2 Ohio Players classics – back to back on one CD! Skin Tight is the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years, the move also taught the band to sharpen up their act, and get out of the repetitive sloppy groove into which they'd been lapsing during the past few years. The record's a lot smoother than earlier work – with a polished funky sound that would soon push the band right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at the top of the soul charts. And although there's familiar funky numbers like "Skin Tight", "Jive Turkey", and "Streakin Cheek To Cheek" – the best moment on the entire album is the wonderful spacey soul number "Heaven Must be Like This", a seven minute mellow groover that's got a sophisticated jazzy soul style, with voices and piano soaring into the heavens, in a way that always still sends chills down our spine! That cut shows the band's tremendous growth – and it's one of their best-ever! Fire is one of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". CD

A soaring modern soul tune from The Pretenders – not the famous Ohio Rock group, but an obscure soul act who do a wonderful job of harmonizing along with the groove! "Just Be Yourself" is an uptempo message cut that's totally great – in the more righteous side of the disco spectrum, with a heavenly vibe that's really wonderful! The single features both a version of the tune that's nicely extended past the original 7" release – and a remix by Kon that adds in these soaring strings, for even more of a classic club vibe! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An excellent album from legendary vibist Cal Tjader – and one of his truly electric albums! A key factor to the greatness of this one is keyboardist Al Zulaica – who plays some amazing Fender Rhodes on the album, really unlocking a whole new sound of Cal's vibes in the process! The blend of keys and vibes is amazing – a sound that sets a new standard for the 70s – and the rest of the group here features a range of percussion players, a bit of flute, and three trumpets that buoy up the grooves nicely from the bottom! Titles include Cal's classic "I Showed Them", a great reading of "Evil Ways", and the cuts "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", "Fresh Air", "She's Leaving Home", and "Mambero". CD

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more. CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of work brought together in support of a long-running music festival in France – done here as a double-length set that offers up a "Past" disc of material recorded at the festival in previous years – and a "Future" disc that points the way towards new directions in European jazz! The set's worth it for the Past disc alone – as it offers up some never-heard recordings in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian modes – a nicely diverse array of tracks that have that open vibe of a really special live moment at a concert – similar to some of the best Montreux jazz recordings over the years! Titles include "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Panamerica" by Lalo Schifrin with David Sanchez on tenor, "Chan Chan" by La Banda De Santiago De Cuba, "Delilah" by the Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Quartet, "Manalyuca" by McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz & Ravi Coltrane, "I'll Stay" by Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, and "Soweto Sorrow" by the trio of Louis Sclavis on bass clarinet, Henri Texier on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. The Future disc is great too – with new recordings in a range of jazzy styles, mostly by younger French artists – with titles that include "On Dimanch Maten" by Arnaud Dolmen, "Baby Rover" by Jasual Cazz, "Strength" by Emile Londonien, "Olioqui Valley" by Ishkero, "Soulful" by Leon Phal Quintet, and "Tryin Times" by Abraham Reunion. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". CD

Heavenly sweet soulful stuff from the Ben E. King years, including "Hey Senorita", "Lonely Winds", "Oh My Love", "Sweets For My Sweet", "Room Full of Tears", and more – plus the unreleased cuts "Sometimes I Wonder" and "Night Shift". Same great package as the other volumes, with a reproduction of an original cover on the front, and great notes inside. CD

Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

Great 80s grooves with some 70s moments thrown in as well – a double-length collection that features a host of overlooked gems from the past! The "giants" here aren't overplayed disco hits or classics that have been compiled too much – and instead, the set continues the great approach of previous volumes by really digging deep to find the kind of snapping, uptempo cuts that were perfect for the underground clubs in the years between disco and house! Titles include "You & I" by Ronnie Jones, "Good Lovin" by Al Mason, "You Fooled Me" by Grey & Hanks, "Gotta Take Your Love" by Game, "You & Me" by Ronnie Dyson, "You're A Blessing" by Heaven & Earth, "Wanna Make It Good" by Tyrone Davis, "Baby Not Tonight" by Madagascar, "California Flight" by California Flight Project, "Never Gonna Let You Go (special disco version)" by Shazar, "Holding On" by The Givens Family, "This Is Where The Love Is (extended)" by Zinc, "Love Me Today (12" version)" by First Love, "Space Lady" by Bill, and "Good Girl" by Bonnie Byrd. CD

Massive music in a wonderful package – three funky classics from The Gap Band! First up is the group's self-titled album from 1979 – the start of the legendary second chapter for the Gap Band – the point when the group had reemerged as the tight funky trio of the Wilson Brothers, with a groove that would really set them up nicely for the 80s! This first album in the new format has a wonderfully tight feel – still plenty of sharp edges that echo their earlier groove, but a leaner quality too – one that's got the bass and drums snapping together wonderfully, really setting the tone for the heaviest grooves. There's also a few mellower cuts too – which really sound great, and give the record the same sort of balance you might hear on work by Heaven & Earth at the time. War's Lonnie Simmons produced – and held the cash bag all the way to the bank! Titles include "I'm In Love", "Got To Get Away", "Messin With My Mind", "Shake", "Baby Baba Boogie", "Open Your Mind Wide", and "I Can Sing". Gap Band II features mean, lean grooves from The Gap Band – a legendary batch of mainstream funk from the end of the 70s – and a record that really has the trio working at the top of their game! There's a wonderful balance here between funky numbers and mellow ones – the latter of which really help pace the record nicely, giving it a depth that takes the group way beyond the cliches of some of their contemporaries, and firmly establishing the Gap Band as one to watch for the 80s! Titles include the massive "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance" – with its classic "Oops Upside Your Head" refrain – plus "Who Do You Call", "No Hiding Place", "Steppin Out", "You Are My High", and "Party Lights". Gap Band III is sagreat one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while numbers like "Yearning For Your Love" showed the band could drop the tempo, stretch out a bit, and deliver the mighty mellow. This one's certainly at the top of the heap of 80s groovers, as far as we're concerned – a record that really took the Gap Band over the top! Other tracks include "Nothin' Comes To The Sleepers", "Are You Living", "The Way", "Gash Gash Gash" and more. CD

A mini-LP, but one that packs more punch than most full length sets – thanks to a top-shelf lineup all the way through! The set's a project put together by Sly & Robbie, and recorded at Compass Point Studios – all with a groove that's kind of a dubbier take on the sound of New York dancefloors a the time – nicely bassy, slightly beaty, and topped with some really wonderful vocals from Gwen Guthrie! Larry Levan mixed the whole thing to perfection, giving it a real Paradise groove – and instrumentation is by Wally Badarou on synth, Harry Whitaker on keyboards, Darryl Thompson on guitars, and Jimmy Maelin on percussion. The set's kind of a mini-suite, based around a few key musical themes – and titles include "Padlock", "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Peanut Butter" and "Getting Hot". CD also features 6 more bonus tracks – "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", "Getting Hot (original 12" version)", "Padlock (album mix of Portrait)", "Seventh Heaven (album mix of Portrait)", "Hopscotch (album mix of Portrait)", and "Peanut Butter (original 12" version)". CD

Heavenly New Jersey soul from the All Platinum/Stang stable of Sylvia Robinson stars. There's 16 great tracks on here by some of the best (and lesser known) of the 70's east coast male vocalists, like George Kerr, Larry Saunders, Phillipe Wynne, and Derek Martin, plus obscure 70's stuff by better known talents like Chuck Jackson and Donnie Elbert. Great stuff, and all with the All Platinum sound behind it. CD

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing step forward for the young Etta James – a singer who was delivering a raw, shouting form of R&B just a few years before – but who here ascends into soul music heaven with her famous work on the album! The title cut is the stuff of legend – played and played, again and again over the years – but the whole record's wonderful, and handled with this new level of soul sophistication by arranger Riley Hampton – the great Chicago talent who'd reach similar heights in his charts for singers that include Lorez Alexandria and Walter Jackson. Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me". Includes 4 bonus tracks – "My Heart Cries", "Spoonful", "It's A Crying Shame", and "If I Can't Have You". CD

Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

Landmark harmony soul from The Stylistics – a set that's every bit as wonderful as their debut, with the kind of sweet, soulful sound that got played over and over and over and over again back in the day! The album's got a subtle sort of power, though – one that lies not only in its classic cover image, but also in the way that the group mix up the fragile themes of love with some deeper aspects of the human condition – heard to best effect on the classic "Children Of The Night" – a massive 7 minute number that stands nicely next to the shorter singles. Thom Bell produced and arranged the whole thing to Philly perfection – with lots of help from Linda Creed on the songwriting – and titles include "Children of the Night", "Break Up To Make Up", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "Stone In Love With You", "It's Too Late", "If You Don't Watch Out", and "Peek A Boo". CD

One of the most righteous albums ever from saxophonist John Tchicai – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the depth of his other work! This rare late 60s date for MPS is a tremendous extension from Tchicai's earlier work, even his other European sessions – as it features John recording with a very large ensemble on side one – a full jazz orchestra with a really groundbreaking approach to its music – an ambitious, fully expressive ensemble led by trumpeter Hugh Steinmetz, who also solos strongly on the record as well. Steinmetz also contributed the title composition "Afrodisiaca", which is a 22 minute long piece played by the orchestra – and Tchicai wrote most of the tracks on side two, which are played by a smaller group, but with a similarly expressive feel! These tracks include "This Is Heaven", "Lakshimi", "Heavenly Love On A Planet", and "Fodringsmontage" – and all feature amazing solo lines from John on alto and soprano sax. CD

The kind of soul they never should have stopped making – mostly pulled from that wonderful time in the 70s when jazzy grooves, warm vocals, and sophisticated production came together beautifully! The set features 12 tracks that were mainly hits, but still stand as beautiful classics – tunes that sparkle with warmth and mellow soul that really hold up over the years. Titles include "You're Welcome Stop On By" by Bobby Womack, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, "I'm Going Down" by Rose Royce, "Lady Love" by Jon Lucien, "Heaven Must Be Like This" by Ohio Players, "Something He Can Feel" by Aretha Franklin, "Cruisin" by Smokey Robinson, "Feel The Fire" by Stephanie Mills, "Sweet Thing" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, and "Playing Your Game Baby" by Barry White. CD

A surprising side of the legendary Stax Records – especially if you only know the Memphis powerhouse as an outlet for funk and soul! There was always a bit of crossover between country and soul – even in the early days, a label like King Records could easily handle both – or a company like Atlantic could find a way to make its soul singers handle country tunes with ease. Yet the approach here is pure country – tracks recorded during the final few years of Stax – at a time when the company was both growing strongly, thanks to the fame of Isaac Hayes and others – and also trying out new ideas to round out the strength of their operation. Given their proximity to Nashville, and the fact that Memphis studios like Sun or Ardent had handled country-styled sounds – the move seemed to be a good one, and definitely comes across here in the quality of the tracks! The music has a nice left-of-Nashville vibe – almost like some of the growing wave from Austin soon to come, but also a bit like the cooler indie 45 country market of the 70s – which is finally getting its due these days. Either way, the sounds here are way past the hits, and way past the more standard modes of the time – and show that Stax Records could bring as much of a magic touch to country as they could to other sounds they recorded. Titles include "Hippie From The Hills" by Roland Eaton, "The River's Too Wide" by Karen Casey, "That Glass" by Eddie Bond, "Sweet Country Music" by Becki Bluefield, "My Girl" by Danny Bryan, "Satisfied Woman" by Paige O'Brian, "All The Love You'll Ever Need" by Cliff Cochran, "A Mom & A Dad For Christmas" by Lee Denson, and "Truck Driver's Heaven" by Roger Hallmark. LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)". CD

A fantastic early album by the amazing Jimmy Scott – billed here as "Little Jimmy Scott" – because of his youth, height, and his style of singing! Jimmy's fragile voice is in perfect form here – a really unique blend between torch jazz modes and some of the bluesier styles of the time – all set to moody arrangements that perfectly capture the dark undercurrents he's always brought to his work! The set is filled with wonderful material, and stands as a great change to some of the later work from Jimmy's comeback – with titles that include "Someone to Watch Over Me", "When Did You Leave Heaven", "Very Truly Yours", "Guilty", "Street Of Dreams", "Don't Cry Baby", and "Why Don't You Open Up Your Heart". CD

Four albums that show the continuing evolution of Earl Scruggs in the 70s – with a sound that's very different than his earlier music, and maybe even sharper instrumentation overall! First up is I Saw The Light – a record made after the famous banjo pioneer split with Lester Flatt, and was very popular with a young rock crowd – as evidenced by help he gets here from Linda Ronstadt and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – not to mention Gary and Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Norman Blake! The mix of famous names and the growing Scruggs Review sound is great – and the record is an unlikely but important entry in the rise of country rock during the early 70s, with a very different quality than some of Earl's earlier work. We might well thank the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – as the vibe is similar at times to their shifting music of the period – mixed with some Mike Nesmith inspiration, as a few of his tunes are included. Titles include "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home", "Silver Wings", "Never Ending Song Of Love", "Rock Sant & Nails", "Some Of Shelly's Blues", "It's A Picture From Life's Other Side", and "Propinquity". Features bonus tracks "The Cure", "I Saw The Light", "Fireball Mail", and "Tramp On The Street". On Live From Austin City Limits, the great Earl Scruggs takes on the growing Austin scene – which turns out to be a perfect fit for his Revue's blend of new country modes and older styles of instrumentation! Earl leads off the set with stunning work on banjo – maybe even sharper than earlier years – and the group lead off with some Dylan material at the start, showcasing some of their rock leanings – but soon bringing on other songs of their own, and making for this beautiful mix of key instrumental moments and lyrical passages. Lead vocals are from Gary Scruggs, and Randy and Steve Scruggs are in the group too – on titles that include "Nashville Skyline Rag", "I Shall Be Released", "Tall Texas Woman", "I Just Can't Seem To Change", "Black Mountain Blues", "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven", and "The Swimming Song". Strike Anywhere is a mighty nice album from the great Earl Scruggs – recorded with his boys' Revue group, and a sound that really helps keep Earl's instrumentation fresh for the 70s! Years back, we never would have thought that mixing the legendary Scruggs banjo sound with keyboards would have worked – but the change here is a great one, as Earl makes the shift that a few of his traditional instrumental contemporaries were doing at the time – such as Vassar Clements or Bashful Brother Oswald – finding a new setting for the instruments that still shine out in the lead at all the best moments. Titles include a great remake of "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Muhammad Ali", "Bring It On Home To Me", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Think Of You", and "Dreaming As One". On Bold & New, the great Chips Moman produced and recorded the record – a set that shows that move that Earl had made into country rock during the decade, delivered in the best possible hands! Vocals are from some of Earl's sons, and the man himself still gets gets in plenty of banjo solos too – as the group mix their own material with a few from Bobby Emmons, who plays organ, electric piano, and clavinet on the set. Titles include "The Cabin", "Our Love Is Home Grown", "That's Alright Mama", "Found Myself A New Love", "Games People Play", "Take The Time To Fall In Love", and "Louisiana Lady". CD

It's been many years since Ural Thomas recorded his first soul single – and if anything, the passage of time has only made his voice sound even more wonderful – with a contemporary richness that we never would have heard back at the start! The set's not the first "comeback" album that Ural has cut with his younger group, The Pain – but it may well be the one that pushes him over the top, and gets the singer the sort of newfound global attention he finally deserves after all these years! Titles include "Heaven", "Gimme Some Ice Cream", "Second Dimension", "Apple Pie", "Ol Safiya", "El Ey Em Eh", "Do You Remember The Times", "Hung Up On My Dream", and "My Favorite Song". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – maybe better this time around than the images on the screen for some of his other westerns of the period – more proof that the maestro was always willing to rise above, and give his best no matter what the setting! / Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven – the original 1978 soundtrack album and Morricone's cues programmed separately on one disc plus a bonus disc of extended score material and more bonus tracks! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting "Main Theme" and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. CD

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Titles include "Back In The City", "Swear", "Hard To Say It's Over", "Hungry Eyes", "All By Myself", "Love & Affection", "Strut", and "Sugar Walls". CD

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A fantastic second set from keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones – a musician we first came to love in the UK-based Ezra Collective, and one who's now effortlessly bridging a space between jazz and soul! The record's got a vibe that's as cosmic as its cover – but one that comes not just through creative keyboard work, but from a great overall conception of the songs – so that Joe's music flows out with a warm style that embraces our ears, then takes us on a journey to the heavens! This isn't the usual keyboard jazz, with references heavy on the past – as Armon-Jones is as forward-thinking as his best contemporaries on the London scene. The set features great guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on the tune "Yellow Dandelion" – and other guest appearances by Nubya Garcia, Jehst, and Obongjayar – on titles that include "Try Walk With Me", "Gnawa Sweet", "Icy Roads", "To Know Where You're Coming From", "The Leo & The Aquarius", and "Self Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

Maybe one of the greatest jazz albums of all time – a real breakthrough moment for the legendary John Coltrane, and the blueprint for generations of jazz records to come! Trane was already breaking down plenty of boundaries before Love Supreme – but he knocked it out of the park for the album – which is a full-length suite of spiritual expression, one that gives even greater focus and message to Coltrane's long-spiraling style of soloing on the tenor sax! The group here is the classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – taking Trane up to the heavens on waves of modal energy, but also holding his spirit closer to the planet than on some of later, more outside performances. There's a slight bit of vocalization on the record – that chanted energy that imbues the set with so much love – and movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic second album from this ultra-hip French combo – a group who effortlessly mix up jazz, funk, and global elements in the best cross-cultural tradition of the Parisian scene! Cotonete have been around for many years, even though they haven't given us many records – and it's clear from this set that their sound has gelled and evolved even more than before – no gimmicks or easy tricks on the record, and instead this really cohesive blend of keyboards from Florian Pellissier with trumpet, saxes, guitar, trombone, bass, and plenty of percussion! Guests include Omar, Leron Thomas, and Sabrina Malheiros – each of whom sing on a single track – and titles include "Satori", "La Derniere Guitare", "Bebete Vaobora", "Venezuela", "Cinq Pour L'Aventure", and "What Did You Run For". CD

A fantastic second album from this ultra-hip French combo – a group who effortlessly mix up jazz, funk, and global elements in the best cross-cultural tradition of the Parisian scene! Cotonete have been around for many years, even though they haven't given us many records – and it's clear from this set that their sound has gelled and evolved even more than before – no gimmicks or easy tricks on the record, and instead this really cohesive blend of keyboards from Florian Pellissier with trumpet, saxes, guitar, trombone, bass, and plenty of percussion! Guests include Omar, Leron Thomas, and Sabrina Malheiros – each of whom sing on a single track – and titles include "Satori", "La Derniere Guitare", "Bebete Vaobora", "Venezuela", "Cinq Pour L'Aventure", and "What Did You Run For". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Suits Crybaby Blues", "My Gal Sal", "Dream Of Heaven", "Yearning And Blue", and "Hano Hano Hawaii". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Always-great work from the 5th Dimension – one of their biggest albums ever, built around the group's hit version of "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In", and featuring some other psychedelic pop soul gems like "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Blowing Away", "The Hideaway", "The Winds of Heaven", and "Working On A Grooving Thing". Also includes the excellent "Wedding Bell Blues" – one of the greatest songs of all time! LP, Vinyl record album

A double album from Roberta & Peabo – with some nicely recorded tracks from a gig at The Holiday Star Theater in Merrillville, IN (not too far south of Chicago) in the dawn of the 80s – and some tight studio material, too! It's got a some terrific live versions of some of the biggest hits from both singers – plus their great duets. Titles include "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", a nice version of "Back Together Again" – which was originally done by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, "Killing Me Softly", "God Don't Like Ugly", "Feel The Fire", and "Only Heaven Can Wait/You Are My Heaven". 14 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

The second part of Guns N' Roses' twin follow-up to the mindblowing and untoppable success of Appetite For Destruction! Use Your Illusion II has more piano, stadium-ready ballads and overall moodier takes on Guns' distinctive brand of LA sleaze rock – along with another surprising classic rock cover tune – their respectful Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". Ultimately the record is kind of a weird mix of soul-baring hard rock ballads, straight forward rockers, and angry revenge tunes by this most uncontrollable band of rich misfits! Includes "Civil War", "14 Years", "Yesterday", "Get In The Ring", "Shotgun Blues", "Pretty Tied Up", "Locomotive", "Estranged", "You Could Be Mine", "My World" and more. CD

A jazz vocal set, but one that offers up a very different version of the format – as the dark vision of pianist Tord Gustavsen is shaped here by singer Simin Tander – who can move between sweet moments, poetic passages, and some much moodier moments! The tunes include a fair bit of numbers from both traditional and global sources, but the presentation is very modern, and very effective – with Gustavsen setting the scene on piano, plus a bit of bass and electronics, and very gentle, spare drums from Jarle Vespestad – while Tander lets the songs slowly flower, seeding lyrics amidst the piano notes – with a gentle blending of voice and instrumentation that's not unlike some of the spare sessions that Karin Krog cut with John Surman, although with a style here that's very much its own. Titles include "Sweet Melting", "A Castle In Heaven", "Imagine The Fog Disappearing", "I See You", "Your Grief", and "Sweet Morning Afterglow". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that makes us go "wow" all over again at the mighty talents of Bob James – because even this late in life, he's clearly open to new ideas and pushing the boundaries – which he really does here in collaboration with younger musician Sam Franz! In the way that Bob's CTI albums were a landmark electric jazz effort for the 70s – this set's maybe one for the 21st Century, with a vibe that's shows the passage of time in so many different ways! This isn't fusion, smooth jazz, or traditional jazz at all – yet Bob's got some great moments on keyboards throughout, in different sonic settings from Franz, merging together in ways that make it difficult to figure out who's doing what. Titles include "Brew This Again & Again", "This Theme Needs A Movie", "Polar Tangents", "Starless Vault Of Heaven", "See Ya", and "Atsuko's Arcade". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that makes us go "wow" all over again at the mighty talents of Bob James – because even this late in life, he's clearly open to new ideas and pushing the boundaries – which he really does here in collaboration with younger musician Sam Franz! In the way that Bob's CTI albums were a landmark electric jazz effort for the 70s – this set's maybe one for the 21st Century, with a vibe that's shows the passage of time in so many different ways! This isn't fusion, smooth jazz, or traditional jazz at all – yet Bob's got some great moments on keyboards throughout, in different sonic settings from Franz, merging together in ways that make it difficult to figure out who's doing what. Titles include "Brew This Again & Again", "This Theme Needs A Movie", "Polar Tangents", "Starless Vault Of Heaven", "See Ya", and "Atsuko's Arcade". CD

One of the most legendary bluesmen of the early 78rpm generation – heard here in a wonderfully-recorded set from 1964! The session came at a time when Skip James was hardly getting any mainstream attention, but had been rediscovered by a younger generation – which led to the fledgling Adelphi Records bringing him into the studio and really letting him do his thing! There's no attempt at commercialism here at all – as the tracks are spare, of varying length, and have James letting that amazing vocal style loose – soaring out with a heavenly sound at some moments, and hewing to the rhythms of his guitar at others – given reverent production treatment by the young John Fahey. Titles include "Broke & Hungry", "Crow Jane", "Cypress Grove Blues", "Black Gal", "Drunken Spree", "Illinois Blues", "Look Down The Road", and "Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest double-live albums of the classic rock generation – filled with extra long takes of Led Zep classics, most of which diverge very strongly from their studio versions! The real highlight here is the set's classic "Moby Dick", which features one of the greatest drum solos ever set to wax – but other tunes include "Rain Song", "Whole Lotta Love", "Stairway To Heaven", "No Quarter", and "Dazed & Confused". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant and beautiful album from Damon Locks – even more powerful than his Where Future Unfolds album, and that's saying a heck of a lot! The record proclaims part of its mission in its title – and is maybe the first set we've heard to point the way forward creatively after the dark days of 2020 – reclaiming the future for the present, as Locks works with a stunning array of Chicago-based talent – including Angel Bat Dawid on clarinet, Ben LaMar Gay on cornet and melodica, Dana Hall on drums, and Arif Smith on percussion! There's no other instruments in the core of the combo – but Locks adds in plenty of electronics and sound samples, including both musical moments and all these many found voices which are woven through the record alongside vocals by a sextet of singers – a chorus who rise up and give the whole thing a heavenly vibe that's completely mindblowing! While so many others are doing a decent job of reworking a 70s jazz spirit, Damon's giving us the future to come – the kind of visionary work we always knew he was capable of, but which is now finally getting the chance to exist on record. Titles include "The People Vs The Rest Of Us", "Keep Your Mind Free", "Movement & You", "Now", and "The Body Is Electric". CD

Heavenly grooves from Hiroshi Okazaki & His Star Gazers – a group who harmonize wonderfully on this set! Despite their Japanese origin, the Star Gazers sing in English – clearly drawing from a legacy that includes The Four Freshmen and Hi-Los – but they also scat wordlessly at points too, in ways that really transform the sound of the tunes! There's a wonderfully sparkling feel to the whole record – of the sort you'd find in the hippest 60s European soundtracks or Brazilian bossa albums – and although the group hardly cracked the market outside their native Japan, a session like this has strong global appeal all these many years later. Titles include "What Can I Do Dear", "Agua De Beber", "I Can't Find The Words", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", "This Guy's In Love With You", and "The Last Waltz". CD

Don't let the Another One title make you think this is some passable record that repeats earlier ideas – because the set is a real gem in the 50s catalog of bassist Oscar Pettiford, and one of his strongest dates as a leader! Pettiford really sparkles here – leading a great group that features key 50s modernists like Gigi Gryce on alto, Jerome Richardson on tenor, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – all tightly arranged at most moments, but given enough space on the set to strike out and state their own ideas. Pettiford's bass is wonderfully upfront in the mix, leading off most tunes with a nice sense of force – and titles include some really wonderful original material – like "Oscalypso", "Don't Squawk", "Bohemia After Dark", "Minor Seventh Heaven", and "Kamman's A Comin". CD

Includes the accompanying film directed by Alasdair McLellan on DVD. CD

The lyrical genius at his best – an early record from pianist Horace Silver, but one that already has him really defining that special sort of sound that made him really stand out from his contemporaries! The difference here is hard to put in words – but there's a careful ear for an unusual phrasing in a tune that Silver delivers throughout – not just on his own compositions and piano solos, but also in the way that he puts the whole group together – with stellar work from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all players who were about to become leaders and legends on their own, working here under fantastic guidance from Horace. Hayes is particularly great, and his warm drumming brings Silver's playing into a new range that still keeps a lot of his bop roots, but which also allows more room for the kind of flourishes that makes his recordings from this time so great. Titles include the classic "Senor Blues" – plus "Cool Eyes", "Shirl", "Camouflage", "For Heaven's Sake", "Virgo", and "Enchantment". CD

A real turning point for Sparks – a set that has the duo of Russell and Ron Mael finding a whole new focus for their music on the UK scene! The style is a bit glammy at times – not in the execution, so much as the production – which has a great way of compressing the vocals up against the guitars – while still keeping all the sharpness of the group's earlier music, which is a key component in pushing forward the subtle wit of the tunes! There's also a slight warble to both the vocals and some of the melodies – which might sit nicely next to early Roxy Music in listening spirit, even though Sparks themselves are very much their own thing. Titles include "Here In Heaven", "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us", "Amateur Hour", "Equator", "Complaints", "Thank God It's Not Christmas", and "Talent Is An Asset". 2LP pressing features some great bonus tracks – demos from 1973 that include "When I Take The Field ON Friday", "Windy Day", "Marry Me", "My Brains & Her Looks", "A More Constructive Use Of Leisure", "Barbecutie", and "Alabamy Right". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest soundtracks we've ever heard from the mighty Piero Umiliani – a sparkling set that's filled with jazzy scatting, mod instrumentation, and loads of other wonderful 60s touches throughout! The music has that special Italian sound that's built on bossa that you'll find in some of the coolest soundtracks from Umiliani's generation – and like the rest, it really takes off in its own unique direction – with soaring, seductive sounds that live quite vibrantly away from the screen! The whole thing's right up there with bossa jazzy classics like Sweden Heaven & Hell or La Matriarca. (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly beautiful album, recorded by Vinicius De Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Oscar Castro-Neves, and The Quarteto Em Cy for some sort of a special show. Castro-Neves provides some excellent bossa backing, the Quarteto girls sing chorus and over the top, Vinicius does some recitations, and Caymmi sings lead vocals. If the whole thing sound's a bit heavy-handed, it's not – and instead is an amazing batch of heavenly bossa-tinged tracks, with all the intelligence and imagination of the best titles on the Elenco label. The whole thing's extremely lively, and has an other-worldly sound that matches Vinicius' classic Afro Sambas LP with Baden Powell. Tracks include "Bom Dia Amigo", "Berimbau", "Historia De Pescadores", "Formosa", "Broto Maroto", and "Aruanda". LP, Vinyl record album

The spiritual side of Hank Williams – titles that include "Ready To Go Home", "Wait For The Light To Shine", "Going Home", "Devil's Train", "Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine", and "Last Night I Dreamed Of Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album