Maybe the most majestic album that Makaya McCraven has recorded to date – and that's really saying a lot, given the power of his music on previous records! This time around, the group is large, and the performance is more organic than some of the more mixed/produced sessions that Makaya has given us – and great as those records have been, there's a sense of power here that really places McCraven strongly in the Chicago legacy of the 20th Century – a jazz spectrum that includes Eddie Harris, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and so many other musical giants! The mix of instrumentation is almost like some Chess/Cadet session from the end of the 60s – but Makaya still adds in some samples and electronics next to his acoustic work on percussion, drums, and a variety of other instruments – next to Jeff Parker on guitar, Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Junius Paul on bass – all tremendous players and strong leaders in their own right – working here to make a special sort of magic with McCraven. There's other voices on the set too – more violins, cello, alto, tenor, piano, and other sounds – on titles that include "So Ubuji", "Seventh String", "This Place That Place", "The Fours", "Dream Another", "High Fives", "The Knew Untitled", and "In These Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer live set from Hammond genius Jack McDuff – one of a few totally smoking records he did in this style for Prestige during the 60s! The group's a quartet, with stunning work from the young George Benson on guitar, burning tenor from Red Holloway, and amazing drums from Joe Dukes – one of the few players on the kit who really got the right energy to match McDuff on the keys! The album's filled with screamin' groovers throughout, including a great version of "Girl From Ipanema", plus originals like "Another Goodun" and "S'Okay". McDuff was always best in a live setting – and this rare gem is a great testament to that fact! LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool later album from the great Jack McDuff – nicely stepping out from some of the multi-keyboard modes he forged for Chess Records in the 70s, and still working with a combo here that he calls the Heating System! The group has some key all-star talent – including work from Joe Farrell on saxes and Phil Upchurch on guitar – but it's also noteworthy in that it features early work from Garrick King on drums, a player who was perfect for the sort of rhythms that McDuff forged in the 60s with drummer Joe Dukes! Jack himself handles a variety of key, plus organ – and there's some soulful fusion elements in the mix too, including a bit of vocals – giving the record a feel that's a lot like some of the Charles Earland work for Columbia at the same time. Titles include "Say Sumpin Nice", "Night Fantasies", "Pocket Change", and "Tunisian Affair". CD

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee "Maggie's Back in Town." McGhee himself pays tribute to one of his favorite trumpet players, Clifford Brown by doing Brown's "Brownie Speaks." Other titles include "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Summertime." LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy McGriff picks up a few more keyboards than straight Hammond organ – but that's ok with us, given the great results of the set! The album's got McGriff working on electric piano and clavinet alongside the organ – plus supporting arrangements from Brad Baker, in that fuller, Kudu-styled approach to jazz funk that Groove Merchant used strongly in the mid 70s – a slightly smoother sound than before, but still plenty darn great, and definitely filled with more than enough jazz to keep things real! Pat Rebillot plays some additional keyboards on the album – in that funky style he used well at the time – and there's almost a spacey Fantasy Records quality to some of the best numbers here! Titles include the incredible tripped out break cut "Space Cadet", plus "Love Is My Life", "Sweet Love", "Big Booty Bounce", "Red Beans", and "Cakes Alive". CD

An obscure set from Hammond genius Jimmy McGriff, but a great one too – nicely different than his earlier work for Sue Records, and done at a level that really shows his growth at the end of the 60s! The record's one of those unusual Sonny Lester productions that seem to open up McGriff's approach to the keys – moving past more standard jazz organ sounds of a few years back, and finding all these inventive, original ways to open up a groove! Jimmy's still giving 110% on the Hammond – grooving with an unnamed group in a mode that recalls the fiercely swinging sound of Groove Holmes at his best in the mid 60s – and like Holmes, McGriff has a real talent for taking familiar numbers, and making them swing with a very soulful edge! Titles include the great original "Once Again", plus great takes on "The Way You Look Tonight", "Laura", and "Moon River". CD

Heavy funk from Jimmy McGriff – a monster set of grooves that ranks with his best of the late 60s! The tracks are short and sock-hard – Jimmy wailing on Hammond, over rhythms that have plenty of sharp edges, and lots of nice drum work – all recorded in a mode that's a heck of a lot rawer than some of his other records! The album brings together all the rough power of Jimmy's years at Sue Records with the funkier grooves of his 70s work – and features a killer combo that includes tenor from Fats Theus, alto from Danny Turner, trumpet from Blue Mitchell, guitar from Thornel Schwartz, and drums from both Mel Lewis and Grady Tate. Titles include "The Worm", "Blue Juice", "Lock It Up", "Think", "Heavyweight", and "Girl Talk". CD

A Basie tribute, but a really smoking one – thanks to some hard swinging arrangements from Manny Albam, and plenty of heavy Hammond from the great Jimmy McGriff! The tracks are mostly numbers from the Count Basie songbook of the 50s and 60s, but they're strongly reworked here with a swinging 60s vibe – played with lots of strong horn work in the background, all used as a perfect foil for Jimmy's leaner organ solos over the top! The style's quite similar to other big band organ work of the time – particularly records made by Jimmy Smith in collaboration with Oliver Nelson, or Jack McDuff with Benny Golson – and McGriff's organ comes through nice and clean in the mix, with that sharply fluttering sound that really made him one of the true standouts of the 60s. Titles include "Hob Nail Boogie", "Cute", "Every Day", "Blues Go Away", and "Slow But Sure". CD

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka – and titles that include "In The Moog", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Dolphin Dance", "Heavenese", "Ode To Africa", "Out Of The Blues", and "Cornerstone". Features a bonus 7" single – with the tracks "Ode To Africa" and "Jelly Loa". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking early album from guitarist John McLaughlin – a set that's a bit different than his more famous work of the mid 70s – with maybe a more avant approach, and a lot more bite as well! The set's really an equal collaboration, rather than just a McLaughlin session – although it's become known as such, since the guitarist is the most famous musician – amongst a fantastic lineup that includes John Surman on reeds, Karl Berger on vibes, Dave Holland on bass, and Stu Martin on drums – all working in a freewheeling mode that's a lot like some of Surman's Trio records on the Dawn label from the same time! Surman is especially great here – adding in soulful currents at some spots, freer lines at others – and it's great to hear the tones of McLaughlin's guitar balanced against Berger's vibes. Titles include "Glancing Backwards", "Earth Bound Hearts", and "Where Fortune Smiles". LP, Vinyl record album

A triple-action classic from alto genius Jackie McLean – and one of those key records from the years when he stunned the world by moving from hardbop into the more experimental modes of the "new thing" generation! The approach here is very formative – not just for some of Jackie's spiritual expressions in the 70s, but also for the way that more creative jazz moved forward in years to come – as McLean is working alongside key players who include Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! Higgins' lyrical playing is a perfect complement to the more avant tones of the others – giving the album a free dancing soul, but also never letting things get too out of hand to lose the jazz basis of McLean's best work. The album includes an early recording of Tolliver's classic tune "Plight", plus the tracks "Wrong Handle", "Action", and "Hootnan". LP, Vinyl record album

Two key albums from a young Jackie McLean – both very early entries in the "new thing" mode of the 60s! First up is Let Freedom Ring a record that features a young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". Destination Out is a modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – both young players who were really finding the sharper edges of their sound at the time! Three of the four long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate". CD

A very apt title – as Jackie McLean sits in for a soulful session with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all "old bottles" at this point in their career, but working together beautifully to brew some very mellow "new wine"! The album's easily one of the best in the trio's run of the time – as Jackie's alto sax really helps flesh things out a bit more than usual – and moves the album past the trio sound of their other records. McLean gets plenty of space to do his thing on the longer tracks – and the piano of Jones, bass of Carter, and drums of Williams have a solid, soulful approach that's really wonderful. Titles include 2 McLean originals titled "Appointment In Ghana Again" and "Little Melonae Again", both remakes of older tunes – plus "Confirmation", "Bein Green", and "Round Midnight". CD

A very apt title – as Jackie McLean sits in for a soulful session with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all "old bottles" at this point in their career, but working together beautifully to brew some very mellow "new wine"! The album's easily one of the best in the trio's run of the time – as Jackie's alto sax really helps flesh things out a bit more than usual – and moves the album past the trio sound of their other records. McLean gets plenty of space to do his thing on the longer tracks – and the piano of Jones, bass of Carter, and drums of Williams have a solid, soulful approach that's really wonderful. Titles include 2 McLean originals titled "Appointment In Ghana Again" and "Little Melonae Again", both remakes of older tunes – plus "Confirmation", "Bein Green", and "Round Midnight". CD

A real mind-trip – and an incredible document of the times – not just ideas floating around in the late 60s, but also new ways of making records too! The album is loosely based around ideas and writings from The Medium Is The Massage – McLuhan's important 1967 book, co-written with Quentin Fiore – and represented here as a wild sound collage that blends together music, sounds, media snippets, and readings by McLuhan, Fiore, and a host of other voices! The album's actually much more of a "happening" than a spoken word album – a real studio party that's cut up and messed up by all the added effects, sounds, and music – genius that comes from Jerome Agel, who put the whole project together – and delivered it to the loving hands of John Simon, who produced some other wonderful records of this nature for late 60s Columbia. A real delight throughout – and the kind of an album we wish people still kept making! Great reissue package – in a gatefold LP-styled sleeve, with additional artwork, rare photos, full notes on the sessions, and more! CD

A warm later set from Carmen McRae – recorded with great small combo jazz backing that features tenor sax work from Clifford Jordan! The album's a real back-to-basics one for McRae – and gets away from crossover modes used in the 60s and 70s, taking Carmen back to the more jazz-based sound of her earliest records – but going even one further by bringing in Jordan, since Carmen mostly started out with straight trio backing. Other players include Eric Gunnison on piano and John Collins on guitar – and the tunes themselves are mostly standards, sung with impeccable phrasing. Titles include "Tulip Or Turnip", "Body & Soul", "I Hear Music", "This Is Always", "It Could Happen To You", "Old Devil Moon", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". LP, Vinyl record album

This double-length set brings together two albums' worth of work that Carmen McRae recorded for the Groove Merchant label in the early 70s! The style here is strongly jazzy, but with a firm dose of soul too – all in a mode that follows nicely from Carmen's late 60s sessions for Atlantic Records, but with a sound that's almost even more focused and in the pocket. The band is largeish, but the rhythms are tight – and even the mellower tunes seem to have a nice sort of lilt at the bottom, one that goes great with the way that Carmen spaces out her vocals on the set. Players include Joe Pass on guitar, Larry Bunker on vibes, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Dick Shreve on piano – and the CD features 19 tracks that include "Hey John", "Inside A Silent Tear", "The Right To Love", "You & I", "Sunshine Of My Life", "The Good Life", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", "Livin", "Masquerade", "You're Mine You", and "There Will Come A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this! Both Mobley's phrasing and rhythmic construction are different here than a few years before – still every bit as soulful as ever, but able to open up with richer imagination, especially on the strong original tunes on the set. The group's great – a quintet that offers up both guitar from Grant Green and piano from Wynton Kelly – and rhythm is by the mighty team of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Smokin", "Greasin Easy", "Workout", and "Uh Huh". CD features the bonus track "Three Coins In The Fountain". CD

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish elements that also made Mouzon a key crossover player in the fusion years! The album was Mouzon's first, and in some ways may be one of his best – and has a strong jazz component, thanks to work from sidemen who include Sonny Fortune and Buddy Terry on reeds, and the great Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano. Alphonze wrote, arranged, and conducted all the tracks – and titles include "Crying Angels", "Funky Finger", "Spring Water", and "Sunflower". CD

A really landmark album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – one of the key records in which musicians like Takeru Muraoka were helping to discover something new and unique – a fantastic hybrid of modal jazz, freer solo moments, and some nice electric touches on keyboards – thanks to bold work from the great Masabumi Kikuchi! Kikuchi plays a Rhodes with a hard tone that's very edgey – nicely blocked out amidst equally bold rhythms from Yoshi Ikeda on bass and George Otsuka on drums – essential part of the fantastic quartet that really lets Muraoka stretch out and soar with very inventive lines on tenor! All tracks are nice and long, and as brilliant today as when they were recorded – with titles that include "Snoopy", "Electric Zoo", "Fish", and "Desperation". CD

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now". CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Dance Cadaverous". CD

One of Gabor Szabo's best records – a hip small combo session, featuring backup by Gary McFarland, Sadao Watanabe, Richard Davis, and Willie Rodriguez – an odd kind of lineup, but one that goes well with the offbeat grooves of the set! The overall sound has lots of touches of the McFarland Latinized rhythms of the time – but also stretches out with some of those great snakey guitar solos from Szabo – not nearly as extended or trippy here on other albums of the time, but in a really great way that makes for some tight, hip, mod little tracks! The set's one of Gabor's best from the 60s – and titles include "Flea Market", "Walk On By", "Gypsy Jam", "Gypsy '66", and "The Echo Of Love". The whole thing's kind of a compressed take on the sound of Gabor's Spellbinder album – if you know that one! CD

A really classic-styled tenor date from reedman Kazunori Takeda – a session that has the Japanese player working with trio backing from pianist Yosuke Yamashita, who also produced the record as well! Yamashita's got a very inside approach here – laidback, and late nite – which is a perfect match for the mellow, soulful tones of Takeda's tenor – a horn that we really haven't heard at all on other records, but which is a real delight here! The album's got a richness that's undeniable – a classic American tenor ballad approach, but with a slightly fresher Japanese 70s twist – and titles include "Soul Trane", "Theme For Ernie", "Aisha", "Old Days", and "Little Dream". CD

Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and players on the set include Alice Coltrane on harp, Gary Bartz on alto, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a wonderful lineup that really holds tightly to the soaring, soulful energy that Tyner spins from his piano – a mode that's never too far out or avant, yet which stretches to the skies with a heavenly vision. The whole thing's wonderful – and tracks include "Message From The Nile", "The Wanderer", "Survival Blues", and "His Blessings". LP, Vinyl record album

A relatively recent set from pianist McCoy Tyner, but one that shows the same great ear for choosing a horn that we love in his 70s classics! As with those records, a key force on the recording here is altoist Gary Bartz – a player who's always great on his own, but seems to take on a special energy in the company of Tyner – really stretching out with a soulful, spiritual vibe that matches McCoys musical vision wonderfully! Trumpeter Terence Blanchard is also in the group – a bit more let loose than usual – and the combo's completed by Christian McBride on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Titles include "Angelina", "Illuminations", "New Orleans Stomp", "The Chase", "West Philly Tone Poem", and "Soulstice". CD

One of the best records Mal Waldron ever made, and a blinding hard bop session featuring a tight quintet with knock-down-dead front horn lines! The record really follows strongly in the mode of some of Waldron's contributions to Prestige blowing sessions from the same period – but it's also got a much great focus and tightness – one that puts the record right up there with the best hardbop sides on Blue Note! Gigi Gryce plays some razor-sharp alto on the session, Idrees Sulieman is on trumpet, and Waldron's piano is unusually soulful – with slight modern changes that really keep things interesting. Tracks include "Shome", "Transfiguration", "Stablemates", and "Dee's Dilemma". CD

A late 60s album on Chess Records – but one that serves to bring together all the best early work that Muddy Waters did for the label – including lots of original 45s and 78s! The range of music is really wonderful – the kind of tracks that first got Waters noticed in the first place – and although electric, a version of Chicago blues that still has a fair bit of rootsy touches too. The notes are great – a very detailed assessment of Muddy's music and career by Pete Welding – done at a key time before Waters hit bigger fame, and softened his edges a bit. Titles include "I'm Ready", "Honey Bee", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "She Moves Me", "Kind Hearted Woman", "Too Young To Know", "I Want You To Love Me", "Rollin Stone", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Long Distance Call", "Standing Around Crying", "Still A Fool", and "Walking Through The Park". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last completely intense albums from Tony Williams' Lifetime group – a slightly changed lineup from the original trio – one that includes guitarist Ted Dunbar, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionists Don Alias and Warren Smith. The group still features some searing organ work from Larry Young (recording here as Khalid Yasin), but the overall sound is also a bit spacier, and even more percussion-driven than before. Dunbar's tripped-out guitar is a nice change from the more rock-focused sound of John McLaughlin on earlier records – and he seems to free the players from their fuzzed out sound, and let them hit some nicely organic moments. Titles include "Clap City", "There Comes A Time", "Two Worlds", "Some Hip Drum Sh!t", "Lonesome Wells" and "The Urchin's Of Shermese". CD

A New York performance by the legendary pianist Yosuke Yamashita, but one that burns every bit as strongly as his famous albums from Japan – thanks in part to some really incredible work from Akira Sakata on alto and clarinet! There's few folks who could ever hope to match the Cecil Taylor-like energy of Yamashita on the piano, but Sakata always seems to rise to the challenge wonderfully – and with the drums of Shota Koyama along for the ride, the trio must have left the New York audience with their jaws on the floor – especially as most of the US had not been able to get access to Yosuke's records at the time. The set features three very long tracks – "Rabbit Dance", "Mina's Second Theme", and "Sunayama". CD

One of the only records we've ever heard from Japanese vocalist Minami Yasuda – a very soulful singer from the 70s, and one who really opens up with some scattingly creative energy on this date! Backings are from the trio of pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, which leaves plenty of space for Minami to do her thing – stretching out the words of the tunes with really great inflections, and adding plenty here even to oft-recorded selections. Titles include a great take on "Sunny", plus "It's Been A Long Long Time", "Akatonbo/Fly Me To The Moon", "Love", "Day By Day", and "You Are My Sunshine". CD

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. CD

A sweet overview of the Van McCoy songbook from the early 60s to early 70s – and a stellar compilation from Ace Records – a label that's gone above and beyond in its efforts to shine a light on the songwriters and producers behind some of most moving songs of the era! The breadth ofMcCoy's talent is pretty amazing, all the more so given his huge disco era hit "The Hustle", a world away from the soaringly emotional soul songs he penned for top shelf singers like Betty Everett, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nancy Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Erma Franklin, Jerry Butler and more – many of the best of which are compiled here! 24 tracks in all: "I Got The Sweetest Feeling" by Erma Franklin, "Getting Mighty Crowded" by Betty Everett, "Baby I'm Yours" by Barbara Lewis, "Sotp And Get A Hold Of Myself" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "So Soon" by Aretha Franklin, "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway, "Nothing Worse Than Being Alone" by The Ad Libs, "I've Lost You" by Jackie Wilson and many more. CD

One of the few great records that modern bassist Paul Chambers made as a leader – a rare treasure given to the world before he left this planet all too soon! Chambers is maybe best remembered for some of his late 50s work with Miles Davis and John Coltrane – and the session also marks a key early appearance on Blue Note for Coltrane on tenor – acting as a sideman here, instead of a leader – but also bringing a really deep vibe to an all-star lineup that also includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Horace Silver on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The writing is great, and the group has a nice dark edge that gives the session a slightly different sound than other Blue Note albums from the time. Chambers leads off with the bass on most tracks, kind of putting the work at an off-center pace that really gives it a fresh feel – and which makes it different from the straighter bop sound of his albums as a leader on Vee Jay. Tracks include "We Six", "Dear Ann", "Tale Of The Fingers", and "Omicron". CD

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". CD

The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring grooves from Sean McCabe – the artists' debut on the mostly-reissue Z Records, but a set that also puts him in the same sort of classic territory as his labelmates, the Sunburst Band! Sean's groove is filled with classic club touches, but is also a bit more contemporary – the warmest, most soulful side of the London scene – and at a level that we've not heard anyone do this well in a long long time – a set that takes us back to that magical time a decade or so ago, when London was really burning up our collection with wonderful records like this! There's plenty of echoes of The Rurals or Nathan Haines in the mix – and vocals are by a shifting array of singers, who glide across the keyboard-heavy grooves. Titles include "All Of The Above", "Everything's Alright", "Something About You", "Who's Foolin Who", "Love For Life", "Reach Out", "Back To Front", "Embrace You", "Somethin For Nothin", and "Tomorrow's Another Day". CD

Two 60s jazz albums from Atlantic Records – back to back in a single set! Les McCann leads off with Much Les – a groovy set of late 60s soul jazz piano tunes – played by Les McCann in a swinging style that pre-dates his 70s funk work – and which also features him playing in a strictly instrumental setting! The core of the material is by Les' trio with Leroy Vinnegar on bass – but most tracks feature an expanded sound, either by adding Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja on Latin percussion, or by backing the group with off-beat arrangements by the great William Fischer, whose talents had graced some of the best Atlantic jazz albums at the time! Titles include "Burnin Coal", "Doin That Thing", "Roberta", and a groovy version of "Love For Sale". On Catbird Seat, the usual duo of Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff is augmented by drummer Charlie Smith – in a mode that makes the set one of their strongest of the 60s! The format is essentially piano trio jazz – but handled with the pyrotechnic touches that the pair were known for – and with Smith's strong and light touch on the kit, the album at times has the feel of some Ahmad Jamal work for Argo. Includes a great version of "Con Alma", plus the tracks "The Catbird Seat", "So In Love", and "I'll Remember April". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent – and totally rare – recording of Freddie Redd's score to The Connection – done more famously on Blue Note under Freddie's own name. This isn't the version that was released by Blue Note, nor is it the version on Charlie Parker records – instead, it's an obscure set led by trumpeter Howard McGhee (during his great comeback period of the early 60's), and featuring the amazing tenor talents of Tina Brooks (whose few Blue Note sessions are the stuff of legend!) Freddie Redd plays piano on the set, and he plays with as much fire as on his Blue Note recording of the music – with with McGhee in the lead, the sound is quite different. Titles include "Wigglin", "Who Killed Cock Robin", "OD", "Jim Dunn's Dilemma", and "Time To Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual double-length album for Jimmy McGriff – released during his funkier years at the Groove Merchant label, but with a gritty sort of sound that takes us back to his first few records on Sue in the 60s! The "blues" in the title is definitely well-chosen – as the tracks here are long, lean, and drawn out – blues-drenched soul jazz played by a small combo that includes Larry Frazier on guitar, Rudy Johnson on tenor, and Saint Jenkins on drums – plus Gerry Jemmott on electric bass, adding a bit more vamp to the background than usual. There's a very earthy feel to most numbers – almost improvised jams at times, at least on the tracks that are credited to McGriff as the writer. Titles include "Blue Groove (parts 1 & 2)", "Blues For A Broken Down Funky Old Bus", "Bahama", "Mack The Knife", "Harp-er", "Mocha", "Hey Mrs Jones", "Amen", and "Penthouse Serenade". CD

Jimmy McGriff is tearing it up on the Hammond organ here – really hitting hard in that smoking soul jazz vein that made all of his albums for Sue Records instant classics! The group on this set is nice and small, nice and tight – featuring a young (pre-Black Jazz) Rudolph Johnson on tenor, Jimmy Smith (not the organist) on drums, and Larry (the "Lar" with the "Flair") Frazier on guitar – a really raw-toned player whose work often had a sound like that of George Freeman! Includes the single "Kiko", plus raw soulful versions of tracks like "Close Your Eyes", "All Day Long", and "That's All". LP, Vinyl record album

A triple-action classic from alto genius Jackie McLean – and one of those key records from the years when he stunned the world by moving from hardbop into the more experimental modes of the "new thing" generation! The approach here is very formative – not just for some of Jackie's spiritual expressions in the 70s, but also for the way that more creative jazz moved forward in years to come – as McLean is working alongside key players who include Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! Higgins' lyrical playing is a perfect complement to the more avant tones of the others – giving the album a free dancing soul, but also never letting things get too out of hand to lose the jazz basis of McLean's best work. The album includes an early recording of Tolliver's classic tune "Plight", plus the tracks "Wrong Handle", "Action", and "Hootnan". CD

A very nice recent album by Jackie, featuring a stripped-down lineup that includes Cedar Walton on piano and Billy Higgins on drums, joining Jackie in a haunting set of mellow ballads. After years of playing, Jackie's tone is impeccable, and it's great to hear him work through a set of standards like the ones on this album – "Star Eyes", "Nature Boy", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sure, the album's not as groundbreaking as some of Jackie's 60s new thing records, or 70s spiritual sessions, but it's still a nice treat, and has a surprisingly compelling edge to it. CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely beautiful work from the great Joe McPhee – an album that was recorded and intended to be issued during his groundbreaking stretch with Hat Art Records – but which never saw the light of day at the time! Why that happened, we're not entirely sure – because the album is tremendous right from the very first note – as McPhee blows alto, tenor, and pocket cornet alongside the work of Andre Jaume on alto, tenor, and bass clarinet – in a set of horn-only performances that are breathtaking from start to finish! Jaume's a great player too – and his work of the time, especially on Hat Art, is a masterpiece of subtlety and soul – and he balances McPhee perfectly here, often with some deeper currents that create a beautifully organic energy between the two. Jaume's got this way of handling his reed that's amazing – and, of course, Joe's phrasing is as incredible as always. Titles include great reworks of modern jazz classics – including "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Evidence", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Lonely Woman" – plus the originals "Nuclear" and "Rue St Jaume". CD

Insanely beautiful work from the great Joe McPhee – an album that was recorded and intended to be issued during his groundbreaking stretch with Hat Art Records – but which never saw the light of day at the time! Why that happened, we're not entirely sure – because the album is tremendous right from the very first note – as McPhee blows alto, tenor, and pocket cornet alongside the work of Andre Jaume on alto, tenor, and bass clarinet – in a set of horn-only performances that are breathtaking from start to finish! Jaume's a great player too – and his work of the time, especially on Hat Art, is a masterpiece of subtlety and soul – and he balances McPhee perfectly here, often with some deeper currents that create a beautifully organic energy between the two. Jaume's got this way of handling his reed that's amazing – and, of course, Joe's phrasing is as incredible as always. Titles include great reworks of modern jazz classics – including "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Evidence", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Lonely Woman" – plus the originals "Nuclear" and "Rue St Jaume". CD

A 70s album, but one that features very early sides from Atlantic Records – raw acoustic blues from Willie McTell, recorded on a 12 string guitar down in Atlanta! The album's not just a great example of McTell at his best – witty vocals, and really sharp lines on the acoustic guitar – but also a key illustration of the Atlantic approach right at the start – an ability to find the best setting for the best talents – and really let them open up in a spontaneous, soul-drenched style! Titles include "You Got To Die", "Kill It Kid", "The Razor Ball", "Broke Down Engine Blues", "Dying Crapshooter's Blues", "Blues Around Midnight", "Pearly Gates", and "Soon This Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite hip stuff from McTyner – really righteous sounds from his 70s run for Milestone Records, recorded with a great lineup that includes Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Gary Bartz on alto, Azar Lawrence on soprano and tenor sax, Bulster Williams on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Mtume on percussion! With players like that, it would be hard to miss – but McCoy's also not one to just let the cats do their own thing – as he directs the group with a sense of power and majesty that's really wonderful. Tyner spins out long dramatic lines in a post-Coltrane Impulse mode that's almost more like Alice Coltrane than his usual bag – and the horn solos of Bartz and Lawrence really give the set a crackling edge. Ttiles include "Paradox", "Desert Cry", "La Cubana", and "Sama Layuca". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully wicked album – one that sold so many copies that it's sometimes hard to remember how great it is! George takes on all of Abbey Road – or just about all of it – as he runs through some of the most beautiful tracks The Beatles ever wrote, like "Golden Slumbers", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "The End", "Because", and "You Never Give Me Your Money". The whole thing's set to some great baroque jazzy arrangements by Don Sebesky, and George digs the whole thing so much that he even sings a bit – vocalizing in a cool chromatic way that really works well with his guitar playing, and which would soon transform into a very popular style on his records of the 70s. Keyboards are by Bob James and Herbie Hancock – and there's plenty of other great jazz players in the mix! CD

A tremendously beautiful album from overlooked genius Roy Harper – a set that steps into even more personal, private territory than his first few records – but with a sound that's every bit as great! The album only features four tracks – two long, two a bit shorter – and Roy handles guitars, vocals, and even a bit of piano – sometimes in a really spare setting, bot on one track with great arrangements from David Bedford. The music has a really fantastic vibe – that special Harper style of acoustic work that's light years past folk, and very much in a unique space of its own – filled with odd changes and colors, and set to Roy's incredible vocals. Titles include "Hors D'Oeuvres", "The Same Old Rock", "Me & My Woman", and "One Man Rock & Roll Band" – all of which are way more interesting than you'd guess from their titles! CD

A late 70s electric effort from McCann, not quite as sublime as some his records from a few years before this, but with some funky bits, and some vocals from Les. The best moments are the laidback mellow tracks, which have sort of a smooth Bobby Lyle feel to them. These titles include "The Blue Dot", and "Para Ti, Para Mi". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady set from the glory days of the Krautrock scene, and one that's recorded by Conny Plank – but a record that maybe has more of a hard rock vibe overall, one that's very much in keeping with the doom-styled look of the cover! These guys really jam their asses off – not in some sort of spacey experimental way, but instead really romping on the drums, riffing on the guitar, and bustling on basslines that really keep the whole record moving forward – all of which makes for a record that you could easily share with fans of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple – something that might not always be the case for other experimental German work of the time. Titles include "Trouble (parts 1 & 2)", "Delusion", "Dream Of A Drummer", "Time Is Flying", and "What Are You Doin". CD

A pair of overlooked female soul gems – back to back on a single CD! The first album is It Must Be Love – sweet late 70s modern soul from Alton McClain & Destiny – a great little female vocal trio with a sound that ranges from lightly funky with jazzy flourishes, to soaringly soulful! The group kind of follow in a tradition started by Honeycone and First Choice, and improved upon by The Emotions – and like that latter group, the girls move from the easier disco tracks that you'd normally expect, into a range of soulful styles that all come off equally well with their vocal technique. Webster Lewis handled some of the nice string arrangements – and players include Wah Wah Watson on guitar and Lee Ritenour on keys. titles include "Crazy Love", "Sweet Temptation", "Taking My Love For Granted", "My Empty Room", "Push & Pull", and "The Power Of Love". More Of You is one of the best records by this great little modern soul trio who should have gone onto bigger and better things. The session's got a strong mellow groove, typical of some of the non-hit soul coming out of labels like Polydor and Capitol at the end of the 70s – and tracks include "Stares & Whispers", "Love Waves", "More Of You", "99 1/2", "You Bring Me To My Morning Light", and "Thank Heaven For You". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

The first really in-depth look at the life of the great Al Green – a book that traces the fascinating journey that led a young man from Memphis to the top of the soul charts in the 70s – only to leave the world of secular music for the church in the following decade, then go on to a surprisingly rich career in decades that followed! The book is especially great at the roots of Al's sound and style – and if you dig southern soul as much as us, you'll really appreciate the author's account of the long journey before Green rose to fame at Hi Records – the kind of journeyman work that's often eclipsed when an artist becomes a star. The book also includes an appendix with a discography and legal notes too – and is over 400 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book