A much-needed slice of work from Juju – the group who later transformed into spiritual funk ensemble Oneness Of Juju! Juju only recorded two full albums in the early 70s, so this unissued live set is a key addition to their catalog – and the whole thing's got this bold quality that's much more jazz-based, and often more avant than the group's later work – more in line with work in the tradition of the AACM, or some of the earliest loft jazz talents. No surprise, the set was recorded at Ornette Coleman's space on the lower east side in the early 70s – with the mighty Plunky Nakbinde on saxes and flute, sounding a lot more searing than any of his records from the 80s onward – plus Babatunde on percussion, Lon Moshe on vibes and flute, and Al-Hammel Rasul on keyboards. There's a bit of vocalizations, and lots of percussion from group members too – and the sound is very spiritual, with touches of more percussive Afro-centric playing. Includes a great version of Eddie Palmieri's "Azucar Para Ti", plus "At Least We Have A Horizon Now", and "Live Mozambique". Includes unreleased tracks "Thembi" and "Rosalie/Juju's Door". CD

The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion – plus Babatunde on congas and drums – and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode - with more "out" soloing overall, mixed with some of the spiritual jazz leanings that would show up more on the group's later work. The album's a fitting record for the Strata East label – as it shows the imprint's equal ability to carve up heavy avant work and more strident spiritual soul jazz. And if we say so ourselves, Plunky's really a wailer on tenor and soprano – sounding a lot like Kalaparusha or some of the other AACM players from the time! Titles include "(Struggle) Home", "Soledad Brothers", "Freedom Fighter", and "Nairobi/Chants". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion – plus Babatunde on congas and drums – and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode - with more "out" soloing overall, mixed with some of the spiritual jazz leanings that would show up more on the group's later work. The album's a fitting record for the Strata East label – as it shows the imprint's equal ability to carve up heavy avant work and more strident spiritual soul jazz. And if we say so ourselves, Plunky's really a wailer on tenor and soprano – sounding a lot like Kalaparusha or some of the other AACM players from the time! Titles include "(Struggle) Home", "Soledad Brothers", "Freedom Fighter", and "Nairobi/Chants". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late 70s session by Sun Ra – released on the small Sweet Earth label, recorded in 1979, with a version of the Arkestra that includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Eddie Gale on trumpet, and June Tyson on vocals – plus Sun Ra himself on Fender Rhodes, percussion, and a bit of vocals too! There's a few longer straighter tracks, like "Sunny Side Of The Street" and "Manhattan Cocktail", but the real highlight is the album's funky version of "Space Is The Place", which sounds like a lost groover by Oneness Of Juju! Another nice funky track is "Space Fling", which has kind of a New Orleans stompin groove to it. CD

A great counterpart to the rare Stanton Davis Ghetto Mysticism album – and a set that was recorded right around the same time, with a number of previously unreleased tracks! The spiritual energy of that group has been well-loved by collectors for years – and enjoyed by others thanks to a recent reissue – and this sweet batch of rare cuts really augments that rare musical moment, by offering up a further set of completely cosmic grooves! The style is spacey jazz funk with some deeper elements in the mix – all recorded and arranged with an indie vibe that reminds us a lot of the classic Oneness Of Juju albums on Black Fire, but without as much vocals – just a strong focus on the sweet keyboard lines and soaring horn passages. Some tracks are brand new, others are different versions of themes from the Brighter Days album – and titles include "Delta Six/Brighter Days", "Isis Voyage", "Odwalla", "Things Can Not Stop Forever (Al Kent version)", "High Jazz (reprise – alt mix)", "Things Cannot Stop Forever (inst mix)", and "Funky Fried Tofu (alt inst version)". CD

A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same sort of spacey soul vibe you'd find on work from the time by Oneness Of Juju! The overall sound is still quite soulful – a great extension of the early Tribe spirit from Detroit – and some cuts feature a bit more acoustic piano and sweet earthy percussion. Other cuts have more of a soulful bounce – thanks to vocals from Miche Braden and Kathy Simmons – and titles include "The Wok", "Ginseng Love", "Love Juice", "A Green Meadow" and "Peace of Mind". CD

Beautifully spiritual work from this obscure Chicago group from the late 70s – an AACM ensemble, and quite possibly one of the most soulful we've ever heard! There's a really spare, earthy approach to the work here – one that uses percussion, piano, and saxes from Light Henry Huff – plus beautiful male and female vocals, in a range of spare tunes that build up from the bottom, and flow out with joy and life. The album's not nearly as "out" as you'd expect, given its AACM roots – and has a feeling that's much more in the spirit of groups like Oneness Of Juju, The Pyramids, or Descendents Of Mike & Phoebe – mixing righteous solo passages with a well-conceived approach to the music that holds together wonderfully throughout. Kahil El Zabar is in the group on congas and vocals, and titles include "Soul Flower", "Rasta", "Live Without Fear", "Bright Tune", "Father Spirit Mother Love", and "Children's Song". CD

A classic masterpiece from J Dilla – a record that set the tone for countless hip hop releases in years to come – but which still shows Jay Dee as one of the smartest, sharpest, most forward-thinking producers to rule the roost! The set's got some incredible live instrumentation – lots of funky drums from Karriem Riggins, and a wealth of Fender Rhodes and other keyboards from Dwele – two artists brought along from the Detroit underground by Dilla, in a lineup that also includes work from Frank N Dank, Blu, Phat Kat, and Beej. The whole thing is fantastic, this amazing blend of instrumentals and vocal numbers that show that hip hop had plenty of new territory to open up in the 21st century – on titles that even include tributes to some key inspirations – like "African Rhythms" (Oneness of Juju), "Brazilian Groove" (Earth Wind & Fire), and "Think Twice" (Donald Byrd). The whole thing is classic – and other cuts include "Rico Suave Bossa Nova", "Shake It Down", "Give it Up", "The Clapper", and "Come Get It". CD

A righteous underground soul classic from Del Jones – message-oriented funk at its best! Jones is working here in the spirit of some of the best locally-crafted indie outings of the time – like work by Mike James Kirkland, Oneness Of Juju, The Pharoahs, and other important righteous regional acts of the 70s. The lyrics are extremely progressive, and deal with hard themes of African-American life at the time – stated clearly enough by titles that include "Soul of Black Folks", "Court Is Closed", "Needle & Spoon", "Prelude Ta Hell", "Needle N Spoon", and "Inside Black America" – and backed up by some great arrangements that throw a lot of fuzzy funky guitars into some tight, jazzed-up grooving. The album also includes the massive "Vibe-Ing Theme" – and the whole thing's a treasure that we'd rank with the best of its sort! And this very cool pressing brings together two different versions of the record – an original stripped-down presentation that was titled Court Is Closed – plus the better-known mix that ended up on the Positive Vibes album – all in a great package with detailed notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Kapingbdi – a group who hail from Liberia, but who recorded all of these tracks for a label in Germany – all at a level that makes for a wonderfully open, criss-crossing sort of sound! These tracks aren't cleaned up or polished world music for the post-colonial market – but instead, they perfectly reflect the new musical crossroads that appeared in that generation – as a group like Kapingbdi were able to effortlessly draw from American soul and jazz, especially the latter – all while making music that was uniquely their own. There's some very strong jazz work in the mix – especially on the saxes and flute of group leader E Kojo Samuels – whose strong lead voice and solo passages really help give these tracks a depth that maybe even recalls some of the best work by Oneness Of Juju. Instrumentation includes plenty of percussion mixed with just the right dose of Fender Rhodes – and although there are vocals on the tracks, the instrumental passages often hold sway. Titles include "Don't Escape", "You Go Go You Go Home", "Wrong Curfew Walk", "Our Heritage (Sengadebon)", "Take The Guitar Out", "Boys Town", "Deadea (edit)", and "Mali Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual sounds from reedman James Plunky Branch of Oneness Of JuJu fame! Songs include "Guide My Feet, Lord", "Just As I Am", "I Have Come Too Far", "Steal Away", "My Soul Has Been Anchored", and "Sweet Holy Spirit". CD

Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit of a Dollar Brand vibe in Xaba's piano – long lines, with a really compelling pulse – but other times, the music opens up with the kind of searching freedoms you'd hear on the AACM scene of the time – mixing together righteous styles with inventive musical expression! The great Plunky – of Oneness Of Juju fame – is in the group on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and the record also features Black Fire labelmate Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, plus additional percussion, bass, and drums. Titles include "Freedom", "Flight", "Nomusa", "Makohsi", and "Shwabada". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit of a Dollar Brand vibe in Xaba's piano – long lines, with a really compelling pulse – but other times, the music opens up with the kind of searching freedoms you'd hear on the AACM scene of the time – mixing together righteous styles with inventive musical expression! The great Plunky – of Oneness Of Juju fame – is in the group on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and the record also features Black Fire labelmate Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, plus additional percussion, bass, and drums. Titles include "Freedom", "Flight", "Nomusa", "Makohsi", and "Shwabada". LP, Vinyl record album

A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same sort of spacey soul vibe you'd find on work from the time by Oneness Of Juju! The overall sound is still quite soulful – a great extension of the early Tribe spirit from Detroit – and some cuts feature a bit more acoustic piano and sweet earthy percussion. Other cuts have more of a soulful bounce – thanks to vocals from Miche Braden and Kathy Simmons – and titles include "The Wok", "Ginseng Love", "Love Juice", "A Green Meadow" and "Peace of Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at one of our favorite record labels of all time – a company that was one of the first we ever worked together with, back when we started Dusty Groove – and whose music has been a huge inspiration to us for decades! Black Fire is a really special record label from the DC area – not just a jazz imprint, but more of an artistic collective – maybe similar to what Tribe Records was to the Detroit scene of the 70s, but also more open to more soulful sounds too – which is what really makes so many of these tracks so great – as they have a perfect balance between jazz, funk, and soul – kind of that through-line that the Chicago scene had as things moved from Sun Ra, to Phil Cohran, on to the Pharoahs and Earth Wind & Fire! That trajectory is key here – as many of the players were rooted in more avant jazz styles, but were also eager to communicate their message in ways that were more universal – which is why the music here has such lasting appeal over the years – as it's filled with messages of love and peace, life and pride – with an intensity that maybe makes these tracks every bit as important now as when they were first recorded. The best-known group on the set is Oneness Of Juju, but there's work from the whole spectrum of Black Fire artists – tracks that include "Look At The People" by Wayne Davis, "Doin The Carvin For Thabo" by Lon Moshe, "African Rhythms (live 1975)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Children Of Tomorrow's Dreams" by Theatre West, "People" by Experience Unlimited, "Follow Me" by Okyerema Asante, "Third House" by Southern Energy Ensemble, and "Drummers From Ibadan" by Byard Lancaster. CD

The archive here appears to be Volcov's own record collection – but that's A-OK with us, because he's got some wonderfully groovy, wonderfully soulful, wonderfully under-discovered records he wants to share with us! The set's got a wicked blend of obscure tracks from decades back, and some contemporary cuts that share a similar vibe – music that's in a really special place between soul, jazz, and fusion – often with a cosmic vibe that gives the whole collection a very righteous sound! Liner notes are by Patrick Forge, who points out how obscure most of these tracks are, and what a special collection this is – and we definitely agree with his words, as most of these tracks are new to us, too. Titles include "Keep The Same Old Feeling" by Hot Quisine, "Do The Right Thing" by JOB, "Go (Chez Damien classic mix)" by The Urban Cru, "The Sound Of The Memory Of Many Living People" by Are & Be, "Arigo (Volcov edit)" by Manfredo Fest, "Turning On To Me" by Oneness Of Juju, "Footprints On The Sand (Shannon Harris Urbanicity reinterpretation)" by Chanan Hanspal, "Sophisticated Disco (Volcov edit)" by O'Donel Levy, "Simon's Melody" by The Antilles, "Part 4" by Shakazulu, and "Sun On My Back" by Bembe Segue. LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy soul from the team of Jonni Malone and Allan Barnes, working here with the Spontaneous Simplicity group – a combo named after an old Sun Ra tune! The feel of the album is somewhere in the territory of the hipper work on Fantasy Records in the mid 70s – indie soul that has a sweetly spiritual approach, and a fair bit of jazz in the mix – all served up with some wonderfully warm production! Some tracks are upbeat groovers aimed at the dancefloor, but with an overall deeper mode of expression that has great solos really stretching out – while others are more laidback, with a 70s righteous take on the groove. Malone plays keyboards and sings, Barnes plays "Afro horns" in a Oneness Of Juju way, and the album also features work by a number of other ensemble players. Titles include "Galactic Interlude", "Road Man", "Freedom Serenade", "Up N Comin", "Moonstruck", and "Workin Plan". CD

A great look at one of our favorite record labels of all time – a company that was one of the first we ever worked together with, back when we started Dusty Groove – and whose music has been a huge inspiration to us for decades! Black Fire is a really special record label from the DC area – not just a jazz imprint, but more of an artistic collective – maybe similar to what Tribe Records was to the Detroit scene of the 70s, but also more open to more soulful sounds too – which is what really makes so many of these tracks so great – as they have a perfect balance between jazz, funk, and soul – kind of that through-line that the Chicago scene had as things moved from Sun Ra, to Phil Cohran, on to the Pharoahs and Earth Wind & Fire! That trajectory is key here – as many of the players were rooted in more avant jazz styles, but were also eager to communicate their message in ways that were more universal – which is why the music here has such lasting appeal over the years – as it's filled with messages of love and peace, life and pride – with an intensity that maybe makes these tracks every bit as important now as when they were first recorded. The best-known group on the set is Oneness Of Juju, but there's work from the whole spectrum of Black Fire artists – tracks that include "Look At The People" by Wayne Davis, "Doin The Carvin For Thabo" by Lon Moshe, "African Rhythms (live 1975)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Children Of Tomorrow's Dreams" by Theatre West, "People" by Experience Unlimited, "Follow Me" by Okyerema Asante, "Third House" by Southern Energy Ensemble, and "Drummers From Ibadan" by Byard Lancaster. CD

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary Nimbus label – and the only set we've ever seen from pianist Linda Hill as a leader! The set's got the same open-ended, spiritually-expressive sound as Adele Sebastian's record for the label – and Sebastian's also a key part of the group, working here on vocal and flute, to give the album a richly righteous sound! The vocals are great, and often feature help from Jugeger Juan Grey – with more soul than usual for this sort of set, but still plenty of jazz elements too – with an offbeat quality that's almost like Oneness Of Juju – often used just to lead off a tune, before the solos come in strongly. Other musicians include Sabir Matteen on tenor, Roberto Miranda on bass, Everett Brown on drums, and Virjilio Figuera on percussion. Titles include "Lullaby For Linda", "Children", "Leland's Song", and "The Creator's Musician". CD

A great look at one of our favorite record labels of all time – a company that was one of the first we ever worked together with, back when we started Dusty Groove – and whose music has been a huge inspiration to us for decades! Black Fire is a really special record label from the DC area – not just a jazz imprint, but more of an artistic collective – maybe similar to what Tribe Records was to the Detroit scene of the 70s, but also more open to more soulful sounds too – which is what really makes so many of these tracks so great – as they have a perfect balance between jazz, funk, and soul – kind of that through-line that the Chicago scene had as things moved from Sun Ra, to Phil Cohran, on to the Pharoahs and Earth Wind & Fire! That trajectory is key here – as many of the players were rooted in more avant jazz styles, but were also eager to communicate their message in ways that were more universal – which is why the music here has such lasting appeal over the years – as it's filled with messages of love and peace, life and pride – with an intensity that maybe makes these tracks every bit as important now as when they were first recorded. The best-known group on the set is Oneness Of Juju, but there's work from the whole spectrum of Black Fire artists – tracks that include "Look At The People" by Wayne Davis, "Doin The Carvin For Thabo" by Lon Moshe, "African Rhythms (live 1975)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Children Of Tomorrow's Dreams" by Theatre West, "People" by Experience Unlimited, "Third House" by Southern Energy Ensemble, and "Drummers From Ibadan" by Byard Lancaster. LP, Vinyl record album