Searing live work from Gato Barbieri – a brilliant little album that follows on the spirit of his other Latin America sessions for Impulse! The format here is similar to those studio outings – an organic blend of percussion, keyboards, and sax – all bubbling together in a highly rhythmic mode that easily shifts between electric and acoustic statements, all in a jazz-based pursuit of older Latin American rhythms and expressions! Eddie Martinez plays some great Fender Rhodes on the album – ringing out with warm tones that are strongly offset by Gato's sharp-edge tenor lines – and all tracks are nice and long, and flow with a sense of creative energy that almost surpasses the studio albums in the series! Titles include "Milonga Triste", "La China Leoncia", "Baihia", and "Lluvia Azul". CD

Searing live work from Gato Barbieri – a brilliant little album that follows on the spirit of his other Latin America sessions for Impulse! The format here is similar to those studio outings – an organic blend of percussion, keyboards, and sax – all bubbling together in a highly rhythmic mode that easily shifts between electric and acoustic statements, all in a jazz-based pursuit of older Latin American rhythms and expressions! Eddie Martinez plays some great Fender Rhodes on the album – ringing out with warm tones that are strongly offset by Gato's sharp-edge tenor lines – and all tracks are nice and long, and flow with a sense of creative energy that almost surpasses the studio albums in the series! Titles include "Milonga Triste", "La China Leoncia", "Baihia", and "Lluvia Azul". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing live work from Gato Barbieri – a brilliant little album that follows on the spirit of his other Latin America sessions for Impulse! The format here is similar to those studio outings – an organic blend of percussion, keyboards, and sax – all bubbling together in a highly rhythmic mode that easily shifts between electric and acoustic statements, all in a jazz-based pursuit of older Latin American rhythms and expressions! Eddie Martinez plays some great Fender Rhodes on the album – ringing out with warm tones that are strongly offset by Gato's sharp-edge tenor lines – and all tracks are nice and long, and flow with a sense of creative energy that almost surpasses the studio albums in the series! Titles include "Milonga Triste", "La China Leoncia", "Baihia", and "Lluvia Azul". CD

A rock-solid cooker from Pete Terrace – one of the few cats who could always come up with the goods! The set's got a strong charanga vibe overall – a bit different than some of Terrace's more jazz-based records, but still done with the tight approach to rhythms that made Pete one of the key cats to explore the small combo modes in the changing 60s years of Latin – in styles here that borrow all the energy of the bigger groups, but find a way to make things even leaner and meaner overall! Titles include "Pachanga Para Ti", "Si Si", "Kilimanjaro", "Ay Mama Inez", and "Baila La Pachanga". CD also features some bonus tracks from the Viejos Para Buenos album – including "Now", "El Pito", "La Negra Sanda", "Mi China", and "Gozala". CD

2 different albums from Tito Puente – nicely packaged here in a single set! On Broadway is not really a "Broadway" album, as you might guess from the title – although Tito and group do play a version of the soul hit "On Broadway" on the set – but a nicely-honed set with a strong Latin jazz groove, much more back to basics than some of Tito's work from the 70s. Players include Ray Gonzales, Jorge Dalto, Afredo De La Fe, and Jerry Gonzales – and tracks include versions of Freddie Hubbard's "First Light", Milton Nascimento's "Soul Song", and Toots Thieleman's "Bluesette" – as well as the originals "Jo Je Ti" and "TP's Especial". Mambo Diablo is a stone cooker from Tito Puente's great back to basics years of the 80s – a time when he was really moving towards the Latin jazz of his roots – working without any singers, or any contemporary gimmicks, and letting loose with tight combos and top-line jazz players! This set features Puente on vibes, timbales, and percussion – grooving nicely with the great Sonny Bravo on piano, whose bold lines definitely help shape the grooves – giving them plenty of New York 60s pulse, alongside work by Jimmy Frisuara on trumpet and trombone, Mario Rivera on soprano and tenor, and Ray Gonzalez on trumpet. Bobby Rodriguez handles bass, and Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez brings in added percussion with congalero Jose Madara – and tracks include "Take Five", "Mambo Diablo", "Pick Yourself Up", "Eastern Joy Dance", "China", and "No Pienses Asi". CD

Music from "Alex's Tune", "Seascape", "La Virgen De La Macarena", "Mr. Natural", "Pennies From Heaven", "I'm Glad There I You", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Boney", "Baubles, Bangles And Beads", "Autumn In New York", "Variations On A Brazillian Folk Song", "Oblivion", "Malaguena", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Titles include "China Hereje", "El Bardo", "El Cuartito", "Que Me Mate La Bebida", and "Mentira". CD

... CD

Leon Thomas takes his vocals to new heights – moving past the straight spiritual jazz modes of his work with Pharoah Sanders, to embrace a whole host of new styles too! There's a slight trace of the blues promised in the title, but always inflected through a more soulful approach overall – thanks to backings arranged by Pee Wee Ellis – known best for his work with the James Brown band of the late 60s! Pee Wee handles reed solos on the tunes, and the group also features some great work on keyboards from Neal Creque – from Pucho's band – plus some guitar from Cornell Dupree and Larry Coryell. Yet Thomas is clearly the main attraction – sounding beautifully expressive at that level that no other jazz singer could ever hope to touch – that genre-starting style that continues to amaze us after all these years. Titles include the classic "China Doll" – plus "Love Each Other", "Boom Boom Boom", "Gypsy Queen", and "Shape Your Mind To Die". CD

Leon Thomas takes his vocals to new heights – moving past the straight spiritual jazz modes of his work with Pharoah Sanders, to embrace a whole host of new styles too! There's a slight trace of the blues promised in the title, but always inflected through a more soulful approach overall – thanks to backings arranged by Pee Wee Ellis – known best for his work with the James Brown band of the late 60s! Pee Wee handles reed solos on the tunes, and the group also features some great work on keyboards from Neal Creque – from Pucho's band – plus some guitar from Cornell Dupree and Larry Coryell. Yet Thomas is clearly the main attraction – sounding beautifully expressive at that level that no other jazz singer could ever hope to touch – that genre-starting style that continues to amaze us after all these years. Titles include the classic "China Doll" – plus "Love Each Other", "Boom Boom Boom", "Gypsy Queen", and "Shape Your Mind To Die". CD

Leon Thomas takes his vocals to new heights – moving past the straight spiritual jazz modes of his work with Pharoah Sanders, to embrace a whole host of new styles too! There's a slight trace of the blues promised in the title, but always inflected through a more soulful approach overall – thanks to backings arranged by Pee Wee Ellis – known best for his work with the James Brown band of the late 60s! Pee Wee handles reed solos on the tunes, and the group also features some great work on keyboards from Neal Creque – from Pucho's band – plus some guitar from Cornell Dupree and Larry Coryell. Yet Thomas is clearly the main attraction – sounding beautifully expressive at that level that no other jazz singer could ever hope to touch – that genre-starting style that continues to amaze us after all these years. Titles include the classic "China Doll" – plus "Love Each Other", "Boom Boom Boom", "Gypsy Queen", and "Shape Your Mind To Die". LP, Vinyl record album

Leon Thomas takes his vocals to new heights – moving past the straight spiritual jazz modes of his work with Pharoah Sanders, to embrace a whole host of new styles too! There's a slight trace of the blues promised in the title, but always inflected through a more soulful approach overall – thanks to backings arranged by Pee Wee Ellis – known best for his work with the James Brown band of the late 60s! Pee Wee handles reed solos on the tunes, and the group also features some great work on keyboards from Neal Creque – from Pucho's band – plus some guitar from Cornell Dupree and Larry Coryell. Yet Thomas is clearly the main attraction – sounding beautifully expressive at that level that no other jazz singer could ever hope to touch – that genre-starting style that continues to amaze us after all these years. Titles include the classic "China Doll" – plus "Love Each Other", "Boom Boom Boom", "Gypsy Queen", and "Shape Your Mind To Die". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded many years back by Chicago spiritualist David Boykin – but one that's finally getting its debut on record, as part of the ever-evolving rich tapestry of sounds that Boykin's been giving us since the 90s! The set here captures David at a key moment – when he was maybe turning towards even more spiritual currents from more outside performances – working with an excellent lineup that features Nicole Mitchell on flute, Josh Abrams on bass, James Baker on piano, Mike Reed on drums, Renee Baker on violin, Chinatsu Nakano on alto, and Shirazette Tinnin on congas. Both Abrams and Reed are also at key points of their development, and together with Boykin and Mitchell, they beautifully point the way forward for a new generation of Chicago expression. The piece is one long live performance, over 45 minutes in length – with segments that include "Midnight", "Sunrise", "Herukhuti", and "Enocturnal Sun". CD

Somehow, someway, Bob Dylan and Columbia Records can keep returning to the well of unreleased material – and draw jaw droppingly brilliant recordings that are mostly unheard to the general population of non Dylan diehard archaeologists! Here lies the fabled Witmark Demos – early recordings of treasured Dylan classics and rarities alike recorded raw and unencumbered, just Dylan's voice, guitar and occasional harmonica or piano – recorded in 1962 for Leeds Music (a few) and M. Witmark & Sons (most of 'em) in the early-to-mid 60s. Dylan was one of the first wave of 60s folk songwriters brought into the Tin Pan Alley machinations, a pretty amazing moment considering that this gruff, nasal voiced figure was soon to revolutionize popular music and there's no way Witmark could have known it. Hey, maybe this kid will make us a few bucks in the urban folk racket, eh? Wow. Of course many of these songs would be recorded by a who's who of 60s & 70s singers of all stripes, but it's always great to here Dylan's own early, raw sketches. Some of the performances come somewhat close to the way Dylan would cut them for his own landmark albums with just a bit more polish, others are close(ish) to how they sounded in earlier Dylan "bootlegs" (officially and not so official), and most of it has never been officially released commercially. Columbia continues the terrific Official Bootleg Series with a thick booklet of rare photos and notes by Colin Escott. Includes versions of "Hard Times In New York Town", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown, "Long Time Gone", "Farewell", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Girl From North Country", "Only A Hobo", "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Mr Tamborine Man", "I'll Keep It With Mine" and many more. 47 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Modern soul jazz from trumpeter, singer, and all around instrumentalist Nicholas Payton – the most profoundly soul based set we've heard from him – covering a lot of stylistic terrain and with an all star roster of guests! There's keys flavored 70s jazzy soul sounds, some boogie funk, straighter modern soul and timeless fusiony jazz in the mix here – with some surprisingly strong vocals from Payton. Guests include N'Dambi, Esperanza Spalding, Cassandra Wilson, Chinah Blac and Saunders Sermons – plus some production assistance by Mark De Clive-Lowe. Includes "Be My Side (Idepth's Blues), "Freesia" feat Esperanza Spalding, "Shades Of Hue", "Truth Or Dare", "Togetherness Foreverness" feat N'Dambi, "Flip The Script" feat Saunders Sermons, "Love And Faith", "Don't I Love You Good", "You Take Me Places I've Never Been Before" feat Cassandra Wilson, "Bitches" feat Chinah Blac and more. CD

One of the rarest albums ever from the mighty Masahiko Sato – a Japanese musician we love for his jazz, funk, and psychedelic sounds – all of which come into play on this unusual animated soundtrack! The music is plenty trippy right from the start – very offbeat, from the instrumentation to the production to the pacing – never in a mode that's too avant, but which is very much its own thing – as Sato weaves a way forward with cool spacey keyboards, slow-brooding basslines, and these dreamy vocals from singer Chinatsu Nakayama! Some moments feel like the best funky electric Italian sound library material of the time – but there's also a lot more going on, too – including some of that great style Sato would use on other albums, when he'd blend psychedelic inspiration with very groovy jazz. Titles include "Funny Feeling", "Mr London", "Andy Warhol", "Belladonna", "The Notice Is Notice", "Take It Easy", and "TBSF". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that bristles with color right from the very first note – thanks not just to work from Bobby Shew on trumpet and flugelhorn, but also Gordon Brisker on tenor and flute, and Bill Mays on both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes! The group is one that cut a few great albums around this time – almost out of time in their approach, as they're neither back to tradition jazz albums, nor inflected with any sort of 70s funk or fusion elements either – just focused, well-done material that features a fair bit of original compositions by group members too! Titles include "Run Away", "Navarro Flats", "Class Reunion", "Kachina", and "She's Gone Again". CD

A beautiful combination of vibes and clarinet, played by this ultra-hip Chicago quartet – in styles that echo some of the best modern jazz modes of the late 50s! Despite a contemporary-looking cover, and a "tea" title that might make you think of a chillout set – the record has a really fresh, creative sort of feel – almost like uncovering a lost recording that paired the vibes of Teddy Charles and clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre sometime near the end of the 50s – with lots of cool tones and unusual rhythms throughout, and the great sonic sensibilities you might expect from Charles or Giuffre. The group features Jason Adasiewcz on vibes, James Falzone on clarinet, Jason Roebke on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums and percussion – and titles include "GFOP", "Fickle", "Lament On Ash Wednesday", "Last Love Song", "China Black", "Dwarfs", "Giants", and "No Milk". CD

One of our favorite moments from that great Andy Bey comeback in his later years – a time when the singer returned to recording after too much time away from the studio – and with a rich quality that offers a maturing version of the music he gave us in the 60s and 70s! At some level, Bey is a straighter jazz singer here – but he's also blessed with one of the most distinct vocal styles of anyone we can think of, and flows over the tunes with a majesty that's maybe only rivaled by Jon Lucien on his seminal recordings for RCA. The group is full of excellent players – Steve Turren on trombone, Marty Erlich on flute and bass clarinet, Peter Washington on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – plus piano from Andy himself. Titles include a great version of the Milton Nascimento tune "Bridges" – plus "Fragile", "I'll Remember April", "Tuesdays In Chinatown", "Feelin Low Down", "In A Mist", and "Saidas E Bandeiras". CD

Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July". CD

A really moody record from Barry Thomas Goldberg – a singer from the Minneapolis scene, formerly of the group Batch – stepping out into very personal, moody territory of his own – with a vibe that's completely different than that earlier group! The set mostly features vocals and acoustic guitar – but with a sensitive quality that's hardly folk at all – and maybe more at the level of some of the best productions by Joe Boyd at Island Records, using a subtle sense of sound to evoke mood and moment in all the right ways! Michael Yonkers produced, and is equally responsible for the wonderful quality of the whole thing – on titles that include "Hollywood", "China Doll", "Pop & Ice", "City Rain", "Magic Cloud", "Golden Sun", and "Stars In The Sand". CD

A wonderfully laidback album from Barney Kessel – gentle guitar stepping around familiar standards, but all with a hip sort of west coast 50s flavor! The main group on the album features Bob Cooper on oboe and tenor, Claude Williamson on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – but a few extra tunes, added to expand the full LP from the original 10" session, feature Hampton Hawes on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – plus the rest of the other group. Titles include "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire" – obviously not a standard! LP, Vinyl record album

2 lost classics by Sun Ra on one CD! Visits Planet Earth features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Interstellar Low Ways is a record that features material was recorded in 1959 and 1960, but unissued until the mid 60's. Ra plays piano, chimes, and gong, and the tracks have a nice laid back spacey feel, with some ensemble vocals chanted by the group. Ronnie Boykins also plays the space gong on one cut, which sounds very nice. Cuts include "Somewhere In Space", "Space Loneliness", "Space Aura", and "Interplanetary Music". CD

Classy, but never snoozy – as the set's got a top-shelf assortment of Northern Soul dancefloor numbers all the way through! As with the first volume, this batch of tunes is a really well-done collection – one that gets way past all the dodgy compilations and Northern Soul bootlegs on the market, and which features some incredibly rare tunes and previously unissued numbers – all hand-picked for the set by Ace/Kent's in-house soul maestro Ady Croasdell! A few of the names on the collection are familiar ones, but they're represented here by numbers that we'd never heard before – and the bulk of the CD features tunes by artists that are even lesser-known, even to fans of the genre. 24 tracks in all, with notes on every tune by Ady – and titles that include "I Finally Got Wise" by Billy Keen, "It Ain't' What I Do" by Peggy Paxton, "Faith & Understanding" by The Magicians, "Two Lovers" by The Voice Masters, "I'm Waiting" by Bill Bush, "I Can't Speak" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "How I Need Your Love" by The Extremes, "Just A Bad Thing" by Janice Christian, "Dining In Chinatown" by Jennifer Wells, "You Got What You Want" by The Angels, "Would You Believe" by William Hunt, "Sea Shells" by The Charmells, "She Could Love Me" by The Athens Rogues, and "Jerk Baby Jerk" by Carl Burnett & The Hustlers. CD

Searing rockabilly work from the Texas scene of the late 50s – all work that came from the powerhouse TNT label out of San Antonio, and the related Marathon Records too! These cuts aren't country twangers, and are instead definitely the kind of raw early rockers that this series does such a good job of tracking down – really wonderful numbers that we never would have heard otherwise, and which explode with the same sort of energy that must have made them fantastic to hear from some backroom jukebox in a small corner tavern! As with the other volumes, there's very detailed notes within, and label scans too – the kind of package that makes this series such a great antidote to some of the more random rockabilly compilations out there. Titles include "China Doll" by Ray Stone, "Here I Come" by Jimmy Dee & The Offbeats, "Catapiller" by Ray Campi, "Set Me Free" by Bill Morrison, "I Love Her" by The Blue Notes, "One More Time" by The Traits, "Pink Bow Tie" by Jerry Dove & His String Dusters, "Duck Tail Cat" by Dan Virva & The Flying D Ramblers, "Trapped" by Cecil Moore & The Notes, "Living Myself To Death" by Chuck Goddard, "I Want You To Love Me Tonight" by Ray Liberto, and "Truck Drivers Special" by Lonnie Lille. CD

A totally amazing collection – with work by Johnny Jackson, Houston Page, Willie Cowboy Craig, Joseph Chinaman Johnson, Ellis Unit, Ebbie Veasley, WD Alexander, and Benn Richardson. CD