One of the greatest Joe Henderson albums of the 70s – a suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – and served up with some great accompaniment from Alice Coltrane! The style here is a wonderful mix of Coltrane's spirituality and Henderson's down-to-earth soulfulness – in a style that recalls some of the best moments on Coltrane's sublime Ptah The El Daoud album – a set in which Henderson's tenor was a key part. At times, Joe blows with a bit of Coltrane-like searching – but at others, he's bringing up more of a rhythmic pulse that really gives Alice a great focus – using her piano, harp, and harmonium alongside bass by Charlie Haden, violin from Michael White, and percussion from Ndugu Chancler and Baba Daru Oshu. Titles are named after the four elements – "Fire", "Air", "Water", and "Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Pieces for flute, organ, percussion, and electronics. CD

A cool combo from the Japanese club jazz scene – but one who's even more acoustic and classic-sounding than most of their contemporaries! The vibe here is right up there with the best groups we love on the Ricky Tick label – an acoustic quintet that's heavy on trumpet and tenor, laid out over soaring rhythms from piano, bass, and drums – all pure jazz all the way through, with a definite 60s sort of vibe – and a very strong focus on upbeat numbers and groovers! The trumpeter, Yusuke Orita, is especially strong – and blow these brilliantly bold lines on flugelhorn as well – and drummer Takao Ito has this romping quality to his kit that really keeps the whole album moving along strongly. Pianist Daisuke Takeuchi adds in some nice lyrical touches – and titles include "Harvest", "Everybody Knows That", "Flash By Flashback", "Hope For World Peace", "Session A", and "Last Dancer". CD

Sure, their name marks them as part of that big world of prepackaged soul groups, and yes, their costumes on the cover may look a bit goofy – but over the years, this debut's got maybe a bit more staying power than some of their contemporaries! There's plenty of hip hop production in the mix – mostly handled by Dallas Austin, and with those kind of elements that you might find showing up in remixes of main cuts more than the album cuts themselves – but that also keeps things popping and hopping, and definitely does plenty to offset the youth in the vocals, which might not sound nearly as good on their own. So maybe think of the album as much as Austin's as it is the work of the group, and you'll get the vibe – with titles that include "Spyderman", "Mental Interlude", "Playground", "Little Soldiers", "Jealous Girl", "ABC", "That's My Girl", and "My World". Cassette

A later album from Antonio Carlos E Jocafi – but one that still holds onto the lively samba roots of their best older sides! The instrumentation is a mix of acoustic and electric elements – but usually falls more towards the former – and arrangements are by Cesar Machado, who changes things up a bit throughout the set, shifting styles to fit the musical voice of each individual tune. Titles include "Olho D'Agua", "Teresa Batista", "Dona Flor E Seus Dois Maridos", "Capitaes De Areia", "Conversa P'Ra Boi Dormir", and "Jesuino Galo Doido". CD

Stalley is great here amidst production work from Apollo Brown – who gives the record this cool groove that's almost cinematic at times – lots of rich sonic elements, but used in these really focused ways – so that when Stalley's voice comes out front in the mix, it's supported by plenty of power, yet never overwhelmed! The approach gives the MC a great sort of intensity – perfect for his slower-stepping rhymes, on titles that include "Bobby Bonilla", "Love Me Love Me Not", "No Monsters", "Humble Wins", "We Outside", "Lost Angeles", "Blacklight", "Broad Spectrum", and "What The Hook Gon Be". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ever – almost as if the whole thing's an extended soundtrack for a passage in time – or at least a sonic journey that's filled with some wonderful twists and turns! There's definitely some jazz/rock elements in the music, but the main focus is jazz – and Ardley has that same strong sense of large charts and forward-moving rhythms that you'd find in the best early work of Mike Westbrook, particularly his albums for Deram. Players are a very familiar, and very top-shelf batch of British musicians – including Barbara Thompson, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Don Rendell on reeds; Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpets; Derek Wadsworth on trombone, Frank Rocotti on vibes, and Stan Tracey on both piano and celeste. Ardley plays prepared piano, and Ivor Cutler makes a great guest appearance on one track – reciting "The Dong With A Luminous Nose" – and Norma Winstone sings on "Will You Walk A Little Faster". The title track – "A Symphony Of Amaranths" – is dedicated to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans – with a feel that more than lives up to both! CD features the bonus track "National Anthem & Tango". CD

The first-ever full length collection of work by Calvin Arnold – a killer 60s soul singer and guitarist, and one who cut some classic funky 45s back in the day, but never got a chance to record an album! All the material here came out on the Venture label – a small label, but one that got great circulation at the time – which helped Calvin's strong style get into more record collections than you might expect! Arnold's a great singer, with a raw southern style – and the use of guitar here really underscores all the best elements in his voice, as does the lean backings, which often have nice drums! The style here kind of takes off where Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" began – strong praise in our book – and titles include "Snatchin Back", "Funky Way", "Scoobie Doo", "Mini Skirt, "Fool Me Baby", "Lovely Way To Go", "Just A Matter Of Time", "Messin With The Old Folks Home", "Your Love Is Too Much", and "You Got To Live For Yourself". CD

Sublime soundtrack music from Edward Artemiev – not a big name for film scoring on this side of the Iron Curtain, but a really well-remembered talent for his classic 70s work for the films of Andrey Tarkovsky! Side one of this album features wonderful sounds from the film Stalker – music that begins in a sweet electronic mode, but soon gets darker – a weird space that's somewhere between the German elements of Cluster and Tangerine Dream, and some of the more abstract electronics of the underground academic scene! Yet throughout it all, Artemiev has a very visual approach to his sounds – one that steps out nicely on the one track from the film The Mirror, and an extended tribute to the director too. Titles include "Exodus", "Dedication To Andrey Tarkovsky", "Meditation", "They Go Long", "Stalker", and "Train". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges". CD

Near-perfect work from Ashford & Simpson – really grooving in full powerhouse mode here, and never missing a beat! By all rights, the team should have run out of steam by this point, but the album's another winner from their sublime Warner years – caught in a unique space between chart soul, ensemble funk, and disco – taking all the best elements of each, and really sending the whole thing home with some incredible vocals and impeccable production and arrangements! Titles include "Rushing To", "Love Don't Make It Right", "We'll Meet Again", "Get Out Your Handkerchief", and "I Ain't Asking For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut above in mainstream soul – getting great help from arrangers William Eaton, Paul Riser, and Al Gorgoni – all of whom know how to hit that perfect Ashford & Simpson balance between tightness, class, and soulful spontaneity! Backings are always filled with lots of jazzy touches, too – the kind of sophisticated soul elements other would cop from the pair in years to come – and titles include "Over & Over", "It's You", "If You're Lying", "Couldn't Get Enough", "Destiny", "So So Satisfied", and "Tried Tested & Found True". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut above in mainstream soul – getting great help from arrangers William Eaton, Paul Riser, and Al Gorgoni – all of whom know how to hit that perfect Ashford & Simpson balance between tightness, class, and soulful spontaneity! Backings are always filled with lots of jazzy touches, too – the kind of sophisticated soul elements other would cop from the pair in years to come – and titles include "Over & Over", "It's You", "If You're Lying", "Couldn't Get Enough", "Destiny", "So So Satisfied", and "Tried Tested & Found True". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary sound library album on the famous Italian Octopus label – and a set that's maybe one of the most unusual to be recorded by Amadeo Tommasi! The music is filled with all sorts of weird sounds and production elements – almost taking the experiments of the musique concrete generation, and then mixing them with groovier, more upbeat sounds from the early 70s Italian scene – so that things might be jazzy one minute, funky the next, and haunting after that – all at a level that makes the whole thing one of the tip top Italian library gems of the period! Titles include "Crisi Politica", "Episodio Di Cronaca", "Manifestazione Mondana", "Avvenimento Drammatico", "Ripresa Esterna", "Colpo Di STato", and "Problema Ecologico". LP, Vinyl record album

The third and fourth albums from Atomic Rooster – back to back in a single set! First up is Made In England – a really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". On Nice N Greasy, Atomic Rooster definitely get a bit greasy – using some funkier elements at times, and bluesier currents at others – all at a level that really lets singer Chris Farlowe hit some of his most expressive modes! The group's got a fresh guitarist this time around, Johnny Mandala on lead – and his presence gives some of the cuts a harder rock edge than before, often taking the lead more than the keyboards of longtime member Vincent Crane, which helps shape the sound of the set. Titles include "Voodoo In You", "Save Me", "Satan's Wheel", "Can't Find A Reason", "Take One Toke", and "All Across The Country". CD set features the bonus tracks "Moods" and "What You Gonna Do". CD

Very cool sounds from Baba Zula – a group who really keep the Turkish psychedelic sound strong well into the 21st Century – by working here on long, extended tracks that blend electric elements with plenty of earthy acoustic touches! The group is led by Osman Murat Ertel on electric saz – an instrument that he plays with the touches of a psychedelic guitar, but with a more open, fluid style overall – amidst other instrumentation that includes a fair bit of percussion, darbuka, davul, electronics, and even an electric oud! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the main focus is on the long-spun instrumental passages – which stretch out nicely on tunes that include "Kucuk Kurbaga", "4 Nal", "Kelebekler Kuslar", "Tafus Havasi", "Col Aslanari", and "Sipa". LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly well-rounded sounds from a mighty strong trio – a group who are certainly aware of some of the newer modes of expression that have opened up for the piano trio in the 21st Century, but who also balance things out with a more standard approach from time to time too! There's a very cohesive blend of elements here – drums from Mark Guiliana, bass (both electric and acoustic) from Tim Lefebre, and acoustic and electric piano from Jeff Babko – in a modes that move between hardbop swinging and more tangled-up approaches that really emphasize a rhythmic energy. Most tracks are nice and long – and titles include "New Wave Theater", "This West", "The Church Of Bill Hilton", "Chongo's Song", "Boo Boo's Birthday", and "Fugue Robotique". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! CD

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! LP, Vinyl record album

The killer debut of Bahamadia – an underground force on the same Philly scene that gave the world The Roots back in the 90s – and one who steps out here with a force that's fantastic! Part of the record's charms come from the killer production work from DJ Premier and Guru – as tunes are filled with all sorts of well-chosen solos, used in lean ways that refine an earlier Native Tongues sort of vibe – never trying to pack too much into a tune, and instead focusing on key elements that provide the perfect counterpart to Bahamadia's rhymes! The whole album's great – no filler at all – and The Roots make a guest appearance on the Philly-centric "Da Jawn", next to other cuts that include "True Honey Buns", "I Confess", "Word Play", "UKNOWHOWWEDU", "3 Tha Hard Way", "Biggest Part Of Me", "Spontaneity", "Rugged Ruff", "Total Wreck", and "Path To Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

A really raw recording of the guitar genius of Derek Bailey – still as revolutionary here in late life as it was back in the 70s – and paired with some stunning improvisational work on bass from Simon H Fell! Fell's got the same way of turning his instrument inside out as Bailey, but also sometimes goes for these more human, textural approaches – almost as if he's hugging the bass, and urging it to life with his arms and fingers – while Bailey's approach is more pointed. The set was performed live, and has a great sense of room in the recording, with the elements echoing out nicely – on the titles "Pre-Tea 1", "Pre-Tea 2", "Post-Tea 1", and "Post-Tea 2". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". LP, Vinyl record album

A blistering album from Belgian/Congolese rapper Baloji – music related to his directorial debut in the film Augure, and delivered with even more punch than some of his previous albums! Baloji got his start in the group Starflam, but has really grown strongly as a solo artist – pushing the boundaries of the hip hop elements that informed his roots, and fusing them with Conglese elements in a very strong way – so that the energy on the record really matches the vivid images in the film! The record features guest appearances from Jamila Woods, Mayra Andrade, Sampa The Great, Cha'Brown, Swazzi, and others – and titles include "Maggi", "Cherche Midi", "Tituba", "Autopsy", "Dahlia Noir", "Faux Billets", "Les Dents Du Piegne", and "La Crosse & La Banniere". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful record, and one that's very different than any sort of piano trio album we've ever heard – as there's this richly textural quality to the album that has all the elements resonating in a very special way, with an overall sonic palette that's beautiful! Sure, there's piano on the set, but the bass is often almost higher in the mix, and more melodic too – while the drums move between soft fills and gentle rhythms – with occasional moments that are more powerful, and kick up the bass too – but again with this production approach that has these really amazing sound patterns between all the instruments. Titles include "Bird Flew By", "Drizzling Rain", "Siciliano", "Stefano", "Doppio Movement", "Abacus", and "Wonderful One". CD

A really wonderful record, and one that's very different than any sort of piano trio album we've ever heard – as there's this richly textural quality to the album that has all the elements resonating in a very special way, with an overall sonic palette that's beautiful! Sure, there's piano on the set, but the bass is often almost higher in the mix, and more melodic too – while the drums move between soft fills and gentle rhythms – with occasional moments that are more powerful, and kick up the bass too – but again with this production approach that has these really amazing sound patterns between all the instruments. Titles include "Bird Flew By", "Drizzling Rain", "Siciliano", "Stefano", "Doppio Movement", "Abacus", and "Wonderful One". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz record, but one with a vibe that's all its down – and a sound that definitely echoes some of the tropical elements hinted at in the title and on the cover! Laurent Bardainne is a saxophonist who blows with a really rich sound – nicely soulful, and with a raspy, laidback quality that's really seductive – set up here amidst a mix of acoustic and electric elements, including great percussion, occasional keyboards, and just the right electric basslines to trip things along in a sweet midtempo groove! The mix of jazz soloing and nods to global elements takes us back to similar French albums of the 80s – and most of the set is instrumental, although there are occasional vocals from guests, next to great use of outside sound recordings too. Titles include "Singing", "Eden", "We Try", "Serpent Kaa", "Gobules Rouges", "Dance For Eternity", "Welcome", and "Meilleur". CD

A jazz trio, but one who bring something else to the mix as well – as they blend in lots of other elements with their core energy on drums, bass, and keyboards! The keyboards themselves range nicely – acoustic and electric piano, plus other electronics too – and there's a bit of alto and tenor on the set, guest guitar, and use of vocals in Portuguese that almost give the record the vibe of Brazilian music at points – while at other times, the music moves farther from jazz with more of a focus on the groove, then swings back nicely on the next track. Titles include "Black Mica", "Tilia", "Pedra Mae", "Punctum No 2", "Ressonancia", and "Giesta". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet keyboard-heavy sound library set from the 80s – a record from that time when the sound library studios had gone down to one or two man performances, instead of the fuller groups from the past – and were making best use of the keyboard and drum machine elements of the time to come up with all sorts of catchy, playful grooves! That's definitely the case here, as things are lean, but very melodic – and the record almost feels like a more upbeat take on territory that Young Marble Giants had explored on their Testcard EP a few years before – but with more Italian funky club elements from time to time too! Titles include "Expander", "Forth", "Personal", "Pet Speed", "Software", "Basic", "Speech", "Programmers", and "Language Monitor". LP, Vinyl record album

We totally dig Basie's work from the mid 60s! He was working with Quincy Jones at the time – and Quince laid down some very soulful arrangements that used the best jazz elements of the Basie group to turn out some great pop instrumental tracks with a very groovy sound. This album's a perfect example of that format, as it features some great Basie sidemen, grooving nicely to Quincy's hip swinging arrangements of pop material like "Walk, Don't Run", "Fly Me To The Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", and "One Mint Julep". LP, Vinyl record album

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". CD

Not what you might expect when shopping for African music – unique electronic sounds from Cameroon musician Francis Bebey – as heavy on keyboards as other 70s work is on guitar! There's still plenty of acoustic elements in the mix though, too – lots of earthy percussion at the bottom, which links some of these tracks to other styles of the time – even though some of the more unusual tunes here have these great electronic sounds that almost feel like they came from the late 70s German underground! The mix of modes is breathtaking – as if Moebius and Roedelius recorded with musicians from Lagos – shaking off the colder sounds of the Conny Plank side of the spectrum, to come up with a warm new style that's really unique! Titles include "La Condition Masculine", "Sahle", "The Coffee Cola Song", "Super Jingle", "Pygmy Love Song", "Agatha", "Catching Up", and "Divorce Pygmee". LP, Vinyl record album

Totally cool, totally amazing music from the enigmatic Francis Bebey – a contemporary on the early 80s African scene of William Onyeabor, and an equally experimental artists! Bebey used a fair bit of electronics, but often with sounds that had acoustic roots – in this case, the ultra cool sansa, which is a similar thumb piano to the kalimba – amplified here in really great ways, and mixed with some moody, dark elements throughout! The music has much more of a 70s vintage than you'd guess from the dates on the record – thanks partly to the raw percussion, and very offbeat production – which sometimes is mellow, sometimes bursts out in these shocking waves of sound. Titles include "Sanza Tristesse", "Forest Nativity", "Sunny Crypt", "Ngoma Likembe", "Guinee", "Di Saegi", and "Binta Madiallo". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little blend of Brazilian and club-styled grooves – done by this Bah Samba offshoot with a similar feel to Bah Samba's own work! There's a wonderful London-meets-Rio vibe running through the whole set – a love of real Brazilian music that gets past the mis-steps of so many other attempts in recent years – but which has that great London ability to expand upon the original with a whole new feel. There's nice bits of older funk and club sliding in and out of the mix – coming into play with Brazilian elements and instrumentation in a way that's almost like some of the recent work on Far Out. Titles include "O Ronco Da Cuica", "Elephant Man", "U Got Me Spinnin", "I'm Missing You", "Omeriah", "And It's Beautiful", "Mozza", and a cover of Roy Ayers' "Running Away". CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A really heady record from British drummer Brian Bennett – an artist known for both jazz and funky sound library work – here stretching out in a mode that really fits the image on the cover! The tunes are longer than some of Bennett's earlier sound library material – almost a mix of progressive energy with jazzier funk – a lot cooler than the disco reference in the title might imply! The set's got tremendous keyboards from Francis Monkman – who handles all the spacier elements, while the drums of Bennett works the rhythms with bass from Alan Jones – on long tracks with plenty of complexity, but also plenty of groove! Titles include "Voyage", "Solstice", "Chain Reaction", "Pendulum Force", "Air Quake", and "Ocean Glide". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "rock", think "groove" – because oud player John Berberian takes his instrument into some very groovy territory here – mixing its Mid-East roots with a sweet array of modal rhythms and psychedelic elements – all of which make for an album that's even trippier than you'd guess from its cover! The album's one of the few "jazz meets world" sets that really gets things right – bringing together different global elements to come up with a sound that's wonderfully new and fresh – and which moves the whole thing way past its roots in Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and North African styles! Joe Beck plays some great electric guitar on the record – but the main string focus is on the oud, which Berberian uses with this exotic tinge that rivals the instrument in the hands of Ahmed Abdul-Malik on his own albums like this. The lineup also includes tenor and other reeds from Souren Baronian, plus other percussion, and nice use of electric bass to hold the whole groove together – and titles include "The Oud & The Fuzz", "Tranquility", "Chem-oo-Chem", "Iron Maiden", "Flying Hye", "3/8=5/8=8/8", and "The Magic Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the most authentic records ever cut by John Berberian – an American musician, but one who delivered great work on the oud during the 60s – including some projects that were often a bit psychedelic in nature! This set's a bit more straightforward, but equally great – really hard-driving and surprisingly earthy, without any attempts at all to touch up the sound with rock or pop elements – quite a surprise, given that the set was issued on Roulette Records, home to more mainstream rock and soul! Instrumentation includes lots of percussion, plus saxes and guitar – as well as a host of great oud solos from Berberian, on titles that include "Samra Ya Samra", "Dale Dale", "Chifte Telli", "Gamavor Zimfor", "Tamiko", and "Oud Solo". LP, Vinyl record album

That's no snake oil in the bottle, it's fantastic music from this razor-sharp quintet – maybe one of the most fantastic projects that saxophonist Tim Berne has given us in many years, and a group that just seem to get better and better with each new record! There's a combination of reed and percussive elements here that's really wonderful – alto from the leader, bass clarinet from Oscar Noriega, piano and tack piano from Matt Mitchell, and drums, vibes, gongs, tanbou, and glockenspiel from Ches Smith – all then strung together by guitar work from Marc Ducret, whose range of sounds really matches those of the other players! Mitchell also adds in a bit of modular synth – and titles include "Surface Noise", "Rolo", "Dear Friend", "The Amazing Mr 7", "Third Option", "Rose Colored Assive", and "The Fantastic Mrs 10". CD

A record with a nicely earthy vibe, and a sound that definitely lives up to the "misticismo percussivo" and "primitivismo sonoro" promise of the cover! The group's a quartet with plenty of percussion throughout – mixed with bass, keyboards, and some nicely moody woodwinds – all served up on a set of tracks dedicated to the four elements wind, water, fire, and air – in a style that's almost a contemporary blend of spiritual jazz currents with older exotica inspirations! The approach is great, and makes the record slide nicely between genres to a space that's all its own – on titles that include "Chango", "Oyanza", "Ile Aye", and "Omi Tuto". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album from this ever-changing Brazilian group – a combo who started out in more standard Afro Funk modes years ago, but who've really shifted their music in all sorts of great ways over recent albums! There's still some strong use of horns and heavy percussion throughout – but they also work in keyboards and electronics in these really great ways – almost echoing some Brazilian musical experiments from that Trama Records generation at the start of the century, while also holding true to the more acoustic elements at their roots! Titles include "Baile Flutante", "Mar Virado", "Loa Lua", "Marginal Elevado Radial", and "Na Quarta Feira". CD

A really wonderful album from this ever-changing Brazilian group – a combo who started out in more standard Afro Funk modes years ago, but who've really shifted their music in all sorts of great ways over recent albums! There's still some strong use of horns and heavy percussion throughout – but they also work in keyboards and electronics in these really great ways – almost echoing some Brazilian musical experiments from that Trama Records generation at the start of the century, while also holding true to the more acoustic elements at their roots! Titles include "Baile Flutante", "Mar Virado", "Loa Lua", "Marginal Elevado Radial", and "Na Quarta Feira". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Stanley Black – honest! The album's far funkier and far more dynamic than most of Stanley's other albums in the past – and is a sweet electric 70s session with plenty of elements you'd expect to find in some of the Brit Easy or sound library albums of the time! The arrangements are full, with a fair bit of electricity – but also some heavy percussion on the bottom on some funkier tracks too. Titles include versions of "Love In The Rain", "All It Takes Is Two", "Berimbau", "Wave", "Shaft", "The Hustle", and "Volare". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from the Black Children Sledge Funk Band – a combo who've got a sound that's a lot more lean than their name – with plenty of the funk that you might expect, mixed with some of the slightly trippy elements of the Zamrock generation too! The vocals are processed in a really cool way, and layered down next to the guitar – which often has some nice effects as well – all of which creates this swirlingly seductive sound on top of the funky rhythms at the core! Titles include "Mr Who", "Love Is Fair", "Funky Child", "Another Girl", "Hard Life", "Sledger Afro Funk", and "Feelings I've Got". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully heavy sounds from Black Market Brass – a group who started out with more of a global funk approach, but who emerge here with the intensity of some lost funky soundtrack – all with the sort of edge you might expect from the cover! The style here is really revolutionary – unlike anything else we've ever heard from a group with "brass" in their name – in part because the group has some very cool distortion on the keyboards and guitar, which gives those electric elements a very sinister sound next to the straight ahead fire of the horns – served up with really hard-driving rhythms throughout, in a way that seems to pull together older traditions of Afro Funk, Nola Brass, and even some of the southern college bands – but all with a very 21st Century vision. Titles include "So Who (parts 1 & 2)", "Into The Thick", "War Room", "Cheat & Start A Fight", "Undying Thirst", and "NBT". LP, Vinyl record album

A Caribbean group, but one with a much heavier groove than most – much more of a West African vibe overall, with a very heady mix of percussion, bass, and other heady elements! There's a mixed-up, dubby approach to the music that almost recalls Cymande at times – core musical ideas taken nicely far from their roots – not in a way to make them more commercial, but just to shake things up, recombine then, and come up with a sound that's wonderfully unique! The whole thing is every bit as funky as you might expect, and really criss-crosses scenes and styles with a blend of percussion, guitars, flute, kalimba, keyboards, and Arp. The production is great – nice and moody, with just the right current of echo – and all titles were penned by lead singer Oluko Imo, with tracks that include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala". This edition also features the bonus track "Imo". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of spacey classics from Tim Blake – all brought together in a single set! First up Crystal Machine – fantastic sounds from Tim Blake, an artist who previously worked with Gong, and sometimes worked with Hawkwind – but who really came into his own on this legendary album of electronics! Tim works here on a self-constructed "crystal machine" – a bank of electronics that was often played in performance to front some trippy film installations (as shown on the cover) – which perfectly suited the stretched-out spacey style of his music! The vibe is maybe a bit like early Tangerine Dream, but with some of the warmer modes of the French electronic scene of the time – and titles include "Midnight", "Last Ride Of The Boogie Child", "Synthese Intemporel", and "Crystal Presence". On the cover of Blake's New Jerusalem, Tim looks like he's sitting at the helm of a spaceship on the cover – and in a way, that's what his music was at the time – a way of taking off to the skies on waves of electronics, in the kinds of sounds that Blake first created in his Crystal Machine project, but which have an even sharper focus here! The album's got more vocals than Tim's previous effort, and in a way that's what really sets it apart from the rest – as Blake's got this warmly positive approach that would be at home in progressive folk, but which here comes across with a very unique style – given the mostly electronic setting of the album! All the banks of knobs, slides, and keys pictured on the cover are used to strongly skillful effect – on titles that include "Generator", "Passage Sur La Cite", "New Jerusalem", "Song For A New Age", and "Lighthouse". Magick is a really great later set from electronic genius Tim Blake – an album recorded 15 years after his early classics, and done in his windmill home in France – but all played live, in a way that makes the electronics and keyboards here maybe more amazing! Blake has certainly picked up some of the elements from the 80s generation who were influenced by his earlier work – but also keeps the more open sense of song structure from his classics at points – with a sound that still knows when to revel in the best analog moments, next to the digital ones. Titles include "Tonight", "Strange Secret Of Ohm Gliding", "A Dream", "More Magick", and "Waiting For Nati". Also features the bonus b-side "The Woodland Voice". CD

A really cool project, and one that's even cooler than you might guess from the title – as the graphic novel is a very well-done exploration of key strands of electronic music – starting with the early years, moving through disco, Chicago House, Detroit Techno, and beyond – all with individual chapters that really do a great job of telling the story! At some level, the book is a bit like the hip hop history of Ed Piskor, but there's a different approach to storytelling too – as the scenes are interwoven with more personal, reflective elements – almost a Harvey Pekar quality at times, which really makes the narrative come alive. The artwork is great – mostly black and white, but with some color as things move to the 21st Century – and we're really pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the book is, and especially proud of the way it handles Chicago. Harcover edition is 239 pages, with images throughout – and a smaller text section at the end. Book

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

An all-star group take on the music of Duke Pearson – paying wonderful tribute to the kind of special, soulful grooves that Duke cooked up during his too-short career on Blue Note Records in the 60s! The lineup here is top-shelf, and very much in keeping with the sort of strong combos that Pearson would put together – both for records under his own name, and as a producer for Blue Note – and the lineup here features Diego Rivera on tenor and soprano sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums – a no-nonsense group who really focus in on the best elements of the songs, then let loose with great solo work. Jon Davis replaces Hirahara on three tracks on the set on piano – and titles include the great tune "Is That So", plus "You Know I Care", "Sweet Honey Bee", "ESP", "Chili Peppers", "Ready Rudy", and "Idle Moments". CD

A percussion record, but one with a very different twist – as the set was done both in collaboration with dancer Tonny Kennybrew, and based on his sense of motion – and it was done at the end of the 80s, and features a very cool mix of both acoustic and electric instrumentation! Percussionist Jean-Pierre Boistel handles a nice array of instruments at the core – kalimba, quinto, congas, bass tambours, bells, berimbau, shakers, and many other percussion elements – and at times, he uses computer-assisted programs to help line up the acoustic sounds, but in ways that hardly make them sound like some lame drum machine beats at all. Instead, there's a richly organic quality to the record – spare and lean, but nicely focused too. Titles include "Vas Y Peter", "C'Est A Sete", "A Capucine", "Des Perce Boys", and "Dans Le Secret & Clepsydre". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince Igor is Igor Zhukovsky of the legendary funk group The Soul Surfers – and he teams up here with DJ Boora for a set of lean, funky grooves! The tunes all have plenty of funk drums at the core – layered up top with samples and all sorts of sonic elements that create a cool, spacey sort of vibe – definitely echoing the image on the cover, but with a down to earth vibe, given the drums! Given the legacy of spacey funk projects we've loved from the Funk Night label, this set fits right into their mode – with titles that include "Who Is Hiding In The Forest", "Ninja", "Dvor", "Mamont", "Nani", "Gusli", "Klass", and "Arsenalio". LP, Vinyl record album

A key blend of two chapters in David Bowie's career – his guitar-heavy groove with the Spiders From Mars, and his 60s roots in mod London! The tracks here all date from the mid 60s, and are Bowie's homage to that period in his life – but they're all played with a glammish 70s sensibility, and some definite Ziggy Stardust elements in the way the guitars come into the mix. Given Bowie's rise as a key songwriter of his time, the step back to an album of all covers is a surprising, but genius move – and the execution of the tunes here comes off brilliantly – with plenty of personal spirit that keeps them from being simple rehashes of hits! Tracks include "See Emily Play", "Friday On My Mind", "I Can't Explain", "Everything's Alright", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Shapes Of Things", and "Here Comes The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A key blend of two chapters in David Bowie's career – his guitar-heavy groove with the Spiders From Mars, and his 60s roots in mod London! The tracks here all date from the mid 60s, and are Bowie's homage to that period in his life – but they're all played with a glammish 70s sensibility, and some definite Ziggy Stardust elements in the way the guitars come into the mix. Given Bowie's rise as a key songwriter of his time, the step back to an album of all covers is a surprising, but genius move – and the execution of the tunes here comes off brilliantly – with plenty of personal spirit that keeps them from being simple rehashes of hits! Tracks include "See Emily Play", "Friday On My Mind", "I Can't Explain", "Everything's Alright", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Shapes Of Things", and "Here Comes The Night". LP, Vinyl record album