Creedence Clearwater Revival may not have actually been born on the bayou – they were long-timers in the San Francisco scene of the 60s – but they do a hell of a job of reinventing swamp rock on this second stunning album! The quartet are a masterpiece of spare, unbridled power – the tremendous guitar and vocals of John Fogerty, strong rhythm guitar support of brother Tom, driving drums of Doug Clifford, and rolling bass of Stu Cook – all forged into a sound that's maybe more perfectly a summation of the blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul than some of the groups of the south were turning out at the time. Tracks include the huge hits "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary" – sitting nicely alongside even more compelling numbers like "Bootleg", "Graveyard Train", "Penthouse Pauper", and "Keep On Chooglin". LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to get any more classic than this for Creedence Clearwater Revival – as this legendary late 60s album is definitely the place where it all comes together! The pairing of John Fogerty's lead guitar and the scratching rhythm guitar of brother Tom really sounds wonderful here – driven on by tight bass and drums, but always with this rootsy edge that stretches from the Bay Area scene way down to the bayou! Titles include the classic "Down On The Corner" and a great version of "The Midnight Special" – plus "It Came Out Of The Sky", "Side Of The Road", "Effigy", "Don't Look Now", and "Fortunate Son". LP, Vinyl record album

A hilarious book, and one that's exactly what it promises in the title – a huge compendium of once-popular advertisements that are now pretty darn creepy by today's standards! Almost all the ads are from old magazines, presented here in both color and black and white – depending on the original source – and they're about as sexist, racist, and misguided as you might imagine – filled with bad advice, false claims, surprising images, and all sorts of goofy stuff that makes the book as funny as it is historical. 166 pages, color, softcover. Book

... LP, Vinyl record album

Creedence Clearwater Revival may not have actually been born on the bayou – they were long-timers in the San Francisco scene of the 60s – but they do a hell of a job of reinventing swamp rock on this second stunning album! The quartet are a masterpiece of spare, unbridled power – the tremendous guitar and vocals of John Fogerty, strong rhythm guitar support of brother Tom, driving drums of Doug Clifford, and rolling bass of Stu Cook – all forged into a sound that's maybe more perfectly a summation of the blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul than some of the groups of the south were turning out at the time. Tracks include the huge hits "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary" – sitting nicely alongside even more compelling numbers like "Bootleg", "Graveyard Train", "Penthouse Pauper", and "Keep On Chooglin". CD

The complete Woodstock performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969 – brought together here as an official album for the first time ever! CCR were a very important part of that legendary rock festival, but didn't get placement on the original record in a way that lived up to their presence at the concert – a fact that's nicely corrected here, with a double-length album that brings together every song they played that night in 1969! The set features a very long jamming take on "Suzie Q" – plus "Green River", "Born On The Bayou", "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "I Put A Spell On You", "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Keep On Chooglin", "Commotion", and "Bootleg". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Born To Move", "Hey Tonight", "Rude Awakening #2", "Chameleon", "Molina", "It's Just A Thought", and "Pagan Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rootsy work by the group, plus a Bill Monroe tune too – titles that include "I Won't Go Through That Again", "Finale For A Symphony", "The Corn Won't Grow", "Saga Neath The Sycamore", "Uncle Pen", and "Right Track". LP, Vinyl record album

Creedence Clearwater Revival at the height of their powers – working in this amazing style that has roots in the swamp rock world of the late 50s, but which is produced with a gritty, almost trippy sort of quality – a mode that uses plenty of echo to really make this magic around the edges of the music! John Fogerty's vocals and guitar are razor-sharp throughout – and some of the album's lesser-known gems really help you situate the sound of the group past their hits – as a way of getting at the power they brought to the Cali scene when they first emerged. Titles include the classic "Bad Moon Rising" – plus "Green River", "Commotion", "Wrote A Song For Everyone", "Lodi", "Cross Tie Walker", and "Sinister Purpose". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete Woodstock performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969 – brought together here as an official album for the first time ever! CCR were a very important part of that legendary rock festival, but didn't get placement on the original record in a way that lived up to their presence at the concert – a fact that's nicely corrected here, with a double-length album that brings together every song they played that night in 1969! The set features a very long jamming take on "Suzie Q" – plus "Green River", "Born On The Bayou", "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "I Put A Spell On You", "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Keep On Chooglin", "Commotion", and "Bootleg". CD

A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, the tunes here all take inspiration from the poetry of Robert Creeley – but never in a mode that's got the usual jazz meets poetry approach – as Sheila Jordan sings the lyrics when they appear, with a sense of her own power that's very different than a more standard recitation – and which, to us, really feels a lot like her great vocal performances with Steve Kuhn for ECM. Kuhn is also in the group on piano, and other musicians include David Liebman on saxes, Lyle Mays on keyboards, and Bob Moses on drums – all working under the superb leadership of bassist Steve Swallow – who really outdid himself with the depth of feeling in this project. Titles include "Colors", "In The Fall", "She Was Young", "Some Echoes", "Ice Cream", and "You Didn't Think". CD

It's hard to get any more classic than this for Creedence Clearwater Revival – as this legendary late 60s album is definitely the place where it all comes together! The pairing of John Fogerty's lead guitar and the scratching rhythm guitar of brother Tom really sounds wonderful here – driven on by tight bass and drums, but always with this rootsy edge that stretches from the Bay Area scene way down to the bayou! Titles include the classic "Down On The Corner" and a great version of "The Midnight Special" – plus "It Came Out Of The Sky", "Side Of The Road", "Effigy", "Don't Look Now", and "Fortunate Son". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from composer/arranger/creator Joshua Abrams – one of the most creative figures to come out of the Chicago scene in the past couple decades – no hyperbole necessary! On Represencing Josh is largely working with the guimbri – the North African traditional string instrument – plus a bit of organ, harps, and bells – used sparely alongside the core instrument. The guimbri gives the record an earthy, traditional base – as Abrams reaches out to inspire a lager ensemble that includes Chad Taylor on drums and gong, Nicole Mitchell on flute, Michael Zerang on tambourine, Jeff Parker and Emmett Kelly on guitars, Tomeka Reid on cello, David Boykin on tenor sax, and Jason Stein on bass clarinet – all familiar players, with whom Abrams has worked often – coming together here with a very spiritual vibe. Titles include "San Anto", "Represencing", "Moon Hunger", "Sound Talisman", "Sungazer", "The BA", "Enter Mountain Amulet", and "Cloud Walking". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from percussionist Airto – with bonus tracks too! First up is Free – one of the coolest, grooviest albums you'll ever hear from the legendary percussionist Airto – a set that mixes his own Brazilian roots with the electric genius of 70s CTI – all with stunning results! Airto's in the lead – and blows some beautiful wood flute lines alongside percussion – but the album also features killer contributions from Joe Farrell on soprano sax, Hubert Laws on flute, Keith Jarrett on piano, and Chick Corea on Fender Rhodes – as well as a hip bit of vocals from Flora Purim as well! There's some added horns at parts – but the arrangements are relatively spare and subtle – so that most tracks have a core organic quality, very similar to Airto's work on Buddah/Cobblestone, but given a bit more of a CTI twist. Most tunes are quite long and free-flowing – and titles include "Lucky Southern", "Flora's Song", "Creek (Arroio)", and "Return To Forever". Identity is a soaring set of grooves from one of the world's greatest percussionists – a standout set as a leader from Airto, and a key set in his wonderful run of work from the 70s! The album's still got the loose, free feel of Airto's earliest work, and isn't nearly as crossover-oriented as some of the Flora Purim sets from the time – still strongly in a rootsy, earthy sort of vibe – and produced with a very respectful sound by Herbie Hancock. Herbie plays some Arp on the record, and Wayne Shorter brings in some soprano sax too – but the core elements of the album are Airto's range of percussion instruments, keyboards and piano from Egberto Gismonti, drums from Roberto, trombone from Raul DeSouza, and a bit of vocals from Flora. Titles include "Flora On My Mind", "Cafe", "The Magicians", "Tales From Home", "Identity", and "Encounter". Promises Of The Sun is a record that departs nicely from earlier work, yet still keeps all the best elements intact! Airto's percussion work is firmly at the core of the set – giving it a nice acoustic base to work from, while also adding in touches of electric guitar by Toninho Horta, bass by Novelli, and keyboards from Hugo Fattoruso. The groove is a wonderful blend of the acoustic and electric, organic and synthetic – and is often crafted in a majestic vibe that seems to be inspired by the work of Milton Nascimento from the early 70s. Tracks include "Circo Marimbondo", "Zuei", "Candango", "Ruas Do Recife", "Georgiana", and "La De Casa". CD features bonus tracks "Creek (alt version)", "So Tender", and "Jequie". CD

A gem of a sound library record from one of the all-time greats – and maybe one of the few artists who gave his equal all, whether he was cutting a full film soundtrack, or just a discreet batch of tracks like these in the studio! The music is as groovy as groovy can be – sometimes funky, sometimes slinky – and done in this blend of heavy electric bass, nicely snapping drums, riffing guitar, and some great use of wordless vocals – maybe no surprise, since Alessandroni was the man behind the legendary I Cantori Modern! There's a great sense of variety all the way through – all killer, no filler – and titles include "Vocalisation", "Spiagge Azzurre", "Aliante Giallo", "Ciclamino", "Arioso Spirituale", "Cielo Verde", and "Marmittone". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-instrumental set from Mose Allison – one that drops out his familiar jazz vocals, and really brings a nice focus to his energy on the keys of the piano! Given that Mose really got his start as a sideman in other combos during the 50s, the selection's no surprise – and if you've only heard Allison's better-known numbers with singing, you'll really be floored here at his skills as an instrumentalist – particularly in the way he manages to play the piano with deep-down roots, yet also hit some stunningly modern tones as well! Accompaniment is by Addison Farmer on bass, plus either Ronnie Free or Nick Stabulas on drums – and titles include "Dinner On The Ground", "Crepuscular Air", "Mule", "Creek Bank", "Town", "Devil In The Cane Field", "The Minstrels", "Moon & Cypress", "Carnival", and "Mojo Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of cool British TV soundtracks – both of which feature an action jazz style to rival the best early work of Henry Mancini for the television screen! First up is lost spy soundtrack work from the British composer Edwin Astley – best known for his work on The Saint and Danger Man, but also sounding pretty darn great on the earlier program International Detective! The feel here is similar to some of Astley's better-known work – a more dramatic take on the crime jazz used on American TV in the late 50s – one that retains much of the instrumental elements of the sound, especially the well-placed use of saxes – but which also uses larger orchestrations to flesh out the music nicely, creating a stronger, more cinematic feel. The set features a total of 21 tracks from this short-lived show – and titles include "International Detective", "Murder Strip", "Theme For Larceny", "Night Patrol", "The Badge", "Manhunt", "Shock Tactics", "Murder Chase", and "Concerto In Law". Next is Man From Interpol – one of the best spy soundtracks we've ever heard – and one of the only scores we've ever seen from Brit jazz drummer Tony Crombie! The work was done a few years before Barry's famous Bond scores – but it's got a very similar feel, with lots of driving themes that make the best use of brazen horns, fast jazz, and beat-styled rhythms that crackle throughout the set. Most titles are pretty short, but really great – and nearly all of them feature some extremely strong jazz musicianship, in the manner of that used on the best American soundtracks by Mancini at the time! Titles include "Panic Station", "Interpol Cha Cha Cha", "Interpol Chase", "Samba De Janeiro", and "Blues Macabre". CD

A classic sexy soundtrack from the 70s – maybe the greatest thing ever to come from the pen of composer Pierre Bachelet, and a lot more rich than the images on the screen from Just Jaeckin's cinematic version of The Story Of O! Bachelet works in a mix of electric and acoustic styles – definitely inspired by some of the Italian sex scores of the time, but more spacious overall – so that the notes and rhythms really have time to entice and unfold before really hitting the right sort of sensual sound! The vibe is very spacey, with a dreamy rainy afternoon sound – with nice touches of electronics, and a good mellow feel – on titles that include "O'Apres", "O'She's A Lady", "O'Et L'Amour A Trois", "O'Et Sir Stephen", and "O'Et La Photo De Jacqueline". Great CD version – 28 tracks in all! CD

A wonderfully creepy soundtrack – and one that would provide an important preface to the huge musical legacy that Angelo Baldamenti would give David Lynch for Twin Peaks! This soundtrack features half of Baldamenti's eerie, airy sounds – and half of the kind of old school numbers that gave the narrative such an out of time sort of vibe – and which we're happy they were able to include. Baldamenti titles include "Night Streets/Sandy & Jeffrey", "Frank", "Jeffrey's Dark Sid", "Mysteries Of Love", "Going Down To Lincoln/Sound Effects Suite", and "Frank Returns". Other titles include the Julee Cruise vocal version of "Mysteries Of Love" – plus "Honky Tonk" by Bill Doggett, Love Letters" by Ketty Lester, and In Dreams" by Roy Orbison. CD

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". CD

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". 2CD 50th anniversary edition features lots of bonus tracks – including 13 more early, alternate, and instrumental versions of tracks on the album – and a bonus 11 track Live At Woodstock 1969 set, with original rough mixes of tunes that include "I Shall Be Released", "This Wheel's On Fire", "Long Black Veil", "Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos", "Tears Of Rage", "Chest Fever", and "We Can Talk". CD

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". CD

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". Includes 7 bonus tracks. CD

One of the most iconic rock and roll shows of all time – the late 70s farewell to The Band – and quite famously, much more than a final concert by an esteemed band, it's actually a rock, pop, folk, blues and soul summit that features The Band as the house band. This landmark document of the event has always been one of rock's more opulent releases – with appearances by Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Dr. John, The Staples and more. Includes "The From The Last Waltz", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In", "Down In South New Orleans" with Bobby Charles, "Forever Young" with Bob Dylan, "I Shall Be Released (Finale)", "Rag Mama Rag", "Further Up The Road" with Eric Clapton, "Dry Your Eyes" with Eric Clapton, "Evangeline" with Emmylou Harris, "The Weight" with The Staples and more. CD

2 soulful instrumentals from HB Barnum – one of the greatest arrangers of the 60s! "Lost Love" is an original tune that kind of creeps along with a sad-stepping quality – heavy piano from HB on the top, as strings come in over the slowly syncopated beats, sliding around with mellifluous ease! "Hallelujah" is actually much more rocking – a heavy piano tune with a rollicking Ray Charles-ish approach, recorded in a nice raw style! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A beautiful book of graphic imagination – a book that features 60s-styled ads for toys that never existed – but which take us back to the glory days of Matchbox, Big Daddy Roth, and Aurora Monster Models! The artwork is all by Marty Bauman – who would have made a heck of a toy designer back in the day – as he thrills us with full color creations like the Creepy Clutching Hand, Gorilla Rifle, Savage Cedric, Psychedelic Simians, Misterlectro, Robot Troooper, Super-Python 300, Battling Robot, Rick Mason Undercover Triple Agent, The Mighty Zorok, and lots lots more! Each fake toy gets a full color page – like an ad from the back cover of a vintage comic or kids magazine – and the creations are so cool, we really have trouble believing they never really existed! Over 160 pages, hardcover, and full color throughout. Book

A great Elmer Bernstein score for this creepy psycho drama! At the best times, the score has the jazzy overtones of Walk On The Wild Side or Man With The Golden Arm – serious and soundtracky to be sure, but with some great work in a drama jazz style that was always Bernstein's best calling card in the picture business. And despite the darkness of the plot, there's actually some nice groovy numbers that have a real 60s go go feel to them – with plenty of swinging horns, and some driving and lively rhythms! Titles include "Birdito", "Party In The Ward", "The Cage", "Seclusion", "Electrotherapy" and "Black Straight-Jacket". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound good on paper, it actually works wonderfully on the record – as the tunes retain all of the jazz funk feel of the originals, without any of the cheap tricks you might expect! The album's as essential as any of the group's earlier albums – and it's filled with great versions of classics like "Supernatural Feeling", "Gut Level", "Walking In Rhythm", "Do It Fluid", "Rock Creek Park", and "Happy Music". CD

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound good on paper, it actually works wonderfully on the record – as the tunes retain all of the jazz funk feel of the originals, without any of the cheap tricks you might expect. The album's as essential as any of the group's earlier albums – and it's filled with great versions of classics like "Supernatural Feeling", "Gut Level", "Walking In Rhythm", "Do It Fluid", "Rock Creek Park", and "Happy Music". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album that Tim Buckley ever gave the world – and a great leaping-off point for speculation about what he might have done, had he not left the planet too soon! Tim's actually beginning to explore a bit of funk in his music here – still using that amazing voice with all of its range from the early Elektra years – but often set to backings that feature heavy drums from Earl Palmer, tight bass from Chuck Rainey, and keyboards from Mike Melvoin – all cats who can be tight, but never slick – and whose groove is more than loose enough to let Buckley direct the whole proceedings. Given that Tim has an occasional raw rasp, and a very offbeat way with his lyrics, the mix of elements is actually not that far from the funk of Betty Davis on her first two albums – with a similar shrug towards any easy genre categorizations. Titles include "Freeway Blues", "Look At The Fool", "Tijuana Moon", "Mexicali Voodoo", "Down In The Street", "Wanda Lou", and "Bring It On Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later album from Tim Buckley – one that really shows him evolving his style in the last few years before his tragic early departure from this planet! Tim's working in a style here that's oddly heavier and with more bluesy overtones than some of his classic 60s albums for Elektra – almost reaching for a stronger style that competes with other singer-songwriters who were beating his action at the time! We're not saying that the album's slick or overly commercial – just recorded with a fuller sound, and less of the light jazz-tinged folk styles used in earlier years. A few of the tunes are done in the older Buckley mode, but others have strings, backing vocals, and other larger arrangements. Titles include "Quicksand", "I Know I'd Recognize Your Face", "Martha", "Peanut Man", "Dolphins", "Honey Man", "Because Of You", and "Sefronia – The King's Chain". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little soundtrack from trash maestro Nicholas Carras – not one of the bigger names in mainstream cinema scoring at the start of the 60s – but in a way that really lets him take off and get creative with a record like this! The album's got a leadoff rock tune, some jazzier charts – ala Elmer Bernstein – and a mix of dramatic orchestrations with moodier, mellower passages – almost currents of exotica at times, all put together to create more than enough drama away from the images on the screen! Titles include "Teen Bleus", "Vegas Express", "Jazz Chase", "Fight", "7D", "Lover's Reunion", "High Spot", "Bluesy Mysterio", and "Gang Stalks Rick". LP, Vinyl record album

A romping little session from Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate – served up in a looser, more relaxed setting than the former's albums for Columbia, and a slightly more swing-based mode than the latter's dates for Chess! Both horn players get plenty of room to solo in the open-ended Swingville mode – Buck on trumpet and Buddy on both tenor and clarinet – and the group's a nice one too, since Sir Charles Thompson's playing piano, Gene Ramey's on bass, and Gus Johnson's on drums. Titles include "Blue Creek", "Blue Breeze", "Blue Ebony", "Rompin At Red Bank", and "Dallas Delight". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic tracks from the short-but-strong music career of Julie Coker – a huge figure in Nigerian culture, both for her work onscreen and off! Coker recorded a handful of records at the end of the 70s – right at the height of her career – and the tracks here are from two of the three from the time – the albums Tomorrow and Ere Yon. Ere Yon is a very compelling take on more traditional modes of the time – a bit highlife, but often nicely stripped-down, and with these occasional keyboard parts that give a cool spacey sound to the whole thing – a mode that works perfectly with Coker's strong vocal range. The music on Tomorrow is from a few years later, and has a warmer, clubbier vibe – a bit more of the Lagos disco promised in the title, but again handled in a way that's still very unique. Titles include "Iyo Re", "Elelemi", "Ere Yon", "Re Hese", "It's All For You", "Sogio", and "Gossiper Scandal Monger". LP, Vinyl record album

A great couple of harder-to-find Ornette Coleman records – nicely paired up in a 2CD set! First up is The Music Of Ornette Coleman, from 1967 – which is beautiful record that serves as both a showcase for Ornette's "serious" writing efforts – and his ability to play with a larger ensemble! It kicks off with Ornette playing trumpet solos with The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet as they perform his "Forms & Sounds" live. That's followed by recordings of Ornette's "Space Flight" and "Saints & Soldiers" performed by The Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia Quartet, a string ensemble that brings a new light to Ornette's compositions! Skies Of America is an ambitious record with full orchestra, in a haunting sound that's light years from any of his smaller group recordings of the 60s and 70s! There's an incredible feel to the strings used here – played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Measham – all tied up and dark, with swirling sounds that run up beautifully from the bottom, then take off to the skies promised in the title – opening the door for Ornette to come in and solo freely over the top – in a magical mix that easily makes the record a standout in his long and mighty career! Harmolodic theory is definitely a part of Coleman's conception here – but in very different ways than his quartet or quintet recordings. Lots of tracks on this one, including "Skies Of America", "The Men Who Live In The White House", "Sunday In America", "Dreams", "Native Americans", "Silver Screen", "The Artist In America" and more. CD

Strong work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – even if the album is sort of a collection of tracks that Trane recorded for Prestige, instead of a discreetly separate session! Side one features Coltrane's tenor in a spare setting with Earl May on bass and Art Taylor on drums – playing mellow tunes like "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues". Side two features a blowing session mode – with Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Louis Hayes – on the cuts "Lush Life" and "I Hear A Rhapsody". CD

Strong work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – even if the album is sort of a collection of tracks that Trane recorded for Prestige, instead of a discreetly separate session! Side one features Coltrane's tenor in a spare setting with Earl May on bass and Art Taylor on drums – playing mellow tunes like "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues". Side two features a blowing session mode – with Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Louis Hayes – on the cuts "Lush Life" and "I Hear A Rhapsody". LP, Vinyl record album

Jess Conrad looks a bit more straight-laced than the usual British rocker of the 60s – and he sounds a bit more here, too – in a set of completely charming tracks that had their birth at the moment when the UK labels weren't above bringing a huge production force to bear on the talents of a singer! Conrad was often as much a screen actor as he was a singer – and in a way, he's maybe a bit like a British version of Tommy Sands – charming at the start, and able to bring a subtle sense of drama to his vocals – one that's never too overdone, but which paces things nicely here – and which creates some surprisingly nice moments in the music, maybe more than you'd expect from his clean teen look. This set features a huge 63 tracks in all – singles issued well into the 70s, along with some unissued tracks too – titles that include "There's Gonne Be A Day", "See The Tinker Ride", "Pussy Cat", "Tempted", "A Little Bit Of Loveliness", "My Idea", "A Conspiracy Of Cards", "Twist My Wrist", "Pretty Jenny", "Unless You Mean It", "Mystery Girl", "Out Of Luck", "There's Gonna Be A Day", "Every Breath I Take", "You Too", "Swimming In Tears", "Lock Up Your Daughters", and "Down Town Tonight". CD

Spacey electronic sounds from Carlo Maria Cordio – created for an early 80s slasher from Joe D'Amato, and served up with some occasional warmer touches you might not expect! Most of the tracks have that post-Carpenter use of keyboards in very spare, stark ways – often tuned weirdly, so that there's an edge to even very simple passages of notes – and an undercurrent of bassier elements that seems to turn the "brooding" quality of the set up to 11! Yet there's also some moments that have a bit more piano – still in a slightly creepy way, but almost more human – and these cuts flesh out the overall soundtrack in a really nice way – maybe giving the record a greater musical depth than just the usual slasher electronics. LP, Vinyl record album

An insane record – and one of the strangest moments in pop music during the early 70s! Coven are best known to most folks for cutting the message-oriented, sweet folk tune "One Tin Soldier" – but here, they change course completely – and offer up a whole album dedicated to the dark arts and satanic pursuits – with a sonic quality that actually beats just about anything ever recorded by Anton La Vey! The record is ostensibly an "anti-witchcraft" album – but it actually comes off as being totally sincere – in a really great way. Some tunes are song-based – like "Coven In Charing Cross", "Black Sabbath", and "Choke Thirst Die" – but the album also has this really long "Satanic Mass", which even features the Lord's Prayer spoken backwards – completely creepy, in a Kenneth Anger magick sort of way! LP, Vinyl record album

An insane record – and one of the strangest moments in pop music during the early 70s! Coven are best known to most folks for cutting the message-oriented, sweet folk tune "One Tin Soldier" – but here, they change course completely – and offer up a whole album dedicated to the dark arts and satanic pursuits – with a sonic quality that actually beats just about anything ever recorded by Anton La Vey! The record is ostensibly an "anti-witchcraft" album – but it actually comes off as being totally sincere – in a really great way. Some tunes are song-based – like "Coven In Charing Cross", "Black Sabbath", and "Choke Thirst Die" – but the album also has this really long "Satanic Mass", which even features the Lord's Prayer spoken backwards – completely creepy, in a Kenneth Anger magick sort of way! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early groover from the great Joe Cuba – easily his best album of the pre-Latin soul years – and recorded in a tight small combo mode that was really shaking up the New York scene at the time! In advance of most other Latin leaders, Joe was already working here with both English and Spanish language vocalists – Cheo Feliciano and Jimmy Sabater – in a great mix of styles that has some early soul creeping into the mix, and which also features some heavy groovers that wonderfully distill the longer descarga style into some shorter lively numbers! Tracks have lots of great vibes – and titles include "Mercy", "Llegue", "Mambo Of The Times", "Siempre Sea", "El Hueso", and "Arinanara". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little shark-themed soundtrack, but one that comes across with a vibe that's quite different than any of the music used for Jaws – partly because there's a number of vocal tunes in the mix! The set features three standout songs – "Hollywood Big Time" and "You've Changed The World For Me", sung by Yvonne Wilkins – and "Ballad", which is sung by composer Maurizio De Angelis himself – which are then mixed with instrumental numbers that are electric and keyboard-heavy, maybe more in line with Italian slasher/horror work of the period than you might expect! The colder electronics must have given the watery scenes a really great vibe on the screen – and the package features great sound throughout, and a mighty nice graphic appeal. CD features 29 tracks in all – 13 more than the LP version. CD

A remake of the earlier Don Camillo film from the 50s – done here with music that's got an even more sprightly feel! You might know Pino Donaggio from darker, more serious soundtracks – but here, he uses a mix of keyboards and woodwinds to craft lots of groovy tunes that are in the best spirit of the 80s comedic Italian soundtrack modes! Given that Terence Hill was the lead, we can bet that there's a lot of goofy action on screen – set to tunes that include "Ring The Bells", "Verso Pomponesco", "Sfida A Carte", "I'm A Fool", "Don Camillo Parla Con Il Signore", and "Nella Chiesa". LP, Vinyl record album

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

A plain and simple shirt – one that's bound to get plenty of years of use – served up here at a plain and simple price, as well! The front features a big version of the Dusty Groove logo – the classic half-turntable that's topped our website for years – in brilliant gold-tone silkscreen, which really pops out against the bold color of the background! Nothing else – no bells, whistles, or frilly designs – just the good ol' DG logo, on a heavy 100% cotton shirt! Clothing

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One of the coolest shirts we've ever printed – one with a front image that takes off on a style that Atlantic Records used on its 45rpm EP releases back at the end of the 50s – and a back image that's got an equally striking feel too – so that the whole thing looks as great coming as it does going! The shirts were crafted especially for our 20th Anniversary – and they're 100% cotton, screen printed, and have a very high level of craftsmanship. Clothing

One of the coolest shirts we've ever printed – one with a front image that takes off on a style that Atlantic Records used on its 45rpm EP releases back at the end of the 50s – and a back image that's got an equally striking feel too – so that the whole thing looks as great coming as it does going! The shirts were crafted especially for our 20th Anniversary – and they're 100% cotton, screen printed, and have a very high level of craftsmanship. Clothing

One of the coolest shirts we've ever printed – one with a front image that takes off on a style that Atlantic Records used on its 45rpm EP releases back at the end of the 50s – and a back image that's got an equally striking feel too – so that the whole thing looks as great coming as it does going! The shirts were crafted especially for our 20th Anniversary – and they're 100% cotton, screen printed, and have a very high level of craftsmanship. Clothing

One of the coolest shirts we've ever printed – one with a front image that takes off on a style that Atlantic Records used on its 45rpm EP releases back at the end of the 50s – and a back image that's got an equally striking feel too – so that the whole thing looks as great coming as it does going! The shirts were crafted especially for our 20th Anniversary – and they're 100% cotton, screen printed, and have a very high level of craftsmanship. Clothing