Features Azar Lawrence, Dwight Dickerson, Charles Owens, Oscar Brashear, Michael Carvin, Babara Morrison, and others. Titles include "Neucisitic Nubian Alligator", "For Penny", "Sister Cheryl", "Pensativa", "Theme For JoJo", and "Brother George". CD

A crowning moment of genius from trumpeter Harry Beckett – a musician who's graced a heck of a lot of records over the years, but who really knocks it out of the park with this amazing early session as a leader! Harry's work on flugelhorn is worth the price of admission alone – bold, focused, and full of all these sharp edges that really mark a new moment of expression on the instrument, equally matched by his work on trumpet too. Yet the overall vibe of the group is what really sends the record home – sounds on piano from John Taylor, vibes from Frank Ricotti, soprano and tenor from Alan Skidmore, and baritone and soprano from John Surman – all key players on Beckett's scene, really hitting their heights here. Arrangements are by Surman, Beckett, and Graham Collier – all of whom wrote material too – and titles include "Flare Up", "Where Fortune Smiles", "Flow Stream Flow", "The Other Side", "Rolli's Tune", "Fools Play", and "Third Road". LP, Vinyl record album

2 Capitol Records gems from Louis Prima & Keely Smith – on a single CD, and with bonus tracks too! Hey Boy Hey Girl is a groovy little soundtrack recording – done for a rare film that starred Louis Prima and Keely Smith, working very much at the height of their 50s Capitol powers! The sound of the album's every bit as great as some of the better-known studio sets by the pair – and like those sets, the record's a mix of the duo's great duet numbers and some excellent solo tracks too – numbers that either have Louis in the lead, or Keely hitting a few warmer, mellower notes. Backings are by Sam Butera & The Witnesses – and titles include "Hey Boy Hey Girl", "Banana Split For My Baby", "Fever", "You Are My Love", "Oh Marie", "Lazy River", and "Nitey-Nite". Swinging Pretty is a classic album by Keely Smith – Louis Prima's one-time wife and classic singing partner, working here on her own! Arrangements are by Nelson Riddle – showcasing Keely as a great singer in her own right, able to work in that sophisticated jazz-based style that you'd find with the best Capitol singers, like Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, or Nat King Cole. Titles include "It's Magic", "Indian Love Call", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Stormy Weather", and "There Will Never Be Another You". Bonus tracks include "A Foggy Day", "Nothings Too Good For My Baby", "The Lip", and "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Louis & Keely – plus "It's Magic", "Don't Let A Memory", and "Don't Take Your Love From Me" by Keely Smith. CD

With arrangements by Phil Woods and Frank Wess – on titles that include "Dirty Old Man", "Big Bad Band", "Rock Skipping At Blue Note", and "Shell Game". LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums from this great guitarist! Common Cause is a spare trio outing from guitarist Attilla Zoller, done with support from Ron Carter on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and in a groove that nicely slips from mellow straight material one moment to more adventurous tunes the next! The straighter work is oddly some of the most appealing here – and is a refreshing change to some of Zoller's more experimental (but still great) work from the period – a great illustration of his strong tone on a simple line, in a way that we don't often get to hear on record. Straight numbers include "Lady Love" and "Kaybee" – juxtaposed with the more "out" "Tshitar", and the soaring number "Meet". Dream Bells is a hell of an album from guitarist Attila Zoller – one that's just a trio date, but which almost seems to have a fuller feel than some of his records from the time! The rhythms are wonderful – this warm, round bass from Frank Luther, whose tones alone really create a soulful energy on the record – and drummer Sonny Brown's got this nicely skittish tone that percolates even the mellow moments in this really great way – leaving Zoller to solo spaciously over the top with a sublime tone, and maybe a slightly deeper sense of soul than usual. Titles include "Dream Bells", "Seascape", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "Sudden Romance". Overcome is beautiful live work from guitarist Attila Zoller – stretching out here on long, spacious tracks that are maybe even more majestic an example of his tone than some of his studio work of the time! The group is a quartet – with Kirk Lightsey on piano, Michael Formanek on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – nicely subtle players at all the right moments, on titles that include "Overcome", "Starry Night", "Lullabye", and "Lev Blues". CD

One of the hippest compilations of boogaloo work we've ever stocked – and one that goes way past the bigger names on Fania or Tico, into the underground of small labels from the late 60s! The tunes here are all especially rare – issued originally on labels that include Speed and Ghetto, and brought together beautifully here with an ear for soulful vocals, snapping rhythms, and some of the grooviest styles of the Latin Soul generation! The Speed recordings are especial favorites of ours, because the label had a really great way of setting up a groove, and often broke from more conventional Latin modes to hit some very unique rhythms. But all the work here is totally great – and titles include "Alla Tu" by Conjunto Universal, "Do Your Shing A Ling" by Pijuan, "I'll Be A Happy Man" by Latin Blues Band, "Return To Spanish Harlem" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Latin Soul Boogaloo" by Paul Serrano, "One Way Ticket" by The Real Thing, "Symphony Sid In Acapulco" by Frankie Nieves, "Brass Boogaloo" by Sounds Tropicana, "Hippy Skippy Moon Strut" by Moon People, and "Mi Negra Va Gozar" by Paul Ortiz. LP, Vinyl record album

Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open up with modes that echo some of the changes in soul via house, electro, and other new styles of the decade – including the big role of the remixer, as many of these numbers are special remixes for the dancefloors! The package is a 7" square book-styled set, with pages of notes, images, and track details by Paul Burston – and the set features 54 long numbers in all – with titles that include "Love Reaction (12" version)" by Divine, "High Energy (ext)" by Evelyn Thomas, "I Like You (ext)" by Phyllis Nelson, "Another Night (dance mix)" by Aretha Franklin, "They Say It's Gonna Rain (Zulu mix)" by Hazel Dean, "Jump (12" long version)" by The Pointer Sisters, "Give Me Your Love (Ultimix)" by Sisley Ferre, "So Many Men So Little Time (ext)" by Miguel Brown, "Male Stripper (ext US rmx)" by Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish, "No GDM (12" version)" by Gina X Performance, "Memorabilia (non stop ecstatic dancing version)" by Soft Cell, "Why (12" version)" by Bronski Beat, "Relax (New York mix)" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Don't Drop Bombs (ext)" by Liza Minelli, "Love In The First Degree (jailers mix)" by Bananarama, "In Private (12" version)" by Dusty Springfield, "Someday (club)" by Cece Rogers, "Break 4 Love (drop the panties)" by Raze, "Touch Me (sexual version)" by The 49-ers, "It's Over Now (Basement Boys mix)" by Ultra Nate, "Promised Land (club mix)" by Joe Smooth, "Wait (long version)" by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and lots lots more! CD

Titles include "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "El Condor Pasa", "Cecilia", "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright", "Baby Driver", "The Boxer", "The Only Living Boy In New York", "Keep The Customer Satisfied", and "Song For The Asking". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "El Condor Pasa", "Cecilia", "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright", "Baby Driver", "The Boxer", "The Only Living Boy In New York", "Keep The Customer Satisfied", and "Song For The Asking". Features bonus DVD – with a very cool TV special from 1969, plus another documentary on the making of this album – titled The Harmony Game. 132 minutes of DVD material! CD

Titles include "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "El Condor Pasa", "Cecilia", "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright", "Baby Driver", "The Boxer", "The Only Living Boy In New York", "Keep The Customer Satisfied", and "Song For The Asking". CD

A massive collection of Tortoise rarities – including work from non-US releases, tour-only EP material, compilation tracks and more – plus the long out-of-print, heavily sought after Rhythms, Resolutions And Clusters remix album – all at a great price! You really couldn't ask for a better collection of errata from the celebrated group. It features some of the best work the collective and individual members (Jeff Parker ('97-present), John Herndon, John McEntire, Doug McCombs, Dan Bitney, David Pajo ('95-'97) and Bundy Brown ('91-'94)) have ever done! Rhythms, Resolutions And Clusters – featuring adventurous re-imaginings by such a diverse roster as Casey Rice, Steve Albini, Brad Wood, Jim O'Rourke and Mike Watt – is possibly the face value boon of the collection given it's known "legendary lost" status, but pretty much everything here is just as tough to find, if not literally impossible! The set contains 3CDs and a DVD, which features most of Tortoise's music videos and extensive rare live performance footage. Frankly, we'd have paid $20 just for a CD single with "Gamera", and that's just the kick off track on disc 1! Other tracks on disc 1 include "Blackbyrd", "Sex For Elizabeth", "To Day Retrieval", "Whitewater", "Autumn Sweater", "A Grape Dope", "Blue Station" and more. Disc 2 includes "Madison Area", "TNT (Nobukazu Takemura remix)", "Why We Fight", "CTA", "Adverse", Cliff Dweller Society" and more. Disc 3 (Rhythms, Resolutions And Clusters) includes the tracks "Alcohall", "Your New Rod", "Cobwebbed", "The Match Incident", "Tin Cans", "Not Quite East Of The Ryan", "Cornpone Brunch" and more. DVD includes the videos for "Salt The Skies", "Dear Grandma And Grandpa", "Seneca", and more, plus live footage from Toronto in '96, the Deutches Jazz Festival in '99, Chic-A-Go-Go in '05 and the Burn To Shine project in '04. CD

A treasure trove of west coast jazz work from the mid 50s – one that features a number of unusual sessions! First off, the set includes 4 tracks that were initially recorded under the leadership of Shorty Rogers, most likely for RCA – and featuring players that include Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, and Pete Jolly – on titles that include the Giuffre originals "Safari", "Ballade", and "Scarf Dance". Next up are 15 tracks from the rare Best From The West 10" jazz LPs for Blue Note – originally billed as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather, and some of the label's only west coast jazz sessions of the 50s! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Howard Roberts, Marty Paich, and others – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's very much in the spirit of some of the best west coast work for labels like Pacific Jazz or Capitol at the time! This CD reissue includes both of the original 10" albums on one set – along with much-needed notes on the players. Titles include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Burbank Bounce", "Arcadia", "Here's Pete", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". The set then features 9 more tracks from sine 1957 sessions produced by Howard Lucraft, also done as a study in West Coast jazz – featuring compositions by Lucraft that include "Smog A La Mode", "Jazz For Gene", "Larrisa", and "California Zephyr – played by 3 different groups of players that include Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Mariano, and Buddy Collette. Last up are 4 more tunes from a 1955 session that features Stu Williamson, Herb Geller, Jack Montrose, and Bob Gordon – on tracks that include "Id", "I'm Forever Counting Geigers", and "Skip To Me Loot". 38 tracks in all – with full notes on the sessions and players! CD

The landmark album from Hampton Grease Band – a group who were every bit as weird and wonderful as contemporaries like Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa – and who work here with a similar sense of wit and freeplay in their instrumentation! Given that the group originally had some blues elements in their music, there's a definite link to Beefheart – and there's a dynamism here that almost feels as if they felt like they conquered blues rock at an early age, when they were working the southern scene – then felt free to play with its elements in whatever way they wanted! Bruce Hampton's vocals are wonderful – almost as weird and skittish as sounds that would later come from the art/punk underground at the end of the decade – and titles include "Halifax", "Maria", "Evans", "Hey Old Lady & Bert's Song", and "Hendon". CD

Eddie certainly was the "hit man" on this one – a tight album of hard stepping soul tracks, mostly cut in Eddie's famous "boogie" mode of the mid 70s! The cuts mix wonderful soul vocals with some tight jazzy instrumentation – laid down by players like Wah Wah Ragin, Harvey Mason, Ray Parker, and Leonard Caston, who produced the album with Frank Wilson. The record's got swirling strings around harder instrumentation – in a mode that's perfect for Eddie's sweet vocal style – and the sound is right up there with classic work by Marvin Gaye or Barry White. Includes the nice long cut "Body Talk", plus "Happy", "If Anyone Can", "Fortune Teller", "I've Got To Be", and "Skippin' Work Today". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful recent live set by the Mingus Big Band – recorded with a very different spirit than back when the group was lead by the legendary Charles, but still pretty great overall! Players here are musicians well-tuned to the surging emotion and measured intensity of Mingus at his best – and while there's perhaps a bit less power here than before, the group more than make up for that lack with a strongly focused energy and keen sense of purpose. Players include Frank Lacy on trombone, Eddie Henderson and Jack Walrath on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto and flute, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and Dave Kikoski on piano – and titles are all new versions of Mingus compositions "Wham Bam", "Opus Four", "Celia", "Bird Calls", "Meditations", "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "Free Cell Block F", and "Ecclusiastics". CD

A hell of an album from guitarist Attila Zoller – one that's just a trio date, but which almost seems to have a fuller feel than some of his records from the time! The rhythms are wonderful – this warm, round bass from Frank Luther, whose tones alone really create a soulful energy on the record – and drummer Sonny Brown's got this nicely skittish tone that percolates even the mellow moments in this really great way – leaving Zoller to solo spaciously over the top with a sublime tone, and maybe a slightly deeper sense of soul than usual. Titles include "Dream Bells", "Seascape", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "Sudden Romance". CD features a bonus track – "Oleo". CD

Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open up with modes that echo some of the changes in soul via house, electro, and other new styles of the decade – including the big role of the remixer, as many of these numbers are special remixes for the dancefloors! The package is a 7" square book-styled set, with pages of notes, images, and track details by Paul Burston – and the set features 54 long numbers in all – with titles that include "Love Reaction (12" version)" by Divine, "High Energy (ext)" by Evelyn Thomas, "I Like You (ext)" by Phyllis Nelson, "Another Night (dance mix)" by Aretha Franklin, "They Say It's Gonna Rain (Zulu mix)" by Hazel Dean, "Jump (12" long version)" by The Pointer Sisters, "Give Me Your Love (Ultimix)" by Sisley Ferre, "So Many Men So Little Time (ext)" by Miguel Brown, "Male Stripper (ext US rmx)" by Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish, "No GDM (12" version)" by Gina X Performance, "Memorabilia (non stop ecstatic dancing version)" by Soft Cell, "Why (12" version)" by Bronski Beat, "Relax (New York mix)" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Don't Drop Bombs (ext)" by Liza Minelli, "Love In The First Degree (jailers mix)" by Bananarama, "In Private (12" version)" by Dusty Springfield, "Someday (club)" by Cece Rogers, "Break 4 Love (drop the panties)" by Raze, "Touch Me (sexual version)" by The 49-ers, "It's Over Now (Basement Boys mix)" by Ultra Nate, "Promised Land (club mix)" by Joe Smooth, "Wait (long version)" by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and lots lots more! CD

While this is the sort of collection labels churn out as a loss leader, to spark interest in their artists, this set actually shows off the depth of talent in the Atlantic catalog throughout the 60s. Mostly soul and R&B, but with a few pop numbers too, the twelve song set plays great as sampler of some of the top sounds of the late 60s: Wilson Pickett "Funky Broadway", Aretha Franklin "Baby I Love You", The Rascals "Groovin", Sam & Dave "Soul Man", Te Bar-Kays "Soul Finger", Joe Tex "Skinny Legs And All", Aretha Franklin "Chain Of Fools", Otis Redding "Dock Of The Bay", Sonny & Cher "The Beat Goes On", The Bee Gees "To Love Somebody", Buffalo Springfield "For What It's Worth" and The Fireballs featuring Jimmy Gilmer "Bottle Of Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Parton on lead trumpet, Art Davis, Joey Tartall, Mike McGrath, Scott Wagstaff, and Vincent DiMartino on trumpet, Antonio J Garcia, Brian Jacobi, Craig Sunkin, Jack Schmidt, and Tom Matta on trombone, Bob Frankich, Bob Reszutko, Brian Budzik, Kurt Berg, and Mark Colby on saxophone, Deanna Witkowski on piano, Paul Martin on bass, Tom Hipskind on drums, with vocals from Kristy Parton. CD

An essential chapter of Miami soul – even if most of the work is appearing here for the first time ever! The set is a magnificent companion to Numero's Deep City collection of pre-TK Miami soul – but it's put together in such a way that it's almost a beautiful introduction to the south Florida sound on its own – served up in a batch of rare, unreleased tracks! The music is every bit as wonderful as you'd expect – Miami soul recorded at a time before cliches had started to hit that scene – and when the best artists down south were strongly resonating ideas from Memphis and Muscle Shoals with other elements borrowed from northern groups both funky and mellow. But even above the 20 great tracks on the CD, the package is amazing too – filled with notes on each group, a special appendix on Miami soul, a rare indie label discography, and a wealth of great images and photos – all layered lovingly into a full-color, 32 page booklet! Numero have really outdone themselves with this one – and the collection is way more than a part 2 to their previous package – more of a brilliant set of soul tunes on its own, complete with a booklet that's as beautiful as the music. Titles include "One Little Piece" by The Rollers, "Don't Be Surprised" by Lynn Williams, "No Way Out" by Clarence Reid, "What's In The Lovin" by Helene Smith, "Mr Lucky" by Betty Wright, "There Goes My Baby" by James Knight & The Butlers, "Do What You're Doin" by The Rising Sun, "Do Your Stuff" by Perk Badger, "Masterpiece" by Deep City Band, "Nasty Dog (part 2)" by The Nasty Dog Catchers, "Thank You Baby" by Betty Wright, "Your Love Won't Let Me Leave You" by Snoopy Dean, "The Pot Can't Talk About The Kettle" by Helene Smith, "Show Me What You Got" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Don't Be A Fool" by Clarence Reid, and "Knockin At The Wrong Door" by The Rollers. CD

Wonderful stuff – Nilsson's soundtrack for one of the strangest movies of the 60s – a mad film directed by Otto Preminger, and featuring a cast of characters that included Jackie Gleason, Frank Gorshin, Peter Lawford, Cesar Romero, and Groucho Marx as God! The sounds are a weird hippy dippy soundtrack style – but also drenched in Nilsson's wry wit, which keeps them from being too silly, a good thing, if you've seen the movie! The highlight of the album is the incredible "The Cast & Crew" – a number that rolled at the beginning of the film, in which Nilsson sings the name of everyone associated with the production – including the lighting guys and electrician! Other tracks include "Green Bay Packers March", "Angie's Suite", "The Tree", and "Garbage Can Ballet". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful TV soundtrack work from Skip Martin – who's really giving Henry Mancini a run for his money in the crime jazz department! Martin's score for the Mike Hammer show here is totally great – penned with a range of styles that run from swinging to sentimental – all handled by a top-shelf crew of west coast jazz players that includes Ted Nash on flute and alto, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Bud Shank on alto, Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Pete Jolly on piano. Titles include "Bad Guys", "Coffee House", "Like Mike", "Summer Mood", "Corn Pone Woman", and "Riff Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

An excellent full length set of beats & genius from J Dilla – put together by fellow beatmaker extraordinaire Pete Rock, with all Dilla beats – a surprising triumph! Call us jaded, but honestly, we weren't sure how deep the well could go of ready-to-go beats from Dilla, but this stuff is truly top shelf – nearly as strong as the instant classic Donuts from a few years back! Pete Rock crafts the set as if it's a radio show or mixtape, but his skill in so doing is well above and beyond the norm – neither Pete's interjections nor the guest rappers ever get in the way of the flow, it's as smooth as can be. Vocal guests include Ma Dukes (the album was made under Ma's auspices), plus Lil Fame & MOP, Black Thought, Frank Nitty of Frank N Dank, Doom, Illa J & Cue D, Blu, and others. Titles include "King", "I Told Yall", "Smoke" feat Blu, "CaDILLAc". "Fire Wood Drumstix" feat Doom, "Big Day", "24K Rap" feat Havoc of Mobb Deep & Raekwon, "Coming Back", "Mythsysizer" and more. 28 tracks in all, about an hour of unreleased Dilla! CD

A really early piece of music from the great Karl Jenkins – the British instrumentalist that most folks know for his work in Soft Machine in the mid 70s – heard here a few years before, on a beautiful composition that mixes his jazz inclinations with some of his more serious ambitions! The album features one long work, divided up into movements – played by a lineup of some of the hippest British jazz players of the moment – including Ian Carr on flugelhorn, Ray Warleigh on alto, Alan Skidmore on tenor, Brian Smith on soprano, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Frank Ricotti on percussion! There's a solid, soaring vibe to "Penumbra II" – as the piece builds slowly, with some great piano from Jenkins himself – then really takes off, with added help from Dave MacRae on electric piano, Ray Babbington on bass, and John Marshall on drums – all at a level that mixes modal energy with some solos that step out nicely, but never too free or outside! CD

Osie Johnson looks a bit blurry on the cover, but the music on the record is razor-sharp – a great demonstration not only of Johnson's skill on the drums, but also his rare talents as a leader! Osie graced countless top-shelf sessions in the 50s, but only got a rare few chances to work up front – and he does a great job here with a shifting lineup that includes Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Henry Coker on trombone, and Ernie Watkins on alto – all players used in differently-sized groups throughout the length of the set. Most tunes have a nice groove – a bounce that might refer to the "happy" in the title – and Johnson also sings at a few points, with this great raspy R&B style. Titles include "Osmosis", "Cat Walk", "Johnson's Whacks", "The Desert Song", "Osie's Oasis", and "Flute To Boot". LP, Vinyl record album

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in many many years from Bobby Pierce – an organist who recorded briefly for Cobblestone and Muse in the early 70s, then seemed to drop out of sight altogether! The passage of time hasn't dimmed Bobby's skills a bit – as he plays the Hammond here just like he did back in the day – with a classic 60s-styled approach to soul jazz, one steeped in plenty of Don Patterson-like lines – and recorded with a similar open sort of flow. Like Patterson, Pierce gets some great work on guitar for the date – played by Frank Potenza, who manages to rhythmically groove in just the right way. Other players include Ricky Woodard on tenor and Clarence Johnston on drums – and titles include "One For Duff & Dink", "The Long Road Back", "Frenchie", "Bobby's Back", "The Good Life", and "Invitation". CD

A record with a very deep sound – maybe what you'd guess from the richness of the trombone work of Steve Swell, which is also echoed here by the bass of Peter Giron and drums of John Betsch – both of whom make for a very solid bottom to the set! The music is improvised, but this grounding seems to give it some earth from which to grow – resulting in these flowering lines from Rob Brown on alto sax, and Michel Edelin on flutes – both players whose sense of tonal expression is really opened up here! Swell has this way of moving between the different layers of sound with effortless ease – and the quintet improvise over light compositions with the sort of freshness that keeps free jazz so vibrant over the years. Titles include "Dawn", "Nexus", "Hop Skip & Jump", "New Orleans", "Oer The Wall", "Prevert Is Now", and "For Frank Lowe". CD

A rare soul jazz session from alto saxophonist Leo Wright – a player that we mostly know from his bossa work of the early 60s! The session's extremely noteworthy as being one of the few to feature female organist Gloria Coleman – a player with whom Wright worked on her classic 1963 date Soul Sisters, and who returns here in a very similar hard-wailing sax-and-organ mode! Wright's work on alto is incredibly deep – with a sharper bite than much of his other 60s sessions, and a gutsy down-n-dirty quality that makes the record feel like one of the best organ jazz albums at the time from Prestige. Coleman's approach to the Hammond is great too – freely skipping around with a liberated sense of rhythm, in a way that matches Wright's every twist and turn with ease – and throws a few of its own into the mix as well! The group's completed by Kenny Burrell on guitar (also sounding harder here than usual!) and Frankie Dunlop on drums – and titles include some fresh originals "Poopsie's Minor", "State Trooper", "Blue Leo", "Blues Fanfare", and "Soul Talk". CD

Amazing music from the depths of the Great Depression, but it's hardly a downer – this is a deeply felt collection of tunes by black & white singers and combos of the 20s & 30s that's cathartic, emotional, and a complete treasure trove! The songs are full of brutal beauty, tragedy, and some dark humor, especially when it gets to the murder ballads – and more than 30 of the 70 songs haven't been reissued before now! This is simply one of the very best sets of archival Americana since the epic CD releases of the Anthology Of American Folk Music. It's really that good! The discs are separated thematically – Man V Machine, Man V Nature, and Man V Man (And Woman, Too) – and titles include "Titanic Blues" by Hi Henry Brown & Charlie Jordan, "The Crash Of The Akron" by Bob Miller, "Wreck Of Old 97" by Skillet Lickers, "The Fatal Wreck Of The Blus" bu Mainer's Mountaineers, "The Story Of The Mighty Mississippi" by Ernest Stoneman, "When The Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie, "The Death Of Floyd Collins" by Vernon Dalhart, "Peddler And His Wife" by Hayes Shepherd, "Frankie" by Dykes Magic City Trio, "Dupree Blues" by Willie Walker. 70 tracks on 3CDs! CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD

All of Prima's sides for Capitol from the late 50s and early 60s, plus wife and colleague Keely Smith and band leader Sam Butera's solo work from the era in an incredible 8 CD box! We often think of Louis as kinda of a loungey, Vegas cool cat, but what is so awesome about the material you'll find here is how furiously manic so much of it is. The first 3 discs document Prima at his wild, hard-swinging studio best – and could give Tito Puente a run for his money in the sweaty big-beat department! Tracks include "Buona Sera", "Just A Gigolo/I A'int Got Nobody ", "Jump, Jive, And Wail", "The Closer To The Bone", "Pennies From Heaven", "Pump Song", "Fee Fio Foo", "Lazy River", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and tons more. Discs 4 covers live sets at the Harrah's Club and the Sahara, and includes "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "A Foggy Day", "Robin Hood", "Judy", and "Greenback Dollar Bill". Discs 5 & 6 cover Keely's sweeter but nearly as great sides, with Nelson Riddle and others, and tracks include "I Wish You Love", "It's Magic", and "Nothing In Common" and "How Are Ya' Fixed For Love?" with Frank Sinatra. Finally, Sam Butera's solo work is collected on the last 2 discs, returning things to Prima-style rockin' jazz, and including "Bim Bam", "Twinkle In Your Eye", "Bugs", "Tennessee Waltz", "Better Twist Now Baby", and "I'll Feel Good All Over". Great stuff from one of the tightest working units from the era, and a real treat to have in one place! CD

With Chuck Berghofer on bass, Ken Peplowski on clarinet & tenor saxophone, Frank Capp on drums, Howard Alden on guitar & Glenn Zottola on trumpet. CD

Luques Curtis, Mark Przybylowski, and Mike Boone on bass, Mark Allen and Todd Marcus on bass clarinet, Anwar Marshall, Donald Edwards, and Gene Jackson on drums, Jim Holton, Neil Podgurski, and Orrin Evans on piano, Chelsea Baratz, Darryl Yokley, Doug DeHays, Jaleel Shaw, Mark Allen, Ralph Bowen, Rob Landham, Tia Fuller, Tim Warfield, Todd Bashore, Victor North, Wade Dean and Wayne Escoffery on saxophone, Brent White, Ernest Stuart, Frank Lacy, Joe McDonough, and Stafford Hunter on trombone, and Brian Kilpatrick, Curtis Taylor, Daud El-Bakara, Josh Evans, Leon Jordan Jr, Luke Brandon, Tatum Greenblatt, Tim Thompson, and Walter White on trumpet. CD

A fantastic combination of modern jazz talents – the groundbreaking Gary Burton Quartet, and the young avant ensemble of trombonist Mike Gibbs! The set begins with a fantastic performance by Burton's group – heard here in a lineup that has the guitar of Dave Pritchard sharing equal chromatic roles with Burton's beautiful vibes – alongside sublime bass from Steve Swallow, and drums from Bill Goodwin. Gary solos on a great version of "Chega De Saudade", and other tunes include "General Mojo's Well Laid Plan", "Arise Her Eyes", "And On The Third Day", "Ballet", and "Portsmith Configurations". CD 2 features a full set by Gibbs' group – in a rare recording before their debut album – with a lineup that includes Kenny Wheeler and Trevor Barber on trumpets, Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh on saxes, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Chris Pyne on trombone with Gibbs. Tracks are all long, and really beautiful – and include "Nowhere", "Walter L", "Tanglewood 63", and "Sojourn/June The 15th 1967". There's also vibes on these performances, but the notes are a bit unclear – so we're not sure if they're by Burton, or Frank Ricotti – who also worked with Gibbs. Burton's group returns on the funky track "Doin The Pig" – and then CD3 features a full second performance from earlier in 1969 – with a group that also includes John Surman on soprano, Mike Osborne on alto, Henry Lowther on trumpet, Jack Bruce on bass, and Ricotti on vibes. Titles on this set include "Feelings & Things/June The 15th 1967", "Sweet Rain", "Family Joy Oh Boy", and "Fly Time Fly Sigh". CD

One of Elmo Hope's best trio sessions from the west coast – and a record that really showcases on his skills as a writer as much as a player! The session features 7 original compositions, plus one standard – all done in a complex, modern mode by Hope with a trio that includes the excellent bass player Jimmy Bond, and drummer Frank Butler. Oddly, the session was also one of David Axelrod's first production efforts – not that you can really hear his trademark sound at this point – but it's a nice chapter in his rich legacy! Hope's stellar, as always – and the album's filled with great tracks that include "Barfly", "Boa", "Minor Bertha", "Tranquility", and "Something For Kenny". CD

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

Brit DJ Keb Darge is (and has been for years) one of the world's foremost experts on the funky 45. This masterful comp put together by the folks at BBE brings together an amazing collection of rare tracks lost to the world – nearly all of which have never appeared on other comps of this sort of stuff. Excellent all the way through, with a masterful selection of tracks like "Quit Jive'in" by Pearly Queen, "Gimme Some Skin" by Frank Penn, "Zambezi" by The Fun Company, "Who Dun It" by The Originals Orchestra, and "The First Thing I Do In the Morning" by Joyce Williams. Great all the way through, and compiled with a feel that makes you think you're spending time at some great club night in London! Stormin funkiness! CD

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD