... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Ian Hunter work from Mott The Hoople! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic – the kind of record that will remind you that Mott The Hoople were way more than a glam band with a big radio hit – as there's a depth, complexity, and completely satisfying quality to the record that holds on all the way through! Sure, the group's got fantastic guitar – courtesy of Mick Ralphs, who was setting a tone that so many others would copy in years to come – but there's way more going on here, and the group are really getting a sense of their power and identity – even if they were never hitting the full chart status they deserved. The whole thing's great – lots of perfect moments from Ian Hunter – and titles include "Hymn For The Dudes", "Whizz Kid", "All The Way From Memphis", "I Wish I Was Your Mother", "Ballad Of Mott The Hoople", and "Honaloochie Boogie". CD

Seminal work from Ian Hunter and group – recorded in 1969, and a great harbinger for the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Rock & Roll Queen", "Half Moon Bay", "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time", "Wrath & Wroll", "Laught At Me", "Backsliding Fearlessly", and "You Really Got Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and the instrumentation is great too – handled by the Pied Piper team, who were kind of a Motown offshoot that featured Jack Ashford on vibes and percussion, Dave Hamilton and Ray Monette on guitar, and Joe Hunter on piano. Hunter and Ashford handled the arrangements – with a pitch-perfect sound that's completely sublime – sweet and grooving at the same time, and put together with the same kind of care you'd find at Motown – but with all the harder-edge qualities that always made indie work from Detroit so great. Every cut is a winner, and the set is the only full album ever done by the group – with cuts that include "Egyptian Love", "Till The End Of Time", "Since I Found My Baby", "Sweetest One", "Unlucky Sun", "I'll Never Forget You", "Do The Pied Piper", and "I'm With You All The Way". Great reissue – fully remastered from the original tapes – with new liner notes too! CD

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and the instrumentation is great too – handled by the Pied Piper team, who were kind of a Motown offshoot that featured Jack Ashford on vibes and percussion, Dave Hamilton and Ray Monette on guitar, and Joe Hunter on piano. Hunter and Ashford handled the arrangements – with a pitch-perfect sound that's completely sublime – sweet and grooving at the same time, and put together with the same kind of care you'd find at Motown – but with all the harder-edge qualities that always made indie work from Detroit so great. Every cut is a winner, and the set is the only full album ever done by the group – with cuts that include "Egyptian Love", "Till The End Of Time", "Since I Found My Baby", "Sweetest One", "Unlucky Sun", "I'll Never Forget You", "Do The Pied Piper", and "I'm With You All The Way". Great reissue – fully remastered from the original tapes – with new liner notes too! CD

It's been 30 years since Azymuth first took the Brazilian jazz scene by storm – and in that time, they've never let up a minute! From their initial tripped-out recordings to their soulful dancefloor classics, California fusion, and recent London gems, the group's never faltered a bit – and has always served up an incredible blend of Brazilian rhythms and funky fusion with a very soulful finish! This album marks the group's 30th year in jazz, and it's one of their best of the past 20 – a sublime effort that's dripping with warm keyboard lines, grooving with spacey rhythms, and overflowing with great help from guest singers and musicians that include Roberto Menescal, Emilio Santiago, Marcio Lott, Fabiola, Ze Carlos,Leo Gandleman, and Roc Hunter! The Brazilian Soul title is extremely fitting – as the group manages to groove with a soulful undercurrent, yet never sounds too slick or too held back – as is evidenced by the really free-flowing keyboard work on the set. Titles include "Sem Destino", "Biaozinho Carioca", "Depois De Carnival", "O Lance", "Te Querendo", "Sambafrica", "Roda Piao", "Pra Ze", and "Estatico". CD

A Brazilian tribute to football – but one that's given a distinctly London twist – as core rhythms by Wilson Das Neves, Dom Um Romao, and others are mixed up and augmented by Da Lata, Zero dB, Roc Hunter, Fauna Flash, and Osunlade! The album's got a depth and compelling quality that goes far beyond other records by Grupo Batuque – as tightly-played percussion riffs are mixed with sound effects, crowd noise, and commentary from football games – all in a rich sonic tapestry that goes past simple samba or batucada! The whole thing's almost like an audio document to the greatness of the sport and its importance in Brazilian culture – but thanks to the globe-spanning efforts of Far Out, the added production help should help settle more than a few disputes at the World Cup! Titles include "Torcida Do Flamengo", "E Ruim (Zero dB rmx)", "Ole Ola", "Isto E Samb", "Na Cancao Do Samba", "Ole Ola (Fauna Flash rmx)", "Na Batida Do Agogo (Osunlade rmx)", and "Berimbal Capoeira (Da Lata rmx)". CD

Stan Killian on tenor saxophone, Paul Bollenback on guitar, Corcoran on bass, and McClenty Hunter on drums. CD

The masterful Gil Evans was very alive and well in the 80s – working in ways that continued to push forward from his famous arranging modes of the 50s and 60s, and furthering some of the experiments with electric instrumentation that he began in the 70s! And somehow, the strength of Evans work really seems to come out best at the time in a live setting – recordings like this, where Gil can lead the group on long tracks that really let them stretch out with all sorts of new ideas – as the individual soloists push nicely on the larger charts that Evans provides! Gil plays piano at the head of an all-star lineup that includes Shunzo Ono and Lew Soloff on trumpets, Chris Hunter on alto, Bill Evans on tenor, Howard Johnson on baritone, Pete Levin on keyboards, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Victor Lewis on drums, and Marilyn Mazur on percussion – stepping out on well-recorded tracks that were originally done for German radio. Most numbers are well past the 10 minute mark – and titles include "Stone Free", "Little Wing", "Up From The Skies", "Subway", "There Comes A Time/Birdland", and "Orgone". CD

A moody western soundtrack – scored by Goldsmith for this 1975 film that starred Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly! The music does a really great job of displacing these three from their usual blacksploitation action roles – going for a dreamy sort of approach to the western, one that's clearly inspired by Italian composers of the late 60s spaghetti genre, but which also shares some of the orchestral touches of Goldsmith's other work. Goldsmith was really at the height of his powers during the 70s – and the depth and subtlety of this score is a good illustration of his best strengths – quite different than you might expect. Titles include "Work Camp", "The Wagon", "The Big Dive", "The Hunter", "Fancy Footwork", and "A Sad Story". CD

Dave Grusin made a few sleepy albums in his day, but this isn't one of them – and instead, it's a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in the 70s on shows like Barretta, or in films like Three Days of the Condor – mellow fusion with a tightly arranged style – lots of nicely isolated instrumentation, and the kind of spare and spacey grooves that you'd expect from a hip CTI session! Musicians include Grover Washington on saxes, Dave Valentin on flute, Ron Carter on bass, and Steve Gadd himself – plus Grusin on a lot of sweet keyboards – and titles include great cut "Modaji", plus "Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "Catavento", and "Montage". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, they'd both picked up plenty of influences from R&B – although Kasai's work was largely unknown to American audiences. This set is one of those rare Japanese-only sessions by Herbie at the time – a few of which have gotten released overseas as the decades have gone on – and Hancock is in his best keyboard groove, and also gets additional help on the keys from Webster Lewis – who no doubt brings a strong soul current to the music too. Other musicians include Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Ray Obeido on guitar, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – in a groove that's like a tighter take on the sound of The Headhunters. Kimiko sings in English – and titles include some great versions of Herbie Hancock tunes – including "Maiden Voyage", "Sunlight", "Butterfly", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Harvest Time" – plus a great take on Stevie Wonder's "As", the cut "Head In The Clouds", and the funk-steeped opener "I Thought It Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a flute session from Yusef Lateef – as the set's a record with plenty of saxophone as well as the instrument named in the title! Yusef's mixing his bag nicely for this mid 60s classic – working through tunes that are a mixture of soulful hardbop and eastern exoticism – a shift that's marked by Lateef's changing reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe! The group's a hip quartet with players from Lateef's Detroit scene – the always-great Hugh Lawson on piano, plus Herman Wright on bass, and a young Roy Brooks on drums – all working with Lateef in a sound that almost points the way towards some of the innovations in 70s soul jazz, and which has surprisingly righteous touches that you wouldn't expect from such a simple package! Titles include Brooks' excellent groover "The Smart Set", plus "Oasis", "Road Runner", "The Golden Flute", and "Head Hunters". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

One of the coolest records we've ever heard from this legendary Argentine pianist – a set that has Jorge Lopez Ruiz playing lots of Fender Rhodes, and mixing it in with both rootsy Latin percussion and a number of other keyboards too! The set's almost a South American version of some of Herbie Hancock's work with the Headhunters – with more traditional percussion passages in the mix, but blended with sounds that include Arp and mini-moog too – which gives the whole thing a criss-crossing vibe that alternates from the surface of the planet to the deeper ranges of the cosmos! Ruiz is wonderful throughout – often very spacious, in a thoughtful way that only makes each note have more power – and titles include "La Hora De La Sed Maldita", "Eterna Prescencia", "Mira Tu", "El Viaje De Dumpty", "Balewada", and "Para Nostros Solamente". CD

One of the coolest records we've ever heard from this legendary Argentine pianist – a set that has Jorge Lopez Ruiz playing lots of Fender Rhodes, and mixing it in with both rootsy Latin percussion and a number of other keyboards too! The set's almost a South American version of some of Herbie Hancock's work with the Headhunters – with more traditional percussion passages in the mix, but blended with sounds that include Arp and mini-moog too – which gives the whole thing a criss-crossing vibe that alternates from the surface of the planet to the deeper ranges of the cosmos! Ruiz is wonderful throughout – often very spacious, in a thoughtful way that only makes each note have more power – and titles include "La Hora De La Sed Maldita", "Eterna Prescencia", "Mira Tu", "El Viaje De Dumpty", "Balewada", and "Para Nostros Solamente". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's really out of time, and done by a group who are maybe out of place as well! Sandstone hail from early 70s Pennsylvania, but they've got an instantly-ancient vibe that places them much more in the company of the UK acid folk giants of the time – almost as if the groups recording for Transatlantic and Island were sending out some sort of cosmic vibrations that crossed the Atlantic and touched down on these four kids in a rural setting in PA! The record has this spare, lovely blend of acoustic guitar, flute, and female and male lead vocals – all with the same kind of spooky quality that recalls some of our UK favorites from the time – and which maybe sounds even better with the very spare indie label production of the release. Titles include "Asking Life", "The Tattered Drum", "Lovely Hunters", "What If You Could Love The Flute Player", "Jamie's Song", and "Farewell Valley". CD features two bonus tracks – "Bright Morning" and "Black Cat Paw Print". CD

A really cool collaboration between tenor legend Archie Shepp and keyboardist Jasper Van't Hof – two players who worked together before this album, and come back nicely with a really inventive sort of sound! You may know Jasper from his wilder, wiggier electronic work of the 70s – and here, he uses some of those elements in the music, mixed with acoustic piano – but often at a level that seems really well-tuned to Archie's spirit, which wouldn't have been the case with his work of the past. There's a really great sense of variety going on here – from the electronic theme "The Hunter", to a sublime mellow acoustic take on "Naima", to a strange Shepp vocal performance on "Down Home In New York" – next to other cuts that include "Pulse Of The Roots", "In A Decent Way", and "5th Of May". CD

A really fantastic record from guitarist Dave Stryker – a set that shows just how much he's grown in recent years as a player, and how responsive he is to the talents of other musicians in the group! Here, that group is a tremendous one – with Jared Gold on Hammond, Walter Smith III on tenor, and McClenty Hunter on drums – a combo that's locked up tight, and totally on the money – playing soulfully, but with lots of modern touches too – as Smith and Gold come together with the fluidity of Joe Henderson and Larry Young back in the day! Stryker's solos are strong, but he's also the kind of leader who's nicely focused on the overall sound of the group – which also includes percussion from Mayra Casales on a few cuts. Titles include "Rush Hour", "Baker's Circle", "Tough", "El Camino", "Dreamsong", and a nice take on "Inner City Blues". CD

A great look at a year on the British scene when the final years of post-punk gave way to the kind of indie strengths that would set the tone for years to come – a moment made very famous by the C86 compilation, prefaced here by a new look at work from 1985! There's plenty of influence from the more tuneful side of the scene, and those artists dabbling in new elements of psychedelia – and there's also a few nicely noisy moments, too – from the avant rockers of the Ron Johnson label, and a few other post-Fall groups too – all brought together in a huge package that shows just how much amazing work was taking place at the time! You'll recognize a few names are as artists who had big hits a few years later, represented by very early (and cooler) tracks here – and the package has a massive 72 tracks in all – with work from Brilliant Corners, A Witness, Age Of Chance, The Nose Flutes, Bogshed, Primal Scream, Woodentops, The Loft, James, Shop Assistants, June Brides, Snakes Of Shake, Househunters, Sudden Afternoon, Stone Roses, The Janitors, Folk Devils, Meat Whiplash, McCarty, Biff Bang Pow, The Bodines, Miaow, Microdisney, Grab Grab The Haddock, The Wake, In Embrace, and many others. CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – but in a way that's a bit different than some of the other Lux & Ivy compilations on the Righteous label! This time around, the set is more of a four-pack, featuring different albums that have a great way of blending exotica, higher ideas, and a bit of jazz! First up is Polynesia, by reedman Buddy Collette – very different than any of his better-known work of the 50s – and a complex little set that really shows off a whole new side of his talents! The album was issued by a tiny label away from the LA scene – and has Buddy blending jazz and exotica, but at a level that's way hipper than any of the more mainstream bachelor pad records of the period – maybe even pointing the way towards the very cool records that Buddy would cut overseas. The group is great – very hip – with Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Gene Cipriano on reeds, Justin DiTullo on cello, Red Callender on bass and tuba, Earl Palmer on drums, and either Al Viola or Billy Bean on guitar – very versatile jazz musicians who really follow Buddy's lead on the unusual tunes. Colette himself plays flute and a bit of clarinet – and the set also features some cool vocals from singer Marni Nixon. Next is the very rare Provocatif album from John McFarland – an obscure contribution to the exotica genre, with loads of non-western percussion, bird calls, ukuleles, and vibes. McFarland plays some original compositions like "Watusi", "Summer Storm", "Forbidden", and "The Chimp And The Bumble Bee", and other tunes like "Jungle Bells", "Tangerine", "Where Or When", and "Head Hunters". A more famous album is next, Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire – one of Kenton's greatest records, and the one in which he proves his dedication to Latin styles, by serving up a killer batch of Afro-Cuban tracks with an incredibly authentic feel. The great Johnny Richards handled the arrangements, and the tracks are long and drawn out, with plenty of solo space for the group. Titles include "Fuego Cubano", "Quien Sabe", and "La Quera Baila". Last up is Seven Deadly Sins – one of the most high-concept albums ever recorded by Bill Russo – a full suite of tracks dedicated to the Seven Deadly Sins, and scored with a level of sophistication to match the Stan Kenton group at its modernist height! Although the overall feel is jazz, there's also a fair bit of more serious modes too – almost 20th Century classical at points, or at least some soundtrack sophistication. The tunes are awash in dark colors, and players include Don Sebesky and Eddie Bert on trombones, Burt Collins and Lou Mucci on trumpets, Larry Wilcox on tenor, and Howard Collins on guitar – plus a section of cellos as well. Titles, as you might expect, include "Greed", "Lechery", "Gluttony", "Anger", "Envy", and "Sloth". CD

Drop the "pop" from the title, and focus on the "swamp" – as the sounds here are a heady brew of all that was going down in the backwaters of the Louisiana scene at the end of the 50s – strands of blues, hillbilly, R&B, and early rock modes – all served up with a style that's quite different than some of the more polished work coming from up north! Some of these cuts echo familiar New Orleans modes, but most are very unique numbers that really show the special sort of vibe that was happening in Louisiana at the time – a real musical crossroads whose influence had later impact on styles in Texas, Tennessee, and other points south! As usual with Ace Records, not only is the choice of music great, but the presentation is too – with loads of notes that really illuminate these 28 rare tunes – titles that include "If You Don't Want Me" by Warren Storm, "Never Let Her Go" by Gene Terry & His Downbeats, "I'll Be Coming Home To You" by Hal Young & The Electras, "Where Should I Go" by Gabe Dean, "The Snake" by Merton Thibodeaux, "Lucy Lou" by Vince Anthony & The Blue Notes, "It's Too Late" by Rocket Morgan, "Now Is The Time" by Charlotte Hunter, "Play A Song For My Baby" by Rod Bernard, "Searching For Love" by Charles Page & The Rockin Aces, and "I Got Loaded" by Ken Lindsey. CD

Carmen McRae's book of ballads is a great set of standards – performed by a core trio that features Don Abney on piano, over larger backings by Frank Hunter! The set's a treasure from Carmen's early years – and is filled with dusky renditions of tunes that are familiar, but which have a very different feeling here – thanks to McRae's sense of care and space with the material – one that almost brings a personal, reflective quality to the whole thing. Titles include "He Was Too Good To Me", "By Myself", "My Romance", "When I Fall In Love", and "Please Be Kind". CD