Mad funky soul from King Hannibal – a down and dirty singer from the Atlanta scene of the 70s! The notes on the back say "He's black, he's proud, he's arrogant – the combination is powerful" – and we've gotta say that we agree with that assessment, because King really grabs his groove from the very first note on the set! Backings are hard and funky – lots of fuzzy guitar work from Herman Hitson and Lee Moses – and the tunes come across with a gritty mode that sometimes rolls into mellower southern soul styles, but still never lose their edge. Bits of politics creep into the lyrics nicely, but never get in the way of the groove – and tracks include a long version of Hannibal's classic "Hymn No 5", plus "Party Life", "I Got That Will", "The Truth Shall Make You Free", "Wake Up", "Black Girl", and "It's What You Do". CD

The funky third volume of the Living In The Streets series – and easily the best in this great series – a really hard and heavy batch of rare funk tunes that pushes past the cliches of the title to come up with an all-solid batch of tracks that's sure to please any fan of deep funk. Loads of great little groovers from a range of different labels – organ jazz meets heavy soul vocals meets dancing bassline funk, hard drums, heavy riffing, and beyond – all wrapped up together with a sound that never lets up. Tracks include "Mary Jane" by Bobby Rush, "Bustin Outta The Ghetto" by Carlos Malcolm, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation, "Dance Girl" by The Mighty Tom Cats, "Peace Love Not War" by Johnny King with The Fatback Band, "The Truth Shall Make You Free" by King Hannibal, "I'm Wishin" by Lorez Alexandria, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, "Viva" by Jade, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Starvin" by Winfield Parker, and "He Called Me Baby" by Spanky Wilson. CD

A stunning array of rare soul from the Atlanta scene of the 70s – almost all of which appears here for the first time ever! The tracks were recorded for the great but short-lived family of labels that included GRC, Aware, and Hotlanta – but were never issued in the label back in the day, in part because of its need to close down quickly – no reflection at all on the quality of music, as the cuts here are superb throughout! Many of the numbers have that unique blend of Chicago talents and Atlanta roots that made the labels' recordings so unique – especially on this set, which is very heavy on mellower deep soul numbers that really transform the southern modes of years before, and push them into territory that's much more like laidback mellow soul from the east coast scene! The package has very detailed notes on all the cuts, and speculations on the cuts and their recording and release histories too – in a smoking set list that features 24 titles that include "Paper Man" by Alpaca Phase III, "Con Me" by Miss Louistine, "Love Making" by Jean Battle, "Keep On Walking" by The Steppers, "Is There Someone Else" by Deep Velvet, "When Will I Stop Loving You" by Lorraine Johnson, "Fight Fire With Fire" by King Hannibal, "I Need Me Some More Of You" by Dee Ervin, "My Peaceful Forest" by Dee Clark, "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson, "Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit" by Joe Graham, "Talk's Cheap" by The Surprise Sisters, and "Sure Could Do With Some You" by Shirlean Fant. CD

The Vietnam war was tough on most folks in the US – but it's no secret that it was especially tough on black Americans – who were often given little choice and little chance to get out of the callup to the military action – which left a huge impression on their community for years to come! This package documents the affect of Vietnam in soul music – in ways that are both direct and more subtle, as the package blends together a number of tracks that you likely don't know at all, and others that you might have missed as being critical of the war – as there's more subtle messaging going on, a lesson that was learned during the Civil Rights era, when a mellower lyric might get more mainstream circulation – as a call to action that a change was going to come. The quality of cuts here is wonderful – as well-selected as some of the Ace/Kent collections of rare soul music on small labels – and there's definitely a few here that we're hearing for the first time, alongside other numbers that really sound great in the setting. Titles include "Fighting For My Baby" by Donald Jenkins, "Lonely Soldier" by William Bell, "Letter To A Buddie" by Joe Medwick, "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" by Marvin Gaye, "My Ship Is Coming In Tomorrow" by The Pace Setters, "Johnny" by King Hannibal, "Going On Strike" by The Emotions, "Uncle Sam" by Jimmy Hughes, "My Soldier Boy Is Coming Home" by The Shirelles, "Glad To Be Home" by Charles Smith & Jeff Cooper, "The War Is Over My Brother" by The Sensational Saints, "Home To Stay" by RB Greaves, "Stop The War" by The Impressions, "Wish You Were Here With Me" by The Fawns, "VC Blues" by Allen Orange, "Promise That You'll Wait" by Michael Lizzmore, "Men Are Getting Scarce" by Chairmen Of The Board, and "Leave Him Alone" by Stu Gardner. CD

The record where it all really came together for Fairport Convention – the point at which the already-great group really stepped forward to become something totally unique! By this point all the key elements are firmly in place – sublime vocals from the great Sandy Denny, amazing guitar and songwriting from the young Richard Thompson, and an overall approach to the music that was way more than folk – in the way the elements are layered together carefully, and build in these hypnotic lines that are completely amazing – almost modal in conception, but much more subtle – and the quality that really makes their work so unique. Titles include "Genesis Hall", "Autopsy", "Cajun Woman", "Percy's Song", "Million Dollar Bash", and "Who Knows Where The Time Goes". CD

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". CD

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s album by McCoy Tyner, but easily one of his most soulful sessions ever – thanks to help from Phyllis Hyman and a host of great guest stars! The sound's a bit more tightly arranged than some of Tyner's 70s sessions, but there's still plenty of fire here too – a bit of a Latin inspiration in the rhythms, really giving new focus to McCoy's post-Coltrane sense of searching spirituality! Hyman sings wonderfully on the album's classic "Love Surrounds Us Everywhere", a brilliant blend of jazz and soul that recalls mid 70s Norman Connors – and on the beautiful ballad "I'll Be Around". Other players here include Gary Bartz, Stanley Clarke, and Carlos Santana – who comes off surprisingly nicely in this setting. Tracks include "Love Surrounds Us Everywhere", "Hannibal", "I'll Be Around", "Senor Carlos", "In Search Of My Heart", and "Island Birdie". LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Roy Haynes works here with an ensemble that's definitely as hip as the title promises – a really righteous group that makes the album one of Roy's most spiritual records ever! Haynes was always a drummer who was really a cut above, even back at the start – but here, he really steps out strongly with a new musical vision for the 70s – working with a lineup that includes George Adams on tenor and flute and Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet – but players who give the music a really bold feel, right from the start! The rest of the lineup is wonderful, too – as Carl Schroeder plays Fender Rhodes with this flowing vibe that's plenty soulful – alongside bass from Terud Nakamura and Mervin Bronson, conga from Lawrence Kilian, bongo from Elwood Johnson, and more drums from Haynes himself. Titles include a sublime reading of Stanley Cowell's "Equipoise" – plus "Tangiers", "You Name It", and "Satan's Mysterious Feeling". CD

A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! CD

A pretty great 70s album from Gil Evans – a set that's got some great use of electric instrumentation, and a mighty groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is different than the early modernist sound of Gil Evans, but still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen – as the lineup includes Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Billy Harper on tenor, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move". CD

Drummer Roy Haynes works here with an ensemble that's definitely as hip as the title promises – a really righteous group that makes the album one of Roy's most spiritual records ever! Haynes was always a drummer who was really a cut above, even back at the start – but here, he really steps out strongly with a new musical vision for the 70s – working with a lineup that includes George Adams on tenor and flute and Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet – but players who give the music a really bold feel, right from the start! The rest of the lineup is wonderful, too – as Carl Schroeder plays Fender Rhodes with this flowing vibe that's plenty soulful – alongside bass from Terud Nakamura and Mervin Bronson, conga from Lawrence Kilian, bongo from Elwood Johnson, and more drums from Haynes himself. Titles include a sublime reading of Stanley Cowell's "Equipoise" – plus "Tangiers", "You Name It", and "Satan's Mysterious Feeling". CD

Prime post-Coltrane material from Elvin Jones – featuring his "power trio" style of operation, with one great sax player out front, and Jones kicking it in the back with the bass player! In this case, the sax player is George Coleman – who's really finding a voice of his own in these late 60s years, and really makes the most of the extended space of the album to stretch out, soar, and show off his ever-growing talent for a powerful solo! Wilbur Little is on bass, playing nice round warm notes to offset Jones' edgey playing – and the group's joined by trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson on one track – who brings in a soulful edge that's mighty nice. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Laura", "Mister Jones", and "By George". CD

Not the orchestral session you might guess from the group's name, but a really righteous batch of work from Hannibal Marvin Peterson – one that really blows away most of his American and European recordings of the 70s! The set's got a really spiritual feel – definitely soaking in the Light promised in its title, with a quality that has the music building up as the album goes on – starting with dawn-like energy, which then really burns in the full light of the sun – and continues to blossom strongly over the course of the tremendous album. Other players include Michael Cochrane on piano, Deidre Murray on cello, Cecil McBee on bass, and David Lee on drums and percussion – and other tracks feature a bit of additional percussion, a touch of voice from Marcella Allen, and bass clarinet from Frank Wright. Titles include "To Find The Path", "From Blindness Traveling", "For Strength & Wisdom Enough", and "To Search The Inner World". CD

A brilliant pairing of piano talents – and a record that also features some incredible horn work from Billy Harper and Hannibal Marvin Peterson too! Masabumi Kikuchi plays electric piano throughout – working with a large Evans-led ensemble that also includes Harper on tenor and flute, and Peterson on trumpet and flugelhorn – not to mention some surprising sounds on ring modulator from Evans himself! The arrangements are quite bold – like the best of Gil's work of the time – and really do a great job of mixing electric and acoustic elements in a really fresh way – quite different from any other big band styles of the time, and with all the modernism you'd expect from Evans' music. Titles include "Priestess", "Ictus", "Cry Of Hunger", "Eleven", "Drizzling Rain", and "Thoroughbred". CD

The fourth album from The Incredible String Band and by far their most sprawling to date – the double album Wee Tam & The Big Huge – which was originally split into separate LPs for the US release, but best served as a whole! Multi-instrumentalists Mike Heron & Robin Williamson began using studio multi-tracking to incredible effect on their previous LP, and continue on that path here, though accompanied by frequent collaborator Licorice (who earlier sang with the group, but contributes Irish harp & percussion here) plus violin and percussion by Rose – and the album as in turns their most ambitious and also quite intimate, particularly on the first half. 18 tracks on 2CDs: "Job's Tears", "Puppies", "The Yellow Snake", "The Half-Remarkable Question", "Air", "Ducks On A Pond", ", "Maya", "Lordly Nightshade", "The Mountain Of God", "The Circle Is Unbroken" and more. CD

The incredible debut of Phil Ochs – easily one of the most powerful folk albums of the 60s, and a set that wears its politics on its sleeve like few other records! In an era when many folkies worked a social agenda with sly jokes and twee metaphors, Ochs went straight for the jugular and took his topics head on – singing directly about the topics with a voice nearly shaking in anger, and working here with jagged guitar accompaniment that only further underscores the mood of the tunes. There's a rawness here that beats even Dylan's most political moments from the early albums, and the simple brilliance of the set makes it as powerful today as it was upon its release over 40 years ago. Titles include "Talking Vietnam", "One More Parade", "Automation Song", "Talking Cuban Crisis", "What's That I Hear", "Bound For Glory", "The Bells", and "Ballad Of William Worthy". CD

One of the funkiest box sets we've ever seen – and amazingly issued by an American major label! The package is a treasure trove of funky work from a decade of Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and related labels – tunes pulled both from mainstream releases and much more obscure 45s! This one goes way past some of the silly "decade" sets from Rhino, and really displays a new level of cool and connoisseurship – one that finally appreciates the rich depths of funky work at their fingertips, most of which has not been properly reissued in the US! Tracks include "Gangster Of Love (part 1)/Gangster Of Love (part 2)" by "Get In The Groove/Somebody's In The World For You" by Mighty Hannibal, "Tampin/Oleancler" by Rhine Oaks, "It's Your Thing/Bring It Home To Me" by Cold Grits, "Stanga/Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Gossip/Tell Me What's On Your Mind" by Cyril Neville, "Engine #9/International Playboy" by Wilson Pickett, "Funky Nassau (part 1)/Funky Nassau (part 2)" by Beginning Of The End, "Mockingbird Sally/Nuki Suki" by Little Richard, "Funky To The Bone/I Want To Dance, Dance Dance" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters", "California Dreamin' (vocal)/California Dreamin' (instrumental)" by Eddie Hazel and more! CD

One of the highest points in the solo career of Sandy Denny – a set that has her working with a hip array of British musical contemporaries, but also getting some sublime larger orchestrations from Harry Robinson and Bob Leaper too! The mix of folksy elements and higher ideals is wonderful – very much in that transformative style that Island Records was bringing to British folk at the start of the 70s – maybe most famously in the work of Nick Drake, but also with Sandy Denny at her best! Titles include "Like An Old Fashioned Waltz", "Whispering Grass", "Friends", "Dark The Night", "Solo", "No End", and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along". CD

Gil Evans never stopped growing as the years went on – a leader who was always open to new ideas and new modes of expression – which he reached for strongly, even as his older "modern" contemporaries started to sound out of date! This excellent late 70s session is a key illustration of Evans' continual drive – as he works in modes that equally embrace acoustic and electric elements, but never like a funky big band record, or some of the electrification added to older groups – instead with this richly visionary way that brings all the elements together at a level that's completely sublime! The lineup features Gil on piano, alongside almost equal use of keyboards from Pete Levin – and other players include Arthur Blythe and David Sanborn on alto, George Adams on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson and Ernie Royal on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Keith Loving on guitar – an extremely varied group that comes together beautifully under the leadership of Evans. Side one features a brilliant reworking of the Billy Harper tune "Priestess", which runs for almost 20 minutes in length – and side two features Charles Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Silk Blue" – plus "Lunar Eclipse" and "Short Visit". LP, Vinyl record album

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more. CD

The title's a bit of a joke – given that in all his many decades of music, Robert Wyatt never really had any hits – although he's continued to have a profound influence on audiences for many many years! Wyatt first started out in Soft Machine, but a freak accident forced him to refigure his physical reality – and he emerged in the 70s as one of the most unique songsmiths of his generation – a poet in both words and sound, working a more personal, compressed version of the early prog sounds that he'd inspired – with a style that was lean enough to survive decades of musical changes – many of which still found Wyatt at the forefront of the underground! This double length set is a great testament to that long musical journey – packaged with cover art done by Robert at age 6 – and packed with gems that include "Solar Flares", "At Last I Am Free", "Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road", "I'm A Believer", "Last Will & Testament", "Heaps Of Sheeps", "Worship", "PLA", "Foreign Accents", "Mister E", "Alien", and "Shipbuilding" – the last of which was almost a hit when covered by Elvis Costello! CD