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Great work from saxophonist Charles Davis – a player who doesn't always get to record as a leader, but who always turns out tremendous material whenever he gets the chance! This date's an early 90s gem cut with pianist Barry Harris – a session that's steeped in soul, and which has plenty of the bold notes and deft turns of tenor we always love in Davis' music – underpinned by some warm notes from Harris' piano that really share a similar sense of spirit. The rhythm section's wonderful too – with Peter Washington on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and Davis contributed almost all the tunes to the set, including the titles "KD", "Reflections", "Monking", "To The Highest Degree", and "Miriam's Delight" – plus a bonus alternate of "KD". CD

A whopping collection of the Dells' classic work – featuring tunes pulled from their years at Vee Jay, Chess, Chi-Sound, and Mercury! The package starts way back in the 50s, and traces the group through their groundbreaking 60s soul sides, their sublime baroque 70s numbers, and their later smooth modern tracks – and as you listen to this stuff, you'll be stunned to hear how great the group remained through all of that time! The early tracks are straight doo wop, with simple production; later work has the great Charles Stepney crafting some majestic Cadet/Concept arrangements; and even the modern stuff has a well-constructed smooth groove. Through it all, though, the real strength is the group's vocals – still wonderful even in the album's one more recent number, "A Heart Is A House For Love". Titles include "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue", "Always Together", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "I Miss You", "Slow Motion", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", "The Glory Ove Love", "Long Lonely Nights", "Dreams Of Contentment", "The Bossa Nova Bird", "Oh What A Night" (in 2 versions), "Stay In My Corner (in 3 versions)", and "Does Anybody Know I'm Here". CD

A whopping collection of the Dells' classic work – featuring tunes pulled from their years at Vee Jay, Chess, Chi-Sound, and Mercury! The package starts way back in the 50s, and traces the group through their groundbreaking 60s soul sides, their sublime baroque 70s numbers, and their later smooth modern tracks – and as you listen to this stuff, you'll be stunned to hear how great the group remained through all of that time! The early tracks are straight doo wop, with simple production; later work has the great Charles Stepney crafting some majestic Cadet/Concept arrangements; and even the modern stuff has a well-constructed smooth groove. Through it all, though, the real strength is the group's vocals – still wonderful even in the album's one more recent number, "A Heart Is A House For Love". Titles include "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue", "Always Together", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "I Miss You", "Slow Motion", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", "The Glory Ove Love", "Long Lonely Nights", "Dreams Of Contentment", "The Bossa Nova Bird", "Oh What A Night" (in 2 versions), "Stay In My Corner (in 3 versions)", and "Does Anybody Know I'm Here". CD

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Early work by Kenny Dorham as a leader – a Riverside session recorded in two "contrasting" moods that both perfectly show his young talents on the trumpet! Side one is a bit more in a hardbop mode – with two long lyrical tracks ("Falling In Love With Love" and "I'll Remember April") – recorded with a quintet that features Sonny Rollins on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Max Roach on drums – with plenty of space for all players to solo nicely! Side two features the same group, but also adds in some work on harp by Betty Glamman – an unusual player, but one who works well in the setting – and really helps to emphasize the sweeter sounds in Kenny's horn! Titles on that side include "La Villa", "Larue", and "My Old Flame". CD

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Include the songs "March 19th Blues", "Feet Bone", "In A Sentimental Mood", "Discontented", "Jump For Joy", "Just Scratchin The Surface", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Miss Lucy", "Uncontrived", "Satin Doll","Do Not Disturb", "Love You Madly", "Short Sheet Cluster", "Moon Mist", and "Long Time Blues". CD

Includes the pieces "The Degas Suite", "The River", "The Spring", "The Run", "The Meander", "The Giggling Rapids", "The Lake", "The Falls", "The Whirlpool", "The River", "The Neo-Hip-Hot Kiddies Community", "The Village Of The Virgins", "Her Majesty The Sea", and "The Spring". CD

Large group studio sessions – musicians include Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Cat Anderson on trumpet, and Ellington on piano. Tracks include "Knuf", "Waiting For You", "Mood Indigo", "Elos", "C-Jam Blues", and "Cool And Groovy". CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! CD

A massive amount of radical records from the great Joe Gibbs – a producer who forever changed the face of Jamaican music with a legendary run of dub albums in the 70s! Joe was no stranger to the scene by the time of these tracks – but the sessions had him really burrowing in to very experimental territory, coming up with sounds that were years ahead of their time, and which set the tone for so many other dub productions in years to come – all very far from some of the chart-topping reggae hits of the decade! The work features plenty of hypnotic rhythms from Sly & Robbie, and great guitar work from Earl Chinna Smith – plus nice horn parts and keyboard lines too – all elements that are whipped up into a sonic souffle by the maestro. This 4CD set features this legendary run of records – Dub Serial, State Of Emergency, Majestic Dub, More Majestic Dub, and the African Dub albums, chapters 1 to 4 – with 12 tracks that have never been on CD before, and the usual deep detail and top-shelf presentation of the Doctor Bird label. CD

Later work by this western swing legend – very well recorded, and with some guest work by Cliff Bruner too! CD

Dexter Gordon at his European best – working at his very familiar haunt, the Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen – a city that welcome Dexter Gordon with welcome arms in the 60s, as Dex left America to take care of himself and renew his energy overseas – expanding his sound and styles in ways that made him a much more revolutionary tenorist than during his earlier time on the US scene! The group features Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pederson on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – and tracks are all nice and long. LP, Vinyl record album

A fascinating look at the world of Mexican music in the 20th Century – put together in collaboration with Arhoolie Records, the label that's done plenty to reissue the music over the years! The book begins with the huge archive of recordings by the label's founder, Chris Strachwitz – then takes off in a number of different streams – providing historical context, critical evaluation, and even some discographical details – in the form of various lists and sections of music. The book looks at some key styles too – including corridos and mariachi, traced both through Mexican recordings, and US singles by Mexican-Americans – and the whole thing is only the tip of the iceberg, in relation to the 40,000 recordings that have been digitized by the University Of California Library as part of the project. Still, there's plenty here to get you started – a huge amount of information that's even more inspirational than some of Arhoolie's great reissues over the years – in an oversized book that's 226 pages, softcover, with many black and white images too. Book

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

Art Hodes on piano. CD

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20 tracks in all – from early Detroit classics to later duets with Carlos Santana and Canned Heat! CD

Lightnin Hopkins at his best – a set that rings out with all his bold electric tones on the guitar, yet which also has the moody, stripped-down feel of a blues recording from a few decades before! The electricity really does a lot to deepen the tone – both in the echo from Hopkins' guitar, and in the way his vocals stretch out in the same space! There's no other backing at all – which makes for a moody feel, and a quality that lives up to the "folk" in the title – yet Lightnin also gives the whole thing a crackling sort of energy that's also very much in the best postwar blues mode. Titles include "Sick Feelin Blues", "Blues For My Cookie", "My Baby's Gone", "Lightnin's Special", "Nothin But The Blues", and "Don't Think Cause You're Pretty". CD features loads of bonus tracks – and has a total of 26 titles in all, which includes material from other Herald Records singles! CD

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Classic country soul from Millie Jackson – plus a brand new song as well – all served up in a set that shows yet another side of this legendary singer! Millie's known both for her weepy sad songs of the early years, and her bitchy blues of later ones – but during the 70s, she also cut a fair bit of country-tinged tunes as well – done in a similar space as other southern soul singers like Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, or Joe Simon! The styles vary nicely, though – not just the straight blend of country roots and soulful inflections you'd hear in the 60s – as some of the tracks are from later years, and bring in some modern soul to the mix – nicely expanding the sound. A few titles are duets with Isaac Hayes – and titles include "Angel In Your Arms", "Rose Colored Glasses", "Sweet Music Man", "Cheatin Is", "You Needed Me", "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down", and "Standing In Your Line" – plus the brand new track "Black Bitch Crazy". CD

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This issue's got a special feature on unusual and noteworthy jazz record covers – served up by a host of different critics, who each pick three different records that are represented by small black and white images, along with label, artist, and title in English – and a longer essay in Japanese! As with other issues, there's a mix of visual information that will help you out if you're not a reader of Japanese – and these days, you can often use a translation program through your phone's camera to read bits that catch your eye. There's a small beautiful section of color images at the start – including covers for the Days of Delight label series – and the magazine also features listings for new albums too, all from a Japanese perspective. 184 pages, and bound like a paperback book. Book

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Hank Jones on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. CD

KC & The Sunshine Band may have been a chart-topping act during the disco generation, but the Florida funky group have a heck of a lot more to offer than just their hits – as you'll hear in this massive and well-done collection that features 55 tracks in all! The group were formed in the heady early 70s years of Miami funk – and brought together some of the best tropical and soul elements that were brewing in that city at the time – all with a lean vibe that mixed live percussion with riffing guitars, sharp horns, and a completely infectious groove – often topped with catchy lyrics that really went right to the point. This big 3CD set features the group's best work for TK Records, plus other material done for Epic and Jay Boy too – with titles that include "Sound Your Funky Horn", "Why Don't We Get Together", "I Get Lifted", "So Glad", "Come To My Island", "I Betcha Didn't Know That", "Stand Up", "Love Me", "Summer Nights", "I'm A Pushover", "That's The Way I Like It", "Do You Wanna Party", "I Will Love You Tomorrow", "Sho Nuff", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and lots lots more – including some rare mixes too! CD

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Tracks include "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "I Wish It Would Rain", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "The Nitty Gritty", "If I Were Your Woman", "I Don't Want To Do Wrong", and "All I Need Is Time" – 22 tracks total. CD

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Music from Dave Lambert And Buddy Stewart With Red Rodney's Be-Boppers, Frances Wayne with Neal Hefti And His Orchestra, Neal Hefti And His Orchestra, and Red Rodney's Be-Boppers. CD

12CD boxset of 10 classic Led Zeppelin albums, all pressed on SHM-CDs in LP style sleeves with individual obis – and even includes alternate jackets! CD

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The debut album by a guitarist who might well go into the realm of the classics – as he plays here with a sense of care and balance of tone that's very much his own – handling a hollow-body electric with a sound that's simply stunning from the very first note! Hugo Lippi isn't one of those "too clean" guitarists from the vintage years – as he loves to get some richer sounds out of the guitar, while also never rasping the strings or pushing distortion at all either – always playing with a sense of clarity that's great, while also touching on the complexity of acoustic players with an effortless touch! Lippi handles his instrument with the skills of Baden Powell or Paco DeLucia – although he sounds nothing like either of them – while also using the electric side of the instrument to effortlessly create amazing colors throughout. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Reflections In B", "Land Of Hope & Glory", "Girl", "La Ballade De Johnny Jane", "Be Yourself", "Choros No 1/Bossa Antigua", and a surprising medley of "Wuthering Heights/Babooshka". CD

The debut album by a guitarist who might well go into the realm of the classics – as he plays here with a sense of care and balance of tone that's very much his own – handling a hollow-body electric with a sound that's simply stunning from the very first note! Hugo Lippi isn't one of those "too clean" guitarists from the vintage years – as he loves to get some richer sounds out of the guitar, while also never rasping the strings or pushing distortion at all either – always playing with a sense of clarity that's great, while also touching on the complexity of acoustic players with an effortless touch! Lippi handles his instrument with the skills of Baden Powell or Paco DeLucia – although he sounds nothing like either of them – while also using the electric side of the instrument to effortlessly create amazing colors throughout. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Reflections In B", "Land Of Hope & Glory", "Girl", "La Ballade De Johnny Jane", "Be Yourself", "Choros No 1/Bossa Antigua", and a surprising medley of "Wuthering Heights/Babooshka". LP, Vinyl record album

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The title sort of gives the whole thing away – so we'll just tell you that Glenn's playing versions of "Tuxedo Junction", "St Louis Blues", "In The Mood", "String Of Pearls", "Little Brown Jug", and "American Patrol". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong early winner from Blue – recorded with an all-star group that includes Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Mitchell's not necessarily the leader – Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath handled the arrangements – but the group overall is great, and the set has a nice mix of lyricality and hard bop groove. 9 numbers in all, including "Minor Vamp", "The Head", "Top Shelf", "Blue Soul", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Park Avenue Petite", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Nica's Dream", and "Waverly Street". Contains 3 bonus tracks; "Mirror Vamp (take one)", "Park Avenue Petite (take one)" and "Blue Soul (take two)". CD

The complete Malaco recordings of McKinley Mitchell – an excellent singer/songwriter whose work was a key part of the southern scene in the 70s, but who rarely ever gets his due! McKinley had a really unique voice that shared some of the warmth of northern singers – including a few of the uptown crowd of the late 60s – but he also worked in a mode that was much bluesier, with more of the traces of the burgeoning Jackson scene, of which these recordings were a part during the 70s. The set features the full tracks from McKinley's one album for the label, plus singles – with a total of 16 tracks that include "When It Rains It Pours", "Open House At My House", "The Town I Live In", "The End Of The Rainbow", "Same Old Dream", "Slave For Your Love", and "Follow The Wind". CD

Very late work from the legendary Thelonious Monk – but surprisingly great as well! The session was recorded in London – as you might guess from the title – and although Monk's not working with his regular quartet with Charlie Rouse, he does interact wonderfully with a trio that includes Art Blakey on drums and Al McKibbon on bass! Blakey's drums have this nice crispness that transforms the Monk experience – and some performances stretch out in a nicely inspired way. CD

A classic outing of solo piano by Thelonious Monk – a format that wasn't used often, but which always made for some really compelling work! Monk in this mode is often different than the bolder leader of a trio or larger group – and there's a more introspective quality to the record that we really like – a sound that's sometimes tentative, then sometimes pushing forward with strength – almost more human than on some of his other efforts of the late 50s. John Coltrane makes a surprising appearance on the last track – "Monk's Mood" – and other titles include "April In Paris", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Functional", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "I Should Care", "'Round Midnight", and "All Alone". Features bonus tracks "Monks' Mood (false start)", "Ghost Of A Chance (take 5)" & "I Should Care (takes 1 & 2)". CD

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Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from Moonchild – a set that's an all-acoustic outing, and one that offers up fresh takes on some of their older tunes – in ways that are maybe even more soulful and stunning than before! The instrumentation often includes some great work on reeds, especially flute – and the vocals of Amber Navran have this way of folding together with the grooves, which are also more seductive, through the live interplay of bass, drums, and percussion. The only electric element at times is a bit of Fender Rhodes – which we can hardly argue with – and the performances are all live, on titles that include "Back To Me", "The List", "Cure", "Run Away", "Money", and "The Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent later work from Frank Morgan – the legendary LA altoist who first burned brightly in the bop generation, then came back to make really rich recordings like this! The set's got Frank in some really great company – a hip sextet that features Joe Henderson on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – a sweet modern jazz lineup that ensures that the record's filled with sharp changes and deep colors – arguably a lot more so than some of Morgan's later revival sessions – with a vibe that's much more like some of Hutcherson or Henderson's best from the 80s. Titles include "Old Bowl New Grits", "Starting Over", "Reflections", "OK", and "Black Narcissus". CD features a bonus track – "Caravan". CD

Features songs from the TV show – including their classic take on Piero Umiliani's "Mahna Mahna" – as well as music from the movies. 27 tracks total. CD

A really rare slice of work from the funky genius Janko Nilovic – not the sound library grooves which have gained him fame over the decades – but instead a batch of rare cuts from his own short-lived record label, which he formed in 1968 with soul singer Davy Jones! Nilovic and Jones wrote all the tunes on the set, and they're presented by a variety of different artists – but have a unified feel that certainly comes from the strong instrumentation provided by Janko! The tunes are in a mix of mod 60s styles – some soul, some Hammond-heavy groovers, and some with a more expansive vibe that's almost a psychedelic take on the spirit of French pop during the period. The set features every a and b-side of the six singles issued by the label – plus four more bonus remixes – and titles include "Voodoo Juju Obsession (parts 1 & 2)" by K Ptyacunthapuserectus, "Lover's Summer Song" and "Moon Man" by Bobby Cannon, "Restless Gringo" and "The Lost & The Lonely" by Spiritus M, "Groovy Kinda Samba" and "The Juju Is The Thing" by Abra K Dabra, "Treasure Lee" and "Voodoo Juju" by Killer Steen, and "Tinka Bell" and "There's A Little Old Lady" by Tinka Bell. LP, Vinyl record album

Performances of Italian serenades and pieces by Schubert, Mozart, and Godard by the Japanese tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic, label-spanning collection that brings together material recorded for Guild, Dial, Savoy, and Clef. Features work with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, and more. 38 tracks on 2 CDs, plus a nice set of notes too. CD

Original recordings of "Dreamer That Remains", "Windsong", "Rotate the Body In All Its Planes", and "Water! Water!". CD

Think you know hip hop records? Think again – because if you only know the commercially released and vocal versions of the material, then you only know half the story – because among true collectors, the instrumental wax can be even more in-demand! This book opens up that secret world of hip hop – by detailing rare instrumental versions of hip hop albums – some issued only as promotional items, some only as record club or online releases, and some as dodgy bootlegs from the underground! The book has page after page of these releases – with label scans of the original records, alongside other release information, and a very well-done review for each item – a brilliant book that will really open you up to a greater range of hip hop vinyl to collect. There's listings for about 200 different instrumental records, plus more images and other details in the book – and the whole thing even features a bonus CD of instrumental mixes! Book

Beautiful work from this legendary group – worth it alone for the guitar interplay between John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, but featuring sublime vocals, and fantastic use of electric bass too! LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the blues that you might expect from the title – although knowing Muhal Richard Abrams, there's no doubt some sort of blues influence lurking in the background of his complicated orchestrations for the date! The album's a suite of original compositions by Abrams – all numbers played by a largeish group with lots of wonderful horn patterns – complexly woven together with lots of shifting shapes and tones, then sometimes breaking out in bold, free moments of improvisation! It's records like these that show why Abrams was one of the leading lights of the AACM by the early 80s – as much an important composer as a musician – equally skilled at both levels, and very sensitive to the strengths of the players he chose to work with. Muhal plays piano here – and other group members include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Wallace Laroy McMillan on baritone and flute, Jimmy Vass on alto and flute, Eugene Ghee on tenor and clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Jean-Paul Bourelly on guitar, Michael Logan on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Titles include "Cluster For Many Worlds", "Quartet To Quartet", "Ancient & Future Reflections", "Du King", "Chambea", and "Duet For One World". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue full length album from Ace Of Cups – a really unusual female group from the Bay Area scene of the late 60s – but one who never hit the heights of their bigger San Francisco contemporaries! The girls have this really great look on the back – kind of flower power, but with a bit more charm – a quality that comes through in the music, with is often more garagey than trippy – but which also has a way of putting forth female vocals and honest ideas that might not flourish this strongly for similar groups until the post-punk years. That approach makes the whole thing a truly timeless collection of tracks – of the sort that maybe resonate more strongly today than they did back in the 60s. Titles include "Music", "Boy What You'll Do Then", "Glue", "Taste Of One", "Stones", "Looking For My Man", "Pretty Boy", "Waller Street Blues", "Catch You Later", "Simplicity", "I Wanna Testify", "Hear Every Sound", and a great version of "Afro Blue". CD

A long-overdue full length album from Ace Of Cups – a really unusual female group from the Bay Area scene of the late 60s – but one who never hit the heights of their bigger San Francisco contemporaries! The girls have this really great look on the back – kind of flower power, but with a bit more charm – a quality that comes through in the music, with is often more garagey than trippy – but which also has a way of putting forth female vocals and honest ideas that might not flourish this strongly for similar groups until the post-punk years. That approach makes the whole thing a truly timeless collection of tracks – of the sort that maybe resonate more strongly today than they did back in the 60s. Titles include "Music", "Glue", "Taste Of One", "Stones", "Pretty Boy", "Waller Street Blues", "Simplicity", and a great version of "Afro Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from pianist Monty Alexander – a collection that features some of his greatest recordings for MPS! Sometimes, there's a special sort of magic that happens between a player and a label – and that's definitely what happened with Alexander at MPS Records during the 70s – a whole new level of his playing that never came out with other labels – and which, despite countless other recordings in later years, may not have ever sounded this great again! There's a sense of freedom to the MPS recordings – a unique approach to rhythm that really works well with Monty's touch on the keys – and which makes the tunes, although often just trio or quartet number, supremely groovy from the ground up. Titles include "So What", "Theme From Shaft", "Montevideo", "Brown Skin Girl", "We've Only Just Begun", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Here Comes The Sun", and "Theme From Love Story". CD

A classic album from one of our favorite jazz singers ever – a set that really set a whole new standard for a generation! Even at this early stage, Lorez Alexandria was an amazingly accomplished vocalist – as you'll hear on this excellent selection of tunes from the Lester Young songbook – laidback and soulful tunes that really let her open up and do her thing! The backing on the album's nice and earthy – provided by a Chicago group that includes King Fleming piano, Charles Stepney vibes, Paul Serrano trumpet, and Vernel Fournier drums – and the overall style is perfect for Lorez' deep soulful vocals. Titles include "DB Blues", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "This Year's Kisses", and "Jumpin With Symphony Sid". CD

Mose Allison is one of the coolest, grooviest singers ever to grace the face of jazz – a voice you'll recognize instantly, even if you don't know his name – and an artist who had a huge influence on the sound of the London scene in the 60s! Mose was mod before mod was a thing – and was able to mix his sharp jazz skills on piano with a gutbuckety style of singing that drew heavily from the sound of New Orleans – as did his sense of rhythm – but always with an approach that was more upbeat and jazzy overall, with a hip sophistication that few other artists could hope to touch! And while Mose recorded excellent sounds for decades, this collection focuses in on some of the most important work he ever cut – music done for Prestige, Columbia, and Atlantic Records from the late 50s through the early 70s – served up in the most amazing tribute to Allison we've ever seen. 24 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Foolkiller", "I'm Not Talking", "If You Only Knew", "The Seventh Son", "I'm Smashed", "Wild Man On The Loose", "Back On The Corner", "I Love The Life I Live", "Jus Like Livin", "If You Live", "V8 Ford Blues", "Parchman Farm", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Western Man", "Your Molecular Structure", "Hellow There Universe", and "Swingin Machine". CD

A great meeting of tenor talents – a collection of some fantastic early material recorded by Jug for Prestige. This collection of great sides, originally issued as 78s, features Ammons and Stitt locking horns on "Blues Up And Down", "You Can Depend On Me", "Easy Glide", "Walkin", "Touch Of The Blues", "Who Threw The Sleeping Pills In Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" and "Chabootie", with sidemen that include Duke Jordan, Bill Massey, Tommy Potter, Gene Wright, Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Wesley Landers. Classic blowing material! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of Gene Ammons' work that doesn't always get as well remembered as his sides for Prestige or Chess – a 1947 bop session for Savoy with Howard McGhee on trumpet, Leo Parker on baritone, Junior Mance on piano, Gene Wright on bass, and Chuck Williams on drums; and early 50s sesssions with Johnny Coles on trumpet, Lino Murray on trombone, Mack Easton on tenor and baritone, John Houston on piano, Ben Stuberville on bass, and George Brown on drums; done in a wonderfully full-voiced tone! The set features Gene's classic "Red Top", plus the great two part "Big Slam", and the titles "Chips", "Goodtime Blues", "Fuzzy", "Jim Dawgs", and "Street Of Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too! CD

A record of improvisations, but served up in a different way than you might expect – as vibist Sergio Armaroli and reed legend Evan Parker don't play duets here, but instead work in "dialogue" – answering each other back and forth on different tracks, almost as if the set is a series of performances in which one musician takes center stage while the other one steps back! Armaroli's vibes are great – wonderfully resonant with all sorts of unusual sounds and textures – in a way that really echoes the work of Parker on soprano sax, blowing here with all that mastery of sonic shapes that he's given us over the decades. Evan blows five "Interlude" tracks – and Serge performs six "Two Rooms One Vibraphone" selections. CD

A haunting bit of jazz from the Venezuelan scene of the early 70s – one of those great records from a time when the nation was really riding high, yet one that's hardly ever gotten much exposure on a global scale either! Pianist Virgilo Armas leads the group, and the whole thing has the fluid complexity of bossa nova record – really modern in approach, yet moving along in a very organic way – as Virgilo's piano mixes with the work of Domingo Moret on flute, Rodolfo Buenano on bass, Guillermo Tariba on drums, and Tata Guerra on percussion. Yet the vibe is nicely different than Brazilian jazz too – opening up with all these great currents and inflections, on titles that include "Barlovento", "Tamanaco", "Sobre El Orinoco", "Nery", "Caracas Moderna", "Moliendo Cafe", and "Canaima". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the underground world of jazz record bars in Tokyo – served up here in a stunning array of full color photographs that showcase dozens of spots! The book is a great document of the "jazz kissa" – small bars where the owner is a lover of music, has a huge jazz record collection, and pours out drinks while spinning records in a very intimate, laidback space! Most of these club have stunning sound systems – often pictured in the book – and they are tiny, with just a few seats for drinkers/listeners – which makes the experience of enjoying a classic jazz record there feel even more unique. There's a bit of text, but most of the hardcover volume is full color photographs – presented in beautiful artbook style. Book

The first-ever full length collection of work by Calvin Arnold – a killer 60s soul singer and guitarist, and one who cut some classic funky 45s back in the day, but never got a chance to record an album! All the material here came out on the Venture label – a small label, but one that got great circulation at the time – which helped Calvin's strong style get into more record collections than you might expect! Arnold's a great singer, with a raw southern style – and the use of guitar here really underscores all the best elements in his voice, as does the lean backings, which often have nice drums! The style here kind of takes off where Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" began – strong praise in our book – and titles include "Snatchin Back", "Funky Way", "Scoobie Doo", "Mini Skirt, "Fool Me Baby", "Lovely Way To Go", "Just A Matter Of Time", "Messin With The Old Folks Home", "Your Love Is Too Much", and "You Got To Live For Yourself". CD

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! CD

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius galore – a massive package that brings together both the complete studio and live recordings by the Average White Band – plus some great surprises as well! The group are the stuff of legend – an overseas combo, but one with a groove so tight they were able to get plenty of play on American soul radio stations back in the 70s – and continued to live on long and strong for decades afterwards, thanks to heavy samples of their music by other generations, and a longtime love of their groove by fans of classic funk and soul! And even into the 80s, the group continued to sound great – shifting to a cool, compressed groove that made for some excellent steppers – while still sticking to the funk at their core. The box set contains all of that work, and more – all studio albums, and their double-length live set – plus a full bonus CD of mixes and rarities too. Titles include the CD debut of On The Strip – plus the albums Show Your Hand, Average White Band, Put It Where You Want It, Cut The Cake, Soul Searching, Person To Person, Benny & Us, Warmer Communications, Feel No Fret, Shine, Volume 8, Cupid's In Fashion, and Selected 12" Mixes & Rarities. 133 tracks in all – with a bonus book of images and text, including reflections on the music from the group's Hamish Stuart and Alan Gorrie. CD

A wonderful departure for Kevin Ayers – an album that's a lot lighter and more whimsical than his original fame with Soft Machine! The tunes are extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! David Bedford handled arrangements, and other players on the session include some ex-Soft Machine comrades – like Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt! Ayers' vocals are produced with a nicely compressed quality that squeezes them in alongside the instrumentation – and titles include "Joy Of A Toy Continued", "The Lady Rachel", "All This Crazy Gift Of Time", "Eleanor's Cake", and "Girl On A Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Latin funk classics – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Azteca album – a crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's got a great blend of modes – Latin soul, touches of funk, and plenty of the jazzy inflections you'd expect from a lineup that includes Coke Escovedo on timbales, Paul Jackson on bass, Lenny White on drums, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, Tom Harrell on trumpet, and Victor Pantoja on congas! Vocals are by Pete Escovedo – who brings in a heady soulful sound to the set – and the vibe is a bit like work by Malo or El Chicano, but even more jazz-based overall! Titles include "Peace Everybody", "Empty Prophet", "Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me", "Azteca", "Ah! Ah!", and "Mamita Linda". Next is Pyramid Of The Moon – a really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh. Titles include "Red Onions", "Mazatlan", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Mexicana, Mexicana", and "Love Is A Stranger". CD

The glory days of this legendary group, served up here in a double-length collection of tracks – not just the hits promised in the title, but a few overlooked gems too! The set features 18 tracks in all – and titles include "52 Girls", "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Private Idaho", "Quiche Lorraine", "Mesopotamia", "Strobe Light", "Party Out Of Bounds", "Love Shack", "Good Stuff", "Hallucinating Pluto", "Summer Of Love", "Song For A Future Generation", "Roam", "Channel Z", "Debbie", "Is That You Mo Dean", and "Deadbeat Club". LP, Vinyl record album