A rare set from the Chicago scene of the early 70s – put together by a group who are the "American family" promised in the title, but who have a lot more to offer than just the kiddie soul of the time! The members of the group have a nice range of ages and styles – which maybe makes the music come across with the depth of groups like Voices of East Harlem or The Stairsteps – more mature, sometimes righteous currents that are a real surprise – and captured here with instrumentation that's a nicely lean take on east coast styles of the time – that grittier approach that always made records on the Perception label so great! Titles include two nice cuts by Patrick Adams – "Loneliest Girl In Town" and "Find the One Who Loves You", plus others by the producer James L Porter – "Oh Yes I Do" and "Time For a Change" – and the titles "Next Time I'll Be Good", "I Can't Get No Higher", "I Can't Wait", and "Take My Love Don't Set Me Free". CD features four bonus tracks – "Here's Some Dances", "Will You Still Be Mine", "Let's Sign A Peace Treaty", and "Looking For A Brand New Game". CD

A fantastic 500th release by the BBE label – one that looks back at the past, and soars to the future! This special extended single package is a fantastic return to form for everyone involved – as underground club legends Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess get a whole new groove from Louie Vega – but with a warmly soaring vibe that's a great update of their classic approach! "Barely Breaking Even" is a classic from the Universal Robot Band – but this new take has both vocals and production that are a lot warmer than the original P&P Records version – and a groove that's even catchier too! All four mixes are over eight minutes long – served up here beautifully on a double 12" package! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Two of our favorite mixers take on some great work from Nicola Conte – each making the tunes very much their own! DJ Spinna brings plenty of soul to "New World Shuffle" – letting the tune crackle and build over the long space of eight minutes – while Bridgette Amofah sings lyrics over the warmly flowing groove! Our local hero Anthony Nicholson brings a wickedly funky groove to "Inner Light" – starting with a tribal house rhythm, then getting more straightforwardly funk – while Raashan Amad delivers some knowledge over the top! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A crucial record from Roscoe Mitchell – a set that builds both on his important solo work, and his musical discoveries with the Art Ensemble of Chicago – but which also opens up the more sonic territory that would soon set Mitchell and a few other colleagues apart, and open up even more possibilities for experimentation in the AACM! The set begins with "LRG" – a trio piece with two key collaborators – George Lewis on trombones and sousaphone, and Leo Smith on trumpets – both working with Mitchell, who blows piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes – in these amazing ranges of sounds, tones, and shapes – almost a catalog of improvisational possibilities. "The Maze" is even more striking – less reed work, and instead a piece done for eight percussionists – with an unlikely lineup that features Anthony Braxton, Malachi Favors, Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Don Moye, Thurman Barker, Mitchell, and Henry Threadgill – in this moody, choppy piece that runs for twenty minutes. Last up is "S II Examples" – probably our favorite – as it's got Roscoe playing solo soprano in a long tone-oriented piece that sounds a lot more like some electronic instrument than it does a soprano sax – further proof that he was really doing tremendous things at the time! CD

Unreleased work from the glory days of the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a legendary free jazz ensemble that's playing here at the height of their powers! The group have a vibe here that's wonderful – both as playful and as sinister as the title might imply – stretched out to a performance that's almost 20 minutes in length, and which almost has a sort of cinematic sense of dynamism at times – although still with all the unscripted energy that made the group so great. Brotzmann is in the lead on tenor, with Mars Williams on tenor and soprano, Ken Vandermark on baritone, Mats Gustafsson on alto, Joe McPhee on valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The first-ever issue of this music comes in a limited one-sided record – with music on side a, and a silkscreen of Peter Brotzmann artwork on side B! LP, Vinyl record album

A searing live performance from this brilliant Japanese trumpeter – working here at the height of his stretched-out, open-ended powers – but with a style that's a bit more inside than some of his work from the start of the 70s! Hino really shows himself to be a great leader here – working with a group that includes Hideo Miyata on tenor, Kiyoshi Sugimoto on guitar, and Fumio Itabashi on some especially great Fender Rhodes and piano – a wonderful player who really gives the album a solid grounding, which then allows the horn players to really soar! Hino's really finding his voice here – growing into one of the best trumpet talents of his generation – and this first volume features two long tracks – "Mocco" and "In The Darkness", both of which spin out for over 15 minutes! CD

Amazing sounds from the legendary Chris McGregor – a rare set of solo piano performances that shows a whole new side of his genius! The music here is still steeped in South African roots, yet has a style that's a bit more personal and intimate than some of Chris' better-known recordings with The Brotherhood Of Breath, or The Blue Notes – as McGregor here has to carry all the weight on his own – and does a tremendous job of spinning out these haunting melodies on piano – usually with a rhythmic pulse that's as compelling as the tune! The style's got echoes of previous Afro-inspired piano jazz from Randy Weston or Dollar Brand – but there's a deftness, and sense of feeling here that's completely McGregor's own – a really compelling quality that holds us rapt in ways that few other solo piano sets might do. This CD brings together lots more material than was on the original LP release – over 70s minutes of music, with tracks that include "Call", "Raincloud", "Umhome", "Mngqusho", "The Bride", "In His Good Time", "Ududu Nombambula", "Kwa Tebugo", and "Green Hymn". CD

Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally great – explored by a crack group that features Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all coming together with a unique sense of creativity! The rhythm section is one of the key factors here – as Mabern, Cranshaw, and Higgins have a fluid groove that really sets the tone for the record – letting Morgan and Shorter stretch out to the height of their powers, and explore some incredible modal and soulful themes. Titles include the seminal 11 minute reading of "The Gigolo", plus "Yes I Can No You Can't", "Speedball", and "Trapped" – as well as an excellent reading of "You Go To My Head" that completely opens up the old standard! Plus, this CD reissue's got a bonus alternate take of "The Gigolo", for an extra 10 minutes of music! CD

A fantastic live album from the great Betty Wright – and one of the few recorded documents of the way that classic soul singers would evolve the nature of their songs in a concert setting! Betty's recording for Alston/TK here, but the mode she uses is one that would grace countless performances to come from lots of her southern soul contemporaries, including many who would end up recording for Malaco in the 80s – this warmly personal, all-entertainment approach that really heightens the spirit of the singer way past their familiar songs and lyrics. Betty does some great monologue bits on the album – the most famous of which is on her 8 minute take of "Tonight Is The Night" – hugely superior to the studio version. There's also a great "Clean Up Woman Medley", in which betty sings that song and mixes it with bits of other 70s songs over the course of 11 minutes – showing that she's the one and only clean up woman! Other tracks include "Where Is The Love", "You Can't See For Lookin", "Lovin Is Really My Game", and "A Song For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendously beautiful album – and a righteous anthem of power and growth that seems to open itself up to us more and more over the years! Earth Wind & Fire are at their height here – mixing together soul and funk with a set of influences that includes African percussion and Brazilian jazz – then blending the whole thing effortlessly into a cosmic sound that's simply breathless! "Keep Your Head To The Sky" is a song of pride that became an instant underground classic; "Zanzibar" is an incredible reworking of Edu Lobo's famous composition, turning the Brazilian baroque track into a spacey groover that soars on for 13 minutes; and "Evil" is a great tune that features the electrified Kalimba that became the band's sonic and legal trademark over the years! Other titles include "The World's A Masquerade", "Clover", and "Build Your Nest". CD

A fantastic trans-Pacific meeting of avant jazz talents – a set recorded on the mid 70s New York scene, right at the height of the loft jazz years – with a lineup that includes Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Yorikuki Harada on piano, Kazuotoki Kappo Umezu on alto, William Parker on bass, and Rashid Shinan on drums! We mostly know Umezu from later Japanese recordings, some of which are a bit more tightly controlled – but he's really on fire here, working with a very free lineup that embraces all the youth and energy the group has to offer! The set features two long tracks – "Stravizauls" and "Kim" – both over 20 minutes, with lots of freewheeling solos by the players. CD

Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally great – explored by a crack group that features Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all coming together with a unique sense of creativity! The rhythm section is one of the key factors here – as Mabern, Cranshaw, and Higgins have a fluid groove that really sets the tone for the record – letting Morgan and Shorter stretch out to the height of their powers, and explore some incredible modal and soulful themes. Titles include the seminal 11 minute reading of "The Gigolo", plus "Yes I Can No You Can't", "Speedball", and "Trapped" – as well as an excellent reading of "You Go To My Head" that completely opens up the old standard! Plus, this CD reissue's got a bonus alternate take of "The Gigolo", for an extra 10 minutes of music! CD

Both full Warner Brothers albums by this excellent group – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Vehicle – the debut album from Ides Of March – a group who will forever be known for the jazzy grooving title hit – "Vehicle", a brassy driving number that seems as if it's always being used in some sort of car commercial (which must net these guys a lot of royalties!) – but which is usually mistaken by others for being the work of Blood Sweat & Tears! Like BST, Ides Of March have a really driving sound here – pushing forward with heavy drums, sharp bits of brass, and a great early jazz rock sound that's way better than most work by the competition in years to come! Tracks include "Vehicle", "Wooden Ships", "Home", "Bald Medusa", "One Woman Man", and "Symphony For Eleanor".. Next is Common Bond – a great second set from Ides Of March – proof that the jazz rock combo had a lot more going on than just their famous single! The sextet hailed from the same scene as early Chicago (Chicago, of course!) – and have here a sound that shares plenty of the jazzy flourishes of that better-known group – blasting trumpet lines that soar, dip, and turn alongside the more uptempo tunes, and shade in the mellower ones. But there's also a more personal approach to this set overall, one that comes from the rough vocals of James Michael Peterik and some of the surprisingly heartfelt lyrics to a few of the album's best tunes – not entirely the height of early 70s singer/songwriter material, but also not that far either. Titles include the funky "Superman", plus "LA Goodbye", "Mrs Grayson's Farm", "Friends Of Feeling", "We Are Pillows", "Freedom Sweet", and "Tie Dye Princess", an extended number that runs for over 11 minutes. CD

One of our favorite Just-Ice tracks which features classic spare production by Mantronix at the height of his skills, and 6 and 1/2 minutes of completely different lyrics. 12-inch, Vinyl record