Three dub classics, two of them impossible to get for years, except for the occasional "unofficial" LP repressing. On the first LP of the set, Scratch teams up with the great Tommy McCook for one of his hardest to find gems, recorded in the late 70s, when his wigged out follies at the Black Ark had reached their peak, and though there's a bit of debate over whether these tracks were actually recorded at the Black Ark, this was originally one of the first LPs issued after the studio burned to the ground. In any case, you can't argue with the tracks on this one: spare instrumentals with jaunty guitar, loping syncopated drums and bouncing bass, a baker's dozen tracks, including "Cloak & Dagger", "Musical Transplant", "Liquid Serenade", "Iron Claw", "Rude Walking", "Caveman Skank" and "Pee-Wee Special". Blackboard Jungle Dub, the second album of the triptych, is widely cited as the first full length dub LP, though we'd rather not get too academic about it. Besides, this is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era, with a dozen of the Upsetter's finest rhythms rendered in dub versions here, and with King Tubby reportedly responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. An essential dub masterpiece, with 14 tracks on this version of the LP, including "Black Panta", "Khasha Macka", "African Skank", "Dreamland Skank", "Jungle Jim", "Dub Organizer", "Apeman Skank" and "Jungle Fever". The third album included is another tough one to get, originally issued in a tiny, tiny batch, though it's been bootlegged more than a few times over the years. 10 tracks in all, a tasty stew with that Black Ark groove running through it pretty heavily, with some nice guitar and a really spare approach to the often murky Perry tone poetry. Includes "Dub Revelations", "Womans Dub", "Kojak", "Doctor On The Go", "Bush Weed", "Dreadlock Talking", "Own Man", "Dub The Rhythm", "Black Hand" and "Rain Drops". CD

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

A great live set from the early years of Bob Dylan's long recording career. Titles include "Spanish Harlem Incident", "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Silver Dagger", "With God On Our Side", "Talkin World War III Blues", "Don't Think Twice", "Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", and lots more! CD

A great live set from the early years of Bob Dylan's long recording career. Titles include "Spanish Harlem Incident", "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Silver Dagger", "With God On Our Side", "Talkin World War III Blues", "Don't Think Twice", "Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

A monster album that's gone onto influence a generation – but which was barely recognized at the time! Singer Eugene McDaniels had scored big with some pop hits in the 60s under the name Gene McDaniels – but here, he steps out in a righteous batch of offbeat funk tunes – filled with politics, offbeat rhythms, and some very weird instrumentation. The whole thing's awash in moody, jazzy changes – of the style that showed up often in samples by Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and other artists who drew keen inspiration from this record. Titles include the massive "Jagger the Dagger" – plus "The Lord Is Back", "Lovin Man", "Headless Heroes", "Freedom Death Dance", and "Supermarket Blues". 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

A legendary set of live performances from Jimi Hendrix – both sets recorded in Maui in July of 1970, presented here officially for the first time ever – along with a bonus documentary on the performances too! The set is kind of the true counterpart to the botched Rainbow Bridge project – and features Jimi with Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums – really stepping out on some extended tracks that are filled with searing solos, and that undeniable charisma of Hendrix on stage – still wonderful, even near the end. Titles include "Hear My Train A Comin", "Fire", "Dolly Dagger", "Ezy Rider", "Message To Love", "Lover Man", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Purple Haze", "Red House", "Hey Baby/Midnight Lightning", "Straight Ahead", "Stone Free", "Jam Back At The House", and "Freedom". Also features a great DVD – with the documentary Music Money Madness – about the group's trip to Maui and the ill-fated Rainbow Bridge project – plus all of the existing 16mm footage of the two performances that day! Comes with a 32 page booklet, too – lots of never-published photos. CD

A great early album from David Pomeranz – a great 70s singer/songwriter who got the chance to record often, but never seemed to achieve the fame he deserved! This set's clearly got the Decca label investing heavily in David's talents – as he gets great production from Charles Callelo, who also helped with the arrangements – and uses an all-star group of jazz players who include Chick Corea and Jan Hammer on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Joe Farrell on tenor, John Tropea on guitar, Billy Cobham on drums, and both Airto and David Friedman on percussion – players who really bring an instrumental complexity to the record that matches the inspiration of the well-penned tunes by Pomeranz. David himself also plays guitar and piano at times – and titles include "Dagger", "Hideaway Suite", "First", "Father Thoughts", "City Show", "I Need Time To Fly", "We Loved Just Fine", and "Day Prayer". CD

You could go 'round and 'round with music historians arguing whether or not this album, or Java Java Java or Aquarius Dub was the first full length dub LP, but it makes no difference to us, this is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era. There's a dozen of the Upsetter's finest rhythms rendered in dub versions here, and though he's uncredited on the sleeve, we've read that King Tubby was responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. Essential! Includes "Blackboard Jungle Dub (version 1)", "Rubba, Rubba Words", "Cloak A Dagger (version 3)", "Dreamland Dub", "Fever Grass Dub", "Sinsemilla Kaya Dub", "Moving Forward", "Kasha Macka Dub" and "Setta Iration Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing live work from Dead Moon – a performance that was done in a very small place, in a very small club, with a very small audience – but which still has the group really giving things their all! The music still has all the sharp aggro qualities of their earliest work, but they've also really learned how to play their instruments too – and the guitar work is especially incredible, often a stronger "voice" than the muted, angry vocals on the tunes! Titles include "Don't Burn", "Dagger", "Parchment", "DOA", "Goin South", "Ill Of Dead", "Spectacle", "Can't Help", and "Castaway". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of our favorite living improvisers – vibist Jason Adasiewicz and saxophonist Mats Gustafsson – each completely tremendous on their own, and even more amazing here together! We're not sure the musicians have ever recorded together before – and the sound of this album is way more than we might even have expected – a beautiful collaboration that brings out very sensitive sides of both artists, but at a level that's also true to greatest depths of their creative powers! Mats works these fantastic textures on alto, tenor, and baritone sax – alongside mostly vibes from Jason, who adds in a bit of balafon too – on selections that are often quite tuneful, and maybe even evoke a more soulful side of both musicians. Things are never too intense, but still push the boundaries too – and titles include "See Them Cold But See Them Last", "Time Is Less", "Valerie", "Memory Is A Voice", "A Fall They Call It", and "Dagger". CD

Good double LP set that compiles some of the best tracks from Jimmy Heath's Riverside years, and which features the razor sharp reed player in the company of Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks were drawn from a number of albums, and the set includes "Mona's Mood", "Nails", "The Quota", "Big P", "Cloak & Dagger", and "Six Steps". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Chicago vibist Jason Adasiewicz and his Rolldown group – giving us some of the best vibes-led jazz in years! The group features players from the Chicago scene that are truly at the forefront of an exciting wave of modern jazz in the city, and anywhere else on the planet – coronet player Josh Berman, Aram Shelton on alto sax and clarinet, Frank Rosaly on drums, and Jason Roebke on bass – rolling along with sound that combines an avant energy with classic dexterity. The interplay is intuitive and dynamic, balancing tense and playful moments with precision. Wonderful! Includes "Green Grass", "Varmint", "Dagger", "Hide", "I Hope She Is Awake", "Punchbag" and "The Griots". CD

Two of our favorite living improvisers – vibist Jason Adasiewicz and saxophonist Mats Gustafsson – each completely tremendous on their own, and even more amazing here together! We're not sure the musicians have ever recorded together before – and the sound of this album is way more than we might even have expected – a beautiful collaboration that brings out very sensitive sides of both artists, but at a level that's also true to greatest depths of their creative powers! Mats works these fantastic textures on alto, tenor, and baritone sax – alongside mostly vibes from Jason, who adds in a bit of balafon too – on selections that are often quite tuneful, and maybe even evoke a more soulful side of both musicians. Things are never too intense, but still push the boundaries too – and titles include "See Them Cold But See Them Last", "Time Is Less", "Valerie", "Memory Is A Voice", "A Fall They Call It", and "Dagger". CD

Features Henry Franklin on bass! 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

The record that really put INXS over the top – and a set that virtually defined the sound of mainstream rock for the second half of the 80s! The tunes still have plenty of guitars, but have also borrowed lots of beats and rhythms from modern dance and club modes – fused together by the mixing of Bob Clearmountain into a razor-sharp groove. Titles include "Guns In The Sky", "Kick", "Mystify", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Calling All Nations", "Tiny Daggers", "Meditate", "Need You Tonight", "New Sensation", "Devil Inside", "Wild Life", and "The Loved One". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that really put INXS over the top – and a set that virtually defined the sound of mainstream rock for the second half of the 80s! The tunes still have plenty of guitars, but have also borrowed lots of beats and rhythms from modern dance and club modes – fused together by the mixing of Bob Clearmountain into a razor-sharp groove. Titles include "Guns In The Sky", "Kick", "Mystify", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Calling All Nations", "Tiny Daggers", "Meditate", "Need You Tonight", "New Sensation", "Devil Inside", "Wild Life", and "The Loved One". LP, Vinyl record album