Ernie Krivda on tenor sax – with Claude Black on piano, Marion Hayden on bass, and Renell Gonsalves on drums – plus special guests Sean Jones and Dominck Farinacci on trumpet and flugelhorn. CD

Ernie Krivda on tenor saxophone, Bob Fraser on guitar, Dominick Farinacci on trumpet, Jeff Halsey on bass and Carmen Intorre on drums. CD

Tony Lujan on trumpet & flugelhorn, Bob Sheppard on tenor saxophone, George Cables on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Tom Brechtlein on drums. CD

Grachan Moncur III and Dave Woodley on trombone, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone, Billy Harper on tenor saxophone, John Clark on Frnech horn, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD

Includes the songs "I Hear A Rhapsody", "Susan", "Dues In Progress", "Anna Kate", "Cap'n Kidd", "Darn That Dream", "Two And Fro", "The Masquerade Is Over", "Serenity", "Two Wheelin Nathan", "CHOC",and "Thirty One For Strayhorn". CD

Michael Pagan on piano, Bob Bowman on bass and Ray DeMarchi on drums. CD

Spike Robinson on tenor saxophone, Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Ross Tompkins on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums. CD

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Ron Miles on trumpet, Fred Hess on tenor sax and flute, Art Lande on piano, Ken Walker on bass, and Bruno Carr on drums. Tracks include the originals "Witness" and "Just Like You (I Don't Want To Be)", as well as Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", the Monk piece "Ugly Beauty", and "Pithecathropus Erectus". CD

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John Gunther on alto saxophone and Greg Gisbert on trumpet. CD

Ken Peplowski on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Ted Rosenthal on piano, Martin Wind on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. CD

Features Jeff Hamilton on drums. CD

Beautiful duets between trombonist Phil Wilson and pianist Makoto Ozone – surprisingly swinging at times, despite the lack of a rhythm section! Wilson's always got a great ear for unusual sounds on his horn – and in the open space of this set, he really comes up with some compelling moments – yet there's also a really great sense of swing and soul to his work here, too – almost a sort of 50s lyricism, as you'd hear on some of JJ Johnson's older recordings. Ozone's nicely laidback, too – quite different than some of his bigger-label recordings of the 80s – and titles include "Giant Steps", "Gravy Waltz", "These Are The Days", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

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Don't let the Casio in the title fool you, as Brother Lee Skelly plays a whole host of other keyboards too – including Hammond C3, Minimoog, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, and Mellotron too – in addition to electric sitar and tambura! In fact, Lee plays everything himself – including a whole host of other instruments – but he makes the record come off like some killer funky combo – one that has plenty of keyboards upfront and on long solos, grounded by some massive drums and funky nuggets at the bottom! Titles include "Concrete Bongo Head", "Move It On", "French Madrid", "Soul Noodle", "Super Capri Beat", "Wah Wah", "Welcome To Valium Country", and "Bossa For Ingrid". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this first volume include include "Turnpike", "Sketch 1", "Capri", "Lover Man", "Get Happy", and "Coffee Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July". CD

A genuine illustrated encyclopedia of One Man Bands (traditional, electronic, overdub solo projects, Black Metal One Man Bands, buskers, etc.) with over 1,000 entries. Articles HASIL ADKINS, BEDROOM BANDS, HONKITONKIOKE, THADDEUS CAHILL, FRANKIE CAPRI, BROTHER DANIELSON, HOMER HENDERSON, JUDAS ISCARIOT, KING LOUIE. HILL LOUIS, MAN PARRISH, TODD RUNDGREN, IRON MAN MIKE CURTIS, JIMMIE LEE ROBINSON, REVENGE R and hundreds more. Magazine

A gem of a 50s album from Frank – well-themed and swinging, with a batch of travel-related tunes that really groove nicely! Billy May handled the arrangements on this one, and he gives the record a nice jazzy finish that fits the globe-trotting tunes well – taking Frank around the world in a song, and returning him home peacefully by the end of the set. Titles include the great originals "Come Fly With Me" and "It's Nice To Go Traveling" – plus "Isle Of Capri", "Around The World", "April In Paris", and "Brazil". CD features 3 bonus tracks too! CD

Includes the songs "Sleep My Little Prince", "Gotta Travel On", "The Sheik Of Araby", "The Old Rugged Cross", "South", "Bill Baily Won't You Please Come Home", "Isle Of Capri", "Weary Blues", "Savoy Blues", "If I Had My Life To Live Over", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "The Wreck Of The Old Ninety Seven", "Dinah", "You Are My Sunshine", "Wildcat Blues", "Lover", and "Magnolia's Weddingday". CD

An excellent album recorded during the height of Benny Golson's powers as an arranger and tenor soloist! Benny leads two groups – a quintet and a nontet – both of which feature players that include Art Farmer, Wynton Kelly, Sahib Shihab, Gigi Gryce, and Paul Chambers – working with arrangements by Golson and Gryce that are very much in the spirit of Benny's classic The Modern Touch album – with a similar blend of tight conception and soulfully confident solo work! Titles include sharp arrangements of many Golson originals – like "Step Lightly", "Whisper Not", "Blues It", and "Just By Myself" – plus a good reading of Gryce's "Capri". CD

Key early recordings from JJ Johnson – a player who really helped transform the role of the trombone in jazz! The set brings together sides that JJ recorded for both the Savoy and Blue Note labels – all small bop sessions, done in a tight boppish mode – with players that include Bud Powell, Cecil Payne, Leo Parker, John Lewis, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, and Clifford Brown. The set features 22 tracks in all – with titles that include "Jay Bird", "Coppin The Bop", "Mad Bebop", "Audobhan", "Riffette", "Yesterdays", "Down Vernon's Alley", "Bee Jay", "Elysee", "Opus V", "Capri", "Fox Hunt", "Sketch One", and "Turnpike". CD

One of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". CD

One of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". CD

The first solo set by KRS-One on his own – maybe a bit of a surprise, given that he was really the driving force and main voice of Boogie Down Productions after the first album – yet one that also gives him a chance to spotlight some new wisdom and a growing sense of identity! The set has KRS working with some great producers – DJ Premier, Showbiz, and Kid Capri – while also doing plenty of production on his own – all at a level that seems to only intensify the sound and increase the sense of urgency in his music! That quality really comes through on the timeless cut "Sound Of The Police" – maybe even more powerful now than when it was recorded – next to other classics that include "Outta Here", "I Can't Wake Up", "Black Cop", "Stop Frontin'", "Uh Oh", "Hip Hop Vs Rap", "Brown Skin Woman", and "Return Of The Boom Bap". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a 50s album from Frank – well-themed and swinging, with a batch of travel-related tunes that really groove nicely! Billy May handled the arrangements on this one, and he gives the record a nice jazzy finish that fits the globe-trotting tunes well – taking Frank around the world in a song, and returning him home peacefully by the end of the set. Titles include the great originals "Come Fly With Me" and "It's Nice To Go Traveling" – plus "Isle Of Capri", "Around The World", "April In Paris", and "Brazil". LP, Vinyl record album

Latin rhythms, Italian lyrics, jazzy solos, and lots more groovy touches – all coming together here in a special set of tracks that evokes the cross-cultural brilliance of London's Soho at the end of the 50s! The set's got a really unique vibe – with songs that mix electric guitars and heavy percussion, swinging vocals and rocking rhythms, jazzy scatting and weird instrumentation – all with the completely great ear for a special tune that we've come to expect from the Croydon Municipal label! If you've dug their other compilations, you'll definitely find plenty here to love – on 25 titles that include "Nicola Bossa Nova" by Bob Leaper, "Ciquo Minuti Ancora" by Peppini Di Capri, "Cappucina" by Ted Heath, "Esso Besso" by Victor Silvester, "Cha Cha Pop Pop" by Tony Scott, "Hot Toddy" by The Swe Danes, "Teenager Blues" by The Kessler Sisters, "Harry Lime Cha Cha" by Edmundo Ros, "Taboo" by Charles Blackwell, "Madison A Saint Tropez" by Tommy Kinsman, "Papa Loves Mambo" by Marino Marini, and "Mambo Inn" by The Modernes. CD

As with the other Rawkus compilations, you probably know already how dope this is, and the list of MC's and producers on these 20+ tracks says it all. Common Sense, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Diamond D, Q-Tip, High & Mighty, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Prince Paul, Reflection Eternal, Bahamadia, and more. Tracks include "(Any Man Intro)" by Beat Junkies, "Any Man" by Eminem, "B-Boy Document" by High & Mighty featuring Mos Def & Mad Skillz, "(WWIII Intro)" by Beat Junkies, "WWIII" by Pharoahe Monch & Shabaam Sahdeeq, "Stanley Kubrick" by RA The Rugged Man, "A Message From" by J-Live & Prince Paul, "(Crosstown Beef Intro)" by Kid Capri & Beat Junkies,"Crosstown Beef" by Medina Green, "(7XL Intro)" by Pete Rock, Marley Marl, & Beat Junkies, "7XL" by Sir Menelik featuring Grand Puba & Sadat X, "Chaos" by Reflection Eternal featuring Bahamadia, "Soundbombing" by Dilated Peoples & Tash, "Brooklyn Hard Rock" by Thirstin Howl III, "Mayor" by Pharoahe Monch, "(Patriotism Intro)" by Beat Junkies, "Patriotism" by Company Flow, "(1-9-9-9 Intro)" by Q-Tip & Beat Junkies , "1-9-9-9" by Common featuring Sadat X, "When It Pours It Rains" by Diamond, "A Message From" by Mos Def & Beat Junkies, "Next Universe" by Mos Def, "(Every Rhyme I Write Intro)" by Beat Junkies, "Every Rhyme I Write" by Shabaam Sahdeeq featuring Cocoa Brovaz, and "On Mission" by Reflection Eternal. CD

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this first volume include include "Turnpike", "Sketch 1", "Capri", "Lover Man", "Get Happy", and "Coffee Pot". CD features alternate takes, too. CD

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this first volume include include "Turnpike", "Sketch 1", "Capri", "Lover Man", "Get Happy", and "Coffee Pot". CD

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." LP, Vinyl record album

A CD that brings together some important early work from altoist Marion Brown – two long tracks from the sessions for his Quartet album on ESP – and a later album issued only overseas! The set begins with the long tracks "Capricorn Moon" and "Mephistopheles" from Marion Brown Quartet – one of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – a rhythmic, soulful, early session by Marion Brown – recorded before his own albums on Impulse, but with a similar feel to the best new thing sessions of that label at the time! The group is superb – with Benny Maupin on sax, Alan Shorter on trumpet, Rashied Ali on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass, often playing in tandem with Reggie Johnson – for a unique double-pulsing feel that makes for a nice rhythmic thrust. Next are the tracks "Juba Lee" and "Iditus", from the album Juba Lee – brilliant work from Marion Brown – one of his first albums, and a great set of tracks that have a fragile New York avant style – almost ESP, but not as raw, and with the kind of soulful emotion that's always made Brown's work stand out from the rest of his crowd. The group on the album is a septet, with Beaver Harris on drums, Dave Burrell on piano, Bennie Maupin on tenor, Alan Shorter on trumpet, and Grachan Moncour III on trombone. CD

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Genius early work from Kris Kristofferson – four great albums in a single package, with SACD mastering too! First up is The Silver Tongued Devil & I – a masterful tribute to the genius of Kris Kristofferson, and a record that perfectly illustrates that unique place he held in music at the start of the 70s! The album's Kris' second, and has maybe a more unified vibe than his debut – filled with original material that has that open, honest quality that Kristofferson brought to country music – and which also had a surprisingly strong impact on mainstream rock and singer/songwriter material too! There's both a frankness of feeling and sharpness of wit that make the whole thing wonderful – and the album's overflowing with original gems that include "Jody & The Kid", "Billy Dee", "Loving Her Was Easier", "The Taker", "When I Loved Her", "The Pilgrim Chapter 33" and "Epitaph" – plus a great reading of the Bobby Bare/Billy Joe Shaver tune "Good Christian Soldier". Border Lord is a wonderful album, and one that's full of lesser-known gems from Kris Kristofferson – from a time when he'd started sharing his songs with other singers first, and started to hold back all the good stuff for himself! The album's got help from some country music studio greats, but it's clearly Kristofferson's show, right from the start – overflowing with tunes that get delivery from Kris that nobody else can match – with a special understanding of the choice of words, balance of wit, and depth of feeling that makes him so great on record. Titles include "Burden Of Freedom", "Border Lord", "When She's Wrong", "Kiss The World Goodbye", "Getting By High & Strange", "Somebody Nobody Knows", and "Josie". Jesus Was A Capricorn is one of those records in which Kris Kristofferson takes on the 70s, and comes up with a sound and style that's completely his own – even when working within the mainstream of the time! His label, Monument, could do plenty of hokey stuff – and even arranger Bill Justis wasn't always the hippest of cats – nor producer Fred Foster. Yet working here, they all rise to the occasion under the majesty of the man's music – a soaring batch of original tunes, of that special sort that Kris was always keeping to himself after his early years writing hits for others. Titles include "Why Me", "Give It Time To Be Tender", "It Sure Was Love", "Nobody Wins", "Enough For You", and the title cut "Jesus Was A Capricorn", owed to John Prine! Spooky Lady's Sideshow is a record that has Kris Kristofferson loosening up his mix of styles slightly, almost a nod back to his debut – but all in a way that only seems to bring an even greater range of feeling to his songwriting! Kristofferson maybe looks a bit more casual and laidback on the cover than some previous sets, but he's still got all the sharpness of delivery that makes him so great, and which really matches his magical words – on titles that include "Broken Freedom Song", "Star Spangled Bummer", "Smile At Me Again", "I May Smoke Too Much", "Stairway To The Bottom", and "Rescue Mission". CD

A fantastic set from The Monkees – maybe the record that really had them coming together and finding that special groove that was all their own! The set features their completely sublime "Pleasant Valley Sunday" – but also has this great range of unusual material that seems to let everyone get some great space in the spotlight, while also hinting at trippier inclinations too – on other cuts that include "Love Is Only Sleeping", "She Hangs Out", "Cuddly Toy", "Hard To Believe", "What Am I Doing Hangin Round", "Star Collector", "Salesman", "Star Collector", and the completely bizarre "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". CD

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Thirty tracks. CD

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A fantastic set from The Monkees – maybe the record that really had them coming together and finding that special groove that was all their own! The set features their completely sublime "Pleasant Valley Sunday" – but also has this great range of unusual material that seems to let everyone get some great space in the spotlight, while also hinting at trippier inclinations too – on other cuts that include "Love Is Only Sleeping", "She Hangs Out", "Cuddly Toy", "Hard To Believe", "What Am I Doing Hangin Round", "Star Collector", "Salesman", "Star Collector", and the completely bizarre "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky". LP, Vinyl record album

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