A classic set from one of the best groups of the downtempo generation – and one of the few whose work we still turn to all these years later! The Dining Rooms move in the same space as early Kruder & Dorfmeister or Mo Wax, but also bring in some jazzier elements at times too – just the smallest kernels of the sorts of sounds that would later land them on Schema Records – but used in really nice ways, to give their music a lot more depth than most of their contemporaries. Titles include "Chorus Of Flames", "Sei Tu", "Pure & Easy", "Invocation", "Cosi Ti Amo", "Luzy", "Maria", and "False Start". CD

Features Gwen Stefani and Styles Of The Lox. Produced by Dr. Dre. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass Hit", and "Things To Come" – but on this album from 1965, he's reunited with Dizzy for a large group set of tracks that feature Diz as the main soloist – at a level that really shows the growth of both men at the time! Fuller's charts are large and full, but with a sense of space that's really amazing – almost like some of the soundtrack work Dizzy had done for The Cool World – with a mix of soulful and modern moments that's really wonderful. The group's kind of a mix of hip LA players – with Phil Moore Jr on piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Jimmy Bond on bass – plus a larger set of horn players backing Dizzy up. Titles include a number of great originals – such as "Be's That Way", "Big Sur", "Things Are Here", "Man From Monterey", and "Angel City". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic mix of heady sounds and heavy funk from The Heliocentrics – and a record that continues the vibe of their previous set – in which the team of Malcolm Catto and Jake Ferguson were joined by the lovely vocals of Barbora Patkova! Patkova's presence is just what the group needs to really ground their sound – a female singer up front, but one who's as equally comfortable with distortion, fuzz, and echoey spaces as the two instrumentalists – a trio who continue that unique tradition of psychedelic funk that we first loved in Catto's early work on Mo Wax! Titles include "99% Revolution", "Hanging By A Thread", "Nonsense (part 1)", "Light In The Dark", "People Wake Up", "Burning Wooden Ship", and "Elephant Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive exploration of the music of Kashmere Stage Band – the legendary Texas funk combo whose work barely got any circulation at the time – but who've become minor stars, thanks to the efforts of Stones Throw and Wax Poetics! The set goes even deeper than any of the previous vinyl reissues of work by the group – and features some previously unreleased tracks, and alternate takes on their funkiest numbers! The Kashmere groove is incredible – blasting horns, scratchy guitars, and funky drums – all wrapped super-tight around a range of original material and some more familiar numbers – all recast here in super-heavy funk mode! Titles include "All Praises", "Thank You", "Scorpio (extended)", "Headwiggle", "Do You Dig It Man", "Getting It Out Of My System", "Zero Point (parts 1 & 2)", "Boss City", "Burning Spear", "Take Five", and "Keep Doing It". LP, Vinyl record album

Natural Information Society have been a key force on the Chicago underground for a number of years – and here, they go back even further, to open the door to the legendary saxophonist Ari Brown – who joins the group on tenor! You might know Brown's music as a member of 70s spiritual group The Awakening, or his later solo albums – and his time-schooled spirit is a perfect match for the ensemble led by bassist Joshua Abrams, who also plays some guimbri on the set. Other players include Ben Lamar Gay and Josh Berman on cornets, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Kara Bershad on harp, Nick Mazzarella on alto, and Hamid Drake on congas and tablas – a group who work together with the richly organic vibe we always love in projects from Abrams. Titles include "Moontide Chorus", "Is", "Murmuration", "Wane", "Wax", "Immemorial", and "Stigmergy". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure – finally brought back to light! The album features previously unissued material by the team of Art Pepper and Warne Marsh – tracks recorded back in 1956 for Contemporary records, but only issued many years later as part of the Complete Contemporary project for Pepper's work. Why these dates never made it to wax is a real mystery to us – because the pairing of Pepper's alto and Marsh's tenor is perhaps even greater than the more famous team of Marsh & Konitz – and the sound here is completely wonderful – fluid, modern, and exceptionally poised – yet never without soul! CD includes a few master and original takes of some numbers – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "Tickle Toe", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", "What's New", "Avalon", and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me". CD

Raucous R&B-flavored rock instrumentals by The Rumblers – the second great compilation of their early-to-mid 60s material put together by Ace UK – and a superior one! It's got more of their great Downey singles from the period, along with previously unreleased gems. The rhythms rumble, alright – and they're nice and raw, too – but even more appealing is the way the sax and guitars play off of each other so brilliantly! The tracks on Rumblin' & Rare seems to have a bit more of a focused vibe than on the previous comp – we're guessing because the group really found and honed in on their sound, come '63 or so – but whatever the reason, it's incredible stuff! 24 tracks in all – many of of which were previously unreleased! Includes "Boss Drums", "Poor Boy", "Wockytok", "Slippin'", "Rumblin' & Stumblin'", "Saxwax", "Walkin' With The Boss", "Till Always", "Wedgee", "Charger", "The Nervous Set", "Lost Weekend", "Sweet Potato" and more. CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all! CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all! CD

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes – and the package is very well-done – with super-heavy vinyl, and notes on all the tracks. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost legacy of work from Black Jazz Records – the important 70s imprint that's best known for its groundbreaking albums of spiritual and funky jazz – and a company who also issued some rare 45s back in the day! The cuts here represent some of the coolest, funkiest tracks these artists recorded for Black Jazz – all originally issued as 7" singles, some with a two-part approach that has both parts of a longer track spread out over both sides of the wax. The presentation here is as top-shelf as the other Black Jazz reissues handled by Real Gone – complete with notes by Pat Thomas – and titles include "Little B's Poem" and "Peace" by Doug & Jean Carn, "Chi Town Theme" by Cleveland Eaton, "Soul Daddy" and "Be All Your Own" by Kellee Patterson, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Me & Mrs Jones" by Gene Russell, "Coral Keys (parts 1 & 2)" by Walter Bishop, "Moon Child (parts 1 & 2)" by Doug Carn, "Mr TJ (single edit)" and "Devon Jean" by Rudolph Johnson, "Gee Gee (parts 1 & 2)" by Calvin Keys, and "Powerhouse (parts 1 & 2)" by Chester Thompson. LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the "Show Tunes" in the title, this set's really a great batch of tracks from some of Motown's soundtracks from the early 70's. this means that the set includes "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" and "Theme Of Foxy Brown" by Willie Hutch, "Don't It Feel Good To Be Free" by Edwin Starr, and "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye. It's a good way to get these tracks on wax, and there's other nice stuff by Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, and Smokey Robinson. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool little set, and one that's a lot different than you might expect from the "new romantics" reference in the title! Sure, there's some cuts here that are from the moment when the British scene was cracking the charts with nice haircuts, catchy electro rhythms, and smart lyrics – but the bulk of the set is actually music from the generation before – the kind of work that inspired the new romantics of the early 80s, mixed with cuts from that era, but which are not nearly as well known! The box begins very early in the 70s, and traces bits of prog, glam, and other pre-punk styles – then ends up in more familiar territory at the end, but with a less familiar vibe. Make sense? Probably not – but that's the great thing about a really well-done collection like this – 59 tracks with really great notes – and work from Tubeway Army, The Cure, Zager & Evans, Lounge Lizards, Grace Jones, Fox, Magazine, Spandau Ballet, Heaven 17, Japan, Yellow, Nightmares In Wax, Visage, Landscape, Flying Lizards, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Sister Sledge, Lipps Inc, Barry Gray, Glaxo Babies, New Order, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Tom Tom Club, ABC, M, Heat Exchange, John Foxx, The Normal, and many others! CD

The night time's always the right time – at least when we've got music this great to see us into the small hours of the evening! The set's overflowing in warm 80s groove – some upbeat, some a bit more midtempo – all balanced on beats, basslines, and keyboards – but with a sense of soul on the vocals that really makes the whole thing come together! Some of these tracks were big back in the day, others are album tracks that fit perfectly in this blend of songs – a set of 13 titles that includes "Don't Give Up On Your Dream" by Lew Kirton, "You Are My Life" by Webster Lewis, "Sweet Lady" by Manhattan Rhythm, "I Get Romantic" by Booker Newbury III, "Can You Picture This" by The Keepers, "Just Can't Fight The Feeling" by YBS, "What's On Your Mind" by Janet Rene, "April Lady" by Wax, "Try A Piece Of My Love" by Clarence Carter, "Lost In Your Love" by Ritchie Family, "If You Were Mine" by Cheryl Lynn, and "Private Love Affair" by E'Lan. CD

With selections by Mozengrazn, Hank Knight, Jose Hita, Road Turkey, and Bill Corley. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard and heavy Memphis soul from Don Bryant – a great singer who recorded for Hi Records in its early years, but who was never as well-remembered as Al Green or Ann Peebles, because the label wasn't cutting full LPs on many of its soul acts in the 60s. Don's got a rough style that's part Memphis, part New Orleans, with nice bluesy touches, and a slightly rough style that reminds us of James Carr or other singers on the Goldwax label. The set's got a total of 15 tracks in all – all recorded between 1964 and 1969 – with titles that include "I'll Go Crazy", "Doing The Mustang", "What Are You Doing To My World", "There Is Something On Your Mind (part 1)", "The Call Of Distress", "Is That Asking Too Much", "Clear Days & Stormy Nights", and "Can't Hide The Hurt". CD

One of the rarest Kenny Burrell albums – and one of the most unusual, too! Unlike other records, on which Kenny just plays guitar – this set has the jazzman also doing a bit of singing, sweetly crooning alongside his instrument with a surprising amount of charm! Burrell's got the feel of some backroom singer in the bebop years – deep-toned and mellow, but still pretty swinging – and the album's a great illustration of this overlooked side of his talents. The group features Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Bobby Jaspar plays a bit of tenor sax at times – on titles that include "Hootchie Koo", "A Fine Romance", "The Blues Is Awful Mean", "The More I See You", "I'll Buy You A Star", "Afternoon In Paris", and "Weaver Of Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

During the early 60s, the team of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin was one of the most exciting unions in jazz. The two tenorists came from two different camps – Davis, the gutsy R&B soloist, Griffin, the hardbop powerhouse with a flair for the modern. Their pairing was an incredible stroke of genius and luck, and the albums they waxed – like this one – feature an approach hardly ever matched again by a two-tenor band. One of the best features of the group was their dedication to opening up the works of Monk into a freer blowing style – and they do so nicely on this album's two long takes of "Epistrophy" and "Well, You Needn't", both recorded live at the legendary Minton's Playhouse in Harlem (site of some of the band's best recordings.) Junior Mance heads up the soulful rhythm section that also includes Larry Gales and Ben Riley. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure – finally brought back to light! The album features previously unissued material by the team of Art Pepper and Warne Marsh – tracks recorded back in 1956 for Contemporary records, but only issued many years later as part of the Complete Contemporary project for Pepper's work. Why these dates never made it to wax is a real mystery to us – because the pairing of Pepper's alto and Marsh's tenor is perhaps even greater than the more famous team of Marsh & Konitz – and the sound here is completely wonderful – fluid, modern, and exceptionally poised – yet never without soul! CD includes a few master and original takes of some numbers – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "Tickle Toe", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", "What's New", "Avalon", and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me". CD

A lost legacy of work from Black Jazz Records – the important 70s imprint that's best known for its groundbreaking albums of spiritual and funky jazz – and a company who also issued some rare 45s back in the day! The cuts here represent some of the coolest, funkiest tracks these artists recorded for Black Jazz – all originally issued as 7" singles, some with a two-part approach that has both parts of a longer track spread out over both sides of the wax. The presentation here is as top-shelf as the other Black Jazz reissues handled by Real Gone – complete with notes by Pat Thomas – and titles include "Little B's Poem" and "Peace" by Doug & Jean Carn, "Chi Town Theme" by Cleveland Eaton, "Soul Daddy" and "Be All Your Own" by Kellee Patterson, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Me & Mrs Jones" by Gene Russell, "Coral Keys (parts 1 & 2)" by Walter Bishop, "Moon Child (parts 1 & 2)" by Doug Carn, "Mr TJ (single edit)" and "Devon Jean" by Rudolph Johnson, "Gee Gee (parts 1 & 2)" by Calvin Keys, and "Powerhouse (parts 1 & 2)" by Chester Thompson. CD

More burning instrumentals from Coxsone Dodd and his mighty crew at Studio One! Soul Jazz has already established Dodd and Studio One as a near household name in bad, bold island grooves, and this set of fiery instrumentals keeps up the pressure, with 16 burning numbers! All flavors of Jamaican soul get represented here, from spacey, mellow grooves at the hands of Jackie Mittoo, to mellow snapping clavinet numbers from Pablove Black, deep roots from Cedric Brooks or jaunty ska numbers from the Soul Vendors and the Skatalites. As usual, the packaging is in the deluxe vein that has graced previous chapters in the series, and this set includes "Gumbay Jump" by the Dub Specialist, "A Big Car" by Jackie Mittoo, "Joe Grazer" and "Sidewalk Doctor" by VinGordon, "Sound Almighty" by the Soul Defenders, "Black Wax" by Pablove Black, Dick Tracy" by the Skatalites, "Cousin Joe Pt 1" by Sugar Belly, and "Black Is Black" by Im & David, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from the early days of Warp – Forgemasters, Nightmares On Wax, Sweet Exorcist, DJ Mink, LFO, Tricky Disco, The Step, Tuff Little Unit, Coco Steel And Lovebomb, and LFO Versus F.U.S.E*. CD

One of the last albums that Albert Ayler ever recorded before his strange and mysterious early death – and one of his most memorable records as well! The record shows Ayler at the crossroads, filled with emotion and meaning, struggling to convey his message to a lager audience. At times, he takes a strange soul/jazz format to do so, and has tracks featuring backing by "the Soul Singers" – at others, he plays solo, with some of the most plaintive tones he ever laid down on wax! The record features an incredibly haunting "Message From Albert", plus the tracks "New Generation", "Sun Watcher", "New Ghosts", and "Free At Last". Completely fascinating, and a record that really makes you wonder what would have happened had he not left the planet so early! LP, Vinyl record album

Emanuelle goes east, and picks up some cool exotic touches to add to her more familiar funky grooves! The soundtrack's a really nice change of flavor from Nico Fidenco – still every bit as groovy as his other Emanuelle scores, but mixed with some earthy percussion, haunting flute lines, and cool sonic elements that definitely echo the eastern setting of the movie – all while foregrounding the Euro sex that's clearly the main item on the menu! This mix of sounds easily makes the album one of the most sophisticated Emanuelle soundtracks in the series – one that's sure to appeal to more serious soundtrack collectors, as well as lovers of the cheese that the series came to stand for. Titles include "Red Hot Wax", "Unavoidable", "Of Your Body", "Thailand Sweet Sound", "Like A Sailing Ship", "Orient Riders", "Body To Body", "Bellies Orient Dance", and "Sudden Ride". 21 tracks – all remastered, and presented here in a limited package with a poster, too! CD

They certainly got the title right on this one – as the album's overflowing with earlier hits by Perez Prado, re-recorded here for the hi-fi generation, with really swinging RCA sound! The numbers include some perennial Perez favorites – including "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White", "In A Little Spanish Town", "Caballo Negro", "Mambo Jambo", and the legendary "Mambo Number 5". A nice way to get all of his best stuff on wax! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of deep deep soul! Recorded way before Sharon Ridley became a big club diva, this record mixes deep soul vocal stylings with some well produced Van McCoy arrangements, and backing by some crack New York players. The result is one of the best female vocal soul albums we can think of from the early 70s – and the kind of lost soul album that makes you keep tracking down rare wax! Includes the incredible cut "You Sold Me A One Way Ticket", which begins with an amazing intro, and has a hook so strong you could hang a parka on it – plus the cuts "Stay A While With Me", "I Found Him, I Loved Him, I Lost Him", and "When A Woman Falls In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of deep deep soul! Recorded way before Sharon Ridley became a big club diva, this record mixes deep soul vocal stylings with some well produced Van McCoy arrangements, and backing by some crack New York players. The result is one of the best female vocal soul albums we can think of from the early 70s – and the kind of lost soul album that makes you keep tracking down rare wax! Includes the incredible cut "You Sold Me A One Way Ticket", which begins with an amazing intro, and has a hook so strong you could hang a parka on it – plus the cuts "Stay A While With Me", "I Found Him, I Loved Him, I Lost Him", and "When A Woman Falls In Love". CD also features the bonus track "Scandal In Bedrock (single mix)". CD

A great set of Stevie's best tracks for Motown! 3 LPs deep, with 40 tracks in all, mostly from the late 60s, with a handful of numbers from the early 70s, including a few goodies that are getting tougher to find on wax. Includes "Hey Love", "Angie Girl", "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday", "Down To Earth", "I'd Cry", "Fingertips (part 2)", "Castles In The Sand", "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby", "You Met Your Match", "Never Had A Dream Come True", "My Cherie Amour", "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer", "If You Really Love me", "Something Out Of The Blue", "Do Yourself A Favor", "I'd Be Fool Right Now", "Thank You Love", "Ain't That Asking For Trouble", "A Place In The Sun" and loads more! LP, Vinyl record album

Essential! A hard to find compilation of seminal grooves, the long-out-of-print first volume to the legendary Headz compilation! This one blew everyone's mind back in the mid 90s, and it shaped the world of beathead production dratically for the next few years. Loads of great titles, including "Slipper Suite" by Palmskin Productions, "2000" by R.P.M., "In Flux (alternative interlude '93 version)" and "Lost & Found (SFL)" by DJ Shadow, "They Came In Peace" by Tranquility Bass, "Stars" by Nightmares On Wax, "Contemplating Jazz" by Attica Blues, "The Time Has Come" by UNKLE vs Major Force Orchestra, "Head West – Gunfight At The OK Corrall" by Howie B, "Destroy All Monsters" by Skull, "Lowride" by Autechre and 'Ravers Suck Our Sound" by La Funk Mob, plus a bunch of other smoked out trip hop grooves! CD

Great work from one of the most important labels of the past few years – the groundbreaking Far Out imprint, known for its unique style of blending Brazilian and London grooves! The set features tracks from Far Out's oft-deleted singles series – hard to find 12" releases that often get only short release, and disappear much more quickly than the rest of the label's catalog. If you've missed some of these gems, or if you're like us, and sometimes prefer to put on a full album and save yourself flipping wax, the set's a great way to catch up – and probably introduce yourself to loads of great new music. Titles include "Khameleon" and "Second Future" by Difusion, "Ponteio" by Da Lata, "Colours" by Big Bang, "Smile" by Nature's Plan, "Strike Hard" by Trouble Man, "Brazil (Brazilian reprise)" by Democustico, "Faca De Conta (Roni Size rmx)" by Azymuth, "E Ruim/The Samba (4 Hero rmx)" by Grupo Batuque, and "Banzo Theme" by Banzo. CD

Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. CD

Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60s, clearly opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky! Ashby not only plays her usual jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too – and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar – all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire generation of the Chicago scene! Titles include the amazing break "The Moving Finger" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Dust", "Joyful Grass & Grape", "Heaven & Hell", "Wax & Wane", "Shadow Shapes", "For Some When Young", "Myself When Young", and "Drink". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums that Albert Ayler ever recorded before his strange and mysterious early death – and one of his most memorable records as well! The record shows Ayler at the crossroads, filled with emotion and meaning, struggling to convey his message to a lager audience. At times, he takes a strange soul/jazz format to do so, and has tracks featuring backing by "the Soul Singers" – at others, he plays solo, with some of the most plaintive tones he ever laid down on wax! The record features an incredibly haunting "Message From Albert", plus the tracks "New Generation", "Sun Watcher", "New Ghosts", and "Free At Last". Completely fascinating, and a record that really makes you wonder what would have happened had he not left the planet so early! CD

Excellent compilation of the early solo tracks recorded by this beautiful vocalist from The Zombies. The tracks are culled from his first 3 records – One Year, Ennismore, and Journey – all of which are pretty darn tough to find on wax! If you don't know this stuff, it's some of the most godlike pop ever created in the world, and it mixes Colin's heavenly voice with swirling strings and haunting arrangements that are a perfect extension from the late Zombies material. Titles include "I Don't Believe In Miracles", "Wonderful", "Say You Don't Mind", "Misty Roses", "Though You Are Far Away", "Let Me Come Closer To You", "How Could We Dare To Be Wrong", and "Caroline Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-remembered set from The Cocteau Twins' sublime 80s run on the 4AD label – a set that was one of the duo's first American titles, culled together from some of their early singles and import EP releases! The song choices are wonderful – some of the most focused, expressive cuts from the first few Cocteau years – magical moments that have the wordless vocals of Liz Frazier carving out these really beautiful melodies – while lush keyboards and splashy rhythms fill in the background with that unique 4AD style of production. There's still never been anything like the group at this point over all the years that have past – and the album's filled with gems that include "Wax & Wane", "Pearly Dewdrop Drops", "From The Flagstones", "Lorelei", "Aikea Guinea", "Pepper Tree", and "Musette & Drums". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure ensembles of the groundbreaking Paris scene of the end of the 60s – a progressive group that featured Glenn Spearman on saxes, Takashi Kako on piano, Bob Reid on bass, Boulou Ferret on guitar, and Sabu Toyozumi on drums! There's an energy here (no pun intended) that matches other work from the BYG/Actuel generation – but somehow the overall sound is a bit different – earthier at times, with a starker approach to the work that we really love. Spearman's talent on reeds is remarkable (the album stands as one of a rare few examples of his genius on wax) – and we're also struck by the power of Kako's work on piano, which has a majesty of color and tone that almost matches Cecil Taylor at times. Tracks are long, and titles include a version of the Art Ensemble's "People In Sorrow", plus "Emergency Theme", "Kako Tune", and "Infidels". CD

A landmark album of funky genius – and one of the first times a batch of funky 45s had ever been so tightly sewn into a full LP! By the time of this album's release, Kool & The Gang were already underground legends – cutting it up in small clubs around the east and midwest, and working hard to push their excellent early singles on the De-Lite label – the kind of indie funky 45s that went on to shape the sound of a generation to come! This album brings together a number of those singles – really great little tracks that you can't really ever find on wax, and which have the group's perfect blend of bass/drum rhythms, choppy guitar, and hard-blaring horns – a massive groove that's still tighter here than any of the countless combos the record went onto inspire. The LP's a non-stop jam all the way through, with funk so pure it could be considered the blueprint for a generation – and titles include "Give It Up", "Raw Hamburger", "Kool's Back Again", "Breeze & Soul", "Sea of Tranquility", and "Kool & The Gang". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent double LP that brings together a stellar selection of Charles Mingus' best Debut Records sides from the early 50s – most of which are very hard to find on wax these days! This is the material that gave birth to the legend that would flower on Atlantic and Columbia Records a few years later – and Charles already shows his genius for picking players – working here with Mal Waldron on piano, Eddie Bert on trombone, Max Roach on drums, and Willie Jones on alto! The package has great notes, too – and titles include "Haitian Fight Song", "All the Things You Can C Sharp", "Percussion Discussion", "Work Song", "Ladybird", "Love Chant", "Jump Monk", "Septemberly", "A Foggy Day", and "Love Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

Natural Information Society have been a key force on the Chicago underground for a number of years – and here, they go back even further, to open the door to the legendary saxophonist Ari Brown – who joins the group on tenor! You might know Brown's music as a member of 70s spiritual group The Awakening, or his later solo albums – and his time-schooled spirit is a perfect match for the ensemble led by bassist Joshua Abrams, who also plays some guimbri on the set. Other players include Ben Lamar Gay and Josh Berman on cornets, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Kara Bershad on harp, Nick Mazzarella on alto, and Hamid Drake on congas and tablas – a group who work together with the richly organic vibe we always love in projects from Abrams. Titles include "Moontide Chorus", "Is", "Murmuration", "Wane", "Wax", "Immemorial", and "Stigmergy". CD

Genius work from Freda Payne – a set recorded after her bigger fame years for Invictus/Hot Wax – but a record that's done with an even deeper feel overall! The album features some key contributions from Lamont Dozier – who wasn't credited on the original record, due to his continuing contract with HDH – and his bold, righteous approach in the studio is definitely felt here – as he gives Freda the same great groove he'd hit on his own ABC albums! As with those, McKinley Jackson handles the arrangements – which work perfectly with the punctuated groove of Dozier's production – and Payne really sparkles in the setting, stretching out with these magnificent vocals that go way beyond what you might expect. The tunes are impeccable – as well-written as those on other Dozier projects of the time – loads of original numbers that include "Didn't I Tell You", "It's Yours To Have", "I Get Carried Away", "Run For Your Life", "Shadows On The Wall", and "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" – plus versions of "A Song For You" and "I Won't Last A Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Music beyond description – a unique blend of disco, funk, avant garde, and dub – the wonderful world of the late Arthur Russell! Russell was a bass player by trade, but he was schooled in both classical and Eastern music forms – and brought an incredibly fresh vision to his work in New York in the late 70s and early 80s. To some, Russell was a groundbreaking disco pioneer – with an offbeat production style and unique conception of rhythm. To others, Russell was a performance artist and avant garde musician – working in circles that included Phillip Glass, David Byrne, and Robert Wilson. This mix of modes was very much a part of the post-disco, post-punk sound of New York at the time – and nobody summarized it (or allowed it!) better than Russell himself. This excellent set from Soul Jazz is one of the first to truly give him his due – and it brings together a large amount of his disco-related projects, plus a few more introspective numbers cut under his own name. The sound is incredible – unlike anything you could categorize – especially on the Russell-titled numbers – and as always with Soul Jazz, the whole thing's beautifully packaged, with rich notes on the music and the person behind it! Titles include "Go Bang (Francois K mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Wax The Van" by Lola, "Is It All Over My Face (Larry Levan mix)" by Loose Joints, "In The Cornbelt (Larry Levan mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Pop Your Funk" by Loose Joints, "Schoolbell/Treehouse (Walter Gibbons mix)" by Indian Ocean, and "Let's Go Swimming (Walter Gibbons mix)", "A Little Lost", "In The Light Of The Miracle", and "Keeping Up" by Arthur Russell himself! CD

Fantastic stuff! In case you don't know it, this is one of Lalo Schifrin's most incredible soundtracks, and it's a stunning mix of jazz, bossa, and groovy grooves. There's lots of cool bubbling electric bass, lilting keyboards, and moody breezy rhythms. Nearly every cut's a winner, and if you like his stuff, we can bet that this will become one of your favorites. The record's darn tough to find on wax – and cuts include "Bullitt", "Room 26", "On the Way To San Mateo", and "Shifting Gears". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from Slave! "Slide" is a monster – tight electric funk, nicely compressed so that it's not too silly, which is why Tribe Called Quest snagged it early for a key sample! "Son Of Slide" is every bit as great – and in fact, the single's probably got the two best tracks by the band on one piece of wax! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A funky funky bit of wax – one of the first releases on the Luv N Haight label, a long out of print reissue of these two funky sides by the Soul Toronadoes! Both cuts bristle with a JBs type groove – nice and tasty, and even louder on this 12" single than they'd be on a 45! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed". CD

Think you know everything there is to know about Stax Records? Think again – because this series serves up an incredible batch of material that was either unissued back in the day, or hardly ever got much circulation at the time! The project comes from the years after the initial Stax Singles box sets – and tracks here include numbers found during that process, but unissued – and others that were only discovered after digging through vaults of tape – and realizing just how much music the label recorded, but never even pressed onto wax! Yet that result is not surprising – given that the famous Memphis studio was always hopping around the clock – with groups like Booker T & The MGs, Mar-Keys, or Bar-Kays jamming in the studio, then making way for a range of singers and other guests as well – an all-star lineup who turn out some top material in this set. Titles on this first volume include "Hide Away" by Booker T & The MGs, "Don't Worry About Tomorrow" by Bobby Marchan, "Cupid" by Otis Redding, "Don't You Like To Me" by Albert King, "Hippy Dippy" by The Mar-Keys, "I've Got Dreams To Remember (alternate)" by Otis Redding, "Never Let Me Go (alternate)" by William Bell, "Cloudburst" by The Mad Lads, "Sweet Devil" by Mable John, "When My Love Comes Down" by Ruby Johnson, "Floyd's Beat" by Floyd Newman, "Run Around" by Carla Thomas, "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay" by Booker T & The MGs, and "Just Enough To Hurt Me" by The Astors. CD

A dream come true! Someone at Blue Note is keeping their eyes and ears on the street and in the clubs – because here's another late model conceptual triumph – a remix project pairing current innovators in the club and hip hop underground with classic numbers from the label's vaults! The concept is simple; classic numbers are given to handpicked remixers, re-doers, and stylistic misfits best suited to re-work that particular number. Mo Wax maestros La Funk Mob open the set with a mellow, club soul tweak of Wayne Shorter's "Oriental Funk Song". Kenny Dope trips out Bobby Hutcherson's "La Malanga" into a bubbly club funk jam. "Kyoto Jazz Massive" completely re-work Eddie Henderson's "Kudu" into a wonderful number all their own. Perhaps the biggest triumph of all here is the consistency throughout; every artist attached brings their A-game (how could they do any less, given a chance to add their own elements to the some of the most influential numbers they could get their hands on?) Amazing, amazing stuff – whether it's the scratched up, hip hop flavor J Dilla brings to Jack McDuff's "Oblighetto" or the righteous electronic groove Jazzanova drops on Eddie Gale's "Song Of The Will", the minimalist, keys and beats drive Osunlade brings into Grant Green's "A Time To Remember". Every track sparkles! Other tracks include DJ Spinna/Donald Byrd "Lansanna's Priestess", 4 Hero/Horace Silver "Won't You Open Up Your Senses", DJ Cam & Erik Truffaz/Donald Byrd "The Emperor", Herbert/Michel Petrucciani "Caravan" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the comps that rode the mid 90s wave of turntablism, with a nice time table inside the gatefold sleeve. Not as much over the top trickery as you might hear on the Return of The DJ compilations on Bomb, but some essential moments, like Cut Chemist's "Lesson 6" and the X-Men's "A Turntable Experience". Radar's "Radar Frees Tibet" and Beyond There "On Wax" display some nice turntable moments, while a few of the other tracks don't really justify their place in the context of the comp, but are nice to have anyway – like Latyrx's "Say That". Also includes Prince Paul "DJ Prince Paul Vs The World", Ingrid De Lambre & Eddie Def "Poeisies, Scene 1 Le Blues", DJ Swingsett & DJ Wally "Centaurus Space Bass (Cloak & Destroy mix)", Peanut Butter Wolf & The Beat Junkies "They Don't Fall Down", Mumbles "At The Mountains Of Madness" and Q-Burn's Abstract Message "Book Of Changes". CD

Rare gospel gems that go way past the usual – tracks recorded for the small JCR label in Memphis during the 70s, but done with a stripped-down vibe that's much more like postwar gospel overall! Most of the acts here are pretty darn obscure – groups that were inspired by the spirit and burning with a message – driven to take their amazing vocal skills to the JCR/D-Vine studios, where they got a chance to immortalize their music on wax – even if bigger national sales didn't necessarily follow! The rootsiness of this music is wonderful – usually just vocals, a lead and harmony associations, backed by an instrument or two – but also handled with much more modern soul-based phrasing than work of this sort might have had a few decades before. As with the first volume, the quality level is amazing – the kind of killer gems that make digging for more obscure gospel music so rewarding – served up in a set list of 17 tracks that include "Man On The Moon" by The Breckenridge Singers, "I Thank You Lord" by The Stars Of Faith, "Be So Glad" by The Chosen Wonders, "Until My Days Are Done" by The Masonic Travelers, "Leaning On The Lord" by The Canton Spirituals, "Save Me Jesus" by The Sons Of Harmony, "Stand By Me" by The Dixie Wonders, "Little Wooden Church" by The Silver Trumpets, and "Never Grow Old" by The Bible Tones. CD

A huge look at the Liverpool scene in the UK – but one that doesn't focus on the generation of the Beatles and Brit Invasion groups – and instead brings some great attention to the city's contribution to the post-punk years and beyond! The package is tremendous – 100 songs in a huge booklet of notes – tracing an evolution from the late 70s years, when Liverpool was as creative and fervent of a scene as other North England territories, like Manchester and Sheffield – but also one that could quickly develop some tuneful aspects too, which no doubt helped the rest of the UK music scene of the 80s find a way to expand in some great global directions! Throughout the whole time covered here, there's a great tension between experimentation and commercial success – one that's covered beautifully by the many tracks in the collection, and also documented in the hefty notes within. There's far too many tracks here for us to list – but let us say that the package is overflowing with work by artists as diverse as Dalek I, The Wild Swans, China Crisis, Pink Industry, Care, Box Of Toys, Deaf School, Big In Japan, Pale Fountains, Icicle Works, Dead Or Alive, The Lotus Eaters, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Mr Amir, Brenda & The Beach Balls, Jegsy Dodd & The Sons Of Harry Cross, The La's, Jactars, Magic Carpets, Barbel, The Walking Seeds, Thomas Lang, Ministry Of Love, Nightmares In Wax, OMD, The Planets, Spitfire Boys, Geisha Girls, Royal Family & The Poor, Public Disgrace, It's Immaterial, The Balcony, The Yachts, Teardrop Explodes, Original Mirrors, The Press Gang, Moderates, Egypt For Now, Those Naughty Lumps, Flock Of Seagulls, Freeze Frame, Echo & The Bunnymen, and many more! CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the hypest record of the 80s, but a set that's pretty darn great overall – and which really helped find a way to reintroduce the vibe of the early street party scene back into the feel of hip hop on wax! Kid and Play aren't out to change the world with their politics or set a new agenda for the music – but working with great Herby Luv Bug production, they keep things nice and lively throughout – at a level that really fits with some of the best Select Records releases that made the world of hip hop pretty darn fresh at the time! The whole thing's an instant party throughout – with cuts that include "Brother Man Get Hip", "Soul Man", "Damn That DJ", "2Hype", "Can You Dig That", "Last Night", "Do The Kid N Play Kick Step", and the classic "Do This My Way" – a mini-production masterpiece on its own! LP, Vinyl record album

Haunting work from the years immediately before the collapse of Yugoslavia – the first full album by the group Laibach, a key part of the artists collective known as Neue Slowenische Kunst. The album's perhaps the group's most jarring – with lots of very noisy passages, and turgid instrumentation used as the backdrop for songstatements on society, work, and life under the coming regime. Titles include "The New Acropolis", "Bloody Ground – Fertile Land", "War Poem", and "The State". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

There's a guy who looks like a priest on the cover, but the sounds within are much more the stuff of hell than heaven – surprisingly raw work from a group who were years ahead of their time in the way they handled their guitars! Royal Aircoach aren't just another lost garage band from the 60s – because at times, they've got a nastiness that could rival the Velvet Underground – and a proto-punk sense of lean energy that feels like American underground work from decades to come! Don't get us wrong, there's definitely a lively 60s spirit in the music – but the fact that most of the tracks here never saw release at the time is a great testament to the power of the sounds within. Tracks include the rare Flying Machine single "Webs Of Love" and "Wondering Why" – plus rare tracks "Wrapped Up In Your Mind", "Lies Ain't Right", "Waking Skies", "Wax Theory", "Death Of Man", "Looking Out", and "When I Return". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare gospel gems that go way past the usual – tracks recorded for the small JCR label in Memphis during the 70s, but done with a stripped-down vibe that's much more like postwar gospel overall! Most of the acts here are pretty darn obscure – groups that were inspired by the spirit and burning with a message – driven to take their amazing vocal skills to the JCR/D-Vine studios, where they got a chance to immortalize their music on wax – even if bigger national sales didn't necessarily follow! The rootsiness of this music is wonderful – usually just vocals, a lead and harmony associations, backed by an instrument or two – but also handled with much more modern soul-based phrasing than work of this sort might have had a few decades before. As with the first volume, the quality level is amazing – the kind of killer gems that make digging for more obscure gospel music so rewarding – served up in a set list of 17 tracks that include "Man On The Moon" by The Breckenridge Singers, "I Thank You Lord" by The Stars Of Faith, "Be So Glad" by The Chosen Wonders, "Until My Days Are Done" by The Masonic Travelers, "Leaning On The Lord" by The Canton Spirituals, "Save Me Jesus" by The Sons Of Harmony, "Stand By Me" by The Dixie Wonders, "Little Wooden Church" by The Silver Trumpets, and "Never Grow Old" by The Bible Tones. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic entry in this excellent series – in part because more than half of the music here appears for the first time ever! Yet despite the unreleased status of the tracks, they definitely live up to the "masterpieces" promised by the title – great grooves from a time when more sophisticated production was coming into soul music, but never in a way that was too commercial or chartbound! Instead, these tracks mix all the raw vocals and righteous energy of the early 70s with some more sophisticated styles of arrangement and production – really taking soul music to a new level for the growing generation of the time – with results that were so ahead of their time, even the cuts here that got pressed on wax hardly got much circulation back in the day! The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Have A Good Time" by Maggabrain, "Don't Play Me Cheap" by Foxfire with Johnny E Adams, "I Want You" by Cynic, "Bedroom Eyes" by Betty Everett, "Happy Times" by Ramona King, "Higher Than High" by Joe Graham, "Let's Make A Move" by Ronnie McNeir, "Second Time Around" by The Exportations, "Must Have Had Company" by Elayne Starr, "Hobody" by Margie Joseph, "You Could Have Tried" by Karen Sanders Group, "I'll See You In Hell First (alt take)" by Phillip Mitchell, "You Done Let The Daylight Catch You" by Second Resurrection, "You & Me Baby" by Joe Hinton, and "Doo Doop Dee Deep Doot Doo" by George Semper. CD

An incredible album of deep deep soul! Recorded way before Sharon Ridley became a big club diva, this record mixes deep soul vocal stylings with some well produced Van McCoy arrangements, and backing by some crack New York players. The result is one of the best female vocal soul albums we can think of from the early 70s – and the kind of lost soul album that makes you keep tracking down rare wax! Includes the incredible cut "You Sold Me A One Way Ticket", which begins with an amazing intro, and has a hook so strong you could hang a parka on it – plus the cuts "Stay A While With Me", "I Found Him, I Loved Him, I Lost Him", and "When A Woman Falls In Love". CD also features the bonus track "Scandal In Bedrock (single mix)". CD

The Mo Wax version of Divine Styler's third LP, with a super fancy fold out sci-fi cover design! As always, the Styler unleashes his sharp, intellectual rhymes in a complex vernacular, following up on the promise of the original Word Power LP, without the weird excursions he'd dabbled in on Spiral Walls, with a nanotech approach for the new millenium. 18 cuts on the first two LPs, including "Satan Dynasty Killer", "Triple Irons", "One Self Duel", "Before Mecca", "Directrix", "Nova" and "Make It Plain", plus a third album with 15 instrumentals too! CD

With Nick Lowe! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Northern Soul from a surprising source – and a killer batch of rare material from the mighty Memphis powerhouse of soul! Goldwax is probably best known for its deep soul work – most famously with James Carr – but in the mid 60s, the label cut some killer groovers that really match the vibe that was coming out of Detroit or Philly at the time – upbeat, uptempo singles that bristle with energy, yet also have some of the deeper tones you might expect from the label! Some tunes have a bit of a Memphis sound – depending on the singer – but the rhythms and production mostly recall modes from up north, and offer up a really surprising new chapter of this label that already won our deep respect many years ago. The folks at Kent have put together the package with some really wonderful notes – and the CD features two dozen numbers that will really open up your ears – tracks that include "Let's Talk It Over" by Spencer Wiggins, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "They Say" by The Ovations, "So Hard To Get Along" by The Lyrics, "What'Cha Gonna Do" by Phillip & The Faithfuls, "You Gotta Have Soul" by George Jackson, "A Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "The Well's Gone Dry" by Dorothy Williams, "That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr, "I Slipped A Little" by Percy Milem, "Now Girl" by The Lyrics, "It's My Life" by Timmy Thomas, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "To Me It's Storming" by George & Greer, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Wee Willie Walker, and "If You Love Her" by Phillip & The Faithfuls. CD

Wax Poetics hails musical mavericks in issue #57 – with android soul star Janelle Monae on one side of the cover, and Soul Train dancer-turned Shalamar singer-turned solo superstar Jody Watley on the other – plus features on leftfield soul, funk, hip hop and rock creative spirits Souls Of Mischief, Earl Sweatshirt and Todd Rundgren! This issue also includes pieces on Brazilian soul hero (and Dusty Groove favorite) Ed Motta, Black Milk, Kon, Boardwalk, Kon, Bruno Morais, Milosh, a deeper look at the story of the Soul Train Dancers and more! Magazine

Includes 16 tracks by Chairmen Of The Board, 100 Proof, Laura Lee, Glass House, HDH, 8th Day, Barrino Brothers, Honey Cone, and Freda Payne. CD

A great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's an apt one, as Jay & The Americans take on some older singles from the early years of rock and soul – giving all of them their special spin, and updating the groove slightly with well-crafted arrangements! The instrumentation is nicely changed up from the originals, and Jay's vocals offer up a really different interpretation too – which makes for a very different vibe than just an album of oldies – on titles that include "Lonely Teardrops", "Walkin In The Rain", "A Lover's Question", "I Don't Want To Cry", "This Is My Love", and "Do I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Wax Poetics is closing in on 10 years in its unrivaled coverage of classic and rare soul, jazz, hip hop and all things funky – delivering big once again with Issue #48! Nina Simone is on the front cover – with a really great feature that focuses on the unfiltered realness, honesty and blunt social awareness at the core of her life and so many of her best recordings – with artful newcomer Theophilus London on the backover. Issue #48 also has pieces on Count C, Neu!, Dom Salvador, Shock G, Yabby You, Billy Cox, Gil-Scott Heron In Memorium, Re:Discovery of treasured records by Swamp Dogg, Sarah Vaughn and Odyssey, and much more! Magazine

Wax Poetics is back with another excellent hip hop rooted issue – with front & back cover stars split between classic Janette Beckman shots of KRS One and EPMD, plus iconic pics of Ice Cube and Ice T! The issue revisits nascent hip hop from NYC boom bap to early west coast hip hop and onward – with articles on Souls Of Mischief, DJ Disco Wiz, a great Record Rundown with Easy Mo Bee, an excellent interview with Ice T (touching on his electro roots with Uncle Jamm's Army), a look back at Ice Cube's uber classic AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, the gospel of KRS-One, Grandmixer DXT and more! Also includes In Memoriam respect for Guru, Chilly B and Malcolm McClaren and much much more. Magazine

Early rock, rhythm & blues and boogie woogie-fueled numbers from the late 50s and early 60s southern Louisiana and southeast Texas scenes– a real treasure trove of tunes in the Boppin' In The Bayou series from Ace Records! This one's pretty heavy with sax and piano-backed proto rock – dynamite tunes from forgotten heroes and a few legendary cats alike – with numbers by Frankie Lowery, a great early tune by Mickey Gilley, Gene Dunlap, Pee Wee Trayhan, Shelby Martin and many more. 28 tracks in all – and the titles include "Made In The Shade" by Gene Dunlap & Jokers, "TC Show" by Gene King & His Mecaton Band, "Baby Hurry Home" by Pee Wee Trayhan, "My Baby's Cheating On Me" by Mickey Gilley, "Ha Ma Man" by Warren Storm, "Me And My Baby" by Rick Johnson, "Cinderella" by Paul Marvin, "Rock & Roll Baby" by Bobby Wheeler & His B-Bops, "Somebody Knocked At My Door" by Arnold Broussard, "Little Cajun Girl" by Gene Rodrigue and more. CD

A great collection of tracks from the documentary on the man behind Mo Wax Records – Unkle/James Lavelle – an artist in his own right, and a creative force who helped shape the sound of a generation! The package includes not only some key cuts from the Mo Wax catalog, but also tunes that predate the label, and show the impact of their style in later years – a lineup that includes "See & Don't See" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Doin Damage In My Native Language (Shadow's legitimate rmx)" by Zimbabwe Legit, "Blue Flowers" by Dr Octagon, "Kemuri" by DJ Krush, "Back & Forth" by Unkle, "Swan Lake" by Blackalicious, "Return Of The Original Art Form (DJ mix)" by Hiroshi & Kudo, "Friends & Countrymen" by The Wild Bunch, "Contemplating Jazz" by Attica Blues, "Organ Donor (ext overhaul)" by DJ Shadow, "Food Of My De-Rhythm" by RPM, and "Ravers Such Our Sound" by LA Funk Mob. CD

Legendary work from Goldwax Records – pulled from a stretch when the Memphis imprint was really going strong! By the time of these tracks, Goldwax was really coming into their own – picking up some of the best soul currents of the Memphis scene – and rivaling the Stax/Volt powerhouse in terms of quality – especially on the deep soul tracks that Goldwax seemed to do better than anyone else! This 2CD package is a wonderful overview of these golden years for the label – and it features every single single, both a and b-sides intact – presented with detailed notes on each release. Some of the work is the stuff of Memphis soul legend – mixed in with some more unusual, lesser-known bits from the scene – including a few rock, blues, and country numbers as well. 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "Anything You Do Is Alright" by Spencer Wiggins, "Don't You Believe Him" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Cry Me A Hand Full" by The Terrys, "Say You Need It" by Barbara Perry, "Lovable Girl" by James Carr, "When You Look In The Mirror" by Eddie Jefferson, "What Time Ye Got" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Little Things" by Jeannie Newman, "Forgetting You" by James Carr, "Hello Daughter" by Leroy Daniel, "I Can't Forget You" by The Yo Yos, "Good Times" by George & Greer, "Walking Out On You" by Spencer Wiggins, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "Liquid Mood" by Timmy Thomas, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "Me & My Imagination" by The Ovations, and "The Wife Of The Life Of The Party" by Kathy Davis. CD

A great showcase for the alto talents of Arthur Blythe – a set that's maybe a bit more stripped-down than some of his bigger label albums of the 80s, but in a way that really lets you focus on his strength of tone and phrasing! The group's a quartet, working in an open live setting – John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – and while all players certainly know how to go inside, they keep things swinging and relatively straight at the core – while Blythe waxes beautifully on the alto, with these sharp edges that mix nicely with more lyrical moments. Titles include "Jana's Delight", "JB Blues", "Lenox Avenue Breakdown", "Faceless Woman", and "Peacemaker". CD

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary James Carr – a singer that those in the know place at the same level as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, or any of the deep soul greats of the 60s! Like Otis, James recorded heavily on the Memphis scene at the time – not for Stax or Atlantic, but for the smaller Goldwax label – who really hit magic with the sounds you'll hear on this set – a perfect blend of the richness of James' voice with the kind of slow-burning soul sounds that the scene was really hitting during its golden years! The songwriters alone here are enough to sell the set to any fan of classic southern soul – as tunes include contributions from Chips Moman, Dan Penn, Quinton Claunch, William Bell, and Spooner Oldham – writers who maybe never had a better interpreter of their work than Carr – who knocks it out of the park here on tunes that include "Dark End Of The Street", "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", "I'm A Fool For You", "A Lucky Loser", "Let's Face Facts", "Your Love Made A U Turn", "Freedom Train", "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man", "You Hurt So Good", "Love Attack", and "A Man Needs A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record