A really compelling set from this important Japanese group of the 70s – a quartet headed up by guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi – but which features a very complex balance of work from all the individual members! The set initially begins with a traditional vibe, but then seems to step out with each new track – almost encompassing a history of modern jazz in the music, then moving past with its own sense of invention! Masayuki's guitar rings out on the spare "The Blues", which begins – but then moves aside for free flute work from Kenji Mori on a mindblowing take of "You Don't Know What Love Is" – almost handled with a late Dolphy vibe. "Sun In The East" has the ensemble moving boldly together – with double drums and percussion from Joe Mizuki and Hiroshi Yamazaki – and the set concludes with the extended "Free Form Suite" – a tune that definitely lives up to its name! CD

A really compelling set from this important Japanese group of the 70s – a quartet headed up by guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi – but which features a very complex balance of work from all the individual members! The set initially begins with a traditional vibe, but then seems to step out with each new track – almost encompassing a history of modern jazz in the music, then moving past with its own sense of invention! Masayuki's guitar rings out on the spare "The Blues", which begins – but then moves aside for free flute work from Kenji Mori on a mindblowing take of "You Don't Know What Love Is" – almost handled with a late Dolphy vibe. "Sun In The East" has the ensemble moving boldly together – with double drums and percussion from Joe Mizuki and Hiroshi Yamazaki – and the set concludes with the extended "Free Form Suite" – a tune that definitely lives up to its name! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the albums Off To The Races, Byrd In Hand, Fuego, Byrd In Flight, At The Half Note 1 & 2, Royal Flush, Free Form, Cat Walk, and New Perspective. CD

A wild rarity in the Lightnin Hopkins catalog – a set done for the legendary Texas psych label International Artists! Titles include "Fox Chase", "mr Charlie", "Mini Skirt", "Got Her Letter This Morning", "Baby Child", "Cookings Done", and "Mr Ditta's Grocery Store". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. Plus, this CD also features the bonus cut "Three Wishes", written by Hancock! CD

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. Plus, this CD also features the bonus cut "Three Wishes", written by Hancock! CD

A pair of legendary albums from the mighty Joe Harriott – a player who emigrated to England in the 50s, then set the scene on fire in the following decade! First up is Free Form – the landmark album that forever put saxophonist Joe Harriott on the map, and it's a brilliant batch of tracks that prove that Harriott was advancing the jazz avant garde in England as much as players like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were advancing it in America. Despite the "free form" of the title, the tracks are more "new thing" – somewhat structured, with a rhythmic approach that's still a little straight, but solos that go nice and outside. Joe's overall conception is a beautiful mix of angular thinking with freely expressed soulful emotion – and the record's one that ranks up there with the 10 most groundbreaking of the 60s! The group's about as fantastic as you could ever expect from England at the time – with Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seamen on drums – and titles include "Formation", "Coda", "Abstract", "Straight Lines", and "Impression". Next is Abstract – one of the legendary sets of avant garde jazz by the British alto genius Joe Harriott – an artist who was sometimes billed as the British Ornette Coleman – a reputation he definitely earns with the groundbreaking quality of this album! The conception is bold right from the start – strongly rhythmic, but at a level that's different from Coleman's music – with some deeply emotional undertones to the solos (which also include work from Shake Keane on trumpet!) – and occasional modal elements that also bring in some spiritual elements to work perfect with the breakout solos. The group also features crack rhythm work from Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seaman on drums – and the track list includes "Subject", "Shadows", "Tonal", "Oleo", "Pictures", "Idiom", "Compound" and "Modal". CD

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the grooves are great – very much what we've come to expect from this long-running series that always serves up some great funky tracks! Mood Mosaic's been around for a long time, and they've got a great reputation for mixing together tracks you might not normally find on a compilation – not just standard soul and funk tracks, but some more unusual numbers from unlikely sources – which work together with the others to create a very cool vibe throughout! Titles include "The Build Up" by Alan Tew, "Balek" by Placebo, "Izzy Come Izzy Go" by Funk Revolution, "Silent Scream" by Dave Myers Effect, "Kulawy Wojtek" by Nibiesko Czarni, "Mr Deal" by JC Heavy, "Hakusha" by The Neopolitans, "Funky Chimes (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Scracchers, "Cosmic Sea" by Mystic Moods, and "A Man" by Key & Cleary. LP, Vinyl record album

Essential! This is the landmark album that forever put saxophonist Joe Harriott on the map, and it's a brilliant batch of tracks that prove that Harriott was advancing the jazz avant garde in England as much as players like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were advancing it in America. Despite the "free form" of the title, the tracks are more "new thing" – somewhat structured, with a rhythmic approach that's still a little straight, but solos that go nice and outside. Joe's overall conception is a beautiful mix of angular thinking with freely expressed soulful emotion – and the record's one that ranks up there with the 10 most groundbreaking of the 60s! The group's about as fantastic as you could ever expect from England at the time – with Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seamen on drums – and titles include "Formation", "Coda", "Abstract", "Straight Lines", and "Impression". CD

A pair of legendary albums from the mighty Joe Harriott – a player who emigrated to England in the 50s, then set the scene on fire in the following decade! First up is Free Form – the landmark album that forever put saxophonist Joe Harriott on the map, and it's a brilliant batch of tracks that prove that Harriott was advancing the jazz avant garde in England as much as players like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were advancing it in America. Despite the "free form" of the title, the tracks are more "new thing" – somewhat structured, with a rhythmic approach that's still a little straight, but solos that go nice and outside. Joe's overall conception is a beautiful mix of angular thinking with freely expressed soulful emotion – and the record's one that ranks up there with the 10 most groundbreaking of the 60s! The group's about as fantastic as you could ever expect from England at the time – with Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seamen on drums – and titles include "Formation", "Coda", "Abstract", "Straight Lines", and "Impression". Next is Abstract – one of the legendary sets of avant garde jazz by the British alto genius Joe Harriott – an artist who was sometimes billed as the British Ornette Coleman – a reputation he definitely earns with the groundbreaking quality of this album! The conception is bold right from the start – strongly rhythmic, but at a level that's different from Coleman's music – with some deeply emotional undertones to the solos (which also include work from Shake Keane on trumpet!) – and occasional modal elements that also bring in some spiritual elements to work perfect with the breakout solos. The group also features crack rhythm work from Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seaman on drums – and the track list includes "Subject", "Shadows", "Tonal", "Oleo", "Pictures", "Idiom", "Compound" and "Modal". CD

Three great albums from saxophone genius Joe Harriott! CD

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the grooves are great – very much what we've come to expect from this long-running series that always serves up some great funky tracks! Mood Mosaic's been around for a long time, and they've got a great reputation for mixing together tracks you might not normally find on a compilation – not just standard soul and funk tracks, but some more unusual numbers from unlikely sources – which work together with the others to create a very cool vibe throughout! Titles include "The Build Up" by Alan Tew, "Balek" by Placebo, "Izzy Come Izzy Go" by Funk Revolution, "Silent Scream" by Dave Myers Effect, "Kulawy Wojtek" by Nibiesko Czarni, "Mr Deal" by JC Heavy, "Hakusha" by The Neopolitans, "Funky Chimes (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Scracchers, "Cosmic Sea" by Mystic Moods, and "A Man" by Key & Cleary. CD

A really great return to form for the Free Soul series – one that mixed together key tracks from a variety of hip 70s soul and jazz labels – including Flying Dutchman, Brunswick, and TK – all with an assortment of grooves that really work well together! As with the classic Free Soul sets, all the titles here were chosen by Toru Hashimoto – a man who's taught us plenty about music over the decades – and the long package runs for over 80 minutes, with a sublime assortment of cuts that include "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "Misdemeanor" by Foster Sylvers, "Am I The Same Girl" by Barbara Acklin, "What Am I Going To Do" by Reid Inc, "My Baby's Got ESP" by Four Below Zero, "You Light Up My Life" by Judy Roberts, "You Got To Be The One" by Marilyn Farra & Satin Soul, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone, "Love Land" by The Lost Generation, "Jolie" by Latimore, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "We've Only Just Begun" by Lynn Marion with Frank Cunimundo Trio, "Don't You Care" by Alice Clarke, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewel Bass, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, and "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas. CD

One of the freest, most exploratory albums ever recorded by John Coltrane – and a unique session done with an expanded group of some of the most important avant jazz players of his generation! The format here is similar to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz album – in that the music is freely improvised, and spans the entire LP as a non-stop performance – one that has Coltrane in the lead, but which also features alto from Marion Brown and John Tchicai, tenor from Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson – and core rhythms from McCoy Tyner on piano, drums from Elvin Jones, and double basses from Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison. The record set the format for larger improvisatory groups in years to come – but is still one of the best examples of the form! CD features both "editions" of the of the album – making for a double-length set! CD

One of the freest, most exploratory albums ever recorded by John Coltrane – and a unique session done with an expanded group of some of the most important avant jazz players of his generation! The format here is similar to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz album – in that the music is freely improvised, and spans the entire LP as a non-stop performance – one that has Coltrane in the lead, but which also features alto from Marion Brown and John Tchicai, tenor from Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson – and core rhythms from McCoy Tyner on piano, drums from Elvin Jones, and double basses from Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison. The record set the format for larger improvisatory groups in years to come – but is still one of the best examples of the form! LP, Vinyl record album

A key classic from the earliest years of the Fatback Band – one of the group's funkiest albums, and part of their original trilogy for the Perception label! The groove here is mighty raw throughout – but a bit more complicated than some of their funky 45 releases – a mixture of funky vamps and some more soul-styled tunes – showing the group evolving a bit from the start, yet still losing none of their funky edge – sounding surprisingly nice on a few of the album's mellower instrumentals. Titles include the massive "Goin' To See My Baby", with a classic break on the intro – plus "Street Dance", "Free Form", "Give Me One More Chance", "Green Green Grass Of Home", "Baby I'm A Want You", and "Take a Ride (On The Soul Train)". Features the bonus track "Dance Girl". CD

A really unique take on the form of free improvisation – one done at a distance, during the global pandemic in 2020 – but at a level that's very different than anything else we've ever seen on record! The "correspondence" in the title is a reference to the process of the album – as each artist would first record a solo, then send it to the other, who would then respond with a solo of their own. This means that the record is all solo performances, not duets – but done at a level that's still very resonant with the work of the other artist – although at a remove, which maybe allows for even deeper concentration on a musical response! Rafal Mazur plays acoustic bass guitar and Agusti Fernandez plays piano – but the sounds of the instrument are very different than usual – filled with all these textures and really striking sonic possibilities. CD

A rare set of work by Chico Hamilton's original quintet – the groundbreaking lineup that features Buddy Collette on flute and saxes, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar, and Carson Smith on drums – all working together in a really unique blend of rhythm and melody! The sound here is a bit looser than the group's studio albums for Pacific Jazz – given the live setting of the album, at the Strollers club in Long Beach. Yet despite that locale, the sound is quite clear and clean – just right for bringing out the subtle nuances in the string work by Katz and Hall, and some of the lighter notes laid out by Collette's reeds. But there's also a firmer, bolder sound here too – a bit more of a groove than you might expect at times. Titles include "Fast Flute", "Cute Little Deal", "Crazy Rhythm", "Caravan", "Change It", "Free Form", and "A Mood". CD

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve". High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Moby Grape's self-conscious, but hardly less groovy late 60s excursion into loose, free form and largely instrumental psychedelia – the sweet and therefore appropriately titled Grape Jam! GJ is really a world away from their earlier rock regalia – with superstar special guests Al "How Does It Feel" Cooper and Mike Bloomfield brought in the flesh out the open-ended sounds. The sounds roll from walloping instrumental rock, to bluesier jams, to some driving nearly funky bits! Titles include "Never", "Boysenberry Jam", "Black Currant Jam", "Marmalade" and "The Lake". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little record from Bobby Watson – one of the brightest young artists in jazz back in the 80s! The album features Watson grooving with the Italian Open Form Trio for the session – but all players come together with the cohesiveness of some of Watson's best work with Curtis Lundy – in that highly rhythmic, often soaring style that seemed to set Watson's alto free on magnificent solos – blown beautifully and expressively without any of the overly complicated modes that would trip him up in later years. The group features Piero Bassino on piano, Attilio Zanchio on bass, and Giampiero Prina on drums – and titles include "Appointment In Milano", "Ballando", "Watson's Blues", "Funcalypso", and "I'm Always Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". CD

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide guitar from Tony Duran, raw drums from Aynsley Dunbar, and even some great horn arrangements that bring in a jazzy undercurrent that's mighty nice – almost grounding the free-form energy of the band's impulses with a sophisticated groove that really makes you take them seriously! Titles include the side-long "Big Swifty" – plus "Waka/Jawaka", "Your Mouth", and "It Might Be A One Shot Deal". LP, Vinyl record album

Dj Qbico usually gives us grooves from other parts of the planet – but here, he focuses on rare vintage singles from the US – but all tracks that borrow nicely from other styles around the globe! In other words, the set features American artists working with touches of Eastern, Mid-Eastern, African, or South American elements in their music – often in a cool hybrid that involves plenty of jazz or soul as well, and which, given that most of these are 45s, stand as precursors to longer-form musical experiments to come at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s. Titles on this part 2 include "Mambo Arribique" by Otis Freeman, "Champs Jerk" by M Ali, "Man Want Water" by Elmer Crumbley, "Funk Key" by Jacobs Kelly, "There Will Be Light" by Free Form Experiment, "Your Autumn Of Tomorrow" by The Crow, "Bo Did It" by The Hidden Cast, and "Honkey Tonk Junk" by Pervis Herden. LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Ted Nugent – working here as the searing lead guitarist of the mighty Amboy Dukes! The Nuge doesn't sing on the set, but his guitar is definitely in the spotlight on most numbers – ripping out with a rawness that beats his later superstar work, and which is free to freak out nicely in this set of psyche-heavy sounds from the Mainstream label at the height of their late 60s greatness. Side one features a number of shorter Nugent-penned tunes, and side two is a slightly more complicated offering – a bit of a concept piece, with tracks that form a story over the side of the record. Titles include "Flight Of The Byrd", "Mississippi Murderer", "Dr Slingshot", "Scottish Tea", "I'll Prove I'm Right", "Conclusion", "Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange", and "Ivory Castles". LP, Vinyl record album

A great return to form for the legendary Cachao – and a session that seeks to recapture the Cuban Jam Session energy of his recordings from a few decades before! Production is by Andy Garcia, and is somewhat more sentimental than in the old days – although certainly still free from any sort of Buena Vista Social Club cliches that would come in later years – and overall, the lineup of players stays nicely faithful to the classic 60s sound, but perhaps expands it with a bit more fullness. Cachao is on bass and a bit of vocals – and other artists include Francisco Aguabella on percussion, Justo Almario on tenor, Chocolate Amenteros on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera on clarinet, and Nestor Torres on flute. Titles on this second volume include "Los Tres Golpes", "Descarga A", "El Timbalero Travieso", "Africa Suite", "Cunde Echa Un Pie", and "Bemba E Cuchara". CD

Two Pharoah Sanders classics – back to back on a single CD! Tauhid is one of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". Jewels Of Thought is a wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great! CD

Features the 25 minute jam "Free Form Funkafide Filth" – plus "Marbles", "Lava", "Evil Ways", "Them Changes", and "Faith Interlude". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from T-Bone – recorded at the end of the 60s, with a lineup that includes other blues musicians like Joe Turner, Otis Spann, and George Harmonica Smith, plus jazz funk players like Paul Humphrey and Ernie Watts! The vibe is very laidback – and most tracks on the album stretch out in an extended free-form style that's quite unusual compared to T-Bone's other records. As usual, his guitar and vocals are very soulful – and titles include "Paris Blues", "Blues Jam", and "Jot's Blues". A real gem on Flying Dutchman/Bluestime. CD

A great little set from T-Bone – recorded at the end of the 60s, with a lineup that includes other blues musicians like Joe Turner, Otis Spann, and George Harmonica Smith, plus jazz funk players like Paul Humphrey and Ernie Watts! The vibe is very laidback – and most tracks on the album stretch out in an extended free-form style that's quite unusual compared to T-Bone's other records. As usual, his guitar and vocals are very soulful – and titles include "Paris Blues", "Blues Jam", and "Jot's Blues". A real gem on Flying Dutchman/Bluestime. LP, Vinyl record album

Jaunty rock by We The People – not to be confused with the early 70s soul act of the same name! Titles include "Beginning Of The End", "Too Much Noise", "My Brother The Man", "Free Information", "In The Past", "Alfred What Kind Of Man Are You", "You Are The Color Of Love", and "St Johns Shop". CD

A brilliant trio set from three of the most important modernists of the post-Coltrane years – tenorist Dewey Redman, pianist Cecil Taylor, and drummer Elvin Jones – working here in very free formation, especially for the Verve label! Redman's reeds are sharper and more far-reaching than most of his other recordings of the time – no doubt driven onward by Taylor's frenetic work on piano, a really surprising match for a group like this – and Jones himself has some very fierce moments on the drums, definitely in the harder, heavier side of his talents for the date. Titles include "Nine", "Bekei", "Spoonin", "Dew", "It", "Is", and "Life As". CD

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues". CD

One of the first albums to ever issue recordings made at the Newport Jazz Festival – quite a big hit, and the beginning of a real trend in jazz! The set's also some great work by Duke – free to perform in a setting that's not bound by some of the time restrictions of earlier years, which lets him offer up three long tracks with a great deal of sophistication over previous recordings. Titles include "Jeep's Blues", "Diminuendo & Crescendo In Blue", and "Newport Jazz Festival Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically hip, free live performance from British saxophone giant Tubby Hayes – one that's much more open than some of his studio work from the time, and way different than the usual Ronnie Scotts live recording too! The album features one long track – "Modes & Blues" – a brilliantly flowering tune that features Hayes on both flute and tenor, blowing in a way that reminds us yet again why he was maybe the most important reedman on the British scene of the 60s – and an artist who was growing in leaps and bounds as the years went on. The group also features trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar, even hipper than usual in this setting – plus Terry Shannon on piano, Freddy Logan on bass, and Allan Ganley on drums – all players who shape the sound, and get a chance to solo – but always next to the much brighter light of their leader! LP, Vinyl record album

A great late-life effort from Bobby Womack – hardly the kind of record he would have recorded back in the day, and a tremendous testament to his undeniably soulful talents! The album was done with production help from Damon Albarn and Richard Russell – and definitely has a contemporary bent in some of the backings – nothing too overly-modern, nor commercial at all – but a freshness that seems to really set Womack's vocals free – in a format that has Bobby sounding better than we've heard in a long, long time! Russell contributes some beats and effects to the set – but these almost always have a nice earthy sort of crispness – one that makes for music that's quite warm overall, and really fits the rootsy feel of Bobby's vocals – an approach that's not unlike some of the final Gil Scott-Heron recordings, with equally successful results. Titles include "Deep River", "Dayglo Reflection", "Stupid", "If There Wasn't Something There", "Love Is Gonna Lift You Up", "Jubilee", and "Please Forgive My Heart". CD

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too! CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

Three very rare slices of work from the great Albert Ayler – all of them pretty darn mindblowing! The set begins with Ayler's appearance at the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that must have been a shock to audience members who'd seen some of the more staid work at the event – as Ayler really lets loose on alto, tenor, and soprano sax – working with a very freely improvising quartet that includes Michel Samson on violin, Bill Folwell on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – really going to town on the titles "Japan/Universal Indians", "Our Prayer", and "Truth Is Marching In/Omega". Next is a single track that was recorded at the funeral of John Coltrane – a spiritual blend of "Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer" – blown by Ayler on tenor, with Don Ayler on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Milford Graves on drums. The last track is the earliest on the set – and very early for recorded Albert Ayler as well – a captivating performance recorded in Copenhagen in 1962 – as Ayler's tenor joins the work of the Cecil Taylor trio – with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Sunny Murray on drums – as the group soar on a 21 minute reading of "Four". CD

Formica may seem like an everyday surface to some – but at the time of its creation, it was a pretty revolutionary development – one that allowed household and business spaces to step free from longer-term care – giving the workers and residents lots more time to pursue their hopes and dreams! That bright promise of Formica is presented beautifully here – in a lovely history of the product, complete with dozens of vintage images that range from magazine ads to promotional flyers – to some higher-end projects in Formica from the art world! The book's beautiful – as stylish as an interior design magazine from the 60s – with a special color by color section in the middle, including writings by John Updike, Margarate Atwood, and others – on pages that are also perforated and can be folded! The first half of the book is in English, and awash with these images and text – and the second half offers more images, and text in six other languages. 408 pages, softcover, and beautiful color throughout! Book

The fab second album by the Free Design – one that has them moving confidently into the realm of groovy pop – magically touching songs with their unique innocent harmony approach, and completely transforming them in the process! The set includes wonderful versions of groovy 60s pop hits like "Windows Of the World", "Eleanor Rigby", and "California Dreamin" – but stands out even more for Chris Dedrick's original compositions – like "Quartet No 6 In D Minor", "A Leaf Has Veins", "An Elegy", "I Found Love", "You Could Be Born Again", and "Ivy On A Windy Day". Sublime throughout – and as the cover says – "The Freshest Sounds You've Ever Heard!" LP, Vinyl record album

A really great album from the LA scene of the early 90s – very different than most of the west coast work of the period, and much more in the spirit of some of the east coast work from the Native Tongues posse! The group features early work from Mikah 9, Self Jupiter, PEACE, and Aceyalone – all working in a really inventive mix of jazzy and inventive samples that come together in a great way – leaner than the layering of Q Tip, and not nearly as polished as work of its type would sound on bigger labels. There's almost a "what if" vibe to the record – glimpse at a less thuggish, posturing west coast that never full came to be – on titles that include "We Are The Freestyle Fellowship", "My Fantasy", "7th Seal", "Let's Start Over", "Sunshine Men", "Physical Form", "120 Seconds", "We Will Not Tolerate", "It's On", "Sike", "5 O'Clock Follies", "Legal Alien", "Convolutions", "Jupiter's Journey", "For No Reason", and "Here I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the best 70s albums from these two great musicians – a spare set of duos performances recorded live at Montreux – away from any of the studio trappings that both players often found themselves involved with! There's almost an ECM vibe to the record – as the vibes of Mike Mainieri work alongside the Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and moog of Warren Bernhardt – on these open, spacious tracks that really love the tones of both instruments – coming together here in this sort of sonic space that almost reminds us more of some of the Gary Burton and Chick Corea collaborations, but with more of the deft tones that we'd expect from Bernhardt and Mainieri. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Praise", "Song To Beth", "Mediterranean Waters", "Free Smiles", and "I'll Sing You Softly". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant setting for the spiritual reed talents of the legendary Idris Ackamoor – set here amidst more meditative sounds from Carlos Nino, who uses percussion and other instrumentation to create a magical landscape of sounds – while guitarist Nate Mercereau also joins in the mix, and also directs the overall sound of the set from the recording studio too! The sharper reed lines of Idris are a wonderful contrast to the more organic elements in the music at times – and really gives the feel of a jazz performance to the record, which might be more of a soundscape effort without his mighty presence. Titles include "Lightning Progression"," Time On Earth", "Group Effervescence", "We Love You So Much", and "Heaven Cruise Heaven Humming 2". LP, Vinyl record album

A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter from his roots as a writer in touch with the streets, and the former part of a brilliant new direction that he was taking on the Flying Dutchman label. Side one features classic jazzy tracks recorded with Brian Jackson – like "Free Will", "The Middle Of Your Days", "Speed Kills", and "Did You Hear What They Said?". Side two moves over to a much sparer sound – and has Gil reciting some of his poetry with very heavy percussion, and a very righteous approach. The wisdom and knowledge of those pieces is a perfect example of the kinds of issues that were haunting black America in the early 70s – especially on the tracks "No Knock", "The King Alfred Plan", and "Sex Education: Ghetto Style". LP, Vinyl record album

A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter from his roots as a writer in touch with the streets, and the former part of a brilliant new direction that he was taking on the Flying Dutchman label. Side one features classic jazzy tracks recorded with Brian Jackson – like "Free Will", "The Middle Of Your Days", "Speed Kills", and "Did You Hear What They Said?". Side two moves over to a much sparer sound – and has Gil reciting some of his poetry with very heavy percussion, and a very righteous approach. The wisdom and knowledge of those pieces is a perfect example of the kinds of issues that were haunting black America in the early 70s – especially on the tracks "No Knock", "The King Alfred Plan", and "Sex Education: Ghetto Style". LP, Vinyl record album

A vital box set of both classic and rare Nina Simone! This is much more than just another Nina Simone hits package – and instead, a massive collection of work – one that not only features 8 previously unissued tracks, but also a full bonus DVD, which contains a never-reissued documentary on Nina! The package is quite impressive, drawing from a variety of different record labels – and even the presentation is different than the usual box treatment – 3CDs, 1 DVD, and a 48 page booklet that features rare family photos, and track by track details on the music. Unreleased titles include "Zungo (live)", "Nina (live)", "Let It Be Me (live)", "Tanywey", "No Opportunity Necessary (live)", and "When Malindy Sings/Swing Low Sweet Chariot (live)" – and the set features 51 tracks in all, with other numbers that include "Mood Indigo", "Mississippi Goddam (live)", "Four Women", "Feeling Good", "Baltimore", "Here Comes The Sun", "Just Like A Woman", "To Love Somebody", and "Revolution (live)". DVD features "Nina – A Historical Perspective" – a 1970 TV special with rare performances and interviews! CD

One of the greatest soul albums of the past 20 years – an instant classic the day it was released! When this killer came out in the UK in 1991, it was one of the best soul records we'd heard in years. Carleen Anderson, the then-unknown daughter of Bobby Byrd & Vicki Anderson, sung some of the deepest vocals we'd heard in years – and she was backed by funky soundscapes filled with references and homages to greats like Roy Ayers, Leroy Hutson, Leon Ware, 24-Carat Black, and many others – all now well-remembered artists from the rare groove years of the 70s, but at the time just barely-remembered echoes from the past who were being kept alive in the British soul scene. The record was (and is) impeccable – a wondrous treat for fans of the kind of rare groove material we stock at Dusty Groove – and it features stellar performances by the likes of Carleen Anderson, Master Ace, Johnny Lytle, Maceo Parker, and others! This US version features a few remixes from the original UK album – and titles include "All I Have (Young Ideas mix)", "Funky Yeh Funki (Mek It)", "Talkin What I Feel", "Move On", "Apparently Nothin (Soul River)", "Get Yourself Together (parts 1 & 2)", "Freedom Suite", "Step Right On (original mix)", and "As We Come (To Be)". CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album