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Includes a mix of originals, loose interpretations of pieces by Vivaldi and Bach, and Lennon and Yoko's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". CD

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. CD

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Tony Aless – an unsung hero of the big band years, especially in the Woody Herman group – and a great arranger too! This set's an all-original outing – a suite of tracks dedicated to Long Island, and played by a very hip group that has tenorist Seldon Powell in the lead – serving up work that's every bit as great here as on his own albums for Roost from the time! The record's got a slightly largish group – a tentet that's stuffed with great players – including Billy Bauer on guitar, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, and Nick Travis on trumpet – all modernists who really bring in the sound you'd expect. Titles include "Fire Island", "Valley Stream", "Levittown", and "Massapequa". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". CD

A wonderfully weird little record – one that has Kola Beldy bringing back ancient chants from the Mongolian plains – then setting them to instrumentation that's a bit contemporary, but usually in some very offbeat ways! The record sounds nothing like what you'd guess from the date of 1989 – as there's plenty of sounds here that are almost-ancient, with lots of deep percussion – mixed with others that use a bit more keyboards and other contemporary elements – but often sparingly, so that the weird, very moody vocals of Kola are often right out front! The whole thing is impossible to describe in words, but has a really riveting sound – on titles that translate as "By Dog Sledge", "My Darling", "To The Ocean", "Fisher Woman", "White Island", and "Master Of Forest". LP, Vinyl record album

The second meeting of this great combo in the studio – an open, thoughtful performance from a group that features Warren Smith on vibes, Joe McPhee on tenor, Jay Rosen on drums, and Michael Marcus on a variety of reeds! The set often seems perfectly balanced between the personalities of the members of the quartet – but somehow, Smith's vibes really seem to have this sense of place and importance on the record – tonally subtle when things are quiet, and surprisingly powerful when the reeds take off! Titles include "Buttercup", "This Here Ain't Nothin But The Blues", "Wis Vibrations", "Ella's Island", "Never Ending Worlds", "Mindfields In Opulence", and "Ethereal Spirits Divine". CD

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A very cool set of work – a box set that brings together six different pic sleeve singles from Roxy Music legend Bryan Ferry – most of which were not issued in the US! The images alone are great – shots of Ferry in his youth, including a few images with a surprisingly slick moustache – and most of the work here dovetails nicely with the classic Roxy Music material, with some of the same musicians on hand, but given a slightly different spin in Ferry's company. Titles include the original tracks "Sea Breezes", "Remake/Remodel", "2HB", "Another Time Another Place", and "Chance Meeting" – plus versions of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "You Go To My Head", "The In Crowd", and "Let's Stick Together". Also features the very cool Extended Play EP – with versions of "It's Only Love", "Heart On My Sleeve", "Shame Shame Shame", and "The Price Of Love". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Tracks include "Wonders Of Life", "Por Do Sol", "Camouflage", "Angel Wings", "Ancient Ties", and "That The Way". CD

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

Ultra-hip work from pianist Keith Jarrett – a session that's filled with joy and life, and which has a lot more energy than some of his albums for ECM! The work here is kind of a refinement of the freer styles that Jarrett had laid down on previous albums – performed with a strongly rhythmic undercurrent, but one that also opens up to some strong top-end melodies as well – played not only by Jarrett on piano, but also by Dewey Redman on tenor, in a group with Sam Brown on guitar, Paul Motian on drums, and Guilherme Franco and Danny Johnson on percussion. Titles include "The Rich & The Poor", "Blue Streak", "Le Mistral", "Angles Without Edges", "Treasure Island", and "Sister Fortune". CD

Ultra-hip work from pianist Keith Jarrett – a session that's filled with joy and life, and which has a lot more energy than some of his albums for ECM! The work here is kind of a refinement of the freer styles that Jarrett had laid down on previous albums – performed with a strongly rhythmic undercurrent, but one that also opens up to some strong top-end melodies as well – played not only by Jarrett on piano, but also by Dewey Redman on tenor, in a group with Sam Brown on guitar, Paul Motian on drums, and Guilherme Franco and Danny Johnson on percussion. Titles include "The Rich & The Poor", "Blue Streak", "Le Mistral", "Angles Without Edges", "Treasure Island", and "Sister Fortune". LP, Vinyl record album

The trio of pianist Yasuhiro Kohno work here with a really wonderful "+ One" – the vibes of Mashiro Kanno, who really adds a heck of a lot to the long-flowing grace of the tunes in the set! The album's a live one, but it's got all the warmth and creative intimacy of the best Japanese piano dates of the 70s – a quality that has Kohno's group pushing the edges, but never going too far out – very different than a more conventional piano trio session, with a mixture of boldness and lyricism that keeps things wonderful throughout the set! Tracks are all nice and long, the group features work from Tsutomu Numakami on bass and Hironobu Fujisawa on drums – and titles include "Village Festival", "Mr Nilson", "Time For Peace", "Song Of Island", and a very groovy take on "Love For Sale". CD

One of the best entries in Monday Michiru's yearly cycle of EP releases – and a sophisticated batch of jazz vocal tracks that takes her to a whole new level! The record's got a hip sound that reminds us of classic work by Dee Dee Bridgewater or Carmen Lundy – as Monday works with tight jazz backing, and sings in a spiritual introspective style that we'd reserve for only the work of a rare few singers! The ep's got 3 songs in all, all fairly long – and they work together beautifully as a discrete LP of jazzy soul from one of our favorite singers! CD

An insane amount of music from one of the most unique talents of the prog generation – an artist who was almost a genre unto himself – and who seemed to give the world something different with each new release! Stomu Yamashta was a Japanese percussionist, with training in both avant and folkloric modes – but by the time the 70s rolled around, he also broke out of his native scene, and did some amazing work in a variety of different modes in the UK and US! At the core of each of these records is Stomu's percussion talents, but they're used in very different ways, depending on the nature of the recording – as some are spare and more acoustic, others have more rock elements, and some are soundtrack-related projects too! The set also ends with work from a supergroup that had a heck of an interesting lineup – the group Go, which mixed Yamashta's percussion with an unlikely assemblage that included Steve Winwood, Klaus Schulze, and Al Di Meola! All that music is brought together here in one big box that features all the albums with their original cover art, plus a booklet of notes – albums that include Floating Music, The Man From The East, Freedom Is Frightening, One By One, Raindog, Go, and Go Live From Paris. CD

A fantastic look at the groundbreaking sounds of the Disques Debs label – one of the most important companies producing music in the French Caribbean – and an imprint whose impact was strongly felt on the other side of the Atlantic as well! The core of these grooves is that compelling biguine rhythm that flowed from Guadeloupe – almost a mix of Latin and jazz, but with a different sort of vibe of its own – which was then interwoven with elements from Cuban, European, and African styles amidst the initial decade or so of recordings on this set! Debs had strong ties with Paris, and a bit with the West African scene – and their recorded legacy almost follows old colonial paths, but in reverse – creating this wonderful criss-crossing of cultures amidst their grooves. The package is wonderful – loads of vintage photos and great notes in the best Strut Records way – and titles include "Douce Kombass" by Henri Debs Quintet, "Mr Morin" by Joseph Lacides, "Lan Mise" by Geno Exilie, "Feeling Happy" by Cyril Dias Et Son Orchestre, "Ces P'Tits Je T'Aime" by Daniel Forestal Et Sa Guitare, "Assez Fait Cancan" by Guy Conquette, "Stanislas" by Eric Virgal, "Meringue Mondey" by Remy Mondey, "Si I Bon Di I Bon" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Salvana" by Dolor Et Les Diables Du Rhythme, and "Van Van" by Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection that's maybe the opposite of the long-running tradition of "desert island discs" – in that the music here is hardly essential, but would be plenty of fun to hear if you were trapped alone with nowhere else to go! Think of the set as the darker side of exotica at the end of the 50s – a spot where tropical sounds mix with Latin rhythms and some rockish touches too – material from the years before surf guitars were really hitting the mainstream, but older modes were being infused with a bit of electricity and new modes of production – all in ways that make for some very cool cuts collected in the set! The package brings together rare singles from a variety of sources – and titles include "Jivaro" by Harvey Anderson, "Babalu" by Phyllis Branch, "The Lonely Sea" by Rick & Trisha, "Strictly Polynesian" by Davy Jones & The Dolphins, "Midnight" by Hank Levine, "Bongo Heat" by Coral & The South Seas, "Martinique" by Ty & Ed, "Atlantis" by Blue Bells, "Rumba Rhapsody" by Hector Cari & The Dancing Strings, "Ho Ba La La" by Dariel Kay, and "Miserlou" by Vitin Aviles Y Su Orquesta. LP, Vinyl record album

By All Means kick off this set with a cover of Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get It On" – but they also announce their special sound right from the very first note too – a laidback groove that's in that perfect late 80s mellow soul mode, with just a hint of new jack elements in some of the gentle rhythms! There's a nice sense of class to the whole set – slow-stepping sounds that really bring back a time when soul music was awash in more sophisticated modes – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Early Fall", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Point Of View", "I'd Rather Be Lonely", "Do You Remember", "The More You Give The More You Get", and their cover of "Let's Get It On". CD

Warm soul from By All Means – a key group in the quiet storm soul years of the mid 80s – one that's equally well-suited to mellow numbers and more upbeat groovers! The trio features two male vocalists and one female – Jimmy Varner, Billy Sheppard, and Lynn Roderick – but the style of the record often has one singer coming out strongly in the lead, while the other two harmonize sweetly to warm things up at just the right moments. The beats are a bit heavy, but still quite far from some of the too-clunky commercial modes of the time – and the set features a bit of a jazzy undercurrent, which makes for a nicely classy sound. Titles include "I Surrender To Your Love", "Let's Get Started Now", "Does It Feel Good To You", "We're Into This Groove", "I Believe In Y ou", and "I'm The One Who Loves You". CD

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One of the best ever albums from maestro Will Downing – a smooth rolling, impeccably arranged gem of an album from the early 90s – with a timeless sound that's as fresh and breezy as ever! The production is immaculate, without losing any of the warmth and emotion – a clean approach that's really close to perfect when done by artists as capable as Downing. Will's vocal arrangements are front and center, with gorgeous female backing singers, keys, piano and synth, crisply popping bass, and horn accompaniment. Very nice stuff from an overlooked early 90s contemporary soul cat. Titles include "I'll Wait", "She", "Giving My All To You", "I Try", "For All We Know", "Something's Going On", "Don't Make Me Wait", "I Go Crazy", No Love Intended" and unique take on War's "The World Is A Ghetto". CD

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Includes the albums "Five Leaves Left", "Bryter Layter", "Pink Moon", and the compilation "Time Of No Reply". CD

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Arguably one of the greatest concept albums of the 80s – and the only really strong full length album cut by Frankie Goes To Hollywood! At the time of the set, the group was riding high on the success and controversy of their singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" – but in the ambitious ZTT mode, sought to expand their sound way past familiar hits, and into a realm of sonic exploration that rivaled that of labelmates Art Of Noise. Don't get us wrong, because the Frankie of this album is still very much in groove-oriented territory – but they also let Horn take over with some more striking tunes that are both longer and shorter than the usual pop track – offsetting the vocal numbers on the record with a rich tapestry of musical backdrops that also more firmly forward the group's social and sexual leanings. The album features surprising covers of "War", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", and "Born To Run" – plus the hits "Relax" and "Two Tribes", and the original numbers "Welcome To the Pleasure Dome", "Krisco Kisses", "The Ballad Of 32", "Wish The Lads Were Here", "Black Night White Light", "The Only Star In Heaven", "The Power Of Love", and "Bang". CD

Reggae reeds from Dean Fraser – with some nice Fender Rhodes and keyboard too – recorded at Dynamic Sounds and Aquarius, with titles htat include "Rent A Car", "Redemption Song", "Stop Look Listen", "For The Love Of You", "I'll Always Love You", and "His House & Me". LP, Vinyl record album

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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

Three overlooked albums by British singer Mike Harrison – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Mike Harrison – a wonderful solo debut from the singer who made Spooky Tooth sound so great on their albums, maybe even sounding better here on his own! The album is clearly conceived and put together by Mike – with backup help from The Junkyard Band, who underscore the yearning, earnest qualities in his vocals – spun out with a snakey, raspy charm, with a sound that's maybe a more intimate take on territory explored by Procol Harum. The songs are great, and the whole record has a quality level that really attests to the all-great quality of Island Records at this point – with tracks that include "Pain", "Lonely People", "Mother Nature", "Call It A Day", "Damian", and "Wait Until The Morning". Smokestack Lightning is great solo work from Mike Harrison, ex-Spooky Tooth – a fantastic singer who should have been huge as a solo act – maybe a bit like Colin Blunstone, whose sound with The Zombies was so important, but could never have a huge career on his own – even while he created some wonderful albums in the process! This set's a well-crafted gem through and through – recorded at Muscle Shoals, but with a sound that's free of any of the hoke of those oft-used studios – as instead of bending to southern modes, Harrison uses the ace musicians to underscore some of the depth of his own approach in a really great way. Titles include "Turning Over", "Wanna Be Free", "Tears", "What A Price", and "Paid My Dues". Rainbow Rider has Mike Harrison maybe hitting some harder rock territory than before, with some roots rock moments – more a part of the overall sound of the group, and with some pretty heavy guitars up there in the lead – which seems to bring out a very different quality in Mike's vocals. Titles include "Okay Lay Lady Lay", "Like A Road Leading Home", "Maverick Woman Blues", "You & Me", "I'll Keep It With Mine", and "Friend". CD

A sweet set from the early years of the UK funk scene – the smoking debut from Hi Tension, and a set that's filled with sharp numbers throughout! There's a strong jazzy undercurrent to the music – a bit like some of the sounds you might hear from the Fantasy Records scene – no surprise, since those records were always huge on the British scene – and quite possibly had an influence on the direction of Hi Tension here – with tight rhythms on the bottom, complicated jazzy changes on the instrumentation, and some tight horn parts that really soar along strongly with the vocals! Lyrics are mostly presented in an ensemble mode – produced warmly, with almost an Earth Wind & Fire mode – and the album was put together by Kofi Ayivor of Osibisa, with a slight touch of Afro funk in the mix. Tracks include the classics "Hi Tension" and "British Hustle" – plus "Autumn Love", "You're My Girl", "Power & Lightning", "Peace On Earth", and "Unspoken". CD features bonus tracks – "British Hustle (7" version)", "Hi Tension (7" version)", and "Girl I Betcha". CD