An overview of Common's early days on Relativity – featuring a few tracks each from Can I Borrow A Dollar?, Resurrection and One Day It Will All Make Sense – a strong sampler of his earlier greatness, if it breaks off way too early to be a genuine best of! Quibble as me might with the title, a compilation of Com's Relativity-era work is long overdue – and it's a display of his 90s Chi hip hop style. If you only came aboard with Like Water For Chocolate or Be, you need to take a look back! Benchmark work with production by Immenslope & Twilite Tone, No ID, Beatnuts and more. Tracks include "Take It EZ", "Breaker 1/9", "Soul By The Pound", "Charms Alarm", "Heidi Hoe", "I Used To Love HER", "Resurrection", "Thisisme", "Retrospect For Life" feat Lauryn Hill, "All Night Long" feat Erykah Badu, "GOD" featruing Cee Lo, "High Expectations" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A modern hip hop classic, the rhyme that really put Common on the map, that should need no introduction or explanation from us. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes the songs "Strut", "Feels So Right", "Jeri's Song", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", "Stay With Me", "I'm Sorry", "Sending My Love", "Love You To The Letter", "Perfect Day (Tessa's Smile)", "Where Do We Go", "Coming Home (In Memory Of Craig Smith)", "Common Ground", and " Song For Toots". CD

It's not often that Sam Jones gets the chance to record as a leader with a group larger than a trio – but when he does, the results are always great – and this album's no exception! Jones is working here on a date that's easily one of his best ever – a sextet outing that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Slide Hampton on trombone, Bob Berg on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums. The trio of Jones, Walton, and Higgins is well documented on other albums – but expanded to a sextet here, the group really opens up their sound – letting the horns search out majestically over the top of the tunes, while Walton provides those round, warm tones that make numbers like these dance in a lyrical beauty that he first displayed when working with the Jazz Messengers in the early 60s. Titles include a great 12 minute take on Jones' "Seven Minds", the always-great Walton classic "Bolivia", and the titles "Every Man Is A King", "For All We Know", and "Blue Silver". CD

We love the vibes of Steve Nelson in just about any setting – but they sound especially nice here in a trio format – working with superb bass from Joris Teepe and drums from Eric Ineke, both musicians who have a great way of making an all-star soloist sound even better! Nelson has that chromatic quality that always makes him one of the most distinct players on his instrument – a way of mixing hard and smooth at the same time, resonating out with these beautiful tones that are often underscored by the richness of Teepe's bass – a quality that's expanded even more when he hits a solo! Titles on this first volume include "Ceora", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "I Thought About You", "Star Eyes", and "Body & Soul". CD

We love the vibes of Steve Nelson in just about any setting – but they sound especially nice here in a trio format – working with superb bass from Joris Teepe and drums from Eric Ineke, both musicians who have a great way of making an all-star soloist sound even better! Nelson has that chromatic quality that always makes him one of the most distinct players on his instrument – a way of mixing hard and smooth at the same time, resonating out with these beautiful tones that are often underscored by the richness of Teepe's bass – a quality that's expanded even more when he hits a solo! Titles on this second volume include "Up Jumped Spring", "Lover Man", "I Remember April", "Satin Doll", "Lady Be Good", "Embraceable You", and "Well You Needn't". CD

Houston Person on tenor sax and Ron Carter on bass. CD

Features Billy Bang on violin and flute, James Emery on guitar, and John Lindberg on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

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An overlooked treasure from the early days of Trojan Records – a very soulful set that definitely lives up to its image on the cover! Singer Nicky Thomas takes on a host of material from both sides of the spectrum – including some country soul classics from the late 60s, reminding us that while Jamaica was getting a strong dose of soul and R&B on radio from the American south, they were also soaking up some country too – which Thomas transforms here into a soulful reggae style! The record includes a few originals by producer Joel Gibson, but also has many more surprises from the 60s American scene – all really changed up nicely with a vintage Trojan Records vibe. Titles include "Mama's Song", "Don't Touch Me", "Love Of The Common People", "God Bless The Children", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", and the classic "Doing The Moonwalk" – maybe the best-remembered track from the album. 2CD package features 31 bonus tracks, 21 of which are appearing here on CD for the first time ever – lots more Nicky Thomas material, including collaborations and duets – and work by Lloyd Willis, Jogibs All Stars, Joe Gibbs, The Love Generation, and Prince Williams! CD

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Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

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Very heady sounds from guitarist Mike Sopko – working here in a trio with drums from Tyshawn Sorey and bass from Bill Laswell – all in a style that's very much like some of Bill's darkest material from decades back! There's a real Axiom sort of energy going on here – as Mike's not afraid of fuzz and frenzy, and Sorey responds with really dynamic drum work at times – all joined together by Laswell's well-trained ear for the farther reaches of the sonic spectrum, which he uses to introduce just the right amount of subtle energy to the proceedings. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Upward Collapse", "Equation", "Oracle", "Incantation", and "Parascience". CD

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

Not "blues" like you might expect from the title – but a hip batch of tracks that has guitarist Kenny Burrell soloing over these great large arrangements by Don Sebesky – playing in a warmly chromatic mode that's similar to the work that Wes Montgomery also cut with Sebesky, but with that special sense of rasp and color that's Kenny's own! The tracks all have a nicely angular quality – Burrell taking care of the frontline solos with ease, and Sebesky letting the band fall behind him in broad washes of color, tone, and mood – blue-tinged, but hardly blues at all, save for a few chromatic hues that appear from time to time. Titles include "Sausalito Nights", "Were You There", "Burning Spear", "Angel Eyes", "The Preacher", and "The Common Ground". CD

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A great second set from Ides Of March – proof that the jazz rock combo had a lot more going on than just their famous single! The sextet hailed from the same scene as early Chicago (Chicago, of course!) – and have here a sound that shares plenty of the jazzy flourishes of that better-known group – blasting trumpet lines that soar, dip, and turn alongside the more uptempo tunes, and shade in the mellower ones. But there's also a more personal approach to this set overall, one that comes from the rough vocals of James Michael Peterik and some of the surprisingly heartfelt lyrics to a few of the album's best tunes – not entirely the height of early 70s singer/songwriter material, but also not that far either. Titles include the funky "Superman", plus "LA Goodbye", "Mrs Grayson's Farm", "Friends Of Feeling", "We Are Pillows", "Freedom Sweet", and "Tie Dye Princess", an extended number that runs for over 11 minutes. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

Three albums from this great guitarist! Common Cause is a spare trio outing from guitarist Attilla Zoller, done with support from Ron Carter on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and in a groove that nicely slips from mellow straight material one moment to more adventurous tunes the next! The straighter work is oddly some of the most appealing here – and is a refreshing change to some of Zoller's more experimental (but still great) work from the period – a great illustration of his strong tone on a simple line, in a way that we don't often get to hear on record. Straight numbers include "Lady Love" and "Kaybee" – juxtaposed with the more "out" "Tshitar", and the soaring number "Meet". Dream Bells is a hell of an album from guitarist Attila Zoller – one that's just a trio date, but which almost seems to have a fuller feel than some of his records from the time! The rhythms are wonderful – this warm, round bass from Frank Luther, whose tones alone really create a soulful energy on the record – and drummer Sonny Brown's got this nicely skittish tone that percolates even the mellow moments in this really great way – leaving Zoller to solo spaciously over the top with a sublime tone, and maybe a slightly deeper sense of soul than usual. Titles include "Dream Bells", "Seascape", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "Sudden Romance". Overcome is beautiful live work from guitarist Attila Zoller – stretching out here on long, spacious tracks that are maybe even more majestic an example of his tone than some of his studio work of the time! The group is a quartet – with Kirk Lightsey on piano, Michael Formanek on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – nicely subtle players at all the right moments, on titles that include "Overcome", "Starry Night", "Lullabye", and "Lev Blues". CD

One of the rare mid 50s treasures from the team of tenorist Jack Montrose and baritonist Bob Gordon – a great pairing from the LA scene of the mid century! Although both players were steeped in the sounds of their scene at the time, they also have a way of moving past cliche and common expectations – offering up music that's filled with surprise and delight, and which is always arranged with a great balance between tightness of execution and open personality of the players. Montrose arranged the album, and wrote a good number of the tunes – and other players include Paul Moer on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Bob Gordon on baritone – on titles that include "April's Fool", "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town", "A Little Duet", "The News & The Weather", "Dot's Groovy", "Cecilia", and "Paradox". CD

One of the rare mid 50s treasures from the team of tenorist Jack Montrose and baritonist Bob Gordon – a great pairing from the LA scene of the mid century! Although both players were steeped in the sounds of their scene at the time, they also have a way of moving past cliche and common expectations – offering up music that's filled with surprise and delight, and which is always arranged with a great balance between tightness of execution and open personality of the players. Montrose arranged the album, and wrote a good number of the tunes – and other players include Paul Moer on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Bob Gordon on baritone – on titles that include "April's Fool", "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town", "A Little Duet", "The News & The Weather", "Dot's Groovy", "Cecilia", and "Paradox". CD

Mos Def brings a veering diversity to New Danger – his first album in five years – a record that hits on tried-and-true Rawkus flavored beats and rhyme schemes, slow-rolling, smoked out soul & blues, and Quickness-era Bad Brains-esque arena rock! Of course our favorite cuts are the straight up hip hop tracks, produced by Minnesota with a percolating, synth-layered sound that works really well – giving the backdrop kind of a pulpy, cinematic sweep. Other tracks feature Mos and his soul/rock/blues outfit Black Jack Johnson. Mos clearly refuses to be roped in by anyone's expectations at this point – a quality that reminds us of Common's Electric Circus – in spirit, if not in the actual sound. Tracks include "Boogie Man Song", "Ghetto Rock", "Zimzallabim", "The Rape Over", "Blue Black Jack" featuring some straight electric blues guitar work by the one-and-only Shuggie Otis, "Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March", "Sex, Love & Money", "Sunshine", "Grown Man Business", "Modern Marvel", "Life Is Real", "War" (produced by Beatnut Psycho Les) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last bold statements made by the Music Revelation Ensemble – recorded at the end of the 80s, but still very much in an angular mode that's somewhere between the Ulmer/Ornette experiments of the 70s, and some of the post-no wave jazz in New York! Neither of those comparisons are a surprise, given that the group had strong New York roots – and a lineup that includes James Blood Ulmer on guitar, David Murray on tenor sax, Amin Ali on electric bass, and Cornell Rochester on drums. Tracks are sharp-edged and freewheeling – sometimes with a ferocity that was a bit more common in the Naked City generation – and titles include "Exit", "Inter City", "Big Top", "Tap's Dance", and "No More" – all written by Ulmer. CD

Great stuff from Leonard Nimoy – one of his best records, largely because he's upfront about the Spock side of his persona! As is well known, Nimoy really thought of himself as more of a serious singer than just a pointy-eared alien – so other records have a lot more of him singing straight pop numbers. This one, though, actually features about half Spock material – a full side of goofy sci-fi numbers like "The Difference Between Us", "Amphibious Assault", "Highly Illogical" and "Spock Thoughts". The other side still has some nice pop tunes – including a great reading of "If I Were A Carpenter", plus "Cotton Candy", "The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins", and "Love Of The Common People". LP, Vinyl record album

This is Asphodel's wonderful reissue of "word jazz" maestro Ken Nordine's classic mid 60s ode to the sultry side of the common, the uncommon, and some seemingly made up colors. ("Muddy" anyone?) Billed as "A Sensuous Listening Experience" – and truly living up to it somehow – it's a crazy suite of smoky, jazzbo spoken word monologues, each describing a different color, with groovy, loungey jazz backing. If you're unfamiliar with the weird, wordy world of Ken Nordine, this is the perfect place to start. 34 colors get the nod, including "Azure", "Russet", "Flesh", "Nutria", "Mauve", "Cerise", "Sepia" and others on the obscure spectrum, plus "Olive", "Lavender", "White", "Orange", "Purple" and lots of others on the common tip. If Monty Burn's got high on ether and cut a jazz album, this is probably what it would sound like. CD

Features selections from Don't Go Away Mad, Common Prayer, Rock Wagram, and Jim Dandy Fat Man In A Famine. LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly chromatic work from guitarist John Scofield – full of tones and textures that shift and shimmer about a soulful center – always as chromatic as you might guess from the album's cover and title! There's certain 80s elements in the instrumentation – especially the use of more electric bits, as was common for the Gramavision label at the time – but Scofield finds a way to keep things interesting by drawing on the deeper roots of his previous work for his solos. Titles include "The Nag", "Time Marches On", "Now She's Blonde", "Make Me", and "So You Say". CD

Warmly chromatic work from guitarist John Scofield – full of tones and textures that shift and shimmer about a soulful center – always as chromatic as you might guess from the album's cover and title! There's certain 80s elements in the instrumentation – especially the use of more electric bits, as was common for the Gramavision label at the time – but Scofield finds a way to keep things interesting by drawing on the deeper roots of his previous work for his solos. Titles include "The Nag", "Time Marches On", "Now She's Blonde", "Make Me", and "So You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

The Southern Style here is a great one – a small jazz combo approach to backings, with Jeri on piano, supported by just a bit of bass and drums! This sort of mellow, intimate album was rare for a singer of Southern's stature at the time – and Jeri takes keen advantage of it in her presentation of the tunes. There's a depth and sense of feeling here that's really great – one that goes past common cocktail trio renditions of the tunes, and which has more of a boozy, saloony sort of feel. Titles include "My Letters", "Let's Fall In Love", "One Day I Wrote His Name Upon The Sand", "Debonair", "I Don't Know Where To Turn", and "I'll Wear The Green Willow". CD

One of a few key albums that helped to establish the reputation of the great Maxine Sullivan as a jazz singer in the postwar years – even though she didn't record many others until a number of years later! The set features nice small combo backing from a group led by trumpeter Charlie Shavers – and the set's broken into jazz readings of popular songs and folk songs – the latter of which predates similar efforts from other singers by a few years! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most soulful albums ever recorded for the Kudu label – and one of the few full LP releases to feature vocal work by Chicago soul singer Tennyson Stephens! Tennyson's working here with Phil Upchurch, the legendary Chicago guitar player whose talents graced countless soul, jazz, and funk sessions over the years – and the pair are grooving nicely in a set of jazzy electric arrangements by Bob James, who also plays piano and Arp on the record. The mix of electric grooves and vocal soul is mighty nice – and titles include "You Got Style", "Tell Me Something Good", "In Common", "South Side Morning", "Evil", and "Black Gold". CD

A heady set from early 70s Argentina – a record that has some of the hard rock elements that were borrowed from the earlier blues rock generation, which you might expect from a group that's a trio – but one that also shades things in with some of the sensitivity that's more common in the best South American rock of the time! Richard Soule plays both electric and acoustic guitar – the former with a searing edge that opens up into plenty of solos, the latter with some more personal qualities that really gives the album a nice sense of depth – and bassist Willi Quiroga also handles a bit of acoustic guitar on two tracks too – with drums throughout by Ruben Basoalto. The production is nice and airy on some of the mellower cuts – and titles include "Sin Separanos Mas", "Ahora Es El Preciso Instante", "Por Aqui Se Te Echo De Menos", and "Detras Del Vidrio". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Ella Washington – a lesser-known force in southern soul during the late 60s, but a singer whose music really leaves us breathless! Washington's work on this set is impeccable throughout – far beyond the simple southern soul cliches that were coming to be common in the generation of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner – and instead, very much in her own space – recorded with sophistication and emotion that so many other singers wouldn't tap this well until a few years later. The themes of the tunes are great – heartfelt, but still with an emotional inner strength that really matches Ella's vocals – and titles include "Stop Giving Your Man Away", "Sweeter & Sweeter", "Fragile", "Starving For Love", "He Called Me Baby", "All The Time", and "The Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal set from Cassanda Wilson – and a record that firmly established her as one of the freshest new singers in jazz at the time! The album's awash in rootsy, dusky tones – and has an earthiness that's clearly inspired by older blues, but expressed by Cassandra in voicings that are more clearly jazz-based. Titles include an unusual range of covers – used in this way many years before the Starbucks generation of vocalists made it common place – with covers that include "Last Train To Clarksville", "Harvest Moon", "Skylark", and "Love Is Blindness" – alongside originals that include "Until", "A Little Warm Death", "Find Him", "Solomon Song", and "Memphis". CD

Pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto gave us some sublime records in the 70s on the Three Blind Mice label from Japan – and he really continues the spirit of those records here, on a set of tracks that demonstrate that, if anything, his sense of space and timing have gotten even more amazing as the years have gone on! With Yamamoto, it's never a matter of the material he chooses, which is usually common – but the way he puts the tune over while working with a trio – and the way that trio is recorded, which was always a key aspect of Tsuyoshi's records in the 70s. His classic Blues For Tee album was dedicated to his older producer back in the day – as this set is dedicated to Yoshihiko Kannari, who did a great job of capturing the magic from a trio that also features Hiroshi Kagawa on bass and Toshio Osumi on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Love Theme From Sunflower", "Darn That Dream", "Midnight Sugar (alt take)", "Blues In The Closet", and "Gentle Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this excellent series – and one that's got a slightly different flavor than the rest – as it seems to step back a bit more in time, and brings in some cuts that have more of a jazz and R&B-based sound! The vibe is every bit as gritty as previous volumes – but the shift in sound means that there's a nicely wide range of tracks – still plenty of funk, but also some great rare cuts from the pre-funk generation too – all brought together with the strong sense for obscure grooves that always makes Movements so great! Titles include "Common Sense" by Lu Elliott, "Hipper Snapper" by 4 Dimensions, "Funky Broadway by The Villagers, "No Big Thing" by Lloyd Fatman, "Teacher Teach Me" by Billy J, "Honesty" by The Rippers, "Sax On The Rocks" by Gus Brendel, "Break It Loose (part 1)" by Onyx, "Shake & Bake" by The Shake & Bake Band, "Outside Looking In" by Lou Jackson, "Summertime" by Downtown Trio, and "Seven Days To Tahiti" by The Hornets. CD

A great entry in this excellent series – and one that's got a slightly different flavor than the rest – as it seems to step back a bit more in time, and brings in some cuts that have more of a jazz and R&B-based sound! The vibe is every bit as gritty as previous volumes – but the shift in sound means that there's a nicely wide range of tracks – still plenty of funk, but also some great rare cuts from the pre-funk generation too – all brought together with the strong sense for obscure grooves that always makes Movements so great! Titles include "Common Sense" by Lu Elliott, "Hipper Snapper" by 4 Dimensions, "Funky Broadway by The Villagers, "No Big Thing" by Lloyd Fatman, "Teacher Teach Me" by Billy J, "Honesty" by The Rippers, "Sax On The Rocks" by Gus Brendel, "Break It Loose (part 1)" by Onyx, "Shake & Bake" by The Shake & Bake Band, "Outside Looking In" by Lou Jackson, "Summertime" by Downtown Trio, and "Seven Days To Tahiti" by The Hornets. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection from the Indian scene at the end of the 60s – a set that's much more hard rocking than you might expect! The original package was put together by a tobacco company to promote their Simla cigarettes – but the music within has a surprisingly underground vibe – a very heady brew of garage, psych, and some harder rocking moments – served up by groups who maybe have a lot more in common with the British and American scenes of the time than most of the artists in their homeland. The vibe is maybe more Anglo mid 60s than the 1970 date might imply – and titles include "Voice From The Inner Soul" by Confusions, "You Can't Beat It" and "Sinister Purpose" by Dinosaurs, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Zorba's Dance" and "Baby Baby Please" by Innerlite", "What's Going On" and "Proper Stranger" by Genuine Spares, and "Mist" by Great Bear. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection from the Indian scene at the end of the 60s – a set that's much more hard rocking than you might expect! The original package was put together by a tobacco company to promote their Simla cigarettes – but the music within has a surprisingly underground vibe – a very heady brew of garage, psych, and some harder rocking moments – served up by groups who maybe have a lot more in common with the British and American scenes of the time than most of the artists in their homeland. The vibe is maybe more Anglo mid 60s than the 1970 date might imply – and titles include "Voice From The Inner Soul" by Confusions, "You Can't Beat It" and "Sinister Purpose" by Dinosaurs, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Zorba's Dance" and "Baby Baby Please" by Innerlite", "What's Going On" and "Proper Stranger" by Genuine Spares, and "Mist" by Great Bear. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little LP that combines 2 different earlier sets for Riverside. The first one features 3 tracks – "Gee", "Kingston Lounge", and "The Boys From Brooklyn" – pulled from Matthew Gee's Jazz By Gee set, a septet recording that featured Kenny Dorham, Frank Foster, Cecil Payne, and Joe Knight. The last 3 tracks – "Orient", "Free Flight", and "Gone With The Wind" – are pulled from a more obscure Ernie Henry set, a quintet recording with Dorham, Kenny Drew, Wilbur Ware, and Art Taylor. Dorham's the common element here – but all players cook pretty darn hard! LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Robert Glasper – a set that makes us fall in love with his music even more than before – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that we've loved him for years! Glasper's working here in his collaborative Black Radio format – but at a level that's even more perfected than the initial album of this project – a really groundbreaking blend of live jazz instrumentation and underground soul inspiration – served up by Robert's core quartet, with help from a whole host of wonderful guest singers! Glasper alone is worth the price of admission – Fender Rhodes and piano lines that are completely sublime, in that flowing groove that's only gotten better with age – and the combo also features wicked bass from Derrick Hodge, sax and flute from Casey Benjamin, and some damn funky drums from Mark Colenburg – who proves that you don't need any drum loops or samples to make music this great. The singers are the icing on the cake – a lineup that includes Faith Evans, Dwele, Jill Scott, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Norah Jones, and others – on titles that include "Calls", "Worries", "I Stand Alone", "What Are We Doing", "Trust", "Yet To Find", "You Own Me", "Somebody Else", "Persevere", and "Let It Ride". CD

A great Tokyo meeting from this wonderful trio – and a great little record that even stands out from most of their others from the time! The set's got a surprising amount of original material by the members of the group – as each player contributes at least one title – and these compositions really help give the whole thing a very fresh, personal vibe – quite different than the more common use of standards on some of their other albums. And although Hank Jones is billed as the "owner" of the group on the title, the set is the same sort of wonderfully collaborative effort as usual – with some specially brilliant work on bass from Ron Carter, and well-chosen work on drums from Tony Williams. Titles include "Forever", "To Destiny", "Pink Lady", "GJT", and "Mellow Blues". CD

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great vocal performances from the likes of Common, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. The groove soars from Miles-inspired electric to the heavy funk of George Clinton – and makes plenty of side-trips in between – exploring a range of soulful jazz, both new and old, and coming off a lot better than we might have thought! Titles include "Pastor T", "I'll Stay", "Common Free Style", "Juicy", "The Stroke", "Poetry", "Liquid Streets", "The Joint", and "Forget Regret". LP, Vinyl record album

Chunky, bumpy soul from Hil St Soul – possibly her best album to date, and a set with a wonderfully fluid sort of groove! There's a slightly contemporary vibe going on here – one with traces of recent London rhythms, folded into Hil's more familiar Neo Soul approach on vocals – all with a sound that's cracklingly fresh, and a nice contrast from some of the other common modes on the market. The album's urban, but with a forward-thinking sound that's hardly commercial – and titles include "Wash Away", "Don't Forget The Ghetto", "Smile", "If I Was You", "Hanging On", "Gravity", "We Were In Love", and "Broken Again". CD

The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards – played by Ronnie underneath his wonderful vocals – with jazzy touches that give the record a strongly mature sound, almost in the realm of Stevie Wonder at points, especially Stevie's sound right at the end of the 60s. But Ronnie's also very much his own man too – and puts together the album with a great deal of thought – a few recurring musical themes between some tunes, and even bits of dialogue which serve to unite the different tunes, and almost make the record a mini-symphony of soul! The songwriging is beautiful too – numbers that have a deeply personal feel, but without any common cliches – often a righteous undercurrent that creates a spiritual vibe that links things together wonderfully. There's a depth here that goes way beyond common soul albums of the time – and the album's a real treasure of 70s soul – the kind we'd never part with! Titles include "In Summertime", "Young Girl", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Girl You're Gonna Lose Your Groove", "Keep Your Hands Off My Lady", "Extra Extra", "Gone Away", and "I'm So Thankful". LP, Vinyl record album

A milestone for Pete Rock – stepping out on his own after the split of his legendary duo with CL Smooth for one of the finest producer headlined hip hop records of the late 90s! An all star lineup is on the mic – including Inspectah Deck, Kurupt, Method Man, OC, Raekwon, Ghostface, Prodigy, Large Professor, Kool G Rap, Black Thought, CL Smooth, Common, Big Pun – all clearly invigorated by the opportunity to bring their A-games to late peak era Pete Rock timeless soul beats. A masterclass in classic hip hop craft. "Tru Master", "Half Man Half Amazin", "Truly Yours 98", "Take Your Time", Respect Mine", "Mind Blowin'", "Strange Fruit", "Massive" and more. 17 tracks in all. CD

The second major label set from The Roots, and what many consider their first and definitely not their last) irrefutable classic! We could make the case for the debut Do You Want More? as a bonafide classic, too, but this is certainly the tone certainly the one that cemented their status and one of the greatest live-tested hip hop bands. Given how strong and far reaching The Roots pedigree would become over the years, this one's all the more amazing to revisit – and it's fresh and distinctive to this day. 20 tracks including intro & outro, with "Respond/React", "Clones", "No Alibi", "No Great Pretender" "Universe At War" (featuring Common while he was still Common Sense), "What They Do", "Ital (The Universal Side)", Concerto Of The Desparado", "The Adventures In Wonderland" and more. CD

A landmark album from The Spinners – one that has the Detroit vocal group making a hip trip to the Philly scene – picking up a whole new sound and rich new energy in the process! A few years later, working in Philly studios would be common for many artists – but this self-titled Spinners set really helped launch the trend – and for good reason, too – given the strength of the production and arrangements from the legendary Thom Bell! Bell's at his best here – helping the group reach whole new territory in their wonderful harmonies – and backing them up with some of the best musicians the Sigma Sound Studios had to offer. The album's overflowing with hits – like "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" – but it's also got some excellent lesser-known material too, like the extended "I Could Never (Repay Your Love)" and "We Belong Together". Other cuts include "Ghetto Child", "Just You & Me Baby", "I'll Be Around", and "Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind". CD

Talib returns with another very strong full length set – lyrics blazing like wildfire, enveloped by beats by Dave West, Kanye, the Neptunes, Hi Tek, Just Blaze and others! Kweli has assembled a laundry list of capital names to man the boards on these tracks, but the producers collectively wrap their games around the sling shot, long-winded rhymes of that most thoughtful of the thoughtful MCs – in lieu of dressing Talib's mic mastery up as chart material. It's hard to pick a single track that'll hold up like "Get By" from Quality LP, but this one's probably a more consistent listen from beginning-to-end. Features the slow jam single "I Try" with Mary J Blige, plus the Hi Tek gem"We Got The Beat" (featuring Res). Other cuts include "Going Hard", "Broken Glass", "We Know" with Faith Evans, "Around My Way" with John Legend, "Work It Out", "Ghetto Show" feat Common & Anthony Hamilton, "Black Girl Pain", "Never Been In Love" and "Beautiful Struggle". CD

The last in Beau Williams' great run of albums for Capitol Records in the mid 80s – and a sweet little set that equally balances quiet storm ballads with more uptempo groovers! Williams is one of the great unsung male vocal acts of his generation – and he's got a great way here of putting over a mellow track with a level of care and sensitivity that weren't always that common in mainstream soul at the time – a approach that reminds us more of Marvin Gaye or The Isley Brothers in years before, than you might guess from the date of the album. Production is by William Reinhart, McFadden & Whitehead, Williams, and others – and titles include "I Found A Love", "All Because Of You", "There's Something About You", "Give Me Up", "Don't Be Gone To Say", "No More Tears", and "Been Too Long". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album ever cut by The Winstons – an obscure mixed-race soul combo who had roots in Otis Redding's touring band, and who hit big with a soul Grammy in 1969 for the title track to this one, "Color Him Father". The cut's an amazing document of its time, a sweet little story-song about a boy who's lost his dad in the war (Vietnam?), and who grows to love the new guy that his mom is dating. Sounds sappy, but it's one of the most compelling soul singles of the 60s – and is always a treat to hear. The other big cut on the record is the classic breakbeat track "Amen Brother", which is an instrumental reading of the gospel standard, done in a fast-funk style that's been sampled for years – both by hip hoppers and by drum n bass producers! (Noteworthy, too, is the fact that this 33rpm album offers a bonus on the cut that the 45rpm single does not – you can play the album at 45rpm to speed up the break in the track, getting a great jungle effect!) The rest of the record is pretty good – but mostly features the group trying to cover work by other artists, on songs like "The Chokin Kind", "The Greatest Love", "Everyday People", and "Only The Strong Survive". CD features bonus tracks – "Love Of The Common People", "Wheel Of Fortune", "Say Goodbye To Daddy", and "Mama's Song". CD

Not 80s hits, but a great collection of lesser-known gems from the left side of the soul spectrum – some cuts by bigger artists that sparkle even more strongly than their hits – mixed with work by some less common acts too – all served up in a double-length package that's filled with surprises! Most numbers have a boogie bounce or an 80s groove approach – nice and funky, but in a post-70s sort of style – and titles include "Get Down With Me" by The Chi-Lites, "Be My Lady" by Intensive Heat, "Put It In A Magazine" by Sonny Charles, "Life It Up" by D'Aile with Janice Hoyte, "Walk With Me" by Valerie Horton-Brown, "You're My Everything" by Blondie & Pappa, "Can You Feel It (progressive version)" by Funk Fusion Band, "Swing That Sexy Thang" by Carl Carlton, "Full Tilt Boogie" by Uncle Louie, "How To Win our Love (special dub)" by Spencer Jones, "Assault With A Deadly Weapon" by Michael Henderson, "Love Is Just What You Make It" by TTF, "Joy & Pain" by Vernon Burch, "Class (12" promo)" by The Reddings, "Won't Let You Take It Back" by The Jones Girls, and "I Can't Let You Go" by Talkback. CD

Serving time has never been this groovy – thanks to a whole host of prison-themed tunes from the postwar years, presented here in a package that's especially strong on blues and R&B! Sure, most folks know "Folsom Prison Blues", but this package digs much deeper to come up with two dozen near-lost tracks that also echo the legacy of incarceration that frequently interacted with the music business during years when even the most minor infraction might get a singer or instrumentalist locked up. We're not saying that all these artists have experience behind bars, but the set does resonate strongly as a showcase of the too-common theme of jail and prison in American music. Titles include "Jailbird" by Smiley Lewis, "But Officer" by Sonny Knight, "Hey Mr Warden" by Danny Cobb, "Prisoner's Song" by Fats Domino, "Please Mr Jailer" by Wynona Carr, "Ball & Chain Blues" by Josh White, "Jail Bird" by El Pauling & Royal Abbit, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy Arnold, "Jailhouse Blues" by Ottille Patterson, "When I Leave These Prison Walls" by The Larks, and "I'm A Prisoner" by Eddie Boyd. CD

A really wonderful collection – an important re-investigation of the unusual mix of sounds and styles on the New York scene in the years after disco – a time when funk, punk, hip hop, and art were all colliding at once – providing a really fresh antidote to the staid sounds of Studio 54! The "disco" in the title should be taken lightly – as these cuts didn't play at the slick uptown dance spots – but were instead the soundtrack for the cool spots happening downtown, as the previous loft culture morphed into clubs, in this very special blend of the energy of CBGB and the underground soulful dancefloors. The set list is filled with classics from this time – and titles include "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, "Tell You Today (voc)" by Loose Joints, "Walking On Thin Ice (re-edit)" by Yoko Ono, "Over & Over" by Material, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players, "Kiss Me Again (original edit)" by Dinosaur, "Move" by Nicky Siano, "School Bell/Tree House" by Indian Ocean, "I Walk" by Don Cherry, "Voices Inside My Head" by Common Sense, and "Wheel Me Out" by Was Not Was. LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the best albums ever by Curtis Amy, and a tasty live set recorded during the period when he was beginning to steep himself in Coltrane influences, and stretch out his tenor sound a bit. The album's also notable for being an early appearance on wax by Roy Ayers, who is incorrectly listed in the credits as "Ron Ayers"! Other players include Roy Brewster on trombone and John Houston on piano, and titles include "For Ayers Only", "Tippin On Through", and "Funk In The Evening". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime soundtrack from John Barry – common, to be sure, but also a wonderfully-crafted set that goes way beyond the stereotypes of his work for the James Bond films! The record is probably best known for Nilsson's famous version of the Fred Neil tune "Everybody's Talkin" – which is great in itself – but it's Barry's own work on the title theme that we totally love. "Midnight Cowboy" is a darkly turning slowly pondering tune that will haunt us until the day we die – performed here on the original number with a sad-tinged harmonica that unites both the country of Joe Buck's roots and the sleaze of the love generation. The tune's great – and is matched here by the whimsy of "Florida Fantasy", and the Barry tracks "Fun City" and "Science Fiction". But also, Barry acted as the overall music director for the film – and used some tracks from the hip group Elephant's Memory, plus others by The Groop – but offbeat acts who really fit the spirit of the film. The record's almost worth it just for the cut "Old Man Willow", a really tripped-out longer track from Elephant's Memory – swirling around in organ and hippie vocals, and oddly echoing the main Barry theme of the set at times! LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of classics from this electronic duo – all brought together in a single set! First up is In A Wild Sanctuary – one of the best records ever from Beaver and Krause – largely because there's not so much noodling! This one features the pair on moog and organ, with help from Dave Grusin on piano, Milt Holland on percussion, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Bud Shank on reeds. The sound isn't jazz at all – but more a mix of spacey grooves and bubbling bits, with much more of a song-like structure than on other records. There's a few nice cuts here that almost hit a groove, and even when they don't, they still have a nice stripped down moogy sound that's very pleasing. Titles include "Spaced", "Salute To The Vanishing Bald Eagle", "People's Park", "Walking Green Algae Blues", and "Another Part Of Time". Gandharva is a cool mixture of rock and electronics – a perfect example of the Beaver & Krause team at their best! The ensemble on this one is bigger than usual, and the players includes jazz musicians like Mike Bloomfield, Gerry Mulligan, and Howard Roberts – but Beaver & Krause still play a lot of moog, though, and the songs are pretty groovy – although a little short. Side 2 was recorded at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Titles include "Soft/White", "Walkin By The River", "Walkin", "Nine Moons In Alaska", "Bright Shadows", and "Short Film For David". All Good Men is a higher concept album than usual for the team of Beaver & Krause – a record that still features plenty of cool moog and electronics by the pair, but which also has them teamed up with arranger Jimmie Haskell in a set of tunes that mixes older themes with original numbers! A fair bit of tracks here have vocals – either by Krause, or by female vocalists Cris Williamson, Adrienne Anderson, or Elisabeth Wilson – plus the "celestial choir" on a few tracks. There's a hearkening back here that's a bit confused at some moments – mixing Scott Joplin with the then-common apology to Native American mode – but things sound best on the original numbers, which have picked up a groove a bit more than before, and even have some nice warmer tones we really like. Titles include the spacey spinner "Between The Sun & The Rain", plus "Loves Of Col Evol", "Sweet Williams", "Bluebird Canyon Stomp", "Looking Back Now", "Child Of Morning Sun", and "All Good Men". CD