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Dramatic music from the Sirk film Written On The Wind – with even cooler music on the flipside – the "Rhapsody For Four Girls In Town", with piano from Andre Previn, trumpet from Ray Linn, and orchestrations by Henry Mancini! LP, Vinyl record album

Really mindblowing work from Jose James – an artist we loved right from his very first record, but one who has us completely over the top with this record – a set that may well push James from the soul underground into firmly classic territory – the sort of space that will have the record standing strong with soul classics from decades back, and for a long time to come! Jose's tremendous vocally, but there's also an extra-special spirit to some of these tunes – one that's still very strongly in the hands of the man himself, even though James opens the door for plenty of guests – a lineup that includes Ledisi, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Aloe Blacc, Lizz Wright, Eric Truffaz, and others – not the kind of guests who overwhelm and take a too-strong turn in the spotlight, but the right sort of addition to the core sound. Titles include a surprisingly great remake of "Just The Way You Are" – plus "Turn Me Up", "I Need Your Love", "Saint James", "Take Me Home", "Oracle", "Feels So Good", "I Found A Love", and "You Know What I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic side of the many talents of Joseph Jarman – best known as a key member of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and a saxophonist whose talents were crucial to the formation of the AACM – but also a very strong writer, as you'll discover in this book! This version is the full 1977 version of Black Case – and brings together material from the original self-published version in 1974, plus other writings that Jarman had done over the years – some of which later turned up as texts on a variety of albums! The book is a mixture of poetry, free verse, and some prose – sometimes personal, but also very political – maybe even more so than the work of the AEOC. The whole thing is a fantastic revelation, and a representation of Jarman's connection to a much richer cultural world in Chicago – and the book is beautifully done – blue text on white pages, with some images sprinkled throughout – very much a facsimile of the original. 146 pages, softcover. Book

One of the excellent non-Art Ensemble sessions cut by the team of saxophonist Joseph Jarman and percussionist Don Moye – work that draws on their experience in the groundbreaking Chicago group, but also takes them into rich new territory on their own! The group's a quartet – with trombone and flute by Craig Harris, and bass and reeds by Rafael Garrett – and the tracks long, and slow-building – as concerned with sound overall as they are with improvisation, in a style that reminds us of some of the best mellower early 70s moments of the Art Ensemble, but with loft jazz touches too. Jarman plays a very large range of reed instruments, and Moye matches with lots of varied percussion – and titles include "Sunspots", "Jawara", "Happiness Is", and "Zulu Village". LP, Vinyl record album

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The overdue debut as a leader for reedman Josh Johnson – once part of our scene here in Chicago, but also a musician with a wide range of experience that includes work with Leon Bridges, Jeff Parker, and Marquis Hill! Yet despite those ties, Josh breaks out here as a musician with a vibe that's completely his own – doubling up on other instruments at times, and working with contributions from Gergory Uhlmann on guitar, Anna Butterss on bass, and Aaron Steele on drums – in a fluid mix of live instrumentation, effects, and other touches – not as edited as some of the work on International Anthem, but also not a conventional jazz record either. We're hoping to hear plenty more from Johnson to come – but right now we're really digging the cuts that include "Western Ave", "Eclipsing", "Bowed", "Nerf Day", "856", "Return Recoil", and "False Choice". Japanese pressing features the bonus track "Western Ave (extended play)". CD

A solo record, but one that's got the sound of more things at once than you might expect – as saxophonist Josh Johnson has this great way of processing the sound from his horns, then layering them with samples and other elements too – but all in a way that's never gimmicky, and really retains the jazz energy at the core! Johnson is already a great saxophonist in a conventional setting, with a sense of tone that's wonderful – and here, he carves out a space that's all his own – with a sense of uniqueness and post-jazz creativity that resonates with some of the hippest recent experiments on the London and Chicago scenes! Titles include "Marvis", "Deep Dark", "Quince", "Telling You", "Jeanette", "Reddish", "Local City Of Industry", and "Free Mechanical". CD

A solo record, but one that's got the sound of more things at once than you might expect – as saxophonist Josh Johnson has this great way of processing the sound from his horns, then layering them with samples and other elements too – but all in a way that's never gimmicky, and really retains the jazz energy at the core! Johnson is already a great saxophonist in a conventional setting, with a sense of tone that's wonderful – and here, he carves out a space that's all his own – with a sense of uniqueness and post-jazz creativity that resonates with some of the hippest recent experiments on the London and Chicago scenes! Titles include "Marvis", "Deep Dark", "Quince", "Telling You", "Jeanette", "Reddish", "Local City Of Industry", and "Free Mechanical". LP, Vinyl record album

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With Adam Plack, Shelley Hirsch, Alvin Curran, Mor Thiam, and Malcolm Goldstein. CD

One of the most obscure Steve Lacy albums of the 80s, and a record that almost hearkens back to much earlier work in his career – a set that has the soprano sax genius working alongside the piano of Martin Joseph, in a mode that recalls some of Lacy's Monkish inspirations in the early years, but which also showcases some of the bold directions he'd taken in the 70s as well! The set's a live one, and has this crisp quality that's beautiful – maybe because of the rawness of the format, which seems to bring a sharp edge to Lacy's horn, and make the corners of Martin Joseph's piano lines equally great. Titles include "Flakes", "No Baby", "Coastline", "Deadline", and "Bemsha Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

About 30 years back, Joseph Lanza first turned us on to an amazing array of 60s easy listening records that we'd never fully given their due – and here, he continues the journey, but with a key shift into the world of psychedelia too! The book is a wonderful look at the way that easy listening and instrumental pop tried to stay vibrant in the second half of the 60s – and it follows the way that easy artists of the time were picking up the aesthetics of the younger generation in a variety of ways – not just doing cover versions of songs by The Beatles and Stones, but also going for trippier artwork on their album covers, and using more unusual studio techniques in production – all in ways that made for a huge legacy of very groovy records! At times, things would even move backwards – as older songs from the early part of the century were given a mod spin for the 60s generation – and the range of topics covered here is as wonderful as Lanza's presentation. The book is a very cool 7" square format – with lots of album reproductions and great graphics, plus a list of 50 essential records at the back – served up in a softcover volume that's 237 pages in length. Book

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence has a nicely compressed approach to his trumpet – a sound that's sometimes got the more focused vibe of an early Miles Davis, along with all the sense of sparkle that might imply – yet with a delivery that's got a lot more space between the notes, and which really catches the best sort of energy from his hip bandmates on the date! Willie Morris III provides some sharper lines on tenor, and the rhythm work is wonderfully warm and fluid – with Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and either Rudy Royston or Jason Tiemann on drums. Lawrence contributed some great original material to the record – "Left Hanging", "Cantus Firmus", "North Winds", and "Black Keys" – and Morris contributed the cuts "Grit" and "Hole In The Wall". CD

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence has a nicely compressed approach to his trumpet – a sound that's sometimes got the more focused vibe of an early Miles Davis, along with all the sense of sparkle that might imply – yet with a delivery that's got a lot more space between the notes, and which really catches the best sort of energy from his hip bandmates on the date! Willie Morris III provides some sharper lines on tenor, and the rhythm work is wonderfully warm and fluid – with Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and either Rudy Royston or Jason Tiemann on drums. Lawrence contributed some great original material to the record – "Left Hanging", "Cantus Firmus", "North Winds", and "Black Keys" – and Morris contributed the cuts "Grit" and "Hole In The Wall". CD

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green". CD

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An incredible treasure of Brazilian music – an obscure but landmark set from the great Jose Mauro, and one of the few records ever issued on the legendary Quartin label! There's a soaring brilliance here that easily matches the best early 70s work from Milton Nascimento and Edu Lobo – with perhaps some of the more complicated styles that Marcos Valle was also bringing to his music at the time too – all wrapped up with just the right mix of full orchestrations, acoustic guitar, and lead vocals from Jose. Production is amazing – possibly one of the best studio efforts ever from Roberto Quartin – and although issued on a tiny label, the record stands head and shoulders with the giants of MPB in the early 70s. Titles include "Obnoxius", "Memoria", "Ponto De Chamada", "Talisma", "Apocalipse", "Ancoradouro", "As Aventuras Sentimentais De Espiroqueta Camargo", and "Tarde De Nupcias". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive package of funky music – and maybe one that no home should be without – as the set includes all the classic Josie Records and Warner Brothers albums by legendary New Orleans funk group The Meters – plus a fair bit of bonus tracks too! The Josie albums are incredible – a lean, powerful blend of funky drums, bass, guitar, and organ – almost the New Orleans answer to Booker T & The MGs, but with a sound that's far funkier overall – and which continues to bring new ears to the magic of The Meters as the years go by! Their Warner work is a bit fuller – as the group were part of a big wave of Nola talent to get the nod from LA – which means that The Meters were able to add in vocals, experiment with arrangements, use additional instrumentation – yet all without ever losing that core groove that made them so great! This package is the first time all the records have been brought together, and many are presented here in the "expanded edition" versions with bonus tracks – which makes for a whopping 116 titles on 6CDs – bonus tracks, plus the full albums The Meters, Look Ka Py Py, Struttin, Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation, Fire On The Bayou, Trick Bag, and New Directions – plus some singles too! CD

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Joshua Moshe soars out of the gate on this wonderful record – equally great on saxes and keyboards, and working in a style that has him as a solo leader, opening the door to guests on each new track! The approach might be jagged in the hands of another, but there's a very unified vibe here – as Joshua blows alto, tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – playing keyboards and piano too – while others bring in Fender Rhodes, flute, trumpet, bass, and percussion – all with a very fluid vibe! There's lots of Fender Rhodes in the mix – different players, with some different solo styles on some cuts, which increases the vibe of the record – and one tune, "Yehuda", has guest vocals. Other titles include "Levels", "Tree House", "Shemesh", "The Healer", "Spin Cycle", and "Inner Search". LP, Vinyl record album

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A record that crackles right from the very first note – the start of a tune titled "Forward Momentum" – which might well be a great way to describe the whole album as it moves through a range of different modes without ever looking back! Pianist Josh Nelson can leap into the fray at one minute, then step back and let a bandmate shape the sound strongly the next – which he often does when setting up the start of a tune, such that the whole album has a way of emphasizing the different strengths of the band – a lineup that also includes Walter Smith III on tenor, Larry Koonse on guitar, Luca Alemanno on bass, and Dan Schnelle on drums. Gaby Moreno provides guest vocals on the tunes "Tiburcio" and "Feed The Birds" – and other titles include "Lonely Are The Brave", "Forward Momentum", "Travel Town", and "Red Car Reminiscing". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Joshua Redman on saxophones, Aaron Goldberg on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

Joshua Redman on tenor and soprano saxophone, Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers on bass, and Brian Blad and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

The first-ever album from Joshua Redman to feature vocals, yet a set that also has plenty of his own great tenor sax as well – all set up in a very unusual format wrapped around different scenes and cities in the US! The record's a bit of a statement on the America of the 21st Century, as even older songs are transformed in the setting, and mixed with some especially nice originals by the group – delivered by a lineup that features Gabrielle Cavassa on vocals, Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Sanders on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The album also features guest work from Joel Ross on vibes, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Peter Bernstein on guitars, and Nicholas Payton on trumpets – and titles include "After Minneapolis", "Chicago Blues", "Manhattan", "That's New England", "Alabama", "Where Are You", and "My Heart In San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album

Joshua Redman continues the wonderful groove he first began on his Elastic album – a well-named sound that's filled with lots of modal rhythms and a very soulful spirit! The style's a bit like that growing, more open-ended style of organ jazz at the end of the 60s – especially the sort that was showing up on some of John Patton's later albums, or the looser recordings of Groove Holmes and Lonnie Smith. Redman's working here on a variety of saxes, alongside great organ and keyboards from Sam Yahel, and exceptional work on drums from Brian Blade and Jeff Ballard. The album features guest work by Stefon Harris, Jeff Parker, Nicholas Payton, ?uestlove, and Meshell Ndegocello – and titles include "Soundcheck", "Sweet Nasty", "Just A Moment", "Shut Your Mouth", "The Crunge", "Riverwide", "Greasy G", "Lonely Woman", "Swunk", and "Put It In Your Pocket". CD

Features Joshua Redman on saxophones, Peter Martin on piano, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. CD

One of those rare cases where an all-star group is really worth the weight of its talent – as this quartet really sounds wonderful together, and make you know that you're in for a treat right from the very first note in the set! The best energy of the record might come from the rhythmic conception of drummer Brian Blade, and maybe a bit of the spirit of bassist Christian McBride – because pianist Brad Mehldau and tenorist Joshua Redman come off with all these really inventive, creative elements – very much structured around a sense of rhythm, although one that's nicely complex at most moments – a less-familiar sort of swing, and we mean that in the best way possible. Titles include "Father", "Floppy Diss", "Your Part To Play", ":Moe HOnk", "Right Back Round Again", and "Undertow". CD

A sublime quartet, coming together here for a really unique session – one that's got a very modal vibe mixed with some freer moments served up by a piano-less group with a very special sound! Bassist Josh Werner got the whole project together, and the set's got a rock-solid foundation in his beautiful basslines – spun out alongside the drums of Ches Smith, while James Brandon Lewis solos on tenor and Patrick Holmes on clarinet – both players using these long, soulful lines that perfectly fit the modal movement of the energy! Lewis is especially powerful – the album may be one of his most spiritual recordings ever – and titles include "If Not That", "Gotham Rundown", "Ill Scenario 2", "Embody", "Resilient Vessels", "Exit Realms", and "Green Paper Tea". LP, Vinyl record album

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A stunningly expansive project from Argentine jazz genius Jorge Lopez Ruiz – one that takes off in even more ambitious territory than his Bronca Buenos Aires album from a few years before! Ruiz plays all sorts of great Fender Rhodes throughout, leading a larger group that mixes tenor, alto, guitar, piano, bass, and drums with a group of singers who are often soaring in this wordless mode that's completely heavenly – next to spoken passages by writer Jose Tcherkaski, who comes into the mix from time to time, delivering these striking words in Spanish, which combine with the instrumentation in this very majestic way! The album's a full suite of tracks – similar to other larger projects from Ruiz – and sections include "Pido Perdon Por Los Muertos", "Creo Que Ayer Me Asesinaron", "Quienes Tendran La Vida Por Delante", and "Coraje Buenos Aires". CD

A stunningly expansive project from Argentine jazz genius Jorge Lopez Ruiz – one that takes off in even more ambitious territory than his Bronca Buenos Aires album from a few years before! Ruiz plays all sorts of great Fender Rhodes throughout, leading a larger group that mixes tenor, alto, guitar, piano, bass, and drums with a group of singers who are often soaring in this wordless mode that's completely heavenly – next to spoken passages by writer Jose Tcherkaski, who comes into the mix from time to time, delivering these striking words in Spanish, which combine with the instrumentation in this very majestic way! The album's a full suite of tracks – similar to other larger projects from Ruiz – and sections include "Pido Perdon Por Los Muertos", "Creo Que Ayer Me Asesinaron", "Quienes Tendran La Vida Por Delante", and "Coraje Buenos Aires". LP, Vinyl record album

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An incredibly untapped world of cinematic jazz – pulled from an array of Spanish films of the late 50s and early 60s – most of which have soundtracks as dynamic as work coming from France or Italy at the time! A good portion of the tracks here are scored by Jose Sola – who seems to draw inspiration from some of the west coast jazz soundtracks of the 50s – work by Elmer Bernstein, Shorty Rogers, Leith Stevens, and others – blending standout soloists with fuller backings, but in a way that matches the stark energy of the images on the screen! The CD's an unusual one in that many of the tunes are quite long – upwards of 10 minutes, and very different than the shorter snippets of jazz you might get on other soundtrack efforts from the same generation – and some numbers keep in bits of the dialogue, presenting the music with sound that's more "cinematic" than straight studio recording. Solo instruments include a fair bit of trumpet and alto sax – and the package comes with a great booklet with notes in English and Spanish, plus images from the films. Titles include "Un Vaso De Whisky", "A Sangre Fria", "Altas Variedades", "Los Cuervos", "Regresa Un Desconocido", and "El Salario Del Crimen" by Jose Sola; plus "091 Policia Al Habla" by Augusto Alguero, "Juventud A La Intemperie" by Enrique Escobar, and "A Tiro Limpo" by Federico Martinez Tudo. CD

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As the notes say, "this album is a series of aural and spatial fantasies evoking the spirit of American patriotic music" – and the whole thing's recorded on electronic keyboards. Given that this one's on Takoma, you can guess the kind of hippy-dippy folksist influence it might have, which gives the electronic music tracks an even weirder edge. Maybe this is the kind of thing that Ives might have recorded, had he been alive in the 60s! With work by Byrd himself, plus Sousa, Cohan, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

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With John Davis on drums. CD

A beautiful little live album from Jose Feliciano – recorded in London at the end of the 60s, with a sound that's often more stripped down than his studio work of the time! Jose's on vocals and guitar, backed by only a bit of bass and percussion – so the record's almost got the intimacy of a solo effort, which is quite astounding – given the obvious size of the concert setting! The double-length nature of the record allows Jose to stretch out a bit more than usual – and take on a nice variety of material that really show his growing talents at the time. Titles include "High Heel Sneakers", "Mama Don't Allow It", "La Entrada De Bilboa", "The Comedy Bit", "Malaguena", "No Dogs Allowed", "Day Tripper", "Black Orpheus Medley", "California Dreamin", "Light My Fire", "Day In the Life", and "El Voh". LP, Vinyl record album

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA, and picking up a host of more righteous soul influences in the process – really coming up with a great sound for the 70s! The record is filled with surprising gems – the kind of cuts that will make you go "damn!", and have you digging for other Feliciano records from the same time. Highlights include an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady", with loads of jazzy changes – plus the originals "Virgo", "Hard Times In El Barrio", and his classic theme to "Chico and the Man" – a cut that sounds especially great on this album, in ways we never appreciated when watching the show. Other numbers include "Essence Of Love", "Stay With Me", "You're No Good", and "I've Got To Convince Myself". LP, Vinyl record album

Jose Feliciano really lives up to the title here – stepping out strongly with the same style used on his "California Dreamin" hit – a massive blend of strings, soul, and Jose's unique vocal approach! Feliciano came out of the Latin market in the 60s, but by the time of this record he's really a key crossover force in soul – and one that helped establish the brown-eyed variant of the music through his massive work for RCA. The instrumentation is often as groovy as the record – with backing by a small combo that includes Milt Holland on percussion, Ray Brown on bass, and Mike Melvoin on keyboards – plus added arrangements from RCA talents George Tipton and All Capps. Titles include the groovy "Hitchcock Railway", plus "Younger Generation", "Sad Gypsy", "Hi Heel Sneakers", "She's Too Good To Me", and "Sleep Late My Lady Friend". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really wonderful album from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – a very strong-voiced talent who's got a way of being bright and sharp at the same time, and who can always bring lots of his own compositional strengths to bear as well! The core group is a quartet – with Lawrence blowing beautifully over piano from Zaccai Curtis, bass from Luques Curtis, and drums from Anwar Marshall – and the set also features some great alto from Caleb Curtis on two tracks, balancing out the sound of Josh in this strongly soulful spirit! Brian Charette brings some organ to the album's final track – a great remake of the Earth Wind & Fire tune "That's The Way Of The World" – and all other titles are Lawrence originals, with tunes that include "We're Happiest Together", "Composition #2", "Wind", "Earth", "Sugar Hill Stroll", and "Sunset In Santa Barbara". CD

A tremendous lost masterpiece from Jose Mauro – a less-remembered figure in Brazilian music at the start of the 70s – but one we'd rank right up there with the best of the time, on a short list that would include Marcos Valle, Milton Nascimento, and Arthur Verocai! Like those three giants, Mauro's got a way with a tune that's completely his own, and very different than music taking place in the Anglo scene at the time – sophisticated, but never full of itself – personal, but also always reaching for higher ideas too – set up in these sublime arrangements by Roberto Quartin, who recorded the date for his own famous label – with a killer studio group that includes Dom Salvador on organ and piano, Paulo Moura on alto, sax, and Wilson Das Neves on drums. Jose's vocals are fantastic, as is his subtle use of acoustic guitar – and arrangements on the set are by Maestro Gaya, who you might know from a wealth of brilliant work for the EMI/Odeon label in Brazil. The set includes three never-issued tracks – "Rua Dois", "Moenda", and "Variacao Sobre Um Antigo Tem" – plus "A Viagem Das Horas", "O Nino", "Morango Encanto", "O Oitava Morada", "Romanza", and "O Cavaleiro De Antonina". CD

Joshua Redman on soprano and tenor saxophone, Larry Grenadier and Timothy Cobb on bass, Ellen Westermann, Eugene Moye and Stephanie Cummins on cello, Brian Blade on drums, Pamela Sklar on flute, Robert Carlisle on French horn, Brad Mehldau on piano, vibraphone, and tubular bells, Daniel Panner, Dov Scheindlin, and Vincent Lionti on viola, and Ann Leathers, Avril Brown, Christina Courtin, Courtney Orlando, Karen Karlsrud, Katherine Livolsi-Landau, Yuri Vodovoz, and Joanna Maurer on violin. CD

The first-ever album from Joshua Redman to feature vocals, yet a set that also has plenty of his own great tenor sax as well – all set up in a very unusual format wrapped around different scenes and cities in the US! The record's a bit of a statement on the America of the 21st Century, as even older songs are transformed in the setting, and mixed with some especially nice originals by the group – delivered by a lineup that features Gabrielle Cavassa on vocals, Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Sanders on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The album also features guest work from Joel Ross on vibes, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Peter Bernstein on guitars, and Nicholas Payton on trumpets – and titles include "After Minneapolis", "Chicago Blues", "Manhattan", "That's New England", "Alabama", "Where Are You", and "My Heart In San Francisco". CD

Nice set with remastered audio, two CDs, a DVD, a book & five prints. CD

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Tremendous work from Joshua Abrams – a set that's very different than some of his other work in recent years, but every bit as great! The set's got a lean group – Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and the great Ari Brown on tenor – of Awakening fame – a group that delivers a more stripped-down version of some of Josh's more spiritual ideals – but in ways that also touch base with more conventional jazz expression! Make no mistake, there's nothing conventional about this set – the approach is very unique, and very striking – and the presence of the younger musicians really sets Ari Brown on fire, and reminds us of what a great soloist he can be when he's pushed to his limits. Titles include "Collapsing Novelty", "Duke Hill", "Echo Tracer", "In Place Of Memory", and "Coniunctio". LP, Vinyl record album

Joshua Redman on tenor sax – with Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass, and David King on drums. CD

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One of the best American recordings of Brazilian keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami – even better than his work of the time with Azymuth! The set's got a freer feel than some of the Azymuth sides – allowing Bertrami the sort of freedom he rarely expressed so strongly (at least not until some of his recent albums for the Far Out label.) Tunes dance along on a mix of Brazilian rhythms and west coast fusion – all the while featuring some killer organ and electric piano from Jose, plus drums by Robertinho Silva, sax and flute from Jose Carlos, guitar from Helio Demiro, and guest vocals on one track by Aleuda. Titles include "Partido Alto #2", "Sheds & Weeds", "Parati", "Shot On Goal", and "Bye Bye Brazil". LP, Vinyl record album

A different groove than usual for Jose Roberto Bertrami – and a record that definitely lives up to the promise of its title! Bertrami's really broken free from the regular Azymuth groove on this set – much more so than on some of his recent solo albums – playing here with a vibe that's very jazzy at times, with a range of different modes – mod one minute, funky the next, and sweetly straight at other points! Jose Roberto handles his familiar Fender Rhodes on most tracks – but also plays a bit of organ and acoustic piano as well – and other instrumentation includes guitar, bass, and drums – plus added horns on some of the fuller, funkier tracks. A few tunes feature some great wordless vocals from Bertrami – scatting along with his keyboards in a warm and breezy way – and production on the set is great, thanks to the Far Out touch – never too smooth, and quite different from any of Bertrami's albums recorded in the US. Titles include "Laranjeiras", "Choro", "No Tempo Da Bossa", "O Pescador", "Ecstatic 70", "Brilliante", "Eighties Times", "Aventura", and "Maixa". CD

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Excellent raw live set from the early 70s – featuring a host of artists from the RCA stable, all paying tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King. The best stuff on here is by Jimmy Castor, and the album includes a totally funky remake of "Hey Leroy" that's got little bits of "Trogolodyte" style funk – plus a version of "Trogolodyte" itself, and more. Other highlights include The Main Ingredient doing "Spinning Around", "Everybody Plays The Fool", and the Isley's great "Work To Do". Lots more by Flip Wilson, Jose Feliciano, Friends of Distinction, and others – plus some words of wisdom by Coretta King! LP, Vinyl record album

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An obscure 70s album from the great Jose Feliciano – a set that was originally done as soundtrack material for an equally obscure film – Aaron Loves Angela – one that mixes Jose's more intimate style with some fuller backings from the disco generation! Barry Fasman handled the charts on most of the tracks – and the instrumentation features some nice larger touches, but with sharp instrumentation that even includes work from Willie Bobo on a few cuts too! Jose is fantastic vocally – able to come across with a wonderful sense of soul, which is often matched by some beautiful guitar work as well. Titles include "Angela", "Michelangelo", "Why", "Nirvana", "Sweet Street", "I've Got A Feeling", and "Salsa Negra". CD

The great Josh Milan sings here on the leadoff track – bringing all the sense of soul that made his work with Blaze so great, but over grooves that have the complexity you'd expect from Kaidi Tatham and Patrick Gibin! That complexity continues on "Don't Be Rude" and "Groove On" – both cuts with stunning basslines that are almost worth the price of admission alone – one fast and unbelievably sharp, the other more midtempo with a classic funk vibe! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A strongly soul-based set from Jose James – and a record that really pushes forward the amazing journey in music he's given us over his killer albums of the past decade or two! Jose already has a voice that's tremendous – but here he opens up his production skills as well, and has this way of blending together elements from soul, Brazilian music, and other global sources – but all with a majestic focus that's maybe even more powerful given how easy and organic his vocals sound! In a world of TV-trained younger singers who always try way too hard to show you how they can sound soulful, Jose James is still such a wonderful relief – demonstrated here on titles that include "Black Orpheus", "Dark Side Of The Sun", "Isis & Osiris", "Let's Get It", "Saturday Night", "38th & Chicago", and "Place Of Worship" – which features a great guest appearance from Brazilian singer Xenia Franca. CD

Margie Joseph's really hitting on all burners here – thanks to sublime production from Lamont Dozier, working at the height of his mid 70s powers! Joseph's earlier deep soul vocals are given a nice sense of focus and righteous energy from Dozier's production – a fullness that somehow makes her sound almost better than before, with that mix of professionalism and personal presence that Lamont was laying down on his own great albums. Most of the rhythms are in a mellow midtempo mode – never too aimed at the clubs, but nicely picked up and smoothed out a bit from Joseph's earlier work – and sort of given that Detroit "umph" that rose to prominence in the early 70s HDH generation. Titles include "Didn't I Tell You", "Hear The Words Feel The Feeling", "Prophecy", "All Cried Out", "Feeling My Way", "I Get Carried Away", "Why'd You Lie", and "Something To Fall Back On". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare early 80s club soul set from Margie Joseph – kind of an bubbling, synth and programming era departure of the stunning female southern soul singer! The groove is definitely a left turn for Margie, but it's endearing modern club soul – with the dancefloor gem "Knockout" and others like it, plus more laidback gems that more of a showcase for incredible voice – which is still soaring and beautiful at this point! Titles include "Knockout" (special mix), "Moove To The Groove", "Gonna Get You", "Give It To Me", "Pull The Shade", "The One You Can Trust" and more – plus 3 bonus tracks: a re-edit and an extended mix of "Knockout" plus a previously unreleased remix of "Moove To The Groove". CD

The third album in Margie Joseph's early 70s run for Atlantic Records – and like the rest, a batch of super-tight tunes arranged and produced by Arif Mardin – done with the same sense of sophisticated soul he was bringing to the work of Aretha Franklin at the time! Margie's nicely a bit more laidback than Aretha, though – not nearly as cliched at times, and capable of hanging onto her southern roots, even in a fuller setting. Many numbers feature backing vocals – by singers who include Donny Hathaway, Cissy Houston, and Tasha Thomas – but Joseph is right out front on all numbers, singing strongly in the lead, yet without any too-diva sort of tendencies! Titles include a nice version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", plus "Stay Still", "Just As Soon As The Feeling's Over", "Sign Of the Times", and "Promise Me Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from a trans-Atlantic group – one that features really beautiful work on saxes from Daunik Lazro, in one of his best settings in many years! All the other musicians here are fantastic – as in addition to Daunik on tenor and baritone, the rest of the group features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Joshua Abrams on bass and guembri, Guillaume Seguron on bass as well, and Chad Taylor on drums and mbira! Given the use of the double basses, there's a strong bottom end here – and that's perfect for those organic tones that we've always loved from Lazro's horn, since first discovering him in the 80s – a very different trajectory of improvisation than some of his European contemporaries, with a quality that seems to bring out more from McPhee as well. Taylor just keeps exploding with his talents in recent years, and is a perfect partner for the music here – and all the tracks are improvised, save for a snippet of Albert Ayler's "Mothers" which appears at one spot. CD