Funky genius from the mighty K Frimpong – an album recorded in Germany in the mid 80s – but a set that cooks like some of the best West African funk from the decade before! The sound is lean and mean, and there's plenty of grit in the grooves – a lot more bass and funky drums ... LP, Vinyl record album(Global Grooves LP)
A hell of a spiritual jazz session from trumpeter Milt Ward – a relatively obscure player who worked on the same 70s Boston underground scene as Stanton Davis – a friend of Milt's and a good comparison to the sound of this one rare album! The vibe is a bit like that of Davis' Ghetto ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
A key lost chapter in the career of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – material recorded for the Marmalade label in the years before they burst forth to greater fame in 10CC – all with a very different vibe than the sound of that later group! There's still plenty of the heavenly quality of ... CD(Rock CD)
One of the standouts in a great 70s run of albums from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – standard-setting records for the spiritual jazz scene of the time – and maybe one of his most far-reaching records for the Strata East label! Toilliver's in very strong company – as the group on ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
A stunning solo project from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a musician you might know in the group Dos Santos, yet one who's in very unique territory here on his own! The album was recorded in both Chicago and Los Angeles – and it's got a vibe that really reflects that process – ... CD(Jazz CD)
A career-spanning collection of work from the great Rose Royce – a group who first appeared on the scene with a crossover single from a big hit film – but who soon grew into a wonderfully cool, sophisticated soul act on their own! Motown producer Norman Whitfield was one of the more ... CD(Soul CD)
An incredible tribute to the legendary Strata Records in Detroit – performed by Jazzanova with a host of other guests – and at a level that's maybe the greatest thing the group has ever given us on record! The vibe here is a lot more Strata and spiritual than the style you'd expect ... CD(New Grooves CD)
One of the weirdest, wildest pop albums of the 60s – maybe the crowning achievement of both Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – two artists who'd worked together before, but never with an intensity this great! The record is overflowing with all the great touches you'd expect from Lee ... CD(Vocalists CD)
A much-needed look at the farther reaches of the legendary 60s Jamaican imprint Beverley's – headed by important producer Leslie Kong, and a launching pad for some of the bigger names in Jamaican music in the years to come! Yet here, the focus is on a less-exposed side of Kong's imprint ... CD(Reggae CD)
That's the great Joe Henderson on the cover, and this issue is titled after one of his greatest albums – a great indication of all the jazz-based goodness you'll find within! In addition to a long cover feature on Joe, the issue also has articles on the International Anthem label, jazz spots ... Magazine(Magazine)
A record that manages to effortlessly tie together its horns and Fender Rhodes – wrapping them up in a seductive groove that makes the album a gem all the way through! The group are an obscure one, but they've got a very unique, individual vibe on this rare early 70s set – working with ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
Angular Monk meets hard-driving Art Blakey – in a session that's quite unique, and which has gone onto become one of the best-remembered Atlantic jazz sessions of the late 50s! The album features Blakey in that key non-Blue Note year of 1957 – a time when he was working with a variety ... CD(Jazz CD)
The rare first version of Message From The Tribe – still done with all the Detroit underground qualities of the better-known versions – but with a completely different song list overall! As with the more-circulated versions, the record is the brainchild of saxophonist Wendell Harrison ... CD(Jazz CD)
A really powerful project from the LA underground – served up by a group led by Jesse Sharps, who you may remember from classic albums on the Nimbus label – and done at a level that unites the sound of his generation with some of the best currents of more contemporary years! The lineup ... CD(Jazz CD)
Fantastic salsa sounds from Chicago – a city that's never been as well-known for the music as others on the coast – but which was home to the tiny but great Ebirac label – whose work is collected on this set! The package is an imagined compilation of key cuts that were only ... LP, Vinyl record album(Latin LP)
A great late performance by Sam Rivers – one that has the musician working with all the free-thinking imagination he gave the world on his groundbreaking improvisation albums of the 70s! Sam blows tenor and soprano here, but is also pretty amazing on piano and flute – and the rest of ... CD(Jazz CD)
Levon Helm left this planet back in the previous decade – but before passing, he managed to record this full album of tracks with the legendary Mavis Staples – a set that was recorded live in his studio up in Woodstock, with all the best elements you might expect! And by that, we mean ... CD(Soul CD)
A rare bit of Cali soul – and a lot groovier than you'd guess from the cover! The music is rich in jazzy inflections – funky fusion used behind the lead vocals of Errol Knowles, in a blend that's quite similar to the best Bay Area funk of the time – particularly some of the ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
A treasure trove of greatness from British folk rock legend John Renbourn – all of his late 60s solo work, done before moving on to greater fame in Pentangle! First up is There You Go – a rare one from singer Dorris Henderson and future Pentangle founder John Rensbourn! Florida born, ... CD(Folk/Country CD)
Capitol greatness from Nancy Wilson – a pair of excellent albums locked together on one CD! This Mother's Daughter is one of Nancy Wilson's hippest albums from the 70s – a great record of smooth mellow tracks produced by Eugene McDaniels, handled with some nice jazzy flourishes, and a ... CD(Vocalists CD)