Massively solid boogie work from Jeffrey Osborne and LTD – still grooving beautifully at the end of the 70s, and working here with top-shelf production from Bobby Martin! The set's got that buoyant LTD groove that was a perfect foil for Osborne's soaring vocals – a sound that never fell into the cliches of some of Osborne's later solo work, and which was a perfect match between ensemble funk, dancefloor rhythms, and the charisma of a strong lead singer. There's a few smoother ballads on the set that point the way towards later years, but the bulk of the set is very much in the group's best boogie mode – and titles include "You Gave Me Love", "Lovers Everywhere", "Don'tcha Know", "Shine On", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Getaway" and "Lady Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Jeffrey Osborne's really emerging strongly here in the mellow soul mode – especially on the album's two great ballad cuts, "Concentrate On You" and "We Both Deserve Each Other", both of which are smooth mellow steppers with a modern soul approach that's slightly less overblown than Osborne's 80s work. Bobby Martin produced, and tracks include "Holding On", "Jam", "Don't Stop Loving Me Now", and "Let's All Live & Give Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Les McCann captured live on piano and vocals. Tracks include "The Girl From Ipanema", "Beau J Poo Boo", "Gus Gus", and a nice version of Marv Jenkins' "Big City". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "We Party Hearty", "Love Ballad", "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again", "Never Get Enough Of Your Love", "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)", "We Both Deserve Each Other's Love", "Danc 'N' Sing 'N'", "Stranger", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Shine On", "Kickin' Back", and "April Love". CD

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". CD features 3 bonus cuts – "A Little Les Of Lou's Blues", "Blues Is A Woman", and an alternate take of "Stormy Monday". CD

Sublime spiritual jazz from the 70s scene in Detroit – and a record that really represents an evolution of the previous sounds that you might have heard on the Motorcity's Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful – a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top – plus some key vocals from a group that includes Kim Weston in the lead, supported by other female singers – in a righteous mode that really makes the best tunes sparkle! Other players include Phil Ranelin on trombone, Nasi Hafiz on vibes, Miller Brisker on tenor and piano, and Sylvia Truner on harp – all working together in a largeish group with the best spiritual energy of groups on Strata East! The whole thing's great – a beautiful lost treasure, and the kind of record that's rarely carried off so perfectly – and titles include "Song For M", "A Little Love For You", "Mark I", "Ja-Mil", "Nobody Had To Tell Me", "Arjuna", and "Now You're Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

One of LTD's biggest from the 70s – a sweet mix of mellow soul and boogie, handled to perfection by the talents of Bobby Martin! Jeffrey Osborne's vocals are really running strong at this point – well-suited to both funk and ballads, with none of the cliches that started creeping into his solo work in later years. Titles include "Stranger", "Share My Love", "Say That You'll Be Mine", "One On One", and "Dance N Sing N". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of baroque soul by the Checkmates Ltd – and one of the most unusual Phil Spector productions of all time! Sonny Charles and The Checkmates were a soul group that had been knocking around for a few years before the set – singing in a strong blend of rocking styles that made them a crowd-pleaser on the live circuit of the 60s. But for this set, the group really took things to a whole new level – working with Spector in the studio to craft a complicated set of tunes that really takes them way way past their roots. Side one features some shorter, straighter soul tunes – including "Love Is All I Have To Give", "Spanish Harlem, "I Keep Forgettin", and "Black Pearl" – but side two is really wonderful – and has the group performing the "Hair Anthology Suite" – based around tracks from the Galt MacDermot score to the musical Hair – all filtered through the genius talents of Spector. Thanks should also be given to arrangers Dee Barton and Perry Botkin Jr, whose baroque arrangements further help to make the album a gem! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set of groovers from LTD – both of them nice boogie numbers! We're partial to "Back In Love Again" – one of the group's best cuts in our book, a tight little groover with a great little hook! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best albums ever by LTD – featuring some wonderful early vocals by Jeffery Osborne, and stellar production by the team of Larry and Fonce Mizell! The Mizell Brothers sound a lot different here than they do on their Blue Note work – more deeply soulful, with a sound that's perfect for the mellow jams and boogie-inspired grooves of LTD. The album really holds together wonderfully as a whole – bridging gaps between a number of different soul styles of the time, and overflowing with great tracks like "Let The Music Keep Playing", "Time For Pleasure", "Love To The World", "The Word", "Love Ballad", and "Get Your It Together". CD

A great little groover from LTD – and a set that's got everything coming together perfectly in the mix! The set features arrangements from Philly Soul maestro Bobby Martin – who brings together this wonderful blend of styles – funk, smoother soul elements, and the kind of upbeat, clubby grooves that really worked well for the group – but at a level that also really set them apart from most of the disco generation. Jeffrey Osborne's vocals really shine on this one, too – and the record includes the cuts "Back In Love Again", "Stay With Me", "We Party Hearty", "Material Things", and "Age Of The Showdown". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments ever from the mighty John Lydon – a record that maybe blows away all other albums by Public Image – and which also stands strongly next to the work of the Sex Pistols, but in a very different way! Lydon is quite far from punk rock roots here – and instead works in this bassy, dubby, trippy blend that's served up strongly by the bass work of Jah Wobble – very influenced by Jamaican music, but playing in a style that's got a very different vibe – and quite different from more familiar late 70s attempts to mix punk and reggae. Instead, Wobble and Lydon use the mode as this dark wash of sound – sparkling with weird guitar sounds from Keith Levine, and layered with these haunting lyrics on madness and paranoia – much more dark poetry than anything Lydon ever gave us. The track "Poptones" is worth the price of the record alone – and other tiles include "Swan Lake", "No Birds", "Chant", "No Radio", "Albatross", "Careering", and "Memories". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A quartet session that has Les playing with Leroy Vinnegar on bass, Ron Jefferson on drums, and Joe Pass on guitar. Pass' guitar opens the group up nicely – expanding Les a bit past some of the gospel drenched work of earlier yesr. Tracks include "Maichen", "Bernie's Tune", "So What", "On Time", and "Fondue". LP, Vinyl record album

The title track was most likely meant to be something of a hit for Les McCann back in his early Pacific Jazz years – and while it maybe didn't hit the heights of the charts at the time, it's still a great little cooker that leads off a tasty little set! The group here is Les' "Ltd" combo – with Ron Jefferson on drums and Herbie Lewis on bass – almost a west coast answer to the classic Ramsey Lewis group in Chicago, although one that plays here with a slightly more laidback sort of groove. Jefferson's rhythm is always a treat, and Herbie's bass is nice and sharp too – and tracks include some good originals by Les, including "The Shampoo", "Smile Stacey", "Someone Stole My Chitlins", "Filet Of Soul", and "You Thought I Knew" – plus versions of "Out Of This World" and "Woody N You". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Rene Thomas always manages to make some really wonderful records – yet this extra-special set may well be one of his best – a marvelous pairing with the legendary guitarist Rene Thomas – a player who was definitely set free in new ways during the 70s, and really changed up his sound from his better-known work of the postwar years! Here, Thomas has a surprising edge on his guitar – one that's balanced nicely by all these great lines from Pelzer on alto, flute, and soprano – in a cool combo that features Rein De Graaf on piano, Jean Linzman on bass guitar, Henk Haverhoek on bass, and the surprising inclusion of Han Bennink on drums! There's a really fresh, creative vibe to the record – like some of the best European indie sides of the time – and titles include "TPL", "Lolita", "Star Eyes", "Jesus Think Of Me", and "Juliette". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Very early work from Waylon Jennings – the kind of material that shows just what a journeyman he was in country music! Long before he was a 70s superstar, filling large venues, Waylon was out there working the small clubs – including JD's in Phoenix, where this small-issue album was originally for sale! The set's not a live record, but certainly captures not just the spirit of the southwest scene at the time – but also the unique mix of modes that helped forge Jennings' unique sound – as bits from different strands of both rock and country are forged together with that already-amazing Waylon vocal style! Titles include a great early take on "Sally Was A Good Old Girl" – plus "Money", "Dream Baby", "It's So Easy", "Lorena", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "White Lightning", "Abilene", and "Don't Think Twice It's All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A huge collection of work from funk and soul legend Jimmy Castor – an artist who cut a big number of incredible records for a variety of different labels – almost all of which are in this set! In truth, Jimmy's got a huge legacy in soul that goes back to early years in vocal groups – but this set picks up with his late 60s Latin soul material, then rolls into his famous funk work for RCA and Atlantic Records in the 70s, and continues with great club tracks from the following decade! There's a massive 45 tracks on the 3CD set – a fitting tribute to Castor's never-ending genius – and titles include "Hey Leroy", "It's Just Begun", "Soul Serenade", "Luther The Anthropoid", "Bertha Butt Boogie", "Troglodyte", "It's Just Begun", "Southern Fried Frijoles", "Daniel", "Tribute To Jimi", "LTD", "Psych", "You Better Be Good", "Hallucinations", "Love Train", "One Precious Word", "The Everything Man", "Dracula (part 1)", "The Return Of Leroy (part 1)", "I Just Wanna Stop", "Party People", "Need Your Lovin", "E Man Par Tay", "Space Age (12" mix)", "Super Love", "Bom Bom", "Supersound", "Don't Do That", "King Kong", and lots more! CD

Later genius from Dexter Gordon – an album recorded upon his return to the US in 1976, and done in a style that breaks the bounds of some of his sessions in Europe! Gordon seems to take new life in the recording – moving past the simple role of main soloist on familiar tunes, and stepping into a much more strongly group-minded leader – one who grooves easily with the piano of George Cables, bass of Rufus Reid, and drums of Eddie Gladden – in a session that's overflowing with soulful invention. Even older tunes take on a new spark of life in these arrangements – and Gordon's phrasing has this "bite" that comes through beautifully, even in the mellower moments. Titles include "Tanya", "I Told You So", "LTD", "Moment's Notice", and "As Time Goes By". Plus, CD features 2 previously unreleased bonus tracks – "Ruby My Dear" and "Secret Love". CD

Later genius from Dexter Gordon – an album recorded upon his return to the US in 1976, and done in a style that breaks the bounds of some of his sessions in Europe! Gordon seems to take new life in the recording – moving past the simple role of main soloist on familiar tunes, and stepping into a much more strongly group-minded leader – one who grooves easily with the piano of George Cables, bass of Rufus Reid, and drums of Eddie Gladden – in a session that's overflowing with soulful invention. Even older tunes take on a new spark of life in these arrangements – and Gordon's phrasing has this "bite" that comes through beautifully, even in the mellower moments. Titles include "Tanya", "I Told You So", "LTD", "Moment's Notice", and "As Time Goes By". Plus, CD features 2 previously unreleased bonus tracks – "Ruby My Dear" and "Secret Love". CD

The only album we've ever seen from pianist Stan Hope – an obscure east coast player who also spent a good portion of his career touring overseas. Hope's working here in a blues-drenched soul jazz piano mode – a bit like the Les McCann LTD albums of the 60s, with a similarly-solid rhythm team of Peck Morrison on bass and Walter Perkins on drums – really helping Stan to round out the grooves! Morrison's bass is recorded with a really warm, round tone that dominates the bottom of the record wonderfully – making for a sweetly swinging groove on most tracks, even in places where you wouldn't expect it! Hope's fluttering all over the keys, but keeping things nicely in the pocket at all times – and titles include "Wave", "Honey", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "All Blues", "Stanley Steamer", and "They All Say You're The Biggest Fool". CD

A record with a staid sort of cover, one that hides all the great funky energy underneath – as the set's a killer album from Japanese drummer Takeshi Inomata, working here with his Sound Ltd group in a wonderful blend of jazz, funk, and psychedelic mode! There's a fantastic swirling of elements going on here – including guitar from a young Ryo Kawasaki, plus trumpet from Shunzo Ohno, flute from Toshiako Yokota, and tenor from Takao Uematsu – as well as trombone from Takashi Imai, who handled the arrangements with Inomata and Norio Maeda. The record is a key evolution of the late 60s Japanese way of serving up new jazz takes on American hits – as the record is funky, yet filled with original material that really pushes the boundaries – on titles that include "It Better End Soon", "Sometimes In Winter", "South California Purples", "Tell All The People", "Tag 5 Tune", and "Pacific C55". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". CD

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with songs titles that maybe read more like the credits of officers of a business – but one with a sound that's wonderfully personal, and which really marks a strong step forward since the first album from Alhaji Waziri Oshomah! The set begins with "Alaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director Alh Y Sado & Son LTD" – a side-long cut that has this sense of flowing beauty that you'd never expect from its name – slowly loping grooves delivered by interwoven guitar and basslines – peppered by these singsong vocal refrains that are completely sublime, and mixed with more great organ work too! The organ returns on "Chief J Aigobkhaode Electrical Contractor" – a tune that has this subtle sense of poetry as it moves in this building groove that takes it past the ten minute mark – skittish guitar gently nudging the organ forward, while beautifully expressive vocals take hold once things get going. And last up is "Ikwekiame Nedumhe" – a tune that has a chunkier approach to the groove at the start, but which soon fits into the same wonderful flow as the entire album – making for a very unified set throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the last recordings we've ever seen from bop legend Bud Powell – a mix of solo and trio material that still shows the pianist bursting with imagination! The origin of the tracks is a bit obscure – they're listed on the original album as "compiled by Experience Group Ltd" – and Powell's also working with an unknown bassist and drummer, so there's not much we can tell you about the details of the recording – but as usual, Bud speaks volumes on the piano, which hardly needs much in the way of words from us! Titles include "A Moment's Notice", "Ups/Downs", "Caravan Riffs", "Round Midnight", and "Jazz Black/White". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the last recordings we've ever seen from bop legend Bud Powell – a mix of solo and trio material that still shows the pianist bursting with imagination! The origin of the tracks is a bit obscure – they're listed on the original album as "compiled by Experience Group Ltd" – and Powell's also working with an unknown bassist and drummer, so there's not much we can tell you about the details of the recording – but as usual, Bud speaks volumes on the piano, which hardly needs much in the way of words from us! Titles include "A Moment's Notice", "Ups/Downs", "Caravan Riffs", "Round Midnight", and "Jazz Black/White". CD

Maybe not the complete roots of African funk, but a set that does a great job of bringing together a range of different cuts that show the new sounds and styles that were really hitting the scene as the 70s moved in – work from a wide variety of sources, but which all seems to share a sound and spirit with some of the newly independent African nations! There's a few African funk cuts in the mix, but the more interesting ones are almost those from the Anglo world that show a similar sense of groove, but with a slightly different vibe – coming across here on cuts that include "Waterbed (inst)" by LTD Exchange, "African Queen" by Allez Allez, "Them Changes" by Lionel Hampton, "Sangandongo" by Niagara, "Wassahoumba" by Africa Djole, "Do The Choo Choo" by Jack Ashford, "Africa Gone Funky" by Screaming Jay Hawkins, "Super Kumba" by Manu Dibango, "Tite Rope" by Harold Alexander, "Fat City Strut" by Mandrill, and "Corey Died On The Battlefield" by Wild Magnolias. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

An essential collection of work from the Japanese scene of the 70s – as set that really gets at the "something special" that made jazz from this generation so unique! Japanese musicians were early adopters of American modes – and the scene had great bop recordings from the 50s onward – but as the 70s approached, old and young musicians really started experimenting with a whole new range of styles – some mixed older Japanese instrumental modes with contemporary jazz, others tried a poetic approach to modal jazz, some were spiritual, and a few even got downright funky – but in ways that were very different than American jazz funk! This set brings together key examples of all those great styles – in a package that features detailed notes from Yusuke Ogawa, the man who's taught us plenty over the years – with titles that include "Mustache (live)" by Takeshi Inomata & Sound Ltd, "Fourth Expression" by Masahiko Togashi, "Do It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Romance" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Tochi Mo Kurumi Mo Fukiotose" by Masahiko Sato, "Breeze" by Soul Media, "Adult's Day" by Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd, "Sakura Sakura" by Tadaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Muraiki" by Minoru Muraoka, "Mago Uta" by Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band, "D51" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, and "Breath Prologue" by Hozan Yamamoto, Masahiko Togashi, and Yosuke Yamashita. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty deep dig into the overlooked soul scene in Virginia – put together by the same folks who gave us the fantastic Raw Soul/Ol Virginia Soul compilations a number of years back! The set focuses on the special studio productions of Lenis Guess – head of LGA Records, and a strong force in the underground scene in Norfolk – a city east of Richmond, and one that had its own great little soul scene for a number of years too! Some of the material here was issued on very small run 7" singles – but a number of others also never saw the light of day back in the 70s, yet are killers that resonate equally well with the singles – raw soul with a nicely gritty vibe, and some slight traces of the more upbeat modes that were hitting VA at the time. Titles include "Keep My Company With You" and "You Don't Believe I Love You" by Deltones Ltd, "Your Love Gave Me Peace Of Mind" by 35th Street Gang, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "How Long Have I Been A Fool" by Jato Vondel, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Jack & The Mods, "No Steps Away" by Lenis Guess & The Royal Robins, "Home Ain't Home" and "Find Yourself Another Baby" by The Symbolics, and "Sentimental Love (inst)" by Little Wink & Eddie's 25th Century Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes songs by Marvin Gaye, the Whispers, LTD, Blue Magic, Barry White, andothers. CD

A really great setting for trumpeter Tomasz Stanko – working here with his New York Quartet, a group who seem to bring out the warmer side of his style! Stanko's been making records for years – and working on ECM for a good amount of time – but his more recent efforts are sometimes a bit more atmospheric, and sometimes a bit cold – which definitely isn't the case here! The group features piano from David Virelles, bass from Ruben Rogers, and drums from Gerald Cleaver – all players who work in modes that are as spacious as you'd expect from the later Stanko, but which also draw a lot of organic energy from the bass and piano, in ways that have us feel like we're hearing completely new sounds from Thomasz' trumpet. Titles include "Sound Space", "Young Girl In Flower", "Bright Moon", "Burning Hot", "David & Reuben", "Ballad For Bruno Schulz", and "Yankiels Ltd". CD

Music from The Exterminators, The Ricochetts, Chances R, Ronnie Rice and the Gents, The High-Schoolers, The Proper Strangers, Jimmy Watson and the Original Royals, The Exceptions, The Commons Ltd, the Riddles, and more. CD

A huge collection of work from funk and soul legend Jimmy Castor – an artist who cut a big number of incredible records for a variety of different labels – almost all of which are in this set! In truth, Jimmy's got a huge legacy in soul that goes back to early years in vocal groups – but this set picks up with his late 60s Latin soul material, then rolls into his famous funk work for RCA and Atlantic Records in the 70s, and continues with great club tracks from the following decade! There's a massive 45 tracks on the 3CD set – a fitting tribute to Castor's never-ending genius – and titles include "Hey Leroy", "It's Just Begun", "Soul Serenade", "Luther The Anthropoid", "Bertha Butt Boogie", "Troglodyte", "It's Just Begun", "Southern Fried Frijoles", "Daniel", "Tribute To Jimi", "LTD", "Psych", "You Better Be Good", "Hallucinations", "Love Train", "One Precious Word", "The Everything Man", "Dracula (part 1)", "The Return Of Leroy (part 1)", "I Just Wanna Stop", "Party People", "Need Your Lovin", "E Man Par Tay", "Space Age (12" mix)", "Super Love", "Bom Bom", "Supersound", "Don't Do That", "King Kong", and lots more! CD

Wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best – and the album may well be his lasting testament of funky genius! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the funky goofy "Troglodyte", and plenty other nice moments like "Bad", "LTD", "I Promise To Remember", and "Psychee". Fuzzy guitar meets heavy drums meets some of the most insane lyrics ever on a mainstream funk album! Jimmy can always be great – but he really knocks it out of the park on this monstrous classic. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

With selections by Shock Treatment, Cyperus, Tempt, Lethal Dose, Turmoil, Show & Tell, Coven, Gypsy Kiss, Prowess, Crisis, Dehumanizers, and Kil D'Kor. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Blackalicious, Azymuth, Boards Of Canada, Mary J Blige, Mark Pritchard, Patti Austin, Peace Orchestra, Traffic, Lambchop, and others. CD

Rakim & Kweli team up on "Getting Up Anthem". Pack FM do their thing on "Clik Clak & Spray". 12-inch, Vinyl record

With tracks by Beach Boys, Robert Mitchum, Cheers, Super Stocks, Piltdown Men, Jimmy Dolan, and Eligibles. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of upbeat soul and dancefloor grooves – and one that goes way way deeper than even the hippest collections of disco rarities! The Tramp label has given us plenty of great funk collections over the years – and with this set, they turn their well-trained ear towards the world of obscure club and disco singles – not just American rarities, but some great gems from around the world – all presented as a completely fresh collection of groove-heavy numbers, most of which are completely new to our ears! The compilation features detailed notes on each selection – which is great, because most are so obscure, we knew nothing about them at all – and titles include "Put The Music In Your Ear" by Cirt Gill & The Jam A Ditty Band, "Love Me" by Mr Maurice, "Dear Wendy" by Dancer, "Lover's Fantasy" by Phoenix, "Medicine Man" by Grayson Street, "The Wrong Side Of Me" by The Fantastic Shakers, "Bump & Run" by Harry Hann, "Meltdown" by Maxwell, "Godzilla" by Mabin Brothers Band, "Can You Feel It" by Gangbusters, "Love Me" by Mr Maurice, "In Orbit" by Ambros Seelos Orchestr, and "Disco Jiver" by Tony Swamy & The Band Of Executives. CD

Tracks by Outernational Meltdown, Pops Mohamed, Barungwa, Flora Purim, John Tchicai, Madala Kunene, Amampondo, Fourth World, Sangomas, Iain Ballamy, and Achisa. CD

A cool collection of caveman-themed rockers from the glory days of the 7" single – music that's very much in the same mad spirit as the monster rock records of the time – and which is served up here in a similar blend of echoey instrumentals, guitar-heavy groovers, and a mix of hard rockers and novelty numbers too! The package is plenty playful, and you'll definitely recognize a few names here from the world of monster rock too – although the mix of material is also pretty darn fresh, too – and really opens up a whole new sort of territory from these glory days of American popular music. Titles include "Brontosaurus Walk" by Buddy Merrill, "Caveman" by Tommy Roe & The Satins, "McDonald's Cave" by Piltdown Men, "Be A Cave Man" by The Avengers, "Dinosaur" by Link Wray, "Caveman" by Terry Fell, "Volcano Rock" by Tommy Mercer & The McBrides, "Cave Man Rock" by The Majestics, "The Cave (parts 1 & 2)" by Gary Spider Webb, and "Cave Man Love" by Space Man With The Rockets. 33 tracks in all – and a very nice package! CD