The great solo debut of Big Noyd – an MC who'd gotten an earlier hand up from Mobb Deep, whose Havoc and Prodigy really help out on the set! Part of that help was due to the fact that Noyd was behind bars while the album was in process – but his contributions here are key, really echoing that energy he brought to his appearance before – and set up with that nice sense of darkness that Havoc could bring to his production! The approach is great – leaner and less full of itself than west coast work that might hit similar territory – and titles include "The Precinct", "Recognize & Realize", "All Pro", "Infamous Mobb", "Usual Suspect", "Episodes Of A Hustla", and "I Don't Wanna Love Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Jimmy Riley – a 70s singer who never fully got his due, but who rubbed shoulders with all the best on the Kingston scene, and made some mighty great music in the process! Jimmy's the father of Taurus Riley – the contemporary vocalist – but may well be a more expressive talent in his own right, as you'll hear in these powerful tracks from the late 70s, which include a number of great protest and political numbers, set to slow-stepping, head-nodding rhythms. A few cuts here are offered up in both original takes and versions, and most are pretty darn obscure, but pulled together with the always-great Pressure Sounds level of care and class. Titles include "Gunman Of JA", "From The Ghetto", "Westcoast", "Five Thanks & Praise", "Tell The Youths The Truth", "Majority Rule", "Bridge The Gap", "Poor Immigrant", and "Everyone Needs Money". CD

Ed Palermo and company perform songs by Frank Zappa! Titles incldue "Sleep Dirt", "Dwarf Nebula Processional March", "Moggio", "RDNZL", and "Gumbo Variations". CD

A really unique take on the form of free improvisation – one done at a distance, during the global pandemic in 2020 – but at a level that's very different than anything else we've ever seen on record! The "correspondence" in the title is a reference to the process of the album – as each artist would first record a solo, then send it to the other, who would then respond with a solo of their own. This means that the record is all solo performances, not duets – but done at a level that's still very resonant with the work of the other artist – although at a remove, which maybe allows for even deeper concentration on a musical response! Rafal Mazur plays acoustic bass guitar and Agusti Fernandez plays piano – but the sounds of the instrument are very different than usual – filled with all these textures and really striking sonic possibilities. CD

A heady second chapter of a legendary funk group that were only around for a few short years, but gave us some great music in the process – presented here with 16 unissued tracks from their years in Los Angeles, including work from members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band too! With so much unreleased music, the set's like a fresh discovery of Dyke & The Blazers – adding new takes and versions to the material they recorded in LA before Dyke passed all too quickly – making for a long-overdue addition to their small body of recorded work. Titles unissued stereo mixes of "We Got More Soul (full length)", "Funky Walk (full length)", "The Wobble (full length)", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", "Funky Bull (full length)", "Booga Jivin", "Stuff (full length)", "Runaway People (full length)", and "Moon" – plus the never-issued "The Walk (part 1 east)", "Do It Together (orig mix)", "WUFO Radio Spot", "Day Is Comin (demo)", and "I'm So All Alone (alt)". Also includes the cuts "Black Boy", "It's Your Thing", "You Are My Sunshine", and "Shot Gun Slim" – all very funky! LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown's great second album recorded live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem – a set we like even better than the first famous volume – because it's much more stretched-out, harder-hitting, and full of fire! You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of Brown's showmanship on record – as James urges the band through these triple-time takes on some of his classics, and turns in some amazing work in the process! The set includes a killer long version of "There Was A Time" – almost the blueprint of the James Brown funk sound to come – and other titles include "Bring It Up", "Let Yourself Go", and a wonderful duet version of "Think" – plus "Prisoner Of Love", "Out Of Sight", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Lost Someone","Thanks", "Cold Sweat", "I Feel Alright", and "Please, Please, Please". Features 30 minutes of extra material, with remixed tracks, set in the original running order, and lots of great notes! CD

An overlooked gem from the great Roy Haynes – a set that has a cover that looks a bit unassuming, but a vibe that's mighty nice – thanks to both the hipness of the leader, and work on the record from Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Cecil McBee on bass, and both Stanley Cowell and George Cables on both electric and acoustic piano! Titles include "Bullfight", "Quiet Fire", "Sweet Song", and "Processional", which is a spare percussion/drum duet. LP, Vinyl record album