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An amazing slice of rare work from pianist Misha Mengelberg – caught her early in his career, but already an important modern jazz force on the European scene! The set's a live one – featuring a very sharp-edged combo with Misha on piano, Piet Noordjik on alto, Rob Lengereis on bass, and Han Bennink on drums – plus guest trumpet from Ted Curson on two long tracks! As you can imagine, we love the Curson material – and Ted always seems to sparkle in a fresh setting like this, drawing new energy from less familiar players – and stretching things out to the height of his free-thinking talents of the time. But Noordjik is wonderful, too – really hanging nicely in a balance between soulful and modern with his horn, and easily matched by Mengelberg's piano – really great to hear in a more structured setting than his later, freer records. Titles include "Driekusman Total Loss", "The Leopard", "Sugar N Spice", "Journey", and "Peer's Counting Song". CD

A wonderful early record from the great Steve Miller – a set that calls out its soulful intentions with a cover dedication to Mahalia Jackson and Junior Parker! Miller never copies the work of either artist, but instead really does a great job of channeling the soulful spirit of their generation through the new attitude of the Bay Area scene – often working with backing vocals alongside his lead, with a soul harmony approach that makes a few tunes straight soul swingers – while others have those funky blues currents that Steve always did so well. The great Ben Sidran produced – and gives the album the same criss-crossing of styles that his own early 70s albums showcased so well – and titles include "Fandango", "Love's Riddle", "Heal Your Heart", "Welcome", "Enter Maurice", "Somebody Somewhere Help Me", "The Sun Is Going Down", and "Journey From Eden". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Milton's last of the 70s – and a darn nice album recorded in the US. The arrangements are larger than ever, with beautifully baroque vocal choruses, strangely orchestrated instrumental passages, and Milton's wonderfully soulful vocals soaring out amidst the whole thing. Milton arranged all the material – and tracks include "Pablo", "Maria Maria", "Unencounter", and "Credo". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Out Of The Woods, For Now", "Ella Bella", "Entirely Too Tonal", and "Five Corridors". CD

Titles include "Nights Of The Southern Spirit", "Rain Forest Prayer", "Rush Hour In The Jungle", and "Passport To Party". CD

Features solos by John Lewis on piano and Coleman Hawkins on tenor – plus a bit of narration from Skitch Henderson. LP, Vinyl record album

A narrated journey to space. With the Florida Symphony Orchestra And Bach Festival Choir. LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Ahhhh . . . The Salsoul Orchestra at its finest, with Vince Montana at the helm, crafting some superb arrangements that have all of the positivity of the best funky club groove that made the group great – without any of the disco schlock of their contemporaries! The group's format is still head and shoulders above most of its imitators here – a perfect balance of larger orchestrations and tighter rhythms for the club – handled with all the best Philly elements that Montana brings to play. Titles include the superb soul track "Run Away", which features excellent lead vocals by Loleatta Holloway – one of her best tracks ever – and other instrumental titles include the funky "Getaway", plus "Magic Bird Of Fire", "It's A New Day", and "Alpha Centuri". CD features two bonus tracks – "Run Away (Danny Krivit re-edit)" and "Magic Bird Of Fire (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)". CD

5 track sampler of tracks off the "Journey" full length. Included are album and radio versions of "We-Da-Yaso" featuring Nu-Ras, "Part Time Spittaz" featuring Juice and Rob Amster, "Krushing Krizzle" featuring Casual, "Awake", and "Hey Ladies" featuring Life. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A long-overdue moment of exposure for pianist Horace Tapscott – one of the greatest creative forces in west coast jazz in the 60s, 70s, and 80s – but an artist whose genius was often kept away from the limelight! That hardly seemed to matter to Tapscott, though – as his legacy is tremendous, finally given full exposure by this autobiography, which then paved the way for new presentations of his music in years to come – a surprisingly large legacy of reissues that we wish Horace could have seen in his too-short life! Yet despite that, it's clear that the man himself took a lot of price in his music – as you'll read in this live story, which documents Tapscott's move to LA as a young child, his creation of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and all his many other projects – which were often tied to cultural and political developments in south LA. Book

A really soulful set from Third World – the record that really broke the group out and pushed them over the top – and a set that, in the US, really helped reggae mingle a bit with the mainstream world of R&B! Part of that mix was helped from the superb single "Now That We found Love" – the group's fantastic remake of an O'Jays tune from a few years before – but the set's also got plenty of straighter reggae cuts too, mixing roots messages with soulful inclinations in a really great way! Titles include "African Woman", "Cold Sweat", "Cool Meditation", "Fred Not Thyself", "Journey To Addis", and of course, "Now That We Found Love". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jack Varney on vibes, Len Barnard on drums, Fred Parkes on clarinet, Derek Capewell on bass, and Tony Gould on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

With tracks from Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Stray Gators, The Tony & Susan Alamo Christian Foundation Orchestra & Chorus. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Silent Poets, Might Truth, Marden Hill, A Forest Mighty Black, Solar System, and Nobukazu Takemura. 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

A really heady set of tracks from the American scene – music that effortlessly bridges the 60s sounds of garage, blues rock, and psych – and prefaces some of the metal and more guitar-heavy modes to emerge later on in the 70s! The work here definitely shares more with the sounds of the 60s, but also really captures the music at a moment when things were really transforming – groups were getting past a slavish presentation of their influences, finding bold new modes of expression, and really letting their freak flag fly with fuzzy brilliance throughout – all at levels that were also different than some of the longer-spun modes of the European progressive world. As with other Grapefruit packages, the distillation of a sound and scene here is wonderful – and supported with very detailed notes too – in a package that includes 62 tracks in all - with work from Bang, Sudden Death, Dust, Arthur Lee, Boomerang, Cactus, Grand Funk, The Flow, Head Over Heels, Sir Lord Baltimore, ZZ Top, Brigade, Fuse, Conception, Morgen, Coven, Alice Cooper, Nazz, Stack, Spirit, Kim Fowley, SRC, Mass Confusion Rock Band, Society's Children, Omnibus, Wildwood, Human Beinz, The Sound Barrier, Fever Tree, and many others! CD

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". LP, Vinyl record album

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An amazing slice of rare work from pianist Misha Mengelberg – caught her early in his career, but already an important modern jazz force on the European scene! The set's a live one – featuring a very sharp-edged combo with Misha on piano, Piet Noordjik on alto, Rob Lengereis on bass, and Han Bennink on drums – plus guest trumpet from Ted Curson on two long tracks! As you can imagine, we love the Curson material – and Ted always seems to sparkle in a fresh setting like this, drawing new energy from less familiar players – and stretching things out to the height of his free-thinking talents of the time. But Noordjik is wonderful, too – really hanging nicely in a balance between soulful and modern with his horn, and easily matched by Mengelberg's piano – really great to hear in a more structured setting than his later, freer records. Titles include "Driekusman Total Loss", "The Leopard", "Sugar N Spice", "Journey", and "Peer's Counting Song". CD

A lost spiritual jazz classic from pianist Nate Morgan – maybe the musician's best-remembered moment, and for good reason too! The set's got this soaring, spiritual vibe that's much more early 70s than you'd guess from the date of recording – a post-Coltrane spirit with lots of modal energy in the rhythms, carved out by Nate in these bold, dark lines on piano – and topped with some excellent work on alto sax from the great Dadisi Komolate! Both players were key figures in the under-documented LA scene of this period – and work together to make tremendous sounds on this album – on titles that include "He Left Us A Song", "Journey Into Nigritia", "Morning Prayer", "Mother", and "Study in CT". CD

Ahhhh . . . The Salsoul Orchestra at its finest, with Vince Montana at the helm, crafting some superb arrangements that have all of the positivity of the best funky club groove that made the group great – without any of the disco schlock of their contemporaries! The group's format is still head and shoulders above most of its imitators here – a perfect balance of larger orchestrations and tighter rhythms for the club – handled with all the best Philly elements that Montana brings to play. Titles include the superb soul track "Run Away", which features excellent lead vocals by Loleatta Holloway – one of her best tracks ever – and other instrumental titles include the funky "Getaway", plus "Magic Bird Of Fire", "It's A New Day", and "Alpha Centuri". LP, Vinyl record album

2 CD set that brings together a huge amount of the best tracks cut by trumpeter Woody Shaw during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The selection is excellent, and the material is culled from Muse records like The Iron Men, Imagination, Solid, and Cassandrite – plus a few Blue Note 60s sessions. There's a number of great cuts that feature Shaw in his youthful edgey period, playing with Herbie Hancock, Larry Young, and Joe Henderson – and there's a lot more that have him laying down mature soulful solos with the likes of Kenny Barron, Kenny Garrett, and Kirk Lightsey. Titles include "Dat Dere", "Spiderman Blues", "Solid", "Obsequious", "Baloo Baloo", "Tetragon", and "Nutville". CD

The title gets it right – as the set's a very tasty batch of soulful house tunes, with a deep feel that keeps the quality high throughout, and the silly nonsense to a minimum! The set's brimming over with soul, and is one of the best in the Hed Kandi series so far – with a track list that includes "Always (12" mix)" by Lisa Shaw, "Elevator (MAW mix)" by Jaffa, "Makes Me Feel (Fac 15 Black Sky rmx)" by Afterlife, "Loverman (Sector 7G's Stalker mix)" by Urban Dwellers, "Fired Up (Club 69's Future mix)" by Funky Green Dogs, "Only (Aquanote original)" by Aquanote, "So Alive" by The Rurals, "Reality (Ra-Souls classic vocal)" by Star, "Always Remember To Respect & Honor Your Mother (deep dish loves their motha rmx)" by Dusted, "Touch Me" by Rui Da Silva feat Cassandra, "Love Affair" by Love feat Emma, "Sincere (Naked Music mig's Petalpusher voc)" by MJ Cole, "The Night Goes On (dawn to dusk rmx)" by Limos, and "Quiet Nights" by Andy Caldwell feat Gina Rene. 22 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Early work from Ted Nugent – working here as the searing lead guitarist of the mighty Amboy Dukes! The Nuge doesn't sing on the set, but his guitar is definitely in the spotlight on most numbers – ripping out with a rawness that beats his later superstar work, and which is free to freak out nicely in this set of psyche-heavy sounds from the Mainstream label at the height of their late 60s greatness. Side one features a number of shorter Nugent-penned tunes, and side two is a slightly more complicated offering – a bit of a concept piece, with tracks that form a story over the side of the record. Titles include "Flight Of The Byrd", "Mississippi Murderer", "Dr Slingshot", "Scottish Tea", "I'll Prove I'm Right", "Conclusion", "Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange", and "Ivory Castles". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Ted Nugent – working here as the searing lead guitarist of the mighty Amboy Dukes! The Nuge doesn't sing on the set, but his guitar is definitely in the spotlight on most numbers – ripping out with a rawness that beats his later superstar work, and which is free to freak out nicely in this set of psyche-heavy sounds from the Mainstream label at the height of their late 60s greatness. Side one features a number of shorter Nugent-penned tunes, and side two is a slightly more complicated offering – a bit of a concept piece, with tracks that form a story over the side of the record. Titles include "Flight Of The Byrd", "Mississippi Murderer", "Dr Slingshot", "Scottish Tea", "I'll Prove I'm Right", "Conclusion", "Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange", and "Ivory Castles". CD

An overlooked gem from the great Arthur Brown – not a set with his late 60s Crazy World group, but instead some great material done with Kingdom Come – a group who seem to be morphing with Brown into a really great space rock sort of combo! The keyboards and electronics here are stronger than before – not Tangerine Dream spacey, but fused with more hard-rocking modes that really take off and fly to the skies – so much so that Brown's vocals are often less a part of the sound than the group's amazing instrumental interplay – which could previously be shadowed a bit by his lead! The whole thing's great – a cool, compressed take on modes that so many others were trying to handle at the time – but maybe never this well. Titles include "Superficial Roadblocks", "Time Captives", "Triangles", "Conception", "Spirit Of Joy", "Come Alive", "Lost Time", and "Corpora Supercelestia". Includes a second disc of bonus tracks. CD

Featuring guest vocals by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Carla Cook. CD

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Great grooves from Enchantment – a set that has the group very much in their dancefloor-oriented mode, but still singing with some incredibly warm harmonies throughout! The backings are a nice blend of late 70s disco elements and softer soul modes – just the right mix to let the group's nicely glowing quality come through strongly – that Enchantment style that was always a bit more subtle than some of the other late 70s soul groups, and which almost hearkened back at times to the earlier indie harmony scene of the start of the decade. Titles include "Love Melodies", "Oasis Of Love", "Journey", "Future Gonna Get You", "Magnetic Feel", "Anyway You Want It", and "Where Do We Go From Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Sean Jones on trumpet, Tia Fuller on saxophone and flute, Mulgrew Miller and Orrin Evans on piano, Charles Fambrough on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums. CD

A nicely-done overview of the best work of South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela – featuring tracks from his groundbreaking years at the Chisa, Uni, and Blue Thumb labels! The tracks bring together South African rhythms with a buoyant, celebratory approach to soul jazz – cut by Masekela with influences from the burning LA scene of the late 60s, and recorded with a soulful finish that works as well on the set's longer, more complicated tracks, as it does on the shorter groovier tunes! 11 tracks in all, with titles that include "Mace & Grenades", "Ha Lese Le Di Khanna", "Child Of The Earth", "Gold", "Languta", "Stimela", "Been Such A Long Time Gone", and "Bajabula Bonke". CD

Not as funky as Moody's work for Perception, but definitely in a similar mode. The record's got James playing alto, tenor, and soprano – in a group that includes Kenny Barron on electric piano, Roland Prince on guitar, and some guest trumpet by Randy Brecker. The tracks shift from warm and mellow to warm and funky – but still kind of mellowly funky – and titles include a nice cover of "This Masquerade", plus "Sun Journey", "Sun In Pisces", "Clabber Biscuits", and "Last Train From Overbrook". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly soulful set of folk tunes from the late 60s – the only album we've ever seen from singer Jerry Moore, and a real rarity from the ESP label! Moore's got a style that's somewhere between Terry Callier and Tim Buckley – earthy and acoustic one minute, but stepping out with some hipper rock-influenced touches the next – in a style that makes the album way more than just a conventional folk set. There's a strong political undercurrent to many of the tunes – and Moore is backed by a quartet that includes Eric Gale on electric guitar and Ralph McDonald on percussion. Titles include "Ballad Of Birmingham", "Drugged", "This Is My Time", "Let Go Reach Out", and "Anti Bellum Sermon". CD

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A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". CD

Man, if Doc Severinsen was this funky on TV back in the 70s, we might have watched the Johnny Carson Show a little bit more! The album's more of a smooth funky fusion album than Doc's usual big band sets – and he's got some good help from Fred Crane, who handles all the arrangements and gives the album a bit of a jazzy club feel – a lean groove that's mighty nice! Doc's got the main solos, but there's also keyboards and guitar, and vocals on about half the tracks (supposedly with Leon Thomas in the backup group!) Titles include "Little Tiny Feets", "Lookin Good", "Spanish Dreams", "I Wanna Be With You", "Night Journey", and "You Put The Shine On Me". CD

A surprisingly wonderful album by the Singers Unlimited – and one of their best for MPS! The album features mostly older evergreens, arranged in a lush style by Robert Farnon – and both of those elements would normally be enough to turn us off – but somehow Gene Puerling and crew really get new life out of the tracks – and bring them together in a strange blend of 70s sweet and 40s nostalgia that really has a dark undercurrent! The MPS production really helps a lot – bringing in a cool, compressed quality to the work – and group's trademark sound really works well on the numbers. Titles include "As Time Goes By", "Angel Eyes", "The More I See You", "If I Didn't Care", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". LP, Vinyl record album

This is a spoken word two disc interview, there is no music on this release. CD

A lost batch of soulful jazz from a massively overlooked source – the mighty Theresa Records, home to some really great recordings at the end of the 70s! Theresa was a tiny company formed in Oakland, CA at the end of the 70s – a spiritual heir to the sound of Impulse, Flying Dutchman, and other 70s powerhouse soul jazz labels – with a sound that was directly encapsulated in the label's own recordings of Pharoah Sanders at the time! After a few years of inactivity on the recording scene after his seminal sides for Impulse, Pharoah made a strong re-emergence on Theresa – working in a sweet style of soul jazz that was also picked up by some of the label's other strong artists. This excellent set was compiled in collaboration with Gilles Peterson – and features some of the hippest, most soulful tracks to come out on Theresa – work that takes off from the sound of Pharoah's earlier albums, into a whole new realm of expression! Titles include "Heart Is A Melody", "Rejoice", and "You've Got To Have Freedom" by Pharoah Sanders; "Samba" and "Pippin" by Ed Kelly; "Use Your Hands" and "Levels Of Consciousness" by Babatunde & Phenomena; and "Hip Funk" by Bishop Norman Williams & The One Mind Experience. 11 tracks in all! CD

Rare grooves galore – served up by Chicago DJ Sadar Bahar, with just the right kind of depth we'd expect! The set's one of the funkiest in years from the BBE label – and bristles with great energy ritht from the start – loads of obscure uptempo funky cuts that almost hit a disco mode, but not entirely – laying back instead in that more spontaneous, more live approach to funky music – with a few nice touches of jazz as well! The package includes some real gems from the 70s, plus a few more bits from later years – and titles include "Comin On Strong" by Calender, "Odyssey (part 1)" by Johnny Harris, "Bail Out" by Maxayn, "French Fried Boogie" by Puzzle People, "Striving For Tomorrow" by Moses, "Free" by Seawind, "Scorcher" by Carl Grubbs, "Trying To Get Over" by Sparkles, "Funkyfied" by Chuck Higgins & The Wild Bunch, "Spirit" by Frederic Mercier, and "Mystery Of Ages" by Carlos Garnett. CD

Music from Charles Barnett, Ed Young & Hobart Smith, the Silver Leaf Quartet, the Bright Lights Quartet, the Belleville A Capella Choir, the Peerless Four & more – part of the Alan Lomax collection. CD

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". CD

A warmly romantic journey from the stellar Norman Connors – but a set that's also got a fair bit of spiritual jazz undercurrents too! Norman's at that perfect Starship point in his career – giving equal space to the vocals and instrumental passages on the record – at a level that perfectly sums up his unique, sophisticated blend of jazz and soul! The sublime Eleanor Mills sings on some key cuts – a singer we love from her earlier New Jersey soul sides – and Prince Phillip Mitchell handles the male leads, with a level of class that even goes beyond his own records. Reeds are handled by Gary Bartz and Pharoah Sanders – both players who bring in a nice sort of depth to the record – and Sanders really sparkles on a remake of his classic "Thembi", taken in a mellow stepping tone, as well as a reading of Gato Barbieri's "Last Tango In Paris". The whole album's wonderful – and other titles include "Once I've Been There", "Romantic Journey", "Destination Moon", "For You Everything", and "You Are Everything". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". CD

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong introduction to the work of this seminal Italian soundtrack band – plus some extra rare stuff! Goblin began their career as prog-rockers in the early 70s, but by the middle of the decade, they'd become a tight instrumental ensemble who created some of the most compelling horror soundtracks of their generation. The 2CD set features one disc that includes titles from their films with Dario Argento and other Italian thriller directors – including "Phenomena", "Sleepwalking", "The Wind", "Witch", "Sighs", "Death Dies", and "Mad Puppet". The other disc features a rare concert from 1979, issued here for the first time ever, and featuring the band in a very jamming mode. Tracks on that disc include "Aquaman", "Snip Snap", "Opera Magnifica", "Notte", and "Un Ragazzo D'Argento". CD

A landmark New York session from Dollar Brand – recorded in the late 70s, with a larger group than usual! Brand spins out some really magical African-tinged jazz grooves – stretching forth in his usual modal mode, with lots of rhythmic lines – but in a way that's also augmented by wonderful horn work from Don Cherry on trumpet, Carlos Ward on alto sax, and Hamiet Bluiett on baritone and clarinet! The album's got a very strong percussive component – thanks to work from Roy Brooks, Claude Jones, and John Betsch – who work here with the great bass of Johnny Dyani, to give the record a bit more fire than Brand's other material of the period. One track on the album gets quite free, and titles include "Sister Rosie", "Jabulani" and "Hajj". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

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An incredible tribute to the legendary Staple Singers – and a set that brings together material from a number of different phases of the group – all of them great! The first half of the collection has the quartet still very strongly in a gospel mode – working with incredible harmonies that really made them stand out from the pack, and a sharpness that not only was an inspiration to their spiritual contemporaries, but which also had a huge impact on countless secular soul groups too – especially in the way the male and female voices come together. The second half of the collection moves onto their big crossover years at Stax Records – a time when The Staples were able to address wider social issues, not just spiritual concerns – and work with some of the most badass grooves that Stax had to offer at the time! The whole thing is a beautiful package – a hardcover book-style set with 56 pages of notes – including never-seen photos, a discography, and new notes on the records – with a total of 80 tracks on 4CDs. Plus, the set also features a 7" single – with material from the group's first-ever recording session! CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A great 2LP collection, recorded and presented by Samuel Charters – as a global extension of his work presenting American blues and jazz over the years! The set features music from Gambia, Ghana, Togo, Mali, and Senegal – with perofrmances by Alhaji Sait Camara, Nkaw Kaw Brass Band, Dela Kanuteh, Mawdo Suso, Alhaji Amara Sahone, and Jali Nyama Suso. LP, Vinyl record album

Soundtrack to the PBS series. CD

A really sweet set of grooves – laidback and airy, and with the similar groundbreaking vibe as the previous two collections in this series! It's been over a decade since the second volume, and the duo have really deepened their approach here – coming up with cuts that we never would have heard otherwise, from a variety of global sources – most of which have this really great balance of acoustic and electric elements, one that's maybe informed by 70s AOR, but much more down to earth, personal, and without any sort of too-commercial approach! Titles include "I Believe You're The One" by Robert Williams, "Cikuna" by Meo, "Villfarelser" by Vidderna, "Electro Eyes" by Lee Ryda, "Objetos Perdidos (Dagobert Bohm version)" by Josete Ordonez, "Heal Yourself" by Francisco, "Yummy Moon" by Tri Atma, "Dying By Wits (orig mix)" by The Emperor Machine, "She Sells Sanctuary" by Mcraft, "Steal My Sunshine (version Idjut)" by Len, and "Fall In Love Not In Line (ext voc)" by Sunshine Jones. CD

A really sweet set of grooves – laidback and airy, and with the similar groundbreaking vibe as the previous two collections in this series! It's been over a decade since the second volume, and the duo have really deepened their approach here – coming up with cuts that we never would have heard otherwise, from a variety of global sources – most of which have this really great balance of acoustic and electric elements, one that's maybe informed by 70s AOR, but much more down to earth, personal, and without any sort of too-commercial approach! Titles include "I Believe You're The One" by Robert Williams, "Cikuna" by Meo, "Villfarelser" by Vidderna, "Electro Eyes" by Lee Ryda, "Objetos Perdidos (Dagobert Bohm version)" by Josete Ordonez, "Heal Yourself" by Francisco, "Yummy Moon" by Tri Atma, "Dying By Wits (orig mix)" by The Emperor Machine, "She Sells Sanctuary" by Mcraft, "Steal My Sunshine (version Idjut)" by Len, and "Fall In Love Not In Line (ext voc)" by Sunshine Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Hip mix of work by American and Brazilian artists including Bosa Tres, Paulo Allencar, the Latin Jazz Quintet, Herbie Mann, Joao Donato, Shorty Rogers & his Giants, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Quincy Jones, Cal Tjader, and more – 15 tracks total. CD

Hip mix of work by American and Brazilian artists including Shirley Scott, Rio 65 Trio, Don Wilkerson, Quincy Jones, Tamba Trio, Bobby Timmons, Herbie Hancock, Zimbo Trio, Mary Lou Williams, and Manfredo Fest – 16 tracks total. CD

Hip mix of work from Bossa Tres, Curtis Amy, Gene Shaw, Wilson Simonal, Tempo Trio, Carlos Lyra, Andre's All Stars, Art Taylor, Joao Donato, the Tamba Trio, and more. CD

A tremendous overview of some really important years in British music – a period that sometimes gets overlooked, due to the huge explosion of psych, prog, and other styles – but one that's equally creative in its own sort of way! First off, forget the term "folk rock" – because although that's what this music might be, it's also very different than the pop folk modes that were big on the US scene in the mid 60s – as this folk rock scene instead represented a host of British musicians really retrenching, and finding their own sort of styles – sometimes borrowing bits from the ancient past of England, other times bringing forth a contemporary way of putting over a tune – at a level that might have gotten commercial and overproduced if these guys were working on the American west coast, but which instead has a nicely unadorned quality here. At a time when most American labels (and listeners) were really leaving folk music behind, these artists were able to often work free from the needs of a big commercial hit – and make genius music that's gone on to transform many minds over the decades. The set moves way past the obvious – and features a whopping 60 tracks in all, with lots of notes in the package – and even includes a few never-issued tracks as well. Includes work by Harvey Andrews, Jade, Michael Chapman, Andy Roberts, Mr Fox, Pentangle, Shirley Collins, Prelude, Heron, Mike Cooper, Paul Brett's Sage, Lifeblood, Dando Shaft, Canticle, Jeremy Harmer, Bridget St John, Al Jones, Bill Fay, Fairport Convention, The Woods Band, Matthew's Southern Comfort, The Johnstons, Beau, Richmond, Chimera, Spirogyra, and many others! CD

A brilliant collection of tracks that traces the jazzy roots of todays modern abstract vibes. London dj/producer Kirk DeGiorgio keeps a key focuse on the jazzy use of electronic keyboards over the past 30 years, and he traces a musical path that begins with Herbie Hancock, moves through Sun Ra, and ends up with some of the best jazzy underground material of recent vintage. Titles include "Prelude To Raindance" by As One, "Raindance" by Herbie Hancock, "La Blouse" by Marc Moulin, "Goddess" by Waiwan, "Stomp" by Placebo, "Look At Me Know, Falling" by Maas, "Sunken Ship" by Sam Spence, "Many Rhodes To Travel" by As One, and "Twin Stars of Thence" by Sun Ra. CD

18 hip hop essentials – and that's all there is to say! Slick Rick "Children's Story", "Ain't No Half Steppin'" by Big Daddy Kane, "South Bronx" by BDP, "Wild, Wild West" by Kool Moe Dee, "Can I Kick It?" by Tribe Called Quest, "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa, "Top Billin'" by Audio Two, "Me, Myself and I" by De La Soul, "It's Funky Enough" by DOC, "They Reminisce Over You" by Pete & CL, "Flava In Your Ear" by Craig Mack, "CREAM" by Wu Tang, "Player's Anthem" by Junior MAFIA and more! CD

A sweet little record that's way better than you might ever guess from the title – almost more of a jazz funk effort overall, with excellent work on guitar, trumpet, saxes, and keyboards! There's vocals on the album, but maybe more in a backup sort of way – and although the cuts could work on a dancefloor, they've often got the mix of jazz and groove that you'd find in some of the funkier Kudu Records material of the time – which might have been an inspiration for these guys! The album was recorded on the Atlanta scene of the late 70s, with lead guitar from Gary Ruffin – and titles include "Get Up & Get Down", "Summer Love", "Randy's Nap", "Simple Song", and "Journey Through The Night". CD

... CD

Sharon Isbin on guitar – with Paul Winter on saxophone and Thiago de Mello on percussion. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features David Sanchez on saxophones, Larry Grenadier on bass and Ignacio Berroa on drums. CD

Excellent work from the hip hop of British jazz in the 80s – and one of those records that we somehow didn't rate that much at the time, but which really sounds great to our ears going back to it now! Pine plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – working in a soulful mode that stretches back to Coltrane and Dolphy, but which is somehow economized a bit in terms of phrasing – going for the simple soulfulness of the best moments of the past, and working within a realm of styles that are open, yet never sloppy or self-conscious. Cleveland Watkiss lays down some great vocals on two numbers – and other players include Julian Joseph on piano, and Orphey Robinson on vibes. Titles include "CGC", "Sunday Song", "Children Of The Ghetto", "As We Would Say", "Peace", and "Miss Interpret". LP, Vinyl record album

With Joe Ford on alto saxophone, Doug Harris on flute and alto saxophone, Avery Sharpe on bass, Aaron Scott on drums, John Clark on french horn, Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and percussion, Billy Harper and John Stubblefield on tenor saxophones, Frank Lucy and Steve Turre on trombones, Earl Gardner, Eddie Henderson and Virgil Jones on trumpets, and Tony Underwood on tuba. CD

Alan Lomax recordings – features Fred McDowell, John Dudley, Ervin Webb, and others! CD

Artists include Almeda Riddle, Neil Morris, Ollie Gilbert, Bookmiller Shannon, Absie Morrison, Charlie Everidge. 25 tracks total! CD