Featuring Mavado and Popcaan. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the greatest mainstream 70s efforts from Lee Scratch Perry – a wonderful collaboration with Jah Lion – who serves up rhymes of knowledge and wisdom over some dubby genius from Scratch himself! The album skews towards the roots side of the spectrum, but has a looser, more open vibe too – as Jah Lion (aka Jah Lloyd) really lets his words space out amidst the fantastic production – really waiting his time for the rhythms to flow, then letting his vocals come in right on the money! The whole thing is great – virtually a blueprint for the entire On-U Sound label – with titles that include "Wisdom", "Dread In A Jamdong", "Flashing Whip", "Black Lion", "Fat Man", "Black Lion", "Little Sally Dater", "Hay Fever", and "Colombia Colly". CD

One of the greatest mainstream 70s efforts from Lee Scratch Perry – a wonderful collaboration with Jah Lion – who serves up rhymes of knowledge and wisdom over some dubby genius from Scratch himself! The album skews towards the roots side of the spectrum, but has a looser, more open vibe too – as Jah Lion (aka Jah Lloyd) really lets his words space out amidst the fantastic production – really waiting his time for the rhythms to flow, then letting his vocals come in right on the money! The whole thing is great – virtually a blueprint for the entire On-U Sound label – with titles that include "Wisdom", "Dread In A Jamdong", "Flashing Whip", "Black Lion", "Fat Man", "Black Lion", "Little Sally Dater", "Hay Fever", and "Colombia Colly". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest mainstream 70s efforts from Lee Scratch Perry – a wonderful collaboration with Jah Lion – who serves up rhymes of knowledge and wisdom over some dubby genius from Scratch himself! The album skews towards the roots side of the spectrum, but has a looser, more open vibe too – as Jah Lion (aka Jah Lloyd) really lets his words space out amidst the fantastic production – really waiting his time for the rhythms to flow, then letting his vocals come in right on the money! The whole thing is great – virtually a blueprint for the entire On-U Sound label – with titles that include "Wisdom", "Dread In A Jamdong", "Flashing Whip", "Black Lion", "Fat Man", "Black Lion", "Little Sally Dater", "Hay Fever", and "Colombia Colly". LP, Vinyl record album

Roaring Lion is a singer who definitely earns his name – a strong early voice in the formation of calypso – and an artist whose early work on 78rpm discs still tops most of the later giants of the genre! The work here is an early hybrid of Island rhythms and jazz – often performed at a pulsating pace that seems perfect for the fast-spinning speed of the 78rpm single – especially given the Lion's roaring vocals, which must have sounded great coming out of the cone of a pre-electric record player! The horns add a lot to the vibrancy of the music, too – and titles include "Ugly Woman", "I Am Going To Buy A Bungalow", "J'Ouvert Barrio", "Bamsee Lambay", "Malicious Neighbours", "Fall Of Man", and "Ba Boo La La". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

We're not sure what "lion style" is, but we can definitely say that the album's heavy on dub – a darkly bubbling masterpiece with Prince Jammy at the controls – crafting his magic to grooves by a top-shelf set of Kingston musicians! Winston Wright plays lots of keyboards – organ, clavinet, and even some harpsichord – and the real energy of the rhythms come from the young Sly & Robbie – very much in their prime here, without some of those later modes when they were trying to recopy themselves for the mainstream. Chinna Smith throws in lots of riffing guitar to the echoey brilliance – and titles include "No Bride", "Jammy's In The Arena", "Black Trap", "The Big Apple", "Rough Voyage", "Uhru Express", "King Forever", "Tiger Dub" and "Mystic Feelings". LP, Vinyl record album

A roots reggae classic from the 70s – a much more obscure set than the giants of the generation by Bob Marley and Black Uhuru, but a set that's got a similar sort of righteous power – maybe even more so, given that Yabby You has the freedom of an indie label setting to get his message across! The set actually took years to put together, which you can hear in the mix of approaches that are used from track to track – material recorded at Black Ark, Dynamic, Channel One, and Harry J – which has creates a sense of variety that you'd not as likely to hear on a record of this nature at the time – although the sound is completely unified, thanks to the spirit of Yabby You's message. King Tubby handled the mixing, and creates a deep sound to match the lyrics – on titles that include "Covetous Men", "Anti Christ", "Carnal Mind", "Love Thy Neighbour", "Run Come Rally", "Jah Vengeance", and "The Man Who Does The Work". The LP edition features 10 bonus tracks – all the dubs from the album! LP, Vinyl record album

A roots reggae classic from the 70s – a much more obscure set than the giants of the generation by Bob Marley and Black Uhuru, but a set that's got a similar sort of righteous power – maybe even more so, given that Yabby You has the freedom of an indie label setting to get his message across! The set actually took years to put together, which you can hear in the mix of approaches that are used from track to track – material recorded at Black Ark, Dynamic, Channel One, and Harry J – which has creates a sense of variety that you'd not as likely to hear on a record of this nature at the time – although the sound is completely unified, thanks to the spirit of Yabby You's message. King Tubby handled the mixing, and creates a deep sound to match the lyrics – on titles that include "Covetous Men", "Anti Christ", "Carnal Mind", "Love Thy Neighbour", "Run Come Rally", "Jay Vengeance", and "The Man Who Does The Work". CD edition features 12 more bonus tracks – all the dubs from the album! CD

A hell of a record from the French scene of the early 70s – released by an artist who'd worked in the backdrop of many famous productions at the time, but who really bursts forth here with his own sort of special genius! The record is definitely a rock set, but often defies categorization, too – like some of those unique French recordings of the period, which were able to draw on so many different strands and styles at once – all without caring if they ever fell into any sort of specific genre! Instrumentation mixed acoustic guitar with freakier, fuzzier touches – and the sonic mix is sublime, with all these unusual elements percolating back and forth – really making the whole thing sound very different than anything from the Anglo world. Dominique handled most of the arrangements himself, recording at the legendary Studio Du Chateau D'Herouville, where he was in residence – and titles include "Il Est Fou", "Arrete De Rever", "Laissez Ce Reveil", "Ballade Extra Terrestre", "Icare", "Jeudi Je T'Aime", and "Ah Que C'Est Bon". LP, Vinyl record album

A cassette-only rarity from the glory days of the tape-based new age underground – but a set that's much more strongly in line with 70s masterpieces from the German electronic music pioneers! Jeff Carney plays his instrumentation live here, and in ways that are hardly meditative or relaxing – as the whole thing really takes off into the cosmos with the sorts of sounds that would have made Klaus Schulze or Edgar Froese mighty mighty proud – long-spun tunes that pulsate with all these extended lines on keyboards and organs, used with bits of effects and just a touch of sequencer – all played live, with no overdubs or tapes. Titles include "Toys", "Trip", "Safety Hazard", "Voyage Of The Filters", and "Cloud 9". 2LP set also features bonus tracks – "Earth Escape", "Quark", and "Wailing Wall". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost acid folk from the UK scene – music recorded in 1977, at a time when punk was storming the mainstream – which may be why these beautiful tunes were never issued at the time! Yet the music is wonderful – very much like some of the coolest work from the farthest reaches of the Brit underground at the start of the 70s – served up with instrumentation that includes sitar, harmonium, tabla, and more familiar elements for a group like this – with vocals delivered by a few different male singers, and one female vocalist. That aspect really gives the record a nice sense of variety – although the tunes themselves are nicely different too – some very spare and acoustic, including one that just features a lot of tabla – and others more electric and tuneful. Titles include "Wandering", "Moonrise", "Dawn", "Song Of The Morning", "Jenie's Song", and "Keep Moving" – plus the very odd "Carnmenyn", which almost has an experimental industrial vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded version of this famous series of recordings – originally issued on two different records by the Black Lion label, and expanded here with bonus material! The record's n astounding live set from Johnny Griffin – recorded at the famous Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, Dexter Gordon's famous home in the late 60s – but a place that was also a showcase for the new sort of energy that Griffin was bringing to his horn at the time! The record crackles with the kind of free energy of the best Montmartre sessions – long tracks and compelling solos, stretched-out versions of tunes you may recognize, but which are transformed nicely by Griff's great solo work – and by a rhythm section that features Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Blues For Harvey", "Indiana", "Old Folks", "You Leave Me Breathless", "Night In Tunisia", "Leave Me Alone Blues", "All The Things You Are", "The Masquerade Is Over", "Sophisticated Lady", "Hush A Bye", and "Wee". CD

An astounding live set from Johnny Griffin – recorded at the famous Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, Dexter Gordon's famous home in the late 60s – but a place that was also a showcase for the new sort of energy that Griffin was bringing to his horn at the time! The record crackles with the kind of free energy of the best Montmartre sessions – long tracks and compelling solos, stretched-out versions of tunes you may recognize, but which are transformed nicely by Griff's great solo work – and by a rhythm section that features Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Blues For Harvey", "Sophisticated Lady", "Hush A Bye", and "Wee". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic mid 40s concert from Woody Herman – with a lineup that includes Red Norvo on vibes, Bill Harris on trombone, and Flip Phillips on sax, and Sonny Berman on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

A 1974 live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival – with backing by a small group that features Buddy Tate on tenor, and either Earl Hines or Jay McShann on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Tropicalia work from Leno – a Brazilian singer who'd worked as part of a duo during the Jovem Guarda years, but who really sounds great here on his own! The style's a bit more straightforward rock than the Brazilian sound of a few years back – a bit fuzzy and compressed at times, yet still with a really strong edge, and light years from more mainstream American rock of the time. Many tracks were supposedly banned by the censors in Brazil at the time, although from today's perspective they've got a hard-rocking charm that's more innocent than anything else – a quality that makes the record ripe for rediscovery today! Lion productions have done a wonderful job with the notes and packaging (as usual!) – and titles include "Johnny McCartney", "Por Que Nao", "Lady Baby", "Deixo O Tempo Me Levar", "Peguei Uma Apolo", "Pobre Do Rei", "Sentando No Arco-Iris", and "Bis". CD

One of the most striking groups we've heard from the Chilean scene of the late 60s – a quartet who have the groovy garagey sound of their contemporaries, but also manage a darker style overall! The lyrics are in English throughout – something the band always insisted on – but sung in a weird style, and they've got this stark quality that really goes with the skittish guitar on the tunes – played in ways that are a lot less derivative than some of the other South American combos of the period – with a freshness and economic use of psych that links Los Vidrios Quebrados much more strongly to the best London groups of the post-mod years. Tunes are all originals, and pretty darn great – and titles include "Concierto En La Menor Opus 3", "Palabras Y Palabras Y", "Las Dos Caras Del Amor", "En Tu Miranda", "Oscar Wilde", and "Ficciones". CD

A legendary set from the Canadian 60s underground – a landmark record from a group who've gone onto become huge over the years with psych collectors, even though they never cracked the charts (or the US market) at the time! The set's way more than just another obscure rock release – as it's got a sharpness, tightness, and sense of songcraft that matches some of the bigger names in the US scene at the time – put together with a style that knows when to open up, but never loses itself in self-indulgence either. There's some surprisingly strong harmonies throughout the tunes – which often have a fuzzy, rollicking edge, but without losing sight of the sunny groove – and titles include "Epistle To Paradise", "Shadows Of Your Mind", "Art's A Happy Man", "Bridge Under A Sky", the epic centerpiece "You Don't Care", "Face Behind The Sun", "Dainty General Rides", and "Civilization Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early work from Please – aka Peter Dunton, who went onto more famous underground activity in the seminal jazz psych group T2! The music here shares a lot of the melodic qualities of that great group – music that's certainly rock, but which borrows freely from some of the hipper jazz styles of the time – especially modal jazz, which seems to influence the rhythms amidst the acoustic guitar and vocals! Most of the tracks are relatively spare, but have a full sort of energy because of this influence – and a few of the demo tracks are maybe straighter folk/rock, but still have a really wonderful sound. Titles include "One More Chance", "Said & Done", "Eternity", "Gently As You Feel", "To Dream", "Don't Mind Me", "Circus Man", "Silent Falling", "Lord Of Misrule", and "Nothing's What It Seems". CD

A very groovy record from a very unique band – a homegrown set by an obscure Pennsylvania combo from the 70s – a group who were equally schooled in jazz fusion and progressive rock! Probe 10 are a rock group at their core, but they've also drank heavily from the brew of 70s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever, and electric Miles Davis – and use all those elements to forge these really creative explorations in music – tracks that stretch out with some great lines on Fender Rhodes, and also feature solos on trumpet, flute, and guitar – mixed with vocals that are sometimes surprisingly poetic. The best passages are instrumental – and these guys definitely have a King Crimson inspiration, too, although maybe without the chops – and titles include "There Is A Universe", "Invasion Of The Mallandroids", "Intergalactic Crossfire", "To Improvise A Dream", and "Galaxy Five". CD features 5 more bonus tracks – including "The Playing Of The Game (parts 1 & 2)" and "Enchanted Mountain (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A very heady set of contemporary psych – music that's as trippy as it is meditative – and which almost feels like some sort of collaboration between Iasos and Spacemen 3! There's vocals on the record, but they're very muted – and most of the focus is on longform guitar lines, mixed with some really nice flute – and occasional bits of sitar, which are a nice surprise, and really help flavor the sound with the flute! Plastic Crimewave is in the group, and the whole thing's got a vibe that's similar to some of his recent project – on an album that features four long songs – "Celestial Omen", "Tragique Mechanique", "Machine D", and "Pendlewitches". LP, Vinyl record album

A very heady set of contemporary psych – music that's as trippy as it is meditative – and which almost feels like some sort of collaboration between Iasos and Spacemen 3! There's vocals on the record, but they're very muted – and most of the focus is on longform guitar lines, mixed with some really nice flute – and occasional bits of sitar, which are a nice surprise, and really help flavor the sound with the flute! Plastic Crimewave is in the group, and the whole thing's got a vibe that's similar to some of his recent project – on an album that features four long songs – "Celestial Omen", "Tragique Mechanique", "Machine D", and "Pendlewitches". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy drums – in a prog/fusion blend! CD

An excellent album of spare percussion tracks – served up by Jorge Trasante, who'd later rise to fame in the Gypsy Kings – but who here is working as a young percussionist with a great love of South American rhythms! As the title implies, the set is an exploration of the roots of his native Uruguay – and Trasante plays a variety of different instruments, in a variety of different modes – with a result that puts the record very strongly in a tradition of spare percussion sets that might include the classic Drums & Chants record by Mongo Santamaria, or some of the famous albums on the Latin Percussion label in the 70s! Titles include "Candombe De La Calle Cuareim", "Afro", "Candombe Calle Ansina", "Murga", "Zamba", "Tango", and "Malambo". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure bit of Christian rock from the Seattle scene at the start of the 70s – but a record that's got a lot more to offer than just that unusual pedigree! Don't think "Jesus rock", think instead of some of the more laidback, open-minded singer/songwriter material of the Bay Area scene – especially Marin County, with its elements of rootsy instrumentation and warmly collaborative spirit in the musicianship – a perfect fit for the gently spiritual messages of Wilson McKinley, which are mostly aimed at living a good life with a clear conscience. Production is lean, but in a great way – and the strength of the music's spirit comes through wonderfully on cuts that include "Crown Of Glory", "All My Life", "Tree Of Life", "One In The Spirit", and "It's Up To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool collection of unusual cumbia cuts from 70s Peru – music that definitely earns the psychedelic tag promised in the title, given its heavy use of electric guitars and trippy production! The style here is different than more familiar cumbia from Colombia – rooted in the rhythmic approach, but taken to really new territory by the artists on the set – some of whom were likely garage and psych combos, able to turn their style towards the new groove of the time! Many of the tracks are instrumentals – which furthers their unusual feel, as the vibe is almost like some unusual Latin take on surf music – and titles include "La Negrita" by Los Blancaguay, "Bongocero" by Los Telstars, "Sueno Magico" by The Black Cats, "Soul Finger" by Los Escaramujos, "Marihuana" by Los Darlings De Huanuco, "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" by Santanita, "Cuarto Oscuro" by Los Zheros, and "Las Oleadas" by Ranil Y Su Conjunto. LP, Vinyl record album

Two incredibly groovy records that will completely redefine your expectations for religious music – both put together by the Rev Nick Freund! Montgomery Chapel is an incredibly dark album that's way more acid folk than anything else – recorded by a group named The Search Party, and served up with spare acoustic guitar, trippy electric, and this etherel organ that really makes the whole thing feel like an acid trip right from the start – as do the lyrics, which are often sung by a female singer who sounds like Grace Slick really trying to push even farther past the darkness of "White Rabbit"! A few tunes are upbeat, but most are very slow and sad – almost Wicker Man in mood – with titles that include "The News Is You", "All But This", "Renee Child", "Speak To Me", "When He Calls", and "The Decidedly Short Epic Of Mr Alvira". The second album is titled after a creepy line from the Bible – Each One Heard In His Own Language About The Marvels Of God – quoted later by Aphrodite's Child on their 666 album, and presented here at the start of the record by the St Pius X Seminary Choir, in ways that oddly have the same sort of eerie undercurrents! The set's more of a straight vocal affair, but with plenty of folksy undertones – and there's also an undeniable sense of darkness that completely undercuts any brighter spirit of faith. Titles include "Who is This Man", "Get Together", "Come Children Hear Me", and "Mass For The Secular City". 2CD set features great notes, in the usual Lion style – plus a dozen more bonus tracks too! CD

A pair of rare late albums from Bud Powell – back to back in a single set! Strictly Confidential is a really unusual set of recordings from pianist Bud Powell – tracks recorded in his overseas home, solo – a setting that puts the keyboard magic of Powell in a similar sound to that of Art Tatum, who'd recorded in such a way the decade before! At some level, these might be the most compelling recordings that Bud made at the time – as there's an intimacy that's wonderful, and an inherent swing that makes you realize how much Powell was always driving the group – even when he was working with top-shelf drummers and bassists. Plus, the solo mode maybe also opens up a current of humanity past the Bud's skills on the keys – which makes the whole record all that much more powerful. Titles include "Deep Night", "Strictly Confidental", "Wahoo", "Deep Inside", "My Devotion", "Conception", and "Ruby My Dear". Essen Jazz Festival All Stars is a great recording from the 1960 Essen Jazz Festival in Germany – one that has bassist Oscar Pettiford playing with Bud Powell and drummer Kenny Clarke (all of whom were living abroad at the time), and being joined by Coleman Hawkins on a few tracks. On the trio sides, although Powell's strong piano is out front, Pettiford still gets a lot of room to solo in warm round swells. The Hawk sides are our favorites, though, because we love the great tenor player at this point in his career, when he was playing in a way that was deceptively easy, but which was filled with all of these incredible surprises. The tracks on this LP are no exception, and the Hawk flies high high high on "All The Things You Are", "Yesterdays", and "Stuffy". CD

One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

American soul, recorded in France – some of the first work of the 60s by singer Nancy Holloway, who'd made a key relocation to Paris at the time! Much of this work is a cross between pop and soul – with strong influences from the New York Brill Building scene of the time, but also some of the more playful production modes used in France's "yeh yeh" pop! Rhythms are often nicely syncopated, and even a full brace of strings can't stop them from grooving nicely – and some of our favorite tunes even have a bit of organ in the mix as well. The set features some of Nancy's earliest work on record – 21 titles at all, some originals, some from US rock sources – with titles that include "Hey Pony", "T'En Vas Pas Comme Ca", "Douce Violence", "La Lecon De Twist", "Croque Croque La Pomme", "Fich Le Camp Jack", "Tu Ne Sais Pas", "Venez Les Copains", "Le Lion Est Mort Ce Soir", and "Les Barbouses". CD

A really stunning set from Il Balletto Di Bronzo – a group who clearly have the instrumental chops to take off in a proggish way, but really keep things interesting here by staying in a grittier, more straightforward groove! The power of the drums and guitars is wonderful – almost funk rock at times, but with a slight bit more drama – which may well come from the dynamic lyrics sung in Italian! There's a focus and a punch to the record that really makes it stand out from the rest of the Italian scene at the time – a no-nonsense quality that seems more influenced by the American underground than some of the Anglo influences that were guiding most of the other groups. Were the set in English, and recorded on the Sunset Strip in 1968, it would have become a worldwide classic – yet the obscurity is what makes the album even more charming – a rich discovery all these many years later. Titles include "Neve Calda", "Girotondo", "Incantesimo", "Missione Sirio 2222", "Un Posto", and "Eh Eh Ah Ah". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to the music of Eden Ahbez – the original "nature boy" himself, and a mystical west coast composer who was to the LA scene what Moondog was to New York! The songs here come from unrecorded sheet music left behind by Eden – songs composed in the early 60s, when he was stretching out even more than his postwar years of momentary fame – performed here by the group Ixtahuele, who use some of the home-made percussion instruments and flutes that Ahbez created himself! There's a very dreamy vibe to the whole thing – postwar exotica filtered though a more contemporary appreciation – but all without any sort of cheesy retro modes at all – instead, music that's very faithful to the Ahbez inspiration, yet never slavish either. Titles include "Dharma Man", "The Lion & The Fox", "Bwawto", "Fire Of The Soul", "The King & Queen Of Waters", and "Grapevine". CD

A beautiful tribute to the music of Eden Ahbez – the original "nature boy" himself, and a mystical west coast composer who was to the LA scene what Moondog was to New York! The songs here come from unrecorded sheet music left behind by Eden – songs composed in the early 60s, when he was stretching out even more than his postwar years of momentary fame – performed here by the group Ixtahuele, who use some of the home-made percussion instruments and flutes that Ahbez created himself! There's a very dreamy vibe to the whole thing – postwar exotica filtered though a more contemporary appreciation – but all without any sort of cheesy retro modes at all – instead, music that's very faithful to the Ahbez inspiration, yet never slavish either. Titles include "Dharma Man", "The Lion & The Fox", "Bwawto", "Fire Of The Soul", "The King & Queen Of Waters", and "Grapevine". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever full length global collection of material by one of the funkiest cats working the Ethiopian scene in the early 70s – an artist who works here in a mode that's even more hard-hitting and funk based than contemporaries like Mulatu or Mahmoud Ahmed! The band on most tracks is the Black Lion Band, who've clearly learned the best modes of the James Brown Band of the late 60s – with riffing guitars and horn blasts that are right on the rhythms – moving, grooving, doing it to the max – while Ayalew Mesfin sings in these wonderfully-inflected vocals that are pure Ethio soul all the way through, and also provides some great lines on organs and keyboards! The set brings together cuts from a host of rare funky 45s – most lost to the sands of time after Ayalew had to go underground after the Ethiopian governmental change in 1974. Titles include "Hasabe", "Wubeet", "Yewefe Ber Abeba", "Sak Sak Beyelegni", "Gubeleye", "Endet Liyesh", "Tezetash Rekik", and "Ewedish Neber". CD

An undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". CD

One of those great "never was" Blue Note sessions – recorded in the 60s, but never issued until years later – even though the label had assigned it a cover, title, and catalog number! The album was the last session by baritone sax player Leo Parker – a bop and R&B legend who sadly passed along at the young age of 36, but left a really rich legacy of music. Parker has a way with the baritone that's almost as lean as a tenorist – blowing the horn with sharp, well-placed notes that really make this session cook – somewhere in the R&B-influenced territory of Don Wilkerson's work on Blue Note. Other players include the great Dave Burns on trumpet – always a welcome presence on any date – plus Bill Swindell on tenor sax, Johnny Acea on piano, Al Lucas or Stan Conover on bass, and Wilbert Hogan or Purnell Rice on drums. Tracks include "The Lion's Roar", "Rollin With Leo", "Jumpin Leo", "Talkin The Blues", "Mad Lad Returns", and Illinois Jacquet's "Music Hall Beat". CD

Brilliant early work from Lee Perry & The Upsetters – and an album that already shows that Perry's got a fantastic production style firmly in place! The rhythms are great – the kind of laidback, bad-stepping grooves you'd expect from The Upsetters – but there's also a special finish to the album, as Lee works the studio knobs with some subtle tricks to make the tunes explode with strange sonic elements – never in a way that gets in the way of the vocals, when they're important – but always enough to augment the record in really thrilling ways. Titles include "Kentucky Shank", "In The Iaah", "Jungle Lion", "Hail Stones", "Ironside", "Soul Man", and "Cold Weather" by The Upsetters – plus "Stick Together" and "Double Six" by U Roy, "We Are Neighbours" and "Just Enough" by David Isaacs, and "High Fashion" by I Roy. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary set from the Canadian 60s underground – a landmark record from a group who've gone onto become huge over the years with psych collectors, even though they never cracked the charts (or the US market) at the time! The set's way more than just another obscure rock release – as it's got a sharpness, tightness, and sense of songcraft that matches some of the bigger names in the US scene at the time – put together with a style that knows when to open up, but never loses itself in self-indulgence either. There's some surprisingly strong harmonies throughout the tunes – which often have a fuzzy, rollicking edge, but without losing sight of the sunny groove – and titles include "Epistle To Paradise", "Shadows Of Your Mind", "Art's A Happy Man", "Bridge Under A Sky", the epic centerpiece "You Don't Care", "Face Behind The Sun", "Dainty General Rides", and "Civilization Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

Iggy Pop may have left The Stooges behind, but he's lost none of his edge – and really finds a new level of solo greatness on this sublime classic from the 70s! The set was produced by David Bowie, who also plays piano on the set – and has Carlos Alamar adding in some guitar – and the overall sound has that raw Berlin mode you might find on some of he headiest tracks on Heroes – kind of "Joe The Lion" meets the gritty truth of Iggy's Detroit! The title cut is maybe the best-known Iggy Pop tune ever – used in countless films and commercials – but the whole thing's great, and a brilliant new focus for Mr Pop's genius. Titles include "Lust For Life", "The Passenger", "Some Weird Sin", "Neighborhood Threat", "Success", "Fall In Love With Me", and "Turn Blue". CD

While he may be most well known for his Dee Jay skills, Tappa Zukie's true talent was as producer, as showcased by this set combining 2 of his best sets, issued here for the first time on CD, with dubs and 12" mixes on many of the tracks. Prince Alla's rough voice may lack the polish of many of the singers that went on to become more well know, but there's an honesty and simplicity in his approach that complements these tracks nicely, while Junior Ross, who worked most often with Alla, has a smoother style that sits nicely next to his tracks on this comp. First rate roots rhythms drive these numbers, another fine addition to the already hefty catalog of classic Jamaican reissues from Blood & Fire, and as with other releases for the label, this one's replete with photos and notes. 24 tracks on 2 CDs, including "Bosrah (extended)", "Go Down In Silence", "Heaven Is My Roof", "Daniel In The Lion's Den (12" mix)", "Black Man (12" mix)", "Jah Jah Bird", "Just One Way", "Man From Zion", "Bow Down babylon (12" mix)", "You Can't Run", "Rough Way Ahead", "Freedom Fe Natty" and "Hold Them Prophecy (extended)". CD

An all new effort from legendary avant jazz drummer Steve Reid & company – one that mixes his compelling heaviness with some groovy experimental electronics – courtesy of Kieren Hebden (Fourtet)! We'll come right out with the blunt honesty and tell you that a Steve Reid/Fourtet collaboration didn't sound to us like the most appealing joint effort in the world – and we were dead wrong. This is a wonderful album! Hebden is simply one of the ensemble here, adding occasional pulsing lines, synthy tones, and wavy effects without burden – melding with a muscular core of soul jazz and jazz funk improvisers in far more natural groove than we anticipated. Another stunner for Soul Jazz! Players include Boris Netvetaev on keys, John Edwards on bass, Chuck Henderson on soprano sax, Nathaniel Catchpole on tenor sax, Neil Kleiner on tenor and percussion, and Tony Bevan on bass saxophone. Tracks include "Lugano", "Drum Story", "Bridget", "For Coltrane", "Blind Tom", "Which One?", "Lion's Of Juda", "It Cannot Be True" and "Unity". (Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, July 17. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, July 17. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on July 17 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A great new showcase for the legendary keyboard work of Doug Carn – and a set that's very different both from his famous albums for the Black Jazz label, and some of his organ jazz records in more recent years too! The set's maybe got a more pronounced influence from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad than some of the others in this series – as Carn's Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes still get center stage, but the grooves are very much in the heavy funk style of Younge's legacy of recent recordings – sharp drums, strong basslines, and horns that are sometimes jazzy, sometimes seemingly touched by currents of Ethiopian work from the past. All tracks are originals, and titles include "Processions", "Dimensions", "Windfall", "Down Deep", "Freedom At Sunset", "Nunca Um Malandro", and "Lion's Walk". CD

A great new showcase for the legendary keyboard work of Doug Carn – and a set that's very different both from his famous albums for the Black Jazz label, and some of his organ jazz records in more recent years too! The set's maybe got a more pronounced influence from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad than some of the others in this series – as Carn's Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes still get center stage, but the grooves are very much in the heavy funk style of Younge's legacy of recent recordings – sharp drums, strong basslines, and horns that are sometimes jazzy, sometimes seemingly touched by currents of Ethiopian work from the past. All tracks are originals, and titles include "Processions", "Dimensions", "Windfall", "Down Deep", "Freedom At Sunset", "Nunca Um Malandro", and "Lion's Walk". CD

A great double header from Honest Jons – a 2CD set that brings together volumes 7 and 8 of their London Is The Place For Me series! Volume 7 is first – a fascinating look at musical modes in London during the big years of postwar immigration – a time when former residents of the crumbling British Empire were flooding to London for jobs and a better way of life – often bringing along a huge amount of cultural experience in the process! This set follows wonderfully in the spirit of previous volumes of the series – bringing together a range of different sonic styles that were originally recorded in London as 78rpm singles – where a new wave of Caribbean and West African immigrants were fusing older styles with a newly modern sensibility, and often a fair bit of jazz as well! The set list is wonderful – a great array of well-chosen material – and titles include "Wa Sise" by Willie Payne & The Starlite Tempos, "The Emperor Of Africa" by The Mighty Terror, "Royal Wedding" by The Lion, "Modern Telephone" by Dai Dai Simba, "Sons & Daughters Of Africa" by Lord Beginner, "Caroline" by Trinidad Steel Band, "Ema Foju Ana Woku" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Kana Kana" by Billy Sholanke, "Boul Ve Se" by Calypso Rhythm Kings, and "My Handy Man" by Marie Bryant. Volume 8 features a huge collection of work from the great Lord Kitchener – maybe one of the most important singers to move the music of the Caribbean to British shores during the postwar years – a time when he was a strong voice to new waves of immigrants arriving in London, and when he was also making a lot of inroads for criss-crossing post-colonial culture too! The base style is calypso, but Kitchener always handles the music with a spirit that's all his own – modern, witty, and urbane – often with some nice currents of jazz in the instrumentation, and plenty of social commentary that made music like this a great precursor to later righteous moments in jazz, funk, soul, and reggae. Titles include "No More Taxi", "Food From The West Indies", "Come Back In The Morning", "Pirates Of Paria", "Drink A Rum", "If You Brown", "Life Begins At Forty", "Mistress Jacob", "Africa My Home", "Kitch In The Jungle", "Tie Tongue Mopsie", and "London Is The Place For Me". CD

A really compelling blend of sounds – and a set that's billed as a hip hop album, but which is way way more than that – more a wonderful hybrid of global styles, all wrapped up with the crispness of the contemporary Brazilian underground! The set begins with a number that's straight out Afro Funk, the rolls into tracks that really run the gamut – a hip hop number or two, other African styles, and most especially, some of those cool genre-defying moments that we've really come to love from Brazil in recent years. Criolo's vocals are wonderful, especially when he's singing – with a warmth that takes us back to singers of the samba soul generation – and titles include "Bogota", "Mario", "Subirusdoistiozin", "Linha De Frente", "Lion Man", "Sucrilhos", and "Samba Sambei". CD

A beautiful tribute to the music of Eden Ahbez – the original "nature boy" himself, and a mystical west coast composer who was to the LA scene what Moondog was to New York! The songs here come from unrecorded sheet music left behind by Eden – songs composed in the early 60s, when he was stretching out even more than his postwar years of momentary fame – performed here by the group Ixtahuele, who use some of the home-made percussion instruments and flutes that Ahbez created himself! There's a very dreamy vibe to the whole thing – postwar exotica filtered though a more contemporary appreciation – but all without any sort of cheesy retro modes at all – instead, music that's very faithful to the Ahbez inspiration, yet never slavish either. Titles include "Dharma Man", "The Lion & The Fox", "Bwawto", "Fire Of The Soul", "The King & Queen Of Waters", and "Grapevine". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever full length global collection of material by one of the funkiest cats working the Ethiopian scene in the early 70s – an artist who works here in a mode that's even more hard-hitting and funk based than contemporaries like Mulatu or Mahmoud Ahmed! The band on most tracks is the Black Lion Band, who've clearly learned the best modes of the James Brown Band of the late 60s – with riffing guitars and horn blasts that are right on the rhythms – moving, grooving, doing it to the max – while Ayalew Mesfin sings in these wonderfully-inflected vocals that are pure Ethio soul all the way through, and also provides some great lines on organs and keyboards! The set brings together cuts from a host of rare funky 45s – most lost to the sands of time after Ayalew had to go underground after the Ethiopian governmental change in 1974. Titles include "Hasabe", "Wubeet", "Yewefe Ber Abeba", "Sak Sak Beyelegni", "Gubeleye", "Endet Liyesh", "Tezetash Rekik", and "Ewedish Neber". CD

An undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great collection of tracks from three important early albums from Robbie Basho – all issued on Takoma Records, under the guidance of John Fahey – an early champion of Basho, who was an artist who was every bit a revolutionary acoustic player as his mentor! Basho a guitarist who's often known as a contemporary of John Fahey – but one that we might well put in an entirely different class altogether! The music here is mostly solo guitar – on 12-string and standard acoustic guitar – and Basho has this sublime way of spinning out these long, almost modal lines – clearly inspired a bit by Indian music, given his comments in the notes – but with a result that's very much his own, and which has this sonic sensibility that's years ahead of his time! If you dig Fahey or Sandy Bull, you'll find plenty to dig here too – but there's also elements of Basho's late 60s performance that wouldn't turn up until decades later in the playing and phrasing of others. There's a bit of vocalization on a few numbers – a strange style that's less singing than channeling the planet – and titles include "The Falconer's Arm", "Lost Lagoon Suite", "Song Of The Snowy Ranges", "Pasha", "The Haji", "Khatum", and "Pavan Hindustan". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records to come from the TK Records Miami soul empire of the 70s – and one of the few that was ever issued on their tiny Good Sounds subsidiary! We know little about the group, but the approach here is great – kind of all the strengths of the usual TK/Criteria Studios groove, but taken to a sharper, tighter edge – with maybe less of the obvious try for commercial crossover that some of the label's other material might have. The tunes are a mix of uptempo grooves and mellower soul, and mostly avoid the more standard disco approaches of the time – which leaves these guys to stand out almost like they've emerged from the funky 45 scene with a bunch of great tracks, only to disappear in the shifting sands of time! Titles include "Get In The Groove", "I Like Whatcha' Doin", "Our Love", "Money Don't Grow On Trees", and "Love's Sweet Notions". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features a long list of guest musicians including Roy Hargrove, Jon Hendricks, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and George Shearing. CD

Features Eric Weissberg and Deliverance. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning funky soul by California Playboys – a heck of a record that should have made the Playboys a huge combo at the time! It's a shame the group didn't become millionaires – but the obscurity of the record is maybe also one of its charms – the kind of small label set that never fully got its due at the time, but which is ripe for rediscovery all these many years later! The California Playboys were together for a number of years – forming as a backing band for singer Lester Young (not the sax player), doing session work for others, and otherwise developing their skills for years – all of which really comes through here in their sharp-edged instrumentation, which sounds even sharper in the 70s indie-level production for the album. The killer title tune sounds like it could (and should!) be the namesake tune of a funky mid 70s soundtrack – as it's really got a perfect cinematic soul vibe, ala Bobby Womack and Marvin Gaye – though in a tighter, smaller combo setting. Most tunes start with vocals and end with long instrumental riffing – and titles include"Double Love", "She's A Real Sweet Woman", "Just Say A Four Letter Word", "I've Got To Find Myself Another Girl", and "Turned On For Good". CD

Appears to be a custom acetate. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

(Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, July 17. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, July 17. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on July 17 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Avant percussion heroes Greg Fox and Kid Millions team up as the Fox Millions Duo! Biting Through is bigger sounding than a lot of the experimental instrumental or post-post rock out there, with a driving drum sound and thick layers of synth in both the heavier and more frenetic moments, and the more methodically paced, looser moments – even in the sparest passages the atmosphere is thick. Sharp stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Joey DeFrancesco on organ. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Featuring Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, Stan Getz, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Lionel Hampton in two modes – first in a trio with Teddy Wilson on piano and Gene Krupa on drums – then with his larger group that features Eddie Chamblee on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album