A sweet groover from Don Randi – one of his great 70s sides with the Baked Potato group, and a combination of soulful piano jazz and added percussion – a slightly Latinized approach that makes for some great skipping grooves, almost like Monty Alexander's best work from the time. Tracks include "Leah Rose" and "Tubesteak" – both of which are originals, and very nice groovers. Also features versions of "Mercy Mercy", "Samba De Orfeo", "2001", and "I Found Gold". LP, Vinyl record album

The obscure first Verve album from Don Randi – a great little pianist who was well known for his lively club work on the LA scene in the early 60s! Don's got a touch on the keys that's both lyrical and soulful – somewhere between the pyrotechnics of Ramsey Lewis and the smoother grooving of Duke Pearson – always well-composed, but breaking out with some tremendous solo bits from time to time! The album's got Don working with Mel Lewis on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass – and titles include "Take Six", "TJ's Blues", "I Love Paris", "That's All", and "Interlude". CD

Ah for the glory days of American International Pictures! This obscure film stars a very young Robert DeNiro and Bruce Dern, as well as Shelly Winters in the title role as Ma Barker! Despite Don Randi's roots in the hip LA instrumental scene, the music on this one is mostly in a 20s sort of style – rootsy, with early bluegrass and country styles, plus a bit of old-timey jazz. The music has a bit of a "Bonnie & Clyde" feel, and includes the tracks "Ma Barker & The Boys", "Miami Bound", and "Mother's Fudge". LP, Vinyl record album

Personnel include Frank Fabio on bass, Miles Robinson on drums, Ralf Rickert on flugelhorn, Chuck Camper on flute, Frank Fabio on guitar, Don Randi on keys, Bobby Torres on percussion, Chuck Camper on sax, and Ralf Rickert on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's way more than just "again" – that is, a recap of the first Buffalo Springfield classic – as the set not only has the group really exploding forward, but also the individual members taking these strong steps on their own that really point towards their big legacies to follow! Neil Young grabs us with darkness on the first tune, Richie Furay warms us with some country strains on the next, and Stephen Stills moves into a space that's very much his own on the next – yet throughout it all, the record has this sense of unity that really holds up over the years – giving us depth that makes the whole thing an amazing listen time and time again. There's some key help along the way – a bit of piano from Don Randi, electric piano from Jack Nitzsche, and even some recording help from Jim Messina – all furthering the warmth of the group's approach. Titles include "Mr Soul", "Sad Memory", "Hung Upside Down", "Good Time Boy", "Rock & Roll Woman", "Broken Arrow", "A Child's Claim To Fame", and "Expecting To Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at the genius of David Axelrod – the groundbreaking producer who recorded some incredibly hip albums at Captiol during the late 60s, but who's now only finally getting his due! Axelrod brought a whole new sensibility to the studio in his day – an approach that really stripped down the overly-cluttered modes of the era of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, and which went instead for a spacious approach to the music that seemed to use silence as heavily as it did sound! Axelrod's genius was heard most famously on key 60s recordings by Cannonball Adderley and Lou Rawls for Capitol, but while at the label, he also got the chance to cut some incredibly mind-blowing albums on his own – and to work with some other artists who really benefited from his amazing touch in the studio. This set's a masterpiece – and it features 17 Axelrod numbers from the Capitol years – all hand-picked by Egon of Stones Throw (himself an Axelrod expert), and supported by comments from David himself! Titles include "House Of Mirrors" and "The Edge" by David McCallum, "Theme From The Fox" by Don Randi, "Tensity" by Cannonball Adderley, "Pula Yetla" by Letta Mbulu, "Lifetime Monologue" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Lou Rawls, and "The Signs (part 1)", "Warning Talk (parts 1 & 3)", "The Smile", "The Mental Traveller", "The Fly", and "London" by David Axelrod himself. CD

Later work from the great Roy Brown – captured here in some relatively hip LA company – with work from Don Randi on piano, Clifford Scott on tenor, Dennis Budimir and Charles Wright on guitars, and Earl Palmer on drums – working with arrangements from HB Barnum and Arthur Wright! LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's way more than just "again" – that is, a recap of the first Buffalo Springfield classic – as the set not only has the group really exploding forward, but also the individual members taking these strong steps on their own that really point towards their big legacies to follow! Neil Young grabs us with darkness on the first tune, Richie Furay warms us with some country strains on the next, and Stephen Stills moves into a space that's very much his own on the next – yet throughout it all, the record has this sense of unity that really holds up over the years – giving us depth that makes the whole thing an amazing listen time and time again. There's some key help along the way – a bit of piano from Don Randi, electric piano from Jack Nitzsche, and even some recording help from Jim Messina – all furthering the warmth of the group's approach. Titles include "Mr Soul", "Sad Memory", "Hung Upside Down", "Good Time Boy", "Rock & Roll Woman", "Broken Arrow", "A Child's Claim To Fame", and "Expecting To Fly". CD

An incredible collection of funky breaks – and better than any other volume in this all-great series! This 5th take on the Right On sound goes way deep – deep enough to cross genres in search of a funky groove, hitting bases across a wide range of Warner/Atlantic jazz, funk, soul, and rock albums to come up with some killer cuts that are incredibly fresh! Most tracks are linked by a love of heavy drums and monster basslines – even though they come from a disparate selection of albums and singles – and the set does an especially nice job of bringing together tracks from records that only have one good track on them – thereby saving you the trouble of paying for the full LP! Wonderful throughout, with tracks that include "15 Degrees" by Sam Samudio, "Pick Up The Pieces" by Willis Jackson, "The Creeper" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Feelin Alright" by Wade Marcus, "Hi Jack" by Herbie Mann, "Spanish Moon" by Little Feat, "Freaks For The Festival" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "Space A La Mode" by Herb Geller, "Hang Loose" by Don Randi, "Mr Man" by Air, "It Ain't Easy" by Sweetwater, "Leroy The Magician" by Gary Burton, and "Jungle Eyes" by Gene Page. 2LP set features one non-CD cut – "Schirokko" by Passport! LP, Vinyl record album

Lawrence D "Butch" Morris conducts with Arthur Blythe on alto saxophone, J A Deane on trombone, electronics, and live sampling, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Jemeel Moondoc on flute, Marion Brandis on flute, alto flute, and piccolo flute, Janet Grice on bassoon, Bill Horvitz on electric guitar, Brandon Ross on acoustic and octave guitar, Zeena Parkins on harp, Jason Hwang on violin, Curtis Clark on pinao, Thurman Barker on vibraphone and percussion, and Taylor McLean on percussion and glockenspiel. CD

Jack White following his farthest reaching eclectic tendencies wherever they'll lead him – as has been his modus operandi for years – but this time farther away from the raging, if still pretty idiosyncratic guitar rock of Lazzaretto and much of his past catalog to a more wildly diverse, intentionally all over the place sound! Starting with a rock & soul anthem complete with a gospel style chorus that leads to a leaner synth rock ballad, Boarding House Reach reaches from there to call-and-response funk rock, to folk soul hybrids, to straighter hard grooving rock and beyond. 13 tracks in all: "Connected By Love", "Why Walk A Dog?", "Corporation", "Abulia And Akrasia", "Hypermisophoniac", "Ice Station Zebra", "Over And Over And Over", "Respect Commando", "What's Done Is Done", "Humoresque" and more. CD

The kings of seedy 80s LA rock do their damnedest to top the their appropriately-titled, mainstream rock conquering Appetite For Destruction with the sprawling pair of Use Your Illusion albums! Use Your Illusion I kicks off with a few fast-charging, swaggery Guns songs that would have fit pretty well on Appetite, but abruptly change courses with a bombastic cover of "Live And Let Die" – and it gets even more grandiose from there – with slow-building ballads, boozy and bluesy hard rockers and more. It's pretty fascinating, in hindsight, just how far the band would go on the two Use Your Illusions albums without completely losing the plot! Includes "Right Next Door To Hell", "Dust N' Bones", "Don't Cry (Original)", "Perfect Crime", "You Ain't The First", "Bad Obsession", "Back Off Bitch", "Double Talkin' Jive", "Bad Obsession", "Garden Of Eden", "Dead Horse", "Coma" and more. Cassette

The kings of seedy 80s LA rock do their damnedest to top the their appropriately-titled, mainstream rock conquering Appetite For Destruction with the sprawling pair of Use Your Illusion albums! Use Your Illusion I kicks off with a few fast-charging, swaggery Guns songs that would have fit pretty well on Appetite, but abruptly change courses with a bombastic cover of "Live And Let Die" – and it gets even more grandiose from there – with slow-building ballads, boozy and bluesy hard rockers and more. It's pretty fascinating, in hindsight, just how far the band would go on the two Use Your Illusions albums without completely losing the plot! Includes "Right Next Door To Hell", "Dust N' Bones", "Don't Cry (Original)", "Perfect Crime", "You Ain't The First", "Bad Obsession", "Back Off Bitch", "Double Talkin' Jive", "Bad Obsession", "Garden Of Eden", "Dead Horse", "Coma" and more. CD