A legendary European recording by the Jimi Hendrix Experience – done for French radio in 1967, with a lot better fidelity than some of their other overseas bootlegs of the time! The show was captured at the Olympia Theater – with Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass – burning with Jimi's lead on "Hey Joe", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Rock Me Baby", "Purple Haze", "Wild Thing", "Stone Free", "Red House", and "Catfish Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most essential debut albums of the 60s folk revival, and the early 60s in general – the great first album from Joan Baez on the Vanguard label – a masterpiece of emotional interpretation and impeccable folk guitar playing! Joan Baez is arguably more legendary as a figure than she his as a musician, in that she was a leader in a movement, but the singer and musician is what makes the biggest impact on us, and here she is at her finest. She's accompanied by second guitarist Fred Hellerman on about half the songs, which include "Silver Dagger", "East Virginia", "House Of The Rising Sun", "All My Trails", "Wildwood Flower", "John Riley", "Little Moses", "Ek Preso Numero Nueve" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the final months of creativity in the too-short life of Jimi Hendrix – 39 tracks recorded at his legendary Electric Lady studios – 38 of which are issued here for the first time! The lineup is that fresh take on his trio – Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums – and the material within, recorded over the span of two months or so in 1970, really lets you hear the group in action – as it offers up alternates and remakes of tunes – and some interesting combinations as well! The set features variations on titles that include "Farther Up The Road", "Valleys Of Neptune", "Dolly Dagger", "Night Bird Flying", "Bolero/Hey Baby", "Straight Ahead", "Messing Around", "Tune X/Just Came In", "Come Down Hard On Me", "Ezy Ryder", "Astro Man", "Drifters Escape", "Drifting", "Angel", and "Room Full Of Mirrors". Also features a blu-ray disc – the documentary Electric Lady Studios A Jimi Hendrix Vision! CD

Late 80s Rockford, IL local rock compilation – includes tracks from Tools Of Romance, First Glance, Stereotypes, Ninth Street, Violet Race, Diamond Force, Mr Myers, Harlow, Reason, and Davy Dagger & Sharp Things. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record by Jimmy Heath – arguably one of his best, and a real no-nonsense session that lets him shine as the tenor star that he is! The group's a small one – with Wynton Kelly, Kenny Burrell, and Paul Chambers – and Heath's right out front, blowing up a storm, in a confident solo-happy style that sounds more like Sonny Rollins than a lot of his other work! Titles include "Cloak and Dagger", "Vanity", "Project S", and "I Should Care". CD

A pair of very different albums from John Tchicai – both hard to find, and brought together here on a nicely priced package! Strange Brothers is overlooked brilliance from reedman John Tchicai – a late 70s session recorded for the FMP label, and easily one of the most soulful sets on the imprint at the time! The album's a tremendous showcase not only for Tchicai's work on soprano, alto, and bamboo flute – but also for the hard-edged tenor of Simon Spang-Hanssen – a player we don't know well, but who really unfurls with a nice sense of force on the set – pushing John even more than usual! Rhythms are great too – very bold, but focused enough to provide a strong pulse on the record – almost a modal groove at times – thanks to work from Peter Danstrup on bass and Ole Romer on drums. Titles include "KW", "I En Kaelder", "Darktown Highlights", "Mao", "Increasing Cosmopo", and "Cloak N Dagger". Put Up The Fight is one of the most electric records we've ever heard from reedman John Tchicai – not on his own instrument, but in the use of guitar and keyboards in the set – sometimes in modes that are nicely rhythmic, other times quite abstract! Tchicai's tenor, soprano sax, and bass clarinet are definitely the main focus of the record – but the settings change nicely throughout, thanks to work from Bent Clausen on vibes, guitar, and keyboards; Peter Danstrup on electric bass and keyboards; and Ole Romer on drums, percussion, and more guitar! At some moments, there's almost a New York 80s avant vibe to the record – but at other times, things have the more soulful feel of Tchicai's older work. Titles include "Put Up The Fight", "Adieu Tristesse", "Mai Mai", "Yoke Them Johnny", "Colomentality", and "Barbe Better". CD

2 albums by the great Eugene McDaniels – back to back on one CD! Headless Heroes is a holy grail for funk collectors – and one that we can't believe got reissued! The record is a monstrously moody LP of jazzy changes and groovy vocals with the classic "Jagger the Dagger", which was sampled to great fame by Tribe Called Quest. The title track was used by the Beasties, and lord knows all of you are looking for more. The rest of this is as groovy as those tracks, with lots of nice moody bits and very righteous lyrics. Other titles include "Supermarket Blues", "Freedom Death Dance", "The Parasite", and "Lovin' Man". Outlaw is a mix of rock and soul that features a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statment on the back that reads "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not: the good guys vs the bad guys". The sound of the record is similar to McDaniels' classic Headless Heroes album (recorded after this one), with jazzy backing, and righteous vocals by the man. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

Shakespeare never sounded so compelling before – given a very cool soundtrack by the Third Ear Band, who were moved to work on this project in collaboration with director Roman Polanski! The music is fantastic away from the film – very different than some of the group's earlier records, and a lot more eerie too – as some of their usual string and reed elements almost take on an electronic vibe in the process! Most tracks are very spacious and open, with the violin and oboe crafting some especially sharp, angular sounds – almost as if the group were let loose in some sort of analogue electronic studio. Titles include "The Beach", "The Banquet", "Dagger & Death", "Bear Baiting", "Groom's Dance", "Prophesies", and "Wicca Way". CD

Trumpeter Jack Walrath is one of those cats who's always making interesting music – records that never fully get their due, but always find a way of getting themselves into the best of jazz collections! This album's another feather in Jack's cap – a creatively put-together date that's filled with really creative original compositions – long cuts that feature sharp changes that really unlock the best energy of the album's lineup of players, which includes excellent tenor from Abraham Burton, bold piano work from Orrin Evans, and rhythm from Boriz Kozlov on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums. TC III vocalizes on the track "A Long Slow Agonizing Descent Into The Depth Of Despair" – and other cuts are instrumental, with titles that include "Bassballs", "Dark Star", "Cloak & Dagger", "Road Kill", and "Drifting". CD

Features Henry Franklin on bass! CD

That's quite an unusual cover for a jazz vocal album – but then again, Cecile McLorin Salvant is quite an unusual singer – and one who may well be out to change the future of her genre with records like this! The songs are this fantastic blend of original compositions, jazz standards, and other classics – but woven together in this tapestry by Cecile and the group, almost as if they're part of this larger patchwork commentary on the history of vocal jazz – all updated and taken to very personal territory. Bassist Paul Sikivie wrote some of the new material on the set, and also provides the arrangements – which sometimes include a string quartet used in very creative ways – not the usual jazz/strings mode. But it's definitely Cecile who's the star here – as the singer shows us that there's so much more territory to be explored in jazz vocals – new phrasings, new feelings, and new ways of putting everything together – a mode we hope continues for years to come. Titles include "Sam Jones' Blues", "More", "Never Will I Marry", "If A Girl Isn't Pretty", "Red Instead", "Runnin Wild", "Devil May Care", "And Yet", "You're My Thrill", "Si J'Etais Blanche", "Fascination", "My Man's Gone Now", "The Worm", and "You've Got To Give Me Some". CD

A great companion album to the Les DeMerle Concerts By The Sea record – every bit as funky as that one, and for good reason too – as this set was recorded at exactly the same time! The package offers up the legendary drummer in a sweet 70s setup – great Fender Rhodes and Clavinet in the group from Ramsey Embick, who works perfectly with the dynamic drums of the leader – plus the great Don Menza on tenor, soprano, and flute – always a great musician on a record like this! There's some added congas in the group, the bass is electric, and the whole thing kicks nicely – on titles that include "Daggerpoint", "In Transit", "Transcendental Watusi", "Ear Food", "Manfred 8", and "Once Upon A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Rudy Ray Moore takes the White House – or at least tries to – in this cool 1972 album that must have been a great antidote to the campaigns of Richard Nixon and George McGovern! The set starts with Rudy running his way through a whole bunch of campaign issues – including "Free Love" and "Mary Wanna" – all delivered in faux politico mode, with a crowd cheering him on, and an introduction that features music from "Exodus"! The rest of the set is a bit more typical Dolemite material – almost even more raunchy than the presidential mode – and other titles include "Dance Of The Freaks", "Bulldaggers", "Good Pussy Lil", and "Sit In Your Mama's Lap". Language is raw – so be warned! LP, Vinyl record album