Features 72 tracks total, over 3 discs and 3 decades! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

20 songs. CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

One of the "bottomest" albums you'll ever hear – as trombonist Curtis Fuller meets baritone saxophonist Tate Houston – for a real session of "bone" and "bari" grooving that's one of the most striking Blue Notes of the time! The album features the pair working hard to push their instruments past conventional expectations – gliding with a fluid ease that you really wouldn't expect, yet still working out all the gutbuckety soul propensities that the instruments possess. Part of the strength of the session is the rhythm section – which features Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but another strong aspect is the choice of material, which includes some nice originals like "Again", "Pickup", "Nita's Waltz", and "Algonquin". CD

... CD

With Harris on trombone, George Adams on tenor, Donald Smith on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

The last Savoy Brown album to feature the duo of Kim Simmonds and Paul Raymond – and a record that still holds on to all the classic power of the group! The more direct blues influences have been toned down by this time, and fused more into a sound that's a trademark for the group – tight, but never slick – a cool, compressed confidence that has the vocals and sharp guitars coming across with a great deal of charm! Tracks are nice and long, with plenty of guitar interplay – and titles include "Part Time Lady", "This Day Is Gonna Be Our Last", "Get Up & Do It", "Skin N Bone", and "She's The One". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic live album from Nina Simone – recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966, and delivered with that hard-burning energy that always makes Nina's concert performances so mindblowing! There's a lean, mean groove to the record – sharply soulful piano from Simone, and backing from a group that includes some exceptional work on drums from Robert Hamilton – a player who really helps kick up the rhythms at times – while Nina delivers these searing lyrics that definitely showcase the more righteous, political side of her spectrum! The set's a great addition to the Philips material from this period – and titles include a killer version of "Mississippi Goddam", plus "You've Got To Learn", "Blues For Mama", "Be My Husband", "Music For Lovers", and "I Loves You Porgy". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last couple of great records Waits made for Island, and a defining moment in his career! Leave it to Waits to cut a bunch of songs that wrestle with mortality and the fleeting nature of life head on, but have as much fun with it as he does worry or mourn. It's got some rumbling raw material as gritty as anything he'd recorded before or since, beautifully sung ballads and cool, creaky speak-singing tunes. Truly a signature effort and one for both the casual fans and Waits diehards. Includes the classic "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Earth Died Screaming" "Dirt In The Ground", "Such A Scream", "All Stripped Down", "Let Me Get Up On It", "Whistle Down The The Wind", "That Feel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Japanese-only album from trombonist Roswell Rudd – one of his few full length statements of genius from the mid 70s! The album's got a very collaborative feel overall – one that takes off from some of Rudd's better-known work of the "new thing" era, but opens things up tremendously with more of a relaxed loft jazz sort of approach. Players shift somewhat throughout the set, and the instrumentation mixes Rudd's work on trombone and percussion with soprano sax from Steve Lacy, trumpet from Enrico Rava, voice from Sheila Jordan, tenor from Tyrone Washington, and electric piano from Patti Brown. There's a deeply personal vibe to the whole record, one that reminds us a bit of the spirit of Rudd's great Flexible Flyer album – and titles include "You Blew It", "Blues For The Planet Earth", "Cement Blues", "Bethesda Fountain", "Street Walking", and "Blown Bone". CD also features one more bonus track – the beautiful "Long Hope", recorded in 1967 with Karl Berger on vibes, Robin Kenyatta on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Horacee Arnold on drums. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

One of the last couple of great records Waits made for Island, and a defining moment in his career! Leave it to Waits to cut a bunch of songs that wrestle with mortality and the fleeting nature of life head on, but have as much fun with it as he does worry or mourn. It's got some rumbling raw material as gritty as anything he'd recorded before or since, beautifully sung ballads and cool, creaky speak-singing tunes. Truly a signature effort and one for both the casual fans and Waits diehards. Includes the classic "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Earth Died Screaming" "Dirt In The Ground", "Such A Scream", "All Stripped Down", "Let Me Get Up On It", "Whistle Down The The Wind", "That Feel" and more. CD

With Anderson on trombone, John Scofield on guitar, Anthony Davis on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Johnny Vidacovich on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the "bottomest" albums you'll ever hear – as trombonist Curtis Fuller meets baritone saxophonist Tate Houston – for a real session of "bone" and "bari" grooving that's one of the most striking Blue Notes of the time! The album features the pair working hard to push their instruments past conventional expectations – gliding with a fluid ease that you really wouldn't expect, yet still working out all the gutbuckety soul propensities that the instruments possess. Part of the strength of the session is the rhythm section – which features Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but another strong aspect is the choice of material, which includes some nice originals like "Again", "Pickup", "Nita's Waltz", and "Algonquin". CD

Jimmy McGriff on organ, Bill Easley on tenor saxophone, Al Grey on trombone, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

From the WCW Mayhem soundtrack. With Drag On, Eve, Jadakiss, and Styles P on "Pay Per View". 12-inch, Vinyl record

Features flute from a young Peter Gabriel! Titles include "Time", "Katmandu", "I Wish I Wish", "Lillywhite", "Pop Star", "Maybe You're Right", "Lady D'Arbanville", and "I Think I See The Light". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by the Tom Tom Club – showing this Talking Heads spinoff project as way more than a fluke! The sound here is similar to the first – a sing-song blend of rhythms that's got one foot in the island and one in the street, peppered with a quirky approach overall that makes for some very nice tunes. Wally Badarou gets in some nice work on the album, and tracks include "Pleasure Of Love", "Never Took A Penny", "On The Line Again", "This Is A Foxy World", and "The Man With The 4 Way Hips". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from DJ Bone, Scan 7, Jeff Mills, Deetron, Stanny Franssen, Subject No. 001, Jeff Mills, Funk D'Void, Laurent Garnier, and more. CD

... CD

A great collection of rare gems from the Studio One label – one that's filled with unusual material that we've not seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks are alternate mixes, some are unissued recordings – and there's also a nice range of material that goes past the more familiar early period of the label, which is normally the most reissued. Titles include "Hush Up (unreleased stereo mix)" by Larry & Alvin, "I Need You Girl (stereo mix)" by Larry Marshall, "Mr Moses (stereo mix)" by Lloyd Charmers, "I'm In Love With You (original JA mix)" by Lloyd Williams, "Freedom Justice Equality" by Alf & Teep, "Torture & Flames" by Jackie Bernard, "Mark I Word" by Winston Prince, "Give Me True Love (stereo mix)" by The Meditators, "Down In The Bone Yard" by The Three Tops, "Down By The Sore (7" version)" by The Silvertones, and "Jay Dip (stereo mix)" by Prince Jazzbo. CD

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. 2CDs – one of the cuts unmixed, one with the tracks in a continuous mix by Spinna! CD

A nice little Japanese set by this driving big band ensemble – one of their best from the time, with lots of hard riffing tracks that feature breakout solos by players that include Billy Harper, Ron Bridgewater, Jon Faddis, and Cecil Bridgewater – not to mention the leaders themselves! There's a bit more bite on this one than we're used to from the group – an aspect that's really appreciated, and which might possibly have something to do with a slightly more appreciative setting in the Japanese performance. Tracks are long – the album only includes 4 cuts, upwards of 10 minutes each – and titles include "Back Bone", "Little Pixie", and "Mean What You Say". CD

A key transitional album for The Kinks – a record that took them from the lighter "picture postcard" rock of their late 60s albums, into the headier concepts that would mark most of their early 70s work! The concept here is fortunately a light one – a faux-hillbilly sort of groove, carried off by Ray and the group in a nice mix of London Muswell and East Tennessee. The tunes are nicely short and focused, with some older styles of music that almost give the record a Tom Waits-ish feel at times – and titles include "Muswell Hillbilly", "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues", "20th Century Man", "Skin & Bone", "Alcohol", and "Have A Cuppa Tea". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Mountain Woman", and Kentucky Moon". CD

One of Steve Lacy's great late 70s recordings for Hat Hut – a searing live performance that was one of his boldest efforts from the time! The group here are a quintet of familiar players – Steve Potts on alto and soprano sax, Irene Aebi on cello and voice, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums – all working together as a tremendously cohesive unit, with a dexterously angular feel on most of the numbers. Titles are all quite long, and with lots of choppy saxophone interplay – and Aebi performs a piece by Brion Gysin on the track "Dreams" 2CD set seems greatly expanded from the original album – and titles include "Raps", "The Way", "The Breath", "Stamps", "Bone", "Life On Its Way", and "Name". CD

Produced by T-Bone Burnett. LP, Vinyl record album

Timmy Thomas has always been a magician with his music – one of the first cats to really make the spare sound of a drum machine work in soul music, and a singer with a wonderful ability to make sweet little melodies appear out of thin air! Here, Thomas ups his game with some slightly fuller arrangements than before – this wonderfully warm Miami soul groove that's served up with help from producer Willie Clarke and arranger Mike Lewis – all in this blend of electric touches and bubblingly rhythmic grooves! The track's got a wonderful remake of "Why Can't We Live Together" – titled "Stone To The Bone", and mostly an instrumental with lots of sweet keyboard lines from Timmy! Other tracks are great, too – and have a nicely funky vibe, and some of the hippest arrangements you'll find at TK Records at the time. Titles include "Don't Put It Down", "Make Peace With Yourself", "Watch It For Dudley Dorite", "Let My People Go", "Running Out Of Time", and "Show Me Tenderness". CD features the bonus track "Freak In Freak Out" CD

Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting at the time – and given the presence of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon on some of these sides – the group's also not far off either! Wells is the main star throughout, though – alternating bold young vocals and razor-sharp harmonica lines – in the company of players who include Louis Myers, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters on guitar, Johnnie Jones and Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Odie Payne on drums. Titles include "Hoodoo Man", "Tomorrow Night", "Eagle Rock", "Junior's Wail", "Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", "So All Alone", "Blues Hit Big Town", and "Lovin Blues". CD features six previously unissued tracks! CD

Includes music from Muddy Waters, Lil Son Jackson, Memphis Slim, Sonny Terry, Big Joe Williams, Son House, Roy Brown, and T-Bone Walker – 18 tracks in all. CD

Includes selections by Ray Charles, Jimmy Witherspoon, Charles Brown, Jimmy Reed, Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry, BB King, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Earl Hooker, and Jimmy Rushing. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. LP, Vinyl record album

The full 9-minute version of the posse cut from the "Panther" soundtrack, with beats by DJ U-Neek, Easy Mo Bee and Mista Lawnge of Black Sheep, and verses from Notorious Big, Redman, Doodlebug of Digable Planets, Busta Rhymes, Buckshot, Helter Skelter, Ill All Scratch, Jamal, Coolio, Menace Clan and Bone Thugs N Harmony. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot". CD

A massive set from the legendary Chic – and a set that has the dancefloor combo coming down perfectly throughout! Riffing Nile Rodgers guitars really make the tunes cook – as does the superb production – and although the record played plenty in discos and radios of the mainstream, it's still got a raw funky power that holds up brilliantly over the years! The set features the legendary "Le Freak" – a classic cutting track from the old school – plus "I Want Your Love", "Sometimes You Win", "Savoir Faire", "Happy Man", and "(Funny) Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's best album! Why? It's produced by Donnie Hathaway, has him playing keyboards, and it features an excellent cover of his classic "Valdez In The Country", recorded before Donny's version – but with a very similar electric vibe. The record's got a sweet jazzy soul groove that's different from some of the band's other records, which is ok with us because some of those chugged a bit too much for our taste. Donny's a welcome addition on any album – as you'll hear on the tracks "Visions", "No Way Home", and "Down To The Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the rawest sounds coming out of the Portland scene of the early 90s – served up in a solid way that avoids most of the pitfalls of their contemporaries on the scene! Dead Moon have all the wild energy of other Northwest groups of the time, but hone things down to a core essence that's totally great – very punkish in presentation, yet also with lots of echoes of the earlier Northwest garage scene of the 60s – although kind of a very messed-up take on that sound as well! The album's primal sound holds up strongly throughout – and titles include "Get On Board", "Spectacle", "Jane", "Down The Road", "Pain For Pretty", and "Crazy To The Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

A later JATP performance, but one that's filled with all-star performances – including Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, James Moody, and Benny Carter on saxes – plus Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie on trumpets, and T-Bone Walker on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

Rodney Kendrick on piano, Justin Robinson on alto saxophone, Dewey Redman on tenor saxophone and Suona, Eric Wyatt on tenor saxophone, Patience Higgins on baritone saxophone, English horn, and bass clarinet, Tim "Bone" Williams on trombone, Graham Haynes on cornet and flugelhorn, Kiane Zawadi on euphonium and trombone, Tarus Mateen on bass, Taru Alexander on drums, Badal Roy on tabla, and Chi Sharpe, Daniel Moreno, and Ali Jackson on percussion. CD

A key transitional album for The Kinks – a record that took them from the lighter "picture postcard" rock of their late 60s albums, into the headier concepts that would mark most of their early 70s work! The concept here is fortunately a light one – a faux-hillbilly sort of groove, carried off by Ray and the group in a nice mix of London Muswell and East Tennessee. The tunes are nicely short and focused, with some older styles of music that almost give the record a Tom Waits-ish feel at times – and titles include "Muswell Hillbilly", "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues", "20th Century Man", "Skin & Bone", "Alcohol", and "Have A Cuppa Tea". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece from one of the greatest duos in late 80s/early 90s hip hop – the classic Wanted Dead Or Alive from Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – a 2CD edition packed with bonus tracks! The original album was the middle one of 3 LPs before Kool G Rap and DJ Polo split up, and the last one before G Rap decided to dive fully into the east coast gangsta persona. Benchmark production by Large Professor, Eric B, Biz Markie and G Rap keep the beats fresh, while the MC with the crisp lisp delivers the lyrical goods on classics like "Talk Like Sex", "Erase Racism", "Streets Of New York" and "Money In The Bank". Also includes "Bad To The Bone", "Play It Kool", "Death Wish and "Jive Talk". Disc 2 features loads of 12" and alternate versions, remixes and instrumentals, many of which are on CD for the first time ever! CD

A second great set of work from improvising genius Steve Lacy – working here in both solo formation, and in a trio with Andrea Centazzo on drums and Kent Carter on bass – all on material recorded by the Ictus label in the 70s, but unissued at the time! The solo pieces are beautiful – very much on a par with some of Lacy's better-known recordings in that mode at the time, but maybe also more lyrical too – and the trio improvisation gets nicely unbounded, with all three players really pushing themselves in pursuit of new sonic ideas! Titles include "Name", "The Way", and "Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's an apt one – as this great collection features previously unreleased material from Steve Lacy and Roswell Rudd – some of it recorded early in their career, and some of it late! The "late" should probably be the first part of the title, though – as about three fourths of the 2CD set is material from 1999 and 2002 – really wonderful live dates done at a time when Rudd had returned to the jazz fold strongly, and was helping to give Steve Lacy some key new focus in the last years of his life. The quartet on these recent dates features Lacy on soprano sax, Rudd on trombone, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and John Betsch on drums – all working at an impeccable level of creativity and expression. Tunes are never too far out, nor too overly arty – and there's a genius present in the work that really brings both players back to their strongest promise of the early years. No surprise, the "early" work here is pretty darn great too – previously unreleased studio work by the School Days quartet that featured Lacy and Rudd along with bassist Bob Cunningham and drummer Dennis Charles. These tunes soar along with a sound that's a bit tighter than the later material – strongly influenced by Lacy's love of Monk, and played in a way that Thelonious would wholeheartedly approve! Late material includes "The Rent", "The Bath", "The Hoot", "Light Blue", "Bamako", and "Bone". Early material includes "Eronel (take 3)", "Tune 2", and "Think Of One". CD

Pianist Harold Mabern works here with a trio of players who really helped him find new focus and energy in later years – the great Eric Alexander on tenor, with John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a rock-solid lineup who really take off here in a live date from New York's Smoke nightclub! Tracks are all long, and have that solid, soaring sense of groove that always marked Mabern in his early years – but which was lost a bit in the 80s and 90s, until he teamed up with Alexander – and found the kind of inspiration that's returned him to greatness for most of the last 20 years! The songs are straightforward, but filled with searing solos – and with Webber and Farnsworth on hand, things keep swinging in all the right ways. Alexander himself seems to have unlocked a whole new corner of his talents in recent years – very much on display here – and titles include "A Few Miles From Memphis", "Nightlife In Tokyo", "She's Out Of My Life", "Mr PC", "On A Clear Day", "Rakin & Scrapin", "T Bone Steak", and "I Know That You Know". CD

An excellent album of Barry White-styled instrumentals – put together by Barry's right hand man Gene Page, and produced by Barry himself! The record's one of the best that Gene Page ever cut – apart from his seminal blacksploitation soundtracks – and it's very much in the mode of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra albums from the same time, although perhaps with less of a string section – and more of an emphasis on funky drums at the bottom. Players are an all-star cast of LA studio groovers that includes David T Walker and Ray Parker on guitar, Ernie Watts and Wilton Felder on saxes, and Clarence McDonald on keyboards – and tracks are mostly originals by Page and White. Titles include "Jungle Eyes", "She's My Main Squeeze", "I Am Living In A World Of Gloom", "Satin Soul", and "To The Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting at the time – and given the presence of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon on some of these sides – the group's also not far off either! Wells is the main star throughout, though – alternating bold young vocals and razor-sharp harmonica lines – in the company of players who include Louis Myers, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters on guitar, Johnnie Jones and Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Odie Payne on drums. Titles include "Hoodoo Man", "Tomorrow Night", "Eagle Rock", "Junior's Wail", "Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", "So All Alone", "Blues Hit Big Town", and "Lovin Blues". CD

A great little collection, mostly with vintage work from the late 40s through the 60s – including performances by Texas Johnny Brown, Sticks McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Blind Willie McTell, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim, Al King, Cornell Dupree, and Chuck Norris! Lots of nice non-LP tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include: "Get Money" by Junior M.A.F.I.A., "Rappers Ball" by E-40 feat Too Short and K-Ci, "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka" by Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C., "Cell Therapy" by Goodie MoB, "In My Bed (So So Def Remix)" by Dru Hill, "Luchini aka (This Is It)" by Camp Lo, "I Get Around" by 2Pac, "Everyday & Everynight" by Yvette Michelle, "Tres Delinquentes" by Deliquent Habits, "5 O'Clock" by Nonchalant, "Gettin' It" by Too Short feat Parliament Funkadelic, and "The Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great collection of rare material from the Bluestime label – a rare rootsy side of the Flying Dutchman imprint at the start of the 70s! Flying Dutchman is a well-remembered label for its rich array of funk and jazz titles – and although Bluestime worked in the blues side of the spectrum, most of these numbers are pretty darn funky too – thanks to some shared musicians and production talents with the main Flying Dutchman scene. In other words, the tracks are all pretty darn hip – and way way more than blues – really more funk tunes that have a gritty, raspy edge – like those rare few times when Chess Records' bluesmen got nice and funky. Titles include "I'm A Dues Payin Man" by Optis Spann, "Every Day I Have The Blues" by T-Bone Walker, "Plastic Man" by Joe Turner, "Love" by Harmonica Slim, "Paris Blues" by The Super Black Blues Band, "I Wonder Why" by Otis Spann, "Something So Bright" by Malcolm & Chris, "That's Alright" by Harmonica Slim, Chicago Charva Chapter" by The Plaster Caster Blues Band, "Disillusion Blues" by Leon Thomas, and "For BB King" by T-Bone Walker. CD

With selections by Count Basie, June Richmond, Mary Lou Williams, Saunders King, Meade Lux Lewis, Toni Harper, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, Wilbert Baranco, Jack Fina, T-Bone Walker, and Lionel Hampton. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from cats who were really letting their freak flag fly at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s – but not the music of laidback hippies, as these guys are all pretty intense and energetic, and helping to forge the hard rock roots that would lay the base for so many musical styles to come! The intensity of this work is amazing – maybe even more so, given that so many of these artists were recording for major labels at a time long before major labels even knew what to do with music like this – leaving the success of these artists to be the product of word of mouth and underground press – starting out the legends that would have records by these groups changing hands for years to come! We'd still easily trade most of this work for so much later work that sprung up in its wake – as there's a freshness and directness here that really gets to the point right away, and plenty of guitar work that really seems to blow away so many others from the later guitar hero generation! As with other Grapefruit sets, the choice of cuts is fantastic – and supported by a huge booklet of notes that tell the rich tales behind the tunes – a whopping 53 titles in all, with work from Bram Stoker, Writing On The Wall, Thin Lizzy, May Blitz, Stray, Zior, Uriah Heep, Head Machine, Mott The Hoople, Nazareth, Tear Gas, Killing Floor, UFO, Mighty Hard, Quatermass, Trapeze, Episode Six, Grit, Sam Gopal, Steamhammer, Fuzzy Duck, Monument, Ashkan, Mick Farren, T2, Warhorse, Geordie, Bone, and many others! CD

Includes selections by Dru Hill featuring Redman, Jay-Z featuring Amil, Wu Tang Clan, JA Rule, Slick Rick, Montell Jordan featuring Monifah and Flesh N Bone, Jon B, Terror Squad, Too Short, and others; plus the theme by Lalo Schifrin, and skits with Chris Tucker. LP, Vinyl record album

23 tracks in all, including 10 interludes by Madlib. Includes: Kut Masta Kurt & Motion Man "Clearing The Field", Rob Swift & Gudtyme "The Earth's A Turntable", Rasco & Planet Asia "How Many Times", Divine Styler "Ghetto Supreme Being", Dilated Peoples "Strength", DJ Design & Peanut Butter Wolf "Level Five (The Disc Jockey)", Loot Pack "Bone Marrow", Del The Funky Homosapien "Cyberpunks" and more. CD

An all-star record from three contemporary forces in soul, hip hop, and jazz – yet one that's also got a nicely lean vibe as well – as the whole thing focuses on the best strengths of all three talents involved! Much of the music features Karriem Riggins on drums, Robert Glasper on keyboards, and Common delivering lyrics – usually with a style that's much more compact and down to earth than some of his own records of the past few decades! Glasper's right at home in the setting, and really helps set the tone – and singer Samora Pinderhughes is on many tracks, balancing out Common's rhymes with her vocals. Other guest singers include Bilal and Brandy – and titles include "Black Kennedy", "Practice", "Fly Away", "Aya", "Let Go", "The Time", "Optimistic", and "No Apologies". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer cuts from the legendary Hamilton Bohannon – an artist who first broke big on the Brunswick label with a really unique approach to a groove! Bohannon's cuts were always funky, but never straight funk – and instead, he had this minimalist way of layering together elements that was definitely a huge influence on later disco and club – but heard here in a style that's much more raw and down to earth! The package offers up 23 tracks that come from 45s that Bohannon did for the Brunswick label – some of which have different mixes, and all of which are razor-sharp groovers that are sure to please any fan of funk. Titles include "Run It On Down Mr DJ (parts 1 & 2)", "Come Winter", "Happy Feeling", "Gittin Off", "Have A Good Day", "Bohannon's Beat", "East Coast Groove", "The Fat Man", "Red Bone", "Truck Stop", "Stop & Go", "Save Their Souls", and "The Pimp Walk". CD