A fantastic album from Sun Ra and the Arkestra – one that we'd rank right up there with our favorites on the Saturn Records label! The work here has never been issued, and it's extremely beautiful, too – pulled from a few just-discovered studio sessions done after the group was parting ways with Impulse Records, and mostly recording in a live environment! There's an intimacy to these studio tracks that's a nice difference from some of the more freewheeling live work of the period – moments that almost hearken back to the exotic jazz of the earliest Saturn years of the group, mixed with some other currents that seem to point the way towards the excellent Horo Records material to come – especially in the way Ra is phrasing things on his piano. Most groups are relatively small, and titles include the lovely "Island In The Sun" with Marshall Allen on some great flute; a studio take on "Unmask The Batman", better known from live sets, and a playful tune that hints at the group's work on the Dan & Dale Batman album in the 60s; a spiritual stormer "I'll Wait For You", with great piano from Ra and an excellent tenor solo from John Gilmore; and a take on "New Dawn" with work by Marshall Allen on alto, Elo Umoe on bass clarinet, and Danny Ray Thompson on baritone. CD

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpeter Ted Daniel takes on the music of jazz founder King Oliver – but as you'd expect from all of Daniel's other groundbreaking work, the result here is something quite unique! True, the tunes are older numbers from the Oliver songbook of the 20s – but the approach is maybe a bit more freewheeling and pan-historic – a bit like the mode you'd expect if this project was handled by some of the artists on the Black Saint/Soul Note label in the early 80s. As with their work, the immediate approach is historically respectful, but the individual currents in the music really update the sound – thanks to a lineup that includes Daniel on cornet, Charlie Burnham on violin, Newman Baker on percussion, Joe Daley on tuba, and Marvin Sewell on guitar. Titles include "Tears", "Working Man's Blues", "Riverside Blues", "Mabel's Dream", "Just Gone", and "Zulu's Ball" – most taken in much longer readings than recordings from the 78rpm generation. CD

Trumpeter Tito Chicoma's in great territory here – hard-swinging late 60s Latin grooves, all somewhat in the mode of early work from the great Bobby Valentin! As with Valentin during his trumpet playing years, Tito's set up here with a fair bit of boogaloo grooves – Latin soul sounds that are a perfect backdrop for his tight horn lines, which dance nicely between the vocals too! There's also some of the promised cumbia tracks from the title, but even those seem to have a bit of a soulful spin – in the best mode of Peru's Mag Records during the time. Titles include "El Diri Bop", "Pata Pata Paelada", "La Contamanina", "Dale U", "La Ciguena", "La Cebolla", "Mr Trumpet Man", and "Felipon". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic tracks from two ultra-rare labels from the New York scene – the Latin Soul empire Speed Records, and the super-tight Fonseca label – which provided a real mainline to Puerto Rican grooves at the time! Both labels cut some of the hardest-hitting Latin tracks of the time – music that was often rawer and more unbridled than material for other indies, like Tico or Fania – and the tracks here are from some of the obscure albums issued by both imprints, and some even-rare 7" singles – all with an upbeat groove, and a sound that's much more the Latin groove of the streets uptown, instead of the bigger ballrooms down in midtown. Titles include "Descarga Los Bravos" by Kent Gomez, "Asi Asi Descarga" by Mike Hernandez & Su Sonora Casino, "El Bembe" by Terrible Frankie Nieves, "Milton's Jala Jala" by Milton Zapata, "Palos Bravos De St John" by Orquesta Oliveri, "Yemaja" by Kent Gomez, "Palacio Descarga" by Danny Palacios, and "Melao Melaito" by Orquesta Oliveri. LP, Vinyl record album

Two Amphonic sound library sets – back to back on a single CD! Shades Of Grey is a great set from Steve Gray – with some killer smooth jazz funk numbers! The feel's like a hip late 70s soundtrack, surprisingly wonderful overall – nice and tight, but never too uptight – that wonderful balance you'd find on some of the best sound library sets of the time! Steve Gray's at his best throughout – leading a large ensemble with the deftness of some of the best soundtrack maestros of the time – and titles include "El Sol", "Finely Fluted", "Simply Sophisticated", "Bill's Basement", "Only A Dream Away", and "Powerdrive". Brit Easy genius Syd Dale takes the helm on It's A Colourful World – a warm set of instrumental tunes dedicated to the west coast – topped with a San Francisco cover image, but with more than enough modes to stretch down highway 101 to Los Angeles! The sound is almost more early 70s than you'd guess from the date – not entirely funky, but quite picturesque – mixing some warm TV-styled soundtrack styles with evocative horns and woodwinds. Titles include "San Francisco Bay", "Redwood Valley", "Flamingo Parade", "The Puppet Factory", "Pink Bacardi", "Dancing At The Palace", and "French Lace". CD

With selections by Duane Eddy, Ray Sharpe, Sanford Clark, Joe Brown, Billy & The Essentials, Mitchell Torok, The Virtues, Dale & Grace, The Velaires, Mark Robinson, Marty Wilde, Danny & The Juniors, The Showstoppers, and Fantastic Johnny C. LP, Vinyl record album

The mood here is pretty darn groovy – so much so, it will help you get past the gratuitous image of naked women on the cover! Just keep your clothes on, and enjoy the wonderful selection of cuts within – funky numbers from a variety of genres – jazz, soul, easy listening, and other odd sources – brought together in a collection of cuts that more than lives up to the genius of this long-running series! As with previous volumes, there's no set style, just a batch of cool cuts in pursuit of all things groovy – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cool Echo" by Piet Van Meren, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Disco Tek" by Syd Dale, "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris, "Chica Boom" by Jimmie & Vella, "All I Dream" by Estelle Leavitt, "Use Me" by Kimiko Kasai, "Get Off The Streets Y'All" by Eric & The Vikings, "Damn Somebody Stole My Pants" by Leroy Vinnegar, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Romantic Attitude" by John Fitch, and "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Nino & April. LP, Vinyl record album

With Freddie Green on guitar and shaker, Cleveland Eaton on bass, Gregg Field and Harold Jones on drums. Orchestra includes Willie Cook and Harry Edison on trumpet, Sonny Cohn, Dale Carley, Frank Szabo, and Bob Summers on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mitchell Wood, Dennis Wilson, Grover Mitchell, and Bill Hughes on trombone, Eric Dixon on tenor, Kenny Hing on tenor and flute, Bobby Plater and Danny Turner on alto and flute, and Johnny Williams on baritone. CD

The Houston scene's gospel-bred singer Diunna Greenleaf gets the cover nod, for a feature that takes a deep dive into her 25 years in the blues – out front in an issue that has pieces on a bunch of strongly taletned blues heroes and heroines that deserve a print spotlight –including Clarksdale, Mississippi's Danva Johnson, Bay Area player Pat Wilder, the not-to-be forgotton story of Left Hand Charle, Chicago legend Bukka White and lots more! Loads of solid shorter blues news items, review and more, too. Magazine

The mood here is pretty darn groovy – so much so, it will help you get past the gratuitous image of naked women on the cover! Just keep your clothes on, and enjoy the wonderful selection of cuts within – funky numbers from a variety of genres – jazz, soul, easy listening, and other odd sources – brought together in a collection of cuts that more than lives up to the genius of this long-running series! As with previous volumes, there's no set style, just a batch of cool cuts in pursuit of all things groovy – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cool Echo" by Piet Van Meren, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Disco Tek" by Syd Dale, "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris, "Chica Boom" by Jimmie & Vella, "All I Dream" by Estelle Leavitt, "Use Me" by Kimiko Kasai, "Get Off The Streets Y'All" by Eric & The Vikings, "Damn Somebody Stole My Pants" by Leroy Vinnegar, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Romantic Attitude" by John Fitch, and "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Nino & April. CD

Music from The Premiers, Maureen Gray, John Madara, Dale & The Cashmeres, Danny & The Juniors, Bobby Wells, The Hearts, The Matadors, Sultans, Billy & The Essentials, and more - 24 tracks in all. CD