A very hip set from Bill Evans' second trio – the legendary lineup that featured Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Both players bring Evans' sound to an even greater level of spaciousness – allowing for lyrical interplay that's completely amazing, and even furthers the promise of genius made by Bill on his first few albums – a bold step forward that really makes this album one of Evans' standout sets of the early 60s! Titles include an early reading of Evans' wonderful tune "Re: Person I Knew", plus "Very Early", "In Love In Vain", "Stairway To The Stars", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "If You Could See Me Now", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

A firey stormer from the great Slide Hampton! The album's one of his few early sides for Atlantic – and like the others, it's a groundbreaking batch of larger group material, with slide out front on trombone, and the rest of the ensemble vamping along like a tight Blue Note combo. Players are excellent – and include George Coleman on tenor, Horace Parlan on piano, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, and Ray Barretto on drums – and Slide makes them come together so tightly, you'd think they were working together every night of the week! Titles include "The Barbarians", "Strollin", "The Jazz Twist", "Red Top", "Slide Slid", and "Day In Day Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Killers back to back – two 60s Prestige albums from the mighty Red Hollyway! The Burner is ne of the first in a run of excellent mid 60s sides from saxophonist Red – a very cooking player who's at the height of his powers on this hard-edged set! The date has Holloway in territory that's slightly more expanded than his dates with Jack McDuff – a quartet mode with John Patton on organ, Eric Gale on guitar, and Paul Serrano on trumpet – all in a tightly arranged sound that's almost equal parts soul jazz and 60s soul instrumental! One track features a slightly different lineup – with Hobart Dotson on trumpet, George Butchka on organ, and Charles Lindsay on guitar – but the groove is quite the same, and features plenty of sweetly funky little numbers! Titles include "Bretheren", "Miss Judie Mae", "Monkey Sho Can Talk", "Crib Theme", and "The Burner". Red Soul has Holloway caught in two different modes – one with organ, the other with piano – both plenty darn great! Side one features Holloway working with a very young Lonnie Smith on Hammond and George Benson on guitar – in a mode that's quite similar to the groove Red laid down with Jack McDuff – short, tight tracks that have plenty of playful changes – and very mean soloing from Holloway on tenor. Side two features a more acoustic group – still with Benson on guitar, but also Norman Simmons on piano, sometimes in an earthy soul jazz mode, sometimes in a more lyrical style as well. Benson's got that wonderful approach to rhythm on most of these numbers – swinging a groove that's quite unique, and filled with great little twists and turns! Titles include "Big Fat Lady", "Good & Groovy", "Making Tracks", "The Regulars", and "Movin On". CD

Pianist Hank Jones always got some of his best 70s treatment working overseas – and that's definitely the case here, as Hank stretches out beautifully in a live trio date that was originally intended just for the Japanese market! The sound is sublime – really respectful of all that careful balance of swing and lyricism that Jones brings to the piano at his best – given understated accompaniment from George Duvivier on bass and Shelly Manne on drums – both musicians who always seem to let Hank show the way, but definitely know where to follow. Tracks include "Blue Lou", "Cotton Tail", "The Man I Love", "Crazy Rhythm", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Basically The Blues", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Yardbird Suite", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

An incredible document of late 60s America – composed and conducted by Gary McFarland, in a style that's much more ambitious than any of his other work! The album's fully titled "America The Beautiful: An Account Of Its Disappearance" – and features "movements" with very telling subtitles that include "On This Site Shall Be Erected", "80 Miles An Hour Through Beer Can Country", "Suburbia: Two Poodles And A Plastic Jesus", and our personal favorite, "Due To A Lack Of Interest, Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled". Gary's really wearing his politics on his sleeve here – picturing a late 60s America that's without hope, without revolution, and clearly in danger of falling prey to its own plasticization. The whole thing's a wonderful antidote to the "revolution is coming" side of the 60s that is more popularly pushed – and Gary was one of the few musicians at the time with an eye that was clear enough to see that in the 60s, you could sing "The Times Are A-Changing" – but in reality, the corporations were a-growing! Musically, the album features a larger group of jazz players working in a full, rich style that has lots of soundtrack touches. There's a real Axelrod-like feel to the set – with string passages one minute, funky rhythms the next – and some breakout jazz soloing that really colors the tunes nicely! Players include Jerome Richardson, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, and Chuck Rainey – and Gary's mostly doing the conducting on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible document of late 60s America – composed and conducted by Gary McFarland, in a style that's much more ambitious than any of his other work! The album's fully titled "America The Beautiful: An Account Of Its Disappearance" – and features "movements" with very telling subtitles that include "On This Site Shall Be Erected", "80 Miles An Hour Through Beer Can Country", "Suburbia: Two Poodles And A Plastic Jesus", and our personal favorite, "Due To A Lack Of Interest, Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled". Gary's really wearing his politics on his sleeve here – picturing a late 60s America that's without hope, without revolution, and clearly in danger of falling prey to its own plasticization. The whole thing's a wonderful antidote to the "revolution is coming" side of the 60s that is more popularly pushed – and Gary was one of the few musicians at the time with an eye that was clear enough to see that in the 60s, you could sing "The Times Are A-Changing" – but in reality, the corporations were a-growing! Musically, the album features a larger group of jazz players working in a full, rich style that has lots of soundtrack touches. There's a real Axelrod-like feel to the set – with string passages one minute, funky rhythms the next – and some breakout jazz soloing that really colors the tunes nicely! Players include Jerome Richardson, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, and Chuck Rainey – and Gary's mostly doing the conducting on the set. CD

A legendary concert – recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto, with a previously-unmatched quintet of superstar bop players: Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums. This reissue set also includes the Bud Powell trio sides which were issued separately as Jazz At Massey Hall Vol 2. The quintet runs down "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", "Hot House" and "A Night In Tunisia" and the trio sides are "Embraceable You", "Sure Thing", "My Devotion", "Polka Dots & Moon Beams", "Cherokee", "Jubilee", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Heart Stood Still", "I Want To Be Happy" and "Lullaby Of Birdland". LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect example of the great skill that Prestige had for taking a good ensemble player, and putting him into a context that really let him open up in a manner that brought his best points to light! In this case, Quinichette's plucked from Basie's group and put with a tight bunch of soulful players like Sonny Red, John Jenkins, Curtis Fuller, and Mal Waldron – all of whom are very well trained to handle this sort of pickup session well. Tracks are long, and titles include "Cool-Lypso", "Circles", and "Blue Dots". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – two never-issued tracks, and a classic Saturn Records groove! "Rocket Number Nine" may well be one of the group's strongest early anthems – a propulsive number that's bold enough to soar to the skies – driven by old school snapping snare, but given a very moody vibe by the group's chanting, and some very offbeat horn solos! "Ankhnation" is a never-issued track – one that has a great mix of comping chords from Ra on piano and right rhythm lines – with lots of nice solos over the top from John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Hobart Dotson – almost a Yusef Lateef track overall. Last up is the previously-unissued "Project Black Mass" – a tune that has all these cool percussion bits and piano notes in a flurry – almost a more outside take on the style of Moondog! LP, Vinyl record album

Laidback, soulful work from Pharoah Sanders – a record that showcases a very different side of his talents than you might know from his classic albums on Impulse Records – but a side that's an equally great revelation overall! The album features mostly older jazz standards, blown by Pharoah in a mellow, late nite sort of mode – working with help from William Henderson on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Ecclesion Wainwright on drums. The format is surprisingly captivating, largely because Pharoah's tone is always such a treat – and he sparkles with a majesty on the set that captures our ear a lot more than we expected! The whole thing's almost got the feel of some of Coltrane's earlier ballad work – and titles include "The Nearness Of You", "Nancy", "I Want To Talk About You", "Say It Over And Over Again", "Polkadots & Moonbeams", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD

Features the tracks "Lover Man", "Shulie A Bop", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "Body & Soul". 7-inch, Vinyl record

We really loved Nick Walters the last time around, and on this set the trumpeter seems to be even more visionary than before – really going for this expansive approach to his music, and serving things up with a vibe that maybe makes him one of the most spiritual leaders on the contemporary London scene! The tracks here are all originals, and work together perfectly as a whole album – with Nick setting things up strongly with his own trumpet at the start, then folding in these beautiful contributions from Ed Cawthorne on flute and soprano sax, Jeff Guntren on tenor, Rebecca Nash on piano, Nim Sadot on bass, Max Hallett on drums, and Joseph Deenmamoode on percussion. Some tunes have a modal rhythm, but others get a bit more complex, although still with a similar organic pulse – and titles include "So Long Chef", "Gordian Knot (parts 1 & 2)", "Dansoman Last Stop", and "Ahimsa". CD

Fantastic Johnny "Guitar" Watson album, and one that features him playing no guitar at all! Instead, he plays piano, and with a nice bluesy style that sounds great. He sings mostly standards, but in a fantastic way that twists them inside out, and that gives them all these great soulful edges. Highlights include a slammin' fast bossa piano version of "I'll Remember April", plus excellent readings of "When Did You Leave Heaven" and "Polkadots & Moonbeams", and a seven minute version of "Misty". In a way, this is sort of like the stuff Isaac Hayes did on his early albums, when he took songs you knew, but he stretched and twisted them till they became his own property. A fantastic album all the way through. LP, Vinyl record album

Aka Kip Adotta. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A collection of two wonderful early 70s albums from Tom Ze, recorded just after the Tropicalia years! Se O Caso E Chorar has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there's more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fresh, and Tom's writing is as great as ever. There's a vocal group that sings with Ze on many of the tracks on the record – but they also seem to sometimes act as a Greek chorus, in response to breakway vocal passages that are dominated by Ze. Includes the excellent baroque funky number "Dor E Dor", plus the tracks "Sonho Colorido De Um Pintor", "A Baba", "O Sandalo", "A Briga Do Edificio Italia Com O Hilton Hotel", and "Happy End". Todos Os Olhos is the record with the famous cover of a marble balanced on an asshole (!) – and it further refines Tom Ze's distinctive approach to songwriting with an over the top approach that moves far beyond the experimentation of Tropicalia! The record is incredible, with a mix of amazing songs that piece together hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Includes the tracks "Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". Plus the CD booklet reproduces the artwork and inserts of the original albums. CD

A long-overdue collection of work – one that really gets at the unusual appearance of Latin rhythms on the African scene of the postwar years! Latin sounds from Africa are nothing new, but they're one of those things that's always taken for granted, too – kind of assumed in most discussions of the rhythms from the 60s onward, but never explained as fully as might be needed! Given the already-great grooves going down on the continent for generations, it's surprising that African musicians might pick up styles from Cuba and the Caribbean – yet due to the vagaries of global cultural circulation, that's exactly what happened – and the music has never been the same ever since. This really well-done package offers up a range of tracks from the 50s through the 70s – showing some of the earliest African extrapolations of Latin styles – clearly enforcing the "Afro" in Afro-Cuban rhythms – then moving onto some later grooves that offer up some funkier styles too. The work's a bridge between the ethnographic sets on Honest Jons, and some of the tighter grooves you might find on a Soul Jazz collection – a wonderful blend of music, packaged beautifully too. Titles include "A Moins Que Namikosa" by Orchestra OK Jazz, "Rampa Rampa" by Orchestre Yaya Mas, "Quiero Wapacha" by Charles Lembe, "Ven Y Ven Y Ven" by Orchestre OK Jazz, "Vamos A Bailar" by Rio Band, "Guantanamo" by Laba Sosseh, "On Verra Ca" by Orchestre Baobab, "Mi Guajeo" by Orchestre N'Guewel, "N'Niyo" by Amara Toure, "Il N'Est Jamais Trop Tard" by Pierre Tchana & Orchestre Poly Rhythmo, "Africa Boogaloo" by Le Grande Kalle with Don Gonzalo & Manu Dibango, and "Adigbedoto" by Gnonnas Pedro. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet! We weren't certain at first whether to call this a hip hop or a reggae CD, since it's 44 mighty tracks of burning reggae classics, mixed continuously front to back like a hip hop mixtape, by West Coast beatmaker extraordinaire Madlib – it's as if there's nothing he can't handle! Everything from Dee Jays to funky reggae covers of soul numbers like "Shaft" to sweet vocal numbers, mad Tubby dub rubs and Scratch Perry's skanking party R&B get tossed in the mix for a solid island jammy. Top notch shots like Dillinger's "Flat Foot Hustlin", Prince Far I's "Destruction Sound Battle", Prince Jammy's "Throne Of Blood", Don Drummond's "Man In The Street", Linval Thompson's "I Love Marijuana", The Aggrovator's "Stop The Dubbing", Horsemouth Wallace's "Herb Vendor", The Chosen Few's "Shaft", Dennis Alcapone's "Dj's Choice", Brent Dowe's "Reggae Makossa", Lee Perry & I Roy's "Space Flight" and The Upsetters "Popcorn", plus many, many more. CD

A really cool collection – one that brings together key songs from a variety of different films from France – some of them the originals from the movies, some of them other very cool interpretations! These aren't instrumentals, as almost all of them have vocals – and the package focuses very strongly on material from the late 60s and early 70s – one of our favorite periods ever for film soundtracks! Titles include "La Chanson D'Helene" by Romy Schnieder & Michel Piccoli, "Mic Et Mac" by Anna Karina, "Hard Times" by Mickey Baker & Eileen, "Et Si On Invitait James Dean" by Fred Pallem & Juliette Paquereau, "Barbarella" by Jackie Lee, "Where Did Our Summers Go" by Nicole Croisille, "Mon Enfance Est Un Rubis" by The Swingle Singers, "Ca N'Arrive Qu'Aux Autres" by Michel Polnareff, "Sur Le Boulevard Du Rhum" by Brigitte Bardot, and "Sex Shop" by Serge Gainsbourg. LP, Vinyl record album

A searing set of all-girl rockers from the late 60s – underground work from the hinterland of the American garage scene – all rare material originally issued on a handful of small indie labels! This vinyl set is a great addition to the CD series of the same name – and like those previous entries, the whole thing is a great antidote to some of the dodgy unofficial girl rock collections over the years – served up with superb sound, detailed notes, and a selection of tracks that really goes for the best of the best – not just the rare for rare sake's sort of cuts! A few especially rare cuts only ever appeared in later years on CD compilations, and make their vinyl debut here – in a set list that includes "Thou Shat Not Steal" by Glenda Collins, "Quite A Reputation" by The Chymes, "Look For Me Baby" by Goldie & The Gingerbreads, "Love Seems To Hard To Find" by Debbie Williams & The Unwritten Law, "Boy What'll You Do Then" by Denise, "Stardust Come Back" by Girls Take Over, "Piece Of You" by She, and "I Don't Know Why" by The Wrongh Black Bag. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible female pop from 60s France – not weepy ballads or old school Paris numbers, but the kind of hip-snapping, all-groovy material that made the 60s French scene so great! Loads of these tracks are new to our ears (and we love French grooves a lot!) – and this volume of the series seems to dig even deeper than before – through a range of rare 7" EP material and singles, to come up with some killer tracks that will move way beyond the bigger cuts you might know from Francoise Hardy or Brigitte Bardot. The production and instrumentation is superb throughout – often with these funky currents that make these tracks feel years ahead of their time – and as usual with Ace, the whole presentation is great – from ultra-clear sound through full notes on the music too. Titles include "Rouge Rouge" by Christie Laume, "Pour La Gloire" by Annie Philippe, "Demain" by Zouzou, "Cours Si Tu As Peur" by Fabienne, "A La Fin De La Soiree" by Sheila, "Cette Nuit" by Pussycat, "Angel Of Sin" by Charlotte Walters, "Les Prisons De Sa Majeste" by Delphine, and "Le Nenuphar" by Stone. LP, Vinyl record album

The triumphant return of Dr Octagon gets a full scale remix treatment – a spacey, worthwhile alternate version/companion piece to Moosebumps! On Moosebumps, Kool Keith, Dan The Automator and DJ QBert finally delivered worthy follow-up to the landmark Dr Octagon/Dr Octagonecologyst album, one of the most influential hip hop LPs ever – we can't imagine Madvillian and so many other other willfully out there rap classics would've happened without it – and the SP 1200 Remixes is a worthwhile alternate take on it. Includes "Octagon Octagon", "Polka Dots", "Black Hole Son", "Operation Zero", "Bear Witness IV", "Area 54", "3030 Meets The Doc Pt 1", "Karma Sutra", "Hollywood Tailswinging" and more – plus a bonus track. LP, Vinyl record album

The triumphant return of Dr Octagon – finally a worthy follow-up to the Dr Octagon/Dr Octagonecologyst album, one of the most influential hip hop LPs ever – we can't imagine Madvillian and so many other other willfully out there rap classics would've happened without it! Keith's subsequent work under the Dr Octagon persona had its charms for sure – and the same can be said for his other alter-egos of the mid 90s onward – but Dan The Automator's incredible production is so epic, DJ Qbert's scratchwork so masterful, we've always considered it a group project. This full scale reunion is the REAL sequel – and it's one of the best hip hop comeback efforts in years! Includes "Octagon Octagon", "Polka Dots", "Black Hole Son", "Operation Zero", "Bear Witness IV", "Area 54", "3030 Meets The Doc Pt 1", "Karma Sutra", "Hollywood Tailswinging" and more – plus LP bonus track "Aviator Hype". LP, Vinyl record album

At the time of this album, Johnny Hartman definitely was the voice that is – a singer with a new level of maturity for the 60s, and a voice that's far more masculine than the geeky look of the photo on the cover! Hartman's sound here is smooth and warm, but never in a too-commercial way – a great antidote to some of the bigger singers of his generation, and cast perfectly here in some lightly jazzy arrangements by Bob Hammer. A few tracks feature backing by a quartet led by Hank Jones – and the rest feature a slightly larger group with 2 guitars and some nice Latin percussion. Titles include "Funny World", "Waltz For Debbie", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Let Me Love You", "My Ship", "The Day The World Stopped Turning", "Slow Hot Wind", and "The More I See You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little live set from Sergio Mendes and his Brasil 65 group – a pre-Brasil 66 combo that features Wanda De Sah on vocals and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar! The style here is more traditionally Brazilian bossa than Sergio's later work on A&M – a fluidly jazzy groove captured with a good sense of intimacy despite the live setting – and issued by Atlantic as a nice antidote to some of the more watered-down bossa work on the US market! The vocals are wonderful – often spare and a bit more fragile than the two-voiced sound of A&M – and titles include "Tem Do De Mim", "Noa Noa", "Caminho De Casa", and "Arrastao". LP, Vinyl record album

The second and best album by Morphine – rightly remembered as a much needed antidote to the grunge and mainstream alternative rock that was taking over pop culture at the time – and an enduring, ageless classic that would stand out in any era! Morphine's previous album was nearly as great, but Cure For Pain is nearly perfect. Mark Sandman's 2-string slide bass sound is indeed perfectly paired with his own vocals, the sax and drums doing the rest of the work instrumentally – there was only a couple years in which they'd really surprise us sonically with this setup, but what an amazing couple of years – and albums! Includes "Dawna", "Buena", "I'm Free Now", "All Wrong", "Candy", In Spite Of Me", "Thursday", "Cure For Pain", "Sheila", "Let's Take A Trip Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of early work by Cassandra Wilson – pulled from four different albums on the JMT label, sides that she recorded back in the 80s, in the early days of her career. Even at this point, though, Cassandra's still got an amazing ability to transform a song – taking standards like "I Wished On The Moon","Round Midnight", "Blue In Green", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams" – and infusing them with her own soulful style. Players on the set include Mulgrew Miller, Grachan Moncur III, Reggie Washington, and Mark Johnson. CD

5CDs' worth of great music from the Nouvelle Vague – the French New Wave of Cinema that emerged at the end of the 50s – and which often featured a fair bit of jazz in the mix for its soundtracks! CD1 features the Paul Misraki score for Et Dieu Crea La Femme – And God Created Woman – an early Brigitte Bardot film directed by Roger Vadim, full of jazzy numbers by Misraki, presented here without the Bardot narration on other versions of the soundtrack. The CD features 23 tracks in all – with bonus material too! CD2 features great work from tenorist Barney Wilen – his full soundtrack to the film Un Temoin Dans La Ville, plus his own jazz album Jazz Sur Seine! CD3 features the Michel Legrand music for Eva – a perfect blend of Legrand's earlier straighter jazz work, with some of his later talent for groovy orchestrations. The overall feel is quite dark – with the kind of jazz-based soundscapes that were showing up in some other French soundtracks at the time, and sweet little noirish feel. CD4 features three scores by Georges Delerue – all for films directed by Francois Truffaut – Jules Et Jim, Tires Sur Le Pianiste, and Le Mepris – all sounding great together. CD5 features Martial Solal's score for A Bout De Souffle – a film best known as Breathless around the world, and an early movie by Jean Luc Godard that perhaps gave Martial Solal his biggest early global exposure! Solal's sharp, modern tones on the piano are very firmly in place here – but there's also lots of more dynamic jazz instrumentation too – of the sort that rivals other French new wave soundtracks by artists like Miles Davis, Barney Wilen, or Art Blakey. Yet Solal, like Godard, is perhaps a bit more sophisticated in his musical approach – and often breaks out into these little paintings in jazz, a bit like some of Elmer Bernstein on our favorite jazzy late 50s soundtracks. CD

Amazing sounds from Reunion Island – a relatively tiny spot, but one that's always had a very compelling cultural legacy! The nation was completely deserted four hundred years ago, and has been populated by waves of colonization from Europe, Africa, and Asia – which has made for a very unique hybrid of cultures and sounds over the years! These tracks are from a key point in the island's musical development – a time when older ideals were electrified slightly – in ways that almost remind us of some of the compelling Caribbean grooves of the period, or some of the post-colonial material from Paris – but with a much funkier sound overall. In true Strut Records spirit, the music here is instantly appealing, right from the start – even if you don't know any history behind the scene – but also in the label's best tradition, the package is stuffed with detailed notes, images of older records, and lots more too – which will give you plenty to learn while you enjoy the grooves. Titles include "Commandeur" by Pierrot Vidot, "Mi Bord A Toe" by Vivi, "C'Est Le Meme Cadence" by Gaby Et Les Soul Men, "Se Pi Bodie" by Ti Vock, "Reveil Creole" by Groupe Dago, "Serre Serre Pas" by Gilberte, "La Rosee Si Feuilles Songes" by Cameleon, "Maloya Ton Tisane" by Michou, "Defoule 3e Age" by Daniel Sandie, "Moin Las Pas Fait Tout Sel" by Jean Claude Viadere, "P'Tit Femme Mon Gate" by Cormoran Group, "Sega Le Sport" by Marie Helen Et Ses Creol's, and "Tantine Zaza" by Francoise Guimbert. CD

A great live date from Bill Evans – one of his essential sides of the 70s, even if you've already got a bunch of other Evans live material! We know what you're thinking: "Do I have this one? Seems to be a lot of tunes here that I've got on other Evans recordings." But take it from us, this set's a real winner – beautifully recorded despite a larger venue performance in Tokyo – and captured with all the grace, poise, and gentle-flowing genius of Evans in his best better-known live dates – a real antidote to some of the other 70s live albums that might have been better left unissued. Everyone's at the top of their game here – Eddie Gomez on bass with those round warm tones, Marty Morrell on drums with his simple spare rhythms, and Evans himself with a sound that's bold then quiet then bold then soft – beautiful throughout, and really setting fire. Titles include "My Romance", "Yesterday I Heard The Rain", "Mornin Glory", "Up With The Lark", "When Autumn Comes", "TTTT", "Gloria's Step", and "Hullo Bolinas". LP, Vinyl record album

Although the date of this one might make you think that Al's softening it up a bit, that's definitely not the case! If anything, the record's a bit rougher than some of his earlier albums on Hi – with Willie Mitchell still working on production and arrangements, but perhaps not crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's as perfectly as before. Not that that's a bad thing, as the record makes for a great addition to any collection of Al's work – and includes some lesser-known gems that are carried off with a deep sense of soul and emotion. Titles include "Something", "I Tried To Tell Myself", "Keep Me Cryin", "Smile A Little Bit More", "Have A Good Time", "Happy", and a version of "Nothing Takes The Place Of You". CD

Bassist Joelle Leandre always seems to bring out something special in a session – and that's definitely the case here, as her warm spirit of creative creation seems to really shape the contributions of Agusti Fernandez on piano and Evan Parker on tenor sax! Make no mistake, Parker also brings out a lot in players too – and his ability to adapt, especially in mature years, continues to blow us away – especially on a record like this, as his tenor wraps around the bass in all sorts of wonderful ways, sprinkled with notes from Fernandez, and dotted by the drums and objects used by Zlatko Kaucic – who we may be hearing here for the first time. The set features one long performance – recorded at the Cerkno festival in 2018, dedicated to Kaucic's 40 years as a musician! CD

RTJ come on with the force of a hurricane on the very first track – and don't let up throughout the course of this completely sharp 4th LP – a record that may owe plenty to the spirit of 2020, even if just as an antidote to what ails us! EL P and Killer Mike sound more urgent than ever before – clearly brimming over with energy and a sense of message – so much so that the album's guests almost dim in comparison – although we do appreciate the work from Mavis Staples, 2 Chainz, Greg Nice, DJ Premier, and Pharrell Williams! The record is full of sharp samples and production modes that punch with the force of a fist – and titles include "Out Of Sight", "Holy Calamafuck", "Goonies Vs ET", "Walking In The Snow", "Ju$t", "Yankee & The Brave", "Never Look Back", "Ooh La La", "A Few Words For The Firing Squad", and "Pulling The Pin". LP, Vinyl record album

Yeah, THIS is the Nick Tosches we want! Tosches has a way of chronicling the diseased, mobbed up underbelly of the 20th Century music rackets that's simply unrivaled – it's gut level brilliant and street smart writing like no one does anymore. Save The Last Dance For Satan is a more fleshed out and newly spun continuation of material published more than a decade ago as Hipsters And Hoodlums, in Vanity Fair magazine (boy, mainstream magazine content sure has changed a bunch since 2000) – chronicling the sleaze and criminality at the core of the 50s & 60s music biz. It's great! His best stuff has often read with the sweaty, intoxicating allure of seedy pulp storytelling, so it's an utmost pleasure to see his work put out by Kicks Books - which literally puts Tosches' work in just that kind of old school hip pocket paperback! He joins Andre Williams (whose "Jailbait" single is mentioned early in this book as the badass antidote to mid 50s candy-coated rock & roll that it most certainly was) and Sun Ra at Kicks. A couple of Tosches' more recent books have been a tough slog – more about his own near obsessive search for impossibly hidden subjects than anything else – but this slim 120 page tome is the opposite – it has us slobbering for more. Book

Late work by Webster and Byas – playing here with backing by a European rhythm section that includes Tete Montoliu on piano and Peter Trunk on bass, plus American Albert Heath on drums. The tracks are mostly long and open – with the main focus on letting the two tenor giants solo as much as possible. Tracks include "Caravan", "Sundae", "Blues For Dottie Mae", and "Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album

Crazy stuff! This is the record with the famous cover of a marble balanced on an asshole (!) – and it further refines Tom Ze's distinctive approach to songwriting with an over the top approach that moves far beyond the experimentation of Tropicalia! The record is incredible, with a mix of amazing songs that piece together hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Includes the tracks "Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual idea for a compilation – but the sort that we've really come to appreciate from the folks at Numero Group! The package traces a shift in American independent jazz during the 80s – following the sorts of players who might have played spiritual jazz or rock-oriented fusion in the 70s, as they pick up new instruments, try out new studio techniques, and work in other modes that are surprisingly soulful overall! You might think of the set as the bridge between 70s jazz and smooth jazz – and there's a a few players here you'll recognize from the previous decade – yet the songs are nearly as slick or commercial as mainstream smooth jazz, and maybe stand as a nice indie antidote to the sounds coming from the GRP label during the decade. Titles include "Tropical Chill" by Plunky, "Maria's First" by Calvin Keys, "Waiting For You" by Frank Potenza, "Born With A Desire" by Tony Palkovic, "Sidetrack" by James Dallas, "6295 SW Fisher" by George Shaw, "Sunbeam" by Larry Bright, and "Orphans" by Michael Hayes. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare work from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg – studio outtakes, alternate versions, and lots of other material that stands as a great addition to the catalog of one of the coolest, grooviest French language singers ever! This vinyl volume 2 brings together rare tracks by Serge and a few associates – some from 45 or LP projects, but presented here in different modes that stand as a wonderful complement to some of the versions you might know – almost like a "part 2" or extended take in some cases. Titles include "Panpan Cucul (unreleased inst)", "First Class Ticket (alternate)", "Comme Un Boomerang", "Goodbye Emmanuelle (unreleased inst)", "Ecce Homo (alternate lyrics)", "Torrey Canyon (alt mix)", "En Melody (solo violin electric)", "Machins Choses (inst version)", "Milena (inst)", and the cuts "Mambo Miam Miam (inst)" by Los Goragueros, "Les Papillons Noirs" by Michelle Arnaud, and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus (acetate original)" by Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool little collection – one that not just offers up a huge amount of important early work by the legendary Serge Gainsbourg – but a set that also includes a fair bit of his contemporaries singing his songs! When Serge first sprang onto the scene in the late 50s, he brought a new sort of edge to Parisian pop – a sense of danger and power that was different than some of the bluer-tinged modes of some of his predecessors – and the special quality of Gainsbourg's songs also led to many others recording his music – some up-and-coming artists like himself, others older artists who were taken up by Serge's new sort of energy. The 4CD set features a whopping 80 tracks in all – 48 by Gainsbourg, plus more by Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, Michele Arnaud, Jean Claude Pascal, Hugues Aufray, Gloria Lasso, Alain Goraguer, and others. CD

RTJ come on with the force of a hurricane on the very first track – and don't let up throughout the course of this completely sharp 4th LP – a record that may owe plenty to the spirit of 2020, even if just as an antidote to what ails us! EL P and Killer Mike sound more urgent than ever before – clearly brimming over with energy and a sense of message – so much so that the album's guests almost dim in comparison – although we do appreciate the work from Mavis Staples, 2 Chainz, Greg Nice, DJ Premier, and Pharrell Williams! The record is full of sharp samples and production modes that punch with the force of a fist – and titles include "Out Of Sight", "Holy Calamafuck", "Goonies Vs ET", "Walking In The Snow", "Ju$t", "Yankee & The Brave", "Never Look Back", "Ooh La La", "A Few Words For The Firing Squad", and "Pulling The Pin". CD