Classic work from one of the grooviest Japanese big bands of the 70s – a great combo who mix lots of great keyboard lines with soaring horn passages – all in a style that's as evocative as the title image and cover! There's a very special feel to the record – a mode that's different than the 70s electric big bands from Europe, like some of the MPS groups – as the approach is often very unified, with a bit less sense of solo voice – yet still filled with lots of personality and humanity along the way. Masaru Imada plays electric piano, Masayuki Nakatomi plays Arp and mini moog, and Himiko Kikuchi plays Fender Rhodes and clavinet – and while the horns solo more than the keyboards, those electric elements really help give the record a very cool sound – with kind of a fluid, watery feel at times. Two tracks feature wordless female vocals – and titles include "Back To The Sea", "Swingin On The Horizon", "When Waves Sing", "Natural Flow", and "Merman's Dance". CD

A very heady set of contemporary psych – music that's as trippy as it is meditative – and which almost feels like some sort of collaboration between Iasos and Spacemen 3! There's vocals on the record, but they're very muted – and most of the focus is on longform guitar lines, mixed with some really nice flute – and occasional bits of sitar, which are a nice surprise, and really help flavor the sound with the flute! Plastic Crimewave is in the group, and the whole thing's got a vibe that's similar to some of his recent project – on an album that features four long songs – "Celestial Omen", "Tragique Mechanique", "Machine D", and "Pendlewitches". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the Detroit scene of the early 80s – played by a group who came after the generation of Tribe and Strata Records, but who went on to have some really slow-burning influence in their own sort of way! The music definitely has echoes of the loft and spiritual jazz scenes of the 70s – but the quintet also really open things up with some of the more flexible rhythms that were coming out of New York during the same period, and working with a slight touch of more ambitious structures – of the sort you might have heard on overseas labels recording American jazz musicians during the 80s. Reeds are at the core of the set – playec by the trio of Faruq Z Bey on tenor and alto, Anthony Holland on alto and soprano, and David McMurray on tenor, alto, soprano, and flute – given very creative energy by Tani Tabbal on drums, and Jaribu Shahid on both acoustic and electric bass. Titles include "Xy-Moch", "Zycron", "Zenelog Aintro", "Androgeny", "Kins", and "Xy Moch". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A sweet split LP – one that features both the instrumental score for the film Guardians Of The Galaxy, and the individual songs featured on the Awesome Mix Vol 1 cassette that Chris Pratt listens to throughout the film! The mix is one of the most foregrounded uses of pop we've heard in a film in a long long time – and is even better, given that it's filled with the kind of AM radio gems we were raised on – tunes that include "Hooked On A Feeling" by Blue Swede, "Go All The Way" by Raspberries, "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie, "Fooled Around & Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop, "I'm Not In Love" by 10CC, "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways, "Escape" by Rupert Holmes, "Come & Get Your Love" by Redbone, and "Ooh Child" by The Five Stairsteps – all great tracks served up on the first half of the collection. The second half features the dramatic score by Tyler Bates – nice music, but very different than the pop that reigns in the first half! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful blend of space age jazz and electronic sounds – served up by arranger Don Sebesky, who didn't always sound this groovy! The record is a great set that really lives up to the promise of its title – as Don soars out into space at the head of a group that features Hubert Laws on flute, Dick Hyman on piano, Larry Coryell on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Don himself on moog – all wrapped together with some really cool sounds that mix spacey moments with funkier, groovier bits – all in the best tradition of some of the best genre-crossing late 60s albums on Verve! Titles include "Soul Lady", "Dance The Night Away", "Water Brother", "Cosmic Force", "Guru-Vin", "Satellite", and "The Blue Scimitar". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive jammer from War – and a record that brought the group to a whole new generation of listeners – as well as a good number of later fans who discovered some of these jams in the club! The groove here isn't disco, but this tightening up of War's sweet jamming vibe – almost given a sort of Mizell Brothers twist here, with a focus on sharper rhythms, but still plenty of space for instrumental flourishes over the top. Tracks are long and open, but in different ways than the early years – and there's some rhythmic elements on the record that really have the group trying out something new – and definitely finding a sweet spot in the process! The whole thing's great – and titles include the great extended instrumental "The Seven Tin Soldiers", plus "Hey Senorita", "Baby Face", "Galaxy", and "Sweet Fighting Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked later gem from the great Nat Adderley – one of the first records cut after the passing of his brother Cannonball, and a set that shows that Nat was definitely ready to carry on the groove! Familiar bandmate Victor Feldman's in the combo alongside Nat's cornet – and Vic plays a bit of Fender Rhodes, which brings up the funk on a few key numbers – balanced out with some more intimate passages that include acoustic piano. The great Johnny Griffin brings a lot to the session, with some well-blown tenor solos that stretch out on a few of the album's long tracks – and the rest of the group includes Ron Carter on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums. Titles include "Yeehaw Junction", "Whipitup", "Saguaro", and "Sunshine Sammy". LP, Vinyl record album

Twin pianos from Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones – with no other instrumentation – played in some great ways that provide an equal balance of rhythmic pulse and lyrical melody! The set's got a sweet stereo split – so that Tommy's in the right channel, and Hank is in the left – and the pair do a great job of bringing new life to a host of bop classics, yet in an all-piano style that has the music billowing out in these great waves of sound! Titles include "Robbins Nest", "Confirmation", "Jordu", "Our Delight", and "Lady Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Not much of a cover, but a great cooker from the legendary drummer – with work by Nat Adderley on cornet, Dexter Gordon on tenor, Ira Sullivan on soprano and tenor sax, George Cables on piano, and Ron Carter on bass! CD

Art Pepper's first time in Tokyo – the start of a great run of Japanese live dates from the late 70s! This set's a bit different than some of Pepper's other sessions overseas – in that the group's almost a bit more expanded – with Clare Fischer on keyboards on all tracks, plus the vibes of Cal Tjader and guitar of Bob Redfield added on a few others. The presence of both Tjader and Fischer make for a bit more of a Latin/Brazilian vibe than usual – especially towards the end of the set – and it's great to hear Pepper's alto shining nicely in such a setting. Titles include "Manteca", "Manha De Carnaval", "Felicidade", "Cherokee", and "The Spirit Is Here". CD

A masterpiece from trumpeter Josef Leimberg – a set that features guest appearances by Kamasi Washington, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – yet a record that has an amazing sound that's all its own! Washington's working in a blend of spiritual and electric jazz currents – often in settings that blend strings from Atwood-Ferguson with his own bold solos, and some rising instrumentation that effortlessly blends vocals, reeds, guitar, and keyboards – all in a mode that hearkens back to the majestic sound of the Cadet/Concept years in Chicago, but which has a distinctly 21st Century flavor overall! The music is incredible – righteous, visionary, and full of power – and we hope we'll be hearing plenty more from Leimberg in the future. For now, the album's more than enough to blow our minds – and titles include "Interstellar Universe", "Between Us 2", "The Awakening", "As I Think Of You", "Astral Progressions", "Lonely Fire", and "Celestial Visions". LP, Vinyl record album

The deepest sounds so far from Ryan Porter – a double-length album of spiritual majesty, and a set that marks Porter as one of the key up-and-coming players on the West Coast Get Down scene! The record has long tracks that are very far-thinking jazz all the way through – mostly instrumental, although with the occasional vocal passage here and there – delivered with this sense of promise and mission that we never would have expected in Porter's music at the start – both in the strength of his trombone solos, and the overall conception of the sound. The core group is fantastic – Kamasi Washington on tenor, Cameron Graves and Brandon Coleman on Fender Rhodes and piano, Thundercat on electric bass, Miles Mosely on acoustic bass, and Tony Austin on drums – and titles include "Blame It On The Sun", "Carriacou", "Oscalypso", "Peple Talk", "World On Wheels", "Mesosphere", "Madiba", "Heaven Only Knows", and a great jazz take on the Rotary Connection classic "Memory Band". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully soulful record from the great Dewey Redman – straighter than some of his 70s recordings, but in a really great way that shows that Dewey could still be quite compelling in another sort of way! The sound of his tenor here is wonderful – blowing with a rich, full, imaginative sound that never lets up – save for the few points when Redman picks up another instrument – such as musette on one track, and harp on another – both of which he uses to shade things in with slight spiritual tones. A few tracks get a bit more outside, but these moments soon return to the fold of the soulful tenor – and the group features Fred Simmons on piano, Mark Helias on bass, and Eddie Moore on drums, percussion, and saw. Titles include "Alone Again Naturally", "Need To Be", "Unknown Tongue", "One Beautiful Day", and "Daystar Nightlight". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

16 tracks in all, including "The Vengeance Of Galaxy 5", "Hologrammic Dub", "Dance Of The Morlocks", "Thoughts Like rain", "Nihilismus Dub" and "Time Out Of Joint". CD

One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist with electronics – but in recent years, he's matured to become a real messenger for the farther, future reaches of jazz – with an energy that makes a collaborative project like this come off in a way that might never have occurred in the hands of any other musician! Mazurek is at the head – director, composer, arranger, and instrumentalist too – and the large lineup is filled with heavyweights from the Chicago scene that Rob helped shape over the past few decades – plus others as well – players who include Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Tomeka Reid on cello, Joel Ross on vibes, Jaimi Branch on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigit Haker Flate on bass, and Chad Taylor, John Herndon, and Mikel Patrick Avery on a variety of drums and percussion. There's a richness here that tops other Exploding Star Orchestra performances – and more of a focus, too – so that the whole thing comes together as even more than the sum of its mighty parts, as one of the best International Anthem releases to date. Titles include "Galaxy 1000", "Parable Of Inclusion", "Autumn Pleiades", "Minerals Bionic Stereo", "Dimensional Stardust", "Abstract Dark Energy", and "The Careening Prism Within". CD

One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist with electronics – but in recent years, he's matured to become a real messenger for the farther, future reaches of jazz – with an energy that makes a collaborative project like this come off in a way that might never have occurred in the hands of any other musician! Mazurek is at the head – director, composer, arranger, and instrumentalist too – and the large lineup is filled with heavyweights from the Chicago scene that Rob helped shape over the past few decades – plus others as well – players who include Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Tomeka Reid on cello, Joel Ross on vibes, Jaimi Branch on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigit Haker Flate on bass, and Chad Taylor, John Herndon, and Mikel Patrick Avery on a variety of drums and percussion. There's a richness here that tops other Exploding Star Orchestra performances – and more of a focus, too – so that the whole thing comes together as even more than the sum of its mighty parts, as one of the best International Anthem releases to date. Titles include "Galaxy 1000", "Parable Of Inclusion", "Autumn Pleiades", "Minerals Bionic Stereo", "Dimensional Stardust", "Abstract Dark Energy", and "The Careening Prism Within". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most obscure material that Sun Ra and the Arkestra recorded on their legendary trip to Egypt – given that half the set was a TV broadcast, and the other half was recorded at the home of their host – Hartmut Geerken! The spirit here is very strong – a mix of the newer spiritual currents that the Arkestra was discovering with very strong cosmic vibes – almost as if Ra and the group were using the pyramids as a space map to find their spot in the galaxy – setting forth with the full horn powers of John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, Pat Patrick, Elo Omoe, Hakim Rahim, and Kwame Hadi – plus vocals from June Tyson, and Ra himself on organ, moog, and rocksichord! The track list includes "Discipline 27", "Solar Ship Voyage", "Cosmo Darkness", "Why Go To The Moon", and "The Light Thereof". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". CD

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early electronic sound library material from Eric Siday – so much so, that all these tracks were originally issued as 78rpm singles – at a time before the sound library scene moved into using full LPs! A number of cuts here were used as early passages on the first Doctor Who episodes – and others follow nicely in a similar vein – with very bold, powerful explorations of the earliest elements of analogue electronics – and an especially strong ear for the darker side of the spectrum! Most numbers here are never too noisy – not as much so as avant compositional work of the time – but they hang on the edge in a really great way, creating a lot of stark spacey elements with just a few deft touches. Titles include "Comet", "Ultimate", "Moonscape", "Galaxy", "Suspended Animation", "The Machines", "Pavane", "Pizzicato Piano", "Challenge Of Space", and "Eclipse". LP, Vinyl record album

The mod sound library fanatics at Blow Up are at it again – serving up an incredible bunch of funky tunes, most of which you'll never hope to own in the original! This time, the team have dipped through the French catalog of Chappell DMM – pulling out a tight batch of French groovers from the late 60s and early 70s, heavily wailing with the trademark Blow Up love for heavy Hammond organ, jumpy jangly guitar, jagged percussion riffing, and full blown horn parts! Titles include "Tracking" by Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour, "Ahmedabab Theme" by Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit, "James Bang Party" by Paul Piot & Paul Guiot, "Strange Galaxy" by Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit, "Time Is Getting Short" by Jack Arel & Jean Claude Petit, "Deambulation" by Jack Arel, "Amour Vancances & Baroque" by Paul Piot & Paul Guiot, "Relaxation Time" by Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour, and "Rolling Bones" by Cliff Johns. 20 tracks in all – and all rare and tremendously groovy! CD

The sound of Blue Note Records – reimagined, but by a younger British group of musicians who don't record for the label at all! The sound here is more like recent work on Brownswood, A22, or Impulse Records – as the collection features lots of great contributions from artists who are really reinventing the sound of jazz – not in cheapo remix ways, or styles that are gimmicky – but modes that are deeply committed to the spirit of older music, yet expressing things in ways that are groundbreaking and completely unique! There's an equal balance of electric and acoustic elements here, and plenty of strong jazz solos throughout – very different than some of the Blue Note projects of this sort from previous decades. Titles include "Montara" by Blue Lab Beats, "Speak No Evil" by Emma Jean Thackray, "Wind Parade" by Jordan Rakel, "Galaxy" by Alfa Mist, "Search For Peace" by Ishmael Ensemble, "A Shade Of Jade" by Nubya Garcia, "Prints Tie" by Shabaka Hutchings, "Footprints" by Ezra Collective, "Watermelon Man" by Poppy Ajudha, "Illusion" by Skinny Pelembe, "I'll Never Stop Loving You" by Yazmin Lacey, "Etcetera" by Steam Down, and "Maiden Voyage" by Mr Jukes. CD

Stunning sounds from the Disques Debs label in the 70s – a powerhouse imprint in the French Caribbean scene, and a company who were really coming into their own during the decade! The "cadence revolution" in the title is a reference both to the revolution in new musical sounds that Debs was helping encourage, and the rise of the cadence style in Guadeloupe and Martinique – a mode that borrows the faster rhythms of Haitian music, then folds together some elements of Afro-Cuban styles, and maybe just a touch of West African influence – part of that back/forth activity across the Atlantic that seemed to happen so effortlessly during the 60s and 70s. A good number of the tracks here are nice and long – pulled from Debs LPs, not just 45s – and as with the first volume, the package does a great job of providing plenty of historical context, information on the music, and some great vintage images too. Titles include "Ambiance" by Les Vikings, "Lina Femm Foll" by Smoke, "Lage Yo" by Koumbit, "Disco Funk" by Galaxy, "Ping Pong" by Guy Conquette & Son Groupe, "Experience" by Tabou No 2, "Moin Domi Derho" by Super Combo, "Good Trip" by HWT Band, "Stranger" by Midnight Groovers, and "Moin Ce Roi Roi" by Guadafrica Combo. LP, Vinyl record album

Raw soul from the 60s – not the polished sounds of Motown, or the smoother grooves of the Philly studios – but instead work by artists who might have recorded R&B during the decade before, and who still work here with a fair bit of grit in their grooves! The shift is a bit like that which James Brown made between the 50s and 60s – and that includes the occasional funky groove here and there – mixed with really powerful vocals right upfront, and a hard-wailing instrumental backdrop that really matches the energy of the singers! Occasional hints of blues float into the mix here and there, but the music is hardly blues at all – just rare soul gems pulled from labels that include Galaxy, Carnival, Chant, Modern, and many others – including a number of tracks unissued at the time, and seven that appear here for the first time ever. Titles include "Compact Baby" by Rob Robinson, "I'll Never Do It Again" by The Corvairs, "Every Saturday Night" by Aaron Collins & The Teen Queens, "Your Yah Yah Is Gone" by The Tren Teens, "Turn The Lamps Down Low" by Pat Garvis, "Family Man" by Slim & The Twilights, "Purty Lil Mama" by Freddie Williams, "Triple Zero" by Esko Wallace, "Love Must Be Taboo" by Tony Clarke, "The Long John" by Jarvis Jackson, and "Head Doctor" by Gay Meadows. CD

An amazingly unique little group – one that kind of stepped in the Impulse Records back door from the Coltrane galaxy, but which features some very unique aspects overall! As the cover states, the ensemble's led by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones – and also features McCoy Tyner from Coltrane's quartet – yet the real charm of the record comes from the reed men, who include Prince Lasha on flute and clarinet, Sonny Simmons on alto and English horn, and Charles Davis on baritone sax! All players are free-thinking modernists, with ties to some of the farther reaches of 60s jazz – yet they work here in a beautifully inside mode, similar to Lasha's excellent Insight album on CBS UK – a vibe that takes all the most wonderful aspects of the Coltrane generation, but pushes them even further with some deeply personal expressions. Tracks include the seminal "Half & Half" – plus "Aborigine Dance In Scotland", "Oriental Flower", and "Nuttin Out Jones", and "Gettin On Way". CD

Fantastic material from the legendary Sun Ra – groundbreaking solo piano material, which shows a completely different side of his genius away from his work with the Arkestra! The package presents all volumes of Ra's seminal sides from 1966 – including a third volume, which has never been released at all – making for the most comprehensive package to ever document this side of his work in a more intimate manner! There's a sensitivity to these tracks that's really amazing – still moments of freedom that reflect Ra's connection to the avant garde of the time – but also echoes of Art Tatum and other stylists who influenced his initial vision in the early days – interwoven with his own sense of cosmic creation, in ways that are similar to his later solo projects – but which didn't often show up in other Saturn material of the time. Some tracks are altered standards, but many others are really great originals – and titles include the unreleased "Soundscapes", "The Eternal Tomorrow", "The Changing Wind", "World Island Festival", "Today Is Not Yesterday", "How Am I To Know", and "Yesterdays" – plus "Caloundronius", "Perspective Prismis Of Is", "Solar Boats", "The Ninth Eye", "Space Towers", "Cognition", "The Galaxy Way", "The Alter Destiny", and "Blue Differentials". LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of Blue Note Records – reimagined, but by a younger British group of musicians who don't record for the label at all! The sound here is more like recent work on Brownswood, A22, or Impulse Records – as the collection features lots of great contributions from artists who are really reinventing the sound of jazz – not in cheapo remix ways, or styles that are gimmicky – but modes that are deeply committed to the spirit of older music, yet expressing things in ways that are groundbreaking and completely unique! There's an equal balance of electric and acoustic elements here, and plenty of strong jazz solos throughout – very different than some of the Blue Note projects of this sort from previous decades. Titles include "Montara" by Blue Lab Beats, "Speak No Evil" by Emma Jean Thackray, "Wind Parade" by Jordan Rakel, "Galaxy" by Alfa Mist, "Search For Peace" by Ishmael Ensemble, "A Shade Of Jade" by Nubya Garcia, "Prints Tie" by Shabaka Hutchings, "Footprints" by Ezra Collective, "Watermelon Man" by Poppy Ajudha, "Illusion" by Skinny Pelembe, "I'll Never Stop Loving You" by Yazmin Lacey, "Etcetera" by Steam Down, and "Maiden Voyage" by Mr Jukes. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from the Disques Debs label in the 70s – a powerhouse imprint in the French Caribbean scene, and a company who were really coming into their own during the decade! The "cadence revolution" in the title is a reference both to the revolution in new musical sounds that Debs was helping encourage, and the rise of the cadence style in Guadeloupe and Martinique – a mode that borrows the faster rhythms of Haitian music, then folds together some elements of Afro-Cuban styles, and maybe just a touch of West African influence – part of that back/forth activity across the Atlantic that seemed to happen so effortlessly during the 60s and 70s. A good number of the tracks here are nice and long – pulled from Debs LPs, not just 45s – and as with the first volume, the package does a great job of providing plenty of historical context, information on the music, and some great vintage images too. Titles include "Ambiance" by Les Vikings, "Lina Femm Foll" by Smoke, "Lage Yo" by Koumbit, "Disco Funk" by Galaxy, "Ping Pong" by Guy Conquette & Son Groupe, "Experience" by Tabou No 2, "Moin Domi Derho" by Super Combo, "Good Trip" by HWT Band, "Stranger" by Midnight Groovers, and "Moin Ce Roi Roi" by Guadafrica Combo. CD

A distant star in the Earth Wind & Fire galaxy – and the only album by this sweetly grooving group that owed a lot to the EWF sound! The record's produced by Verdine White, executive produced by Maurice White, and even features a bit of guest vocals by Philip Bailey – and the overall style is sort of in a bouncy 80s groove mode, with a mix of jazzy touches, and warmer instrumentation than you might usually hear on this sort of set. The sound's a lot leaner than Earth Wind & Fire – but carries some of the best modern soul influences of the massive group, and certainly shows some of the best influences of both White and Bailey. Titles include "Ladies Of The 80s", "Wanna Fill You Up", "I Thank Heaven", "It's You", "Wrap It Up", and "Me Myself & I". CD

A great late live date from Art Pepper – as well-recorded and as strongly played as his best work of the time on Galaxy or Contemporary Records – and done with a similar group as well! The album's no cheapy concert for the overseas crowd – as Art's working here with George Cables on piano, David Williams on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums – all grooving tremendously on these long-flowing tracks that show the best late Pepper modes firmly at work. Echoes of Coltrane come through his horn, as does a bit of Latin as well – but there's also a soaring, soulful quality to most of the tunes that really stands out – thanks in part to Cables, whose piano is always well-placed throughout! Pepper has a wonderfully sharp tone on most numbers – and titles include "Landscape", "Red Car", "Goodbye", "Straight Life", "Road Waltz", "For Freddie", and "Body & Soul". CD

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! The track "Disco 3000" is an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album. The cut goes on for quite some time, and is really fantastic. Side two of the record features three more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number; "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion; and the track "Third Planet". LP, Vinyl record album

This one comes packaged with a slogan that says "As Seen On TV" – but we think it should read "As Seen In The Crates" – given how important the LA funk sound of War has been to DJs over the years! This 2CD set spans the gamut of the group's work – including some key very early numbers, loads of early 70s classics, and a few later tracks that sound better than we remember. There's 34 tracks in all, packaged on a 2CD set – and titles include "Spill The Wine", "Nappy Head", "Get Down", "City Country City", "World Is A Ghetto", "Where Was You At", "Cisco Kid", "Southern Part Of Texas", "Me & Baby Brother", "Deliver The Word", "Low Rider", "Heartbeat", "So", "Summer", "River Niger", "Galaxy", "Youngblood", "Baby It's Cold Outside", "East LA", "Don't Let No One Get You Down", "Why Can't We Be Friends", and "Slippin Into Darkness". CD

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! CD