Tremendous work from saxophonist Paul Gonsalves – one of his rare UK sessions from the 60s, all of which show that he had a fantastic sound that went way beyond his more famous work with Duke Ellington! The style here is tight, hip, and very grooving – work by a quartet that features Gonsalves on tenor, plus Pat Smythe on piano, Kenny Napper on bass, and Ronnie Stevenson on drums – all hitting a soulful hardbop style that's very much like the best Tubby Hayes records from the time! Gonsalves' tone is incredible – with that raspy, almost flatted mode that he used with Ellington – and it really stretches out here with plenty of room for creativity, in a way that makes us wonder why nobody ever got this one issued over on our side of the Atlantic. Titles include "Boom Jackie Boom Chick", "Village Blues", "Poor Butterfly", "Blue PG", and "Taboo". Getting' Together is a great hard edged jazz album featuring Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, Nat Adderley, and Sam Jones lay down a nice soulful groove with a deep bottom, and Gonsalves plays with warmth and imagination throughout. The set includes two of Babs Gonzales' great compositions: "Low Gravy" and "Gettin' Together". CD

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Lost genius from trumpeter Lee Morgan – a session recorded for Blue Note in 1967, but not issued until the late 70s – and even then, only for a very short time! The session has Morgan moving into that wonderful last stage of his career – working in tight formation towards a sound that still had that groovier hardbop styles of earlier recordings, but which also unfolds towards a more ambitious spiritual jazz mode. The writing on the session is superb – original tunes that crackle with energy in a surge of dark notes and shadowy moods, inspiring the soloists to express themselves at levels that rank with their best work of the time! The group features David Newman on tenor – sounding completely different, and far more righteous, than on his Atlantic sides of the 60s – plus Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. A great sound overall – right up there with Tom Cat or The Gigolo for lyrical modernism – and with titles that include "Sneaky Pete", "The Mercenary", "Sonic Boom", and "Mumbo Jumbo". Plus, the album is expanded here by 6 more tracks – all recorded in 1969, and only briefly issued on a 2LP late 70s album called The Procrastinator. These tunes have a slightly different, almost sadder feel – with a group that includes Julian Priester, George Coleman, and Harold Mabern – on more wonderful originals that include "Cla Til Da", "Uncle Rough", "Mr Johnson", and "The Stroker". CD

A smoker of a set – with Cecil on baritone and flute – alongside Eric Alexander on tenor, Jim Rotondi on trumpert, and Harold Mabern on piano! CD

A later percussion ensemble album by Max Roach – one done in the style of some of his earlier 60s percussion experiments, but with a fuller scope, and a more serious feel overall. The ensemble was first formed in 1970, but recorded here with a very ambitious tone as part of Columbia's classical/jazz crossover experiments of the late 70s – with percussionists that include Omar Clay, Roy Brooks, Fred King, Ray Mantilla, Warren Smith, Freddie Waits, and Joe Chambers. Titles have a variety of styles – some more tribal, some more jazz-based, and others with almost a 20th century avant feel. Tunes include "Onomatopoeia", "Glorious Monster", "January V", "Caravanserai", "Rumble In The Jungle", and "Epistrophy". CD

The complete Etiquette catalog of the garage rock pioneers The Sonics – with the Here Are The Sonics and Boom LPs, plus a third LP of rarities! Here Are..is the debut of the mighty, maniacal Sonics – one of the most raucous rock & roll albums ever! Here they unleashed a fury on r&b and older rock & roll cover tunes – plus incendiary originals such as "The Witch", "Psycho" and "Strychnine" – in a way that was in a lot of ways unprecedented, and became hugely influential. How much roaring rock do you need? You need this much!!! Other tracks include "Do You Love Me", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Boss Hoss", "Money", "Walking The Dog", Nighttime Is The Right Time", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and more. Boom also finds 'em blasting at their best – a mostly-noisy, guitar-driven, garage-drenched sound that also sometimes slides into surprisingly more soulful territory too! The group are way more than just another gritty garage combo – and have a rough-edged sense of excitement that easily matches some of the best early work of bigger UK groups of the 60s – especially given The Sonics' clear love for American R&B and soul. Titles include "Cinderella", "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark", "Let The Good Times Roll", "He's Waitin", "Louie Louie", "Jenny Jenny", "Don't You Just Know It", and "Shot Down". Also includes Volume 3 – a 10 track LP of alternate versions, non-album singles and live tracks – plus 36 page booklet and a poster! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Mega Banton, Red Dragon, Pappa San, Mad Cobra, Ghost, Beenie Man, Pinchers, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

31 songs from Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls, Little Worley & The Drops, The Tads, The Dots, Butch McGhee, The Hornets, The Four Dimensions, The Vice-Roys, The Versatiles, Brother Zee And The Decades, Danny & The Velaires, and Lon Rogers & The Soul Blenders. CD

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A fantastic trio set from pianist Takeshi Obayashi – a player you might know from work with Jose James and Takuya Kuroda, but one who really steps out here strongly in a trio setting! Part of the record's strength is the rhythm help – as Ben Williams plays bass and Nate Smith plays drums – both musicians who have a round, chunky sort of groove that works perfectly with Obayashi's piano as he spins out strongly soulful tunes that offer up a vision of jazz piano trio energy in the post-Robert Glasper world! All players contribute equally to the sound – and Williams is especially great – on titles that include "Konbini Confessions", "Black Label", "The Big News", "Ngroove", "Beyond Affinity", and "Bop Boom". CD

No charity needed here – as reedman Eji Oyewole's got a wealth of talent on his own! Eji's a musician with roots in the 60s Nigerian scene, but left to follow a personal path through Europe and the US, where he picked up some wonderfully funky styles which are then brought home to create this completely cooking late 70s album! The style's different than other big Afro Funk names of the time – like Fela Kuti or Manu Dibango – but shares a similar sense of flowing, open grooves – and Eji's ability to act strongly as both a lead vocalist, and a soaring soloist on tenor, soprano, and flute! Rhythms are damn funky at the core – with almost a blacksploitation vibe at times – and the tracks are all quite long, with most of the real "voice" coming from the saxes, which speak volumes on their solos. Titles include "Gele Odun (Oil Boom)", "Lagos Complex Highways", "Unity In Africa", and "Charity Begins At Home". CD

No charity needed here – as reedman Eji Oyewole's got a wealth of talent on his own! Eji's a musician with roots in the 60s Nigerian scene, but left to follow a personal path through Europe and the US, where he picked up some wonderfully funky styles which are then brought home to create this completely cooking late 70s album! The style's different than other big Afro Funk names of the time – like Fela Kuti or Manu Dibango – but shares a similar sense of flowing, open grooves – and Eji's ability to act strongly as both a lead vocalist, and a soaring soloist on tenor, soprano, and flute! Rhythms are damn funky at the core – with almost a blacksploitation vibe at times – and the tracks are all quite long, with most of the real "voice" coming from the saxes, which speak volumes on their solos. Titles include "Gele Odun (Oil Boom)", "Lagos Complex Highways", "Unity In Africa", and "Charity Begins At Home". LP, Vinyl record album

We never get tired of these Lee Perry reissues! The first of several compilations put together by the fine folks at Pressure Sounds documenting Perry's tremendous output from his Black Ark studio, at the peak of his powers in the mid 70s. Mostly drawn from 45s of cuts that attained legendary status because of their small press runs, this superb collection brings together the vocal and dub versions of tracks originally released on the Black Art & Upsetter labels. 13 tracks in all including "Psalms 20" by James Boom, "African Style" by the Black Notes, "Wolf Out Deh" by Lloyd & Devon, "Voodooism" by Leo Graham & "Better Future" by Errol Walker, along with their dubs by the Upsetters. LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy pays tribute to an earlier generation of R&B – in a hard-wailing set of soul jazz, done with backings from the legendary Oliver Nelson! A few tracks feature vocals by Jimmy, in a rough bluesy style, and others have some harmonica by Buddy Lucas – in a raspy, hard-wailing mode that still fits in nicely with the jazzier style of the album. Jimmy's organ is right up front on most numbers – recorded with that full, dynamic sound that makes so many of his Verve albums a treasure – and the best numbers have a more contemporary 60s groove alongside the older bluesy roots. Grady Tate plays drums – surprisingly funky at times – and other players include Melba Liston and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Billy Butler on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Joe Newman on trumpet. Titles include "Hi Heel Sneakers", "TNT", "Boom Boom", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman", and "One Mint Julep". CD

A record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for the Hiero Imperium scene for years to come! The set's filled with jazz inspired, headnodding boom bap production at its finest – topped with some of the finest ensemble rapping of the time, all at a level that breaks new lyrical boundaries with cuts that include "That's When Ya Lost", "Let Em Know", "Live & Let Live", "Make Your Mind Up", "A Name I Call Myself", "Disseshowedo", "What A Way To Go Out", "Never No More", "93 Til Infinity", "Limitations", "Anything Can Happen", "Make Your Mind Up", "Batting Practice", and "Tell Me Who Profits". LP, Vinyl record album

A remix-heavy version of a record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for the Hiero Imperium scene for years to come! The set's filled with jazz inspired, headnodding boom bap production at its finest – topped with some of the finest ensemble rapping of the time, all at a level that breaks new lyrical boundaries! This set is a mix of instrumentals and 12" tracks – with titles that include "93 Til Infinity (12" remix)", "That's When Ya Lost (I ain't trippin rmx)", "Never No More (78 Seville mix)", "Good Feeling (12" version)", "Make Your Mind Up (rock on mix)", "Never No More (LP inst)", "That's When Ya Lost (LP inst)", and "93 Til Infinity (rmx inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

Darn nice work from The Staple Singers – a record that seems to take the leaner, meaner sound learned by the group during their soundtrack years, and turn it back towards the fuller, more righteous sound of the Stax years! The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals, with very solid production and instrumentation throughout – a top-shelf effort that shows that even at this later date, a group like The Staples can still get some good sounds out of the studio. A few tracks are a bit mis-stepped, especially when Mavis steps out a bit too strongly in the lead – but overall, there's plenty of nice surprises on the record – and tracks include "Chica Boom", "Don't Burn Me", "Handwriting On The Wall", "Mystery Train", "I Want You To Dance", "Love Being Your Fool", "Showdown", "Unlock Your Mind", and "Leave It All Up To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Boom Bash", "Do The Egyptian", "New York New York", "Let's Rock The House", "Time For Peace", "Watt U Got 2 Say", and "House Is Smokin" LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of 70s covers by Material Issue, Smashing Pumpkins, Cheer-Accident, Young Fresh Fellows, Poster Children, The Farmers, The Reivers, Boom Hank, God's Acre, Trenchmouth, Mojo Nixon, No Empathy, and more. Cassette

The legendary 1962 Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall – and one of the first live recordings of the young bossa nova in all its glory! The concert is famous not only because it was a bit of a disaster (according to legend, just about nobody got paid!), but also because it brought together a huge amount of Brazilian talent on one stage, and premiered their music to a rabid US audience – very fresh at the time, as the big Verve boom of bossa recordings hadn't even started to take hold! The recording has a stunning live feel, and it preserves all the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, complete with lively crowd response. Oscar Castro Neves backs up most of the singers – including Sergio Ricardo, Carmen Costa, Carlos Lyra, Ana Lucia, and Chico Feitoso – and the LP has other instrumental performances by Joao Gilberto, Milton Banana, Roberto Menescal, Luiz Bonfa, and Sergio Mendes – all young bossa giants, really opening up here with their talents! The set features 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Barquinho", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Outra Vez", "Zelao", "Nao Faz Assim", "Bossa Nova Em Nova York", and "Passarinho". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

A weird and wonderful collection of tracks – funk, soul, and plenty more – all put together without any sort of boundaries or focus – which makes the whole thing one hell of a groovy record! The set's one of the flagship titles for the Seth Rogan-owned Houseplant label – one of their few vinyl releases, designed to fit in with the lifestyle of their other products – but even without that pedigree, there's plenty of great and well-chosen cuts here – and the assortment makes the whole thing way different than any standard funky compilation! Titles include "Good News" by Eamon, "Together (down dumbing rmx)" by Quel Maker, "Night Dancer" by Split Decision Band, "Leave My Beat Alone" by Raw Soul & Dorsey Brockington, "Cars That Go Boom" by L'Trimm, "Green & Money (good woman rmx)" by Maker Bishop Lamont, "Ombele" by Karl Hector & The Malcouns, "Blister In The Sun" by Violent Femmes, "Beat 100" by Benny Sings and Cola Boyy, "Pimp" by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, "Oxtanding" by Roc C, "Summer Madness SA" by Karriem Riggins, "Come & Get Your Love" by Family Tree, "Love Dub" by World Quake Band, and "Drop" by The Pharcyde. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums to come out of the late 60s spoken word record boom – a collection of Bob Dylan tunes, read with a heavy English accent by actor Sebastian Cabot! Cabot's probably best known for his roles in the shows Checkmate and Family Affair – and he uses that familiar growly voice to great effect here on Dylan's tunes – spitting them out with a slightly bitter quality that's a fair bit different than Bob's original versions, but still very much in the same spirit! The backings are relatively spare – bits of strings, guitar, and other instrumentation – all handled by Irving Spice – and tunes include "It Ain't Me Babe", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Like A Rolling Stone", and "Blowin In The Wind". One of the best examples of "establishment hip" we can think of – and it's records like this that took more steam out of the left than Barry Goldwater ever did! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous third album from MC Solaar – an artist with such a sense of flow, you might not even realize that he's speaking in French! The album's longer than before, but has a wonderfully unified feel – lots of Boom Bass/La Funk Mob production – at a level that not only revels in the new turns the French funk scene was taking, but which also brings in a bit more soul than before – a quality that really helped Solaar become something of a global star with this record, and not just a novelty hip hop act rhyming in French! The whole thing's rock-solid – and titles include "Gangster Moderne", "Tournicoti", "Zoom", "Daydreamin", "Wonderbra", "Dakota", "La 5eme Saison", "Galaktika", "Les Songes", and "Les Temps Changent". CD

A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the package mixes together dreamy female vocal numbers, catchy western themes, and plenty more great bits – all at a level that also showcases the way the maestro was working in Italian vocal music during the 60s, before moving more firmly into the world of cinema. The package features 21 rare tracks in all – including one number by a singer who's completely unknown – with titles that include "Splash" by Peter Boom, "Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi" by Trio Junior, "Una Stanza Vuota" by Lisa Gastoni, "Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso" by The Sorrows, "Nuvole" by Jimmy Fontana, "You & I" by King Harvest, "Luce Chiara Per Vergine" by Edda Dell'Orso, "Filastrocca Vietnamita" by Sergio Endrigo, "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Florinda Bolkan, and "Matto Caldo Soldi Morto Girotondo" by I Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni. LP, Vinyl record album

Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography! LP, Vinyl record album

Although he was the consummate high-class hipster at the start of his career, for some reason Jimmy Smith seemed to hit a forced sort of rootsy style about halfway through his years at Verve. The style worked well for him, even if it sometimes languished in bluesy tones that seemed a bit forced – and on this album, his basic trio of Grady Tate and Kenny Burrell are augmented by arrangements by Oliver Nelson. Nelson keeps things from getting too hokey, and Jimmy's organ lines are free and sharp on the best cuts. Titles include "Mustard Greens", "Hobson's Hop", "Got My Mojo Workin", and "High Heel Sneakers". Jimmy pays tribute to an earlier generation of R&B – in a hard-wailing set of soul jazz, done with backings from the legendary Oliver Nelson! A few tracks feature vocals by Jimmy, in a rough bluesy style, and others have some harmonica by Buddy Lucas – in a raspy, hard-wailing mode that still fits in nicely with the jazzier style of the album. Jimmy's organ is right up front on most numbers – recorded with that full, dynamic sound that makes so many of his Verve albums a treasure – and the best numbers have a more contemporary 60s groove alongside the older bluesy roots. Grady Tate plays drums – surprisingly funky at times – and other players include Melba Liston and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Billy Butler on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Joe Newman on trumpet. Titles include "Hi Heel Sneakers", "TNT", "Boom Boom", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman", and "One Mint Julep". CD

Jimmy pays tribute to an earlier generation of R&B – in a hard-wailing set of soul jazz, done with backings from the legendary Oliver Nelson! A few tracks feature vocals by Jimmy, in a rough bluesy style, and others have some harmonica by Buddy Lucas – in a raspy, hard-wailing mode that still fits in nicely with the jazzier style of the album. Jimmy's organ is right up front on most numbers – recorded with that full, dynamic sound that makes so many of his Verve albums a treasure – and the best numbers have a more contemporary 60s groove alongside the older bluesy roots. Grady Tate plays drums – surprisingly funky at times – and other players include Melba Liston and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Billy Butler on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Joe Newman on trumpet. Titles include "Hi Heel Sneakers", "TNT", "Boom Boom", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman", and "One Mint Julep". LP, Vinyl record album

Triumphant indie from the heart of the 80s – the well titled Perfect Prescription from Spaceman 3 – balancing feedback guitar squals and hazy melodies, heady bursts of noise with delicate, sweeter songs! The group again pays homage to the sonic psyche experimentalists of yore on a few numbers, and carve their own niche even better here, and the differing sensibilities of Jason and Sonic Boom providing tonal counterbalances that never better suited each other than on this album. Includes "Take Me To The Other Side", "Walkin With Jesus", "Ode To Street Hassle", "Ecstasy Symphony", "Transparent Radiation (Flashback)", "Feels So Good", "Things'll Never Be The Same", "Come Down Easy" and "Call The Doctor". CD

Glorious work from this Senegalese group – heavy on percussion of many styles, but equally heavy on vocals too – as the voices of the group members soar and unite during performance, mixing together with a style that's as joyous as it is rhythmic! There's a nice edge in production – recorded live, without the polish that often marred work of this nature during the world music boom decades back – and even the later addition of some saxes, kora, and effects does nothing to impair the liveness of the recording – on titles that include "Xarritt", "Baye Ndongo", "Borom Darou", "Mix Louange", "La Musique Du Coeur", "Sama Nene", and "Magg Tekki". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from one of the new European "funky young lions" of Blue Note France! Italian trumpeter Flavio Boltro lays down a killer set of modern funk grooves here – clearly played with one foot in the past, but the other firmly in a present that's filled with tight snapping drum breaks and round warm basslines. The record has a very strong 70s feel to it, but with a style that's hard to place – and which is more a combination of a lot of different elements than it is that of any one player. There's lots of nice keyboard riffing away under Boltro's horn, and the band has a tight funky feel in the manner of some of the best Italian combos from the golden days of the early 90s acid jazz boom. Titles include "Duo", "Little Room", "Matteo", "Hey Papa!", "Vucciria", and "Tea In The Sahara". CD

Two LP's on one CD. The first set is a later one for Vee Jay, and it brings together half of the Jazz Messengers with a batch of west coast players – in a groove that wonderfully mixes together different traditions and rhythms in jazz – and which steps out with a sound that's far more than the sum of its parts! Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller join a group headed by Buddy De Franco, and featuring Victor Feldman on piano and vibes, plus Victor Sproles on bass and Freddie Hill on trumpet. The sound of the group is quite unusual – and a lot lighter than you'd guess – giving Buddy plenty of room to solo in a breezy style that's grown tremendously since his 50s recordings – pushed along by some heavier soul from Art and the group. Titles include "Rain Dance", "Blues Bag", "Twelve Tone Blues", "Kush", and "Cousin Mary". The second album's one of the few ever cut as a leader by Louis Hayes – a very soulful talent who's probably best known for his work with Horace Silver and Cannonball Adderley during the late 50s. Hayes' has a wonderful approach to the record – borrowing bits of the exoticism of his work with Silver, and bits of the harder soul jazz from Cannonball's group – all of which is played to perfection by a tight quintet that includes Yusef Lateef, Sam Jones, Barry Harris, and Nat Adderley. Tracks are all originals by the group, and titles include "Hazing", "Rip De Boom", "Teef", and "Sassy Ann". CD

A wicked reinvention of the sound of Bo Diddley – a set that electrifies his groove even more than before – and takes him into the same mix of funk and blues that Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf were exploring at the time! This album's right up there with the two Cadet/Chess classics by both of those artists – and is possibly even more messed-up too – with lots of jagged edges that push past the usual Bo Diddley groove – even though that classic sense of rhythm is still at the core to drive things along! We don't know who's playing drums, but they've got a nice heavy handed approach that makes these tracks really boom – and the set's in a massively funky style that's taken far too many years to be acknowledged for in the mainstream! Lots of nice ones, including "Shut Up Woman", "Funky Fly", "Power House", "Black Soul", "Elephant Man", and "I've Got A Feeling". CD

A great debut LP by a near-forgotten act that blossomed briefly at the end of the 60s folk-rock boom – and deserve more than sidebar status in the book of modern music history! Earth Opera incorporated many styles into a sound that may not seem uncommon today, but was idiosyncrastic and unique in it's day, and still sounds great! The group was born from the collaboration of Peter Rowan and a young David Grisman, who recruited the rest of the members from the Boston Be-In and built an east coast take on the sounds that were sweeping California in the mid and late 60s. There's some nice jazzy influence creeping in to the bands singer/songwriter-plus vibe, with 10 songs in all, including "The Red Sox Are Winning", "As It Is Before", "Dreamless", "To Care At All", "Home OF The Brave", "The child Bride", "Close Your Eyes & Shut The Door", "Time & Again", "When You Were Full Of Wonder", and "Death By Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty remarkable set of spacey soul songcraft from Hiatus Kaiyote – a Melbourne group that blends moody, laidback live soul instrumentation with bubbling futuristic elements in a surprisingly seamless way – elevated even higher by strong songwriting and the soulful vocals of Nai Palm! Haitus Kaiyote has a sound that's steeped in cosmic soul, moody soul jazz and the artier/synth and programmed atmosphere of spacier moodscape figures like Flying Lotus – but it's band-based and song-based in a way that could really break Hiatus Kaiyote in a big way. Includes "Mobius Streak", "The World It Softly Lulls", "Leap Frog", "Malika", "Ocelot", "Boom Child", "Lace Skull", "Rainbow Rhodes", "Sphinx Gate" and "Nakamarra". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's maybe not the first record from the great John Lee Hooker – but one that definitely helped push him over the top, and forever cement his place in the legend of 20th Century blues! The vibe here is a bit different than some of Hooker's earlier, rawer material – as he gets some soulful backing from members of The Funk Brothers – an early current of Detroit punch, yet still delivered with a sound that's nice and lean – so that Hooker's vocals and raw guitar completely dominate the set! The mix of sharp rhythms and Hooker's lead is heard to great effect on the classic cut "Boom Boom" – a number that may well have set fire to a whole generation of British and American rockers – and other tracks are equally great, and every bit as gritty – with titles that include "Process", "Blues Before Sunrise", "I Got A Letter", and "What Do You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly nice album of 70s soul – recorded by the actor who was best known to the world as Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington on the TV show Welcome Back Kotter! Lawrence's voice is slightly less sprightly than his comedic work on the show, but thanks to some tight arrangements by Freddie Perren, the album's got a warm sparkling groove that seems to tie the whole thing together strongly enough that the vocals hardly matter at all! Titles include "Lock Me Up", "Turn The Music Up", "Love Shot", "Do What You Did", and "Kiss & Tell". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty nice little 2LP set – put together in the early 70s, and featuring material that Walter recorded for Chess during the 60s. As the title would imply, there's a lot of harmonica on the album – but Walter's vocals should also be given their due, as they're a bit more in the soul mode than some of his Chicago blues contemporaries. Titles include "Last Night", "My Babe", "Sad Hours", "Blues With Feeling", "Off The Wall", "Juke", "Mean Old World", "I Got To Go", "Shake Dancer", "Thunderbird", "Ah'W Baby", "Too Late", "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights", "You Better Watch Yourself", and "Blue Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – players who really represent the left side of Blue Note, but not as out as the "new thing" crowd – with a really creative approach to both the rhythms and the solos, commanded by Morgan's rich imagination at this point in his career. All tunes are great, and titles include "Zip Code", "Infinity", "Miss Nettie B", "Growing Pains", and McLean's fantastic "Portrait of a Doll". CD

Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography! CD

A return to grittier, more focused rock by Pearl Jam after taking a surprisingly loose approach on the underrated No Code – definitely among their finer records to come after the post-grunge boom years earlier in the decade! Pearl Jam is arguably at their best when they're balancing a genuine love for creatively daring rock with an unabashed love for fist-pumping scream along anthems, and they unyieldingly nail that on Yield. A late 90s rock classic. Includes "Brain Of J", "Faithfully", "No Way", "Given To Fly", "Wishlist", "Pilate", "Do The Evolution", "MFC", "Low Light", "In Hiding", "Push Me, Pull Me", "and "All Those Yesterdays". CD

A double-length set from The Rascals – possibly their most stretched-out exploration of ideas, at least during their initial run for Atlantic Records! The 2LP set features a fair bit of shorter, catchier tunes on the first record – many with some righteous soul overtones – but on the second record, the group really open up – hitting some longer jamming tunes on side three, and moving into a 15 minute instrumental on side four! Vocals are great from all three singers – Gene Cornish, Eddie Brigati, and Felix Cavaliere – and the rhythms are rock-solid too, often augmented with a bit of Atlantic-styled backings by Arif Mardin, to further enforce the soulfulness of the set. Titles include the hit "People Got To Be Free", plus "American The Beautiful", "Any Dance'll Do", "A Ray Of Hope", "Look Around", "Boom", "Heaven", "Cute", "Baby I'm Blue", and "Adrian's Birthday". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unique album from Sonny Rollins – one that features him blowing tenor over some Latin-based rhythms that have a tight uptempo feel. The core group on the album features Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – but they're augmented by larger arrangements that mix together bossa nova and calypso rhythms, which forge a surprisingly great background for Rollins' gutsy tenor. Although it's easy to dismiss the record as a throwaway cash-in affair on the Latin boom of the early 60s – Rollins actually handles himself wonderfully, and the longer-than-usual tracks on the album show a whole new side of his talents that were later reprised on Latin sessions during the 70s. Titles include "Bluesongo", "Jungoso", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Brownskin Girl". CD

The complete Monument recordings of southern soul-tinged swamp rock trailblazer Tony Joe White – in a wonderful box set from the deep catalog explorers at Rhino Handmade! Swamp Rock contains everything from the Black & White, Continued and Tony Joe LPs – with dozens of previously unreleased work from the era. Unlike the most famous dude we can think of who wears the swamp rock genre tag, Tony Joe White really was reared in the swamp country of Louisiana – and genuineness shows on these fine recordings! His vocals here have a bit of that laconic storyteller vibe of a Bobby Bare type character – but the production and arrangements have a real feel for the Stax and Muscle Shoals sounds. It's a blend of styles that's quite unique – and well worth rediscovery! Includes all the tracks from Tony Joe's 3 LPs for Monument plus a swampful of great bonus numbers from those sessions and more – a whopping 81 tracks on four CDs! Disc one includes the Black & White LP and much more: "Willie And Laura Mae Jones", "Soul Francisco", "Whompt Out On You", "Wichita Lineman" and more. Disc 2 features the Continued LP and more: "Elements And Things", "Woodpecker", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul" and much more. Disc 3 includes the Tony Joe LP tracks and more: "Stud-Spider", "Widow Wimberly", "Save Your Sugar For Me", "Hard To Handle" and more. Disc 4 includes a slew of previously unreleased material cut at Barclay Studios in Paris, plus live work from Tony Joe at the Isle Of Wight: titles include "Mississippi Delta", "Chain Of Blues", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and more from the Barclay sessions, plus "Boom Boom", "I Want You", "Groupy Girl" and more from Isle Of Wight. CD

Early work by pianist and bandleader Teddy Wilson, working here with Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, and the Chocolate Dandies. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "My Melancholy Baby", "Handful Of Keys", "If I Were You", "Say It With A Kiss", and "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)" – 24 tracks total. CD

A set of all vocal tracks from producer Lloydie Slim Smith, all recorded in Jamaica in the mid 70s – and in this very cool style that blends the soulful elements of early rocksteady work with more message-oriented roots material, touched with some of the trippier elements of dub! There's not too much of the latter, but Smith has a way of using some slight echo in ways that wouldn't have been done a few years before – creating a cool sense of space that really makes magic with the wonderful vocals on the tunes! Titles include "Look A Boom" by I Roy, "Judge I O Lord Inri" by Tappa Zukie, "Jah Jah Jahovah" by Ronnie Davis, "Heading For The Mountain" by Cornell Campbell & The Eternals, "Live In Unity" by Ronnie Davis, "Tripe Girl" by The Heptones, and "Why Did You Leave Me To Cry" by Barrington Spence. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of harmony soul gems – and a package that's overflowing with great numbers from a time when small group soul really sparkled in the funky 45 underground! Most of the cuts here have never appeared on CD before, and a handful are previously unreleased – and together, the set really showcases the sublime style of singing that emerged in the second half of the 60s – a new approach to harmonizing that was different from jazz, gospel, or doo wop groups in previous years – with tremendous interplay between the lead and backup parts of the group, in charts that were continually inventive and richly expressive at a level that still sounds completely great all these many years later! If you only know Motown male groups, or bigger names like The Impressions or Stylistics, you'll find plenty here to discover – a really rich tapestry of tunes that includes "Strange Voice" by The Imaginations, "Baby" by The Joneses, "Boom A Rang" by Dynamic Soul Machine, "By Your Side" by Moon & Mars, "Can't Get You Off My Mind" by Brothers Of Soul, "Waiting For Your Love" by The Love Experience, "Linda" by Salt & Pepper, "Need Someone To Love" by The Symphonies, "Take Your Time" by The Festivals, "That Day When She Needed Me" by The Performers, "We Can Make It Baby" by The Reputations, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" by The Four Sonics, and "I'll Be Waiting" by The Lovettes. CD

Not just soul music lovers – as the set's got plenty to offer for fans of funk and jazz too – a wonderful assortment of cuts from the golden years of the music, all put together here with a really great ear for a groove! The cuts are sourced from a number of different labels – including Groove Merchant, De-Lite, Sussex, and Brunswick – and because of that, they come together with a great sense of variety – not a confused approach to a compilation, but one that really knows how to play different cuts off one another – introducing you to rare gems, and making you love familiar cuts all over again in a different way! There's a total of 23 tracks and almost 80 minutes of music – and titles include "Mr Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers, "Loving Explosion" by The Eliminators, "The Fly" by The Kinfolks, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "Come Back To Me" by Cheyenne Fowler, "I Won't Be Around" by Jeanette Holloway, "Chick A Boom" by The Pazant Brothers, "In The Moog" by Harold McKinney, "Gold Smoke" by Everyday People, "There Was A Time" by Dee Felice Trio, "April" by Bobby Knight, and "No Trouble On The Mountain" by Richard Groove Holmes. CD

We're not entirely sure what happened to saxophonist JD Allen in recent years – but he's become an even bolder, more experimental player in his music – really augmenting an already-great legacy of albums with fresh new projects like this! The album continues that darker, more powerful approach that Allen has brought to recent records – and also takes it into new territory too, as he works in a lean trio with Gwilym Jones on drums and Alex Bonney on electronics and effects – the latter of which are used in these ways that are really subtle, but really great – shaping things almost in the background while Allen delivers searing tenor parts over the top! The set was recorded in London, and maybe catches some fire from the current experiments on that scene – on titles that include "The Revelator", "Know Dogs Allowed", "The Night Of Swords", "See It Say It Sorted", "Boom Bap", and "This". CD

Vibist Sasha Berliner has a really great touch here – a style that's almost elliptical at times, as she builds and builds these waves of sound on the vibes – creating a magical flow that really makes the whole album a strong statement for her ever-growing talents! The lineup also helps with the sound of the record a lot too – a great combo that includes alto from Jaleel Shaw and Fender Rhodes and piano from James Francies – players who step back at the right moments, then soar right in and spice things up. The rhythms have a nice crackle that matches Sasha's energy, too – drums from Marcus Gilmore and bass from Burniss Travis. Thana Alexa sings on "Crescent Park" – and all other tunes are instrumental, and include "Jade", "NW", "Boom's Epilogue", "Polaris", and "Ephemerality". LP, Vinyl record album

A very trippy album from the enigmatic Brother Ah – aka Robert Northern, former member of Sun Ra's Arkestra, and also a lecturer on the east coast. This album's his first, originally issued on the Strata East label – and a space mixture of other-worldly sounds. The first long track on the album is entitled "Beyond Yourself (The Midnight Confession)", and features a group with Ah on flutes and "natural" sounds, plus cello by Pat Dixon, percussion by Barbara Burton, and soprano voice by Barbara Grant. The track's a "sound journey in 7 parts" – floating across space with a mystical feel that slowly unfurls. The other long track on the set is "Love Piece", a tune in which Ah plays flute along with percussion by Max Roach and the M'Boom percussion ensemble – plus a 90-voice chorus, and a short rap by Roach. Very spiritual stuff! CD

Johnny Cash's early 60s Christmas LP – a mix of originals by Johnny, June and others, and a few popular Christmas tunes, all the more wonderful for Cash's faithful and true approach! Includes some spoken word narrative moments with sweet chorus backing, to the trademark boom-chicka-boom style, to others that are all about the voice. Great stuff, no country star did Christmas better! Titles include "The Christmas Spirit", "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day", "The Gifts They Gave". "Silent Night"., "The Ballad OF The Harp Weaver" and more. CD

A killer early set from The Commodores – and exactly the kind of record that shows why the group was so great at the start! Long before they were the giants of adult pop, the group were a tight funk act who were able to really balance mellow moments with more full-on grooves – a quality that meant they could slide into a warm harmony soul number at one point, then boom the bass right out of the box the next – all with a quality that at this point was light years ahead of most of their contemporaries! There's lots of modes here that other groups would cop more strongly in years to come – but the album's still better than any others that tried to imitate its strengths – thanks to classic cuts like "Hold On", "Free", "(Can I) Get A Witness", "Sweet Love", "Mary Mary", and "Gimme My Mule" – as well as the great spacey instrumental "Cebu", which has an excellent moogy Dexter Wansel-ish vibe! That cut alone is a major discovery for anyone who doesn't know the group at this point – and will show you that they can be totally hip when they want. LP, Vinyl record album

From Bauhaus – with Peter Murphy and Sonic Boom guesting. Cassette

Tracks include "Groove Merchant", "Idyll", "Pathways", "Child At Play", "Boom Boom", and "Reflections". CD

A wicked reinvention of the sound of Bo Diddley – a set that electrifies his groove even more than before – and takes him into the same mix of funk and blues that Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf were exploring at the time! This album's right up there with the two Cadet/Chess classics by both of those artists – and is possibly even more messed-up too – with lots of jagged edges that push past the usual Bo Diddley groove – even though that classic sense of rhythm is still at the core to drive things along! We don't know who's playing drums, but they've got a nice heavy handed approach that makes these tracks really boom – and the set's in a massively funky style that's taken far too many years to be acknowledged for in the mainstream! Lots of nice ones, including "Shut Up Woman", "Funky Fly", "Power House", "Black Soul", "Elephant Man", and "I've Got A Feeling". CD

A wicked reinvention of the sound of Bo Diddley – a set that electrifies his groove even more than before – and takes him into the same mix of funk and blues that Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf were exploring at the time! This album's right up there with the two Cadet/Chess classics by both of those artists – and is possibly even more messed-up too – with lots of jagged edges that push past the usual Bo Diddley groove – even though that classic sense of rhythm is still at the core to drive things along! We don't know who's playing drums, but they've got a nice heavy handed approach that makes these tracks really boom – and the set's in a massively funky style that's taken far too many years to be acknowledged for in the mainstream! Lots of nice ones, including "Shut Up Woman", "Funky Fly", "Power House", "Black Soul", "Elephant Man", and "I've Got A Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album