First Word -- All Categories (LPs, CDs, Vinyl Record Albums) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.

All Categories

$




Items/page

First Word Edit search Phrase match

 
Sort by
Close matches: 16
Close matches1
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Allysha JoyMaking Of Silk ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... $21.99 25.99
Allysha Joy's a singer, but she's also plenty great on Fender Rhodes – an instrument she uses to deliver all these wonderfully warm currents on the album, while blending them with the raspier charms of her soulful voice! Allysha's got a very striking approach right from the start – a voice that's clearly rooted in classic soul modes, but which isn't aping older legends at all – as her way of delivering tunes is very unique, and as mentioned, seems to resonate very strongly with her work on the keys of the Rhodes – almost using the instrument to direct the way she delivers the lyrics! Titles include "Raise Up", "Hold On", "Learning To Love", "Stay", "Nothing To Prove", "Dropping Keys", "Reset", and "Your Touch". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches2
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Takuya KurodaFly Moon Die Soon ... LP
First Word (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $19.99 26.99
A fantastic chapter in the continuing evolution of trumpeter Takuya Kuroda – a great musician who's got equal parts jazz and soul in his makeup, and who serves up sounds with a nicely cosmic vibe! The set's funky at times, soaringly soulful at others – almost as if Takuya's trying to compete with the CTI 70s spirit of Freddie Hubbard, but with a vision that's all his own – a style that makes Kuroda one of the best of the new generation of genre-breaking soul jazz players who've sprung up in the wake of the Robert Glasper generation – always brimming over with new ideas and fresh styles! The set features vocals on a few tracks by Corey King – a great singer who's a great match for the sonic qualities of Kuroda – and other musicians include Craig Hill on tenor, Takeshi Ohbayashi on keyboards, and Takahiro Izunmikawa on Fender Rhodes – on titles that include "Moody", "Fade", "TKBK", "Fly Moon Die Soon", "Do No Why", and nice remakes of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Sweet Sticky Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches3
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Takuya KurodaMidnight Crisp/Fly Moon Die Soon ... CD
First Word (UK), 2022. Used 2 CDs ... Just Sold Out!
A very cool double-length package – one that brings together two full albums from trumpeter Takuya Kuroda! First up is Midnight Crisp – a set that furthers Kuroda's experiments in pushing farther past the jazz of his roots – still graced with plenty of strong trumpet work and bold solo lines – but amidst rhythms that have a nice complexity, and which really push the envelope at times – mostly played live, but with a richness that evokes both the initial broken beat experiments in London, and some of that city's more contemporary modes. There's a few straighter jazz cuts that balance things out – a mellow moment or two that Freddie Hubbard might have added to a CTI session – and titles include "Dead End Dance", "Old Picture", "Time Coil", "Midnight Crisp", "Choy Soda", and "Fade". Fly Moon Die Soon is a fantastic chapter in the continuing evolution of trumpeter Takuya Kuroda – a great musician who's got equal parts jazz and soul in his makeup, and who serves up sounds with a nicely cosmic vibe! The set's funky at times, soaringly soulful at others – almost as if Takuya's trying to compete with the CTI 70s spirit of Freddie Hubbard, but with a vision that's all his own – a style that makes Kuroda one of the best of the new generation of genre-breaking soul jazz players who've sprung up in the wake of the Robert Glasper generation – always brimming over with new ideas and fresh styles! The set features vocals on a few tracks by Corey King – a great singer who's a great match for the sonic qualities of Kuroda – and other musicians include Craig Hill on tenor, Takeshi Ohbayashi on keyboards, and Takahiro Izunmikawa on Fender Rhodes – on titles that include "Moody", "Fade", "TKBK", "Fly Moon Die Soon", "Do No Why", and nice remakes of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Sweet Sticky Thing". CD

Close matches4
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Quiet DawnCelebrate ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... $21.99 26.99
A record that bristles like some of our cosmic London favorites from years back – all sorts of crackling beats, spacey keyboards, and other jazzy touches served up by maestro Will Galland! There's definitely a 4Hero influence at work here, and we mean that in the best way possible – as the grooves are complicated, but always forward-moving – filled with a wonderful sense of exploratory energy and improvisation on the keyboard solos – mostly instrumental, but with guest vocals from Oliver Night, Lyric L, and Bembe Segue on a few tracks too! Bembe is on the great cut "All Around" – and other titles include "No Idea Is Final", "It's All About Freedom", "See The Good", "Celebrate", "Follow Your Instincts", "I Just Wanna Do This", and "Lost From Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches5
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousLove & Purpose – A Celebration Of British Soul Music ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy 2LP ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great celebration of soul from the UK – a set that goes back to include some of the vintage material you might expect from the cover, and one that also moves well into the 21st Century to show us just how much that legacy has evolved! Starting in the 80s, the British scene really started to get its own sound – showing out with new ideas, fresh grooves, and inventive production styles that would have a huge impact on R&B around the globe – often at levels that were hipper and more sophisticated than work on the US charts. That quality is definitely in place here, as the track selection is wonderful, and really bridges generations with a great ear for quality cuts. Titles include "Dazzle You" by Dazzle, "Ghana Emotion" by Omar, "Simple Solution" by Jay Dee, "Hard Work" by Children Of Zeus, "Roses (XL Middleton rmx)" by Lynda Dawn, "Livid" by Eliza, "Passport" by Metabeats with Vanity Jay, "Searching" by Robyn, "Tell Me How It Feels" by 52nd Street, and "Feel" by Ruth Joy. LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches6
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Allysha JoyMaking Of Silk ... CD
First Word/P-Vine (Japan), 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Allysha Joy's a singer, but she's also plenty great on Fender Rhodes – an instrument she uses to deliver all these wonderfully warm currents on the album, while blending them with the raspier charms of her soulful voice! Allysha's got a very striking approach right from the start – a voice that's clearly rooted in classic soul modes, but which isn't aping older legends at all – as her way of delivering tunes is very unique, and as mentioned, seems to resonate very strongly with her work on the keys of the Rhodes – almost using the instrument to direct the way she delivers the lyrics! Titles include "Raise Up", "Hold On", "Learning To Love", "Stay", "Nothing To Prove", "Dropping Keys", "Reset", and "Your Touch". CD
Also available Making Of Silk ... LP 21.99

Close matches7
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Kaidi TathamDon't Rush The Process ... LP
First Word (UK), 2022. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Kaidi Tatham never rushes the process – and in fact, sometimes he makes us wait so long between full length albums, we really jump into a new record with a great sense of excitement! And here, all that excitement is definitely warranted – as Tatham not only lives up to that sense of cosmic energy we've always loved in his music, but also really seems to be opening up to new rhythmic modes as well – which take the record far past the broken beat generation, and really show a way that an artist like Kaidi can reach for the stars with a new sense of spiritual energy! There's a richness to the record that we haven't heard before from Kaidi – and we've loved every one of his other albums – and although Tatham plays most instruments himself, the set does feature some great guest appearances by others, including surprisingly strong use of the Easy Access Orchestra. Titles include "Knocknee Donkey", "We Chillin Out", "Just Not Right Rudi", "Don't Rush The Process", "Sooretama", "Any Flavour", and "Runnin Tru". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches8
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Amanda WhitingChristmas Cwtch ... CD
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Jazz harpist Amanda Whiting takes on the sound of the season – serving up her own take on Christmas classics by Vince Guaraldi and others, all in a way that's a nice change from the usual! The setting is nicely spare – mostly just light bass and drums behind Whiting's instrument in the lead, a mode that's different than her other albums, and even from modes that a player like Dorothy Ashby might use – which brings a warmly intimate feel to the whole session! And by the way, that's not a typo in the title – as the word "cwtch" means roughly a little hug or squeeze in Welsh, the native language of Whiting – a great term to echo the up-close, personal vibe of the album! Titles include the original tune "Little Elfy", plus versions of "We Three Kings", "Peace Piece", "Skating", "Happiness Theme", "Christmas Is Coming", "The Night Before", and "Christmas Time Is Here". CD

Close matches9
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Amanda WhitingChristmas Cwtch ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Jazz harpist Amanda Whiting takes on the sound of the season – serving up her own take on Christmas classics by Vince Guaraldi and others, all in a way that's a nice change from the usual! The setting is nicely spare – mostly just light bass and drums behind Whiting's instrument in the lead, a mode that's different than her other albums, and even from modes that a player like Dorothy Ashby might use – which brings a warmly intimate feel to the whole session! And by the way, that's not a typo in the title – as the word "cwtch" means roughly a little hug or squeeze in Welsh, the native language of Whiting – a great term to echo the up-close, personal vibe of the album! Titles include the original tune "Little Elfy", plus versions of "We Three Kings", "Peace Piece", "Skating", "Happiness Theme", "Christmas Is Coming", "The Night Before", and "Christmas Time Is Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches10
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Amanda WhitingLiminality Of Her ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Excellent work from funky harpist Amanda Whiting – one of a handful of 21st Century artists who are continuing the soulful legacy of Dorothy Ashby on this age-old instrument! Whiting's got a great approach to the harp, one that is mostly plucked, sometimes strummed – and set up perfectly here in some well-done grooves from a small combo – very lean and groovy, which lets the harp do all these wonderful things over the top! Two cuts have vocals from female singer Peach, and one other tune features guest flute from Chip Wickham – on titles that include "Facing The Sun", "Alchemy", "Feels So Far Away", "Intertwined", "Rite of Passage", "Waiting To Go", and "No Turning Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches11
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Amanda WhitingLiminality Of Her ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Excellent work from funky harpist Amanda Whiting – one of a handful of 21st Century artists who are continuing the soulful legacy of Dorothy Ashby on this age-old instrument! Whiting's got a great approach to the harp, one that is mostly plucked, sometimes strummed – and set up perfectly here in some well-done grooves from a small combo – very lean and groovy, which lets the harp do all these wonderful things over the top! Two cuts have vocals from female singer Peach, and one other tune features guest flute from Chip Wickham – on titles that include "Facing The Sun", "Alchemy", "Feels So Far Away", "Intertwined", "Rite of Passage", "Waiting To Go", and "No Turning Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches12
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Tyler DaleySon Of Zeus ... LP
First Word (UK), 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Tyler Daley comes on like the child of thunder here – effortlessly mixing harder-edged hip hop modes and gentler soul moments – all with a criss-crossing vibe that's much more British-styled than American indie soul sets of this nature! Tyler's got no problem with serving up a catchy tune, but the set's got an indie vibe that really keeps things lean and sharp – never too polished, which makes the transitions between modes come off very well! Titles include "Small Circles", "Been Trying", "These Cards", "All I Need", "Never Look Down", "4SoLong", and "When You're Lonely". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches13
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Takuya KurodaRising Son ... LP
Blue Note/First Word (UK), 2014. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... Out Of Stock
A rising sun from the Jose James side of the universe – trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, stepping out here in a wonderful debut for Blue Note! You've heard Kuroda play with Jose James over the years, but he comes up with a rich new groove here on his own – a mostly-instrumental mode that has his cool, compressed lines over some sweet contemporary funky backings – heavy on Fender Rhodes from Kris Bowers, and some tightly snapping live rhythms that really add a lot of energy to the record! James guests on one track – a great remake of "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" – and also produced the whole set – but the core strength of the record comes from Kuroda's trumpet, and the great keyboard lines of Bowers. Other titles include "Green & Gold", "Piri Piri", "Afro Blues", "Mala", "Call", and "Sometime Somewhere Somehow". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches14
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Don Leisure with Amanda WhitingBeyond The Midnight Sun ... LP
First Word (UK), 2023. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Don Leisure is more of a producer and beatmaker than a jazzman – but he's got a very spiritual vibe here, thanks in part to very strong participation on the album from harpist Amanda Whiting – who brings in this amazing cosmic energy that's very similar to the vibe on her own great records! Most tunes have a mellow groove – laidback beats with harp from Amanda, and saxophone solos on three tracks, trumpet on one more – and two of the selections also feature excellent vocals from Deborah Jordan, the British soul singer we've dug for many years! There's a great blend of slow funk soundscapes and jazzy solos on the set – and titles include "Walk With Us", "Peace Of Mind", "The First Chant", "Just Be Free", "Crying Tiger", "Beyond The Midnight Sun", and "Third Bass". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches15
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Myele ManzanzaLove Requited (with bonus track) ... CD
First Word/Rings (Japan), 2019. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Beautifully dynamic work from drummer Myele Manzanza – an artist we've never heard work in this scope before, and we hope will soon do so again! The album's got Myele at the helm of a great large ensemble – a group who have a strong spiritual sense at the core, but often move in more vibrant rhythms driven by Manzana's work on the drums – not really funky, maybe more in an upbeat modal mode – which allows for great sounds from the rising crest of alto, trumpet, tenor, trombone, and flute in the lineup! Bass is by Ross McHenry, whose sound is a key core part of the record – and Ross also produced, as well – really capturing the right sort of vibe for the entire album. Myele's part of the Adelaide scene, in New Zealand – but we'd put this record right up there with some of the best work coming out of the London jazz world in recent years – with titles that include "Big Deal", "Madrid", "Itaru's Phone Booth", "Family Dynamics", "Ritual", and "A Love Requited". Includes the Japanese-only bonus track "Freedom Of Movement". CD

Close matches16
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Kaidi TathamOnly Way ... LP
First Word (UK), 2023. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A fantastic full length set from Kaidi Tatham – an artist we love when he comes across in a complete album like this, as it really lets us hear the depth and diversity of his music! Kaidi was one of the leading lights on the London scene at the start of the century – but over the years, his music has evolved way past broken beat and remix work – and this set will show you a deeper, more mature version of the music we first fell in love with on Tatham's many singles – a blend of cosmic jazz, soulful funk, and even a touch of hip hop – with core sounds from Tatham, and guest work from Tiran Kayhatu and Uhmeer – and vocals from Valvin Roane and Amir Townes. Titles include "The Most Wanted Puffin", "Alien @$^%", "It's On", "Not Suffering", "Feels Like I'm On My Own", and "Confidence With Attitude". LP, Vinyl record album
 
Possible matches: 48
Possible matches17
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Jarmo SavolainenFirst Sight ... CD
Timeless, 1992. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
You might not know the name of pianist Jarmo Savolainen, but he's working here with an all-star group of very familiar players – Wallace Roney on trumpet, Rick Margitza on tenor, Ron McClure on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all players who do a great job of opening up the mostly original material on the album! Jarmo's got a wonderful ear for fresh sound shapes in his tunes – a quality that seems to bring out especially nice work from Roney, who sounds changed up here from some of the material recorded under his own name – with a boldness that also seems to push Margitza too! Titles include "The Word", "Inner Modes", "It Figures", "First Sight", "Jumping", and "As Always". CD

Possible matches18
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousFolk Is Not A Four Letter Word Vol 2 ... CD
Delay 68 (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A fantastic follow-up to the first Folk Is Not A Four Letter Word compilation – and like that set, a CD that's bound to reshape your ideas of the genre! The work here is hardly the familiar folk of the 60s – and instead, tracks are pulled from a motherlode of obscure rarities that showcase a completely different style than the mainstream – folk with elements that include gentle grooves, jazzy phrasing, psychedelic production, and more! Some tracks here will definitely appeal to beatheads looking for a folk funk nugget – and lots more are from that rich underground that's come to be dubbed "acid folk" on both sides of the Atlantic at the end of the 60s. 21 tracks in all – compiled by Andy Votel. Titles include "Son Of God" by Parchment, "How Do" by Naomi, "Of Broken Links" by These Trails, "Night In The City" by Y Triban, "Balladem Om Belfast" by Midsommar, "Apres Londee" by Emmanuelle Parrenin, "Heksenkring" by Elly & Rikkert, "Waters Of Babylon" by 1159, "Song" by Turid, "Dime Felix" by Vainica Doble, and "Grey Today" by Woody Simmons. CD

Possible matches19
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Down To The BoneSpread The Word (Album III) ... CD
Internal Bass/Atlantic, 2001. Used ... Out Of Stock
An overlooked third album from Down To The Bone – a set that maybe didn't take the world by storm as much as their first two, but which still has the group very much in fine formation! All the best previous elements are in place here – that strong mix of funky jazz instrumentation with contemporary rhythmic production – almost a blend of some of the funkier club styles of the time with more mainstream fusion, at a level that made these guys both a hit on the dancefloors and for kicking back at the crib! Titles include "The Backburner", "Righteous Reeds", "Sound As A Pound", "Bridgeport Boogie", "The Lowdown", and "Black Choice". CD

Possible matches20
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Akira KushidaSoulful Akira Kushida – First Album/Bakuhatsu Suru Soul ... LP
Express/Universal (Japan), 1970. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
The very first album from long-running Japanese singer Akira Kushida – a set that bursts out with the word "soulful" on the cover, and definitely follows through with its promise! Given that Akira sings in Japanese on many cuts, the sound isn't exactly the same as James Brown on King Records – but it's also clear that Kushida draws plenty of inspiration from American soul, which is also reflected in the arrangements, not just the raspy style that he brings to the lyrics! There's definitely a fair bit of English on the record – and the vibe is maybe a bit like some of the blue-eyed soul styles of the UK mod scene, served up on titles that include "Vecchio Sam", "For The Love Of A Woman", "Cry Like A Baby", "Forgive Me My Love", and "Lonesome Sad & Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches21
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousStudio First – From The Vaults Vol 2 ... CD
Studio One, Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A great collection of rare gems from the Studio One label – one that's filled with unusual material that we've not seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks are alternate mixes, some are unissued recordings – and there's also a nice range of material that goes past the more familiar early period of the label, which is normally the most reissued. Titles include "Hush Up (unreleased stereo mix)" by Larry & Alvin, "I Need You Girl (stereo mix)" by Larry Marshall, "Mr Moses (stereo mix)" by Lloyd Charmers, "I'm In Love With You (original JA mix)" by Lloyd Williams, "Freedom Justice Equality" by Alf & Teep, "Torture & Flames" by Jackie Bernard, "Mark I Word" by Winston Prince, "Give Me True Love (stereo mix)" by The Meditators, "Down In The Bone Yard" by The Three Tops, "Down By The Sore (7" version)" by The Silvertones, and "Jay Dip (stereo mix)" by Prince Jazzbo. CD

Possible matches22
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Beth AndersonI Can't Stand It ... LP
Finders Keepers (UK), Early 1980s. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99 29.99
A really fascinating mix of modes from DIY artist Beth Anderson – music that's partly poetry, partly word play – sometimes with the drum machine bits you'd expect from hip hop, but often with more of the arty vibe that echoes with Beth's presence on the downtown scene in New York at the start of the 80s! There's a nicely sing-song quality to the work, which is often very rhythmic too – and there are definitely moments that verge on hip hop, but with some of the more complicated lyrical delivery that most MCs weren't yet using when this material was recorded. A fair bit of the work also resonates with the hippest of the John Giorno Dial-A-Poem series – and this set marks the first-ever appearance of most of the these tracks on vinyl. Titles include "Peachy Keen-O", "If I Were A Poet", "Country Time", "I Can't Stand It", and "Yes Sir Ree". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches23
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
ChicagoChicago At The John F Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts – 9/16/1971 (3CD set) ... CD
Rhino, 1971. New Copy 3CDs ... $31.99 34.99
Really great live work from Chicago – a special set recorded after their first three albums, and which has a sound that's very different than their better-known set at Carnegie Hall! The music is maybe a bit more personal and spontaneous – with a lot of sense of the room, and the liveness of the presentation of the music – which makes for some very nice interpretations of tunes from their wonderful first three records – a good change from the production of the studio material. The triple-length package is overflowing with tracks – 26 long numbers in all – with titles that include "I'm A Man", "Free", "Loneliness Is Just A Word", "A Hit By Varese", "Fancy Colours", "It Better End Soon", "Saturday In The Park", "Anxiety's Moment", "West Virginia Fantasies", "Colour My World", "Now More Than Ever", "A Song For Richard", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", "25 Or 6 To 4", "Beginnins", and "Mother". CD

Possible matches24
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ De La SoulDe La Soul Is Dead ... LP
Tommy Boy/Chrysalis, 1991. New Copy 2LP (reissue)... $26.99 34.99
If De La Soul took the world by storm with their groundbreaking debut, they definitely pushed hip hop even farther ahead with this killer second album – a record that refines all the best impulses of the first set, and has the trio coming across with an even greater command of the space of a full length set! After a decade or more where most hip hop albums were just a string of singles and other cuts, De La (along with Public Enemy and a select few others) really helped the medium move into the realm of the album – weaving together cuts that are killer enough to be singles with all sorts of skits and album tracks, all with a vibe that has the whole thing flowing together wonderfully! The humor and wit of the group in their youth is still very much on point, as is the production work of Prince Paul – and the album bubbles over with longform imagination and careful execution that many groups could still hope to match! The samples are superb, nice and funky – and titles include "Oodles Of O's", "Talkin Bout Hey Love", "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays", "Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa", "Ring Ring Ring", "Keepin The Faith", "Bitties In The BK Lounge", "Pass The Plugs", "Pease Porridge", and "Fanatic Of The B Word". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches25
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Kyoto Jazz MassiveSpirit Of The Sun ... CD
Compost (Germany), 2002. Used ... Just Sold Out!
An amazing record from Kyoto Jazz Massive – and about time, too! The Japanese collective has been bubbling under for years – doing some of the most groundbreaking production, remix, and single work of the current Japanese scene – and this album is really their first true full-length, a massive set of tracks with a soulful approach we never knew they had! The whole thing's amazing from the word "go" (which actually isn't the first word on the album!) – and the first few tracks are especially strong, all soulful numbers with vocals by guest singers that include Vanessa Freeman, Victor Davies, and Maiya James. After that burst, the album takes off instrumentally – stretching for the sky in a jazz-infused blend of beats and keyboards, occasional other instrumentation creeping into the mix at just the right moments. Titles include "The Dawn Introduction", "The Brightness Of These Days", "Mind Expansions", "Stargazer", "Eclipse", "Between The Lights", "Substream", "Shine", "ME Outroduction", and "Behind The Shadow". CD

Possible matches26
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Mahavishnu OrchestraBirds Of Fire ... CD
Columbia, 1972. Used ... $2.99
A great second album from Mahavishnu Orchestra – one that has them still very might in the same tight formation as the first! As before, there's a heck of a lot of power here – monstrous work on drums from Billy Cobham, sharp-edged guitar from John McLaughlin, and a range of great keyboards from Jan Hammer – all played without the cliche of his later years! The group's completed by the surprisingly great electric violin of Jerry Goodman and the bass of Rick Laird – and the tunes nicely blend a few more contemplative moments with full-on, rock-inspired fusion jamming. Titles include "Miles Beyond", "One Word", "Sanctuary", "Open Country Joy", "Resolution", "Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love", and "Thousand Island Park". CD

Possible matches27
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Maya (Aleksander Sever/Omer Govreen/Floris Kappeyne/Wouter Kuhne)Maya ... LP
JMI, 2022. New Copy Gatefold ... $18.99 29.99
A quartet session that mixes vibes and piano – the former from Aleksander Sever, the latter from Floris Kappeyne – but in a way that's nicely different from any sort of historical precedents – such as work from the MJQ or George Shearing, and maybe even more recent recordings from duos like Joe Locke and Kenny Barron! There's a round sort of warmth going on here – a flow that's maybe directed first by piano, then followed by the vibes – and driven equally by the richness of the rhythm work of Omer Govreen on bass and Wouter Kuhne on drums, both players who give the record a dynamic energy that's a really nice change from some of the colder, gentler efforts that might feature vibes and piano. As with other albums on the JMI label, the recording quality really brings out a great deal of color in the performance – on titles that include "Tired", "Trust", "God's Word", "Maya", "Heal", "Fragility", and "Inwoods". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches28
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sun RaProphet (red vinyl pressing) ... LP
Modern Harmonic, 1986. New Copy ... $25.99 26.99 On February 21, 2025
The legendary Sun Ra is certainly a prophet in jazz – but here, the word has a different meaning – as it refers to the Prophet VS keyboard, which Ra used for the first time in this mid 80s recording! Sun Ra is no stranger to electronics – he was coming up with all sorts of weird and spacey sounds even before synthesizer equipment was easy for most musicians to use – yet here, he really makes some special sounds with the Prophet, handling the keyboards in ways that are far more exploratory, and maybe far more "human" than many other musicians at the time! The setting for these experiments is a studio in Massachusetts – and Ra is accompanied by key players who include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, and James Jackson on the Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lighting & Thunder drum. June Tyson sings just a bit on the record – and titles include "The Prophet", "Infinity Excursion", "The Prophet At Play", and "The Prophet Returns". LP, Vinyl record album
This item will not be delivered to you before Friday, February 21.
Also available Prophet (with bonus tracks) ... CD 15.99

Possible matches29
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun RaProphet (with bonus tracks) ... CD
Modern Harmonic, 1986. New Copy ... $15.99 16.99
The legendary Sun Ra is certainly a prophet in jazz – but here, the word has a different meaning – as it refers to the Prophet VS keyboard, which Ra used for the first time in this mid 80s recording! Sun Ra is no stranger to electronics – he was coming up with all sorts of weird and spacey sounds even before synthesizer equipment was easy for most musicians to use – yet here, he really makes some special sounds with the Prophet, handling the keyboards in ways that are far more exploratory, and maybe far more "human" than many other musicians at the time! The setting for these experiments is a studio in Massachusetts – and Ra is accompanied by key players who include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, and James Jackson on the Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lighting & Thunder drum. June Tyson sings just a bit on the record – and titles include "The Prophet", "Infinity Excursion", "The Prophet At Play", and "The Prophet Returns". CD features two bonus tracks – "They Plan To Leave" and "They'll Come Back". CD

Possible matches30
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ SadeLovers Rock ... CD
Columbia, 2000. Used ... $2.99
A fantastic return to form for the amazing Sade – a set issued almost a decade since her previous album, but one that shows that she is still very much at the top of her form! The production is slightly different than before – with a spare, stripped-down, slightly dubby style that's hinted at by the Lover's Rock title – although the set is anything but reggae, just a cool evolution of that warmly soulful, nicely jazzy style that made Sade such a breath of fresh air when she first appeared – and which continues to make her such a classic artist over the years! The whole thing's nice and mellow – and titles include "Flow", "King Of Sorrow", "By Your Side", "The Sweetest Gift", "Every Word", "All About Our Love", and "Slave Song". CD
(Barcode has a cutout hole.)

Possible matches31
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Shirley & LeeLet The Good Times Roll ... CD
Aladdin/Ace (UK), Mid 1950s. New Copy ... $5.99 14.99
Forget Marvin & Tammy, Carla & Otis, and other big male/female soul duos – as Shirley & Lee were the first great pair in the music – as you'll hear here on a smoking set of early material recorded for Aladdin Records in the 50s! Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee both hail from New Orleans – where all these tracks were recorded, as some of the first great examples of the growing power of Crescent City soul – material originally recorded by the great Dave Bartholomew, and sounds that set the scene not only for the big rock and roll boom in the late 50s, but also for all the other great New Orleans material to come in the following decade! The pair have a great way of trading vocals back and forth – a playful mode that would also be taken up by some of the vocal groups as well – and back in the day, they recorded more material than could be issued on singles by Aladdin – which means that on this 30 track set, you'll also find some unreleased numbers as well. Titles include "Korea", "Marry Me", "Shirley Come Back To Me", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Rock All Nite", "I'm Gone", "Sweethearts", "Shirley's Back", "The Reason Why", "Lee's Dream", "The Flirt", "Don't You Know I Love You", "You'd Be Thinking Of Me"- "A Little Word", and "All I Want To Do Is Cry". CD
(Now out of print!)

Possible matches32
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
WarPlatinum Jazz ... LP
Blue Note, 1977. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ... $4.99
Sweet jazzy work from War – a record that has them stretching things out a bit from before, and finding new ways to groove for the second half of the 70s! All the core elements are still firmly in place – that sublime blend of jazz, soul, funk, and Latin elements – but there's a slight shift in the presentation, with maybe just a touch more of the jazz promised in the title – which might have to do with the album's initial placement as a Blue Note Records title! The first half of the record features all new material, showcasing this slight shift in the group's sound – and a mode that's nicely free of any hits – and the second half of the set brings back some key jazzy tracks from earlier records, which fit perfectly into place. Titles include "War Is Coming", "I Got You", "LA Sunshine", "Platinum Jazz", "Slowly We Walk Together", "River Niger", "H2Overture", "City Country City", "Four Cornered Room", and "Deliver The Word". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches33
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
VariousStrange Breaks & Mr Thing 2 – More Rock, Funk, Soul, Jazz & Soundtrack Breaks For Modern Living ... LP
BBE (UK), 1970s. New Copy 2LP ... $22.99 28.98
A fantastic funky follow-up to the first Mr Thing compilation from BBE – and a set that's equally filled with rare and soulful grooves! If we didn't know better, we'd swear he went into our crates and pilfered our own record collections – because the package contains plenty of overlooked cuts that we've loved for years, but which have never gotten their due – and not even all of them are from totally obscure pressings or small indie labels – just the kind of records that people pass over sometimes, because they don't know how great they sound! There's lots and lots and lots of deeply funky numbers on the collection – and the package really takes us back to the glory days when BBE compilations were always turning us onto something new – especially during the Keb Darge glory days. Titles include "Back Ground Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Searching For Soul" by Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, "ABC" by Hot Butter & Soul, "Spooky Do" by Dick Walter, "The Horse" by Val Merral's Orchestra, "It's Just Begun" by Hot City Bump Band, "Sally" by Frank Pleyer Big Band, "Love Is Just A Word" by Johnny Griffith Inc, "Can't Stop Talkin" by Art & Ron, "Family Affair" by The Generation Gap, "Gacek" by Jerzy Milian, "Rockin Chair" by John L Watson with White Mouse, "Pink Panther" by Alan Tew, "Twinkle Stars Boo Galoo (live)" by Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, "The Message" by Tinga Stewart, and "Pru Urebu" by The Rias Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches34
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Cypress HillCypress Hill (red vinyl pressing) ... LP
Columbia/Get On Down, 1991. New Copy (reissue)... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real world street violence with a darkly comic sensibility, redefined usage of the word "blunt" forever more, and simply delivered one of the most influential rap (or rock, considering the astonishing crossover success) albums of the decade. Titles include "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump", "Hole In The Head", "Real Estate", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk", "Phunky Feel One", "Pigs", "Latin Lingo", "Something For The Blunted", and "Psychobeatbuckdown". LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition red colored vinyl.)

Possible matches35
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Pan Afrikan People's ArkestraLive At IUCC 2/25/79 – Church Recordings Vol 2 ... CD
Nimbus, 1979. New Copy ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
That's the legendary Horace Tapscott at the piano on the cover, and he's doing a fantastic job here, working with this equally legendary set of musicians from the LA scene of the 70s – as they stretch out in a tremendous performance that appears here for the first time ever! Tapscott was always at his most spiritual when working with the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra – and the long tracks here are filled with the kind of energy you might hear from the Strata East scene on the east coast, but with some slightly sharper edges at times – served up by a lineup that includes Jesse Sharps on soprano, Sabir Mateen and James Andrews on tenors, Michael Session on alto, Kafi Roberts on flute, David Bryant and Alan Hines on basses, and Everett Brown on drums. As you can imagine with the reed setup like that, the album's full of rich colors and tones, then gives way to very strong individual moments of expression – and the set also features a bit of spoken word from Kamau Daaood as well. Titles include a version of the Stanley Cowell tune "Departure", plus "Macrame", "Dial B For Barbara", "Mykowski's First Fifth", and "Lift Every Voice". CD
(Limited to just 333 copies!)

Possible matches36
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ SadeLovers Rock ... LP
Columbia/Legacy, 2000. New Copy (reissue)... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A fantastic return to form for the amazing Sade – a set issued almost a decade since her previous album, but one that shows that she is still very much at the top of her form! The production is slightly different than before – with a spare, stripped-down, slightly dubby style that's hinted at by the Lover's Rock title – although the set is anything but reggae, just a cool evolution of that warmly soulful, nicely jazzy style that made Sade such a breath of fresh air when she first appeared – and which continues to make her such a classic artist over the years! The whole thing's nice and mellow – and titles include "Flow", "King Of Sorrow", "By Your Side", "The Sweetest Gift", "Every Word", "All About Our Love", and "Slave Song". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Lovers Rock ... CD 2.99

Possible matches37
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Billy Joe ShaverBilly Joe Shaver Collection – Old Five & Dimers/Salt Of The Earth/Billy Joe Shaver/I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal ... CD
Columbia/Floating World (UK), 1970s/1980s. New Copy 2CD ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Four incredible records from the great Billy Joe Shaver – all served up in a single set! First up is Old Five & Dimers – seminal work from the great Billy Joe Shaver – and a record that would forever help change the landscape of country music in the 70s! The set was recorded at the House Of Cash with a very new style of production – up-close in ways that were maybe borrowed from the worlds of folk and singer/songwriter music – but with a quality that's pure country, and which establishes Shaver as a both a vocal force and writing genius to rival that of rising star Kris Kristofferson! Kris always got a lot more fame and finance, but Shaver is equally worth mentioning in his company – thanks to songs that include the classic title tune "Old Five & Dimers Like Me" – plus "LA Turnaround", "Played The Game Too Long", "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train", "Low Down Freedom", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Jesus Was Our Savior & Cotton Was Our King", and "Black Rose". Salt Of The Earth is from 1987, and is one of Billy Joe Shaver's overlooked gems – done in later years, and with production modes that are maybe slightly more upfront than some of his 70s records – but still very much in a way that lets all his genius as both a singer and songwriter come through wonderfully! The whole thing's great – one of those special journeys into Shaver's way of looking at the world – and titles include "The Devil Made Me Do It The First Time", "You Can't Beat Jesus Christ", "Whiteman's Watermelon", "Fun While It Lasted", "Manual Labor", and "Hardworkin Man". The self-titled Billy Joe Shaver album is a great early 80s set from Billy Joe Shaver – a record that has some nice umph in the production, thanks in part to work from guests who include Ricky Skaggs and Randy Scruggs – who work with the backings to really help set up Billy Joe with a confidence, mature quality that's a bit different than his initial work in the 70s! You can definitely hear that approach on the album's remake of "Old Five & Dimers", which maybe shows the distance that Shaver had traveled in the near decade since its initial release – next to other titles that include "Ride Me Down Easy", "Amtrak", "Bottom Dollar", "How Many Hearts Must You Break", "Oklahoma Wind", and "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train". Last is I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal – one of the great albums in the second wave of genius from Billy Joe Shaver that emerged in the early 80s – a set that's got fuller instrumentation and production than some of his 70s material, but never without the more commercial touches that the Columbia label was using with other singers at the time! Instead, the instrumentation here uses nice touches of fiddle and steel to underscore the charms in Shaver's vocals – making his original material really shine at a level that could maybe find him the attention he well deserved. Titles include "Mexico", "The Cowboys", "Saturday Night", "Fit To Kill & Going Out In Style", "Ragged Old Truck", "I'm Just A Chunk Of Coal", and "When The Word Was Thunderbird". CD

Possible matches38
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ 2 Live CrewIs What We Are ... LP
Luke Skyywalker, 1986. Very Good- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Yeah, yeah, Luke and the 2 Live Crew are responsible for an entire chapter of Hip Hop history we'd rather forget, but even DJ Shadow is giving the early records dap these days. This is their first LP – the blueprint for all Bass music to come. "We Want Some P***y", "Throw The D", "Beat Box", "Get It Girl" and the very respectable scratch track "Mr Mixx On TheMix!!", plus "2 Live Is What We Are. . .(word)", "Check It oUt Yall. . .(freestyle rappin)" and "Cut It Up". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing.)

Possible matches39
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Vicki AndersonMother Popcorn – The Vicki Anderson Anthology ... CD
Soul Brother (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. Used ... Out Of Stock
Some of the funkiest female soul ever recorded – the near-complete work of James Brown diva Vicki Anderson, compiled here officially for the first time ever! Vicki was one of the first female singers to work with James – replacing the sweeter style of vocalist Anna King in the James Brown Revue of the late 60s, and setting the stage for better-known hard soul singers Marva Whitney and Lyn Collins in years to come! Vicki recorded some excellent singles with James and the band backing her up – but never actually cut a full LP, which is why this overdue set is so essential. Vicki's got a socking-hard sound that worked equally well with the early funk sound of the James Brown Band of the late 60s, as it did during her later recordings with the JBs and Bobby Byrd. The collection brings together 17 of Vicki's recordings under the James Brown umbrella – including a number that we'd never heard before, some duets with James and Bobby Byrd, and a few of her singles recorded under the name of Myra Barnes. And you can take our word for it that you won't find a better collection of funky female soul – because this one's hard-stepping and massively grooving all the way through! Titles include "Baby Don't You Know", "Message From The Soul Sisters (parts 1 & 2)", "Super Good (parts 1 & 2)", "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff", "Answer To Mother Popcorn", "I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk & Honey", "Baby Don't You Know", "If You Don't Give Me What I Want (I Gotta Get It Some Other Place)", "Wide Awake In A Dream", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "I'll Work It Out", "Think", "Don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can", and "You're Welcome Stop On By". CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches40
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Black SabbathHeaven & Hell ... LP
Warner, 1980. Very Good ... Out Of Stock
Timeless metal from Black Sabbath and their first album with Ronnie James Dio out front – and we'd honestly put it up there with the best work of all their careers! No disrespect to Ozzy or the early, definitive era of Black Sabbath – those first few album are among the most influential rock & roll albums of all time and Heaven & Hell doesn't reinvent the wheel – but this new phase with another veteran front man is a masterclass heavy riffs, soaring vocals and hasn't aged a day. Includes the classic title track and "Neon Knights", "Children Of The Sea", "Wishing Well", "Die Young", "Walk Away" and "Lonely Is The Word". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has wear, bent & bumped corners, name in marker.)

Possible matches41
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ William S BurroughsCall Me Burroughs ... CD
ESP/Word Beat, 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
The first-ever record to capture the amazing voice of William S Burroughs – the author who helped transform fiction forms in the 60s, but also somewhat of a public figure too – thanks to albums like this! The set's was recorded in France, and given wider circulation in the US by seminal indie ESP Records – and the record presents Burroughs reading from his important novels Naked Lunch and The Nova Express. There's less of the cutup and experimental recordings of other later Burroughs records – but given that the books were both written under the influence of those modes, even the reading of the text still has a very unusual quality – especially given the author's incredible voice. CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches42
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ CrusadersImages ... LP
Blue Thumb, 1978. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Hard to miss with The Crusaders at this point – and the album's one of their stone classics from the 70s – just the kind of soulful fusion that few other groups could touch! The core trio of Joe Sample's keyboards, Wilton Felder's saxes, and Stix Hooper's drums is augmented by the guitar of Billy Rogers and bass of Robert Popwell – both players who slide in warmly to the grooves, yet still help the combo keep that lean, funky sound they first forged after dropping the first word from their Jazz Crusaders name. Things are never slick at all, and the use of vocals and larger instrumentation is yet to come – leaving the album a tight, right, outta sight groover all the way through! Titles include "Fairy Tales", "Merry Go Round", "Cosmic Reign", "Snowflake", "Covert Action", and "Bayou Bottoms". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear and bumped corners.)

Possible matches43
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ De La SoulDe La Soul Is Dead ... CD
Tommy Boy, 1991. Used ... Out Of Stock
If De La Soul took the world by storm with their groundbreaking debut, they definitely pushed hip hop even farther ahead with this killer second album – a record that refines all the best impulses of the first set, and has the trio coming across with an even greater command of the space of a full length set! After a decade or more where most hip hop albums were just a string of singles and other cuts, De La (along with Public Enemy and a select few others) really helped the medium move into the realm of the album – weaving together cuts that are killer enough to be singles with all sorts of skits and album tracks, all with a vibe that has the whole thing flowing together wonderfully! The humor and wit of the group in their youth is still very much on point, as is the production work of Prince Paul – and the album bubbles over with longform imagination and careful execution that many groups could still hope to match! The samples are superb, nice and funky – and titles include "Oodles Of O's", "Talkin Bout Hey Love", "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays", "Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa", "Ring Ring Ring", "Keepin The Faith", "Bitties In The BK Lounge", "Pass The Plugs", "Pease Porridge", and "Fanatic Of The B Word". CD
Also available De La Soul Is Dead ... LP 26.99

Possible matches44
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ JBsFunky Good Time – The Anthology ... CD
Polydor, Early 70s. Used 2CD ... Out Of Stock
A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes – and it stretches beyond work by the JBs alone to include cuts from other groupings of the band, like Maceo & The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, and The New JBs. Titles include "Rockin Funky Watergate", "Keep On Bumpin Before You Give Out Of Gas", "Soul Power 74", "My Brother (parts 1 & 2)", "The Grunt (parts 1 & 2)", "Dirty Harri", "More Peas", "Watermelon Man", "Givin Up Food For Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "JB Shout", "Blessed Blackness", "Same Beat (parts 1, 2, & 3)", and "Gimme Some More (Very Live)". Nice nice nice – and with a fair number of non-LP tracks! CD
(Complete with slipcase and the large booklet!)

Possible matches45
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Mahavishnu OrchestraBirds Of Fire ... LP
Columbia, 1972. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A great second album from Mahavishnu Orchestra – one that has them still very might in the same tight formation as the first! As before, there's a heck of a lot of power here – monstrous work on drums from Billy Cobham, sharp-edged guitar from John McLaughlin, and a range of great keyboards from Jan Hammer – all played without the cliche of his later years! The group's completed by the surprisingly great electric violin of Jerry Goodman and the bass of Rick Laird – and the tunes nicely blend a few more contemplative moments with full-on, rock-inspired fusion jamming. Titles include "Miles Beyond", "One Word", "Sanctuary", "Open Country Joy", "Resolution", "Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love", and "Thousand Island Park". LP, Vinyl record album
(In the textured cover, with surface wear, aging, and splitting on the bottom seam.)
Also available Birds Of Fire ... CD 2.99

Possible matches46
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Courtney Pine with OmarBlack Notes From The Deep ... CD
Freestyle (UK), 2017. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
One of the greatest albums in years from reedman Courtney Pine – a set that firmly reminds us just what an important part of the British scene he was many years back! In the years after the experimental waves of British jazz rock and avant jazz, Pine was a surprisingly strong voice in the 80s and 90s – one whose talents reached these shores, as one of the first soulful British jazz musicians to really show a different side of the London scene – where his strong vision and talent for collaboration were continually opening new ears and new possibilities! That aspect of Pine's music is very firmly in place here – on a set that's got a strong combo at the core, but which also features vocals from Omar on four tracks – an addition to the set that also changes up the rhythms a bit, and reminds us just how important Courtney was at giving younger musicians and singers a chance to shine. Pine plays tenor and flute, and the album also features electric and acoustic piano from Robert Mitchell, organ from Ed Bentley, bass from Alec Dankworth, and drums from Rod Youngs. Omar sings on "Rules", "Butterfly", "Darker Than The Blue", and "In Another Time" – and other titles include "You Know Who You Are", "The Morning After The Night Before", "Rivers Of Blood", "Word To The Wise", and "A Change Is Sure To Come". CD

Possible matches47
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ SadeLovers Rock (with bonus CD) ... CD
Columbia, 2000. Used 2CD ... Out Of Stock
A fantastic return to form for the amazing Sade – a set issued almost a decade since her previous album, but one that shows that she is still very much at the top of her form! The production is slightly different than before – with a spare, stripped-down, slightly dubby style that's hinted at by the Lover's Rock title – although the set is anything but reggae, just a cool evolution of that warmly soulful, nicely jazzy style that made Sade such a breath of fresh air when she first appeared – and which continues to make her such a classic artist over the years! The whole thing's nice and mellow – and titles include "Flow", "King Of Sorrow", "By Your Side", "The Sweetest Gift", "Every Word", "All About Our Love", and "Slave Song" – plus a bonus disc with four live tracks! CD
Also available Lovers Rock ... CD 2.99

Possible matches48
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ ZhaneSaturday Night ... CD
Motown, 1997. Used ... Out Of Stock
Their second LP, and though not as enchanting as the first, they did score some minor success with "Request Line". 16 tracks in all, including "Crush", "So Badd", "Saturday Night", "Color", "Piece It Together", "For The Longest Time", "Rendez-Vous", "My Word is Bond" and "Good Times". CD
(Traycard has a crease.)

Possible matches49
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Paul AnkaWalk A Fine Line ... CD
Sony (Japan), 1983. Used ... Out Of Stock
Paul Anka may be hiding his balding pate under a hat on the cover, but the album's got the singer being very open with his style – and hitting a great AOR mode for the 80s! Anka may have hit a few clunky spots in the 70s – but he's maturing nicely on this overlooked album from the following decade – working a gentle current of soul with his vocals, amidst arrangements from David Foster, Michael McDonald, and producer Denny Diante – with a smooth vibe that's never trying too hard for any sort of easy crossover fame. Most cuts are originals by Anka – showing his songwriting skills in fine form – and titles include "Second Chance", "Golden Boy", "Gimme The Word", "This Is The First Time", "No Way Out", and "Darlin Darlin". CD

Possible matches50
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Grass RootsLeaving It All Behind/Move Along/Alotta Mileage (bonus tracks) ... CD
Dunhill/BGO (UK), Late 1960s/Early 1970s. New Copy 2CD ... Out Of Stock
A trio of albums from The Grass Roots – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Leaving It All Behind – a really great shift for the Grass Roots – a set that has the group sounding more confident before, and maybe a bit more soulful too – really coming at things with this nice sense of punch both in the lead vocals, and the way the overall groove drives the set! The arrangements are superb – handled by Sid Feller and Jimmie Haskell – and we can especially hear the talents of the latter, in the way that Jimmie can take simple elements and make them sound groovy – but all in a very unassuming way. Titles include "Out Of This World", "I'm Lovin For You Girl", "Wait A Million Years", "Take Him While You Can", "Walking Through The Country", and "Truck Drivin Man". Move Along is a record with a big, bold sound – lots of soulful arrangements from Jimmie Haskell, full of horns and driven by great basslines – all of which really pushes the dynamic energy of the group! The Grass Roots look a bit more mature on the cover, and that comes through in their vocals too – some raspier charms that really reflect the passage of years, and enforce a bit more feeling in the lyrics – giving a heft to the album that's an unexpected surprise, especially if you only know their earlier hits. Titles include "Move Along", "Two Divided By Love", "Monday Love", "One Word", "Runnin Just To Get Her Home Again", and "Anyway The Wind Blows". Alotta Mileage is a 70s standout from The Grass Roots! Back in the 60s, the Grass Roots already had this tight, compressed energy that was totally great – a quality that also makes their 70s work like this so wonderful too! There's a focus here that's totally great – horns informed by earlier soul music styles, and vocals that borrow a bit too – upbeat and bubbling, but with maybe a nicely mature vibe too – still hook-heavy, but slightly different than the earlier hits – on titles that include "Just A Little Tear", "Pick Up Your Feet", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "Ballad Of Billy Joe", "We Almost Made It Together", "Ain't No Way To Go Home", and "Claudia". 2CD set features 14 more bonus tracks – including "Temptation Eyes", "Sooner Or Later", "Bella Linda (single version)", "Get It Together", "Baby Hold On", "I'd Wait A Million Years (single version)", "We Can't Dance To Your Music", and "I Can Turn Off The Rain". CD

Possible matches51
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ George GuzmanIntroducing George Guzman ... LP
Fania/Get On Down, 1968. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
Amazing Latin soul – and the first record ever by the youthful George Guzman! The grooves kick in from the word "go" – with strong electric bass setting the scene, and lots of dark, descending blue notes – copped from 60s soul and jazz influences, and crafted perfectly to fit the Spanish Harlem sound of the time! Lyrics are mostly in English, and nearly every track is a mad groover – of the sort that will make your stereo perk up its too-tired ears! Trust us, this one's a gem – a record we'd recommend to anyone – and filled with wonderful tracks like "Lazy Boogaloo", "French Boogaloo", "Herba Buena", "Chant Of The Isles", "Marilu", and the goofy "Banana Freak Out"! LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches52
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Billy HarperBlueprints Of Jazz Vol 2 ... CD
Talking House, 2008. Used ... Out Of Stock
A nice set from tenor sax great Billy Harper – a far reaching set of Harper compositions that range from loose, nimble pieces with righteous spoken word from Amiri Baraka to more easygoing, moody work with sax and piano at the forefront – the second volume in the Talking House label's Blueprints Of Jazz series! The tracklist is well sequenced, with the longer, looser tracks frontloaded and the more streamlined (but no less appealing) numbers following – with the players varying from 5 to 6 and 7 piece combos – including Francesca Tanksley on piano, Aaron Scott on drums, Chalres McNeal on alto, Louie Spears on bass and Clarence Seay on bass. Titles include the righteous "Africa Revisited" and "Knowledge Of Self" with Baraka, plus "Another Kind Of Thoroughbred", "Thoughts And Slow Actions", "Time And Time Again", "Who Here Can Judge Our Fates", "Cast The First Stone (If You Have No Sins)", a straight, lovely take on "Amazing Grace" with Harper on vocals, and more. CD

Possible matches53
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Bobbi HumphreyGood Life (with bonus tracks) ... CD
Epic/FTG, 1979. Used ... Out Of Stock
Excellent later work from Bobbie Humphrey – working here in a style that's different than her early albums for Blue Note – but still equally great! Bobbi's a bit more of a singer here, but the record still features loads of great work on flute as well – in these tight, full arrangements put together by Ralph MacDonald and William Eaton, both of whom really know their way around a groove! At some level, the shift is similar to that made by Patrice Rushen on her first few Elektra albums – a style that's more compressed than before, yet still every bit as soulful – and a great evolution for Bobbi Humphrey as an artist. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Say The Word", "Sweet N Low", "Living For The Music", "Love When I'm In Your Arms", "Year From Now", and "The Good Life". CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Love When I'm In Your Arms" and "Sweet N Low". CD

Possible matches54
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun RaProphet (with bonus tracks) ... CD
Modern Harmonic, 1986. Used ... Out Of Stock
The legendary Sun Ra is certainly a prophet in jazz – but here, the word has a different meaning – as it refers to the Prophet VS keyboard, which Ra used for the first time in this mid 80s recording! Sun Ra is no stranger to electronics – he was coming up with all sorts of weird and spacey sounds even before synthesizer equipment was easy for most musicians to use – yet here, he really makes some special sounds with the Prophet, handling the keyboards in ways that are far more exploratory, and maybe far more "human" than many other musicians at the time! The setting for these experiments is a studio in Massachusetts – and Ra is accompanied by key players who include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, and James Jackson on the Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lighting & Thunder drum. June Tyson sings just a bit on the record – and titles include "The Prophet", "Infinity Excursion", "The Prophet At Play", and "The Prophet Returns". CD features two bonus tracks – "They Plan To Leave" and "They'll Come Back". CD
Also available Prophet (with bonus tracks) ... CD 15.99

Possible matches55
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Wanda RobinsonBlack Ivory ... LP
Perception, Early 70s. Very Good ... Out Of Stock
Wanda Robinson was one of the first hip, black, female poets to set righteous words to funky music – and this album is one of her two classic sides for the Perception label from the early 70s. The format is spoken word over funky instrumentals – and backing is by Patrick Adams, James Moody, and others, mixing jazz, soul, and funk conceptions to fit the mood of each of Wanda's tracks on the set. The titles should give you a good flavor of the material – as the set includes "The First Time I Saw Loneliness", "The Great American Passtime", "Parting Is Such", "Tragedy No 456", "A Black Oriented Love Poem", "Instant Replay", "The Trouble With Dreams", and "Grooving". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches56
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ SadeLovers Rock ... LP
Columbia, 2000. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
A fantastic return to form for the amazing Sade – a set issued almost a decade since her previous album, but one that shows that she is still very much at the top of her form! The production is slightly different than before – with a spare, stripped-down, slightly dubby style that's hinted at by the Lover's Rock title – although the set is anything but reggae, just a cool evolution of that warmly soulful, nicely jazzy style that made Sade such a breath of fresh air when she first appeared – and which continues to make her such a classic artist over the years! The whole thing's nice and mellow – and titles include "Flow", "King Of Sorrow", "By Your Side", "The Sweetest Gift", "Every Word", "All About Our Love", and "Slave Song". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Lovers Rock ... CD 2.99

Possible matches57
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Cecil TaylorStructures Revisited (Into The Hot/Unit Structures) ... CD
Hat Art (Switzerland), 1961/1966. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A pair of crucial Cecil Taylor sessions from the 60s – both of which show the free-thinking pianist working amidst some larger arrangements! First up are three tracks from the Gil Evans album Into The Hot – all tunes written by Cecil Taylor – a very bold move for Evans, given Taylor's strongly out reputation even at this point in his career – and possibly even more bold, given that Taylor's on the tracks playing piano, alongside players who include Archie Shepp on tenor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – plus work on one track from Ted Curson on trumpet and Roswell Rudd on trombone. The material's fantastic, and is a key part of Taylor's work at the time, and shows a very different setting for his piano – a bit of tension with the larger Evans group, in a way that's almost more compelling than his own early dates as a leader – on the titles "Pots", "Bulbs", and "Mixed". Next is the Unit Structures album – one of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

Possible matches58
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Tom VerlaineTom Verlaine/Dreamtime ... CD
Elektra/BGO (UK), 1979/1981. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A Tom Verlaine double header – two albums back to back on a single CD! First up is the fantastic first solo album from Tom Verlaine – a set recorded shortly after the breakup of Television, but with a vibe that almost makes it feel like the group's third album! The songs are maybe a bit tighter, but no less creative – both from a lyrical and sonic perspective – and Verlaine's got that fantastic sense of edge in his vocals, which can even make some of the nicer lyrics feel a bit nasty – but all at a level that's never overstated, and which should be a blueprint for later generations of singers who always try too hard. Titles include "The Grip Of Love", "Kingdom Come", "Mr Bingo", "Yonki Time", "Red Leaves", and "Last Night". On Dreamtime, Tom Verlaine has lost none of his edge – and instead has almost emerged as one of the most mature singer/songwriters on the New York scene – an underground-to-mainstream poet to match the skills of Lou Reed and Patti Smith! The album's got a vibe that's almost like Reed's work of the time – in that Tom's an artist who clearly knows the path to the dark side, and ways to overindulge – but always instead finds a way to keep things well-crafted and economical, but without sacrificing his sound or his intellect. Titles include "Penetration", "The Blue Robe", "Mr Blur", "A Future In Noise", "Down On The Farm", "Without A Word", and "Fragile". CD

Possible matches59
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Wax PoeticsWax Poetics Vol 2 – Issue 7 ... Magazine
Wax Poetics, 2024. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A mighty issue of Wax Poetics – with Yellow Magic Orchestra on the front cover, Bahamadia on the back – and big articles on both inside! As always, the presentation is superb – good writing, beautiful images, very few ads – and more like a journal than a magazine – almost 150 pages, with more articles on Dazz Band, Brian Auger, Rhoda Scott, Gail Sky King, Seun Kuti, and the labels First Word and Champs Disques! There's also a very big article on the contemporary Latin scene in London – a huge surprise – plus some other great short features too. Magazine

Possible matches60
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ ZhaneSaturday Night (Japanese pressing – with bonus track) ... CD
Motown/Polydor (Japan), 1997. Used ... Out Of Stock
Their second LP, and though not as enchanting as the first, they did score some minor success with "Request Line". Titles include "Crush", "So Badd", "Saturday Night", "Color", "Piece It Together", "For The Longest Time", "Rendez-Vous", "My Word is Bond" and "Good Times" – plus the bonus track "Let's Play". CD

Possible matches61
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousEccentric Soul – The Nickel & Penny Labels ... CD
Numero, Late 60s/Early 70s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A long-overdue collection – and a rich document of one of our favorite sides of the Chicago soul scene! The package is devoted to the tiny Nickel and Penny labels, but it's also equally a set dedicated to legendary radio DJ Richard Pegue – whose work in both mainstream soul and later dusties formats really helped to shape our understanding of soul music! Pegue produced and wrote nearly every track on the set – which makes the collection one of the most unified the Numero Group has ever produced – a true tribute to Richard's great ear for a groovy soul record, and to all the smaller-name groups he helped support on the Windy City scene. The booklet does a great job of telling Pegue's story – really getting at the unique vision he brought to Chicago soul, and the wit and warmth that made him a favorite of many folks over the space of decades. The music alone is enough – stuff we've been waiting to get reissued for years – but together with the Numero research and booklet, the end result is sublime! Titles include "Just Say The Word" by Jerry Townes, "Fall In Love Again" by The Voices, "Never More" by Little Ben & The Cheers, "Why Do You Want To Make Me Sad" by The Norvells, "Instrumental 1" by Richard Terry & Company, "Shadows" by South Shore Commission, "This Is The Woman" by Sidney Pinchback, "The Ember Song" by Sidney Barnes, "Sign Of The Zodiac" by South Suburban Electric Strings, "This Love Of Mine" by Extensions, "Forever Is A Long Long Time" by The Voices, "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by The Matta Baby, "I've Got To Find A Way" by Hallelujah Chorus, "First Thing I Do In The Morning" by Joyce Williams, and "I'm Gonna Get Even With You" by Little Ben & The Cheers. CD

Possible matches62
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousGospel Truth – The Gospel Soul & Funk Of Stax Records ... CD
Stax/Gospel Truth/BGP (UK), Early 70s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A stellar batch of smoldering gospel soul and good word funk – long underappreciated material released in the early-to-mid 70s on the Truth & Gospel Truth labels, imprints of the mighty Stax Records! The sound is often early 70s Memphis soul & funk to the bone – a few strings bring some soaring moments, but the groove is nice and gritty – with the gospel coming from the heart & soul of the singers. The set features a couple of numbers from The Staple Singers released on Stax proper back in the day, plus lesser known and equally great numbers from Clarence Smith, The Marion Gaines Singers, The Rance Allen Group, The Sons Of Truth, Joshie Jo Armstead, Louise McCord and many more released on Truth & Gospel Truth in the first half of the 70s. Titles include "Son Of The Deacon" by The Sons Of Truth, "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" by Clarence Smith, "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" by Rance Allen Group, "You Can't Stop Me Now" by The Marion Gaines Singers, "it Will Soon Be Over" by The Marion Gaines Singers, "Stumbling Blocks, Steppin' Stones (What Took Me So Long)" by Joshie Jo Armstead, "Brand New Day" and "Name The Missing Word" by The Staple Singers and more. 20 tracks in all. CD

Possible matches63
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Mose AllisonMose Allison – The Complete Atlantic/Elektra Albums – 1962 to 1983 (6CD set) ... CD
Atlantic/Strawberry (UK), 1960s/1970s/Early 80s. New Copy 6CD ... Out Of Stock
A really wonderful collection of music – work that has an already-great artist taking off into all these new directions of his own – completely reinventing himself as the jazz generations moved on, always with a really strong sense of wit and imagination! Mose Allison first emerged as a bop pianist in the 50s, but soon added a unique vocal approach that was a bit New Orleans-tinged, but with a beat jazz sensibility too – a style that was a huge influence on the UK mods in the 60s, and countless others over the years! By the time Mose hit Atlantic Records in 1962, he was already perfecting that style – then opening it up to other elements as the 60s moved on, often hitting some wilder, more unusual approaches that just kept coming through the 70s! As he shifted over to Elektra Records at the end of that decade, he stepped slightly back to more traditional jazz vocal modes – but still also kept penning his own great tunes, often with themes that maintained his unique sense of wit and vision. The box features a whopping 104 tracks on 6CDs – 12 full albums that include I Don't Worry About A Thing, Swingin Machine, Word From Mose, Wild Man Is On The Loose, Mose Alive, I've Been Doin Some Thinkin, Hello There Universe, Western Man, Mose In Your Ear, Your Mind Is On Vacation, Middle Class White Boy, and Lessons In Living. CD

Possible matches64
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Waylon JenningsFolk Country/Leavin Town/Waylon Sings Ol Harlan/Nashville Rebel ... CD
RCA/Morello (UK), Late 60s. New Copy 2CD ... Out Of Stock
Four fantastic early albums from Waylon Jennings – all served up in a single package! First up is Folk Country – a mid 60s classic from Waylon Jennings – cut for RCA at a time when the singer was really beginning to find his own style! While not really a folk album, the use of the word in the title is maybe key to an understanding of Waylon's approach here – as he's already trying to go past the conventions of mainstream country music, and maybe bring in some of the depth of material and presentation that you'd be more likely to find from a folk singer – but all while still staying very true to the country music core that would hold strong over the decades! There's some great material on the album – and titles include "Another Bridge To Burn", "Cindy Of New Orleans", "I Don't Mind", "What Makes A Man Wander", "Look Into My Teardrops", and "Down Came The World". Leavin Town is a record with a really fantastic sense of spirit – from the rough-around-the-edges look of Waylon Jennings on the cover, to the album's presentation of music that really shows the deeper style of the singer at the start – tunes of yearning and searching that still sound fantastic all these many years later! The production is still somewhat in the Nashville RCA mode, but there's also some deeper currents that seem as if they're trying to pull in some of the hipper side of the scene too – served up nicely on titles that include "Leavin Town", "Anita You're Dreaming", "Doesn't Anybody Know My Name", "I Wonder Just Where I Went Wrong", "Time Will Tell The Story", "Baby Don't Be Looking In My Mind", and "Time To Bum Again". Next up is Wayon Sings Ol Harlan – a tribute to songwriter Harlan Howard! As with the best of his contemporaries, Waylon Jennings was always ready to acknowledge how important a good songwriter was to his music – definitely the case here on this late 60s tribute to the work of Harlan Howard! Howard wasn't the biggest star in the studio himself, but he gave key songs to a number of country acts in the 60s – and the rock-solid quality of his songs makes the album a real standout in the early RCA catalog of Waylon Jennings – a no-filler collection that's filled with gems that include "Sunset & Vine", "Busted", "Woman Let Me Sing You A Song", "She's Gone Gone Gone", "In This Very Same Room", "Heartaches For A Dime", "Tiger By The Tail", and "The Everglades". Last up is Nashville Rebel – a pretty nice soundtrack from the mid 60s – featuring a mixture of vocal and instrumental tunes, sung by Waylon Jennings, who also stars in the film, and arranged by Chet Atkins, who's also producing the album. Waylon's in fine form, and often singing with a style that's more expressive than earlier records, maybe because of his presence on the screen – and the instrumentals are great too – with kind of a honky tonk mod approach, similar to tracks you'd find in another groovy 60s soundtrack, but with a bit of a country twist. This means that you've got heavy twang in the guitar upfront, tightly snapping rhythms over a bit of strings, and a bit of organ or piano. Titles include "Lang's Theme", "Rush Street Blues", "Hoodlum", "Tennessee", "Silver Ribbons", "Nashville Bum", and "Green River". CD
 
Partial matches: 112
Partial matches65
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Roberta FlackFirst Take (silver vinyl pressing) ... LP
Atlantic, 1969. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99 25.99
Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Partial matches66
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
SpinnersTruly Yours – Their First Motown Album With Bonus Tracks – 1963 to 1967 ... CD
Motown/Kent (UK), 1960s. New Copy ... $13.99 19.99
The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD

Partial matches67
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ John Duke KischSeparate Cinema – The First 100 Years Of Black Poster Art (hardcover) ... Book
Reel Art, 2018. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful posters from a huge legacy in film – 100 years' worth of images that were used to promote black cinema – with entries that run from the early silent era, through unusual mid-century material, 70s blacksploitation movies, and both mainstream and indie films from later decades! Yet the book is way more than just another poster book – as the images here come with plenty of text – thoughtful writings on trends, styles, and key figures in black film – amidst words and images that pull no punches on treatment of race and social issues. The book is oversized, very heavy, full color throughout, and 317 pages – filled with fantastic images. Book

Partial matches68
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Lost & FoundEverybody's Here (Forever Lasting Plastic Words) ... LP
International Artists, 1968. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A brilliant set on the legendary International Artists label – a very Love-like record that's filled with colorful tunes – from Houston's Lost & Found, who fit in beautifully with other Texas psyche pioneers of the mid-to-late 60s! Both the vocals and the overall timing of the tunes clearly draw strong inspiration from Love's first few Elektra albums – but that's not a problem for us, because we love that stuff, and really appreciate Lost & Found's take on Arthur Lee's inspiration – one that pushes it a bit into the trippier Texas style psyche and others from the International Artists Roster. Titles include "Everybody's Here", "Forever Lasting Plastic Words","Zig Zag Blues", "I'm So Hip To Pain", "I Realize", "2 Stroke Blues", "Let Me Be" and "Living Eye". LP, Vinyl record album

Partial matches69
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ SpinnersTruly Yours – Their First Motown Album With Bonus Tracks – 1963 to 1967 ... CD
Motown/Kent (UK), 1960s. Used ... Out Of Stock
The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD
Also available Truly Yours – Their First Motown Album With Bonus Tracks – 1963 to 1967 ... CD 13.99

Partial matches70
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sean TejaratchiLiartown – The First Four Years 2013 to 2017 ... Book
Feral House, 2018. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A completely hilarious book, and one that maybe makes the best use of computer photoshopping technology that we've ever seen – as Sean Tejaratchi remakes and remixes work from a whole host of familiar sources – and comes up with these really weird and wonderful images in the process! Nothing is off-limits to the author – as Tejaratchi skewers billboards, paperbacks, album covers, movie posters, supermarket ads, cookbooks, and just about anything else you can imagine – moving images, titles, and subjects around with a sense of humor that's incredible – and which may well have you looking around the house, laughing at things that once seemed commonplace. It's a bit hard to describe the book's magic in words, but you might try checking Sean's Liarspace website for a start – then dive into the hundreds of full color images in the well-done book. Book

Partial matches71
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
BadbadnotgoodMid Spiral ... CD
XL, 2024. New Copy ... $14.99 15.99
You might know Badbadnotgood as a trio, but they've really expanded their sound here – adding in contributions from guests on guitar, keyboard, trumpet, and percussion – while also keeping things focused on the kind of instrumental interplay they first brought to their work! There's more jazz in the mix than before, thanks in part to the guests – but the music is still rompingly rhythmic and mostly quite funky – originally released in three different chapters – Chaos, Order, and Growth – and coming together here with almost a narrative quality as a result, despite the lack of any words! Titles include "Setima Regra", "Taco Taco", "Juan's World", "Ways Of Seeing", "Celestial Hands", "White Light", "Eyes On Me", "Playgroup", "Last Laugh", and "Mid Spiral". CD
Also available Mid Spiral ... LP 30.99

Partial matches72
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
BadbadnotgoodMid Spiral ... LP
XL, 2024. New Copy ... $30.99 32.99
You might know Badbadnotgood as a trio, but they've really expanded their sound here – adding in contributions from guests on guitar, keyboard, trumpet, and percussion – while also keeping things focused on the kind of instrumental interplay they first brought to their work! There's more jazz in the mix than before, thanks in part to the guests – but the music is still rompingly rhythmic and mostly quite funky – originally released in three different chapters – Chaos, Order, and Growth – and coming together here with almost a narrative quality as a result, despite the lack of any words! Titles include "Setima Regra", "Taco Taco", "Juan's World", "Ways Of Seeing", "Celestial Hands", "White Light", "Eyes On Me", "Playgroup", "Last Laugh", and "Mid Spiral". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Mid Spiral ... CD 14.99

Partial matches73
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Tony BennettTony Makes It Happen/Yesterday I Heard The Rain ... CD
Columbia/BGO (UK), Late 60s. New Copy ... $8.99 19.99
A pair of late 60s Columbia classics from Tony Bennett – back to back on a single CD! First up is Tony Makes It Happen – a very jazzy album, with a group that features Joe Wilder and Joe Newman on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Joe Soldo on flute, and orchestrations from Marion Evans – all of whom really bring out those unique qualities that set Bennett apart from so many other singers in his generation! Where a Vic Damone might have used his inherent richness to push things over the top, the maturing Tony is a master of restraint – still able to run the full gamut of his amazing range, but set up with these beautiful arrangements that bring some adult understanding to the tunes, in a beautifully subtle vibe. Titles include "What Makes It Happen", "I Don't Know Why", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "She's Funny That Way", "A Beautiful Friendship", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". Next is Yesterday I Heard The Rain – fantastically mature work from Tony Bennett – a record that follows in that great direction the singer was taking in the 60s – delivering sophisticated vocals that didn't care much for the charts, but which really stand the test of time as the years go by! As on some of Tony's best from the period, arrangements are by Torrie Zito – whose careful orchestrations always let Bennett's vocals soar out in the lead, while also hitting some occasional flourishes that bring just the slight touch of drama to the music – but never in the over the top styles of some of his contemporary! Space is the key here – lots of space between the words and the notes – which makes even simpler songs sound pretty darn amazing. Titles include "Sweet Georgie Fame", "Fool Of Fools", "Only The Young", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Yesterday I Heard The Rain", and a surprisingly great version of "Hushabye Mountain". CD

Partial matches74
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Bruno BerleNo Reino Dos Afetos (blue vinyl pressing) ... LP
Far Out (UK), 2022. New Copy ... $27.99 36.99
A really lovely little record – one that feels like an instant classic in the world of MPB – the sort of long-overdue new release by a Brazilian artist that we hope we'll be hearing plenty from in years to come! As with the elite list of our Brazilian favorites of the past 20 years, Bruno's got a way of reaching into the past to grab just a bit here and there – then folds things together with a style that's crispily fresh, and very much his own – soulful, yet not mainstream soul at all – electronic at times, but with a warmly beating acoustic heart – and the kind of music that will grab you instantly upon first listen, at a level that our words could never hope to convey! Titles include "So Nois Dois", "Some Nyame", "Quero Dizer", "Ate Meu Violao", "Virginia Talk", "Sereno", "Arraiada", and "Beat 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Partial matches75
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Dorsey BurnetteDorsey Burnette – The Complete Reprise & Warner Recordings 1962 to 1965 ... CD
Bear Family (Germany), Early 1960s. New Copy 2CD ... $21.99 29.99
The mighty Dorsey Burnette is often best known as the brother of Johnny Burnette – his partner in the groundbreaking Rock & Roll Trio – but on his own, he's a hell of an artist, and one who maybe stayed more true to his roots than Johnny! This massive set features an overdue window into the early 60s career of Dorsey – and not only brings together tracks from a variety of different labels, but also includes 20 tracks that appear here on CD for the first time ever – including work recorded for Motown that the label never released! Dorsey's got a deep-voiced style that's wonderful – well-suited to early rock, but sometimes delivered with a bit of a country twang, and a sense of roots that holds strong throughout the set. In addition to a number of tracks done for Motown, the set also features material issued by Reprise, Melody, Lama, and Imperial Records – 45 titles in all, with tracks that include "Where's The Girl", "Circle Rock", "Magic Of Love", "Go Between", "Light The Fuse", "Castle In The Sky", "Rolling Restless Stones", "I Know I Know", "They're Only Words", "Back To Nature", "Cold As Usual", and "Buckeye Road". CD

Partial matches76
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Manfredo FestBrazilian Dorian Dream ... LP
T&M/Far Out (UK), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99 34.99
A sublime little set – quite possibly the greatest album ever from Brazilian keyboardist Manfredo Fest! Manfredo first cut his teeth on the bossa scene of the 60s – but by the time of this rare indie session, he'd moved up to the US – and was working with sweet keyboards to really electrify his groove! The record's a wonderful blend of 70s Brazilian fusion modes and just a dash of American soul – and in addition to Manfredo's wonderful work on Fender Rhodes, the set also has these brilliant vocals from Roberta Davis – a singer who works wordlessly, using her voice as an instrument in this really cool way – sliding along with the grooves, and making the album sound unlike anything else we can think of. The overall feel is a bit like Joao Donato's excellent Quem E Quem album – and titles include "Jungle Cat", "Facing East", "Who Needs It", and "Brazilian Dorian Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Partial matches77
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Peter GodwinPeter Godwin – The Polydor Years (Dance Emotions/Correspondence/bonus tracks) ... CD
Polydor/SFE (UK), Early 1980s. New Copy 2CDs ... $18.99 24.99
A pair of albums from the mighty Peter Godwin – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Dance Emotions – a set that's overflowing with mellow emotions from the great Peter Goodwin – one of the coolest acts of the new romantic generation from the early 80s UK! The cover image has Peter looking as suave as Bryan Ferry – and he steps out here in backings that are maybe a more synth-styled version of early 80s Roxy Music – lush and warm, but gently grooving too – very electronic, but in a way that's never tinny or canned – just right for Godwin's vocals! Titles include "French Emotions", "Torch Songs For The Heroine (ext)", "Images Of Heaven (dance mix)", "Luxury (ext)", "Emotional Disguise (ext)", and "Cruel Heart". Next is Correspondence – an album that's maybe a bit more upfront and catchy than some of the initial work from Peter Godwin – a refined take on UK electro pop modes from the early 80s, but one that's still got his wonderfully rich vocals in place! Godwin's somewhere in a space between the trills of Bryan Ferry in Roxy Music, and some of the modes of his younger UK contemporaries – and like Ferry, he's got a great way of spacing out words and inflecting them with a very personal quality – letting the listener know that he's guiding the energy of the electronic elements in the music, not the other way around! Titles include "Window Shopping", "Baby's In The Mountains", "Soul Of Love", "The Dancer", "Art Of Love", "Young Pleasure", "Soul To Soul", and "Over Twenty One". 2CD set adds in 17 bonus tracks – lots of different remixes, and the non-LP track "Spoken Images". CD

Partial matches78
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Lars GullinLars Gullin Vol 3 – Late Summer 1954 to 1955 ... CD
Dragon (Sweden), Mid 50s. Used ... $6.99
Very unusual work from the legendary Lars Gullin – captured here in a range of different settings! The first half of work on the CD features titles from a record issued in the US as Lars Gullin With The Moretone Singers – a session that features the master baritonist blowing alongside the Moretone Singers – a vocal ensemble who sings in cascading tones that kind of shade and color the background. The approach is different than other jazz vocal group records – in that the singers don't really handle solos or songs – they mostly just come in chorus formation to support the group, in the manner of a string ensemble. The sound's dark and moody, and actually makes a surprisingly wonderful backdrop for Gullin's majestic horn – really setting him free from the rest of the group, not having to worry about swing, just exploring space and sound in a way that's rare for his albums of the time! Titles include "Late Date", "Lover Man", "Merlin", "Beautiful Heart", and "Gone With The Wind". Next is a set of tracks that feature Gullin's baritone in a quartet with German pianist Jutta Hipp – one of the few other Europeans of the 50s who was issued in the US as much as Lars – making her a perfect match on the records in more ways than one. Titles include "Always", "Man Lover", "Yesterdays", and "All The Things You Are". CD then features two more tracks with the quintet of tenor player Rolf Billberg – "Too Marvelous For Words" and "BBC Blues" – and two more by a Gullin Sexet with Billberg on tenor and Rickard Broden on trombone – "Late Summer" and "For FJ Fans Only". Over 75 minutes of music! CD

Partial matches79
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Jackie & RoyJackie & Roy (plus Sing Baby Sing) (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Storyville/Muzak (Japan), 1955. New Copy 2CD Gatefold ... $8.99 24.99
Two rare Storyville albums from the tremendous vocal team of Jackie & Roy – back to back in a single set! First up is the self titled Jackie & Roy – one of the first albums ever from the team of Jackie Caine and Roy Kral – and one of the best, too! The album's got a relaxed, open-ended approach to jazz vocals that already carries all the hallmarks of the Jackie & Roy style – wordless scatting on some tunes, playful lyrical interplay on others, and a focus on Jackie's ballad talents on some of the gentler numbers – all wrapped up in small combo backing that's sensitive, creative, and modern – yet never in a way that overwhelms the vocals. It's hard to match the poise, class, and cleverness of this one – and the album easily set a new standard for vocal jazz in the 50s! Titles include a few great early tunes by Tommy Wolf – the songwriter who would become so important for the pair – and backing is by Roy on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block", "You Smell So Good", "Listen Little Girl", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Bill's Bit", "Dahuud", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "Lover". Sing Baby Sing is sublime work from the duo of Jackie & Roy – a guy/gal vocal team, but one with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! Both Jackie Cain and Roy Kral sing – and Roy also plays a mean piano, and writes a fair bit of the tunes too – really lively numbers that show off the bop-styled techniques they developed while working with Charlie Ventura – but with hipper, groovier lyrics – of the sort that are a key precursor to folks like Bob Dorough or Dave Frishberg! Instrumentation on the set is great, too – a small combo with guitar from either Joe Rumero or Barry Galbraith – served up in a really great mix of tunes that includes "Season In The Sun", "Slowly", "Cheerful Little Earful", "Why Not Admit It", "You Are The One", and "Hook Line And Snare". CD

Partial matches80
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
JJ JohnsonComplete 60s Big Band Recordings (Dynamic Sound Of/Goodies/Broadway Express/Total JJ Johnson) ... CD
RCA/Phono (Spain), Mid 1960s. Used 2CD ... $19.99
Beautiful work from the mid 60s big band of JJ Johnson – a very hip ensemble, heard here on 4 full albums from the time! First up is the RCA set known as JJ – a beautiful example of the mid-60s power of JJ Johnson – a big band session that features arrangements by JJ, Gary McFarland, and Oliver Nelson – all a very cooking mix of modernism, soul, and swing! The groups are large on all numbers, but there's plenty of room for Johnson to solo out in the lead – in a tightly-blown approach to trombone that almost comes across like a trumpet, given JJ's focus on the instrument. Other horn parts back him up lightly, but never overwhelm – and titles include "So What", "Stratusphunk", "Winter's Waif", "El Camino Real", "Stolen Moments", "Train Samba", and "Bemsha Swing". Next is another RCA date – Goodies, one of the lesser-known JJ Johnson albums of the mid 60s – and nice little session that's done with a fresh sort of style! The album's got JJ playing mostly with larger arrangements – penned by Dick Hyman, Slide Hampton, and Billy Byaers – in modes that range from upbeat, mod, and swinging – to mellow, lush, and soulful. A few cuts have vocalists – like the lovely Marlene Ver Planck, who sings wordlessly on the album's amazing groover "Pense A Moi" – a sweetly skipping jazz waltz that's almost worth the price of the record alone! Marlene returns on a great version of "Agua De Beber", and Osie Johnson sings on versions of "The Seventh Son" and "In The Name Of Love" – and other nice tracks include "008", "Feeling Good", and "G'Won Train". On CD 2, JJ takes a trip on the Broadway Express – serving up a host of great tunes pulled from shows, arranged with a very groovy flair by Mundell Lowe! Lowe makes the album sparkle with a bit more interest than the average session of this nature – adding in percussion, guitar, and other strong instrumental touches to support JJ's trombone solos. Titles include "The Joker", "Sunrise Sunset", "Goodbye Old Girl", "I Believe In You", "More Than One Way", "Night Song", and "Why Did I Choose You?". Last up is Total JJ Johnson – a further chapter in the big band years of JJ – heard here at a point when he was pushing his ensemble even more than before, with a fluid groove that almost matches the energy of similar groups on MPS at the time! There's a real undercurrent of hipness going on in the record – a quality that's not content to ape bigger band modes of earlier years, and instead finds a whole new space in sound – a relatively lean quality, but one that still uses the added players to create some magnificent qualities in sound – all to support the well-blown lead solo work by Johnson. There's a nice groove on most numbers, and the album features some especially nice reeds from Jerome Richardson and Frank Wess. Johnson handled arrangements, and titles include "Short Cake", "Space Walk", "Little Dave", and "Euro #1". CD

Partial matches81
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Kris KristoffersonSilver Tongued Devil & I/Border Lord/Jesus Was a Capricorn/Spooky Lady's Sideshow (SACD Multi-Channel) ... CD
Monument/Vocalion (UK), Early 70s. New Copy 2CD ... $31.99 34.99
Genius early work from Kris Kristofferson – four great albums in a single package, with SACD mastering too! First up is The Silver Tongued Devil & I – a masterful tribute to the genius of Kris Kristofferson, and a record that perfectly illustrates that unique place he held in music at the start of the 70s! The album's Kris' second, and has maybe a more unified vibe than his debut – filled with original material that has that open, honest quality that Kristofferson brought to country music – and which also had a surprisingly strong impact on mainstream rock and singer/songwriter material too! There's both a frankness of feeling and sharpness of wit that make the whole thing wonderful – and the album's overflowing with original gems that include "Jody & The Kid", "Billy Dee", "Loving Her Was Easier", "The Taker", "When I Loved Her", "The Pilgrim Chapter 33" and "Epitaph" – plus a great reading of the Bobby Bare/Billy Joe Shaver tune "Good Christian Soldier". Border Lord is a wonderful album, and one that's full of lesser-known gems from Kris Kristofferson – from a time when he'd started sharing his songs with other singers first, and started to hold back all the good stuff for himself! The album's got help from some country music studio greats, but it's clearly Kristofferson's show, right from the start – overflowing with tunes that get delivery from Kris that nobody else can match – with a special understanding of the choice of words, balance of wit, and depth of feeling that makes him so great on record. Titles include "Burden Of Freedom", "Border Lord", "When She's Wrong", "Kiss The World Goodbye", "Getting By High & Strange", "Somebody Nobody Knows", and "Josie". Jesus Was A Capricorn is one of those records in which Kris Kristofferson takes on the 70s, and comes up with a sound and style that's completely his own – even when working within the mainstream of the time! His label, Monument, could do plenty of hokey stuff – and even arranger Bill Justis wasn't always the hippest of cats – nor producer Fred Foster. Yet working here, they all rise to the occasion under the majesty of the man's music – a soaring batch of original tunes, of that special sort that Kris was always keeping to himself after his early years writing hits for others. Titles include "Why Me", "Give It Time To Be Tender", "It Sure Was Love", "Nobody Wins", "Enough For You", and the title cut "Jesus Was A Capricorn", owed to John Prine! Spooky Lady's Sideshow is a record that has Kris Kristofferson loosening up his mix of styles slightly, almost a nod back to his debut – but all in a way that only seems to bring an even greater range of feeling to his songwriting! Kristofferson maybe looks a bit more casual and laidback on the cover than some previous sets, but he's still got all the sharpness of delivery that makes him so great, and which really matches his magical words – on titles that include "Broken Freedom Song", "Star Spangled Bummer", "Smile At Me Again", "I May Smoke Too Much", "Stairway To The Bottom", and "Rescue Mission". CD

Partial matches82
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Takuya KurodaZigzagger ... CD
Concord, 2016. Used ... Just Sold Out!
We fell in love with the music of Takuya Kuroda on his debut record as a leader for Blue Note – but the trumpeter really blows our mind here on this second set – which really explodes with new musical possibilities from the very first note! Kuroda's crisp, compressed trumpet is very upfront in the mix – but the album also features some fantastic Fender Rhodes from Takeshi Ohbayashi and trombone from Corey King – both players whose work here helps shape the record as much as the leader, who finds a sonic space between them, as all three leap out in boldly new colors of soul! The rhythms are great, too – and draw from currents of Afro Funk and broken beat, while still staying strongly jazz – a careful balance that you'd find in a rare few, like the music of Robert Glasper. Titles include RSBD", "I Don't Remember How It Began", "No Sign", "Little Words", "Do They Know", "Actors", and a great remake of Donald Byrd's "Think Twice", done with help from Antibalas! CD

Partial matches83
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Last Poets with Tony AllenAfricanism (with bonus CD) ... CD
Africa Seven (UK), 2024. New Copy 2CDs ... $16.99 19.99
An incredible return to form for the legendary Last Poets – and a set that's maybe one of the most hard-burning albums they ever recorded! The group reprise some of their most famous themes – messages first spoken in the 70s, but which continue to have an incredible amount of power all these many decades later – in part because the need for such social consciousness and change has not gone away, and also because this time around the group present their words with support from drummer Tony Allen and Egypt 80, in a way that brings in all the right Afro Funk elements to the core! There's also some key jazz work on the session too – Fender Rhodes from Joe Armon-Jones, keyboards from Kaidi Tatham, and tenor from Courtney Pine – all players who help make the whole thing an all-star affair of the highest level. Poets Umar Bin Hassan, Baba Donn Babatundeaba, and Abiodun Oyowele sound more righteous here than ever – and titles include "When The Revolution Comes", "This Is Madness", "New York New York", "Just Because", "Related To What", and "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution". Includes a bonus CD with the complete instrumentals and acapellas – plus early versions of "Just Because", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution" and "Related To What". CD

Partial matches84
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Jessica LaurenAlmeria ... CD
Freestyle (UK), 2018. New Copy ... $6.99 12.99
When Jessica Lauren first grabbed our ears 20 years ago, she was a keyboardist on the London contemporary scene – but with a much deeper jazz vision than most – an artist whose appearances on record always made any sort of song come across with a spiritual sound that was unique for the time! Move forward to the present, when so many others have finally hit Jessica's territory – and the pianist has stepped far forward again – to open up this rich flow of ideas that's overflowing with global elements as well! The album's easily Jessica's deepest work to date – and not only features her own great keyboards and percussion, but also this very cool wordless vocal style – borrowed a bit from Brazilian fusion of the 70s, but given a fresh spin here – and combined with instrumentation that includes woodwinds, marimba, percussion, flugelhorn, and drums. The whole thing's wonderful – with echoes and elements that evoke the special genre-crossing space of Bobby Hutcherson in the mid 70s, the work of Flora Purim and Airto, the 70s South African recordings of Dollar Brand – and some of the hippest sides of some of Lauren's London contemporaries. Titles include "Simba Jike", "Amalfi", "Kofi Nomad", "Teck Et Bambou", "Chocolate Con Churros", "Argentina", and "Beija Flor". CD

Partial matches85
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Johnny MathisUp Up & Away/Love Is Blue/Those Were The Days/Sings The Music Of Bert Kaempfert ... CD
Columbia/BGO (UK), Late 60s. New Copy 2CD ... $14.99 22.99
A quartet of albums from Johnny Mathis – served up here in a special 2CD set! Up Up & Away is Mathis' first set back at Columbia after a brief hiatus – a record that shows a newly mature style that's wonderfully suited for Johnny's amazing voice! Mathis tones are every bit as perfect as before – but he's also got a maturing approach to the lyrics that's really nice – maybe a bit more pause, or thoughtfulness, which only increases the sense of feeling in the tunes. Of course, the great charts by Glenn Osser also help too – lush, but never sleepy, and showing their own sort of maturation too. Titles include "Misty Roses", "Drifting", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "I Thought Of You Last Night", "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", and "Where Are The Words". Love Is Blue is a late 60s set that furthers the maturing Mathis modes of his return to Columbia Records – a set that's filled with great adult pop numbers from the time, recast by Johnny Mathis in his trademark vocal mode! There's a fair bit of Bacharach in the mix – which makes for a meeting of two pop vocal generations in one sweet album – and the rest of the tunes are pretty hip too, with work by Henry Mancini, Jimmy Webb, and others. Strings figure into most of the arrangements – but never in a sleepy way – and titles include "Walk On By", "Venus", "Love Is Blue", "Never My Love", "Moon River", "I Say A Little Prayer", "The Look Of Love", and "Don't Go Breakin My Heart". Those Were The Days is a title tune sung famously by Mathis as a single – but even better are the rest of the tracks on the set – a cool batch of 60s numbers that really show Johnny stretching out comfortably with some new material, but never in ways that mess with his amazing vocal approach at all! Backings often have a gentle dip underneath the strings – letting Mathis pick up some slight groovy rhythms at points, on titles that include "Light My Fire", "59th Street Bridge Song", "This Guy's In Love With You", "You Make Me Think About You", "The World I Used To Know", and "Turn Around Look At Me". Last up is Sings The Music Of Bert Kaempfert – a special record devoted to the songs of German maestro Bert, best known as an instrumental star on record, but also a key songwriter for many classics of the 60s. Johnny's vocals are a great fit for the gentle flow and slow-stepping rhythms of the Kaempfert tunes – and titles include "Strangers In The Night", "Danke Schon", "Wonderland By Night", "Spanish Eyes", "Lady", "LOVE", and "Remember When". CD

Partial matches86
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
RamonesHalfway To Sanity ... LP
Sire/Rhino, 1987. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99 24.98
The Ramones launch this set with the great first lyric "I've been drinking it over" – words that show that amidst all the many musical changes, and shifts in sound and style, they've still got all the wit and punch that made them so great in the first place! As with some of the other 80s albums, there's kind of a pre-grunge production style going on here – things slowed down a bit from their start, but still the kind of short, tight songs the group always do so well. Titles include "Worm Man", "Weasel Face", "Go Lil Camaro Go", "Garden Of Serenity", "I Wanna Live", "Bop Til You drop", and "A Real Cool Time". LP, Vinyl record album
(2025 Start Your Ear Off Right series!)

Partial matches87
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Meta RoosMeta Roos & Nippe Sylwes Band (1980) (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Click/P-Vine (Japan), 1980. New Copy ... $18.99 24.99
Accented vocals, compressed production, and sweet piano and keyboards – a great combination that bubbles together warmly in this lost bit of pop from the Swedish scene! Singer Meta Roos is perhaps better known for the slightly bossa vibe of her album from 1978, but here in a set from two years later, she's moving into more complicated territory – taking on some deeper themes and also singing a fair bit of fresher material – including some great originals penned by the members of the backing combo, which stand as a nice contrast to the mostly-covers nature of her first set. This record's perhaps a bit heavier on the mellower tracks than before, but lyrics are still in English and often pretty hip – and the keys from Nippe Sylwen are plenty high in the mix, and make sure that almost all the tracks have a nicely soulful sound! Titles include "Comza", "Don't Try", "Summersong", "There's A Reason", "Oh Mr Music", "25 Words Of Less", "A World For You & Me", and a great cover of Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing". CD

Partial matches88
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Bridget St JohnDandelion Albums & BBC Recordings Collection (Ask Me No Questions/Songs For The Gentle Man/Thank You For/Live BBC) (4CD set) ... CD
Cherry Red (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy 4CD ... $26.99 34.99
A massive collection of work from the legendary Bridget St John – a singer who just seems to get better and better the more we listen to her music! First up is the album Ask Me No Questions – a set with the same spare, chilling quality as Nico's first album on Verve! Like Nico, Bridget is amazingly without categorization – a folksinger initially, but one who's working here with a darkly personal quality that goes far beyond most folk work of the 60s! There's almost a Leonard Cohen-like quality to the tracks here – as they're little song-paintings in words that accomplish a tremendous amount with very little – evocative portraits and landscapes that need little more than Bridget's voice and guitar to carry them off. Titles include "Autumn Lullaby", "Like Never Before", "Barefeet & Hot Pavement", "I Like To Be With You In The Sun", "Many Happy Returns", and "Ask Me No Questions". Next is Songs For The Gentle Man – a slightly more expanded version of the sound explored on her debut! Bridget's still very much in a folk-inspired sound here – but like the work of Nick Drake and some of her contemporaries on the British scene, this album has jazzier phrasings and some slightly baroque touches on some tunes – really deepening the feel of the songs, and giving the album a dark depth that we'd easily compare with some of Drake's greatest work. Studio genius Ron Geesin produced the set with a surprising degree of subtlety – just the right amount of edgey undercurrents to unsettle the tunes nicely – never threatening Bridget's presence on the album, but augmenting the moody spectrums that already came across so nicely on the first record. Titles include "A Day A Way", "City Crazy", "Back To Stay", "Seagull Sunday", "If You'd Been There", "Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall (part 2)", "It Seems Very Strange", and a version of Donovan's "The Pebble & The Man". Next is Thank You For – a slight shift in styles for British singer/songwriter Bridget St John – an album that shakes off a few of the folksy touches of earlier years, but still retains all the dark corners that make her work so great! A few tracks on the album have Bridget working with more traditional accompaniment, but overall most of the record still focuses strongly on voice and guitar – augmented slightly by additional instrumentation that's used sparingly, but beautifully. Most of the tracks here are still by St John – including "Nice", "Thank You For", "Happy Day", and "To Leave Your Cover" – but the album also features a few covers, like Buddy Holly's "Every Day" and Dylan's "Love Minus Zero No Limit". And the final CD features BBC recordings from 1968 to 1972 – including performances for Nite Ride, Top Gear, Peter Sarstedt, Bob Harris, and In Concert. CD

Partial matches89
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sal SalvadorSal Salvador Quintet (10 inch LP) ... LP
Blue Note, 1953. Near Mint- ... $14.99
Sal Salvador was one of the 50s more accomplished modernist talents on jazz guitar – and his work ranks up there with players like Tal Farlow, or Gil Melle's great bandmate Joe Cinderella. This is Salvador's rare first album for Blue Note – only issued in a 10" vinyl format! The record features quartet and quintet material, and includes tenorist Frank Sokolow, an icy-toned genius who's never gotten his just dues. Sokolow and Salvador sound great together, and create a haunting sound that's better than anything we've heard on other Salvador records from his later years. Titles include "My Old Flame", "Get Happy", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Gone With The Wind", and "After You've Gone". LP, Vinyl record album
(70s UA mono pressing. Back cover has verylight aging, but this is a great copy.)

Partial matches90
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Gil Scott-HeronNew Black Poet – Small Talk At 125th & Lenox ... CD
Flying Dutchman/BGP, 1971. New Copy ... $8.99 14.99
The first-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a perfect bridge between the world of his writing and the years to come of musical transformations that would forever change the American scene! The set's not the warm, jazzy soul of some of Gil's later records – and instead, there's a really raw vibe, mostly with Gil speaking instead of singing – often with just heavy percussion at the core, and these really righteous words served out over the top! All the work is his own, and the album's a showcase for his brilliant protest poetry – the most famous example of which is included in "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", which leads off the album with an especially righteous groove! The set's a key link in the African American musical tradition of the 20th century – and proof that the underground, while not always afforded a good place in the broadcast markets of the US, could always burst forth in the "narrowcast" medium of recorded music. A landmark album – one we like even better than the early work by the Last Poets – and great all the way through! Tracks include "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "Whitey On The Moon", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?", "The Subject Was Faggots", and "Brother". CD

Partial matches91
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Tom Tom ClubTom Tom Club ... LP
Sire, 1981. Near Mint- ... $24.99
The first album by The Tom Tom Club – a group that started out as a side project by Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz – but which went onto have a surprising life of its own! Like the Talking Heads at the start of the 80s, Tom Tom Club were very open to pulling together rhythms from the soulful underground – bits of Caribbean influence and certainly some sounds from hip hop too – but used in these cool sing-songy tunes that also had ties to the same New York underground scene that gave the world ESG and Liquid Liquid! Yet there's also a nicely complex set of textures, too – thanks to work on the record by Adrian Belew and Steve Stanley – both of whom can balance out funky elements and more interesting textures. The record took off immediately with the track "Genius Of Love" – inspired by hip hop, and respected by that scene too – as was the album's classic "Wordy Rappinghood". The whole thing's great – an excellent document of the moment, but more timeless too – and other titles include "L'Elephant", "As Above So Below", "On On On On", "Lorelei", and "Booming & Zooming". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a bent bottom right corner, but looks great overall.)

Partial matches92
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ White PlainsWhite Plains – The Collection (White Plains/When You Are A King/bonus tracks) (3CD set) ... CD
Decca/7T's (UK), Early 70s. New Copy 3CD ... Just Sold Out!
A big set of work from a group who are known for one big global hit – a track that everyone knows, but never can remember who did it – and a band that has a heck of a lot more to offer than you might expect! First up is the group's self titled album, White Plains – a power pop powerhouse by a group who will forever be remembered for the classic title track to this set, but who also manage to deliver the goods all the way through! The whole album's a stunning showcase for the work of Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook – producers and co-writers of some of the album's best tunes – which have a jaunty, catchy vibe that really prefaces 70s AM radio, and does a great job of building a bridge forward from earlier 60s pop styles. Some of the themes are deeper, but others are lighter – and the production has this way of fusing everything together in this monstrous wall of sound, but without ever sounding as slick as mainstream pop might a few years later. Titles include the classic "My Baby Loves Lovin", plus "In A Moment Of Madness", "You've Got Your Troubles", "Today I Killed A Man I Didn't Know", "Sunny Honey Girl", "When Tomorrow Comes Tomorrow", and "Young Birds Fly". Next is the album When You Are A King – a set that's almost ever bit as great, with an equally well-crafted approach to pop – on titles that include "Julie Do Ya Love Me", "Home Loving Man", "When You Are A King", "An Eye For The Main Chance", "The World Gets Better With Love", "Noises In My Head", and "I'll Go Blind". CD3 features rare tracks by related groups Crucible and Zenith, plus more bonus tracks – and in total, the set features 22 non-LP tracks – titles that include "A Simple Man", "Look To See", "I Can't Stop", "I Need Your Everlasting Love", "Gonna Miss Her Mississippi", "Wanna Fall In Love", "Plains", "A Fool That Was In Love", "Dance With You", and "Silent Words". CD

Partial matches93
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousClowns Exit Laughing – The Jimmy Webb Songbook ... CD
Ace (UK), Late 60s. New Copy ... $13.99 18.99
The great Jimmy Webb is one of our favorite songwriters of the 60s – a young man at the start, but one who could come across with a maturity that few of his contemporaries could match – arguably setting the scene for a key step into adult pop that would really explode in the 70s! Yet by that, we don't mean that Webb is any sort of "adult contemporary" figure from the softer side of the spectrum – as his tunes are open, honest, and filled with an understanding of the heart and its ability to break, delivered in ways that are still as powerful today as they were back when first written. The package features some of Jimmy's greatest songs, some in their famous recordings, but many more in lesser-known takes that only stand as further testament to Webb's words on the page – which really work some magic, no matter what the setting! In the best Ace tradition, the whole thing comes with a superb set of notes and details on the material – mostly late 60s tracks from Jimmy's key years, but a few gems from later too. Titles include "If This Was The Last Song" by Dee Dee Warwick, "I Keep It Hid" by The Supremes, "Carpet Man" by The Nocturnes, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "Midnight Mail" by Joey Scarbury, "MacArthur Park" by Waylon Jennings, "Do What You Gotta Do" by Nina Simone, "The Worst That Could Happen" by BJ Thomas, "Requiem 820 Latham" by Mel Torme, "Magic Garden" by Dusty Springfield, "Rosecrans Blvd" by 5th Dimension, "Honey Come Back" by Chuck Jackson, "Wichita Lineman" by Tony Joe White, "Didn't We" by James Darren, "Which Way To Nowhere" by Brooklyn Bridge, and "Clowns Exit Laughing" by The Fortunes. CD

Partial matches94
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
VariousTo Love Somebody – The Songs Of The Bee Gees 1966 to 1970 ... CD
Ace (UK), Late 60s. New Copy ... $13.99 19.99
Right from the start, the brothers Gibb were recognized as some of the most striking songwriters of their generation – a fact that's sometimes lost, due to the trio's later disco fame in the spotlight – which obscures their huge impact as songwriters from the early years! This set finally does justice to that legacy – and not only includes the rock and pop covers you might expect, but also a fair bit of soul tracks too – showing a remarkable appeal that the Bee Gees had early on for a soul audience – an influence that began long before the days in which they helped bring disco to the mainstream. There's some really wonderful tunes here – maybe less hits overall than in the usual Ace Records "songwriter" series – and the set features 24 tracks that include "To Love Somebody" by James Carr, "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" by Percy Sledge, "I Can't See Nobody" by Nina Simone, "Give A Hand Take A Hand" by The Staple Singers, "World" by Sharon Tandy, "Massachusetts" by Tommy Roe, "I Started A Joke" by Pat Kelly, "Spicks & Specks" by The Status Quo, "And The Sun Will Shine" by Paul Jones, "He's A Thief" by April Byron, "Town Of Tuxley Toymaker (part 1)" by Jon, "Morning Of My Life" by John Holt, "First Of May" by Jose Feliciano, "Words" by Bettye Swann, and "New York Mining Disaster 1941" by Velvett Fogg. CD

Partial matches95
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Alessandro AlessandroniRitmo Dell'Industria #2 (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Grand Prix/Italian Golden Mondo (Japan), 1971. New Copy ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
The sound of industry, circa 1969 Italy – which means that everything sounds a heck of a lot groovier than you might expect! Soundtrack genius Alessandro Alessandroni handled the album – and it's completely fantastic right from the very first note – nothing like an industrial album, nor even some of the peppier "industry themed" sound library sets of the European postwar theme – and instead, the music is full of jazzy elements and cool wordless vocals – especially those scatting styles you'd know from Alessandroni's work with I Cantori Modern! Tremendous throughout – and quite possibly one of the grooviest albums the composer has ever given us. Titles include "Moto Blues", "Dialogando", "Circolazione", "Basso Regime", "Vie Motrici", "Escursione", and "Numero Uno". CD

Partial matches96
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Freddie Gibbs & MadlibPinata – 10th Annversary Edition (half speed master – splatter vinyl pressing – with poster) ... LP
Madlib Invazion, 2014. New Copy (reissue)... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for straight shooting, street lingo slinging, no nonsense MCs. The freewheeling inspiration and bottomless depth of unpredictable sample funk is there, as always. It's leaner, tighter and with a thicker backdrop of beats. Gibbs is sharply on point throughout here, and if it seems like an oddball pairing at first glance, rest assured, these guys work GREAT together. Guests include Danny Brown – who drops some top shelf wordplay of his own on "High" – plus the Wu legend Raekwon on "Bomb", Domo Genius & Earl Sweatshirt on "Robes", Domo Genius, G-Whiz, Mac Miller and more on the title cut, and more. Other titles include "Supplier", "Scarface", "Deeper", "Harold's", "Thuggin'", "Real" and "Uno". LP, Vinyl record album
(Clear, black & white splatter colored vinyl – with 24" X 24" poster and alternate cover art!)

Partial matches97
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Too ShortLife Is – Too Short ... LP
Dangerous/Jive, 1988. Good ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
The second album from Too Short, and like the first, a set that firmly established both the Cali scene and the Bay Area as a hotbed of harder-hitting hip hop! And sure, there were countless later gangsta acts that slide into the sorts of cliches that often marred the genre – but back at the start, folks like Too Short, Ice T, and NWA were really exploding with a sense of message that was quite a surprise to anyone whose ears were pointed to the east – really opening the door for countless other scenes to add their two cents – including the big wave that would soon rise from the south. The whole thing still sounds surprisingly fresh all these many years later – and titles include "Life Is Too Short", "I Ain't Trippin", "Nobody Does It Better", "Cuss Words", "City Of Dope", "Don't Fight The Feelin", "Rhymes", and "Pimp The Ho". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has ring and edge wear.)

Partial matches98
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousLegendary Free Soul Premium – Free Soul 30th Anniversary ... CD
P-Vine (Japan), 1970s. New Copy 2CDs ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A fantastic tribute to the legendary Free Soul series from Japan – that run of compilations and reissues that first started back in the 90s, but which really turned us on to sounds from the 70s that we never would have heard otherwise! The Free Soul approach is a bit hard to describe in words – soulful music, but often with an upbeat, positive sort of vibe – not chart hits, disco tracks, deep funk, or other modes – but a special way of listening to soul music that's gone on to become a genre unto itself, thanks to the work of legendary compiler Toru Hashimoto – who's given us other fantastic collections over the years. 2CD set is overflowing with 43 overlooked gems – and titles include "It's You" by Joyce Cooling, "I Do My Best To Impress" by Linda Lewis, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, "World Full Of People" by Peoples Pleasure with Alive & Well, "Feelin Mellow" by Weldon Irvine, "Ray Of Hope" by Soul Generation, "Look At Me Look At You" by Marlena Shaw, "What Else Can I Say" by Ingram, "Ordinary Joe" by Terry Callier, "Chocolate Buttermilk" by Kool & The Gang, "Battened Ships" by Odyssey, "That's What You Say" by Gloria Scott, and "Yes It's You" by Sweet Charles. CD

Partial matches99
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Franco BixioFilm Music Of Franco Bixio (Deserto Di Fuoco/Instantanea Per Un Delitto/Diario Segreto/Il Tuo Piacere E Il Mio) ... CD
CAM/Quartet (Spain), Early 1970s. Used 2CD ... Out Of Stock
Four rare soundtracks from Italian composer Franco Bixio – appearing here on CD for the first time ever! First up is Deserto Di Fuoco – a score that begins with a dreamy wordless vocal theme, but then quickly moves into tenser moments – a kind of low-end, brooding approach to the music which is occasionally cut with some sweeter strings, yet still in a way that preserves the moody vibe of the other cuts! There's one "momento sexy" in the mix, but most of the tunes stay in this formation – kind of a mix of drama with slight currents of Italian warmth. Instantanea Per Un Delitto is a standout score right from the start – especially since the whole thing begins with a tune titled "I Want To Die" – a vocal number that's followed by a fair bit of other vocal tunes too – rockish numbers that almost feel like they were lifted from some Mike Curb/AIP soundtrack in the US – with titles that include "Back To My Baby", "My Sleeping Lady", "Pro9mise", "A Trip Around The World", and "Woman Pig". The soundtrack Diario Segreto Un Carcere Femminile follows – a mix of shorter tunes and warmer themes – sometimes in a lightly erotic mode, but also balanced with a bit of action too – and nice use of spare guitar and piano to evoke some nicely moody moments. There's a few tunes with fuller woodwinds and strings – a nice touch, and much more sensitive than usual for Bixio! Last up is the score for Il Tuo Piacere E'Il Mio – music that's filled with all sorts of weird touches – from spare recorder or harpsichord lines, to some offbeat churchy vocals – used on short tunes that end up with a pretty spooky vibe overall! The 2CD set features 63 tracks in all – done in the great quality we've really come to appreciate from the Quartet label. CD

Partial matches100
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ DelcosBoy Could They Sing! ... CD
Ebony, Early 60s. Used ... Out Of Stock
The title certainly gets this one right – as The Delcos are one of the heaviest 60s vocal groups you could ever hope to hear! The group were very obscure, even in their day – as they hailed from the "out of the spotlight" scene of South Bend/Mishiwaka, Indiana, where they recorded most of the work on this CD. Only a few of the tracks on the set have ever been issued – and those go for quite a bit on the collectors market these days – and the rest have been pulled from the vaults of Ebony Records, issued here for the first time ever! The group have a fantastic harmony approach that bridges the doo wop and early soul years – and they sing with very little accompaniment, so that the vocals come across very strongly. Titles include "Peace Of Mind", "Arabia", "Three Little Words", "Still Miss You So", "Cleopatra", "Come On Back", "Give Me A Chance", "When You Dance", and "Just A Memory". 28 tracks in all! CD
 
 
! Didn't find what you're looking for? You can set a product alert and we'll notify you of new matches.
 



⇑ Top