The only "west" these guys have gone is the West Village – the home of their aesthetic, and a post-Stonewall playground that was getting very firmly noticed by the mainstream by this point! The album's their last big one for Casablanca – and features arrangements from Horace Ott, who gives the record a surprisingly soulful core in the grooves – something that's also enforced by the production at the New York branch of Sigma Sound! Titles include the massive hit "In The Navy", plus the tracks "Go West", "Citizens Of The World", "I Wanna Shake Your Hand", "Manhattan Woman", and "Get Away Holiday". CD

The only "west" these guys have gone is the West Village – the home of their aesthetic, and a post-Stonewall playground that was getting very firmly noticed by the mainstream by this point! The album's their last big one for Casablanca – and features arrangements from Horace Ott, who gives the record a surprisingly soulful core in the grooves – something that's also enforced by the production at the New York branch of Sigma Sound! Titles include the massive hit "In The Navy", plus the tracks "Go West", "Citizens Of The World", "I Wanna Shake Your Hand", "Manhattan Woman", and "Get Away Holiday". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

The debut of a legend – and a record that, we hate to admit it, must have actually had some political and cultural punch at the time – especially as the group had yet to go onto super-stardom, and were here stepping out with a butch camp, all-gay style that still had some power in the immediate post-Stonewall years. The approach here is similar to their later hits, but also nicely grounded in the standard disco mode of the time – thanks to some vocal arrangements from Phil Hurtt, and soulful string and horn backings from Horace Ott. Tracks are long, and as gay as you'd expect – but it's also not like the group's making fun of themselves as much yet either. Titles include "Fire Island", "Village People", "San Francisco", and "In Hollywood". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from People Under The Stairs – a record that not only stands as some of their strongest work on wax, but which undeniably helped a lot of the west coast find a way forward after too many years stuck in the shadow of thuggish posturing! The set bristles with the kind of inventive production and lyricism that would unfold on the west coast in years to come – upbeat and positive at points, but without ever sounding weak, commercial, or watered down. The balance is key – and is what makes the record endure so strongly as the years go on – and tracks include "The Suite For Beaver parts 1 & 2", "OST(Original Soundtrack)", "Tales Of Kidd Drunkadelic", "Keepin It Live", "Empty Bottles Of Water", "The Outrage", "The Hang Loose", "The Double K Show", "Montego Slay", "8 Is Enuff", "The L.A. Song", "Acid Raindrops", "The Joyride", "The Breakdown", "The Dig", and "The Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent double-length set from Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – an extremely righteous ensemble that was one of the hippest things going on the LA jazz scene of the 70s! The vibe is free and spiritual, but it also has a wonderful groove pulsating underneath many of the tracks – that heir to the Impulse Records style that Tapscott and other Nimbus Records artists carried on well into the early 80s. The group here features some of Tapscott's Nimbus labelmates – including Sabir Matteen and Billy Harris on tenor saxes, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, Roberto Miranda on bass, and Jesse Sharps on soprano sax – and in a way, the album's almost a live summation of all the mighty talents brewing on the Nimbus label at the time! Tracks are all quite long, and titles include a great version of Sebastian's "Desert Fairy Princess", plus "Macrame", "Future Sally's Time", "Noissessprahs", "Village Dance", "LTT", and "Lift Every Voice". CD

A pair of great albums from the overlooked Ars Nova – back to back in a single set! First up is the 1968 self-titled Ars Nova – a wonderful little set of post-folk rock – with lots of lovely baroque touches! Ars Nova were really short-lived group – known for only two rare records – but they've got a sound that perfectly sums up a generation! There's a wonderful LA late 60s sound here – somewhere between Love and The Byrds, with the baroque touches of the former and the best country influences of the latter – all wrapped up in earnest, honest songwriting that makes even the ambitious moments come across with surprising charm. A true lost relic, and the kind of record that should be in any late 60s cannon! Titles include "Album In Your Mind", "Pavan For My Lady", "General Clover Ends A War", "And How Am I To Know", "Fields Of People", "Automatic Love", and "Song To The City". Sunshine & Shadows is the second tripped-out set from Ars Nova – an under-remembered late 60s group who had a great talent for blending together a range of different styles! At some level, Ars Nova share qualities with some of the harder-jamming groups of their time – but they've also got a sound that expands to bring in folk, blues, jazz, and more baroque elements – played by the group with a lineup that includes some nice work on trumpet by Jimmy Owens, who at this point was a core member of the combo. Brooks Arthur handled the overall music direction, with a quality that recalls some of his work on Verve – and the album features the wonderful bossa-styled groover "Walk On The Sand", a romping soul jazz take on Jimmy Owens' "You Had Better Listen", and the cuts "Rubbish", "Please Don't Go Now", "Temporary Serenade", "She Promises Everything", and "Round Once Again". CD

Like the other Art Ensemble record on Nessa, Les Stances A Sophie, this one was recorded in France on the beautiful July 7, 1969 during one of the most fruitful periods for the group. Unlike that one, though, this one is a very different recording musically. The LP features one long track, the title cut, and the music is very spare, with lots of nice isolated bass work, horn solos, and percussion. The group here is a quartet that features Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Lester Bowie, and Malachi Favors. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent heavy funk from Stax! Black Nasty were one of the heaviest groups on the label – with a rock-solid guitar-based groove that went even farther than the Bar-Kays, who were no slouch in the guitar department themselves! The grooves are all slow to midtempo, with the band coming down hard on the downbeats, jamming away in a style that sounds more like heavy Detroit Westbound than sweetly soulful Memphis. Most all cuts have vocals – sung in a shouting style by the band that works well with the tripped-out hooks of the songs. This was the only album the band ever cut, but it's become a fast favorite among those who like their funk raw. Tracks include "We're Doin Our Thing", "Rushin Sea", "Booger The Hooker", "Black Nasty Boogie", "Nasty Soul", and "Getting Funky Round Here". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A righteous early 70s set from Ray Charles – and a record with a much deeper vibe than you might guess from the image of Ray and some kids on the cover! Arrangements were handled by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller, and Mike Post – and the record is kind of a 70s take on the fuller modes that Charles explored for ABC during the 60s – moved into more contemporary territory with some sweet Fender Rhodes, full strings, and a funky undercurrent in some of the rhythms – never too forced or over the top, but in ways that makes some of the tunes sly steppers that work great with Charles' aging vocals. Titles include "Abraham Martin & John", "Heaven Help Us All", "There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One", "Hey Mister", "Lift Every Voice & Sing", "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", and "What Have They Done To My Song Ma". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the 70s greatest groups! The band had always been great at love songs and uptempo numbers – but this record has them moving into more righteous area, picking up on some of the more socially conscious soul of their generation that had been working its way up the charts. The album features excellent production by Chi-Lite Eugene Record, who also wrote a lot of the material – plus arrangements by Tom Tom and Sonny Sanders. Great stuff all around, with the righteous social tunes "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to The People", "Trouble's A Comin", and "We Are Neighbors" – plus classic love songs "Have You Seen Her" and "Love Uprising", which are still kind of the band's strongest point. Loads more great stuff on this one, the album that helped the second wave of Chicago soul break out into the international market! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A more spiritual soul-based setting than usual for the talents of Nicola Conte – a long-awaited full length set, served up after a host of 12" single collaborations with Gianluca Petrella! Petrella's presence is felt in the way the tunes unfold – often with strong contributions from contemporary soul styles, and vocals on most numbers – although the longstanding quality that Conte brings can definitely be heard in the jazzier elements, and the record's great way of mixing older roots with a forward-thinking spirit! Vocals are by singers Debo Ray, Carolina Bubbico, Bridgette Amofah, and Raashan Amad – sounding great over strong use of percussion, Fender Rhodes, and jazzy instrumentation. Titles include "Nigeria", "Imani River", "The Higher Love", "Mother Of The Earth", "Tribes", "African Spirits", and "Inner Light". CD

A more spiritual soul-based setting than usual for the talents of Nicola Conte – a long-awaited full length set, served up after a host of 12" single collaborations with Gianluca Petrella! Petrella's presence is felt in the way the tunes unfold – often with strong contributions from contemporary soul styles, and vocals on most numbers – although the longstanding quality that Conte brings can definitely be heard in the jazzier elements, and the record's great way of mixing older roots with a forward-thinking spirit! Vocals are by singers Debo Ray, Carolina Bubbico, Bridgette Amofah, and Raashan Amad – sounding great over strong use of percussion, Fender Rhodes, and jazzy instrumentation. Titles include "Nigeria", "Imani River", "The Higher Love", "Mother Of The Earth", "Tribes", "African Spirits", and "Inner Light". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy Brazilian drummer Paulinho Da Costa lays down a set of tight fusion cuts recorded in the U.S., along with folks like Larry Carlton, James Gadson, and Philip Bailey. There's vocals on about half the tracks, and the sound is sort of LA studio fusion from the 70's, with a nice bit of Brazil thrown in. Tracks include "Happy People", "Deja Vu", and "Dream Flow". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Really nice work from The Four Tops – proof that they were still going quite quite strong after Motown! The album's got a hip sound that shows the group moving through a wider range of emotions than we ever remember – crafting rich deep harmonies that still stand apart from the big wave of sweet soul quartets of the early 70s, and which sparkle with all the emotion that Levi Stubbs' voice had to offer. Includes their great theme to Shaft In Africa, the track "Are You Man Enough" – plus loads of other great ones like "I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind", "It Won't Be The First Time", "Sweet Understanding Love", "Too Little, Too Late", "Peace Of Mind", and "Main Street People". LP, Vinyl record album

Sunny wonderfulness from one of the grooviest vocal groups of all time! This is Free Design's legendary album for children – referred to in the title as "very important people" – and it's a strangely hip set of tracks designed to get the kids to open up in a groovy late 60s kind of way. Given that the Free Design always sounded like a bunch of hippy kids, the setting is perfect for them – and they dreamily make their way through a great set of nearly all original tracks that sparkle with an innocent charm that's slyly deeper than you'd guess from the kid-orientation of the set! Original titles include "Love You", "Kites Are Fun", "Daniel Dolphin", "Ronda 'Go Round", "Bubbles", "Little Cowboy", and "Scarlet Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked 70s work from Jimmy Giuffre – a hip trio session that has all the free elements of his earlier recordings, but possibly an even greater focus on tone! Jimmy plays a range of reeds here – tenor, clarinet, and flute – and he works with bass and drum accompaniment, but often in a really gentle way that allows his own solo energy to dictate the tunes – coming out in space that's boldly soulful on the tenor, yet more fragile and intimate on the flute – kind of a cross between more expressive avant work and some of the more spiritual tones of the time. The tenor tunes are especially great – kind of opening a new chapter for Giuffre's career – and titles include "The Bird", "Mosquito Dance", "The Chanting", "The Butterfly", "Dervish", "Phoenix", and "Night Dance". CD

Features Anthony Braxton, Boulou Ferre on guitar, Jeanne Lee on vocals, Arjen Gorter on bass, Steve McCall on drums, Willem V Mannen, Jack & Maxim Gregg, Pierre Courbois and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Dylan Hayes on keyboards – with Martin Budde on guitar, Santosh Sharma on tenor, and Jay Thomas on trumpet! CD

A classic bit of southern funky rock from Roy Head – an artist who's in the same territory here as Tony Joe White on his early albums for Monument! Like Tony on those gems, Roy's got a heavy dose of soul in his music – produced to perfection by Huey P Meaux, who was handling plenty of work from the deeper side of the southern spectrum at the time, and who makes Head sound fantastic here with a vibe that's kind of in a Texas-meets-Muscle Shoals sort of style! There's a great core group – heavy on organ, riffing guitar, and a tight team of trumpet and tenor – and the heavy drums on the set make it super nice and funky! Sampled by Tribe Called Quest, Lord Finesse, and others – and with the cuts "Soul Train", "Neighbor Neighbor", "Don't Want To Make It Too Funky", "Trying To Reach My Goal", "Same People", "Mama Mama", "Driving Wheel", and the break-heavy "Double Your Satisfaction". LP, Vinyl record album

The future of jazz is now, even if it's in the past – as the editors here bring together a selection of essays that document the forward-thinking movements in jazz from the mid 60s onwards – some of which are only getting full appreciation all these many years later! There's a nice variety of subjects from an equally nice variety of writers – and essays include "Jeanne Lee's Voice" by Eric Porter, "Days Of Bread & Roses" by Mark Ribot, "Experimental Music In The Academy In New York City" by Tamar Barzel, "The Antiquity Of The Avant Garde" by John Szwed, "Black Jazz In The Digital Age" by Greg Tate, and "Ancient To The Future" by members of the AACM, including Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Don Moye, Wadada Leo Smith, and Roscoe Mitchell. There's also a section on the "Jazz Photography Of Thomas King" – and the whole thing is 312 pages, softcover, with some black and white photographs. Book

One of Joe Henderson's greatest albums ever – a real treasure from his electric years at Milestone Records, and a set that showed he really had a lot more to offer for the scene of the 70s! The sound here is quite different than Joe's earlier work for Blue Note – a style that's sometimes soaring, sometimes mellow – but always moving forward with a tremendously fluid approach to the tenor sax. Joe's sense of phrasing and timing is impeccable – quite subtle at times, with these dark notes that hang beautifully in air on the ballads – and some sharper-edged qualities that really burst out strongly on the more upbeat tunes. The group's a great one too – and features Herbie Hancock on both acoustic and electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus additional trumpet by Mike Lawrence on 2 tracks. Titles include "Black Narcissus", "Isotope", "Afro-Centric", "Forsight & Afterthought", and "Power to The People". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great session that was recorded in Tokyo in 1973 – featuring Abbey backed by a small group that includes Dave Liebman on sax and flute, Al Foster on drums, and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano. The record's pretty darn hip – and it's a nice version of Abbey's haunting approach to vocal jazz, touched by some of the new directions vocalists were going at the time, yet firmly rooted in the firm command of voice and emotion heard on Lincoln's best records from the early 60s. Titles include "Africa", "You & Me & Love", "Naturally", "Living Room", and "Natas", which seems to have Abbey singing along with overdubs of her own voice, to very cool effect! LP, Vinyl record album

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An overlooked 60s pop gem from Kenny O'Dell – a great mix of twangy vocals and Sunshine Pop production – all served up with a really unique sort of sparkle! In another world, Kenny might have been a country singer – but here, he's working with some cool Cali backings that push O'Dell far from his Bakersfield roots – into the sound of sunny late 60s LA, with some great guitar, organ, and vibes in the backings. Titles include "Beautiful People", "Kentucky Woman", "Sunshine Dreamin", "Massachusetts", "You'll Break Me Yet", and "Next Plane To London". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Public Enemy at the height of their power – all the best cuts from their early years on Def Jam Records – from a time when they were really helping expand the scope and political power of hip hop! The group were essential in taking the music from the parties in the streets to the issues that really mattered to the people who were listening – and even after all these years, it's impossible to deny the impact and power of these cuts – many of which deal with issues that still haven't been resolved all these many decades later! Every track is a gem – and titles include "You're Gonna Get Yours", "Public Enemy #1", "Rebel Without A Pause", "Bring The Noise", "Don't Believe The Hype", "Prophets Of Rage", "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", "Fight The Power", "Welcome To The Terrordome", "911 Is A Joke", "Brothers Gonna Work It Out", "Can't Truss It", "Can't Do Nuttin For Ya Man", "Hazy Shade Of Criminal", "Shut 'Em Down", "By The Time I Get To Arizona", and "He Got Game". LP, Vinyl record album

Tightly grooving, organ-laced rock, but not the Question Mark of "96 Tears" fame – this Question Mark is a Kenyan group, who recorded this set in 1974 – with English vocals and a bit more of a western-styled sound, but with unpredictable tempo changes other trippy elements! The way the guitar and drums interact have the most pronounced Afro Rock vibe, but ultimately it's in more a universal rock mode and it's cool stuff! Titles include "Have You?", "Be Nice To The People", "Love", "Oh My Girl", "Freaking Out", "Scram Out" and Mary Anne". CD

A sweet tune that's aimed at the righteous 70s! "I Hate Hate" features main lyrics by Razzy Bailey, with the "kids" joining in on the chorus, emphasizing how much they hate the hate that Razzy's hating in the lyrics! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A surprising release on A&M for the Revolutionary Ensemble – formerly a much more underground group, but still sounding great here recording for a bigger label! The lineup features Jerome Cooper on piano, bugle, drums, and a variety of percussion instruments – with Sirone on bass and trombone, and Leroy Jenkins on violin, thumb piano, recorder, and small gongs! Titles include "Trio for Trio", "Chinese Rock", and "Ponderous Planets". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album from the West African scene of the 70s – a set that brings together that area's styles with touches of reggae and maybe a slight current of soul – all of which makes for a very distinct approach to rhythm, which is also echoed in the vocals and instrumentation! There's a fair bit of organ on the set – never really soloing, but bubbling up on all the grooves – kind of this warm wash of color next to the harder riffing guitars and percussion, often a bit skittish, but held together nicely by the vocals – which often have some of the moodier qualities of Zamrock! Titles include "Treachery", "Express Yourself", "Good People", "Mr Somebody", "Sugar Node Bitter", "Free The People", and "You Can Make It If You Try". CD

An unusual album from the West African scene of the 70s – a set that brings together that area's styles with touches of reggae and maybe a slight current of soul – all of which makes for a very distinct approach to rhythm, which is also echoed in the vocals and instrumentation! There's a fair bit of organ on the set – never really soloing, but bubbling up on all the grooves – kind of this warm wash of color next to the harder riffing guitars and percussion, often a bit skittish, but held together nicely by the vocals – which often have some of the moodier qualities of Zamrock! Titles include "Treachery", "Express Yourself", "Good People", "Mr Somebody", "Sugar Node Bitter", "Free The People", and "You Can Make It If You Try". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Two great cuts from this oft-overlooked east coast vocal group, who, at their best moments, could rank with the best of them. This is definitely one of their best moments, and "Extra-Ordinary People" could rank with some of the Stylistics best from the time. Their cover of the Eddie Holman hit is nice, too. 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most unusual albums on the Riverside label – an obscure outing from vocalist/pianist Ralph Strain – presented with a cover that lists the names of all the people who are permitted to buy the record! We're guessing that Riverside allowed unlisted folks to buy the record – although the whole thing is pretty uncommon, so maybe that wasn't the case – and the set is a nice mix of standards, with one original by Strain titled "Ralph's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A gorgeous set from Studio Apartment – one of the most fulfilling full length albums from a club-oriented combo we've heard in a long time! The Studio Apartment core duo, DJ/producer Masanori Morita and instrumentalist Noboru Abe have really crafted something special here that's difficult to express the appeal of without playing it for you! All of the elements we rave about from similar projects are here – firm roots in spacey 70s soul jazz, Brazilian-influenced percussive groove, a songbased approach and inspired guests – but trust us, there's something really complete about this album that sets it apart from the pack! Studio Apartment is way more than just a club single generator – this album is an effervescent longplayer to be cherished! Tracks include "Message", "One True Love" feat Stephanie Cook,e, "We Are Lonely" feat Terrance Downs of Ananda Project, "Evolution?" feat Akiko, "Spirits", a nice cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" feat Kenny Bobien, "Episode", "Dazzling" and more! CD

A supremely fantastic album, and one that's always woefully overlooked in discussions of James Brown's incredible People label! Sweet Charles, Charles Sherell, was a great lost soul vocalist who had a voice that was warm and mellow, with a sweetness that was often missing from James' singing – but which sounded great with his arrangements and production. Fred Wesley and Dave Matthews arranged this one and only album, and the record's a great blend of sweet soul tracks, funky numbers, and other stellar grooves. There's a killer version of "Soul Man", that begins with a very tasty break; the monster "Yes, It's You", which has a sweetly sliding intro that's ripe for sampling; the righteous political "Why Can't I Be Treated Like A Man" – and lots of other nice ones too! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique little record – an album of original songs based on older tradition, and one that interweaves elements of Portuguese culture with deeper roots of Angolan music! Lilly Tchiumba penned all the tracks herself, and sings in the Angolan language of Kimbundu – but there's a mix of percussion, guitar, and soaring vocals that echoes strongly with rootsier Brazilian, Cuban, and Haitian styles too – maybe in part because the Monitor label did such a wonderful job of recording the songs, and giving them this righteous, powerful vibe that still holds up strongly over the years! And by all of that, we almost mean that there's this sort of trans-global power to the whole record – one that moves beyond just a regional expression of culture, and past any sort of basic ethnographic mode – a lot like the Songs Of Protest album by Zelia Barbosa, also on the Monitor label. Titles include "Manazinha", "Gilagi Bu Kanga", "N'Zambi", "Mona Ki N'Gui Xissa", "Luanda M'Bolo", and "Kubata Di Rosinha". CD

The Trammps will forever be blamed for the disco explosion of the late 70s – and for all the crimes that were perpetrated in the wake of Saturday Night Fever – but trust us, you've got to give them one more chance! The group's a lot better than you'll remember – if all you can remember is "Disco Inferno" – and in a way, they were the ultimate realization of that east coast "harmony group gone uptempo" sound that pushed out of the underground to the mainstream during the mid 70s. This set's got a total of 18 cuts, nearly all of which are produced to Philly perfection by the team of Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young. Titles include "Love Epidemic", "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart", "Where Do We Go From Here", "Hooked For Life", "Trammps Disco Theme", "Ninety Nine & A Half", "Seasons For Girls", "Disco Party", "That's Where The Happy People Go", "Soul Searchin Time", and of course, "Disco Inferno". CD

This is a late 60's reissue of an early 60's album originally titled In A Minor Groove. These tracks show Dorothy at her early best, and jamming (yes, that's right, jamming) on the harp along with her quartet that included Frank Wess on flute, Herman Wright on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. And while the idea of a harp/flute lineup might sound a bit snoozy to you – this isn't some west coast poofy session, but a nicely soulful batch of tracks that shows that the right group can make any set of instruments swing! Titles include "Rascality", "Taboo", "Yesterdays", and "It's A Minor Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A hip session led by drummer Andrew Cyrille – but one that features some especially nice work on horns, thanks to David S Ware on tenor and Ted Daniels on trumpet! The album's got a slow-building sound that shows Cyrille's newly sensitive approach to the drums at the time – and at times, the style almost has some harmelodic elements, with the horns helping out on rhythms, tied together with a really full, forceful feel. Nick Geronimo completes the quartet on bass – a player we don't know at all, but one with a bold sound that's really great – and titles include "Girl Named Rainbow", "High Priest", "Fortified Nucleolus", and "Special People". LP, Vinyl record album

Mad homegrown soul from the enigmatic Darondo – a brief Bay Area star back in the 70s, and also host of TV comedy and children's shows! Darondo only ever saw release of 3 singles, but they're all pretty darn great – a weird mix of funk, soul, and sly slinky grooves – very unique in conception, and with a heady, tripped-out vision that makes us wish he'd recorded more. Luv N Haight have really done Darondo justice with this set – bringing together all 6 tracks from the singles, plus 3 more previously unissued numbers – all in a great package that features words from the man himself, plus some great images from his older TV shows. A near-lost soul figure, but one with enough charisma to fill the careers of other more famous acts! Titles include "How I Got Over", "Let My People Go", "Legs (part 1)", "True", "Didn't I", "I Want Your Love So Bad", "My Momma & My Poppa", "Sure Know How To Love Me", and "Listen To My Song". CD

A nicely evolved groove from Lee Dorsey – still working with tremendous production from Allen Toussaint, the man who brought him into stardom in the 60s – but with a warmer sound that's more 70s modern overall! The shift here is almost like that of Lamont Dozier's in the 70s – as Lee moves into a fuller, richer sound – one that shows that he's got a lot of different aspects to his music that hadn't showed up on previous albums, and which nicely brings him out of the Crescent City soul ghetto. There's till some nice Nola rhythms going down on the set, and all the tracks are originals by Toussaint – but honestly, the smoothest cuts are almost the best – and offer a great chance to hear Dorsey's great vocals in a whole new mode. Tracks include "Soul Mine", "Night People", "Can I Be The One", "Say It Again", and "Keep On Doing It To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Monster stuff – and some killer straight-ahead afro funk jams from Fela! The set's got 2 albums on 1 CD, with stellar remastering, a great looking package – and the kind of insanely funky work you'd expect from the master. The Opposite People album has 2 long cuts – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant". They both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Sorrow Tears & Blood also has two long tracks, the title cut and "Colonial Mentality". The album features a guest appearance by Lester Bowie from the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and the usual killer sax work by Fela! Nice stuff, and with a motherlode of great funky grooves! CD

Features Kenny Garrett on alto and soprano, Vernell Brown on piano, Chris Dave on drums, and Charnett Moffett on bass – plus guest work from Bobby Hutcherson on vibes on four tracks! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Great great work by The Paupers – essentially a 60s folk rock combo, but one with a really groovy sound! The group come up with loads of great guitar interplay on the session – jangling acoustic and electric together in a style that comes up with some nice hippie and eastern edges – and which means that even on the vocal tracks, the album's got an instrumental charm that kind of links it to some of the hipper rock/jazz crossover projects on labels like Verve and Impulse at the time. Most tracks do have vocals, in a style that ranges from Sunshine Pop to folksy – and the whole album's pretty darn great, filled with tracks that include "Let Me Be", "Magic People", "It's Your Mind", "Black Thank You Package", "Simple Deed", and "Tudor Impressions". This edition includes 2 bonus tracks: "Like You, Like Me" and "Sooner Than Soon". CD

Tony Schwartz must have been one of the coolest cats working on the New York scene in the 50s – not a musician, or a singer – but instead a sound artist whose legacy was dedicated to documenting the city in a very poetic way! This album may well be Tony's masterpiece – a long tone poem love letter to New York – narrated by Tony, but filled with sounds that he captured on his travels around the city – people, ships, machines, animals, vehicles, and lots lots more – all with a keen ear for the vibrancy of the New York story at its best – the kind of true promise the city has to offer, captured here in an array of actual sounds from the postwar years! CD

BBE have done it again! They let Joey Negro go crazy, and put together a monster set of his favorite disco tracks of all time – so monster that they had to make the compilation bigger than usual (although they're still giving it to you at a nice nice price!) As you know, Joey's no sleeper – so the quality of this set's super high, and is the result of years of digging for rare disco singles all over the world. Titles include "Bourgie Bourgie" by John Davis Orchestra, "Come Back Lover" by Fresh Band, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "In the Forest" by Baby O, "Together Forever" by Exodus, "I'll Be Your Pleasure" by Esther Williams, and "Que Tal America" by Two Man Sound. The set also includes a few tracks that are also on other BBE comps – like ones by John Gibbs, Huson People, and Family of Eve – but given the extra big size of this one, we're assuming you won't mind the repeats, and they sound extra-nice next to the other high-quality cuts! CD

Amazing – and the best yet in this legendary series! Like the other volumes, this is a collection of funky work produced by James Brown for other artists, most of it lifted from his legendary People Records imprint. However, unlike the others, or at least unlike the first volume, this volume's got some amazing stuff that almost never shows up on other reissues – and it's even got some incredible unreleased material! The whole thing's a super-heavy super-funky dip into some of the rarest James Brown-related material you can find – if you can find it at all in any other format. Titles include "Pick Up The Pieces One By One" by AABB, "There Was A Time" by Dee Felice Trio, "Doin The Do" by Bobby Byrd & The JBs, "Who Knows" by Beau Dollar, "Talkin Loud & Sayin Nothin (original rock version)" by James Brown, "Mr Hot Pants" by The Believers, "Give It Up Or Turnit Loose" by Lyn Collins (a 45-only track), "How You Gonna Get Respect?" by Hank Ballard, "Hang Out & Hustle" by Sweet Charles (a 45-only track), and "Blow Your Head (undubbed version)" by The JBs! Great stuff – and at this price, you'll be funky and rich! CD

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Mad homegrown soul from the enigmatic Darondo – a brief Bay Area star back in the 70s, and also host of TV comedy and children's shows! Darondo only ever saw release of 3 singles, but they're all pretty darn great – a weird mix of funk, soul, and sly slinky grooves – very unique in conception, and with a heady, tripped-out vision that makes us wish he'd recorded more. Luv N Haight have really done Darondo justice with this set – bringing together all 6 tracks from the singles, plus 3 more previously unissued numbers – all in a great package that features words from the man himself, plus some great images from his older TV shows. A near-lost soul figure, but one with enough charisma to fill the careers of other more famous acts! Titles include "How I Got Over", "Let My People Go", "Legs (part 1)", "True", "Didn't I", "I Want Your Love So Bad", "My Momma & My Poppa", "Sure Know How To Love Me", and "Listen To My Song". LP, Vinyl record album

An early classic – with the cuts "People Are People", "Everything Counts", "Love In Itself", "Get The Balance Right", "Leave In Silence", and "Work Hard". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady assortment of work from the BYG/Actuel years of Gong – tracks that show just how much Daevid Allen and the group were able to trip things out far past any early inspirations from the UK scene – to a point where the French label was maybe more of a perfect home for the freaky vibe of the music! The tunes mix playful moments with more sinister ones – a deeper, darker underground than Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd – with some equally free-form instrumentation at times, but in a way that's very much the group's own! 2CD set features 31 tracks in all – early 70s material, and some other cuts from 1980 – and titles include "You Can't Kill Me", "I've Bin Stone Before", "Prostitute Poem", "Strong Woman", "Opium For The People", "Flying Teapot", "Much Too Old", "Sold To The Highest Buddha", "Stoned Innocent Frankenstein", "Perfect Mystery", "A Sprinkling Of Clouds", and "Thoughts For Naught". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of Impulse Records classics from Archie Shepp! Things Have Got To Change is wonderful post-Paris work from Archie Shepp – a record that has him bringing more focus back into his work after sessions overseas – and also making some great use of the legendary Joe Lee Wilson on vocals! There's a feeling here that's a real change for Shepp, but a great one too – a sound that's trying to reach new levels of expression in jazz – with a bit less of the sharp edges of the 60s, and more of the warmer, more righteous modes of the post-Coltrane generation. Wilson's vocals really help Shepp achieve those aims – by adding a lyrical balance to the tunes, and imbuing them with additional messages beyond the instrumentation – especially on the extended suite "Money Blues", which takes up all of side one. Also important is Cal Massey, who composed two of the tracks on the set, and also plays electric piano alongside Shepp in a spare duet on the beautiful "Dr King The Peaceful Warrior". Other players include Grachan Moncur and Charles Greenlee on trombones, Billy Butler on guitar, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Ted Daniels on trumpet – and Romulus Franceschini adds some electronic music on "Things Have Got To Change". Cry Of My People is one of the most righteous albums ever from Archie Shepp – a beautiful late Impulse set of grooves, and a record that matches the genius of Attica Blues! Shepp's working with a losse collective of players that includes Charles Greenlee, Harold Mabern, and Beaver Harris – plus vocalists like Joe Lee Wilson and Peggie Blue – all to craft a set of tunes that are as righteous and political as they are spiritual and soulful! The great Cal Massey handled arrangements on a number of the tracks on the set – bringing together the players with a wonderfully unified feel, pushing away the easy spirituality of earlier records to forge a massively powerful sound – and Shepp matches his great efforts by blowing some of his most soulful lines on record! Titles include the wonderful "African Drum Suite (parts 1 & 2)", plus "A Prayer", "Cry Of My People", "The Lady", "All God's Children Got A Home In The Universe", and "Rest Enough". CD

One of the best-ever compilations of James Brown productions – and the second slammin' hard compilation of great tracks from the People label. This one's got some more obscure stuff (including 2 previously unreleased tracks), and material by Bobby Byrd, Vicki Anderson, Maceo, Marva Whitney, Hank Ballard, and more! The groove's tight and hard, and tracks include "Do Your Thing" by Lyn Collins, "Cross The Track" by Maceo & The Macks, "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd, "From The Love Side" by Hank Ballard & The Midnight Lighters, "What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You" by Marva Whitney, the massive "Message From the Soul Sisters" by Vicki Anderson (an incredible track with a great sample) and more! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of southern funky rock from Roy Head – an artist who's in the same territory here as Tony Joe White on his early albums for Monument! Like Tony on those gems, Roy's got a heavy dose of soul in his music – produced to perfection by Huey P Meaux, who was handling plenty of work from the deeper side of the southern spectrum at the time, and who makes Head sound fantastic here with a vibe that's kind of in a Texas-meets-Muscle Shoals sort of style! There's a great core group – heavy on organ, riffing guitar, and a tight team of trumpet and tenor – and the heavy drums on the set make it super nice and funky! Sampled by Tribe Called Quest, Lord Finesse, and others – and with the cuts "Soul Train", "Neighbor Neighbor", "Don't Want To Make It Too Funky", "Trying To Reach My Goal", "Same People", "Mama Mama", "Driving Wheel", and the break-heavy "Double Your Satisfaction". LP, Vinyl record album

The spiritual sound of drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo is alive and well – the one light still burning from the legendary Blue Notes jazz ensemble from South Africa – and one who's taken the righteous power of that group well into the 21st Century! The music here is as uplifting as the title – and features Louis working with a very powerful group of younger musicians – including the excellent Shabaka Hutchings and Jason Yarde on saxes, plus Alexander Hawkins on piano and John Edwards on bass – musicians who rise up with this fantastically united power under the leadership of Moholo-Moholo, flowing together at the start, then finding confidence in their individual voices as the performance moves on. The whole thing was recorded live, and is a beautiful extended concert – with titles that include "Dikeledi Tsa Phelo", "Do It", "Ezontakana", "Ngwoele Ngwoele", "Angel Nomali", "Lakutshon'Llanga", "For The Blue Notes", and "B My Dear". CD

One the all time great funky albums of the 70s – a mad little record with a sense of rhythm and timing that was years ahead of its time! The Soul Searchers (along with Chuck Brown) later became known for their heavy-hitting Go Go work at the end of the decade – but here, they're a really free-thinking outfit with a lot of jazz in their funk – and a willingness to change up the beats and timings in ways that push the record miles ahead from an average funk outing. Tracks swirl around with an amazing intensity – supported by guitar work from Brown, organ from Hilton Felton, and some really great horns from Don Tillery and Lloyd Pinchback. The album features a wonderful remake of "Think" – plus the great originals "1993", "Soul To The People", "Blowout", and "We The People". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE landmark hip hop albums – and the full length debut of great Tribe Called Quest! We hardly need to tell you about this classic – but it will always bear repeating. De La Soul might have kicked the door open on leftfield, anything goes artistry about a year or so earlier, but their friends and fellow Native Tongues Tribe's debut was a crucial reminder that the east coast was spinning out of one of the greatest creative growth spurts in hip hop history at the time. Pure excellence. Tracks include "Luck Of Lucien", "Footprints", "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo", "Bonita Applebaum", "Can I Kick It?", "Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)", "Mr Muhammad", "Description Of A Fool" andmore seminal, jazzy middle school tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Part 1 of the legendary compilation series of James Brown Productions for his own People Records imprint – with monster tracks by The JBs, Lyn Collins, and Maceo! Now a long-established treasure trove of stone classic funky soul, it's easy to forget that the deeper legacy of the People Records roster was pretty well overshadowed by James Brown's pivotal figure for quite a few years before this hugely necessary series. It was a sampler's dream in the 80s, and it's still a listener's dream – and a vital overview of once overlooked gems! Tracks include "Same Beat" by the Fred Wesley & The JBs, "Parrty" by Maceo & The Macks, "If You Don't Get It The First Time" by Fred Wesley & The JBs, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Lyn Collins, "Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again" by Lyn Collins, "Hot Pants Road" by The JBs, "Mama Feelgood" by Lyn Collins, "Think" by Lyn Collins, and "Gimme Some More" by The JBs! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Music created on the Buchla Modular Electronic Music System. LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of sunny soul jazz numbers – recorded by Wayne Henderson at a time when he was scoring big with the Jazz Crusaders! This combo's very much in the vein of Wayne's work with that more famous group – but they've got a bit of a tighter approach, playing more in a "soul instrumental" mode that mixes jazz soloing with complicated percussion and bits of Latin rhythms. Henderson plays this cool orange trombone on the record (pictured on the cover!), in a mode that recalls some of Fred Wesley's more jazz-based work – and titles include "Things Go Better", "Respect", "Cucamonga", "Orbital Velocity", and "Cathy The Cooker". LP, Vinyl record album

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Saxophonist Marcus Strickland continues the electric explorations of his previous project with Meshell Ndegeocello – but works here on his own, with his very cool Twi-Life group – which certainly opens up a whole new dimension in his music! Marcus blows sopranino, alto, tenor, and bass clarinet – in a group that also has Mitch Henry on a fair bit of keyboards, with live bass and drums, and occasional rhythm programs from Strickland himself, which bring a subtle complexity to the music! The sax solos are mostly right out front in the mix – but sometimes step aside for guest contributions from Greg Tate, Bilal, Pharoahe Monch, Akie Bermiss, Jermaine Holmes, and Weedie Braimah – on titles that include "Lullaby", "Build", "Aim High", "On My Mind", "Spirit Of The Music", "Relentlessness", "Marvelous", and "Black Love". CD