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Seminal sounds from the LA scene of the late 40s – one of the most important records to showcase the tenor talents of the legendary Wardell Gray – a key player on the harder side of the west coast for its formative bop years – and one whose career was cut short all too soon! The material here really shows that strong LA tradition of fervent jam session work – recorded here with Gray alongside additional tenor from Vido Musso – plus guitar from Barney Kessel and Irving Ashby, trumpet from Ernie Royal and Howard McGhee, trombone from Vic Dickenson, piano from Arnold Ross and Erroll Garner, and bass from Red Callender and Harry Babison. Tracks are nice and long – with plenty of room for Gray to show of his solo talents – and titles include "Tenderly", "Blue Lou", "Just You Just Me", and "One O'Clock Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes renditions of "Maggie May", "Evil Ways", and "Honky Tonk Women". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic material from Jimmy Witherspoon – that sublime mix of blues and jazz that really set him apart from the rest! Titles include "Failing By Degrees", "Big Fine Girl", "Have A Ball", "Fickle Woman", "Sweet Lovin Baby", and "Ain't Nobody's Business". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare late 60s work from guitar genius Jerry Cole – and even more compelling than his famous records from earlier in the decade! This collection unearths a lost side of Jerry's career – tripped-out psych instrumentals from 1967 and 1968, recorded under a variety of different aliases – like The Generation Gap, Projection Company, Stone Canyon Rock Group, and T-Swift & The Electric Bag – all groups that didn't exist in real life, but were album-based studio projects by Cole! Jerry's brought a lot more fuzz to the sessions than on his surf and hot rod instrumental tracks – but the groove is mighty tight throughout, with almost a funky undercurrent to some of the best tracks – kind of an American equivalent to the UK freakbeat modes of the period, served up by Cole and a host of tight LA studio musicians. Great stuff throughout – all pulled from the Custom Records catalog – and titles include "Tune Out Of Place", "Fool's Luck", "Wild Times", "Hard Times", "What's Your Bag", "Our Man Hendrix", "Red Eyes", "I Love You I Do", "Expo In Sound", and "The Stinger". CD

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A stunning set from the early days of the dancehall generation – presented here with a huge amount of bonus tracks, including 19 that appear here on CD for the first time ever! The core album is an indie classic from the early 80s – done in that initial laidback dancehall style that resonated more strongly with both the 70s dee jay and roots generations, but with some digital elements in the mix – but all delivered at an easygoing pace that has the vocals of Lui Lepki serving up plenty of wisdom and knowledge! Titles on the album include "Late Night Movie", "Rent Man Skank", "Praise His Majesty", "Love Ina Jam Down", "Custom Officer", "Go To School", and "Tribute To Bob Marley". 2CD set featuries 30 tracks in all, 20 more bonus tracks – including six 12" single mixes by Lepki, and 14 more Joe Gibbs productions by Puddy Roots, Lee Van Cleef, Welton Irie & Prince Weedy, Jah Thomas, Lad Ann, and Kojak. CD

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

There's enough chest hair on the cover of this one to carpet the inside of any custom van – but the record's a fair bit better than you might guess from its image! The set's an outing as a leader by disco maestro Paul Sabu – one that features plenty of the riffing guitar he brought to other disco sessions of the late 70s – spun out over some relatively extended tracks that step along in a very clubby mode! Other instrumentation includes keyboards, bass, and lots of the percussion that made Sabu productions great for other artists – and even though Paul sings a bit, his vocals are mostly compressed down into the rhythms pretty strongly. Titles include "You're Mine Forever", "Loose Lucy Is On The Loose", "I Wanna Feel It In My Heart", "We're Gonna Rock", and "Rocking Rolling Disco King". And note: this isn't the same guy as Sabu Martinez, the conga player! CD

One of the coolest collections ever put out by The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the hipness of the label! Downriver Revival chronicles the story of a unique studio in Michigan – Double U Sound, a custom recording spot that captured a wonderful range of soul, funk, gospel, and other sounds from the local community – beautifully presented here in a full CD, plus a bonus DVD that features the near-complete 200 song archive of the studio! The DVD's really unique – so we'll talk about it first: Done with an interactive menu that lets you literally comb through the boxes of tapes in the Double U vault – selecting each reel recorded by the studio, and sampling the rich array of wonderful sounds from this untapped Michigan scene – a huge amount of music, far more than you'd ever find on a CD compilation. The DVD also features a documentary on the studio and Downriver Revial project – and that alone would be worth the price of admission – but the CD then features 24 key numbers pulled from the vaults – tracks that were either issued on rare 45s, or never issued at all – and which represent a wonderful array of soulful sounds that definitely lives up to the Numero standard! Titles include "There's A Light" by Shirley Ann Lee, "Take Care Of Us" by The Revelations, "Untitled Jam" by Bobby Cook & The Explosions, "Foot Stumping (alt)" by Organics, "While You Were Gone" by Combinations, "Heaven" by Deliverance Echoes, "Untitled" by Burgess Band, "Round N Round" by Junior Mays Group, and "Walk With Me" by Calvin Cooke. CD

One of the coolest collections ever put out by The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the hipness of the label! Downriver Revival chronicles the story of a unique studio in Michigan – Double U Sound, a custom recording spot that captured a wonderful range of soul, funk, gospel, and other sounds from the local community – beautifully presented here in a full CD, plus a bonus DVD that features the near-complete 200 song archive of the studio! The DVD's really unique – so we'll talk about it first: Done with an interactive menu that lets you literally comb through the boxes of tapes in the Double U vault – selecting each reel recorded by the studio, and sampling the rich array of wonderful sounds from this untapped Michigan scene – a huge amount of music, far more than you'd ever find on a CD compilation. The DVD also features a documentary on the studio and Downriver Revial project – and that alone would be worth the price of admission – but the CD then features 24 key numbers pulled from the vaults – tracks that were either issued on rare 45s, or never issued at all – and which represent a wonderful array of soulful sounds that definitely lives up to the Numero standard! Titles include "There's A Light" by Shirley Ann Lee, "Take Care Of Us" by The Revelations, "Untitled Jam" by Bobby Cook & The Explosions, "Foot Stumping (alt)" by Organics, "While You Were Gone" by Combinations, "Heaven" by Deliverance Echoes, "Untitled" by Burgess Band, "Round N Round" by Junior Mays Group, and "Walk With Me" by Calvin Cooke. CD

A soulfully spacey fusion set from Alphonso Johnson – with a really catchy sound! The maestro is working in an eclectic mode that's part Earth, Wind, & Fire, part Return To Forever, and part Alphonze Mouzon/Tommy Bolin jamming. The best moments on the record are the more straight ahead ones – which really flirt with chunky rock sounds on the other side of the rubbery fusion funkiness! Mouzon's working on all kinds of electric sounds on this one – a bunch of custom bass effects, steel drums and more – with Clyde Criner working with a long list of keys and synthesizers, Kevin Shireve on guitar and David Igelfeld on drums and percussion. Titles include "Face Blaster", "Summer Solstice", "Bahama Mama", "Nomads", and Moonlight Conversation" "Feelings Are. . .The Hardest Words To Say" and "Earthtales Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of early classics from BB King – including "I've Got Papers On You Baby", "Sweet Thing", "Treat Me Right", "I Love You So", "Come By Here", and "Tomorrow Is Another Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Buddy certainly knew how to keep the customer satisfied – as you'll hear on this hip set of big band grooves, recorded by Buddy for Liberty Records in 1970, and issued here with a number of extra bonus cuts. The set's got Buddy working with a tight group of younger players, in a mode that's not exactly funky, but which owes a lot to the funking up of the big band scene that was going on during the late 60s. There's electric bass underneath most of the cuts, and bubbly organ emerges from the horns on a good number of titles. Tracks include "Groovin Hard", "The Juicer Is Wild", "Long Day's Journey", "Celebration", "He Quit Me", and more. CD

Buddy certainly knew how to keep the customer satisfied – as you'll hear on this hip set of big band grooves, recorded by Buddy for Liberty Records in 1970. The set's got Buddy working with a tight group of younger players, in a mode that's not exactly funky, but which owes a lot to the funking up of the big band scene that was going on during the late 60s. There's electric bass underneath most of the cuts, and bubbly organ emerges from the horns on a good number of titles. Tracks include "Groovin Hard", "The Juicer Is Wild", "Long Day's Journey", "Celebration", "He Quit Me", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Numero does it again – unleashing an amazing batch of work for the first time ever – all packaged in a very limited Record Store Day set! The collection features material that was pressed up at the tiny Boddie pressing plant in Cleveland – a wonderful range of local artists from the late 60s through the mid 80s – all served up with the usual Numero flair! The set's a rich discovery of sounds we'd never have heard otherwise – and although it's slanted heavily towards rare funk and soul, there's also some compelling indie rock sides too – especially some homegrown, dark-toned sounds from the 80s – clearly influenced by the styles in the UK underground. The set features 17 tracks in all – including "Don't Stop Smiling" by Jus Us, "Just A Dream" by Imperial Wonders, "Love Is On The Way" by Bill Spoon, "Let Me Go" by The Harmonics, "I'm Gonna Treat You Good" by The Donations, "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "Woman You're Gonna Pay For This" by Wicked Lester, "The Voyage Of The Nautilus" by Russell Potter, and "Snakepit" by Berlin West. CD

Rare rock from the Golden Triangle scene of Southeast TX in the late 60s and early 70s – a well-curated overview of the stylistically sprawling material being cut at Mickey Rouse's Lowland Recording Studio in Beaumont! Texas rock of the late 60s and early 70s justifiably brings to mind acts like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Bubble Puppy – tripped out psychedelia in other words, but Texas is huge, and there was a heck of a lot more going on than just the best remembered cult favorites. The music coming out of just the Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Texas "triangle" chronicled here was incredibly diverse. It includes proto TX boogie rock that's a clear precursor to early ZZ Top, harmony flavored numbers that sound closer to Cali than they do The Lone Star State, one track that somehow fuses CS&N with The Beatles and does so with prominent cowbell in the mix (and it's good!!!), punchy psych grit, and swaggering country rock with some twang in the strings that feels a bit more profoundly Texan. You don't need our word that The Numero Group has devoted some serious attention to detail – with a 35-page booklet of notes, photos and histories, plus the impressive Lost In The Golden Triangle "family tree" of the regional musicians involved – as if discovering these long buried regional relics wasn't impressive enough already. Beautiful! 22 tracks in all: "Trash One" by the Lowland Studio Band, "Live My Life Today" by Insight Out, "Simple House" by Mother Lion, "Love Of The Morning" by Circus, "Take A Look At Your Friends" by Next Exit, "You Know I Love You" by Roy Briggs & Alton Tew, "Calling Me Home (Demo)" by Donald Thomas and more. CD

A record that hides a bit under its title and cover – looking like a songbook session, and without Chet Baker's dreamy face on the front – but one that stands every bit as strongly with Baker's other late 50s sessions for Riverside, and done with an equally nice set of New York elements in the mix! The lineup is nicely unusual for a Chet Baker date – Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Zoot Sims on alto and tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, and even some piano from Bill Evans – and even though the tunes are all familiar Lerner & Loewe standards, they really come alive in the handling of these top shelf artists. Titles include "Show Me", "I Talk To The Trees", "On The Street Where You Live", "The Heather On The Hill", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", and "Almost Like Being In Love". CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his 70s experiments with world cultures and fusion – as the record has a tight, acoustic vibe – Cherry blowing these great solos on pocket trumpet, in the company of a swinging lineup that also features James Clay on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! The lack of piano is definitely a nod to Don's roots, and there's certainly an open vibe to the record at times – but things are mostly straight and swinging, in a way that opens up another level in Cherry's long and varied career. Titles include "Art Deco", 'When Will The Blues Leave", "Body & Soul", "Bemsha Swing", "Maffy", "Folk Medley", "The Blessing", "Passing", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Compute". LP, Vinyl record album

Late Nat King Cole – an album from the early 60s for Capitol, featuring expansive arrangements from Ralph Carmichael! The style here is a bit more flowery than on Nat's earlier work – with him singing in kind of a grand voice, amidst large orchestrations and occasional backing chorus vocals – in a mode that's not as smooch or intimate as his classic Capitol sides, but which still has some nice merits – especially in the way that Nat's voice seems to still have a tremendous amount of presence in the setting. Titles include "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "Hymn To Him", "With A Little Bit Of Luck", "The Rain In Spain", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A musical gift from trumpeter Dave Douglas – working here in a quartet that features some fantastic work on tenor from James Brandon Lewis! Lewis is becoming a musician who's as fluid and adaptable as Douglas has been over his many years and many projects – and the pair explore some great sonic space in the company of guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang – both players who create the sort of unconventional setting that always makes Dave sound his best. Bhatia's got an especially great style – these colors that shift in shape and tone with slight edges, and a sense of pacing that's very unique – which, when coupled with the performances of Douglas and Lewis, makes for an album that might be one of the best Greenleaf releases in eyars. Titles include "Day Dream", "Blood Count", "Third Dream", "Small Bar", "Rain Check", and "Gifts". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

The ultimate bag for shopping for records – one that's big enough to handle dozens of pieces of vinyl – yet small enough to fold away easily! The bag is 100% cotton, all natural, with a Dusty Groove logo on one side, and a vintage phone book ad on the other – and it's got a very full, wide gusset which lets it easily flip open for carrying whatever you can get your hands on. We've taken these babies with us on countless record-buying trips – and they each can hold between 25 and 30 records, without taking any strain at all – and still leave plenty of room on the top for you to sling the handle over your shoulder. And speaking of the handle, it's made of thick rope – very strong, but easy on your hands when the bag is heavy – and like all the seams on the bag, it's extra-reinforced – to handle whatever you can throw its way! The bag has many possibilities – you can use it for carrying books, clothes, or groceries – but you'll probably end up using it for carrying records – because if you're a Dusty Groove customer, you don't spend your money on anything else! Bag

A wonderful coffee that lives up to its name – roasted especially by the folks at Chicago's Dark Matter for our coffee drinking needs here at Dusty Groove! The base component to this blend is a coffee from Mexico and grown and milled at a cooperative called El Eden – very unique for a Mexican coffee, with a flavor profile that includes blueberry, banana, and baker's chocolate to give the blend a bit of depth. This base is then highlighted with a coffee from Guatemala grown by Finca San Jeronimo Miramar – which adds both body, and some lighter notes of toffee and praline – to give the whole thing a wonderful sun-drenched finish! Misc

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from Isaac Hayes – a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Keith Murray's finest moment, introducing the word to his mic skills, the most complex of the Def Squad MC's. Erick Sermon provides the bottom heavy east coast funk style on the beat side. Includes the single that got everyone open on Keith "The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World", plus "Get Lifted", "Dip Dip Di", "Take It To the Streetz", "Herb Is Pumpin'", "Sychosymatic", "How's That", "Escapism", "Bom Bom Zee", "Danger", "Straight Loonie" and more. (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool little record from a very obscure girl group of the 60s – a trio who recorded this sweet little set in a Nashville studio, then unfortunately had it packaged in one of those cheap "stock" covers that labels would sometimes use – which may be the reason why it barely saw the light of day at the time! The approach is a mix of vocal and rock modes – no guitar at all, and instead plenty of Cordovox organ, which is used with a variety of instrumental effects – making for a cool sound that's nice and lean, but which provides a great accompaniment to the drums and the vocals of the girls! There's also some trumpet on the record too – and like the organ, the instrument gets some space to stretch out in some of the more instrumental titles. The set includes some very cool remakes of classics – including "Walkin The Dog", "Oye Como Va", "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Keep The Customer Satisfied", and "Mack The Knife" – plus the original tune "Bubble Gum World". LP, Vinyl record album