A nice, if a bit obscure, recording featuring Bluiett's compositions for a larger group, with a stellar lineup that includes Chief Bey, Michael Carvin, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Abdul Wadud, Reggie Workman, Olu Dara, Don Pullen and others. There's a strong pulse and some heavy African influence here, buoying Bluiett's robust playing, and Dara's trumpet offers up some nice lines, which we don't hear often enough on recordings. Mining a vein that pulls from some of the other more overtly Afro-centric out jazz explorations of the time, this set stands up nicely alongside more groove and vamp oriented material like the Tribe records stuff from the same era. "Glory (Symphony For World Peace)" features a large group, "Nioka" is a duet with Don Pullen and "Oasis – The Well" is a septet side. LP, Vinyl record album

A real rarity in West Coast jazz – originally issued as a very obscure Blue Note session recorded on the west coast in the mid 50s – released as 2 10" LPs, and billed as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather, but featuring some of Blue Note's only west coast jazz sessions of the 50s! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Howard Roberts, Marty Paich, and others – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's very much in the spirit of some of the best west coast work for labels like Pacific Jazz or Capitol at the time! This CD reissue includes both of the original 10" albums on one set – along with much-needed notes on the players. Titles include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Burbank Bounce", "Arcadia", "Here's Pete", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". CD

An incredible look at the format of vinyl – put together by a guy who's got one of the hippest record collections we've ever seen! John Corbett's been writing about music, art, and other formats for decades – but his real labor of love is vinyl records – a format he continued to embrace even at the height of the CD era – so much so that he talked Downbeat magazine into letting him write a special column on musical delights that had never made it to the digital format! Corbett helped plenty of music get reissued on CD himself – thanks to countless label projects – but he also always held a special place in his heart for the kinds of records that never got reissued – and those are the sorts of titles featured here – a massive run of music that runs from jazz to funk, American and European, totally obscure to completely common – presented beautifully together in this massive book! The volume doesn't just bring together Corbett's columns, but also offers up full color reproductions of all the record covers, along with a few other details too – to support efforts on dozens of artists – a huge list that includes Melvin Jackson, Bill Leslie, Black Grass, Night Blooming Jazzmen, Phil Seamen, Khan Jamal, Klaus Doldinger, The Mad-Hatters, Tommy Jones, Guy Warren, The Three Souls, United Front, Johnny Lytle, London Experimental Jazz Quartet, Paul Smoker, AK Salim, Noah Howard, Jack Wilson, and many others – a good number of whom have yet to be reissued. The book is wonderful – and Corbett's longtime declaration of being a vinyl freak is more important than ever, given the rebirth of the medium! Book is 250 pages, softcover, with color images. Book

The 4th collaboration between electronics maestro Kieran Hebden & free jazz drum titan Steve Reid – a duo that might have seemed an odd fit at first, but actually makes a lot of sense given their adventurous sensibilities – and their joint body of work keeps growing in surprising ways! NYC is, you guessed it, and ode to the great city – with a pretty diverse approach that builds throughout the six longish tracks. Some find Reid hitting pretty hard and heavy while others are more dexterous and complicated in the rhythms, while Hebden works in both a groove based mode and in artier, Eno-esque experimentation. Truly inspired work from a duo we hope work together for years to come. Titles include "Lyman Place", "1st & 1st" & "25th Street" (both of which work in some avant garde funk), "Arrival", "Between B & C" and "Departure". CD

A lost set of work from the team of Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – recorded right around the same time as their famous San Francisco album! The album's overflowing with the soulful, righteous tones the pair could create together – sublime vibes from Hutcherson, both tenor and flute from Land – and a top-shelf supporting cast that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums! Like others of this nature, Blue Note never issued the material at the time – but wisely released it as an album at the start of the 80s – a great contribution to Hutcherson's catalog for the label – of which we can never get enough! Titles include "Ungano", "Avis", "Comes Spring", and "Orientale". CD

Khruangbin are well on their way to becoming superstars with this set – a package that revisits scraps of songs they'd never been able to work just right in the past, and has a way of making them all shine freshly in a very different light! Sure, the funk trio at the core are still in place – but the music has this more expansive quality, and almost a sunny vibe that fits the image of the window on the cover – as things are warmed up with a bit of smoothness that really complements their groove – almost a nod to mellower soul at times, which will really surprise listeners of some of their other work. Yet at the same time, Khruangbin never stop reworking themselves – either through collaborations with others, or fresh projects like this – with tracks that include "May Ninth", "Three From Two", "Juegos Y Nubes", "Todavia Viva", "Pon Pon", "Farolim De Felgueiras", and "Les Petits Gris". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record that we might well put right up there with Mel Torme's "California Suite" as a musical tribute to the west coast – or the "Manhattan Tower" of Gordon Jenkins as some sort of tribute to a city! The album's a long piece on the glory of San Francisco – with lots of differently-themed tunes that refer to aspects of the city in mid-century – composed by the team of Libby and Stephen McNeil, set to music by David Rose –a nd featuring vocals by Ray Goman, Shepard Menken, Bob Grabot, Bill Thompson, and others. Titles include "Fog Over Frisco", "Meet The Press", "When You Call It Frisco Smile", "Around The Town Sequence", andee "Mission Dolores". Side two features "Four Moods In Memory" – a suite of themes played by Rose, with narration by Don Sherwood. LP, Vinyl record album

A great Italian comedy score from the early 60s – put together in key transitional modes by composer Carlo Rustichelli! The music is a great mix of those older, more sentimental Italian styles with some of the cleaner, leaner, playful sounds that were beginning to emerge in the 60s – served up in a host of short tracks with a great deal of variety – some in a swinging jazz mode, a few in a twist party style, and others that are more serious. Titles include "Ratto Twist", "Corrida Rumba", "Vampata D'Amuri", "Morte Di Ascalone", and "Dicerie". LP, Vinyl record album

Musical selections from Toto's most famous films – tracks by Carlo Rustichelli, Gianni Ferrio, Armando Trovaioli, Piero Piccioni, Carlo Savina, and others. CD

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A great entry in the Piedone series of films from Italian comedic legend Bud Spencer – scored by the DeAngelis brothers with a col sort of 80s take on their earlier cinematic modes! As with most of the Italian scores of the time, spare instrumentation and keyboards are used in place of fuller orchestrations – and the result is a batch of playful themes that really fit the goofy action that Spencer spins out on the screen – cheesier sounds that work very nicely with the offbeat performance that always made Bud's films such guilty pleasures! CD features a total of 22 tracks – including two versions of the vocal theme "Sphinx" – fitting as the film is set in Egypt! CD

Late 80's quiet storm vocal harmony. The House of Love Medley is a 10 minute medley of hits from Gamble & Huff and others material. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". This amazing Japanese special edition comes with eight bonus tracks originally issued on Getz/Gilberto 2: "Samba De Mihna", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Morena", "Meditation" and others, recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 1964. CD

A classic album from one of the hippest groups on the UK scene of the 50s – Kenny Graham's excellent Afro-Cubists ensemble – an outfit with a sound as great as its name! There's a fair bit of percussion in the approach here – a sound that's definitely informed by the Cubop experiments of Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, and others on the US scene at the end of the 40s – and the music also features some slightly more exotic touches too, served up with an especially well-arranged approach to the horns. In addition to Graham's strong work on tenor, other players on the date include Stan Tracey on piano and vibes, Joe Hunter on trumpet, and Phil Seamen on drums – on titles that include "I'll Get By", "Olwen's Dream", "Swallowin The Blues", "Cuban Fantasy", "Rockin In Rhythm", and "Bongo Chant". CD features 4 bonus tracks – 2 from the album Tenorama, "Teddy Boy" and "Poinciana" – and 2 more from All The Winners, "Mood Indigo" and "Top Score" – played by the Melody Maker All Stars. CD

An excellent lost funky soundtrack on Blue Note – their only one for years, and Grant Green's entry into the blacksploitation genre! The whole thing bristles with the kind of chunky, thumping percussive feel as the best funky soundtracks of the era – informed by the work of Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes, but with the deeper jazz feel that Green brings from his other Blue Note sides of the time! Some cuts are quite funky, particularly the opener, "Past, Present, and Future" with it's crisp trap, chicken scratch guitar and bongo driven beat. Others have more of a stripped-down dope instrumental feel – there's some sweet funky flute work on "Fathers Lament", and even a slight bossa groove creeps into the title track! The whole album's very nice, and it's very different than any of Grant Green's other work! Other titles include "Afro Party", Luana's Theme", "Slight Fear And Terror", and "Battle Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-star soundtrack to this comedy film from the 70s – starring Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and a very young Harvey Keitel! Most of the tracks on the set are from other A&M albums, but there's a few tunes that are original to the set – including the vocal track "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips, served up in an instrumental reading by Pete Jolly. Paul Jabara also contributed the tune "Dance", in 2 versions – and other cuts, from other albums, include "Mellow Out" by The Crusaders, "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks" and "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "My Soul Is A Witness" by Billy Preston, and "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible music from Seu Jorge – and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved all of his previous records! This time around, Jorge really knocks it out of the park – by stepping away from some of his tighter styles, and going for a looser, more organic approach that's totally great – forged strongly with the cool combo Almaz, which features members of Nacao Zumbi, and bassist Antonio Pinto – the guy behind the great music in City Of God! The result is a record that's completely fresh, new territory for Jorge – but a set that also still holds onto all the best charms of his previous records too – and given that he's always seemed poised for superstardom and global crossover, it's even more incredible that he's made such a rootsy record like this! The record's filled with cool covers – all given the Almaz twist – tunes by Kraftwerk, Roy Ayers, Michael Jackson, Jorge Ben, Tim Maia, and others – completely reworked, and tuned up with spare instrumentation that's mostly guitar, bass, and drums. Titles include "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", "The Model", "Cala Boca Menino", "Girl You Move Me", "Juizo Final", "Cirandar", "Tempo De Amor", and "Rock With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully meditative music from spiritual flautist Nicole Mitchell – a set that's almost a stripped-down version of work done with her larger ensembles in the past – as she works here on duo improvisations with pianist Alexander Hawkins! The spare sound of the record is wonderful, as it allows Mitchell to craft maybe some of her most personal, poetic sounds on the flute – and even allows her some brief vocalizations too – while Hawkins moves between moments on the piano that are free, but in a sprightly way – to others that have a more subtle sense of tone and timing. Titles include "Interlocking Imaginations", "Jalopy Ride", "Elliptical Rotations", "Flicker Bounce Glide", "The Stars Are Listening", and "There Is A Balm In Gilead". CD

A massive issue from Roctober this time around – filled with a wealth of information on unusual novelty and comedy records – plus lots of other odd vinyl too! There's a huge amount of interviews here – with Jimmy Lynch The Funky Tramp, Mr Lee, Neil Hamburger, Dave Alvin, Dr Demento, The 1985 Chicago Bears, Rappin Duke, and others – plus bits on Richard Pyror, Pedro Bell, Brother Dave Gardner, Andy Kaufman, and Jack White's Third Man Records – plus a massive stand up records discography, and loads lots more! Massive reviews and other bits too – and easily the best musical bang for your magazine buck. Magazine

That's the great Bud Spencer on the cover here, starring in one of his wonderfully playful comedies from the early 80s – maybe not the highest level of cinematic brilliance, but always a very good time on the screen! Music is always a key part of these films – and as in others, this one's got a theme that's repeated often as Bud hits the screen in scene to scene – a playful, romping groove that has a keyboard part that sounds like a pan flute, leaping along with the rhythms in a really nice way! Some numbers also echo a "Banana Joe" vocal theme too – and the music has electric bass and keyboards next to the larger orchestrations. Most tracks are variations on the theme, but some get a bit groovier too – and titles also include the "Wanna Believe" soul track, with vocals from Yvonne Wilkins. LP, Vinyl record album

Valid and Stretch show that the Detroit scene is alive and well when it comes to hip hop – and can deliver a record like this, with a vibe that's gritty, but never too overplayed or postured! The set uses media snippets between tracks to link the cuts nicely, and almost create a sense of historicity to the music – as does the strong use of 80s elements from time to time – bits of retro pop that make the whole thing bristle with this playfully fresh quality that really fits the rhymes! Production is by Pig Pen, J Mac, Chuck Cross, Eddie Logix, and others – and titles include "Game Film", "89 Cadillacs", "You Know I Like It", "Revenge", "Eastern Conference Finals", "Drink With Me", "Sentimental", "The Girls", and "Commentate". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Peter Frampton, Alice Cooper, The Steve Miller Band, War, Dr John, ZZ Top, Foghat, and others. Cassette

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "Women Police In England" by Mighty Terror, "My Sorrow" by West African Swing Stars, "Cricket Umpires" by Lord Kitchener, "Jordhu" by Caribbean Swing Band, "Trumpet Highlife" by Shake Keane, "Calypso Mambo" by George Browne, "Cuban Nightingale" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Kitch" by The Quavers, "Tabu" by Mona Baptiste, and "King Jimmy Foo Foo" by Tejan Sie with The West African Rhythm Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 25 tracks recorded for V-Disc and the Armed Forces Radio Service – with Lester Young, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Rushing, and others! CD

One of the most stunning debut albums of the 70s – and a set that burst on the scene with a sound that summed up a generation, but which had never been heard this clearly before! This self-titled Clash album was different from other landmarks of the time – work by the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and others – as the group had a sense of raw power, but also a tunefulness too – a way of pushing their message into territory that others wouldn't have reached – with tunes that were as surprisingly hummable as they were politically correct! There's a bit less Jamaican influence here than in later Clash years, but that quality is still present somewhat – and over the years, this is definitely a set we can return to again and again – with no sense of apology or outdated ideals at all. Nearly every cut's a classic – and titles include "Janie Jones", "Career Opportunities", "Police & Thieves", "Garageland", "Clash City Rockers", "I Fought The Law", "White Riot", "London's Burning", "White Man In Hammersmith Palais", and "I'm So Bored With The USA". LP, Vinyl record album

The longest album ever from The Clash – a stunning triple LP set that really shows the group bristling with new ideas and energy throughout! There's a hell of a lot going on here – some cuts that are every bit as strong as the previous records, others that offer a few mis-steps but in a wonderfully playful way – and a few more that really hit this sort of unique mix of genres and politics that could only be summed up as Clash-like at its best! Bits of hip hop, reggae, new wave, funk, and more mix together beautifully – and the album's got a hell of a lot of charm and character, even if you're skipping past a few of the cuts you don't like as much as the others. 36 tracks in all – and titles include "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "Junco Partner", "The Leader", "Police On My Back", "Midnight Log", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Broadway", "Rebel Waltz", "Look Here", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Kingston Advice", "Corner Soul", "Let's Go Crazy", "The Sound Of Sinners", "Living In Fame", "Silicone On Sapphire", and "Career Opportunities". LP, Vinyl record album

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more. CD

Only the second album from Gypsy, but one that really has the group opening up their wings to soar – especially on the longer tunes that really feature some nicely freewheeling interplay between organ and guitar! Yet even on the shorter cuts, the sound between the two is great too – driven on by some rhythms that feature very tasty use of congas, in a way that might draw some slight comparison to Santana, although these guys maybe have some more mid-American elements in the mix too, almost a dash of light Allman Brothers at times! Whatever the comparisons, though, the whole thing is great – a really under-discovered gem that deserves to be in the bigger pantheon of the time – with cuts that include "Here In The Garden", "Blind Man", "Reach Out Your Hand", "Around You", and "As Far As You Can See". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully expansive album from The Incredible String Band – initially performed as a stage project with the Stone Monkey dance troupe, and featuring the ISB at their most evocative and creative! Some tunes have a darker, sinister undercurrent – that link between the band and the acid folk underground – but others are more hippy dippy, with playful touches that still seem to have this undercurrent of evil somehow – an offbeat quality that really marks the special way that British groups like this were taking folk in very odd directions at the time – never losing sight of roots, but still never having the sense of optimism or indulgence of American acts. The double-length set has loads of especially nice instrumental moments – both acoustic and electric – and titles include "Bridge Song", "El Wool Suite", "The Juggler's Song", "Bad Sadie Lee", "Partial Belated Overture", "Walking Along With You", "Invocation", and "Robot Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge 90s album from Montell Jordan – one that formed a big bridge between the worlds of hip hop and R&B, and which has had some surprisingly strong legs in the years after it was first crafted! Plenty of folks blended hip hop elements with soul, but Montell may well have been one of the few to really knock it out of the park like this – not just with the oft-played title track, but also over the course of the whole record, which blends some more attitude-heavy cuts with others that are emotionally open as well! Montell handled a lot of the production himself, clearly with an ear for his strengths – and titles include the classic "This Is How We Do It", plus "Don't Keep Me Waiting", "Comin Home", "Payback", "Somethin 4 Da Honeyz", "I Wanna", "Gotta Get My Roll On", "Down On My Knees", and "Daddy's Home". CD features bonus tracks – "This Is How We Do It (Puff Daddy radio mix)" and "This Is How We Do It (Funkmaster Flex radio mix)". CD

Khruangbin are well on their way to becoming superstars with this set – a package that revisits scraps of songs they'd never been able to work just right in the past, and has a way of making them all shine freshly in a very different light! Sure, the funk trio at the core are still in place – but the music has this more expansive quality, and almost a sunny vibe that fits the image of the window on the cover – as things are warmed up with a bit of smoothness that really complements their groove – almost a nod to mellower soul at times, which will really surprise listeners of some of their other work. Yet at the same time, Khruangbin never stop reworking themselves – either through collaborations with others, or fresh projects like this – with tracks that include "May Ninth", "Three From Two", "Juegos Y Nubes", "Todavia Viva", "Pon Pon", "Farolim De Felgueiras", and "Les Petits Gris". CD

The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! This is the record that made Mancini's career, and forever transformed the face of crime and jazz. The record's a stunning batch of instrumentals, played by a crack group of west coast players who also performed regularly in the TV show. Titles include the classic "Peter Gunn" theme, plus "Brothers Go To Mothers", "The Floater", "Brief & Breezy", "A Profound Gass", and "Dreamsville". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Sun Ra is on the cover, and also famously named a record Magic City – which was also the nickname of his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama – a city that gets plenty of coverage here for its long musical legacy! Birmingham was given the "magic city" nickname late in the 19th Century, when it was experiencing a great economic boom – one that helped attract folks from all over the south, and made the city a cultural crossroads for many years to come – especially when it came to jazz, where Birmingham was one of the most important scenes in the south for part of the 20th Century. In addition to the relationship between the city and Sun Ra, the book also features a long lineup that includes Joe Guy, Teddy Hill, Erskine Hawkins, Fess Whatley, Avery Parrish, and others – in histories that criss-cross, overlap, and extend with influences far past the city. This softcover edition is 340 pages, with some very nice black and white images. Book

A Morricone score penned for a comedic western – but music that's really on a par with any of his more familiar classics of the genre! The styles here run from dark to bright – with some numbers that feature trademark Morricone styles like isolated harmonica or chanting vocals, to others that cascade with slightly more contemporary instrumental modes – including just a bit of subdued electricity amidst the larger orchestrations. But in any setting, the Morricone genius shines through beautifully – and there's a sense of depth to even the simplest tunes here that's really great – and the balance here is what really makes the album strong. CD features a whopping 29 tracks in all – way more than any other issue of music from the film – with titles that include "Non Fare L'Indiano", "Sfida All'Ultima Forchetta", "L'Ultima Tromba", "Tanti Pugni", "Occhio Alla Pena", "Passagio Dal Male Al Bene", and "Dal Sarto". CD

Tisziji Munoz on guitars, Dave Liebman on saxophone and flute, John Medeski on piano, and others. CD

Part hip hop, part abstract beats – and one of the more soulful and hip hop based late 90s/early 00s sets on Ubiquity! Features guest appearance from scene mainstays 2 Mex, Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone, Medusa, Abstract Rude and others. Tracks include "For Those Who Never Dream", "Leading To The One", "Monotone", "Sun Child", "Fiend Or Fix", "Planets Ain't Aligned", "Inner Eye", and "Sixth Sense". CD contains the bonus track "Faces Of The Deep". CD

The second album from Biggie, and a set that was instantly poised to catapult him to superstardom – even before his tragic death ended up doing that before the release of the record! And yes, the title's a bit cryptic – and given the fact that the material came out after BIG was shot, it might seem like a cash-in collection of left-behind tracks – yet it's not that at all. The long path to the album's creation represents a step forward to almost build a bridge between underground hip hop and mainstream soul – maybe in a way that would have calmed some of the coastal beefs that were taking place at the time – as the late, great one works here with an array of guests from both the worlds of hip hop and R&B – 112, Jay-Z, R Kelly, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim, Too Short, and others – in a classic set of tracks that includes "Hypnotize", "Kick In the Door", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Notorious Thugs", "Going Back To Cali", "Sky's The Limit", "Miss U", "Ten Crack Commandments", 'What's Beef", and "Nasty Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice live snapshot of a later P Funk incarnation, circa 1983 – with players like Dennis Chambers and Michael Hampton aboard the mothership with Clinton's family of funk all stars! The rest of the crew includes includes stalwarts Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel, Blackbird McKnight, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper and George Clinton working hard to extend their legendary style of live funk into the 80s. There's a slow build up of energy that's works well – kicking off slowly but surely with a laidback intro and band intro before busts open in a big way, and from there it's one exciting classic after another 'til the very end! Includes lengthy live riffs on P-funk classics like "Cosmic Slop", "(Not Just) Knee Deep", "Maggot Brain", "Atomic Dog"and "Flashlight", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Do That Stuff", "Cosmic Slop" plus a medley of "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Mothership Connection (Starchild)" and "I Call My Baby Pussycat" in a nearly 100 minute set! CD

The last full album recorded by Minnie Riperton before she left our planet all too soon – and a killer batch of work that really has us wondering how great the world of soul music would have been, had Minnie stuck around to keep on growing into the 80s and 90s! The set's filled with the kind of all-star help that Riperton always seemed to attract over the years – strong contributions from Minnie's longtime fan/friend Stevie Wonder, plus work from Phil Upchurch, Jose Feliciano, Hubert Laws, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and many others – all helped out by Minnie and her partner/producer, the great Richard Rudolph – whose connection to Riperton can always be felt in the music. Titles include the great track "Memory Lane", which gets endless airplay here in Chicago, plus the beautiful ballad "Never Existed Before", and the cuts "I'm A Woman", "Lover & Friend", and "Return To Forever". CD

Wayne Snow was born in Nigeria, recorded this debut between Paris and Berlin, and comes across with the kind of globe-spanning sound that legacy might make you expect! This is future soul at its best – not warmed-over cliches from the past, but a record that has a crisp sort of contemporary vibe through and through – a lean style that does more with less, and which really brings just the right sort of focus onto Wayne's vocals when he steps into the mix! A great record that really gets right what so many others try to reach these days, but always end up messing up with a bit too much effort – not the case with Wayne Snow, as you'll hear on "Faceless", "Nina", "Seventy", "Number One", "Figurine", "Relativity", and "Magnetic". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of records from Tempest – a group formed by drummer Jon Hiseman after the breakup of Colosseum! First up is the self-titled Tempest record – music by a hell of a group from the glory days of the Bronze Records scene – a group who boast some fantastic guitar work from a young Allan Holdsworth that are more than enough to get them on the label – but who also have a richness and complexity that rivals some of the hippest prog acts on labels like Vertigo or Harvest too! Ex-Colosseum member Jon Hiseman handles drums and percussion with a mighty nice edge, Mark Clarke delivers some heavy sinister basslines, and Paul Williams echoes all of those strengths with his dark-tinged vocals – in a mode that's nicely beyond some of the cliches that other groups might hit on a record like this. Titles include "Gorgon", "Brothers", "Foyers Of Fun", "Upon Tomorrow", "Grey & Black", "Up & On", and "Dark House". Next up is Living In Fear – a really great record from Tempest – a group who have so many different things going on at once – guitars that would be right at home on a hard rock effort, rhythmic complexity that verges on prog, and a tunefulness that really sends the whole thing over the top with an unexpected appeal that keeps on going throughout the entire set! Maybe the tipoff is the group's great cover of "Paperback Writer" – showing a love of the harmony in earlier work by The Beatles – updated here to a more guitar-based, fuzz-heavy style for the 70s – and matched with some equally groovy songs that have us wondering why these guys never found more of a following at the time! Other titles include "Funeral Empire", "Stargazer", "Dance To My Time", "Living In Fear", and "Waiting For A Miracle". CD set features two bonus tracks – "You & Your Love" and "Dream Train". CD

Maybe the most personal, most evocative album we've ever heard from Brazilian singer Moreno Veloso – a set that's summed up wonderfully by its title, as these are songs that Veloso sung to his children at night during the darkest months of 2020! The record features just vocals and guitar – but as with his father Caetano in such a setting, Moreno actually seems to make more with less – allowing us to hear him in a way that's maybe even more up-close than ever before –with the mix of emotional currents that you'd get on the best bossa recordings of this nature – even though Veloso is far beyond bossa with this music! Most tracks are penned by others, but given these fantastic new interpretations – and titles include "Fazenda", "Unga Dorme Nesse Frio", "Luna Caprese", "Tigresa", "Noche De Ronda", "Normelia", and "Tres Da Madrugada". CD

Bobby Watson's always keeping it real in our book – as the alto saxophonist maybe hasn't made a bad record ever, and has continued to turn out the sort of fantastic music we loved right when he was an up-and-comer in an 80s version of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers! Here, Bobby's working with some key talents from his solo years – a re-formed New Horizon group that features excellent work on bass from Curtis Lundy, drums from Victor Jones, and piano from Victor Gould – plus trumpet work on some tracks by Josh Evans and on others by Giveton Gellin! The use of trumpet is somewhat striking, as it's an instrument that's not always in place on some of Bobby's small combo sessions – and both Evans and Gellin are clearly inspired by the warmth of the leader – as both soar out with a wonderfully full, rich sound that only adds to the classic soulful touch of Watson on the alto. Titles include Watson and Lundy originals "Keepin It Real", "One For John", "My Song", "The Mystery of Ebop", and "Elementary My Dear Watson 2020" – plus a nice take on the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free". CD

A fantastic package of music that celebrates the 20 years of recording by Bugge Wesseltoft – easily one of the most compelling musical figures to emerge at the end of the 20th Century! Years back, we stocked Bugge in our New Grooves section, as he had a bit of a clubby electronic vibe – but over the years, he turned out to be not only a hell of a jazz musician, but also a budding minimalist too – a talent who completely transformed his sound, and also touched a generation of contemporaries with his strong sense of collaboration and musical stewardship! This package really showcases that legacy – and features work by artists who include Joshua Redman, Mari Boine, Erik Truffaz, Joaquin Claussell, Hakon Kornstad, Sidsel Endressen, and others – although the main focus is always Bugge's music at the core, and his incredible sense of sound and timing. The set features some old and out of print tracks, but also includes some new versions of older compositions, and a few unreleased tracks as well – making the whole thing way more than just a compilation, and instead another important addition to Bugge's catalog. Titles include "Sender", "Turner", "Breed It", "Mamullah", "You Might Say (new version)", "Yellow Is The Color", "Somewhere In Between", "Existence (new version)", "Hope (new version)", "Wy (new version)", "Kammermusik", "Den Fyrste Songen, "Try Out Here In There", and "Yoyk (new version)". CD

Really cool music for a bunch of short, animated cartoons – all of them from a single studio in Poland, and done with these sublime sounds that really move past the familiar! These aren't always the whimsical melodies you'd hear in a Warner Brothers cartoon – and there's elements of modern composition mixed with really creative instrumentation – all served up on a set of over 40 short tracks that move between two and a half minutes to almost just thirty seconds – a wonderful portrait in sound as the music moves between the decades! The feel of the set is almost similar to some of the offbeat soundtrack material reissued by the Trunk label over the years – and the set features work from composers who include Krzystof Komeda, Tadeusz Kocyba, Waldemar Kazanecki, Jerzy Abratowski, Bogumit Pasterkak, Zenon Kowalowski, Janusz Mentel, Antoni Mleczko, and others. CD

Funky soul from Witchita, Kansas – an unlikely locale, but home to some really great music – courtesy of the Smart brothers, and their ultra-hip club! This wonderful entry in the Eccentric Soul series from Numero really brings that lost scene to life – telling the tale of the brothers, their club, and some of the wickedly funky artists that graced their stage – a host of obscure groups, singers, and instrumentalists who really made Kansas cook, back in the day! The groove here is plenty darn hard – as raw as some of the best funky 45s you might find from points north, warmed up with occasional southern soul elements – and always produced with rough-and-ready vibe that gets to the heart of the grit right away. The set comes with a beautiful 28 page booklet – filled with vintage photos, in support of the Smart story, told by Dante Carfagna and Rob Sevier – but even without this added feature, the CD itself would be wonderful – essential listening for fans of all things funky! Titles include "Herbie's Bag" by John Smart's Band, "Mercy Baby" by Tim Jacob, "Dedicated To You" by Hard Road, "Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy" by Chocolate Snow, "Smart" by Smart Brothers, "I Was Made To Love Her" by Theron & Darrell, "I'm Not Ashamed" by Baby Neal & The Smart Brothers, "Everybody Needs Somebody" by LT & The Soulful Dynamics, "Don't Hate Let's Communicate" by Kenneth Carr with John Smart's Band, "It's Your Love" by Theron & Darrell, and "Let It Be" by Chocolate Snow. CD

A really cool package that's way more than just the blues promised in the title – as the set brings together work from a variety of scenes and styles, all showing the many ways that American blues had such an impact on UK sounds from the mod generation onwards! There's definitely some tracks here that stick to a slavish representation of the original influence – but the set also includes all sorts of great divergences, tracing the path that so many artists would take from learning blues licks to really stepping out with new sounds of their own in psych, prog, hard rock, and other British styles to follow! There's also some surprising folk moments too – and over the course of 73 tracks, the box follows a fantastic journey – also supported with great notes too – through the work of artists who include Siren, Andy Roberts, Medicine Head, John Martyn, The Deviants, Pentangle, Killing Floor, Jo Ann Kelly, Jellybread, Alexis Korner, Rod Stewart, Mike Cooper, Savoy Brown, The Purple Gang, Al Jones, Bronx Cheer, Dave Ellis, Roger Hubbard, Taste, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, and many others. CD

Nothing weird here, just wonderful – a fantastic assortment of music from a time when the British scene was really changing things up – served up in a book-styled package with notes that are as dynamic as its music! The tracks here move way past the obvious – that's an image of John Lennon on the cover, but these aren't the tracks by The Beatles and bigger acts of the time – and instead, the collection really does a great job of digging around all the really wonderful groups that were recording for the bigger British labels of the period, but who were given a lot of freedom to really try out new ideas – both in their music, and in the way the music was recorded. The package is the best we've ever seen to present this slice of English rock – and the set features 122 titles on 5CDs – with work from Ron Geesin, Atlanta Roots, Simon Dupree, The Smoke, John's Children, Ivor Cutler, Tinsel Arcade, The Soft Machine, Canto, New Generation, Medium Rare, 117 Venusian Moonshine, Friday's Chyld, New Generation, Third Ear Band, Wimple Winch, The Deviants, Sorrows, Rupert's People, Orange Bicycle, Shuster, Felius Andromeda, Tomorrow, Crystal Ship, The Moles, and many others – and the set also features 9 never-issued tracks! CD

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD

Early 80s recording for Black Saint, performed in New York with a group that includes Craig Harris, Baikida Carroll, Abdul Wadud, Janette Moody, and Andrew Cyrille – among others. The pieces are all larger orchestral ones, and feature more of Abrams' complicated scoring for ensemble passages. Titles include "Heart Is Love And I Am", "Blessed Be The Heavens At 12", and "Spiral To Clarity". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little double-length set from British jazz rock genius Neil Ardley – one that has him working off the vibe explored on the Greek Variations album, but hitting a sound that's a fair bit funkier overall! As with other efforts, Ardley draws here on some really top-shelf talents for his ideas – soloists who include Ian Carr on trumpet, Ken Shaw on guitar, and Tony Coe, Barbara Thompson, and Brian Smith on saxes! The tracks are all quite longish, and unfold in a really organic way – building over an immediate rhythm at some points, or letting the soloists set the main vibe at others. There's nothing overly-obtuse about the record at all, and Ardley never lets anyone dominate too much – making the album a strong group effort with a really unified vision – but one with plenty of space for the feeling of the individual players. Titles include "Rainbow One", "Rainbow Two", "Rainbow Three", and so on. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly David Bowie's first complete moment of genius – an incredibly-formed album that's filled with tunes beyond definition and description! There's still some traces of the earlier madman in the mix, but the overall sound is much more rock-heavy – although not without the fuzzed-up and full-on guitars of Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World – and often augmented with a bit of strings and softer touches that really bring out the humanity in the songs. The balance here is amazing – as is the fact that a few short years before, Bowie was singing "The Laughing Gnome", but is here one of the most sensitive songwriters of his generation. Tunes are quirky and personal, and titles include "Changes", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Andy Warhol", "Life On Mars", "Kooks", and "Queen Bitch". Features bonus tracks – "Bombers", "Quicksand (demo)", "Supermen (alt version)", and "Bewlay Brothers (alt version)". CD

Only the second album from Gypsy, but one that really has the group opening up their wings to soar – especially on the longer tunes that really feature some nicely freewheeling interplay between organ and guitar! Yet even on the shorter cuts, the sound between the two is great too – driven on by some rhythms that feature very tasty use of congas, in a way that might draw some slight comparison to Santana, although these guys maybe have some more mid-American elements in the mix too, almost a dash of light Allman Brothers at times! Whatever the comparisons, though, the whole thing is great – a really under-discovered gem that deserves to be in the bigger pantheon of the time – with cuts that include "Here In The Garden", "Blind Man", "Reach Out Your Hand", "Around You", and "As Far As You Can See". LP, Vinyl record album

A rather rare and quite burning side from reedman Kenyatta, leading his Free State Band, which he'd formed in Europe in the late 60s. There's a super heavy afro-funk groove grounding this set, based around the Congolese guitar player Francois Nyombo and congo player Keino Spellar. Kenyatta's playing alto and flute, with a righteous soulful vibe floating over the grooves, at times heavy and driving, others nicely spacious. Includes "Angela", "Zulu Princess", "Gun The Honeydripper" and "If She Can't Do It (parts 1 & 2)". CD

Tisziji Munoz on guitars, Dave Liebman on saxophones, John Medeski on piano, and others. CD

A really beautiful early album from the legendary Jean-Luc Ponty – a set that's maybe more straight jazz than some of his later work, and which also represents a pivotal shift in the use of the violin in jazz! Ponty's phrasing here is very different than previous players who handled the instrument in such a setting – almost more informed by a saxophone than earlier instrumentalists – often with notes that are not nearly as sweet as others, and heard to perfection in the company of this quartet! The whole group is great – Wolfgang Dauner on acoustic piano, also straighter than in later years – plus Niels Henning Orsted Pederson on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums. Titles include "Sunday Walk", "Cat Coach", "Suite For Claudia", and "Carole's Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal statement from the legendary Small Faces – a record that has them regrouping a bit, and finding a way to pack an incredible punch! The album's amazing right from the very first note – a perfect bridge between the ongoing mod energy of the London scene, and the psychedelic sounds in years to come – served up with a tight, compact, focused approach that still blows away most of the many groups it helped inspire! The group would dive into a heady psychedelic groove about a year later with incredible success on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake – but here, they're still riding on the walloping soul and R&B influences on this record – driving and tuneful, with some hints at the strange sounds to come in the freewheeling organ and occasional odd instrumentation. Released as Small Faces in the UK with an alternate title, cover and tracklist, but this version shares a number of the greatest tracks and includes a few others that are just as essential – titles include "Itchycoo Park", "Talk To You", "My May Of Giving", "I'm Only Dreaming", "Get Yourself Together", "Green Circles", "(Tell Me) Have You Seen Me", and "Here Come The Nice". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length set of work from one of the greatest pianists of the 50s – both of his Atlantic albums together on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Lennie Tristano, from 1955 – darkly imaginative work from the great Tristano – and one of the few full albums he ever cut as a leader! The record features the incredible track "Turkish Mambo" – which has Tristano overdubbed 3 times in this dark modal way that's totally amazing, and which will hook you into his playing immediately! A number of other tracks feature a quartet with Lee Konitz – always a good match for Tristano – and a few others have a great trio that's completed by Peter Ind and Jeff Morton. Tracks include "Requiem", "East 32nd", "You Go To My Head", and "Line Up". New Tristano is an incredible record by Lennie – one that features him playing solo piano, but in a way that's so inventive, so creative, so pyrotechnic, that Atlantic Records had to include text on the back cover saying "No use is made of multi-tracking, over-dubbing, or tape-speeding." The album's also one of the last (the last?) that Lennie ever cut – and although many other players are kind of faltering in last sessions like this, Lennie's sounding better than ever – ready to take on a realm of new challenges in the 60s. Titles include "Love Lines", "G Minor Complex", "Becoming", and "Deliberation". CD

A set that really expands the legend of Factory Records – the famous label who gave the world New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, and other important post-punk bands – as the set focuses on the equally legendary Hacienda nightclub, which the label opened in Manchester in 1982! Manchester was already a city with a hell of a music scene – but at the Hacienda, all sorts of sounds and styles mixed together – in a spirit that was similar to some of the energy on the New York scene at the time, particularly at a club like Danceteria – where the quest for the new took clubbers way past standard genre designations! The Fac 51 in the title was Factory's way of giving the club a catalog number that was in keeping with its record releases at the time – and the beautiful package features plenty of information on the club and the scene – along with 65 tracks by artists who include Gang Of Four, Section 25, Defunkt, Heaven 17, Medium Medium, The Birthday Party, Kurtis Blow, Shalamar, Barry Gray, Simple Minds, Rockers Revenge, 23 Skidoo, Royal Family & The Poor, Josef K, John Cooper Clarke, Stockholm Monsters, Swamp Children, Iggy & The Stooges, Sugarhill Gang, Laura Lee, Temptations, Trio, Bow Wow Wow, Valentine Brothers, Soft Cell, The Associates, Loose Joints, Suicide, Pale Fountains, and many others. CD

A huge overview of female gospel material from the golden age of the genre – and a set that's a mighty nice contrast to some of the heavy male group reissues that have dominated the market! Most of the groups here are smaller ones – not the large choir of a church, but the quintets and quartets that got a chance to record material during the early years of gospel – helping to forge a style that went on to have a huge impact on the way the female voice sounded in soul music during the 60s! As usual with large sets like this on the Fremeaux label, there's detailed notes in both French and English – and a huge selection of 72 tracks that includes work by Sallie Martin Singers, Southern Harps, Ward Singers, Gospel Stars, Meditation Singers, Famous Davis Singers, Inez Andres & Andrewettes, Angelic Gospel Singers, Simmons Akers Trio, Clara Ward Specials, and many others! CD

That's a mighty classy truck stop on the cover of this album – and the set's a mighty classy batch of trucker-themed tunes from the catalog of Starday Records! These aren't the shlocky truck country tunes of the 70s, but instead some great material from the postwar years – a time when the interstates were really opening up, and the role of the truck was about to surpass the role of the train. The tunes here all mark the new challenges of the time, sometimes with a good deal of humor – and titles include "Gears" by Johnny Bond, "Man Behind The Wheel" by George Morgan, "Long Haul Weekend" by The Willis Brothers, "Big Footed Dan" by Benny Martin, "Big Rig Guitar" by Joe Maphis, "Truck Driving Buddy" by Frankie Miller, "Sleeper Cab Blues" by Tom O'Neal, and "Pinball Machine" by Lonnie Irving. CD

Amazing work from the new version of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! There's a style here that's a sweet Memphis distillation of ideas bubbling under in music by Sly Stone, Funkadelic, and others – taken to new territory here by a group that was already steeped in 60s soul instrumental sounds! The cuts show a great ear for simple hooks and playful instrumental twists and turns – still with a bit of the trumpet used on Bar-Kays work of the past, but more in a groove that lets the guitar step out nicely with psychedelic soul undercurrents! Tracks include "In The Hole", "Funky Thang", "Grab This Thing", "Street Walker", "Humpin", and "Don't Stop Dancing To The Music (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime soundtrack from John Barry – common, to be sure, but also a wonderfully-crafted set that goes way beyond the stereotypes of his work for the James Bond films! The record is probably best known for Nilsson's famous version of the Fred Neil tune "Everybody's Talkin" – which is great in itself – but it's Barry's own work on the title theme that we totally love. "Midnight Cowboy" is a darkly turning slowly pondering tune that will haunt us until the day we die – performed here on the original number with a sad-tinged harmonica that unites both the country of Joe Buck's roots and the sleaze of the love generation. The tune's great – and is matched here by the whimsy of "Florida Fantasy", and the Barry tracks "Fun City" and "Science Fiction". But also, Barry acted as the overall music director for the film – and used some tracks from the hip group Elephant's Memory, plus others by The Groop – but offbeat acts who really fit the spirit of the film. The record's almost worth it just for the cut "Old Man Willow", a really tripped-out longer track from Elephant's Memory – swirling around in organ and hippie vocals, and oddly echoing the main Barry theme of the set at times! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest releases ever from the Okka Disk label – a legendary set that stands as a great testament to the global improvising scene that exploded in Chicago during the 90s! Back in the early years of FMP, nobody would have thought to use the name "Peter Brotzmann" and "Chicago" in the same context – but by the time of these recordings, the legendary reedman had been spending quite a bit of time in the Windy City – working strongly alongside that decade's fresh generation of improvisers, at a level that also helped Brotzmann discover new energy in his music too! The lineup here is great – both octet and tentet groups that operate in an improvising orchestra tradition – with players that include Ken Vandermark on tenor and bass clarinet, Mars Williams on tenor and alto, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Mats Gustafsson on baritone and fluteophone, Joe McPhee on pocket cornet and valve trombone, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion, and Brotzmann himself on tenor, clarinet, and tarogato. The set features three different live recordings, and one long studio set recorded over two days – a fantastic collection of music. Titles include "Burning Spirit (For Kazuka Shiraishi)", "Other Brothers", "Old Bottles No Wine, "Aziz", "Foolish Infinity", "Immediate Music", "Makapoor", "Foolish Infinity", "Other Brothers" and "Divide By Zero". CD

The longest album ever from The Clash – a stunning triple LP set that really shows the group bristling with new ideas and energy throughout! There's a hell of a lot going on here – some cuts that are every bit as strong as the previous records, others that offer a few mis-steps but in a wonderfully playful way – and a few more that really hit this sort of unique mix of genres and politics that could only be summed up as Clash-like at its best! Bits of hip hop, reggae, new wave, funk, and more mix together beautifully – and the album's got a hell of a lot of charm and character, even if you're skipping past a few of the cuts you don't like as much as the others. 36 tracks in all – and titles include "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "Junco Partner", "The Leader", "Police On My Back", "Midnight Log", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Broadway", "Rebel Waltz", "Look Here", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Kingston Advice", "Corner Soul", "Let's Go Crazy", "The Sound Of Sinners", "Living In Fame", "Silicone On Sapphire", and "Career Opportunities". CD

Only the second album from Gypsy, but one that really has the group opening up their wings to soar – especially on the longer tunes that really feature some nicely freewheeling interplay between organ and guitar! Yet even on the shorter cuts, the sound between the two is great too – driven on by some rhythms that feature very tasty use of congas, in a way that might draw some slight comparison to Santana, although these guys maybe have some more mid-American elements in the mix too, almost a dash of light Allman Brothers at times! Whatever the comparisons, though, the whole thing is great – a really under-discovered gem that deserves to be in the bigger pantheon of the time – with cuts that include "Here In The Garden", "Blind Man", "Reach Out Your Hand", "Around You", and "As Far As You Can See". CD

Khruangbin are well on their way to becoming superstars with this set – a package that revisits scraps of songs they'd never been able to work just right in the past, and has a way of making them all shine freshly in a very different light! Sure, the funk trio at the core are still in place – but the music has this more expansive quality, and almost a sunny vibe that fits the image of the window on the cover – as things are warmed up with a bit of smoothness that really complements their groove – almost a nod to mellower soul at times, which will really surprise listeners of some of their other work. Yet at the same time, Khruangbin never stop reworking themselves – either through collaborations with others, or fresh projects like this – with tracks that include "May Ninth", "Three From Two", "Juegos Y Nubes", "Todavia Viva", "Pon Pon", "Farolim De Felgueiras", and "Les Petits Gris". LP, Vinyl record album

The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Down Now", "Bim Bam", "Young Dreamers", "Shotgun Blues", "Woman Don't Care", and "Broke & Hungry" – some in rare unissued takes. CD

Beautiful work from Charles Lloyd – a set of compelling originals mixed with standards, both old and new, performed in a laidback style that really makes the most of his wonderful tone! Lloyd was a player who was great from the start – but in recent years, he seems to have even deepened his sound more strongly – finding notes on the saxophone that few others could match, in ways that are similar to the levels that Archie Shepp hit during his maturing years. The cooled-off setting of the album works perfectly to highlight this great side of Lloyd's talents – and backing is subtle, and handled by the trio of Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. Titles include "Caroline No", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Monk's Mood", "Mirror", "Ruby My Dear", "Lift Every Voice & Sing", "Desolation Song", and "Tagi". CD

A classic! This is the record that made Mancini's career, and forever transformed the face of crime and jazz. The record's a stunning batch of instrumentals, played by a crack group of west coast players who also performed regularly in the TV show. Titles include the classic "Peter Gunn" theme, plus "Brothers Go To Mothers", "The Floater", "Brief & Breezy", "A Profound Gass", and "Dreamsville". Four bonus tracks – "Walkin' Bass", "Blue Steel", "Spook!", "Blues For Mother's". CD

Brilliant early recordings from Blind Willie McTell – easily one of the most distinctive bluesmen of his generation! McTell's guitar is subtle, but effective – often used in these strummed passages that seem to let his vocals do most of the work on the tunes – save for some key points when Willie steps out with a few bold solos. And the vocals have these really unique quality – maybe a notch or two higher than most others, but with plenty of bite – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Statesboro Blues", "Stomp Down Rider", "Broke Down Engine Blues", "Travelin Blues", "Writing Paper Blues", "Talkin To Myself", and "Southern Can Is Mine". CD

Pure beauty! In October of 1998, Misha Mengelberg made an historic visit to Chicago – a rare trip programmed to coincide with a showcase of Dutch jazz that featured him and the Ab Bars trio, playing at Fred Anderson's legendary Velvet Lounge. The trip was notable in that it also became the occasion for Mengelberg to record some fantastic material – part in the studio (with Kent Kessler, Hamid Drake, Fred Anderson, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and others), part during the live session which transpired on the second day of his trip. This excellent double CD set from Hat Art brings together the recordings, and is a great glimpse into the interplay between the ever-growing Chicago avant scene and the larger legacy of European free jazz! The studio work is pretty darn great, but the real treat is the live set – as Misha plays solo on a few lovely tracks – like "Chicago Solo" and "Round Midnight" – and in a beautiful duet with Ab Bars on tenor, on a haunting reading of "Body & Soul". The set really captures the range of Misha's rich talents – and the inclusion of some jazz standards like "Off Minor" and "Eronel" gives the CD a well-rounded feel. CD

Possibly the greatest album ever from the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – his legendary Oriental Jazz album from the late 60s, and a really wonderful blend of musical modes! Some of the tracks here really stretch out in the Eastern promise of the title – mixing jazz rhythms with santur, oud, zarb, and other unusual instrumentation – all in ways that are modal one minute, meditative the next, and which even echo gamelan styles on one tune! Other tracks are a bit straighter in the instrumentation, but still sparkle with a globe's worth of influence – Lloyd on piano, carving out sounds in a very unusual way! Some tracks are by Miller's trio, other by a quartet that features him, but which is led by pianist/trombonist Press Keys. Titles include "Hue Wail", "Pentalogic", "Tanya", "Natanie", "Guzel Gozler", "Prelude In The Iranian Mode Shur", "Impression Of Bhairava Raga", and "Njonja Mirah & Yona". Some of these tracks have appeared on Millers Oriental Jazz CD compilation – but others haven't – and this is his reissue of the full original album! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from one of the original kings of the dancehall, nicknamed for his sweet vocal style! While "River Jordan" and "Hard Time Pressure" were big singles in a singles-driven genre, this set's solid all the way through, with great backing harmonies from Don Carlos & Lacksley Castell among others, supporting Minott's groovy lead, that wouldn't be out of place on a Windy city soul side from the 70s. The rhythms are laid out by a crack young band including Gladdy, Bingy Bunny, Steelie & Horsemouth Wallace at Channel One, under Minott's crisp production, with half of the finishing touches laid on by Barnabas at Channel One and the other half by Jammy at Tubby's. 10 tracks of prime early 80s reggae representing the best of a key transitional period fro Jamaican music, including "Mankind", "Jail House", "I'm Gonna Hold On", "Opressors Oppression", "Two Time Loser", "Black Roots", "Clean Runnings" and "Mr Babylon Man". CD