, "We Love The Policemen" by Hearts Of Soul & Shampoo, "Smoke Signal" by Indian Sound Of Blackfoot, "Inner City Blues" by Leslie Kent, "Chewing Gum Delirium" by Free Pop Electronic Concept, "Akkerwinde" by Lieven, "Concerto For Right Foot & Orchestra" by George Hayes & His Philarpopic Orchestra, "Punktowiec" by Skleroptak, and "Soul Melody" by R Dero. CD

Last volume in this series of Fantasy jazz reissues, and definitely put together with more of a funky feel than the other comps. Includes tracks by Three Pieces, Francisco Aquabella, Black Nasty, Wally Richardson, Letta Mbulu, and Rusty Bryant. CD

Really great early work from Dave Brubeck – recorded with his early trio that included Cal Tjader on both drums and vibes – instruments he'd sometimes play on the same track! Cal's so young here, the notes are billing him as "Callen Tjader" on the label – and the rest of the trio is completed by Ron Crotty, an excellent bassist who did plenty of great work on the San Francisco scene in the 50s. Titles include "Tea For Two", "Blue Moon", "That Old Black Magic", and "September Song". LP, Vinyl record album