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1
Janelle Monae —
Electric Lady (with download) ... LP 
Bad Boy/
The electric lady is back again – getting great help on this set from Prince, Erykah Badu, Miguel, and Esperanza Spaulding! The set features further chapters in Janelle's Metropolis story – but apart from that overarching structure, and cool notes that situate the singer as some future cultural criminal, the overall vibe is tight funky soul – at a level that not only lives up to all of Monae's sparkling promise from before, but which also finds a great way to bring out the best elements of all the guests! There's plenty of funky numbers here that stand wonderfully well on their own, but the whole thing works even better as a unified set – with titles that include "Primetime", "Givin Em What They Love", "Queen", "Electric Lady", "Look Into My Eyes", "It's Code", "Ghetto Woman", "Victory", "Dorothy Dandrige Eyes", and "What An Experience". LP, Vinyl record album
2
Don Cherry —
Cool ... CD 
Dressed To Kill (UK), Late 1960s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A package without much in the way of notes, but which includes some really killer work from the great Don Cherry – some of his famous French recordings done for the BYG/
(Sealed copy.)
3
Don Cherry —
Cool ... CD Dressed To Kill (UK), Late 1960s. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A package without much in the way of notes, but which includes some really killer work from the great Don Cherry – some of his famous French recordings done for the BYG/
4
Ramsey Lewis —
Don't It Feel Good/Columbia/
Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD
5
Ramsey Lewis —
Don't It Feel Good/Columbia/
Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD
6
Charlie Parker —
Le Jazz Cool Vol 1 ... LP JC, Late 40s/
Posthumously released live material from rare jam session recordings from the 40s – issued here to cash in on the huge amount of Birdophiles that were cropping up after Parker's early death. The album gives no real notes on personnel or location, except to say that the tracks were recorded in 40s New York. And although the recording quality isn't excellent, Bird's solos do come through with a ferocity that greatly captures his sheer raw power in any setting. Titles include "Hot House", "Cool Blues", "Orinthology", "Groovin High", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album
7
Various —
CTI Records – The Cool Revolution (4CD set) ... CD CTI, 1970s. Used 4 CDs ... Out Of Stock
A well-titled little set – as the collection is as cool as the sound of CTI Records back in the 70s! The unique package features an LP-sized cover – just like one of the CTI gatefold albums from back in the day – which contains 4 different CDs, each with a slightly different take on the sound of the legendary label! CD 1 is titled Straight Up – and features amazing 70s jazz from Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, George Benson, Randy Weston, Freddie Hubbard, and others. CD 2 is titled Deep Grooves/
8
Frederiksberg, 1984. New Copy (reissue)... $36.99 38.99
A really cool Ethiopian record, but not the sort you might expect – as most of the instrumentation here is heavy on electric elements, which includes a fair bit of 80s keyboards, synth, and drum machine lines! The group were actually exiles, living in the Washington, DC area during the early 80s – and the record is almost a fusion of Ethio roots with more familiar American styles – a bit like the work that Mulatu created during his early time in the US, but with a very different vibe! There's lead vocals on one track, but most of the set is instrumental – and filled with plenty of sweet keyboard lines and guitar riffs – jazzy, electro, and plenty charming – on titles that include "Kalatashew Waga", "Anchi Bale Game", "Tez Alegn Yetintu", "Bahta's Highlife" and "Samba Shegitu". LP, Vinyl record album
(Comes with a very big booklet of notes – telling the unique legacy of the group!)
9
Berio —
Sinfonia – Swingle Singers/Columbia, 1969. Very Good+ Gatefold ... $8.99
The original recording of Berio's dark vocal piece Sinfonia, and one of the pivotal moments when the Swingle Singers switched from doing jazzy versions of classical tunes to work that was more avant garde. Their high level of talent is apparent in this recording, and they give Berio's work a nice haunting sound, with a feel that's even spookier because you sort of recognize them as a pop group, but one that's gone a little crazy here. Cool stuff, and with a good set of notes. LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo 360 Sound pressing.)
10
Columbia/
Johnny first LP collaboration with his soon to be wife June Carter, and it's a nice one! Carryin' On has it's share of sweet, lovely moments shared by the two, but also has a lot more cool 60s oddball touches than one would expect. The couple cover Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" and two Ray Charles tunes, "I Got A Woman" and "What I Say". All three sound pretty strange coming out of hard-nosed Johnny, and prove to be quite fun and endearing, and very indicative of the freedom he had at Columbia to do whatever the heck he wanted. Other tracks include "Shantytown", "Pack Up Your Sorrows", "Jackson", "What A Good Thing We Had", and "No, No, No". Includes two bonus tracks from the sessions, and new liner notes by old pal Carl Perkins. CD
(Out of print, initials in marker on booklet and CD.)
11
Cherry Red, Mid 60s. New Copy 3CDs ... $27.99 34.99
A package that looks like a tape box, and which includes a whole host of never-heard tracks from the great Glenda Collins – a stunning female singer who worked with UK production genius Joe Meek back in the 60s! Glenda recorded a few key tracks that were issued as singles – soaring numbers that take her magnificent vocal approach and give it all the cool, crisp, electric touches that made Meek's production so great – touches that are given plenty of space here to roam around, as the box features all sorts of studio outtakes, alternates, backing tracks, and more – almost giving Collins the sort of treatment that the Beach Boys have gotten with some of the box sets that highlight all the cool variations of Brian Wilson's work in the studio. The set features 64 tracks in all – titles that include "I Lost My Heart At The Fairground", "Baby It Hurts", "Feel So Good", "Lollipop", "Thou Shall Not Steal", "Been Invited To A Party", "It's Hard To Believe It", "Don't Let It Rain On Sunday", and lots lots more – including jingles, French tracks, and more – all with very copious notes on the material. CD
12
Verve, 1967. Near Mint- Gatefold ... $2.99
Light mellow Verve-y instrumental orchestral stuff, featuring Don Costa's versions of contemporary pop stuff, like "Heroes & Villains", "All You Need Is Love", "Ode To Billie Jo". and "Valley of the Dolls". Not totally jazzy, but a nice package of soft groovy grooves, in a cool gatefold cover (with notes), and a great subdued easy feel throughout. LP, Vinyl record album
(MGM stereo pressing with deep groove.)
13
Folkways, 1971. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
A really unique document of the struggle and story of Angela Davis – recorded in 1971 by ABC news, and packaged together here as kind of a sonic program by Folkways! The record works like a short news program – starting out with a statement by Angela, then moving to a narrated introduction, then a long interview conducted by Joe Walker of Muhammad Speaks. Side two continues with a panel discussion on the case, then ends with some very cool "man in the street" style interviews! Capped off with a really great cover photo of Angela too! CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
14
Light In The Attic, 1979. New Copy ... $29.99 31.99
The final album from Betty Davis – and a killer cap to her stunning run of female funk classics in the 70s! The album was recorded at the end of the decade, but has a sharpness that's every bit as great as her earlier work for the Island and Just Sunshine labels – grooves that are more than sharp enough to match that raspy edge in Betty's vocals – given support with instrumentation that's a lot more mid 70s funk than some of the more disco-oriented productions in mainstream soul at the time! There's a fullness to the record that sometimes recalls Labelle at their best, or maybe even solo work from Nona Hendryx – but as always, Betty is very much her own woman, and opens up some new doors on a few mellow cuts or jazzier moments that come as a nice surprise, and which balance out the album in a great way. The set features work from Herbie Hancock on keyboards and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – and titles include "Quintessence Of Hip", "She's A Woman", "I've Danced Before", "I Need A Whole Lot Of Love", "Hangin Out In Hollywood", "Crashin From Passion", "You Take Me For Granted", and "No Good At Falling In Love". LP, Vinyl record album
(First time on vinyl – and includes cool booklet with liner notes, photos, and lyrics!)
15
Monitor, 1968. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
One of the few straight rock records ever issued on the mostly-folk Monitor Records label – a great 60s outing from Freeborne, a group with a sound that's as tripped-out as you might expect from the cover! Instrumentation is heavy on organ and guitars, both acoustic and electric, but there's also some cool percussion too – and interesting use of recorders, in a way that comes across with an ocarina-like charm! Vocals are somewhat soft, but have a dark undercurrent – and there's a really great folk-into-psyche sort of feel to the whole thing. Titles include "Images", "Land Of Diana", "But I Must Return To Frenzy", "Inside People", "Yellow Sky", "Peak Impressions & Thoughts", and "Visions Of My Own". CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
16
ESP, 2023. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
The title's no lie, as reedman Guillermo Gregorio plays here in two different trios – each of whom get space in different halves of the set! The first half features Gregorio on clarinet next to some very cool vibes from Carrie Biolo, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm – a lineup that has this amazing sense of sound, especially when the vibes ring out with a more dynamic cascading energy than the clarinet and cello – as if both of the other players have given Biolo plenty of space to shine on her own! The second trio features cello as well – played by Nicholas Jozwiak – next to Gregorio's work on standard clarinet, and Ivan Barenboim on contralto clarinet. The tunes from that group have a very strong focus on interplay between the two clarinets – fluttering around, almost as birds in the sky – while the cello provides a nice grounding. Titles include "Tres", "Cosa Rara", "Degrees Of Iconicity", "Fourth Piece", "NPA", and "Out Of The Other Notes". CD
17
Philips/
A really great record from French rocker Johnny Hallyday – a great artist who's really letting his style open up here – recording in London, and using some modes that are a bit funky at times, and also touched with some elements that were coming out of the LA scene at the start of the 70s too! Arrangements are mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/
(Limited to 2000 copies worldwide!)
18
Acme Gramophone/
An incredibly ambitious record – despite the fact that it was recorded in a tiny home studio! Ithaca are basically the same group who recorded the Agincourt album a few years before – and like that one, this set is awash in some of the best elements from bigger progressive groups of the time – filtered down into much leaner, more personal levels of presentation. The tunes are all longish, and build with a gently layered blend of guitars, piano, organ, mandolin, flute, and recorder – plus some especially cool tape effects, which are used to electrify a few moments, and create some subtle sonic intensity. There's also a beautiful female voice on the record – floating through the tunes with an eerie feel – and the overall sound is almost a folksy take on Pink Floyd – with great acoustic and electric elements slowly simmering together. Titles include "Journey", "Feelings", "Dreams", "Times", and "Questions". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – and a well-done set of notes! CD
19
RCA/
A massive collection of music – eight full albums from Evelyn Champagne King, plus bonus tracks as well! King was a hell of a singer who came along at just the right time – as cool and classy enough to have sung jazz in decades before, but with a richness that also really fit the spirit of 70s soul – and was perfect for the new infusion of grooves that the music got during the disco generation! King could sing disco, but also hit a lot wider range too – which made for some really well-formed records during her years at RCA – all of which are collected here! Unlike some of her crossover contemporaries, Evelyn managed to grow with the years and stay strong as the 80s moved in – shifting styles a bit, but never losing her groove – and working here with production and arrangements from the likes of T Life, Kashif, Willie Lester, Morrie Brown, Andre Cymone, and Leon Sylvers – all of whom help shape the groove. The box features the full albums Smooth Talk, Music Box, Call On Me, I'm In Love, Get Loose, Face To Face, So Romantic, and A Long Time Coming – nearly all of which are presented with bonus tracks – all wrapped up in a box set, with a 40 page booklet of notes. CD
20
GAD (Poland), 1983. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99
A weird and wonderful lost soundtrack from Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski – done for a movie that was essentially a children's story, but with a great array of unusual sounds and very cool 80s keyboards! The music is very much in par with some of Korzynski's other classics – and maybe has an even more eerie sort of vibe, given the mix of sweetness and dark that comes across – as some themes feel a bit redemptive, but others have a very moody sort of approach! The whole thing almost reminds us of an 80s variation of the same territory as the Peau D'Ane soundtrack by Michel Legrand – and the music also features some straighter electric piano, guitar, and orchestrations alongside a Yamaha keyboard. Titles include "Laser Golaraza", "Wilki Zdobywaja Zamek", "Inwazja Wilkolakow", "Zaklad Golarza Filipa", "Lustro", and "Leckcja Pryzrody". First time on CD – with bonus tracks, and some detailed notes on the unusual production of the film! CD
21
GAD (Poland), 1973. New Copy ... $14.99 24.99
Some of the coolest work we've ever heard from Polish film composer Andrezj Korzynski – material from an important movie from the early 70s, presented here in two different sections of the soundtrack, which were each made for different chapters of the film! The style is wonderfully hard to peg – a mix of orchestrations, Fender Rhodes, stepping basslines, and these light lyrical passages – often wrapped together, but in ways that are quite unconventional – as exotic currents mix with dramatic ones, but often with a slightly offbeat vibe, as you'd find in the music of Francois De Roubaix! And while not entirely like De Roubaix's material of the time, the approach here is similarly unique – very aware of funky elements, yet not overly dressed in them – and instead just used lightly to augment larger musical passages in this really cool way. Book features notes in English and Polish – and titles include "Oaza/
22
Island, 1973. New Copy 3CD ... $32.99 35.99
The first Bob Marley album on Island Records – and the start of a really legendary run that would not only transform reggae in the 70s, but the rest of popular music as well! Chris Blackwell's partially at the helm on production, but the album was mostly recorded in classic Kingston studios – Randy's, Dynamic, and Harry J's – and retains the same vibe as some of Marley's earlier work, but with more of the forward-thinking vision he brought to his time at Island. Bunny Livingston lays down some excellent percussion on the set – and rhythm is from the team of Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums. Titles include the classic "Stir It Up" – plus "Slave Driver", "Kinky Reggae", "High Tide Or Low Tide", and "Concrete Jungle". Very cool 3CD edition – comes in a hardback book-styled cover, with new notes and rare photos. CD2 features a rare live set recorded in London at the Paris Theater in 1973. CD3 features more unreleased tracks – eight from the sessions, including Jamaican alternative and extended versions of "Slave Driver", "Stop That Train", "No More Trouble", "Stir It Up", "400 Years", and "High Tide Or Low Tide" – plus three more unreleased live tracks from 1973! CD
Also available Catch A Fire (3LP/(50th anniversary edition, includes 24 page booklet and bonus tracks!)
23
Island, 1973. New Copy 4LP ... $81.99 89.99
The first Bob Marley album on Island Records – and the start of a really legendary run that would not only transform reggae in the 70s, but the rest of popular music as well! Chris Blackwell's partially at the helm on production, but the album was mostly recorded in classic Kingston studios – Randy's, Dynamic, and Harry J's – and retains the same vibe as some of Marley's earlier work, but with more of the forward-thinking vision he brought to his time at Island. Bunny Livingston lays down some excellent percussion on the set – and rhythm is from the team of Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums. Titles include the classic "Stir It Up" – plus "Slave Driver", "Kinky Reggae", "High Tide Or Low Tide", and "Concrete Jungle". Very cool 3LP/
Also available Catch A Fire (3CD set) ... CD 32.99(50th Anniversary edition, includes 24 page booklet, bonus tracks, and features a cool etching on one of the LPs!)
24
Joe McPhee —
Nation Time – The Complete Recordings (Nation Time/Corbett vs. Dempsey, Early 70s. Used 4 CDs ... Just Sold Out!
A tremendous look at the early years of the legendary Joe McPhee – a set that's based around his classic Nation Time album, and which features other live material from the same time – including a Hat Hut album, and two CDs' worth of previously unissued work! The core album is legendary – a gritty set that features a mighty funky drummer, and some of the most soulful work that Joe ever recorded. Joe plays tenor and trumpet in sweet lineup that features bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and some sweet modal elements mixed together in percussion, guitar, and Fender Rhodes. Titles include the hard wailing "Nation Time" – plus "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – and the moodier "Scorpio's Dance". Next is the searing Black Magic Man album – an early release on the Hat Hut label, but recorded during the same December 1970 performance as Nation Time – almost showing the bolder, freer sound of the group – but still coming across with some surprising soulful elements too. The original album is expanded by the addition of the unreleased "Song For Lauren" alternate takes – and the core record includes "Black Magic Man", "Hymn Of The Dragon Kings", and "Song For Lauren". The next two CDs feature material recorded in 1969 and 1970 – at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie – with Joe and group working through some similar spiritual and soul jazz territory as on the Vassar CD issue from the same label. The music is heavy on elements you'd hear from the Nation Time album – Hammond, guitar, and even some electric bass and vibes – used in styles that run from soul jazz, to modal, to more experimental – all on very long tracks that have McPhee really stretching out on tenor and trumpet! Titles include "Cold Sweat", "Breakaway Theme", "Untitled", "Nation Time", "Sunshower", "Spring Street", and "Contemplation". All 4CDs come in very cool LP sleeves, in a slipcover box, a 60 page booklet of notes, photos, and information on the music! CD
(Out of print.)
25
Amha (Ethiopia), Late 1960s/
Mad grooves from the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – featuring work by the enigmatic Mulatu, plus some of the other extra-cool artists on that country's groundbreaking soul and funk scene! Mulatu plays Fender Rhodes and organ on his tracks – grooving with a slow, snakey approach that's almost a bit like the work of Sun Ra, but which also has distinct African touches. The sound here is quite different than the Nigerian funky work of the 70s – much more laidback and open-ended, with less American influences, and a really unique approach! Titles include "Yekermo Se", "Yegele Tezeta", "Munaye", "Metche Dershe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", and "Tezeta" by Mulatu Astatque; "Heywete" and "Bemgnot Alnorem" by Bahta Gebre Heywet; and "Yetesfa Tezeta" by Tesfa-Maryam Kidane. Vinyl release of tracks pulled from the Ethiopiques CD-only series, done with some good notes. LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 00s French L'Arome reissue.)
26
Columbia/
Groovy groovy work from the Japanese scene of the late 60s – performed by a cool quartet who harmonize vocally along with their instruments! The group's got a jazzy style – using piano, guitar, bass, and drums to lay down a groove – but their real charm comes from their harmonies, which are often recorded with a bit of echo, and which sound quite different than American or Brazilian work of this type, due to the Japanese lyrics! Many tunes appear to be original – which is great, as these cats aren't just harmonizing 60s hits, like so many other groups did at the time – and the record has a fresh feel that we really like, kind of a cross between American and Euro easy vocal group modes of the 60s. Song titles are all in Japanese, as are the notes – but there's a definite appeal here to Western ears! CD
(Out of print.)
27
Osiris —
Osiris ... LP Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1982. Very Good+ ... Just Sold Out!
Heady sounds from Bahrain – recorded in the early 80s by this ultra-cool group who would have been right at home in the European prog scene at the start of the decade before! Drums are heavy, guitar lines are great, and there's some especially cool moogy moments – including some solos that may well be the centerpiece of the album! There's a bit of vocals, but most of the record's got an instrumental appeal that's universal – and which has the same touches of exotic and funky bits that we love in Turkish rock of the early 70s – although maybe with slightly more proggy results overall. Titles include "Sailor On The Seas Of Fate", "Struggle To Survive", "Fantasy", "Embers Of A Flame", "Autumn", and "Paradox In A Major". Includes bonus insert with notes, too! LP, Vinyl record album
(180 gram reissue. Includes insert. Cover is still in the shrink with info sticker.)
28
Rodion GA —
From The Archives – 1981 to 2017 ... CD Ace (UK), 1980s/
Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward – material that's a blend between cold wave grooves and more synth-based sound library material – usually instrumental, and with some dark currents on most tracks that really make for some striking sounds throughout! All the cuts here are from Rodion's archive, and even the later ones have an analog vibe that feels like lost cassette culture electronic nuggets from the early 80s – brought forth here with great treatment and detailed notes from Ace Records! The package features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Vine Iarna", "Tu Rea Ce Esti", "Halou Cosmic", "Aminitiri", "The Final Farewell", "Catacombe", "Acolo Unde E Mister", "Punct", "Balkan", "Stele Si Lumini", and "Intervale". CD
Also available From The Archives – 1981 to 2017 ... LP 28.9929
Rodion GA —
From The Archives – 1981 to 2017 ... LP Ace (UK), 1980s/
Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward – material that's a blend between cold wave grooves and more synth-based sound library material – usually instrumental, and with some dark currents on most tracks that really make for some striking sounds throughout! All the cuts here are from Rodion's archive, and even the later ones have an analog vibe that feels like lost cassette culture electronic nuggets from the early 80s – brought forth here with great treatment and detailed notes from Ace Records! The package features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Vine Iarna", "Tu Rea Ce Esti", "Halou Cosmic", "Aminitiri", "The Final Farewell", "Catacombe", "Acolo Unde E Mister", "Punct", "Balkan", "Stele Si Lumini", and "Intervale". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available From The Archives – 1981 to 2017 ... CD 14.9930
Secret History, 2023. New Copy ... $20.99 29.99
The lovely Jane Birkin is maybe most famous for her late 60s duets with Serge Gainsbourg, but the singer's also got a huge legacy of great music as well – both with Serge and on her own! Author Gary Simons digs deep into the long legacy of Jane Birkin's recordings – from those late 60s/
31
Blue Note, Late 50s. Very Good- ... $29.99
Forget the "pretty" in the title here – as this stuff's not glossy or fancy – just wonderfully stripped-down Hammond work from Jimmy, performed with a trio that includes Eddie McFadden on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. The title should probably read "mellow" instead of "pretty" – as the groove is very laidback and late-nite, with Jimmy hitting some of those really cool "unbridled" notes that are the best part of his early Blue Note sound. Titles include "East Of The Sun", "The Very Thought Of You", "Penthouse Serenade", and "Old Devil Moon". LP, Vinyl record album
(63rd street deep groove pressing, with RVG stamp. Cover has light wear on the top seam, but looks nice overall.)
32
International Anthem, Early 70s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... $24.99
Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/
(140 gram gold vinyl pressing. Includes the obi and International Anthem inner sleeves.)
33
Art Tatum —
Jewels In The Treasure Box – The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (3CD set) ... CD Resonance, 1953. New Copy 3CD ... Just Sold Out!
A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". CD
34
Trova/
A very cool split album from pianist Enrique Villegas – and one that's nicely different than some of his other records from the time! Side one features a long tribute to Thelonious Monk – a blended medley of "Bemsha Swing", "Round Midnight", and "Blue Monk – played with a trio that includes the great Jorge Lopez Ruiz on bass and Eduardo Casalla on drums – followed by other tracks on side two that have a very Monkish approach – nicely angular, and with a vibe that shows just how much Villegas learned from Monk, but maybe filled in with more of the expansive notes he brings to his own music too. These tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring", "St Thomas", "Charmaine", and "It's Only A Paper Moon". CD
35
Pye/
Not a group from the Cali scene of the 60s, as their name might make you expect – but instead a very cool UK group, and one who've picked up some of the best sunshine pop inspirations of the period, then mixed them with trippier touches as well! The set begins early, at a time when the group were maybe more slavish to American inspirations – but then really stretches out near the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, when West Coast Consortium were also taking more chances with their music, and really experimenting with the way that production played with their vocals! And while they had a big single back in the day, West Coast Consortium never issued that much material – certainly not here in the US – which makes this huge 3CD set a real discovery, especially as it also include later recordings for the Trend label, material done as The Consortium, and even some unissued albums! There's a massive 76 tracks on the set, along with very detailed notes – and titles include "Philadelphia", "Money Matters", "Rings & Things", "Mr Umbrella Man", "Whatever Became Of Emily Jane", "Live & Let Live", "This Poor Man", "Scarlet Rider", "One Six Two", "Willow Wood", "The Elastic Band", "Beggar Man", "Cynthia Serenity", "I Don't Want Her Any More", and "When The Day Breaks". CD
36
Polydor/
An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". This fantastic new package features the whole album in stereo and mono – plus 26 more bonus tracks, and a 16 page booklet of new notes and photos! CD
37
Verve/
Essential stuff! This set collects all of Pres' studio sessions for Norman Granz and Verve and features John Lewis, Buddy Rich, Nat King Cole, Teddy Wilson, Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, and Barney Kessel. The whole thing is comes in a cool hardbound, accordion fold package and includes a great 100 page book packed with great photos, notes, and essays. CD
(3" razor mark on back cover, otherwise in great shape.)
38
Debut, Mid 50s. Near Mint- ... $6.99
A cool collection of work on the legendary Debut label – including a number of tracks that are hard to find in any other format on vinyl! Titles include "Can You Blame Me" by Honey Gordon, "Notes To You" by Sam Most, "Makin Whoopee" by Don Senay, "Portrait" by Thad Jones, "Bebopper" by The Gordons, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Paul Bley, "Eclipse" by Janet Thurlow with Charles Mingus, "Paris In Blue" by Jackie Paris, and "Orientation" by Max Roach. LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s OJC pressing. Cover has light wear and some aging.)
39
Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1930s/
A really cool set, and one that goes way past the usual 60s soul and pop modes that usually define a girl group compilation – as this one goes way way back, and traces female harmony modes from the early swing years onwards – served up in a massive 82 track package that's overflowing with surprises! The material really shows the evolution of the mode in a great way – mixing early 78rpm tracks with postwar 45s and LP titles – in modes that include jazz, soul, R&B, and pop – all supported by the usual great French and English notes that we love from this label! CD3 features all early 60s material, with a few decades spanned on the previous 2CDs – work by artists who include Daindridge Sisters, Angels, Blossoms, Cookies, Poni-Tails, Bonnie Sisters, Beverly Sisters, Clark Sisters, Shirley Gunter & The Queens, Paulette Sisters, Chordettes, Raelettes, Quin-Tones, Paris Sisters, Royalettes, Starletts, Charmaines, Dinning Siters, Fontaine Sisters, Boswell Sisters, The Enchanters, and others. CD
40
Edsel (UK), 1970s. New Copy 4CD ... $52.99 59.99
A very cool package – one that's shaped like a 7" single, includes a big booklet of notes, and serves up 70 killer tracks from the 70s! The collection was put together in the UK, and has a nicely different take on the decade than American compilations – as it already does a good of featuring titles that are more obscure than big chart hits at the time, even though they are by bigger names in rock – and also comes at things from a perspective that's a very fresh change from the way US label might put together the tracks – showing that even in the mainstream, there's still plenty of great music to discover in the 70s! The collection is way more than guilty pleasures – and there's no guilt at all about the sense of wonder and discover you'll experience – as you make your way through tracks from Pilot, Alessi Brothers, Jim Gilstrap, Starbuck, Cory Wells, Denne & Gold, Browning Bryant, Clout, Doctor Father, Pickettywitch, Dollar, Frankie Valli, Gerry Rafferty, Roger Voudouris, Rupert Holmes, Liverpool Express, Lynsey De Paul, Brian Protheroe, Andrew Fairweather Low, David Essex, and others – many of whom are presented here by tracks that are less familiar than their bigger hits. CD
41
Grapefruit (UK), Late 1960s/
A really great package, and one that shows all the cool criss-crossings of styles that we happening up in the hills of LA at the end of the 60s! The artists here are all part of the famous Laurel Canyon scene – a place where late folk, new psych, country rock, and other modes criss-crossed in loose social networks, music studios, and clubs – creating an array of sounds here that really might catch you by surprise! You'll know most of the artists within, but the presentation of them together makes for a very cool compilation – especially as the 3CD set begins with lesser-known early work, then tracks shifts in sounds and styles – moving into later years when the artists and sounds had shifted down into the Hollywood scene. At another level, the whole thing also just makes for a great evolution of Cali rock and pop over a few short years – presented with detailed notes on the artists, songs, and scene – with a set list of 72 tracks that includes work by The Turtles, Rick Nelson, Love, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gentle Soul, Clear Light, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Stephen Stills, JD Souther, Judee Sill, Crazy Horse, Nilsson, Ned Doheny, Leon Russell, Howdy Moon, Jo Mama, The Leaves, Byrds, MFQ, Steve Noonan, Barry McGuire, Holy Mackerel, Ruthann Friedman, Smokey Roberds, Susan Carter, Loggins & Messina, Gram Parsons, and many others! CD
42
Motor (Germany), Mid 60s. Near Mint- ... $19.99 24.99
The great folks at Motor Music in Germany have compiled a bunch of groovy tracks from swingin' films from the late 60's, and patched them together into a really cool package with excellent liner notes for the fan of soundtrack stuff and mod 60's music. Excellent selection, with a real emphasis towards hard to find tracks, like Harpers Bizarre's "Malibu U" (the theme to a short lived TV show about a beach school), Mark Lindsay's "Somethin' Big" (a great lost Bacharach track), the theme to The Party, and loads more groovy vocal and instrumental tracks! LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the heavy inner sleeve. Cover has light wear and a small mark from sticker removal.)
43
Grapefruit (UK), 1967. New Copy ... $28.99 33.99
That slightly creepy photo on the cover makes the kids look a bit more like cult members than the kind of sunny, happy flower children you might normally expect – and that's actually part of the quality of the package, too – as the set really gets at all the wonderful tensions taking place in American music in 1967 – a time of great freedom and optimism, but one with an undercurrent of darkness as well! The set really dives deeply into the crucial year of 1967, and goes way past the oldies and radio hits that most people associate with the musical moment – to bring together all sorts of cool cuts that often were only trading hands with the deeper chapters of the underground, mixed with a few other tracks from artists who got more play at the time, but were also changing the system from within! As with other Grapefruit collections, the notes and presentation are as great as the song choices – and the set features 85 titles in all, with work from The Balloon Farm, Gates Of Eden, Zodiac, Vanilla Fudge, Red Crayola, Lemon Drops, Cyrkle, Peppermint Trolley Company, Tim Rose, Spike Drivers, Blues Magoos, Sound Barrier, Grateful Dead, Thursdays Children, The ID, Zakary Thaks, Velvet Underground, Clear Light, Critters, Sagittarius, Jim & Jean, Sonny, Blue Things, Morning Dew, and many others! CD
44
Kent (UK), 1960s/
One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album
45
Cherry Red (UK), 1970s/
A very cool little set, and one that's a lot different than you might expect from the "new romantics" reference in the title! Sure, there's some cuts here that are from the moment when the British scene was cracking the charts with nice haircuts, catchy electro rhythms, and smart lyrics – but the bulk of the set is actually music from the generation before – the kind of work that inspired the new romantics of the early 80s, mixed with cuts from that era, but which are not nearly as well known! The box begins very early in the 70s, and traces bits of prog, glam, and other pre-punk styles – then ends up in more familiar territory at the end, but with a less familiar vibe. Make sense? Probably not – but that's the great thing about a really well-done collection like this – 59 tracks with really great notes – and work from Tubeway Army, The Cure, Zager & Evans, Lounge Lizards, Grace Jones, Fox, Magazine, Spandau Ballet, Heaven 17, Japan, Yellow, Nightmares In Wax, Visage, Landscape, Flying Lizards, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Sister Sledge, Lipps Inc, Barry Gray, Glaxo Babies, New Order, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Tom Tom Club, ABC, M, Heat Exchange, John Foxx, The Normal, and many others! CD
46
Kent (UK), Late 50s/
Bluesy sounds, with plenty of soul – a really special mix of modes that follows strongly in the spirit of Kent Records' other "new breed" compilations! The music here isn't really R&B, but it isn't 60s soul either – and instead has a cool mix of soulful rhythms with ruffer touches on the vocals, sax lines, and guitar – the kind of sounds we've always dug from King Records in their heyday, but which are pulled here from a variety of different labels! Most numbers are obscure indie singles from the first half of the 60s – and as usual with Kent, they're compiled with top-notch sound, and stellar notes that really illuminate the material – in a manner that's way better than those public domain sets on the market these days. Titles include "The Twitch" by Danny White, "Cruel World" by Roosevelt Powers, "Lucky Girl" by Joan Duvalle, "Breaking Hearts" by Varetta & The Thomases, "Let Me Know" by Robbie Lee, "Playboy" by Billy Ray, "Real Real Love" by Ray Agee, "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Ovations, "I Can't Even Enjoy My Home" by Big Charley & The Domans, "Something Funny Is Going On" by Bertha Tillman, and "Bossman" by Deane Hawley. CD
47
Be! (Germany), 1976/
A heck of a collection – and one that really gets at the amazing array of free-thinking jazz that was brewing up on the European scene during the 70s! The set brings together over eight hours of music recorded during two years of this legendary festival – and each new disc has some great surprises along the way! There's some possibly more familiar material here – such as long improvisations that include a solo piano performance by Joachim Kuhn, two by a Mal Waldron trio with Jimmy Woode on bass and Allen Blairman on drums, one by a trio headed by pianist Yosuke Yamashita and with Akira Sakata on alto, two more by the duo of Peter Brotzmann on tenor and Han Bennink on drums, and a final two long improvisations by a great Archie Shepp gruop with Richard Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as there's a full CD of music by a group led by Hugo Heredia on saxes and flute – with Horace Parlan on piano, Dodo Goys on bass, Tullio D'Piscopo on drums, and Mandrake Ivanir Do Nascimento on percussion. And there's another CD that features an hour-long improvisation by a version of the Willem Breuker Kollektief with Leo Cuypers on piano, Maarten Van Norden on tenor, Boy Raaymakers on trumpet, and Bernhard Hunnekink and Willem Van Manen on trombones. There's also a very long track by a cool quartet headed by Polish alto giant Zbigniew Namyslowski – and one more by the French Machi Oul Big Band. There's also tracks by Riot, with Uli Beckerhoff on trumpet; Grumpff with Michael Schlaper on tenor and soprano, and Ekkehard Jost on baritone; Mumps with Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone and John Surman on tenor; and the Eddie Prevost Quartet with Geoff Hawkins on tenor and Gerry Gold on trumpet. And last but not least are two long trcks by the Czech group Celula Jazz Crew – with Laco Deczi on trumpet, Karel Ruzicka on electric piano, and Svatopluc Kosvanec on trombone. Phew – that's a lot of music, and the whole thing comes in a very cool 10" box set, complete with a booklet of notes, too! CD
48
Bear Family (Germany), Late 1950s/
Rare rockers, early soul, and cool classic country – all the sorts of cuts you'd expect to hear from the mighty Bear Family Records label – but brought together here with school and the classrooms as the theme! A few of the cuts are familiar, but most are nice and obscure – in keeping with the well-chosen tracks we always discover on Bear Family – all presented with very detailed notes and vintage images too! Titles include "School Bus" by The Shades, "High School USA" by Tommy Facenda, "I Wanna Dance With The Teacher" by The Olympics, "Letter To A School Girl" by The Delcados, "The Teacher" by The Falcons, "High School Love" by Ronnie Allen, "School Girl" by The Winstons, "School House Rock" by Billy Harlan, "Talk Of The School" by Sonny James, "School Bus Love Affair" by Wynn Stewart, and "School Girl" by the 5 Royales. 34 tracks in all! CD
49
Strawberry (UK), Late 60s/
A really cool package that's way more than just the blues promised in the title – as the set brings together work from a variety of scenes and styles, all showing the many ways that American blues had such an impact on UK sounds from the mod generation onwards! There's definitely some tracks here that stick to a slavish representation of the original influence – but the set also includes all sorts of great divergences, tracing the path that so many artists would take from learning blues licks to really stepping out with new sounds of their own in psych, prog, hard rock, and other British styles to follow! There's also some surprising folk moments too – and over the course of 73 tracks, the box follows a fantastic journey – also supported with great notes too – through the work of artists who include Siren, Andy Roberts, Medicine Head, John Martyn, The Deviants, Pentangle, Killing Floor, Jo Ann Kelly, Jellybread, Alexis Korner, Rod Stewart, Mike Cooper, Savoy Brown, The Purple Gang, Al Jones, Bronx Cheer, Dave Ellis, Roger Hubbard, Taste, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, and many others. CD
50
Numero, Mid 1960s. New Copy ... $20.99 23.99
A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album
Also available They Move In The Night (purple vinyl pressing) ... LP 21.9951
Numero, Mid 1960s. New Copy ... $21.99 26.98
A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album
Also available They Move In The Night ... LP 20.9952
Strawberry (UK), Mid 60s. New Copy 3CDs ... $28.99 34.99
The Beatles weren't just the biggest recording act on the scene in the mid 60s, they were also probably the most influential from a songwriting perspective too – such that countless other groups, singers, and musicians picked up their songs and gave them a try, including some tracks that The Beatles never recorded themselves! These aren't just hack cover versions, though – as the artists here clearly love the Fab Four, and are dedicated to unlocking ways that the music inspires them, and makes them seek their own expressions too – expressions that are presented here in full force, in a very cool package that mixes up rock, soul, jazz, folk, and other styles too – all in a massive 85 track set, with very detailed notes. Artists include Jackie Lynton, Marilyn Powell, The Merseymen, Dick Rivers, Mary Wells, Duffy Power, The Coterie, Mark Wynter, Strawberry Fair, Brotherhood, The Buckinghams, Madeline Bell, The Transatlantics, Count Basie, Jimmy James, Spanky & Our Gang, Zoot, Junior Parker, Jackie Trent, The Four Preps, PJ Proby, Mae West, Five Man Electrical Band, Dave Baby Cortez, and many others. CD
53
Stax/
An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/
54
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 70s/
A really cool package, and one that goes past the easy old school hits from the early years of hip hop – and which instead brings together all these unusual strands of sound that really show how creative things were, right at the start! There's a number of tracks here that are a great surprise – nuggets we loved back in the day, and which spring to live here amidst other well-chosen tracks – all served up with the usual super-great notes and overall presentation we love from the Soul Jazz label. Many tracks have great basslines or boogie-styled grooves – from that moment when hip hop, funk, and soul were maybe more strong bedfellows than they would be a few years later – and themes are a nice mix of politics and partying, on titles that include "Get Live 83" by Carver Area High School Seniors, "Super Rock Body Shock" by Eye Beta Rock, "Street Talk" by Funky Constellation, "Do You Like That Funky Beat" by Kool Kyle The Starchild, "Jam To Remember" by Just Four, "Eei Eei O" by Silver Star, "Magic's Rap" by Magic's Trick, "Real Rocking Groove" by Chapter III, "To The Beat Y'All" by Sangrita, "Rappin & Rockin The House" by Funky Four Plus One More, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Mike T, and "Girls Of The World" by The Just Four. CD
55
Sonny Clark —
Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (6CD set) ... CD Blue Note/
The complete work of pianist Sonny Clark as a leader for the Blue Note label – masterful material that really helped define the sound of the hardbop generation, and records that are still classics and still filled with fantastic energy after all these many years! In some way, Sonny Clark was the perfect figure to help Blue Note step into this generation – both a modernist and a soulful player, a strong group leader and an intimate soloist in a trio setting – clearly the lynchpin of the new energy during Blue Note's explosion in the LP generation – as you'll hear on classic albums that include Dial S For Sonny, Sonny's Crib, Sonny Clark Trio, Cool Struttin, Leapin & Lopin, Sonny Clark Quintets, Blues In The Night, My Conception, and the Art Of The Trio! Some of these albums were recorded in the late 50s, but only issued years later – and the package also includes all the bonus material that was added to later CD versions as well. Players include John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan, Charlie Rouse, and Hank Mobley on tenors – plus Art Farmer and Donald Byrd on trumpets, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Jackie McLean on alto, and Kenny Burrell on guitar – top-shelf Blue Note Groups on every record – and the set features 61 tracks in all, and the usual Mosaic booklet of notes! CD
56
Dandy —
Rock Steady With Dandy (plus bonus tracks) ... CD Doctor Bird (UK), Late 60s. New Copy 2CDs ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Seminal work from Dandy – one of the key figures in the Jamaican musical community in London during the second half of the 60s, and an artist who was really important in helping the UK forge its own version of music from Kingston! The set begins with Dandy's classic album for the Giant label – a masterpiece of well-done rocksteady, with production and instrumentation that are nice and lean – shifting the groove from the previous ska generation, while also allowing for some great horn work, especially on saxes, to flesh things out next to Dandy's great vocals! There's a nicely different vibe to the set than most Jamaican material, but also none of the cliches that might later mark some London recordings – a really fresh vibe that's totally great, served up on tracks that include "Keep Them Fretting", "Turn Your Wheel", "You're No Hustler", "Rhythm Of The Rain", "Sock It To Me", "Soul Power", "Play It Cool", "People Do Rock Steady", and "Turn On Your Lovelight". This massive 2CD set adds in 31 bonus tracks, for a total of 43 tracks in all, 32 of which appear here on CD for the first time ever – with great notes, sound, and a wonderful package! CD
57
Gil Evans —
Svengali ... LP Atlantic, 1973. Near Mint- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! LP, Vinyl record album
(Red & green Broadway label pressing. Cover has aging, light surface wear, and a promo sticker.)
58
Bobbie Gentry —
Girl From Chickasaw County – The Complete Capitol Masters (Ode To Billie Joe/Capitol (UK), Late 1960s/
A stunning tribute to the wonderful Bobbie Gentry – and maybe the first package to really show the world how much she has to offer past her one classic crossover hit! Bobbie started out like a rocket with the country gem "Ode To Billie Joe" – a tune she wrote herself, and followed with lots of other great music on the original debut album here – which then set the scene for a great expansion into other modes, as Capitol Records really opened up their resources for Gentry to record in the late 60s! This huge package features everything that Bobbie ever recorded for the label – not just some great full albums, but also some rare singles, demos, and alternate takes – plus 75 unreleased tracks (!) – and then a full incredible album Live At The BBC – which features 26 tracks of Gentry really knocking it out of the park. The BBC material has these really dark, brooding orchestrations – almost like Bobbie's getting some Scott Walker late 60s backings – and the whole box set might be worth it alone for that double-length album! The package is a very cool 10" slipcover – with a huge booklet of notes, postcards, lyric inserts, and more – 177 tracks in all, with albums that include Ode To Billie Joe, The Delta Sweete, Local Gentry, Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell, Touch Em With Love, Fancy, Patchwork, and Live At The BBC. CD
(Out of print and in great shape!)
59
Sun Ra & Others —
Singles – The Definitive 45s Collection Vol 2 – 1962 to 1991 (3LP set – with download) ... LP Strut (UK), 1960s/
A whole new side of the talents of Sun Ra – especially if you only know the longer-style jams on some of his albums from the 60s and 70s! From the very start of his career, Ra was every bit as interested in issuing music on 45s as he was on albums – and in fact, at some of the more desperate times, the 7" single turned out to be a very affordable format to try out new ideas – including some great projects with other artists! The array of work presented here is stunning – as the set includes some very up-close and personal moments with Ra on record, plus some tight jazzy tracks from the Arkestra, surprising vocal group material designed to crack the R&B market, and some especially cool projects with other singers too. The package is put together with very detailed notes on all the singles – and while the bulk of this material comes from the key Arkestra years of the late 50s through the early 80s, there's also a few tracks from other dates too – including a handful of songs that were only issued as 45s in later years. This limited part 2 of the vinyl set features wonderful tracks from later years – including "The Blue Set", "Space Loneliness", "State Street", "Love In Outer Space", "Mayan Temple", "Quest", "Rough House Blues", "Journey To Saturn", "Blues On Planet Mars", "The Bridge", "Rocket #9", "The Perfect Man", "Outer Space Plateau", "Extensions", "Orbitration In Blue", "A Blue One", "Big City Blue", "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman", "Saturn Moon", "Disco 2021", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Am The Instrument", "Cosmic Drama", "Nuclear War", "Hell #1", and "Cosmo-Extensions" – plus the tracks "Tell Her To Come On Home" and "I'm Making Believe" by Little Mack. LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes bonus download.)
60
Art Tatum —
Jewels In The Treasure Box – The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (3LP set) (2024 Record Store Day Release) ... LP Resonance, 1953. New Copy 3LP ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited, numbered pressing!)
61
Various —
Awaaz – Original Soundtracks Recordings From The Archives Of CBS Gramophone Records & Tapes India 1982 to 1986 ... LP Naya Beat (France), Mid 80s. New Copy 2LP ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Really cool cuts from the second generation of Bollywood funk – that 80s moment when things were still ever bit as groovy as during the heyday of 70s soundtracks, but served up with some slightly different instrumentation in the mix! There's maybe a bit more keyboards here at times – but not the cold kind that were dominating European films, especially horror – as they're mixed with plenty of percussion, basslines, and other elements – then topped with vocals by some of the greats who made the music so wonderful back in the previous decade! As you'll guess from the title, all the cuts here are from the vaults of CBS – beautifully remastered, and with great notes and design – in a set of tracks that include "Prem Ashram" by Asha Bhosle, "Aage Bhi Dushman" by Suresh Wadkar & Sadhana Sargam, "Baahon Me Leke Mujhe" by Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle, "Mere Jaisi Mehbooba" by Sharon Prabhakar & Bappi Lahiri, "Hero" by Amit Kumar, "Meri Akhon Mein Zara Jhanto To" by Asha Bhosle, and "Becho Becho" by Amit Kumar & Mahendra Kapoor – plus some cool instrumental tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album
62
Various —
Blue Note Jazz – Golden Disk ... LP Blue Note (Japan), Late 50s/
A beautiful Japanese collection of Blue Note material – with tracks by Donald Byrd, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Clark, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and others – all in a very cool cover! LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes obi. In a heavy book-style cover, with an insert of notes!)
63
Dennis Bovell/Trojan/
Really cool work from the UK reggae scene of the early 70s – a set of obscure early albums from the hands of British producer Dennis Bovell – issued in a series of unassuming packages that were done to appear as obscure Jamaican imports – from the stripped-down packaging to the stripped-down sound in the grooves! The feel here is a bit looser and more laidback than some of the other UK productions of the time – roots work that has some occasional dub-style production at points, or a more straightforward groove at others – on many instrumental cuts that are perfect for blasting over a larger soundsystem! These records were a slight mystery at the time, and haven't been reissued much over the years – and together here in a single set, with fantastic notes from the Doctor Bird label, they are finally brought together as a whole! The set features four full albums – Ah Who Se Go Deh, Leggo A Fe We Dis, Scientific Higher Ranking Dubb, and Yuh Learn – plus 8 related bonus tracks too. CD
64
David Bowie —
New Career In A New Town – 1977 to 1982 (11CD box set) ... CD Parlophone, Late 70s/
Amazing music from one of our most-treasured stretches of David Bowie's career – that creatively-fertile time when he escaped to West Berlin, hid from the mainstream, and made some groundbreaking records with Brian Eno – then returned to the limelight to remind us all that he was still a hell of a force to be reckoned with! The set includes everything post-Thin White Duke, and pre-Let's Dance – a run of music that's still shaping new sounds on this planet all these many years later. The set begins with Low – the mix of experimental instrumentals and subtle vocal tracks that was a complete change from Ziggy Stardust – and follows with Heroes, Lodger, and Scary Monsters & Super Creeps – all albums that reintroduce some sense of song and lyrical interplay, but at a level that clearly indicates how important Bowie was to the generation of post-punk and new wave as his earlier work was to psych, prog, and glam! But the package isn't just a standard collection of albums – because along with those four studio records, it also features the live album Stage, presented here in two different full mixes – plus a new 2017 mix of Lodger, which really increases the edge. There's also a special Heroes EP, with all the different language versions of the song – and a very cool Re:Call 3 album – which features all the singles that were issued at the time, plus other rare material – and Bowie's very unique take on Bertolt Brecht's Baal. Titles on this album include "Alabama Song", "Crystal Japan", "Under Pressure", "Remembering Marie A", "The Drowned Girl", "The Dirty Song", "Cat People", and even his "Peace On Earth/
(In great shape!)
65
Peter Brotzmann —
Die Like A Dog – The Complete FMP Recordings (4CD set) ... CD FMP/
A wonderful little set – one that features all four FMP albums recorded by Peter Brotzmann and his Die Like A Dog quartet – a cool combo that features Brotzmann on reeds, Toshinori Kondo on trumpet and electronics, William Parker on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! The group's got a style that draws heavily from Brotzmann's earlier improvisatory work, and really draws him back to his roots after some of his 80s recordings. The reed work is especially great here – and Brotzmann plays alto, tenor, tarogato, and clarinet – but Kondo's trumpet is no slouch either, and really adds a bracing quality to some of the more dynamic numbers. The pairing of Drake and Parker sets the group on very solid, almost soulful rhythmic ground at points – and the 4CD package features the full albums Little Birds Have Fast Hearts 1, Little Birds Have Fast Hearts 2, Fragments Of Music Life & Death Of Albert Ayler, and Aoyama Crows – plus an added booklet of notes. CD
(2007 box set – in great shape!)
66
Damon —
Song Of A Gypsy (with bonus LP) ... LP Now Again, 1968. Near Mint- 2LP ... Out Of Stock
An amazing reissue of this now-legendary album – once a lost psych oddity, but a set that's gone onto make plenty of waves over the years! Song Of A Gypsy may well be one of the best self-issued psych sets from the American underground – a really well-written, well-recorded record that has a very dark personal vision – an approach to the music that's instantly unique, and which shows that digging for rare psych albums can really yield the occasional gem that stands head and shoulders with the bigger names of the time! Damon's voice is darkly spooky, and couched with these cool flanged-out guitar lines on the sides – creating a space that's very personal, and which seems to let the lyrics hit these qualities that go much deeper than usual. The core album's been treasured for years by the few fans who had an original copy, and by a few more who had a previous reissue – but this double-length set is the first to ever tell the true tale of the enigmatic Damon – with a huge 64 page booklet of notes, and a massive amount of rare bonus tracks too. The core album includes "Song Of A Gypsy", "Funky Funky Blues", "Don't You Feel Me", "The Night", "Feel Your Love", "Oh What A Good Boy Am I", and "Birds Fly So High". Bonus tracks include some demo and 45 versions of "Song Of A Gypsy", plus "Don't Cry", "Lonely Surfer", "Bowlin Alley Jane", "Everything Is Alright", "The Little White Cloud That Cried", "I Wonder Why", and "I've Got My Pride". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the booklet, with slightly crinkled cover.)
67
Isaac Hayes & The Bar Kays —
Do Your Thing EP ... LP Get On Down, 1971. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
One of the funkiest songs ever from Issac Hayes – presented here in the non-stop, 33 minute jam session that gave the world the shorter single! The whole thing is amazing – and even more of a chance to see Hayes' genius in the studio than some of his full albums – as Ike conducts the core Bar-Kays group, and some additional strings and vocals – through passages that are tight and funky one minute, then freaky and fuzzy the next – with lots of cool time changes, instrumental shifts, and other sweet styles that make the whole thing feel more like an extended funk symphony than just a single song! This is the first time this full performance has ever been released – and the single features both parts, plus a bonus "rhythm section mix". Also comes with a cool booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album
68
Kid Koala —
12 Bit Blues ... CD Ninja Tune (UK), 2012. Used ... Out Of Stock
Raw, stripped down hip hop sample blues from Kid Koala – done on his trusty SP1200! It's unlike anything Koala's done to date, and unlike any of the more famous examples of a producer-DJ mining old school blues records. It's cool stuff – grainy, gritty and respectful of root materials – but creative enough to add some scratches and other head-nodding hip hop touches. 12 tracks in all: "1 Bit Blues" through "11 Bit Blues" – plus "Denouement". CD
(CONDITION NOTES: Digipak has been crushed in one corner and slipcase is torn. Still comes with cardboard, hand-powered gramophone turntable kit and 5" Flexi Disc.)
69
King Pleasure —
King Pleasure (aka Golden Days) ... LP Everest, Early 60s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful beautiful record, and still one of the greatest jazz vocal albums ever made. The great King Pleasure sings in a raspy vocalese style similar to Jon Hendricks or Eddie Jefferson, but with a sense of warmth and delivery that the two of them never seem to reach. The set list here features a stellar batch of tracks with lyrics by Pleasure, including "The New Symphony Sid", "No, Not Much", "Parker's Mood", and "Golden Days". There's some great accompaniment by LA hard bop players like Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, and Harold Land, and the whole set sparkles with imagination and warmth. Plus, the liner notes include a cool set of notes about Pleasure's crazy philosophy called Planetism. Wild stuff! LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 70s issue. Cover has light wear, a smudge from sticker removal, and some minor blemishes in back.)
70
Sugar Minott/Doctor Bird (UK), 1979. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A pair of great records from the production hands of Prince Jammy – back to back on a single CD! First up is Bitter Sweet – one of those key records that helped Sugar Minott earn the sweet reputation that really echoed his name – as the set's got these easygoing grooves that are perfect for his warmly crackling vocals – richly expressive, but without every sounding overdone – all set up in these great instrumental elements produced and arranged by Prince Jammy! The groove is different than some of the sharper modes that were creeping in during the digital generation – very casual, with a quality that has the easygoing vocals from Minott stepping out nicely on cuts that include "I'm Not For Sale", "Give The People", "Never Too Young", "Be Careful", "Right Track", "Can't Get Over", "Save The Children", and "This World". Reggae On Broadway is a gem from Johnny Osbourne – hardly the kind of album with polish and glam that you'd expect from a Broadway title, and instead this mellow, laidback session that really showcases the genius of Prince Jammy in the studio! Given the date of the recording, things could be a lot more commercial, or a lot cleaner in a digital way – but Jammy keeps the proceedings casual and cool, which lets those magnificent vocals of Osbourne flow out in a really great way. Titles include "Let Me Your Chopper", "Live Right", "Folly Ranking", "Water Pumping", "Reggae On Broadway", "Mr Walker", "Sing Along", and "Can't Leave Jah". Great Doctor Bird package – excellent sound, and very detailed notes! CD
71
Muzak —
Muzak – New Dimensions ... LP Muzak, 1968. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A very cool album put out by the Muzak corporation to promote their world-wide takeover of all sonic spaces! It seems strange that Muzak would actually produce a record – but we're happy they did, as the cover has a cool abstract painting, some great notes, and a few photos of Muzak musicians and scientists at work! Tracks include "The Happening" by Sid Bass, "Amy's Theme" by Phil Bodner, "Where's The Melody" by George Siravo, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" by Charles Grean, and "It Must Be Him" by Dave Terry. Wild! LP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label pressing. Cover has light wear and aging, an ink stamp at the bottom left, and is bent a bit at the top left corner.)
72
Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner —
Faroe ... CD Sunnyside, 2018. Used ... Out Of Stock
A really cool setting for the sharp-edged tenor sax of Mark Turner – a set of surprisingly beautiful duets with guitarist Mikkel Ploug, who seems to bring out more of lyrical side in Turner's music than usual! The tunes have this beautifully flowing vibe – with cascading notes from Ploug on both acoustic and electric guitar, followed by snakey solos from Turner that are extremely evocative – and which make for an especially unusual mix on the tracks with acoustic guitar, of which there are many! Titles include "Sea Minor", "Safari", "Warmth", "Sailing", "Highland", "The Red Album", "Faroe", and "Neukolln". CD
(Penmark through barcode.)
73
Raymond Scott —
Manhattan Research Inc – New Plastic Sounds & Electronic Abstractions ... CD Basta (Netherlands), 1950s/
Amazing! This is one of the coolest CDs we've seen in years – and everything about it is fantastic, from the package right down to the double-length set of music! The set features rare unreleased recordings from Raymond Scott's legendary Manhattan Research electronic music studios – originally set up in 1946, and home to some of Scott's landmark early work on non-acoustic music during the 50s and 60s. Far from being the sort of turgid, dark knob-twiddling that computer music later became in the academy, Scott's early experiments are filled with a sense of whimsy and joy – exported directly from his early cartoon-based work, and applied in a fantastic way to his evolving musical inventions! Plus, the whole thing's packaged in this super-cool hardcover book, with a whopping 140 pages of notes, photographs, old advertisements, and interviews – all done in a brilliant graphic style that complements the package even further! Don't forget the music, though – because it's totally fantastic – and kind of reminds us of bits of Jon Appleton's Syntonic Menagerie, Pierre Henry's early Musique Concrete, and later punk-era DIY electronics. That doesn't even come close to pinning it down, though – and with 2 CDs worth of material, the scope of the work is amazing! CD
74
Sea Ders —
Sea Ders ... CD Groovie/
Mighty nice work from the Sea-Ders of Lebanon – not the brand you might know from the supermarket aisles, but instead a very cool combo who played in Beirut in the 60s! The group have the garagey elements of many other groups of the time – but they also use both their guitar and electric bouzuki in ways that seem to predate the Arabesk rock of the Turkish scene – nicely exotic phrasing on the electric instruments, which make for a very cool balance with their English language vocals on the tunes! The set brings together all known recordings by the group – singles for both the Decca and Symbol label – presented with liner notes from Ugly Things magazine too. Titles include "For Your Information", "Hide If You Want To Hide". "I Like The Way", "Thanks A Lot", "Better Loved", "Undecidedly", and "Cause I Do Care" CD
75
Cha Cha Shaw —
Kingdom Come ... CD Folkways, 1979. New Copy Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
The second Folkways album from trumpeter Charles Shaw – and even more wonderful than the first! This one changes up the groove a bit – still sticking in Shaw's spiritual jazz vein at times, but also tripping things out a bit more with use of electric guitar and the ultra-cool "bag flute" – which is almost like a wah-wah sort of reed instrument, and which makes for some really funky moments! The electric touches are totally great – and mix with rougher acoustic jazz elements in ways that remind us of earlier 70s work from Luther Thomas and Joe McPhee – also both avant players who could show a funky side like this at times. Shaw plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and the bag flute – and other instrumentation includes guitar from James Greggo and Tom Lee Harris, alto from Brian Ross, tenor from Glenn Spears, bass from Ronnie Boykins, and drums from Art Blakey Jr. Titles include "Kid Zorro", "Postage Paid", "Mr Zip", "Chain Reaction", and "Melted Soul". CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
76
Jimmy Smith —
Jimmy Smith At The Organ – Plays Pretty Just For You ... CD Blue Note (Japan), 1957. Used ... Out Of Stock
Forget the "pretty" in the title here – as this stuff's not glossy or fancy – just wonderfully stripped-down Hammond work from Jimmy, performed with a trio that includes Eddie McFadden on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. The title should probably read "mellow" instead of "pretty" – as the groove is very laidback and late-nite, with Jimmy hitting some of those really cool "unbridled" notes that are the best part of his early Blue Note sound. Titles include "East Of The Sun", "The Very Thought Of You", "Penthouse Serenade", and "Old Devil Moon". CD
Also available Jimmy Smith At The Organ – Plays Pretty Just For You ... LP 29.99(1996 Japanese pressing.)
77
Stabat Stable —
Ultrissima On The Junk's Moon ... LP Cache Cache (UK), Mid 80s. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
Very cool work from Jean-Luic Aime – ex-member of Univers Zero, working here in a very heady brew of cold wave electronics! The music shifts between spare, almost tuneful numbers that remind us a bit of Minny Pops or Young Marble Giants – and some much more experimental sounds that belie Aime's legacy – done with a homegrown feel that would have been right at home in the darker corners of the early Crammed Disc universe! The album brings together tracks from a few different small-label cassette recordings, with full notes on the music from Andy Votel – and titles include "Prima Linea", "Scorpio", "Coaltar Saponine", "I Can Help You You Know", and "Ultrissima On The J's M". LP, Vinyl record album
78
Stark Reality —
Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop ... LP AJP/
One of the most tripped-out albums of funk you'll ever buy – a rare treasure with a very unusual history! The Stark Reality were a cool little combo formed to work on public television in Boston in the late 60s – and the combo featured some heavy guitars, fuzzed-up vibes, and some monster percussion laid out in tight bass and drum rhythms that were years ahead of their time! The group recorded one rare album – ostensibly a children's record, but based around old compositions by Hoagy Carmichael, completely pulled apart, sliced up, overly harmonized, and spat out into wild funky tunes that bear no resemblance to their originals! John Abercrombie handles the guitar, Monty Stark delivers the vibes and vocals – and titles include "Rocket Ship", "Shooting Star", "Bustin Out Of Doors", "Comrades", "Swing High", "Cooking", "Grandfather Clock", "The Old Prospector", "The Whale", "Junkman's Song", and "Merry Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes booklet with rare photos, liner notes and more!)
79
Charles Stepney —
Step On Step ... CD International Anthem, Early 70s. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/
Also available Step On Step ... LP 24.9980
Isao Suzuki —
Blue City ... CD Three Blind Mice/
A wonderful little set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – one that has him playing both acoustic bass and cello, mixing up the instrumentation in a really cool way! Suzuki was really one of the most inventive bassists of his generation of Japanese jazz – able to shift styles and sounds in a way that was a bit like Ron Carter on some of his groundbreaking records of the 70s – a mode that definitely comes into play here. The group's also noteworthy in that it features guest guitar work from Kazumi Watanabe – although Watanabe's playing here in a style that's much more restrained than on his later work – sliding in nicely next to Suzuki's warmly plucked notes on bass and cello, and ringing out with a great sense of lyrical interplay. Other instrumentation includes additional bass from Nobuyoshi Ino, drums from Tetsujiro Obara, and piano from Kunihiko Sugano – and titles include two great long originals – "Blue City" and "45th Street" – plus "Play Fiddle Play" and "Body & Soul". CD
(Part of the Three Blind Mice Supreme Collection!)
81
Various —
Boogieland Chapter 1 – French Grooves ... CD Universal (France), Late 70s/
A very cool look at a lost legacy in French music – disco and club grooves from the late 70s and early 80s, most of which never got any play at all on our side of the Atlantic! The tracks here mostly go way beyond the obvious choices of Cerrone and Kongas, and often have a playful approach to the music that has French vocals stepping out with catchy, groovy, and sometimes sexy lyrics – all set to rhythms that shift up nicely, and also move past some of the more standard Euro disco modes that were usually the main export of the period! There's not too much in the way of history in the notes – and we'd love to read more – but the song choices are great, very fresh – and include "Palace Hotel (ext)" by Preface, "Quand Tu Danses" by Micky Milan, "Chante Avec Moi" by Herbert Leonard, "Je Ne Veux Pas Rentrer Chez Moi Seule (single version)" by Agathe & Regrets, "Do You Speak French" by Night School, "Homosexualis Discothecus" by Raymond Alessandrini & Jean Yanne, "Visa Pour Aimer (ext)" by Plaisir, "Get Funk" by Black White & Co, and "Wake Up & Move Funk" by Eddy Rosemond. CD
82
Various —
Clarion Set (3CD set) ... CD Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s/
A rare indie label finally gets its due – Australia's stalwart Clarion imprint, home to some great music at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s – and a tiny little powerhouse who seemed to knock it out of the park with each new release! The scope of sounds here is great, and at some level, the package also provides an overview of Aussie rock during the space of a decade or so – beginning with raw tracks that are a rougher-edged take on UK mod territory, through more ambitious 60s work, and some very cool early 70s tracks that have the scene really finding its own voice – almost all served up on material issued as 7" singles, which keeps the music moving along at a really nice pace. The package features a huge amount of tracks – 86 numbers in all, supported with a huge booklet of notes on each group, plus images of rare records too – with tracks from The Valentines, Johnny Young, Colin Cook, The Clan, The Troupadors, Soul Purpose, Proclamation, The Spektors, Russ Kennedy & The Little Wheels, Chalice, Strawberry Fair, Willpower, The Birds, and others. CD
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Various —
Cuba – I Am Time (4CD boxset) ... CD Blue Jackel, 1960s/
Very very cool 4CD set of classic Latin material, packed inside of a nifty cigar-box cover, with an extra 112-page booklet of notes! The set's perfect if you're just getting into Afro Cuban music – but also pretty darn great even if you're already a fan, as the selection and packaging are exquisite. There's far too much music on the set to mention in this small space – but let us just tell you that the 4 CDs in the package all focus on a different side of Cuban music: Jazz, Vocals, Percussion, and Cuban Traditions. Each track comes with lavish notes and information that's helpful to novices and experts alike – and some of the artists include Cachao, Roberto Faz, Issac Delgado, Tito Gomez, Merceditas Valdes, Arsenio Rodriguez, Sexteto Habenero, Beny More, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Irakere. The jazz CD alone is enough to blow your mind – and that's only the beginning! CD
(Packaged in a nice cigar-style box. A nice copy!)
84
Various —
Destination Freeway – 33 Cruisin Deuces For Your Summer Spectacular ... CD Bear Family (Germany), 1950s. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A really cool collection of car-themed tunes – not 60s hot rod numbers, but mostly 50s tracks from those years when the automobile was really beginning to dominate American culture – and served as the inspiration for car-based cuts in a variety of different styles! A good number of the cuts here are 50s rockers, including some wild novelty-oriented numbers – but there's also country tracks, vocal tunes, and plenty more too – served up in a really well-done assortment of 33 songs that goes way past the familiar material you might find on a collection like this! As always, Bear Family have done a really great job – with presentation, notes, track selection, and more – on titles that include "Freeway USA" by The Bonnevilles, "Stop Jivin Start Drivin" by Bert Keyes, "Cruisin Central" by Faron Warmer, "Keep A Driving" by Chuck Willis, "Flat Tire" by The Del Vikings, "Wow Man" by Bobby Jackson, "The Drive In" by The Aquatones, "Get Out Of The Car" by The Lancers, "Cruisin" by Bucky & The Premieres, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, and "Big Green Car" by Jimmy Carroll. CD
85
Various —
Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love – Motown's MoWest Story 1971 to 1973 ... CD Motown/
The first ever compilation of the best music made for MoWest – the eclectic, but still soulful cuts made when Berry Gordy Jr. relocated from Motown to the west coast in the early 70s – releasing cool and sometimes strange music with a soul background, yet toasted by LA sunshine! The MoWest subsidiary lasted just a few years, and gets overlooked in the canonization of Motown at it's most classic and revolutionary – but the legacy is pretty incredible. Funk, sunshine rock and soul fused adventurously by a stunningly diverse roster – late period Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons (who's comp-opening track is a slept on sunshine pop-soul classic), breezy-jazzy-soul from Odyssey, the sister funk of Sisters Love, a stunning solo left turn from Spinners singer GC Cameron and more great stuff from Syreeta, The Commodores, Suzee Ikeda, Thelma Houston and others. We've been dying for a well selected MoWest comp like this for years, and Light In The Attic stepped to the plate and knock it right out of the park. The songs choices are great, the notes are great. . .everything about it is a win. Essential! Includes "You're A Song (That I Can't Sing)" and "The Night" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, "Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love" and "Broken Road" by Odyssey, "Don't You Be Worried" by The Commodores, "A Heart Is A House" Nu Page, "I Ain't Going Nowhere" by Thelma Houston, "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" by Suzee Ikeda, "You've Got To Make The Choice" and "Give Me Your Love" by The Sisters Love and more. CD
(Digipak has some light wear.)
86
Various —
She's Got The Power – Female Power Pop, Punk, & Garage ... CD Big Beat/
Girl rock galore – a cool little set that brings together important female cuts from the late 70s punk years, then moves forward to show just how much the underground exploded from the 90s into the 21st Century! The set's got plenty of the energy you'd expect from the title – and as with other collections on Ace, the track list is superb – lots of great choices throughout – and supported with a very detailed booklet of notes that ties everything together, and really fills you in on some of the lesser-known artists in the set. CD features 24 tracks in all – and titles include "Spirit FM" by Bad Moves, "Take It Off" by The Donnas, "Out Of Time" by Vibeke Saugestad, "I'll Be Alright" by Baby Shankes, "We Only Come Out At Night" by The Sugar Store, "Peter Gunn Locomotion" by The Delmonas, "Hanging On The Telephone" by Blondie, "Cmon & Kiss Me" by Sun 60, "The Teens Are Square" by The Courettes, "Teenage Kicks" by Dawn Chorus & The Bluetits, "In The City" by Cocktail Slippers, "Juvenile Thrills" by The Launderettes, "Dancing With Joey Ramone" by Amy Rigby, "Rock Boys" by Suzy & Los Quattro, "Take It All Away" by Girlschool, "Unforgiven" by The Go Gos, and "Da Doo Ron Ron/
87
Various —
What A Groovy Day – The British Sunshine Pop Sound 1967 to 1972 (3CD set) ... CD Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s/
Sunshine Pop is a style that's usually associated with the American west coast scene of the 60s – music that sprung up in the wake of The Beach Boys and some of the other upbeat, harmony-heavy groups of the time – yet as you'll see in this set, there was also plenty of sunshine pop coming from the UK too – some by older artists influenced by musical changes, some by very cool English groups, and some by artists who were really taking the sound and spirit in their own direction! The box tracks a great stretch in the UK scene when things were sweet and well-produced, with a really great focus on well-crafted vocals amidst lovely arrangements – never too slick or sleepy in a soft rock way – and often presented with some unique British twists that make the tunes a great change from Sunshine Pop in the US! We love it when the Grapefruit label digs into a genre we never would have explored this deeply – and the 3CD package is a wonder throughout – with 87 tracks in all, alongside a big booklet of notes – presented by a huge array of artists who include Butterscotch, Dawn Chorus, The Mirage, Design, The Zombies, Paul Ryan, Roger Webb Sound, Agincourt, The Flies, Jason Cord, Symbols, Pinkerton's Colours, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, West Coast Consortium, The Seekers, Wilson Malone Voiceband, Orange Bicycle, Ken Smart, Harmony Grass, Episode Six, and many many others! CD
88
Burt Bacharach —
Casino Royale (2CD expanded version) ... CD Colgems/
One of Burt Bacharach's finest moments, and a soundtrack that we never tire of hearing! Burt wrote all the tunes – and the album's a wonderful romp, with lots of odd twists and turns that are quite different from Burt's usual bag (baby!), but which still have all of the charm of his best work. A few performances on the set are by Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass, who do the completely chaotic "Casino Royale Theme" – and the lovely Dusty Springfield sings a versions of "Look Of Love" that has to be the best ever recorded! Other tracks include "Home James, Don't Spare The Horses", "Money Penny Goes For Broke", "The Venerable Sir James Bond", and "Hi There Miss Goodthighs". But even better is this cool version – which features the original LP presentation at the end, but begins with 34 tracks that replicate the film presentation of the music – and which include numbers not on the original album, and variations on the tunes too! Even includes two vocal numbers by Mike Redway – "Seven Bond In Heaven" and "Dream On James You're Winning". Plus, there's even an amazing 64 page color booklet – filled with great notes and photos! CD
89
James Brown —
Funk Power – 1970 – A Brand New Thang ... CD Chronicles/
Here you go! Killer material from James' first version of The JBs – starring Bootsy Collins, Bobby Byrd, and Jabo Starks. Includes the 9 minute version of "Super Bad", an unreleased live version of "There Was A Time (I Got To Move)", the 12 minute version of "Soul Power", the 14 minute version of "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothin", the 10 minute version of "Sex Machine", and even a cool Public Service Announcement that has James rapping on Drug Abuse! Plus, there's some nice notes, with full session information and rare photos! CD
90
Clique —
Clique ... CD White Whale/
Slightly easy, slightly baroque, and with a sound that's somewhere near Free Design, The Mamas & The Papas, and other groups of the time – The Clique were one of the many groovy lost pop bands that came out of the west coast during the 60s. The record boasts the original version of the track "Superman", which went to become a big hit for R.E.M. about 20 years later. There's lots of other nice groovy original material, like "Sugar On Sunday", "Shadow Of Your Love", "Judy, Judy, Judy", and a cool version of the Bee Gees "Holiday". 17 tracks, with extra cuts, and good liner notes on the band. CD
91
Ruby Dee —
What If I Am A Woman Vol 2 – Black Women's Speeches ... CD Folkways, 1977. Used ... Out Of Stock
A pretty cool collection produced by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee – focusing on famous speeches by important female African-Americans – mostly focusing on the civil rights era, but also featuring an early speech by Ida B Wells. Ruby reads the speeches, and works include "I Am A Black Revolutionary Woman (1971)" by Angela Davis, "The Right To A Decent Life & Human Dignity (1971)" by Coretta Scott King, "It Is Time For A Change (1969)" by Shirley Chisolm, and "Lynching, Our National Crime (1901)" by Ida B Wells. CD
92
Deep South Band —
Deep South Is/
Uni Sound/
The Deep South Band definitely hail from the part of the country you'd expect – yet their groove here is very much the sharp ensemble funk that you'd hear from the best scenes up north – especially the growing world of groups in Ohio! The group state their case with the wonderfully catchy "Deep South Is" on the a-side – then let loose instrumentally even more on the flipside, "Touch Of Soul" – which has plenty of freewheeling keyboards and guitar, and some lively vocals egging the players on! 7-inch, Vinyl record
93
Georges Delerue —
Les Visiteurs/Music Box (France), 1972/
Rare TV work from Georges Delerue – represented here in two different soundtracks! Les Visiteurs has a cool sci fi theme, but is carried out by Georges with his usual depth of sentiment – orchestrations that are often warmer than usual for such work, but with these cool moody touches that have some of the acoustic instruments echoing electric modes – in a very nice way! Tracks are short, but quite interesting – and include "Arkim Et Tolrach", "Antonia", "Zarko Chevalier De L'Espace", "Les Visiteurs", and "La Prison De San Diego". L'Homme Qui Revient De Loin is more TV work from Georges Delerue – done with those great flourishes we love so much in his work – a sense of space that never overdoes the drama, but which creates a wonderful sense of tension as you're waiting for the next notes to come! Instrumentation is relatively familiar, but used in a really great way – and titles include "Au Bord De L'Etang", "Le Fantome", "Denouement", "Generique Fin", and "Marthe Et Andre". CD
94
Dells —
Freedom Means ... LP Cadet, 1971. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A stunning set from the mighty mighty Dells – a cool collaboration with the legendary arranger Charles Stepney and songwriter Terry Callier – and a record that shows just how far the group had come since their streetcorner harmony days! The vocals are incredible – that rich blend of deep notes and soaring highs that made The Dells one of the most technically amazing soul groups in the 70s – and Stepney's arrangements follow in the same mode as his work for their Dionne Warwick album, and his music for Minnie Riperton and Ramsey Lewis – with lots of groovy currents on the bottom and soaring strings on the top – sophisticated, but completely soulful too – at a level that nobody else can touch! Terry Callier wrote the original tunes "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind", "Freedom Means", "Melody Man", "Free & Easy", "Rather Be With You", and "It's All Up To You" – and the set also includes great remakes of "One Less Bell To Answer", "Make It With You", and "If You Go Away/
95
Paul Desmond with Jim Hall —
Desmond Blue (First Editions Series) ... CD RCA/
A cool jazz classic from altoist Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall! The album was recorded under Desmond's name, but Hall's the guitarist throughout, and his playing lends an indescribably wonderful edge to the set, making the album a real team effort! Unlike other RCA sides by Hall and Desmond, this one features the pair with larger string backings by Bob Prince, which create a dreamy pillow for alto and guitar to solo across. Titles include the Desmond originals "Late Lament" and "Desmond Blue" – plus "Ill Wind", "My Funny Valentine", and "Like Someone In Love". CD features 7 bonus tracks – masters and alternates, but tunes not on the album, including "Autumn Leaves", "Imagination", and "Advise & Consent". New notes, and extra photos too! CD
96
Gil Evans —
Svengali ... CD Atlantic/
A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! CD
97
Charlie Feathers —
Charlie Feathers Rocks ... CD Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/
Memphis music legend Charlie Feathers may not have hit the heights back in the day – but in the late 50s he cut some of the heaviest tracks on his scene, then kept going as kind of a "secret hero" of rock and roll for the decades to come! Feathers is one of those cats that only the coolest of the cool really dug at the time – and one who's gotten great attention from the hipper music writers in more recent generations – so much so that his legacy is likely a lot better known now than it was in the 60s! We can't think of a better artist to pick for one of the "Rocks" titles in this great Bear Family series – and like the other volumes, the well-chosen array of music is presented along with very detailed notes on the man and his contributions. The package features 31 tracks in all – mostly rarities from Feathers' earliest years – and titles include "Tongue Tied Jill", "Rain", "Too Much Alike", "Bottle To The Baby", "One Good Gal", "Wild Wild Party", "Oklahoma Hills", "Love Never Treated Me Right", "Cootzie Coo", "Wild Side Of Life", "Can't Hardly Stand It", and "Get With It". CD
98
5 Royales —
Soul & Swagger – The Complete 5 Royales 1951 to 1967 (5CD & book) ... CD Rock Beat, 1950s/
A completely wonderful collection of work from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the most important groups of the R&B generation, with a strong influence on 60s soul – both in the way they handled their vocals, and the way they used their guitar! The music here is fantastic – some of the most hard-hitting of their generation, and quite different than some of the sweeter or more commercial vocal group work of the period – not really doo wop, and more a strong lead singer (the mighty Lowman Pauling), backed by some great harmonies to really send him over the top! This beautiful package features all the recordings made by the group during their key years – many cuts for the legendary King Records, plus later work for House Of Blues and a few other labels – all packaged in a cool book-style cover with loads of notes and images. 141 tracks in all – including some previously unreleased songs – all in a cool 7" hardcover book! CD
99
Kenyon Hopkins —
Verve Sound Tour – France ... LP Verve, Mid 60s. Very Good+ Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Part of a great series that was released in conjunction with Esquire Magazine. The album's a nice split gatefold package filled with a book chock full of photos of 60's France, with cool travel notes. The disc combines sound effects and music (we think by Kenyon Hopkins), to create the effect of an audio tour for the armchair traveller. LP, Vinyl record album
100
Manfred Hubler & Sigi Schwab —
Vampyros Lesbos – Sexadelic Dance Party (Motel pressing) ... CD Motel, 1969. Used ... Out Of Stock
Excellent stuff! This is the great US issue of the fantastic first rare album of funky soundtrack stuff put out by Crippled Dick. In case you haven't heard it, the set's a mix of tracks from the funky scores to three wild lesbian vampire films from the late 60's, and the music is an excellent mix of organ grooves, funky breakbeats, and cool Now Sound sounds – with wild sitar, guitar, and electronics! The package comes with great notes, cool photos from the films, and excellent cuts like "Shindai Lovers", "Kamasutra", "Necromania", "Lions & The Cucumber", and lots lots more. Great stuff, very goofy, and very very funky! This LP copy comes with a cool tri-fold poster that's very very sexy, too! CD
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