One of the most meditative albums we've ever heard from this legendary Chicago AACM group – very spiritual, and a record that shows lots of the energy that percussionist Kahil El'Zabar would soon bring to his work with the ritual trio! The group features fantastic work on woodwinds from both Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson – the former playing soprano sax, the latter on tenor – mixing gently in sublime tones over Kahil's work on drums and percussion, which includes some beautiful kalimba too! In the best AACM tradition, all players handle other instruments too – Huff some harp and percussion, Wilkerson piano and additional woodwinds – improvising in these soulful styles over the cours of the album-length track "Impressions", which is divided up into seven different passages. CD

An incredible batch of freely crafted tracks from Jimmy Giuffre's legendary early 60s trio! The group features Steve Swallow on bass and Paul Bley on piano, and the two young modernists were a perfect match of Giuffre's ever-developing ideas of freedom and harmony. The music is beautiful – with a sound that's like nothing else we can describe, and an approach that's free floating (or free falling), but never directionless, and never overindulgent. Perfectly measured, with a strong sense of melody and rhythm, even amidst the more outside moments. Titles include "Propulsion", "Threewe", "Dichotomy", "Man Alone", and "Divided Man". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, most exotic albums ever cut by Keith Jarrett – a set of previously-unreleased material from the mid 80s – but with the feel of some more tripped-out jazz experiments from the late 60s! Keith plays piano, but also mixes it in with lots of work on electric guitar, bass, drums, tablas, and other percussion – all in this swirling blend that almost has the evocative feel of some of Gabor Szabo's music for the Impulse and Skye labels from decades before – but with a looser quality, too. Given that most of Jarrett's piano improvisations of the period were often a bit dark and moody, the feel of these lost tracks is a really great change – and shows this excellent side of the pianist we'd never heard before. The music is spun out over two CDs, divided into sections – but it works wonderfully together as a whole! CD

A really early piece of music from the great Karl Jenkins – the British instrumentalist that most folks know for his work in Soft Machine in the mid 70s – heard here a few years before, on a beautiful composition that mixes his jazz inclinations with some of his more serious ambitions! The album features one long work, divided up into movements – played by a lineup of some of the hippest British jazz players of the moment – including Ian Carr on flugelhorn, Ray Warleigh on alto, Alan Skidmore on tenor, Brian Smith on soprano, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Frank Ricotti on percussion! There's a solid, soaring vibe to "Penumbra II" – as the piece builds slowly, with some great piano from Jenkins himself – then really takes off, with added help from Dave MacRae on electric piano, Ray Babbington on bass, and John Marshall on drums – all at a level that mixes modal energy with some solos that step out nicely, but never too free or outside! CD

Beautiful images from the late 70s onwards – posters, advertisements, album covers, and lots of other visual creations used to help showcase the new sounds and styles of the punk and new wave generation! The book is better than we even could have hoped – as it's not just a loose collection of classic records, and instead is a really thoughtful presentation of a wide array of media – divided up into sections that really make sense, often with a fair bit of history and other detail that really illuminates this new movement in style! The book is split in half – half US, and half UK – but also does a great job of linking the images to global trends in aesthetics too. A hefty 335 pages, hardcover, and full color throughout! Book

The near-complete work of one of the all-time great but overlooked groups of the UK scene of the late 60s – a group who jumped between a few different labels, mostly issued a handful of singles, yet managed to create a huge amount of magic at the time! You'll not find The Mirage in the history books, but they definitely gave the UK scene a few great singles, enough to get them onto the BBC – where a few of these tracks were recorded – and somehow managed to keep on working on great music, despite record label politics that would have buried most other acts of the generation. There's a tuneful approach to psych that begins some of the material, with maybe the odd freakbeat moment too – a quality that comes out even more strongly as the group morphs through a few later identities, including Yellow Pages, Portebello Explosion, and the really great Jawbone – the last of whom finally got a chance to record a full length album! The 3CD package divides up nicely – CD1 features singles and BBC tracks by The Mirage, plus a few by Portebello Explosion and Yellow Pages; CD2 features some stunning unheard outtakes that are maybe even more amazing than some Mirage singles; and CD3 features the full Jawbone album from 1970, a set that echoes some of the earlier moments, but with even sharper instrumentation and a nicely compressed sense of production. 3CD set features 60 tracks in all, and very detailed notes on the group and their music! CD

A pop dancefloor classic – built around Shannon's killer club hit "Let The Music Play", as guilty a guilty pleasure as there ever was for us, and a tune that we can't help liking even today! Other tracks on the set have a similar punchy electro groove – lots of beats popping underneath, and sweetly soulful vocals from Shannon over the top. Electro programming is by Rob Kilgore and Chris Barbosa – and titles include "Let The Music Play", "Sweet Somebody", "My Heart's Divided", and "One Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Jack Wilson is one of our favorite underdiscovered talents of the 60's – and we treasure all of the albums we can find by him. His lyrical writing and playing are extremely refreshing, and he manages to spin out long free lines on the piano, while also still keeping a very soulful groove. This mid 60's recording for Atlantic features Wilson in a trio with Philly Joe Jones and Leroy Vinnegar, and the record is divided up into "2 sides" – one fast, and one slow. The fast side has Wilson playing a bit more boppishly than usual – on tracks like his own "Kinta" and "Good Time Joe", and Bud Powell's "Glass Enclosure". The slow side is more of our favorite, and features some very nice reditions of material like "The Good Life" and "Once Upon A Summertime". CD

One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the stupid cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world – and he's honing the sophisticated experiments of the previous few albums into a tightly woven pop sound that would pay Motown a huge dividend for letting him take chances with his music! Includes the big hits "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition", plus the amazing mellow synthesizer classic "You've Got It Bad Girl" and the fuzzy funky "Maybe Your Baby". Great stuff, and one that won't let you down! CD

One of the most mindblowing pop culture pastiches of the 60s – a record that's as absolutely mad as it is absolutely free – and proof that a whole new generation of musicians like Zappa were using the studio like an instrument itself! This is work that could have never existed away from record – as the mix of sounds, moods, and music comes together with a maddening frenzy – hardly the languid speed you'd expect from the early years of hippiedom – and instead, an inspirational stream of styles and ideas delivered with trademark Zappa dexterity and wit! The album's divided into two long passages – "Absolutely Free" and "The MOI American Pageant" – with tracks that include "Plastic People", "Amnesia Vivace", "The Duke Regains His Chops", "America Drinks & Goes Home", "Son Of Suzy Creamcheese", "Status Back Baby", and "The Duke Of Prunes". CD

A mighty new effort from the amazing Tom Ze – a wild, heaving stylistic sprawl that's as dense and wonderful as his other recent efforts for Trama – but far more ambitious than anything he's done in many years! If you know anything about Tom Ze, you know that the man's aural art is quite difficult to describe, from the post-Tropicalia heyday to today! This set is a 16 song operatic suite that seems to be a stylistic sibling to his great (and quite rare) Estudando O Samba album from the mid 70s. Tom is taking on Greek mythology and age-old issues of gender oppression here – on an album produced with a sly, sinister groove by Jair Olivera. Incredible stuff – with all of the jerky, pulsating avant funk and leftfield grooves of Tom Ze at his recent best! The tracks are divided into 3 sections (Primero Ato, Segundo Ato and Terciero Ato) and include "Ave Dor Maria", "Estupido Rapaz", "O Amor E Um Rock", "Elaeu", "Para La Do Para", "Prazer Carnal", "Teatro (Dom Quixote)", "A Volta Do Trem Das Onze" and more! CD

A massive overview of work from the legendary Front Line label – an imprint started by Virgin Records in the mid 70s, and one that quickly became as important as Island or Trojan in the growing world of reggae! Front Line was heavy on roots, but also released some great dub material as well – all of which is brought together in this huge box of 92 tracks – which includes 11 previously unreleased selections, and 30 that had never been issued on CD! The package is divided up into sections – with a three chapter evolution of the label, plus additional 12" mixes on one CD, and another devoted entirely to material from the vaults – which makes the collection an essential set for collectors, and not just an introduction to the label. Artists include The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy, Twinkle Brothers, Gladiators, Gregory Issacs, Sly Dunbar, Jah Lloyd The Black Lion, Big Youth, Delroy Washington, I Roy, Tapper Zukie, Althea & Donna, Prince Far I, Poet & The Roots, Johnny Clarke, The Revolutionaries, Keith Hudson, and many many more! CD

One of the best post-Paris live dates by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded right on their southside home turf in Chicago, as something of a homecoming after their years abroad! The performance is really one continuous piece, divided up into chapters – and it starts off with an intensity that's bolder than much of the group's previous recordings – an almost-free sort of sound that's quite raw, and which must have been a great way to announce their presence back on the Chicago scene. As the piece moves on, it slows a bit in pace, and opens up more in mood – but always has an edge that's quite distinct – almost free of some of the wit that marked the Ensemble's work from a few years before. The core lineup features Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on saxes, Malachi Favors on bass, and Don Moye on drums and percussion – but as always, all players get their hands on plenty of other instruments during the performance – an array of horns, gongs, bells, whistles, bike horns, and more – all used to great effect! Sections of the work are titled "Duffvipels", "Checkmate", "Dautalty", and "Mata Kimasu". CD

Reedman Daniel Carter's in some great company here – a trio that features the bass of William Parker and piano of Matthew Shipp – both bold musical partners that really give the album a lot of depth! Shipp is especially great, and at times really seems to dominate the proceedings with his energy – that non-stop spiral of constant creation that has made his work in recent years so rewarding – balanced with Parker's always strong command of the bass, and shifting sounds from Carter – who blows flute, clarinet, tenor, alto, and soprano sax – as well as a bit of trumpet. The album features a live performance of the title suite, "Seraphic Light" – divided into three sections. CD

One of Chris Connor's most obscure albums from the 60s – and one of her nicest too! The record's got a less polished feel than some of Connor's work for Atlantic or ABC – recorded live at the Village Gate, and divided up into "late" and "early" shows that both have a slightly different spirit. Backing is by a small group that includes Mundell Lowe on guitar, Ronnie Ball on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Shaunessy on drums – and the liveness of the recording really comes through, in a way that gets more at the boozy Chris of late nite clubs than you'd hear on most of her studio albums. Titles include "All Or Nothing At All", "Old Devil Moon", "Goodbye", "Only The Lonely", "Black Coffee", "Ten Cents A Dance", and "Only The Lonely". CD

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion – and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and wizardry at the mixing console. The side long piece "He Loved Him Madly" is a minimalist epic, while "Calypso Frelimo" alternates between mad afro-percussion driven jams and spacey wah-wah trumpet interludes. The rest of the album is divided up into more succinct shorter funky pieces, like classic "Rated X", with Miles basically just leaning on an electric organ over a hyper funk beat, and the bluesy "Honky Tonk" which opens with an incredibly funky burping electric piano break! CD

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion – and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and wizardry at the mixing console. The side long piece "He Loved Him Madly" is a minimalist epic, while "Calypso Frelimo" alternates between mad afro-percussion driven jams and spacey wah-wah trumpet interludes. The rest of the album is divided up into more succinct shorter funky pieces, like classic "Rated X", with Miles basically just leaning on an electric organ over a hyper funk beat, and the bluesy "Honky Tonk" which opens with an incredibly funky burping electric piano break! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful take on the Zodiac Suite composed by Mary Lou Williams – one that has the same mix of piano and larger arrangements as her initial performance, but which takes the tones and colors in some much different directions overall! The core of the set has Aaron Diehl on piano, in the trio of David Wong on bass and Aaron Kimmel on drums – but there's some beautiful larger arrangements that really flesh out the sound in a wonderful way – with performances from Nicole Glover on tenor, Brandon Lee on trumpet, and Mikaela Bennett on soprano sax – all ringing out beautifully next to Diehl's work on the keys, which maybe have more sensitivity here than we've ever heard before! As with the original, the work features twelve parts, each divided up into a sign of the zodiac – "Cancer", "Libra", "Scorpio", and so on. CD

One of the most meditative albums we've ever heard from this legendary Chicago AACM group – very spiritual, and a record that shows lots of the energy that percussionist Kahil El'Zabar would soon bring to his work with the ritual trio! The group features fantastic work on woodwinds from both Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson – the former playing soprano sax, the latter on tenor – mixing gently in sublime tones over Kahil's work on drums and percussion, which includes some beautiful kalimba too! In the best AACM tradition, all players handle other instruments too – Huff some harp and percussion, Wilkerson piano and additional woodwinds – improvising in these soulful styles over the cours of the album-length track "Impressions", which is divided up into seven different passages. LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from The Grass Roots – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Leaving It All Behind – a really great shift for the Grass Roots – a set that has the group sounding more confident before, and maybe a bit more soulful too – really coming at things with this nice sense of punch both in the lead vocals, and the way the overall groove drives the set! The arrangements are superb – handled by Sid Feller and Jimmie Haskell – and we can especially hear the talents of the latter, in the way that Jimmie can take simple elements and make them sound groovy – but all in a very unassuming way. Titles include "Out Of This World", "I'm Lovin For You Girl", "Wait A Million Years", "Take Him While You Can", "Walking Through The Country", and "Truck Drivin Man". Move Along is a record with a big, bold sound – lots of soulful arrangements from Jimmie Haskell, full of horns and driven by great basslines – all of which really pushes the dynamic energy of the group! The Grass Roots look a bit more mature on the cover, and that comes through in their vocals too – some raspier charms that really reflect the passage of years, and enforce a bit more feeling in the lyrics – giving a heft to the album that's an unexpected surprise, especially if you only know their earlier hits. Titles include "Move Along", "Two Divided By Love", "Monday Love", "One Word", "Runnin Just To Get Her Home Again", and "Anyway The Wind Blows". Alotta Mileage is a 70s standout from The Grass Roots! Back in the 60s, the Grass Roots already had this tight, compressed energy that was totally great – a quality that also makes their 70s work like this so wonderful too! There's a focus here that's totally great – horns informed by earlier soul music styles, and vocals that borrow a bit too – upbeat and bubbling, but with maybe a nicely mature vibe too – still hook-heavy, but slightly different than the earlier hits – on titles that include "Just A Little Tear", "Pick Up Your Feet", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "Ballad Of Billy Joe", "We Almost Made It Together", "Ain't No Way To Go Home", and "Claudia". 2CD set features 14 more bonus tracks – including "Temptation Eyes", "Sooner Or Later", "Bella Linda (single version)", "Get It Together", "Baby Hold On", "I'd Wait A Million Years (single version)", "We Can't Dance To Your Music", and "I Can Turn Off The Rain". CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

Steve Lacy works here with one of his best partners of the 70s – altoist Steve Potts – whose tone and phrasing always turns out to be a perfect match for Lacy's ideas! And the duet also get some great accompaniment from vocalist Irene Aebi – who's almost has more presence here when she makes an appearance, but at a level that's arguably stronger and more powerful than some of her other contributions to Lacy records – this unusual manner of vocalizing that almost puts her in the Saravah Records tradition of Brigitte Fontaine, in terms of creativity and moving beyond the boundaries of language. Irene's words are more musical elements than anything else – giving shape to the start of each selection, then dropping out to make the interplay between Lacy's soprano and Potts' alto seem even warmer and more organic. The album features one long track – "Tips" – divided up into fourteen lettered sections. CD

A well-done guide to the legendary years of city pop music in Japan – and one that's got way more than the hundred albums hinted at by the title! The book follows the format of other Japanese disc guides – with images of key records in the genre, mostly presented in full color – alongside other text in Japanese, which you can easily read using Google Translate or a similar app on your phone, via the camera. Even without that text, though, there's plenty here to steer you towards important records in this under-discovered genre that's only know beginning to get appreciation by English-speaking listeners. The book presents an initial top 100 of the most important records – but then continues into sections with listings for hundreds more records, divided by key artists – almost all with color reproductions of the covers, next to a few black and white. Book is 265 pages in all, with listings for hundreds of city pop records! Book

One of the most complex Cecil Taylor records we've heard in years – and that's saying a lot, given the usual complexity of his music! Taylor plays piano and vocalizes a bit – but he's also tied strongly here to the Italian Instabile Orchestra – a large lineup of varied horn, string, and percussion players – all of whom vocalize a bit themselves – working with Cecil to create these amazing textures in sound – every bit as free as his unfettered solo recordings, but played here with these layers of depth that really amaze us! The CD features one long piece, composed by Taylor – running for about an hour in length, and divided into seven movements. CD

A weird and wild take on the traditional Japanese disc guide – one that certainly offers up a range of heavy metal records, as promised in the title – but which also presents sidestreams in punk, jazz funk, and other styles too! As with similar books, the core text is in Japanese, but the huge volume presents page after page of record listings with titles, artists, dates, and labels all in English – plus full color images of the covers, with four albums listed on most page! The book is over 300 pages, divided into chapters with various genres – and while it definitely skews towards the modern metal in the title, it features plenty of older hard rock records too – hundreds of listings in all! There's also small reviews of each record in Japanese, which you can read using Google translate if you don't understand the language. Book

Pianist Jack Wilson is one of our favorite underdiscovered talents of the 60's – and we treasure all of the albums we can find by him. His lyrical writing and playing are extremely refreshing, and he manages to spin out long free lines on the piano, while also still keeping a very soulful groove. This mid 60's recording for Atlantic features Wilson in a trio with Philly Joe Jones and Leroy Vinnegar, and the record is divided up into "2 sides" – one fast, and one slow. The fast side has Wilson playing a bit more boppishly than usual – on tracks like his own "Kinta" and "Good Time Joe", and Bud Powell's "Glass Enclosure". The slow side is more of our favorite, and features some very nice reditions of material like "The Good Life" and "Once Upon A Summertime". CD

One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the kind of silly cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world as well he should – and he's honing the sophisticated experiments of the previous few albums into a tightly woven pop sound that would pay Motown a huge dividend for letting him take chances with his music! Includes the big hits "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition", plus the amazing mellow synthesizer classic "You've Got It Bad Girl" and the fuzzy funky "Maybe Your Baby". Great stuff, and one that won't let you down! LP, Vinyl record album

Dig jazz on the screen? Here's a great book to help you spend your jazz video dollars wisely – filled with reviews by All Music Guide essential writer Scott Yanow! Reviews are Yanow's life, and he really does a great job here of summing up jazz performances both on music-specific videos and films, and as they appear in certain Hollywood movies. The book's divided up into 4 sections – one on music videos and DVDs, one on Hollywood films, one on TV Specials and documentaries, and one on miscellaneous related music in film. There's a heck of a lot here that we'd forgotten about – and even more that we never even knew before! 314 pages, softcover. Book

A massive overview of work from the Barcelona scene of the mid 20th century – most of it music we'd never heard before! The package was done in conjunction with the book of the same name – and it's divided up into 3 different sections – trad jazz from the 20s and 30s, mainstream jazz from the years after the Spanish Civil War, and modern jazz from the late 50s and early 60s! That last segment is our favorite here – as you might guess – and the CD features rare early material from pianist Tete Montoliu, often in groups with horn players, plus other tracks from saxophonist Mantequilla. Modern titles include "The High & The Mighty", "Bernie's Tune", "Delaunay's Dream", "Home Cookin", and "Laverne Walk" by Montoliu; and "Blue Note", "Vat 69", "Balada", "Whisky Jazz", and "La Tuna Club" by Mantequilla. Trad jazz CD features a total of 27 tracks by assorted groups – and "posguerra" CD features an additional 31, mostly from the 40s and early 50s. CD

An amazing array of southern soul – a 3CD package that's overflowing with classics in the genre, but which also features a fair bit of rare numbers too! The presentation of the whole thing is completely top-shelf – with a 72 page booklet that's almost worth the price of admission alone, supported with 3CDs of music containing a total of 75 songs in all! The set's divided up thematically – discs titled You Don't Miss Your Water, The Rainbow Road, and The River, respectively – and even if you've already got a fair bit of southern soul in your collection, you'd be hard pressed to find so much great music anywhere else, especially presented this well. Titles include "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Polly Wally" by Tony Borders, "Faithful & True" by ZZ Hill, "What I Don't Know Won't Hurt Me" by Paul Thompson, "I Can't Give You My Heart" by Jimmy Braswell, "Lead Me On" by Gwen McCrae, "Let's Face Facts" by The Masqueraders, "Something I Never Had" by Jarvis Jackson, "Mumble In My Ear" by Marcell Strong, "Tired Of Being Alone" by Al Green, "Jody Come Back & Get Your Shoes" by Bobby Newsom, "Starting All Over Again" by Mel & Tim, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Geater Davis, "I'll Make It Up To You" by Clay Hammond, "The One You Can't Have" by Shirley Walton, "My Adorable One" by Joe Simon, "Losin Boy" by Eddie Giles, and "We Always Come Back Strong" by Sam Dees. CD

A treasure trove of Nuggets from the LA Scene – fantastic material from a far reaching line up of gritty garage rockers, sunshine pop tunesmiths, psychedelic groovers, trippy psyche folk and much more – masterfully collected on 4 discs by the box set geniuses at Rhino! With such a diverse catalog to mine, the CDs are divided surprisingly well, and like other Nuggets comps, it's a great way to intro a ton of obscurities, while still including bigger hits that deserve to be remembered. Packaged in a beautiful 48 page book with essays, artist commentaries, tons of great photos, and even a 60s LA club guide! Disc one On The Strip includes: "Riot On The Sunset Strip" by The Standells, "Gentle As It May Seem" by Iron Butterfly, "Take A Giant Step" by The Guilloteens, "Tripmaker" by The Seeds, "Girl In Your Eye" by Sprit, "Eventually" by Peanut Butter Conspiracy and many more. Disc two The Studio Scene includes: "Action, Action, Action" by Keith Allison, "The Rebel Kind" by Dino, Desi & Billy, "Yellow Balloon" by Yellow Balloon, "Montage Mirror" Roger Nichols Trio, "Don't Say No" by The Oracle, "Baby, Please Don't Go" by Ballroom and lots more. Disc three Beyond The City includes: "Jump, Jive & Harmonies" by Thee Midnighters, "She Done Moved" by The Spats, "Underground Lady" by Kim Fowley, "Our Time Is Running Out" by The Yellow Payges and many more. Disc four New Directions has 3 previously unreleased tracks: "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by Stephen Stills & Richie Furay, "Words" (demo) by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, and "Once Upon A Time" by Tim Buckley; plus "November Night" by Peter Fonda, "Marshmallow Skies" by Rick Nelson. "You Set The Scene" by Love and many more. 101 songs on 4CDs! CD

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. CD

Arguably the best of Cherry's albums for Blue Note – and a real masterpiece of soulful avant playing! The group features Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor (and he's incredible, by the way!), Henry Grimes on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Grimes and Blackwell are more than just timekeepers – and deliver a lot of the melody of the session, yet still never lose their sense of swing. Barbieri's fragile raw tone proves to be a good one to work with Cherry, even if there are a few touches of Ornette in his playing. The album's divided up into 2 long suites – "Complete Communion" and "Elephantasy" – both of which are excellent. A real treat – with no sloppiness, lots of fresh ideas, and a good sense of both freedom and control! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from the Spanish scene of the 70s – one divided up into sections of "Angeles" and "Demonios" – the last of which is pretty darn funky! The album starts with the demonic material – which has these great heavy drums and percussion – driving fast and frenzied, while basslines rumble and acoustic guitar provides some nice touches that borrow lots from flamenco, then turn towards hipper 70s styles – all with vocal refrains that really keep things moving! The Angeles material is a bit more laidback, but still pretty great – kind of slow funk overall – and there's this really cool energy to the whole record, part of that young Spanish generation trying to find the best elements of their musical roots, then push them forward with a more soulful, youthful vibe. Titles include "Abran Paso Ahoa", "Jibaro", "Mama High Mama Way", "Ay Mulata Mia", "Tema De Amor", "Anacaona", "Los Invitamos", "Tubalo", "Rosa Rosa", and a nice take on "Ain't No Sunshine". CD features bonus tracks – "Samba Samba", "A Caballo", and "Vamanos". CD

An important larger work from Duke Ellington – a suite of tracks that encompasses a range of styles and emotions in African-American expression! The work features some key guest work from Mahalia Jackson – singing here in a way that's different than other vocalists who worked with Duke in the 50s – much more steeped in a rootsy tradition. Group members include John Sanders, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson, and Cat Anderson – and the piece is divided into 6 sections, and includes the famous "Come Sunday" theme throughout most of the second half. CD

An important larger work from Duke Ellington – a suite of tracks that encompasses a range of styles and emotions in African-American expression! The work features some key guest work from Mahalia Jackson – singing here in a way that's different than other vocalists who worked with Duke in the 50s – much more steeped in a rootsy tradition. Group members include John Sanders, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson, and Cat Anderson – and the piece is divided into 6 sections, and includes the famous "Come Sunday" theme throughout most of the second half. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge legacy of music from Eyeless In Gaza – an important British duo from the post-punk years, and one with a sound that definitely went on to shape the style of much bigger acts at the time! As with some of their darker contemporaries, the group began in a style that was stark and electric, but warmed things up as the records moved on, and they really learned how to hone their craft – especially the vocals of Martyn Bates, who has a pre-goth way of sounding spooky and soulful at the same time – all in a mode that's very British as well! Most tracks are pretty spare – lots of keyboards, moody bass, and guitar – and the set brings together 102 tracks from their albums for the Cherry Red label, plus singles too – in a box that has each of the five CDs divided up into thematic styles – running from catchy cuts on one disc to much more experimental work on another! CD

A real treasure from Ella Fitzgerald – a huge batch of previously unreleased live recordings from the 50s, all done at the legendary Chicago nightclub Mister Kelly's! However, the set's noteworthy not just because it's rare, but also because it offers Ella up in a relaxed, unfettered setting – a nice contrast to the smoother sound of the Verve studio albums of the time – or some of the more hyped-up festival appearances too – and instead, there's a personal, intimate sound here that's quite wonderful throughout, and which has really re-ignited our love of Ella's music! The sound quality is great – no dodgy crowd recording here – and the backing is by a trio that includes Lou Levy on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums. 2CD set is divided up into a "main show" and a "late show" – and titles include "Perdido", "Your Red Wagon", "I'm Glad There Is You", "Bewitched", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Joe Williams Blues", "Witchcraft", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Exactly Like You", "S'Wonderful", and "My Funny Valentine". CD

A righteous soul classic by Mike James Kirkland – one that has every element to make a rare soul gem worth owning! There's great production (with lots of nice funky intros), great original songs (with a great, righteous vibe), and Mr. Kirkland's fantastic soulful voice. The album is divided into two halves – a "peace" side, which is more political – and a "love" side, which has some mellow soulful stuff. Totally great, and we've only seen the original a few times – so don't bother waiting for it, and just scoop up this reissue. Titles include "What Have We Done", "Where's The Soul Of Man?", "Hang On In There", "Baby I Need Your Loving", "It's Alright With Me" and more. The CD's got 3 bonus cuts, too – including Mike's funky classic "The Prophet" – plus "Together" and "Love Is". CD

A landmark in rare Cali soul – and quite possibly the greatest moment ever from the legendary Mike James Kirkland! The set's got a vibe that grabs you right from the very first note – a blend of funky rhythms and more righteous moments that are totally outta site – a careful balance that you'd be hard pressed to find done this well in any other indie soul set of the time. Mike's vocals are wonderful – with a depth that rivals some of his bigger contemporaries, but a slight roughness that makes them a bit more personal too. The album is divided into two halves – a "peace" side, which is more political; and a "love" side, which has some mellow soulful tracks – and titles include "What Have We Done", "Where's The Soul Of Man", "Hang On In There", "It's Alright With Me", "Give It To Me", and "Blota Blota". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the largest book we've ever seen to focus on the artwork of Robert Rauschenberg – a huge volume that's overflowing with full color images – and which traces a lineage of creative activity that's much longer than we would have guessed! The book's divided up into chapters on so many different eras in the career of this groundbreaking visual artist – and also contains a good deal of history and writings on his artwork along with the images – served up in a super-heavy, hardcover book that's over 350 pages in all – stuffed with paintings, collages, photographs, and plenty more! Book

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Karin Krog – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – and maybe one of the most creative talents to emerge from the European jazz scene in the past 50 years! Karin's not just a regular singer – she's a hell of a collaborator, and a great experimentalist who's always willing to try out new sounds and styles – modes she's explored since her initial recordings of the 60s, and the wonderful legacy of music she's given us on record from that time onwards – which still results in fantastic new music in recent years too! This package goes way beyond any other Krog collection we've ever seen – not just because it offers up differing discs that look at her many musical "faces" – but also because it brings together recordings for a number of different labels across a great span of time – all to really show the full range of her music! Even if you've got as many of Karin's records as we do, there's plenty that's new here too – and the well-done package divides each disc up into a special theme – with standard material, key collaborations, vocal experiments, and more. The set includes work with John Surman, Steve Kuhn, Marty Paich, Georgie Fame, Don Ellis, Slide Hampton, Red Mitchell, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Bengt Hallberg, Archie Shepp, and others – and one CD features just spare duets with musicians, and another features some great bigger band material. 59 tracks in all – with loads of surprises! CD

One of the most expressive albums ever from German jazzmen Rolf and Joachim Kuhn – an obscure American date cut for Impulse Records in the late 60s! This session pairs the Kuhn brothers – on clarinet and piano, respectively – with John Coltrane's bassist Jimmy Garrison and Italian drummer Aldo Romano – a really global mix of musicians, with sounds that definitely show that reach of talents! Unlike some of their other recordings, which at their most out explored some of the further reaches of modal playing, this is quite free, with an unrelenting momentum that never seems to lose steam even in the contemplative moments, probably inspired by the fever pitch the "New Thing" was generating on the New York scene in the mid 60s. The improvisations don't ever trade their intuitive sense for outright noise – and the two side long parts of the New York suite are divided into sections: "Arrival", "The Saddest Day", "Reality", and "Predictions". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful early bit of psychedelia from an academic perspective – a record that features Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert – all reading from the book The Psychedelic Experience A Manual Based On The Tibetan Book Of The Dead! The album's divided up into two sections – "Going Out" and "Coming Back" – and there's a nice "scientific" feel to some of the work, especially striking given the early date! Vocals are recorded in a stark sort of way – almost dream-like at times – and there's a bit of Tibetan bells which further adds to this quality of the record. CD

One of the deepest records we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – and that's saying a lot, given all her other fantastic albums! This richly-textured piece was first commissioned in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the AACM – that legendary jazz organization of which Mitchell is a part – and as a whole, it really demonstrates both the strong legacy of the group, and the farther territory it's reached over its decades-long span – music that has pushed past the initial moment of improvisation, through the AACM's standard of "great black music" as a replacement for classical – to the sorts of spiritual, cosmic sounds that Mitchell does so well. In addition to Nicole on flute and electronics, the group also features Avery R Young on vocals, Kojiro Umezaki on shakuhachi, Renee Baker on violin, Tatsu Aoki on bass and shamisen, Jovia Armstrong on percussion, Tomeka Reid on cello and banjo, and Alex Wing on electric guitar, oud, and theremin – a mix of instruments that is global in scope, electric and acoustic, and really used to effortlessly express the spiritual vision of Mitchell. The notes go into great detail about the thoughts and inspiration behind the music – and titles include "Egoes War", "The Chalice", "Dance Of Many Hands", "Listening Embrace", "Forestwall Timewalk", "Staircase Struggle", "Shiny Divider", "Timewrap", and "Mandorla Island". CD

This longstanding trio of musical partners really sounds wonderful here – attuned to the strengths and subtleties of each member – and able to open up with a beautiful sense of flow on the extended live improvisation on the set! All three musicians have always had as much of an ear for sound as they have for music – and that really comes through here with a stunning array of soundshapes and textures – which are also balanced by some surprisingly tuneful moments too. Evan Parker blows soprano and tenor, Barry Guy is on bass, and Paul Lytton is on drums – and the set features a full improvised performance, divided up into sections. CD

Contemporary work from one of the greatest reed talents of all time – the legendary Akira Sakata, famous for his work on the Japanese scene of the 70s and 80s, still sounding incredible here with a quartet of younger European musicians! The set features live material recorded in three different locations – Padova, Brussels, and Thessaloniki – all divided into two different improvisations that allow for plenty of room for Sakata to stretch out on alto and clarinet – next to work from Giovanni Di Domenico on piano, Giotis Damiandis on guitar, and Balazs Pandi on drums. Tracks are all very long, and often have Sakata leading the proceedings with an extended solo at the start, while the other musicians find their way into the tapestry of sound as things build and move on! CD

A comprehensive overview of Frank's early work for Columbia – packaged as a six LP set, with each album divided up into themes that include Saloon Songs, Standards, Screen, Love Songs, Swings, and Stage. The package is a great way to navigate the complicated set of recordings done by Sinatra in the pre-album years, and until the release of the complete Columbia sides as a CD set, this one was your best chance to look at these years. Titles include early versions of "One For My Baby", "September Song", "Love Me", "Should I", "Blue Skies", "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night", "Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie, as the book is exactly what is promised – a surprisingly cool photo book that documents the laundromats of New York City – conveniently divided up into different chapters for each borough, with the real address of each location as well! Every image has the same stark representation as the photo on the front – and the presentation creates this really surprising sense of form and format – the slight variations that set each business apart, almost like the famous storefront book from years back. There's a short essay on the status of the American laundromat at the end – and the book is hardcover, full color, and 155 pages. Book

A huge collection of work from Steve Tibbetts – a guitarist who really helped open up the sound of ECM Records in the 70s, then kept on exploring music that was always at the fringes of jazz and other styles too! The package is put together by Steve himself, and features key moments from ECM and other labels, plus what might be some newer recordings too – although it's a bit hard to tell from the notes. What we can say, though, is that the 3CD set has a huge amount of music 49 tracks in all – divided up into three different modes! CD1 features Acoustibbetts – sounds from those early years, when Steve's first instrument was the acoustic guitar, mixed with other elements on kalimba and piano, inflected with a larger sense of space on percussion and a bit of bass. CD2 features Elektrobitts – from a time when Steve was using some electronic instrumentation with the same open ear he brought to acoustic guitar – and mixing things with just the right organic elements on percussion, bass, and a bit of voice from Claudia Schmidt. CD3 moves into farther global territory as Exotibbetts – evoking both ECM and 4AD styles of space and sound, mixing instrumental passages with some more exotic elements – but always with that understated sonic quality that Steve brings to his music. CD

Pianist Jack Wilson is one of our favorite underdiscovered talents of the 60's – and we treasure all of the albums we can find by him. His lyrical writing and playing are extremely refreshing, and he manages to spin out long free lines on the piano, while also still keeping a very soulful groove. This mid 60's recording for Atlantic features Wilson in a trio with Philly Joe Jones and Leroy Vinnegar, and the record is divided up into "2 sides" – one fast, and one slow. The fast side has Wilson playing a bit more boppishly than usual – on tracks like his own "Kinta" and "Good Time Joe", and Bud Powell's "Glass Enclosure". The slow side is more of our favorite, and features some very nice reditions of material like "The Good Life" and "Once Upon A Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A fascinating look at our fair city of Chicago – a city of neighborhoods, which are often very separate and divided – as you'll discover in this detailed look at four of them by William Julius Wilson and Richard P Taub! The volume follows on Chicago classics like Black Metropolis, but looks at things from a more contemporary process – as the evolving areas of the city continue to be a microcosm of larger issues in the country, which is obviously one of the directions the authors are taking the project. Research was very detailed – done with the assistance of a number of graduate students – but the information is nicely distilled, in a combination of ethnographic and sociological methods that combine data and dialogue. The project is great – and our main complaint as Chicagoans is that it's just lacking in a map and addresses – but that's something that will hardly bother a reader outside of the Windy City. 227 pages, softcover. Book

A fantastic collection of music – 66 tracks that show the huge influence of Cuban rhythms in American music during the mid-century years – presented here in a wider range of styles than you might expect! This isn't just Latin music, made by Cuban cats hitting the New York scene – and instead, these are tracks that show the very deep penetration of sounds from Havana – at a level that has the rhythms emerging in soul, hardbop, R&B, and even more standard blues material! The CD divides the music up into three different CDs, each with a different theme – one that looks at rumba in jazz music, another the influence of the mambo, and the third the range of slower Cuban rhythms well into the 60s. Titles include "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson, "Cuba Doll" by Lloyd Glenn, "Summertime" by Red Saunders, "Soony Roony" by Slim Gaillard, "De Laff's On You" by Louis Jordan, "Conga Brava" by Duke Ellington, "I Come From America" by Chris Powell, "Jock A Mo" by Sugar Boy Crawford, "Woke Up This Morning" by BB King, "Fool Burro" by Mabel Scott, "Cu-Blue" by Billy Taylor, "Arabian Love Call" by Art Neville, "Out Of Nowhere" by Cal Tjader, "I've Waited So Long" by Eddie Cochran, "She Wants To Mambo" by The Chanters, "Mambo Hop" by Oscar Saldana, and "Mambocito Mio" by Illinois Jacquet. CD

A beautiful book that does a great job of capturing the wide range of creative and community activity of Theaster Gates – one of the most important artists to emerge from the Chicago scene in the past few decades! Gates is way more than just an artist, though – as his works involve constant interaction with the city around him, sometimes as larger social projects that seek to offer opportunity and transform the community – sometimes with aspects that work almost to document lost or unseen cultures in Chicago – but always with an inventive, genre-defying quality that continues to keep all his creativity and ideas relevant over the years. The book is divided up into a variety of sections – including an interview with Gates, a studio visit, a document of important works, and even a timeline of his creative activity and role in Chicago – served up in an oversized, softcover volume – full color throughout, with 158 pages in all. Book

A great live set by an incredibly dynamic trio – Rudiger Carl on clarinet and Sven-Ake Johansson on drums – both older improvisers, joined here by the well-matched bass of the younger Joel Grip! If you've not heard Carl before, you're in for a treat – as his sounds on his instrument are incredible – far past Jimmy Giuffre, but with a bit more of a sense of structure than Anthony Braxton on the instrument – something we might also well say for Johansson's drums, maybe in part because the basswork of Grip is such a key part of the puzzle here as the three players spontaneously create together. The set features one long live performance, divided into three movements – "Inflow", "Inflect", and "Inflict". CD

Collection of Sam Cooke's wonderful soul for RCA, compiled just after his untimely death. The set's divided into more uptempo numbers on the first side, and Sam's great ballads on the flip, all with his rich voice ringing clearly on top. Features "Shake", "Yeah Man", 'Win Your Love For Me", "It's Got The Whole World Shakin", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "I'm Just A Country Boy" and "Ease My Troublin Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal "new thing" work by Bill Dixon and Archie Shepp! The album is divided in two – so that one side features work by Dixon, playing in a group with Ken McIntyre; and the other side features Shepp leading a combo that includes Ted Curson, John Tchicai, and Don Cherry. Both sides are some of the most seminal "new thing" sessions ever recorded, and they have a fantastic quality that far outstrips later work by both artists. Titles include "The 12th December", "Winter Song, 1964", "Where Poppies Bloom", and "Consequences". Plus, the CD features 2 previously unissued alternate takes! CD

An important larger work from Duke Ellington – a suite of tracks that encompasses a range of styles and emotions in African-American expression! The work features some key guest work from Mahalia Jackson – singing here in a way that's different than other vocalists who worked with Duke in the 50s – much more steeped in a rootsy tradition. Group members include John Sanders, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson, and Cat Anderson – and the piece is divided into 6 sections, and includes the famous "Come Sunday" theme throughout most of the second half. Bonus tracks are cut from 1950 and 1957 recording sessions and include "Portrait Of Ella Fitzgerald", and longer versions of "Mood Indigo" and "Sophisticated Lady". CD

Reedman Hans Koller can be great in a spare, lean setting – but he's also equally wonderful in a larger group as well – where he seems to take all the best ideas forged on his own, and pack them into some soaring sounds delivered by an ensemble of well-directed musicians! This late 70s set is a great mix of swinging, full-on energy and some of the edgier sounds that you'd hear from Hans in a combo – with work from the leader on tenor, soprano, and sopranino – and solos from players who include Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Ack Van Rooyen on flugelhorn, and Lee Harper on trumpet. Titles include "Norma Jean", "Kid Cadulla", "CM", and the long suite "The Horses", divided up into four acts. CD

It's a shame that Paul Winley ended up making some bucks off the late great one – especially as other issues of this famous speech gave royalties to Betty Shabazz. Still, the work's an essential one – and the package is pretty nice looking. The vinyl's also banded, and divided into sections like "Violence & Non Violence", "Human Rights & Civil Rights", and "Black Nationalism". LP, Vinyl record album

The Yusef here is Yusef Lateef – and reedman Bennie Maupin teams with Adam Rudolph in a set of richly organic numbers that we're guessing Lateef would have really appreciated! There's less "symphonic" and more "tone poem" on the record than the title might imply – as the setting is very intimate, with just a variety of reeds from Maupin, used in sonic territory created by Rudolph – a mix of percussion, electronics, and plenty of effects – but all used gently, and without any sort of bombast – so that the music progresses with a careful unfolding that lets all the best elements find a way to resonate together! The album features one long track, divided into five movements – and Maupin is at his most experimental here, while Rudolph really seems to respectfully address the legendary legacy of his collaborator. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Gabor Szabo – one with the same freely grooving, slightly-psychedelic sound that he was using on his best records for the Impulse label! Two guitars head up the quintet – those of Gabor and Jim Stewart – and they trade breezy lines throughout, grooving over slyly shifting rhythm patterns from the bass, drums, and added percussion – always with a great mix of Latin, exotic, and modal influences running through the tunes. Titles include "Bacchanal", "Three Kingfishers", "Sunshine Superman", "Some Velvet Morning", "The Divided City", and a cool cover of "Theme From the Valley of the Dolls". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful free-flowing work by Cecil Taylor – and a key album to document his solo piano genius in the 70s! The album's an extended live performance, recorded at Montreux in 1974 – in an open, unbridled style that really shows the open spirit in Taylor's work at the time. The set includes one long piece, divided into 5 movements that include "Abyss", "Petals & Filaments", and "Crossing" – plus 2 shorter tracks "Jitney No 2" and "After All No 2". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the holy grails of the Japanese early 70s psychedelic scene with tracks by Hadaka No Rallizes, Acid Seven, Minami Masato and Taj Mahal Travellers– originally released as in a tiny pressing commemorating the Oz Days benefit held for Tokyo's Oz Rock Cafe – which had purportedly been shut down do to unsavory activities of the chemical enhancement variety! Mind altering grooves galore – with each of the 4 artists originally getting a side of a record to do their thing, here divided on a 2CD set. CD