... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A killer follow-up to the earlier Nigeria 70 compilation on Strut Records – a second set that digs even deeper than before, and one that shows a huge range of Nigerian grooves from the 70s! The styles here go way beyond familiar Afro Funk – and the rhythms here are often quite complicated – rootsy at times, modern at others – and served up in a blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that dances together wonderfully! Most numbers have vocals, but those are often delivered as rhythmically as the instrumentation – and the package is filled with under-reissued gems that make the package an essential addition to any collection of global grooves. As with other sets on the newly-revived Strut label, there's full notes on the music and track-by-track details – all supporting a set list of 16 titles that includes "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Yabis" by Sir Shina Peters & His International Stars, "Onyame" by Ashanti Afrika Jah, "Ezuku Buzo" by Bola Johnson & His Eazy Life Top Beats, "African Dialects" by Peter King, "You Are My Heart" by Rex Williams, "Hot Tears" by The Immortals, "Dododo (Ekassa No 1)" by Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Happy Survival" by Ifeanyi Eddie Okwedy & His Maymores Dance Band, "Tug Of War" by The Faces, "Ire Africa" by Chief Checker, and "Eddie Quansa" by Peacocks Guitar Band. CD

The early 60s roots of the Studio One sound – tight Jamaican R&B, nascent ska and killer tunes galore – on one of the greatest Soul Jazz forays into the Studio One archives in years! All of the tracks on Studio One Jump Up were recorded in the first half of the 60s, and the majority in the first couple years of the decade – and it's a wonderful blend of American rhythm & blues-influenced, though distinctly Jamaican music – it really is the birth of reggae to come. Incredible early recordings by soon-to-be Jamaican musical lynchpins including the Skatalites, formative work by Derrick Harriott, Bob Marley, Derrick Morgan, Lord Creator and more! Includes "Mr. Landlord" by Basil Gabbidon, "Wigger We Shuffle" by Derrick Morgan, "Wicked And Dreadful" by Neville Esson, "Rhythm Of The Blues" by Lord Creator, "Hip Rub" by The Jivin Juniors, "Walk All Over" by Owen Gray", "Heaven And Earth" by Don Drummond & Roland Alphonso, "Go Jimmy Go" by a very young Bob Marley & The Wailers, "The Slider" by Clue J And The Blues Blasters and more. 20 tracks in all. CD

An interesting early side by Cannonball that captures him before he'd really found his voice – and when the folks at Mercury still didn't really know what to do with him. The record's a tightly arranged set of tracks from Duke Ellington's musical "Jump For Joy" – with arrangements by Bill Russo, and small group playing that includes Emmett Berry, Bill Evans, Barry Gabraith, Jimmy Cobb, and a small string section. The sound's actually quite haunting – and Cannon's alto solos remind us more of some of the best "with strings" soloing heard on Verve in the early 50s than they do his later soul jazz classics on Riverside or Capitol. That's ok with us, though – because the session's still got a lot to offer in that respect, and Cannonball handles the solos wonderfully! Titles include "Bli Blip", "Just Squeeze Me", "Nothin", and "The Tune Of The Hickory Stick". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this strong Swedish trio – Per Henrik Wallin on piano, Torbjorn Hultcrantz on bass, and Erik Dahlback on drums – playing a set of all original tunes by Wallin! LP, Vinyl record album

Band features Lester Young, Benny Morton, Buck Clayton, Freddie Green, and vocals by Jimmy Rushing and Helen Humes. CD

A classic collection of material from Count Basie – with some sides from 1942, a few from 1946, and a few great ones from the revival years at the start of the 50s! We love these last ones the best – and titles include classic readings of "Little Pony", "Beaver Junction", "I'm Confessin", and "One O'Clock Jump". 40s material includes "Mutton Leg", "Stay Cool", "Ay Now", and "Ride On". LP, Vinyl record album

Joao Mortagua on alto and sorpano sax, Carlos Azevedo on piano. CD

A very hip batch of 60s soul jazz numbers – played with a hard, full swing by the combo of LA bassist Clarence Daniels – and featuring vocals on a few of the best tracks! Daniels' group has a sound that's full, but never too much so – a great mix of rootsier soul jazz modes and more sophisticated arrangements – with a depth that almost reminds us of Oliver Nelson at times – but also with a sound that draws on the earlier jump blues sound of the postwar LA scene, reforged a bit for the 60s! This fantastic collection mixes Clarence's one full album with some rare singles and a number of unissued tracks too – and about half the set is instrumental, with saxes from Curtis Peagler – and singers on the other tracks include Obie Jessie, Sandy Miller, and Clarence Daniels himself. Titles include "Hard Working Girl", "Daddy's Got A Shotgun", "I Got To Get Ready", "Instrumental #3", "You Dig It", "Hello California", "Do The Deal", "I'll Drive My Blues Away", "Street Girl", "What Can A Poor Boy Do", "Baby I'm Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Pastel". CD

9 tracks by drummer Panama Francis with additional tracks by Danny Turner, Eddie Woodland, and Count "Red" Hastings. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from the great Byron Lee – working here in a mix of calypso and rocksteady modes! Titles include "Riverbank Jump Up", "Benwood Dick", "El Negrito", "The Road March", "Jamaica Jump Up", "Happy Wanderer", "Elaine, Harry & Mama", "Second Hand Piano", "St Thomas", "Village Ram", "Laziest Man" and "Surprise Merengue". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

26 blues-drenched numbers from the great Chuck Willis – allr ecorded for Okeh Records before he moved to Atlantic – and including some unissued tracks too! CD

Artists include King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Erskine Hawkins, Eddie Durham and more. CD

A never-issued live date by two incredible tenor giants – the legendary team of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis, working here with the same intensity as their famous albums of the early 60s! As with those dates, the duo really take off when recorded in a spontaneous performance setting – which is the case here, on two shows captured at Seattle's Penthouse night club, but with a vibe that's very much like the fire that the pair would set on their famous shows back in New York! The rhythm trio is rock-solid too – Horace Parlan on piano, Buddy Catlett on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – players who are both able to move with strong boppish energy, but also hit all the right modern moments that both musicians invoke – as Griff and Lockjaw match tenor solos with brilliant energy, on titles that include "How Am I To Know", "Second Balcony Jump", "Bahia", "Blue Lou", "Ow", "Blues Up & Down", and "Tickle Toe". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice change in sound for Debbie Harry – thanks to Chic production from Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – who really help the solo singer find a groove that's quite different than her work in Blondie! The style's a mixture of the funky club that Chic did so well, with elements that lean a bit more towards an early 80s rockish dancefloor – almost with a vibe that echoes some of the UK imports trickling over to these shores at the time, but with a definite New York vibe underneath! The setting gives Harry's vocals a great way to hit a more playful nature – that sound that was creeping in a bit in Blondie, but which some folks thought was wrong for the group – and Chris Stein is still on hand to bring in some street-sensitive riffing guitar. Titles include "Backfired", "Military Rap", "Oasis", "Surrender", "Chrome", "Jump Jump", and "The Jam Was Moving". LP, Vinyl record album

With 43 tracks including "Big Mama Jump", "LA Blues", "Katie May", "Thinkin & Worryin", "Sugar On My Mind", "Moon Rise Blues", "Howling Wolf", and "See See Rider". CD

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by the great Ivory Joe Hunter – the singer who'd later pioneer the field of soul country on the MGM and Atlantic labels, but who's heard here in a set of great early recordings for King Records! The work here is less country-tinged than some of Hunter's later material – with some excellent jump blues modes and plenty of R&B backings – jazz instrumentation on most numbers, sounding great next to Joe's work on piano and his warmly raspy vocals! The whole thing is a real revelation if you only know his later material – and all tracks here are taken from the original acetates, used before King switched to tape – with very detailed notes, and a set list of 26 tracks that includes "The Code Song", "All States Boogie", "That's The Girl For Me", "Blues At Sunrise", "Siesta With Sonny", "Lying Woman", "Stop Rockin That Train", "Guess Who", "I Got Your Water On", and "Send Me Pretty Mama". CD

An overlooked gem from the hipper side of the hip hop spectrum in the 90s – a record that's very much cut from the same cloth as the best work by Tribe Called Quest – and which has a similar balance of no-nonsense beats and jazzy elements! That quality is maybe best summed up in the track "What Is It Jazz Or Hip Hop" – a tune that might well stand for the whole album's title too – as Innersoul picks up from that Low End Theory style in a really great way, while spinning some mighty deft rhymes that set his own pace as well. Titles include "Rooftop", "Jump On It", "All The Way To Music", "It's The Right Time", "How Ya Gonna Do It", "Young & Ready", "Different Kind Of Brother", and "What Is It Jazz Or Hip Hop". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Little Willie Jackson first started out in the famous R&B combo of the great Joe Liggins – and then he soon broke out on his own, cutting some fantastic material for the Modern Records label on the west coast – a good bit of which was never issued at the time! This smoking set corrects that matter, by bringing together two dozen gems recorded by Jackson – material that's got that perfect Los Angeles Central Ave mix of contemporary jazz, bluesy currents, and early R&B modes! Willie switches horns throughout the set – and the collection features 24 tracks, all recorded in 1947 – with titles that include "Let's Jump", "Jackson's Boogie", "Watts Local", "Shasta", "Baby", "58th Street Jump", "Someday Somehow Somewhere", and "FST". CD

The second collaboration between the Jacksons and the Gamble & Huff production team for Philly International – and a nice little sleeper that we like more and more over the years! Like the preceding album from the team, the pairing's a great one – and the Jacksons' pop soul harmonies match up very nicely with the full, rich sound of the Philly groove! Titles include "Music's Takin' Over", "Goin' Places", "Different Kind Of Lady", "Even Though You're Gone", "Jump For Joy", "Heaven Knows I Love You, Girl", "Man Of War", "Do What You Wanna", and "Find Me A Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few funky late Chess gems for Etta James – recorded during the period when the company was owned by the All Platinum family of labels in New Jersey – with incredible vocals by Etta! Most of the record was cut in NJ, and features Etta's bluesy style meeting some nice funky arrangements by Mike Terry – plus a couple of tracks cut in Hollywood that fit right in stylistically. One of those is the strong opener "Woman (Shake Your Booty)" – with production credited to Etta – and other tracks include "Groove Me", "A Love Vibration","Only A Fool", "Jump Into Love", "Ain't No Pity In the Naked City" and a great version of Randy Newman's "Leave Your Hat On". This first ever CD version from Kent UK has 10 bonus tracks – featuring even more overlooked Chess recordings from the early-to-mid 70s – including a cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "Down So Low", "Feeling Uneasy", Power Play", "Let's Burn Down The Cornfield", "Lovin' Arms" and more. CD

Hard and heavy classics from one of the greatest brother/sister teams in 50s R&B – and in fact, perhaps the only brother/sister team in the genre! Pianist Buddy Johnson had strong crossover appeal back in the mid 50s – and although his group was an R&B combo with a strong jump blues sensibility, when sister Ella joined the mix they also had a focused, soulful sound that also caught the attention of a straighter swing crowd. There's almost equal parts jazz and R&B going on in some of these tunes – as Buddy's group was incredibly tight, warmly swinging, and never as prone to the tricks or pyrotechnics of some of their contemporaries – content mostly just to focus on the melody of the tune, and come up with the best possible setting for the singer. This 28 track set is the first great collection we've seen of Buddy's work for Mercury – and although most of the numbers feature vocals by Ella, a few others feature singers Ricky Harper or Buddy Johnson. Titles include "Mush Mouth", "That's How I Feel About You", "Hittin On Me", "Any Day Now", "Crazy Bout A Saxophone", "Well Do It", "A Pretty Girl", "Jit Jit", "Thinking It Over", "Someday", "Gone Walkin", "So Good", "It's Obdacious", "Doot Doot Dow", "It's About To Break My Heart In Two", and "Shut Your Big Mouth Girl". CD

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Mark De Clive-Lowe on "Jump Higher". CD

Includes the songs "Cement Mixer", "Just Once Too Often", "Jay Gee", "Sit Back And Ree-lax", "The "Jimmies"", "I Need A Lift", "Them Who Has Gets", "Margie", "Four Or Five Times", "Shut-Out", "Call The Police", "Water Faucet", and "One O'Clock Jump". CD

Main Flow and Planet Asia roll with a nice late 90s Rawkus kinda vibe on "Loving The Game", an ode to hip hop artistry. 7L & Esoteric take jump on for "Street Pay", and DJ Hi Tek cuts it up in "Dice Roll". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tasty set from Mandrill – one of their first records away from the Polydor label, but every bit as great as later efforts for that company, especially Mandrilland. The overall sound is a bit smoother than some of their full-out funky albums – but in a way that really helps blend together the band's unique mix of soul, Latin, and Afro-percussion grooves. Titles include "Stop & Go", "Yucca Jump", "Wind On Horseback", "Tee Vee", and "Peck Ya Neck". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent west coast doo wop from Marvin & Johnny – a duo who sometimes featured Jesse Belvin as the "John", but who here includes singer Emory Perry next to Marvin Phillips – a great pairing of voices that was equally well-suited to sweet harmony material and rawer jump-styled grooves! The work on this set is their best – and includes a big number of rare singles for the Modern label, including key early 50s tracks that really helped the west coast scene rival some of the better-known vocal group work back east! As always with Ace, the presentation is fantastic – notes and great sound, and a set list that includes their classic double-entendre hit "Cherry Pie", plus "Oh Me Oh My", "Sweet Dreams", "Butter Ball", "Vip Vop", "Honey Girl", "Kiss Me", "Forever", "Sweet Potato", "I Wanna", "Will You Love Me", and "Baby Won't You Marry Me" – plus some solo Marvin Phillips tracks too. CD

Includes the songs "Work Song", "Jump Monk", "Serenade In Blue", "Septemberly", "All The Things You C Sharp", "These Foolish Things", "Story Of Love", "Swedish Pastry", "Extrasensory Perception", "Groovin' High", "Embraceable You", "Dance Of The Infidels", "Nature Boy", "Alone Together", "Easy Living", "A Foggy Day", "Haitian Fight Song", "Lady Bird", "Love Chant", and "I'll Remember April". CD

Seminal early work from Charles Mingus – a session that really shows him beginning to work in tightly arranged, deeply resonant styles – pushing much more deeply towards the brilliance of the late 50s! The set's recorded with a great lineup that includes Mal Waldron, Max Roach, and the enigmatic George Barrow on tenor – and includes a fantastic reading of "Percussion Discussion", played here by Roach and Mingus as a drum and bass duet (as opposed to Roach solo, as on a later version.) Also features the brilliant "All The Things You C-Sharp", a pivotal track in the Mingus book, and one of our favorites ever by him – plus "Septemberly", "Work Song", and "Jump Monk". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Randy Brecker on trumpet, Frank Lacy on trombone, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Craig Handy and Chris Potter on tenor sax, Kenny Drew on piano, and others. Includes the songs "Gunslinging Bird", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird", "O.P. (Oscar Pettiford)", "Please Don't Come Back From The Moon (Pinky)", "Fables Of Faubus", "Jump Monk", "Noon Night/Celia Medley", "Hog Callin' Blues", and "Started Melody". CD

Beautiful solo work from pianist Sal Mosca – an under-acknowledged genius for mixing modern and lyrical modes! The set was recorded in Sal's own studio in the late 70s – you can't get more intimate than that – but there's a freely expressive quality that's really amazing, and which marks the record as one of the best Mosca albums from later years – hardly an at-home set that Sal did for himself! Plus, there's loads of original work on the set – the kinds of compositions that really mark Mosca as a hell of a writer – and which, along with his playing here, makes the album incredibly well worth seeking out. Titles include "For Myself", "The Jewel", "Tumbles", "For LT", "The Gift", and "For Joy Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Nilsson's best ever albums – with a more streamlined overall sound than some of his wildly eclectic earlier LPs – really putting a tight focus on both his vocal and songwriting genius! There's an easygoing charm to the album that's pretty much unrivaled in his catalog (and highlighted by the early morning cover photo) – backed by guitars, keys, and in some spots horns – with loads delicate moments and oddball humor. Pure greatness! Titles include "Gotta Get Up", "Driving Along", "Early In The Morning", "The Moonbeam Song", "Down", "Without You", "Coconut", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Jump Into The Fire" and "I'll Never Leave You". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the title fool you, because "relaxation" doesn't mean "sleepy" – and Marty Paich's at his early swinging best on the set! The album's a trio with Paich in the lead on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Larry Bunker on either vibes or drums – really stepping out strongly in a mode that's rhythmic and swinging on most of the numbers, hardly the stuff of "relaxation" – and already showing that great capacity for syncopated arrangements that made Paich's later work as an arranger of larger groups so great. There's a pulsating flow to the whole thing – and Paich contributes 2 great originals, "Theme From Lighthouse" and "Dool's Blues" – and cuts it up nicely on more familiar numbers that include "What's New", "The Lamp Is Low", "Jump For Me", and "I'll Remember April". CD

The album's no breakout for the Pointer Sisters, as the trio were already at the top of the charts when the set was released – but the whole thing does find a great way to keep the grooves coming in the group's lasting relationship with producer Richard Perry! There's plenty of 80s elements here – basslines, beats, and keyboards – moving the group way past some of the club and pop modes of the 70s – and keeping them perfectly poised for long-term crossover fame for years to come! Case in point is the album's long-running hit "Jump (For My Love)", nestled alongside other cuts that include "Automatic", "I'm So Excited", "I Need You", "Neutron Dance", "Easy Persuasion", "Baby Come And Get It", "Telegraph Your Love", and "Operator". LP, Vinyl record album

Strictly Bud Powell, in the best sense of the word – as the album's a sharp batch of trio tracks recorded for RCA in the 50s, and a great showcase for Bud's firey talents on the piano! The rhythm combo features bold work on drums from Art Taylor, alongside the bass of George Duvivier – but Powell's definitely the leading light here, as the album features some of his tremendously deft work on the keys throughout. There's a nice tension to the material – played with a strength that matches most of Bud's other work from the time – but a bit different than some of his other recordings for Verve and Blue Note. The set features 11 tracks in all – and titles include "Time Was", "Jump City", "Elegy", "Coscrane", and "Topsy Turvy". CD

Strictly Bud Powell, in the best sense of the word – as the album's a sharp batch of trio tracks recorded for RCA in the 50s, and a great showcase for Bud's firey talents on the piano! The rhythm combo features bold work on drums from Art Taylor, alongside the bass of George Duvivier – but Powell's definitely the leading light here, as the album features some of his tremendously deft work on the keys throughout. There's a nice tension to the material – played with a strength that matches most of Bud's other work from the time – but a bit different than some of his other recordings for Verve and Blue Note. The set features 11 tracks in all – and titles include "Time Was", "Jump City", "Elegy", "Coscrane", and "Topsy Turvy". One of the few Bud Powell sessions cut for RCA, but a brilliantly swinging date that has the pianist working at the height of his powers! There's an edge here that comes through right from the start – an off kilter vibe in both Bud's tone, and even in the way he's vocalizing joyously in the background at a few spots – not singing, but exclaiming – at a level that really helps you feel how much he owns the piano while he's performing! Dark pockets and sharp angles pervade – while still swinging right down the middle – balanced off perfectly with work from Art Taylor on drums and George Duvivier on bass. Tremendous all the way through – and different than Bud's work for Verve and Blue Note – in a really compelling way. Titles include "Another Dozen", "Like Someone In Love", "She", "Oblivion", "Swedish Pastry", and "Birdland Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Todd Rhodes was a key bandleader on the Detroit scene of the postwar years – and although he started in jazz, he was right there at the moment when R&B and jump blues styles were really starting to pop – all captured wonderfully here by the groundbreaking Sensation Records label! The tracks are a mix of instrumental and vocal numbers – the later with singers who include Louie Sanders and Kitty Stevenson – and the former with some exceptional saxophone and trumpet solos. The package features 28 tracks in all – including some that were never issued at the time – titles that include "Flying Disc", "It Ain't Right", "Sportree's Jump", "Todd's Idea", "That's The Guy For Me", "Make It Good", "Fool For You", and "Blues For The Red Boy". CD