One jazz legend pays tribute to another – as percussionist Kahil El Zabar leads his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble through a set of tracks that really take on the wide-spanning legacy of the great Don Cherry – from his early years with Ornette Coleman, to his European world jazz experiments, to his enduring sonic creations over the years! Kahil is every bit as much of a musical experimentalist as Cherry – and his leadership here is perfect – pulling together contributions from Corey Wilkes on trumpet, David Ornette Cherry on piano, Alex Harding on baritone, and Dwight Trible on voice – all players who also pick up percussion and other instruments, in the best Cherry tradition. Kahil handles a wide array of percussion, including balafon and kalimba – and also adds some of his great vocalizations to the proceedings – in a set of tracks that includes "Degi Degi", "Sketches Of A Love Supreme", "Lonely Woman", "Harvest Time", "Spirit Gatherer", "Holy Man", and "Evocation". CD

Nice early recording by this AACM trio – with the late Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson on reeds, and Kahil El Zabar on percussion! Beautiful intertwining reeds and percussion, on one long track that covers the entirety of both sides, excerpted from a live performance in 1979. CD

Nice early recording by this AACM trio – with the late Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson on reeds, and Kahil El Zabar on percussion! Beautiful intertwining reeds and percussion, on one long track that covers the entirety of both sides, excerpted from a live performance in 1979. CD

Nice early recording by this AACM trio – with the late Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson on reeds, and Kahil El Zabar on percussion! Beautiful intertwining reeds and percussion, on one long track that covers the entirety of both sides, excerpted from a live performance in 1979. LP, Vinyl record album

One jazz legend pays tribute to another – as percussionist Kahil El Zabar leads his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble through a set of tracks that really take on the wide-spanning legacy of the great Don Cherry – from his early years with Ornette Coleman, to his European world jazz experiments, to his enduring sonic creations over the years! Kahil is every bit as much of a musical experimentalist as Cherry – and his leadership here is perfect – pulling together contributions from Corey Wilkes on trumpet, David Ornette Cherry on piano, Alex Harding on baritone, and Dwight Trible on voice – all players who also pick up percussion and other instruments, in the best Cherry tradition. Kahil handles a wide array of percussion, including balafon and kalimba – and also adds some of his great vocalizations to the proceedings – in a set of tracks that includes "Degi Degi", "Sketches Of A Love Supreme", "Lonely Woman", "Harvest Time", "Spirit Gatherer", "Holy Man", and "Evocation". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky grooves from one of the greatest instrumental acts of the mainstream disco era! Despite the fact that these guys had a chart-topping sound, they also managed to include enough funky moments in their records to hold the attention of our ears – including some well-crafted wah-wah guitar and keyboard lines over strings! The album includes the surprisingly great side-long suite "Last Night On Earth", plus great covers of "Theme From Rocky" and "Theme From Lipstick", and a "Do It Again/Cisco Kid" medley! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice overview of the Concord Records work of guitarist Laurindo Almeida – a player who'd floundered a bit before coming to the label, but then hit a very welcome return to small combo jazz! The material here is quite different from some of the easy listening or bigger ensemble albums that Almeida cut in the 60s – and instead, most of the music here is in a small combo setting – played by Laurindo on acoustic guitar, in a mix of modes from bop, to bossa, plus a slight touch of classical too. Other players on the dates include Charlie Byrd on second guitar, Milt Holland on percussion, and Bob Magnusson on bass – and titles include "Invitation To Shango", "Danza Five", "You & I", "Dingue Le Bangue", "Liza", "Carioca", "Chopin A La Breve", "Jalousie", and "Adios". CD

Killer soul from the 70s! Sam Dees was one of the decade's greatest unsung talents – and his work as a writer and arranger has appeared on countless recordings from the time, even though he himself didn't cut many under his own name. As part of his creative process, though, he would often cut very professional private recordings to work out his songs and his musical ideas – and nearly all of those recordings had a quality that was as good (or better) than most of the soul material that was being issued to the commercial market at the time. This great 22 track CD (a follow-up to Kent's other set of Dees' demos) brings together some of Dees' best private recordings, and the set's filled with some of the best 70's soul tracks we've heard in ages! Titles include "Why Must I Live In Chains", "Black Tattler", "Meet Me Half Way", "Where Is The Love", "Only Lonely People", "Just As Soon As The Feeling's Over", and "Lovers Or Enemies". Highly recommended! CD

Frank Kimbrough on piano, Ben Wolfe on bass, Jeff Williams on drums. CD

As smooth as mink – and as sexy too! The album's one of Peggy's jazziest from the Capitol years – and has her working with some really great arrangements by Max Bennett or Benny Carter – both of whom come up with a lean groove that swings tremendously, but without some of the overly-cliched modes of later Capitol years! Peggy's in great form throughout – and titles include "Whisper Not", "My Silent Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Close Your Eyes", "Cloudy Morning", and "Where Can I Go Without You?". CD includes 4 bonus tracks! CD

Charlie Parker recorded in a number of different modes for Norman Granz and Verve Records – but small combo material like this is still probably the best illustration of the alto giant's genius – his lean, clean style that was full of sharp modern energy and unmistakable brilliance! The group is well-suited for Bird's deft lines – a quartet with bopper Al Haig on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and the great Max Roach on drums – a timekeeper with just the right sensibility for the solos. Tracks are straightforward, but with some impeccable soloing – and the style is a blueprint for the bop sound of the time! Tunes include "Kim", "Cosmic Rays", "Laird Baird", "Chi Chi", and "Confirmation". CD

Features Hank Jones on piano, Tal Farlow on guitar, Tommy Potter on bass, Joe Roland on vibes, Irv Kluger on drums, and Artie Shaw on clarinet. CD

The drums do plenty of talking here – in a wonderful set that looks at the return of deeper rhythms and percussion to the global house music underground! Just at a point when some pretenders were trying to claim too-strong influences from Cuba, Africa, and other deeper cultures – artists like these came into the fray and reminded us that if you're going to make a musical statement, you better have the sound to back it up – which they did wonderfully, with the kind of creative reworkings of percussive modes that you'll hear on this set! Gabriele Poso did a really wonderful job of choosing the tracks here – a no-nonsense batch of work that will make you throw away every "fake" Afro-remix you've got in your collection. Titles include "Naja" by Guem, "Cafe De Ochun" by Gabriele Poso, "Injection Of Blackness" by Malika B & Dave Hucker, "Polyrhythm Jizm (Lay-Far edit)" by Free Association, "Long Distance Lover" by Babatunde Olatunji, "Tembandumba" by Toto La Momposina, "Drum It Up" by Dudu Tucci, "Coming Home" by Mustapha Tetty Addy, "Ven Francisco" by Silvestre Mendez, "Guiro Elegua" by Bobby Matos, and "Ninu Opon Ori Tiwa (Kiko Navarro re-edit)" by Sola Akingbola. LP, Vinyl record album

Early string band styled numbers and timeless rural folk-blues music from the Carolina Chocolate Drops – brilliant stuff that's appropriately titled Heritage. It reflectsnow acclaimed trios own heritage – as well as that of all American music going back to the early 20th century. Live tracks and studio material that shows the group's depth of understand of lots of styles of old school rural American music. Includes "Another Man Done Gone", "Wayward Gal", "Black Eye Blues", "Georgie Buck", "Jack O' Diamonds", "Poor Lazarus", "Rickett's Hornpipe", "Bye-Bye Policeman", "Banjo Dreams/Jalidong", "Gambia" and more. CD

Benny Carter plays with The American Jazz Orchestra, directed by John Lewis, with John Eckert, Virgil Jones, Bob Millikan, and Marvin Stamm on trumpets, Eddie Bert, Jack Jeffers, Jimmy Knepper, and Britt Woodman on trombones, Bill Easley and John Purcell on alto and flute, Loren Schoenberg on tenor, Lew Tabackin on tenor and flute, Danny Bank on baritone and bass clarinet, Dick Katz and John Lewis on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. CD

A seminal set from the young Miles Davis – working here on one of his legendary pairings with tenorist John Coltrane, who's equally important to the sound of the session as Miles! Tracks are long, and mix up some modern modes with remade ballads – both sublime expressions of the new ideas in jazz that both players were unlocking at the time, presented here in a setting that still sets a standard for modern jazz on record! The rhythm trio is equally wonderful – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and titles "Tune Up", "Blues By Five", and "Airegin" – plus the pair's classic reading of "My Funny Valentine". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of traditional Andean music, with instruments including the harp, flute, panpipe, as well as guitar and accordion. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Saxophonist Shamek Farrah is best known for a pair of legendary 70s albums on the Strata East label – but he was still working strongly in the American jazz underground for years after that – as you'll hear on this brilliant batch of live recordings from the end of the 80s! The album was initially only issued as a cassette sold at gigs, and it shows Farrah sounding wonderful in the company of trumpeter Norman Person – blowing alto and bringing the fire he had on his 70s spiritual jazz recordings – as he and Person work in a few different groups, alongside some especially great piano work from either David Durrah or Sonelius Smith – both players with strong legacies of their own! Garry Hammon joins the pair on tenor on two tracks, Marvin Neal on trombone on one, and the final track is a trio number without Farrah, showing wonderful phrasing from Person next to Smith's piano. All titles are nice and long – and tunes include "Negative Forces", "Aisha", "Footprints", "Timeless Beginning", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

Saxophonist Shamek Farrah is best known for a pair of legendary 70s albums on the Strata East label – but he was still working strongly in the American jazz underground for years after that – as you'll hear on this brilliant batch of live recordings from the end of the 80s! The album was initially only issued as a cassette sold at gigs, and it shows Farrah sounding wonderful in the company of trumpeter Norman Person – blowing alto and bringing the fire he had on his 70s spiritual jazz recordings – as he and Person work in a few different groups, alongside some especially great piano work from either David Durrah or Sonelius Smith – both players with strong legacies of their own! Garry Hammon joins the pair on tenor on two tracks, Marvin Neal on trombone on one, and the final track is a trio number without Farrah, showing wonderful phrasing from Person next to Smith's piano. All titles are nice and long – and tunes include "Negative Forces", "Aisha", "Footprints", "Timeless Beginning", and "I Remember Clifford". LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Bobby Hackett, Red Norvo, Flip Phillips, and Bill Harris. CD

Igor Butman and Sergei Gourbelashvili on saxophone, Vyacheslav Nazarov on trombone, Victor Gouseinov on trumpet, Walter Davis Jr. and Yevgeny Maslov on piano, Santi Debriano on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums. CD

Tracks include "Steeplechase Rag", "Gypsy Blues", "Harlem Strut", "Muscle Shoal Blues", and "Don't Mess With Me". CD

... CD

... CD

Sweet Philly soul from The Sapphires – a mixed male/female vocal group with a really wonderful sound! The set brings together 22 tracks originally issued on the Swan and ABC labels – a number of which were written by a young Kenny Gamble! The material starts out with a strong doo wop vibe, but soon takes on the warmer sounds of 60s soul – and provides a great example of the strong growth on the Philly scene in the decade before the city really came to dominate American music. Titles include "Who Do You Love", "I Found Out Too Late", "I've Got Mine", "Come On & Love Me", "Wild Child", "Where Is Your Heart", "Gee I'm Sorry Baby", "Evil One", "Gonna Be A Big Thing", "How Could I Say Goodbye", "Slow Fizz", and "Our Love Is Everywhere". CD

... CD

With selections by Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Benny Carter, Lee Konitz, Peggy Lee, and Louie Bellson. LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Frenesi", "The Moon Won't Talk", "Three Little Words", "Gone With What Draft", "Let The Doorknob Hit 'Cha", "Stardust", "Lulu's Back In Town", and "Dear Old Southland" – 36 tracks total. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Kid Ory, Bobby Hackett, Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Leonard Feather, Sid Catlett and others. Tracks include "Mahogany Hall Stomp", "Rockin' Chair", "St James Infirmary Blues", "Save It, Pretty Mama", "Before Long", "Blues In The South", and "Ain't Misbehavin". CD

Two late 80's small group sessions – with Bobby Scott on piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Bob Cranshaw or Anthony Jackson on bass, and Grady Tate or Chris Parker on drums. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Luke Malewicz on trombone, Rich Moore on tenor saxophone, Andrew Toombs on piano, Tim Seisser on bass, and Makaya McCraven on drums. CD

Jay McShann on piano, Mel Lewis on drums, Jimmy Woode on bass, Clark Terry on trumpet, flugelhorn & vocals, Terence Blanchard, Carmell Jones & Tony Russo on trumpet, Al Grey, Jimmy Wilkins & Marc Steckar on trombone, Sahib Shihab, Hal Singer, Benny Carter, Phil Woods, Jimmy Heath & James Moody on saxophones, Ernie Wilkins arangements & conducting & Ernie Andrews on vocals. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features Artie Shaw on clarinet, Tal Farlow on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, Joe Rolland on vibes, Tommy Potter on bass, and Irv Kluger on drums. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The great Dr John at his freaky deaky best – working here in a mindblowing mix of New Orleans roots and late 60s psych – all served up in some heady studio space and instrumental touches! The sound's unlike anything that ever went before – and is way better here than on some of John's later, straighter material – clearly the work of years of creative genius, as the Doctor, Mac Rebennack, draws on both his heritage from the Crescent City, and his years of work in the underground rock scene in LA! Harold Batiste handled the arrangements – and the record really paves the way for so many famous LA/New Orleans albums to come in the 70s – but never with results this mindblowingly trippy. The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – and titles include "Mama Roux", "Croker Courtbullion", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", and the original version of "I Walk On Guilded Splinters". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-awaited full length set of remix work from Kahil El Zabar – the summation of a great run of 12" singles over the past few years, finally brought together in one complete album! Way back at the end of the 80s, Kahil first had the idea of mixing together the jazz of his AACM roots with the house music percolating in the Chicago scene – but for many years, this dream was deferred, and even later attempts were only partially realized. Enter Deeper Soul, who managed to dig up a few unreleased tracks from Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, and served them round to a host of great remixers – including Osunlade, IG Culture, Djinji Brown, and Henrik Schwarz. The result is a wonderful batch of tunes that have the soulful depth of his original work, but completely remake the music for the dancefloor – served up here in a 2CD package that features the original tracks "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands", "Ancestral Song", and "Running In The Streets" on one disc – plus remixes on the other, titles that include "Our Time Is Now (Kahil El Zabar & Kemit Sources IG Culture rmx)", "Ancestral Song (Osunlade rmx)", "Running In The Streets (Charles Webster rmx)", "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands (Henrik Schwarz rmx)", "Ancestral Song (Kemit Sources rmx)", "Our Time Is Now (Kemit Sources orig mix)", and "Running In The Streets (Djinji Brown rmx)". CD

A legendary album – one that has Aretha Franklin returning to her roots in gospel music – but working with all the strength and power that Atlantic Records had to offer! From early years recording as a young voice alongside her father's congregation, Aretha has matured into a hell of a lead singer – and really knocks it out of the park here alongside the mighty James Cleveland, and the Southern California Community Choir! While it might have been nice to record the set back home in Detroit, the California setting for the material works perfectly to elevate Franklin to a special place in the heavens – tying together her heritage in beautiful ways, and making for another great stride forward in her career during the 70s. One of the best ideas ever for a soul music concept album – with titles that include "Mary Don't You Weep", "How I Got Over", "Precious Memories", "Wholy Holy", "Never Grow Old", "Amazing Grace", and Climbing Higher Mountains". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record by Chico – an artist who really seemed to work best in the setting of these India Navigation albums! The record's got a laidback and soulful quality that links two sides of Chico's Chicago heritage – his lineage in the tenor school, as son of Von Freeman and heir of the Chicago sound, and his freer-thinking connection to the AACM. The tenor heritage dominates, as Chico works through a set of standards done in a warm, mellow style that recalls Coltrane's classic Ballads album – but there's also light touches of the AACM years in the phrasing, rhythms, and overall conception of the tracks. Chico plays tenor and soprano, and the group features Cecil Mc Bee on bass, John Hicks on piano, and Winard Harper on drums – on tracks that include "Nature Boy", "Angel Eyes", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "After The Rain", and "When I Fall In Love". CD

A trio of early classics from the great Merle Haggard – served up here in a single set! Branded Man is a key early album in the career of the legendary Merle Haggard – a set that's open about his time behind bars, and which resonates beautifully with all the themes of loss and loneliness that haunted his music for years! Even at this early stage, Haggard is head and shoulders above the rest – contributing his own fantastic work to the record, and also taking on a few tunes by others – almost making the whole thing feel like a concept album – not a unified suite of tracks, but more one that's unified with a sense of emotion and persona that few other country singers were bringing to the format at the time. While Johnny Cash may have learned to boost his career by recording in prisons, Merle used his time in one to create the sort of deep emotional well that you'll hear on classics that include "Branded Man", "I Threw Away The Rose", and "I Made The Prison Band" – next to other gems that include "Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive", "Long Black Limousine", "Go Home", "My Hands Are Tied", "Gone Crazy", and "Don't Get Married". Sing Me Back Home is a fantastic album from Merle Haggard – one that signals its sense of longing and wandering with its title and cover – then really delivers the goods in a package that's overflowing with strong original material by the man himself! While so many other country singers were singing about drinking and loving with a nod and wink, Haggard was able to set a whole new tone with a record like this – really digging deep both in spirit and lyrical presentation – and making the kind of music that raised the bar for generations to come! Every song on the record is a gem - and titles include "Where Does The Good Times Go", "Sing Me Back Home", "Look Over Me", "Wine Take Me Away", "If You See My Baby", "I'll Leave The Bottle At The Bar", "Home Is Where A Kid Grows Up", "My Past Is Present", "Good Times", and "Seeing Eye Dog". Okie From Muskogee is one of the most legendary albums in the long career of the mighty Merle Haggard – a live set that's capped with the famous title tune – recorded down in Oklahoma, as a nod to the roots of Merle's heritage – and one that was really able to carefully play both sides of the fence at the end of the 60s! So while Hag is singing the anthemic title tune – a proud statement against hippies and the radical underground while most of America is standing strong – he's still also reaching out with a palette of emotional expression that shows that the man himself is deeply complex, and able to rise up a bit of Okie pride, while also letting the world know that the same spirit was also fanning the flames of the musical revolutions out on the west coast too. The set's overflowing with classics – not just the new "Okie From Muskogee" – but also killer versions of "Mama Tried", "No Hard Times", "In the Arms Of Love", "If I Had Left It Up To You", "White Line Fever", "Blue Rock", and a medley of "Swinging Doors", "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Branded Man". CD

Tracks include "Walks Like Rex", "Part Deux", "Rule That Train", "Que Paso Ray", and "Rhythm Heritage". 12-inch, Vinyl record

An overdue presentation of the almost-lost legacy of Marvin Tate's D-Settlement – an underground group from the Chicago scene of the 90s, and one who blend together jazz, funk, soul, and other modes – all with a style that's even more righteous than the sum of its parts! As the image on the front might imply, there's a really collaborative feel to the music – certainly graced by the strong lead presence of the leader, but very much an ensemble creation overall – partly in a legacy that makes them a bridge between Chicago generations of the Artistic Heritage Ensemble/Pharoahs scene, and the later groups who are part of the International Anthem universe. Yet there's also a willful genre-hopping quality going on throughout – at a level that almost resonates as strongly with downtown New York experiments at the start of the 80s – particularly some of the funkier ones. The set marks the first time that all three of these albums have been collected together, and presented to the world at large – along with a great set of notes that includes materials from Jaimie Branch, Ben LaMar Gay, and Angel Bat Dawid. Titles include "Mr Sullivan", "The Number Ban", "Mama's Got A New Boyfriend", "Planet D-Settlement", "Black Girl", "Yesterday", "Governmental Wolf", "Color Blind Society", "Mr Junkie Maker", "All Pro", "Charlie Of Washington Square", "Dinner Date", "Bronzeville", and "Hangman". CD

A fantastic funky album from 70s Japan – one that has the shakuhachi work of Kifu Mitsuhashi mixed with these slow-stepping grooves that have plenty of warm electric touches! The style is nice and mellow – almost as if a Japanese reed musician got the chance to record for CTI Records back in the day – with just the right amount of traditional melodies on the instrument to live up to its heritage, but mixed with these groovy funky jazz elements that really transform the sound! Arrangements are by Kiyoshi Yamaya, and there's some great use of vibes, Fender Rhodes, and guitar – on titles that include "Konpira Fune Fune", "Tanchame", "Kushimoto bushi", "Kaigara Bushi", "Soran Bushi", "Isohama Bon Uta", and "Saitara Bushi". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful lost relic, and a monster batch of long jazzy grooves! The album was recorded in the great tradition of "musicans in prison" albums, like those by The Escorts in the early 70s, and it features an incredibly soulful band made up of jazz musicians in lockdown at the Ohio State Penitentiary during the mid 70s! We don't recognize any of the names on the album, but the players work with a hell of a lot of soul and spirit – on longer tracks that almost have the feel of 70s work by The Pharoahs or Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Way better than anything you'd usually get of this nature – and definitely light years beyond any school or army band recording – and much more like a 70s underground spiritual jazz set. All of the material was written and arranged by Logan Rollins, and the tracks have a large group feel, with long drawn out grooves, and plenty of room for nice nice solos – and titles include "Psych City", "Mantra Dance", "Counterry Bosa Davan", and "Java Man". CD

A nicely lean take on the music of West Side Story – done during part of a big late 50s wave of jazz-meets-Broadway albums – and served up by a group who often approached the material better than most! In previous years, Andre Previn could be more of a softer, mood-oriented pianist – but he's at his jazziest here, and works with wonderful dexterity next to the hip drum work of Shelly Manne, and the subtle but powerful bass of Red Mitchell – a player who may well be the real hero of the best trio dates like these! The tunes are familiar, but they're hardly a rehash of the themes – as Previn really takes off on his solos, with plenty of improvised moments – on titles that include "Cool", "Jet Song", "Something's Coming", "Gee Officer Krupke", "Maria", and "Tonight". CD

Notable sidemen include Stanley Cowell, Stephen Scott, Clifton Anderson, Jerome Harris, Mark Soskin, Mtume, and Jack DeJohnette. Tracks include "Autumn Nocturne", "Mava Mava", "Harlem Boys", "Cabin In The Sky", "Lucky Day", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "Skylark". CD

One of THE greatest Verve albums of the 60s – an incredible set that's one of the few older records made as a leader by drummer Ed Thigpen! The sound here is incredibly hard to describe – a light mix of guitar from Kenny Burrell, piano from Herbie Hancock, and trumpet from Clark Terry – all dancing along in a spare, breezy, and highly rhythmical way – while Thigpen himself works the drum kit in this breezy, lyrical, and almost melody-driven way! The album's strongly modern in thinking, but also still nicely swinging, and with a warmth that grabs the listener right away. Titles include "Heritage", "Elbow & Mouth", "Struttin With Some Barbecue", "Cielito Lindo", and "Out Of The Storm". CD

A sublime blend of Caribbean roots and contemporary soul – and a set that's even more fantastic than the previous album from David Walters! Walters is one of those globe-trotting talents who manages to pick up all sorts of great inspirations along the way, then forge them into something that's all his own – music that would certainly live up to the heritage of his roots in the West Indies, but with a global current that really fits the best spirit of the Heavenly Sweetness label and their excellent legacy of crossing boundaries with effortless ease! If the world were a better place, this album would be huge – showing up in all sorts of scenes and charts – yet we don't mean that in any sort of commercial way at all, as Walters has a way of being a really unique superstar without any sort of pretense or ego. Titles include "Soul Tropical", "Don't U", "Light", "Toxic Tropic", "Vanse Carnival", "An Lot Soley", "La Vi A Bel", "Gimme Love", and "No One (Captain Planet disco edit)". CD

One of the nice records made by Joe during his funky comeback of the late 60s/early 70s. He's singing here in a setting that's decidedly hipper than on earlier albums – with the early 70s Nat/Cannonball Adderley collective that includes George Duke on piano, Carol Kaye on bass, and production work by David Axelrod. Titles include "Heritage", "Sad Song", "Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow", and "Who She Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful collection of rare work pulled from a variety of different 78rpm singles – Indian classical music from the generation before Ravi Shankar and a few other artists gave it global exposure – with an especially strong focus on the use of the violin next to sitars and tablas! The violin is amazing – very stretched out and snakey – used maybe with some techniques of European heritage, but with a sonic result that's very very different – and a perfect fit for the rhythms and other instrumentation in the tracks! The collection is very well-done – similar to such projects on labels like Dust-To-Digital or Honest Jons – and titles include "Raga Thodi" by Gajanan Madhav Karnad, "Nagumomu Ganale (parts 1 & 2)" by Muthi & Masni, "Ragamalika Ragam Thanam (parts 1 & 2)" by Dwaram Venkatswamny Naidu, "Ikanaiana Raga Manirang" by Mysor Chowdiah, and the tracks "Raga Adana", "Thumri", "Raga Bageshree", "Raga Ahir Bhairi", and "Raga Sur Malha" by Paritosh Seal – clearly the star of the set! Also features a bonus 7" single – with two earlier, pre-classical tracks – "Thodi" and "Ragam Alapana" by Cunniah Naidu. LP, Vinyl record album

Music by Jah Cure, Queen Ifrika, Tami Chynn, Beres Hammond, Richie Stephens, Ras Shiloh, Morgan Heritage, and others. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really incredible album – a set that's filled with far more soul and feeling than you might guess from the youthful image on the cover! Matthew Halsall's a pretty young player, but his sound here is really amazing – not just on his own trumpet solos, but on the overall feel of the album – which is beautifully composed, and put together with a sense of spirit that takes us back to Strata East at its most sophisticated in the 70s! There's a really beautiful balance here – ambition in the writing that recalls other UK efforts from The Heritage Orchestra or Nostalgia 77 Octet – but an execution that's much leaner overall, deeply personal lines played by a relatively small combo – quintet formation on all numbers, featuring Halsall's trumpet alongside great reedwork on soprano sax, flute, alto, and tenor – supported by soaring rhythms on piano, bass, and drums – all handled with the majesty of an early 70s McCoy Tyner album, or some of the other great modally-inspired work of the American post-Coltrane generation. Tremendous stuff throughout – a record that held us rapt from start to finish – with 5 original compositions that include "On The Other Side Of The World", "Reflections", "Freedom Song", "Sending My Love", and "Sachi". LP, Vinyl record album

Searingly soulful work from Hamiet Bluiett – easily one of his greatest sessions of the late 70s, and a record that has a sense of focus that's sometimes missing from his other work! The group on the set includes Don Pullen, Fred Hopkins, Billy Hart, and Don Moye – coming together with a real cohesiveness behind Bluiett, and directing his musical visions with a strength that's clear from the very first note of the record. There's a sense of greatness here that cannot be denied – a key link in a heritage that includes Albert Ayler's best later moments, and some of the tighter early recordings of the AACM. Titles include "Flux/A Bad MF", "Happy Spirit", "Head Drake", and "Before Yesterday". CD

A tremendous achievement from music writer Aaron Cohen – a book that finally gets at the deeper, richer story of Chicago soul – the spirit of empowerment and pride that have always made us so honored to be part of the Windy City legacy! Cohen picks up where other soul writers have left off on Chicago – really looking at the shifts into the 70s, which included greater ties to the means of production, and an increased role in the social agenda as well – all part of an evolution in songwriting styles, production techniques, and the growing power of the full length album over the 7" single! Cohen looks at many key figures of the time – Earth Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan & Rufus, Curtis Mayfield, Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble – and the very well-researched book is a delight to read throughout – easily the deepest work that Cohen's ever given us. 234 pages, softcover, with some black and white images – and a selected discography too. Book