Martin Krusche on tenor saxophone, Dan Oestreicher on baritone saxophone, Jeff Albert on trombone, Jon Gross on sousaphone, and Justin Peake on drums. CD

One of the most revered indie albums of the modern era, and certainly one of those biggest – in terms of sheer size as well as acclaim – even though it was only ever a blip on the mainstream radar! Stephin Merritt's sprawling, quite literally titled 69 Love Songs kind of serves as an outsider's history of pop songcraft, riffing on different styles and eras, with a truly distinctive creative voice. A great part of the charm is the sometimes witty, sometimes melancholy, often both, and ALWAYS clever lyricism (without being cute.) Even with the huge number of songs, it's incredibly consistent, holding together better than many of Merritt's single albums over the years if you ask us! One of the cases where the critical consensus really got it right – it's a masterpiece –and this beautiful 6 X 10" vinyl box set is a nearly perfect way to present it! Includes "Absolutely Cuckoo", "I Don't Believe In The Sun", "Reno Dakota", "The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be", "Parades Go By", "Punk Love", "The Things We Did And Didn't Do", "Roses", "Love Is Like Jazz", "Very Funny", "Grand Canyon", Asleep And Dreaming", "I Shatter", "Kiss Me Like You Mean It", "Underwear", "Busby Berkeley Dreams", "Bitter Tears", "Meaningless", "Queen Of The Savages", "Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin", "Strange Eyes", "Zebra", "Experimental Music Love", "Long Forgotten Fairytale", "I Think I Need A New Heart" and many more. CD

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With Jens Petter Antonsen on trumpet, Per Jrgensen and Arve Henriksen on trumpet and vocals, Morten Halle on alto saxophone and flute, Tore Brunborg on tenor and soprano saxophone, Gertrud kland, Henrik Hannisdal, and Odd Hannisdal on violin, Trond Villa and Marek Konstantynowicz on viola, Jonas Franke-Blom, Svante Henryson, and Morten Hannisdal on violoncello, Jon Balke on piano, keyboards, percussion, and electronics, Anders Jormin on double-bass, Audun Kleive on drums, and Marilyn Mazur on percussion. CD

A spiritual jazz gem from the Paris scene at the end of the 70s – maybe the only album ever issued with drummer Clarence Peters as a leader, and a set that gets some strong help from the Steve Lacy side of the scene! The tracks are all long, and build up from long-flowing modal energy – Peters on drums, with JP Gauthier on piano, JJ Avenel on bass, and Steve Potts on some especially striking work on alto and soprano – blown very differently than his work with Lacy, and shaping the tunes with a style that's somewhere between loft and spiritual jazz sorts of solos! Peters also plays a bit of piano too – but the core energy comes from his dynamic work on drums, on the four long tracks "The Man Named Peters", "Black Meeting", "Magnetic Atmosphere", and "Born & Shake". LP, Vinyl record album

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Tightly grooving mid 80s fusion from Steps Ahead – their last album to feature Michael Brecker – who's killing it here on his electronic wind instrument, plus his old standby tenor sax! Fellow Steps Ahead innovator Mike Mainieri is on vibes and more, with drummer/percussionist Peter Erskine and keyboard maestro Robby Kilgore rounding things out. Magnetic's got some inventive group compositions, plus a sweetly synth-soaked reading of Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood". Overall a really tight blend of fusion funk, electro era r&b, and a few harder hitting moments! Other tracks include the George Duke-produced groover "Magnetic Love" with lead vocals by Dianne Reeves, backed by Jocelyn Brown & others – plus "Trains", "Cajun", "Sumo", "All The Tea In China" and "Something I Said". CD

With tracks by Leo Graham, Upsetters, Lloyd & Devon, Errol Walker, Lee Perry, Brother Roy, and Keith Texon. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic material from an important early tour of Europe by the John Coltrane Quartet – tracks recorded in Graz, Austria – and a perfect example of the group as they were really beginning to stretch out and explore! At some level, the vibe here is like the famous first run of Village Vanguard sessions by Coltrane – but the sound shows just how much the players had opened up since the previous year – really tremendous work from the leader on both soprano sax and tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums! CD

A rare slice of work from trumpeter Don Cherry – music that's every bit as forward-thinking as his three classic 60s albums on Blue Note! The session is a live one, but the sound is quite strong – recorded up-close, and with great focus on Cherry's incredible horn work – as well as the efforts of the rest of the group, which includes Gato Barbieri on tenor, Karl Berger on vibes, Bo Stief on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. There's a definite "new thing" vibe going on here – a style that's similar to some of Archie Shepp's work of the period, or that of some of Cherry's Blue Note contemporaries. Tracks are all long, and titles include "Complete Communion", "Dos E Diablo", "Cocktail Piece", and "Rememberance". CD

Fantastic material from an important early tour of Europe by the John Coltrane Quartet – tracks recorded in Graz, Austria – and a perfect example of the group as they were really beginning to stretch out and explore! At some level, the vibe here is like the famous first run of Village Vanguard sessions by Coltrane – but the sound shows just how much the players had opened up since the previous year – really tremendous work from the leader on both soprano sax and tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums! CD

Overseas performance by John Coltrane and his classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones. Titles include long readings of "Traneing In" and My Favorite Things", both close to 20 minutes, and a slightly shorter take on "Impressions". CD

Includes a nearly 18 minute "Bye Bye Blackbird" and shorter versions of "Inchworm", "Every Time We Say Goodbye", "Naima", "I Want To Talk About You", and "Impressions" – all with the classic quartet. CD

With David Izenson on bass and Charlesd Moffett on drums. CD

With David Izenson on bass and Charlesd Moffett on drums. CD

With McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones. CD

Includes a 25 minute version of "My Favorite Things", "Mr P.C.", "and Traneing In" – all with the classic quartet. CD

Features two live shows from the same day at Theatre De Olympia – with Eric Dolphy on flute/alto sax/bass clarinet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Includes "Impression", and two versions of "Blue Train", "I Want To Talk About You", and "My Favorite Things". CD

Thelonious Monk with Charlie Rouse, John Ore, and Frankie Dunlop – performing "Blue Monk", "Round Midnight", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "Jackie-Ing". CD

Includes the songs "Delilah", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Impressions", "Naima", and "My Favorite Things (Included Two False Starts)". CD

One of the coolest records to ever feature the voice of Jack Kerouac – getting a great showcase here on Verve Records, at a time when the label was moving past jazz to experiment with spoken word material too! Given Kerouac's love of jazz, the choice of label is a great one – and the presentation here is wonderful – very up-close in terms of the recording, with an intimacy that really captures that magnetic sense of personality that made Jack such an important cultural force, even past his writing. The album features selections from some of Kerouac's novels, plus an unpublished poem, and even an article on jazz – with selections that include "Neal & The Three Stooges", "Mexico City Blues", "Old Angel Midnight", "The Beginnings Of Bop", "San Francisco Blues", and "Desolation Angels". LP, Vinyl record album

The last-ever concert from the legendary Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell – recorded live in Berlin with a sound that not only gets at his wonderfully vivid approach to acoustic guitar, but which also showcases his magnetic power in the spotlight as well! Baden provides a bit of introduction to some songs in Portuguese, with a raspy voice that belies his age – but which is then completely offset by his still-nimble, still-youthful sound on guitar – served up here in modes that run the gamut from his early bossa styles, his Afro-Sambas mode, and some of the even more cerebral sounds he created during his 60s and 70s time overseas. Some of those records were issued by MPS, and the label makes a great place for Baden to serve up his last poetic statement – on titles that include "Samba Do Aviao", "Garota De Ipanema", "Samba Triste", "Abaete", "Naquele Tempo Choro", "Primieria Vez", "Tocata 147", "Samba Da Bencao", "Berimbau", "Marcha Escocesa Instrumental", and "Variacoes Sobre Asa Branca". CD

Heavy grooves from the Far Out label – a set of cuts from the company that don't just fall into their usual Brazilian bag – and which stretch out in a sweet array of styles that include funky fusion and African-inspired rhythms! Most of the artists here normally work in a Brazilian vein, but the collection offers up some fresh takes on their sound – and also manages to pull together some more obscure Far Out tracks, including a few unreleased cuts too! Titles include "Poweride" by Marcos Valle, "Pembe (unreleased version)" by Future Warriors, "Somewhere Beyond (unreleased version)" by 4Hero Presents Natures Plan, "Eighties Times" by Jose Roberto Bertrami, "Magnetic Feel (unreleased version)" by Roc Hunter, "Chameleon (Offworld rework)" by Azymuth, "Strike Hard" by Troubleman, "Jazz Carnival" by Azymuth, and "New Morning" by Sabrina Malheiros. CD

Tremendous grooves from one of the coolest club labels of all time – the legendary P&P family of labels, home to some of the weirdest, wildest, most experimental tracks to ever hit the dancefloor – yet all tracks that are pretty darn funky too! This 2CD collection is heavy on cuts from Cloud One – one of the most well-known P&P acts, often working with weird moogy electronics over funky club rhythms – a combination that still sounds as fantastic now as when Patrick Adams got the group going way back when – especially in the company of some of the other cool cuts that are on the collection too. Cloud One tracks include "Music Funk", "Funky Track", "Disco Juice", "Dust To Dust", "Spaced Out", "Charleston Hopscotch", "Atmosphere Strut (parts 1 & 2)", "Doin It All Night Long", "Jump Jump Jump", "Flying High (part 1)", "Patty Duke", "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By", "Atmosphere Strut (1979 rmx – part 2)", and "Happy Music" – and other tracks include "God's Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman" by Marie Lomax, "My Baby's Got ESP (orig 7" mix)" by Four Below Zero, "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Maria Acuna, "God Save & Protect Children" by Margo Williams, "Ain't Gonna Be A Next Time (short version)" by Magnetic Touch, and "It's Rough (dub)" by The Imperial Three. CD

Kagel's "Transicion II" is an excellent piece – composed for piano, percussion, and two magnetic tapes, performed here by David Tudor, Christoph Caskel, Aloys Kontarsky, and Bernhard Kontkarsky. Stockhausen's works include "Zyklus", which is a piece for solo percussion, played by Caskel, and "Refrain", with percussion and two pianos. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive 70s album from the great Bill Withers – one that's sometimes overlooked next to his huge crossover records that preceded it – but which is every bit as wonderful! Withers is still on Sussex Records, and still has that completely unique approach that made him a soul genre unto himself – a fantastic voice, a nicely acoustic core, and this sense of flow that's completely magnetic – augmented here with maybe a bit more funk than before, and some great use of keyboards too! The material has a conversational, wise and world weary tone that's brilliantly effective and more intimate than Bill's bigger hits of the day – and there's also some subtly innovative parts to the production that are really moving, from the harp accented piano on "Stories" and the funky percussion flavored rambler of a closing number "Railroad Man". Other tracks include "You", "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", "Heartbreak Road", "Green Grass", "Ruby Lee", "Can We Pretend", "Liza", and "Make A Smile For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of disco love here – a really heartfelt selection of rare club tunes – great little numbers that are as funky and soulful as they are obscure! These aren't the disco hits of the late 70s, but they're also not clunkers that are just rare either – and instead, they're great little tunes that hardly got discovered back in the day – but are brought together here in a wicked collection by collector Al Kent! There's a freshness to the material that takes us way past the obvious – funky basslines, snapping drums, and lots of wonderful keyboards and guitar – all wrapped up in a near-perfect way, and usually set to some smoking vocals too. Many of the cuts here are rare to even our crate-tuned ears – and titles include "Mighty Gents" by The Mighty Gents, "Hungry" by Sandy's Gang, "Oh Baby/Get On Down" by Bo Galigher & TSB, "Something About You" by Moses, "Disco Fever (part 3)" by Rhond Durand, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, "Hustle On Down (part 3)" by Michael Legrair, "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three, "How Long Is Forever" by Frank & James, "Human" by Neo Experience, "Waiting In the Wings" by Marion Javius, and "Is It Wrong" by Magnetic Force. 2CD version features a full mix of all tracks by Al Kent – plus an unmixed CD with 15 individual tracks. CD

A firey session from the quartet of George Adams and Don Pullen – a set that has the group stretching out in some of their most spiritual modes, yet still finding plenty of time to swing as well! Adams is tremendous on tenor – a very fresh voice in the post-Coltrane world, with phrasing that is all his own – even more amplified when he switches to flute – and Pullen's got this ability to go outside, and show his knowledge of the darker corners of the keyboard – yet never let that side of his playing overwhelm things, possibly because the rhythmic accompaniment from Cameron Brown on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums is so strong. Tracks are all long, and very individual – with the group in high spirits on the titles "Earth Beams", "Magnetic Love Field", "Saturday Nite In The Cosmos", "More Flowers", and "Dionysus". CD

The first LP of this 3 LP set is sort of a Beat Junkies greatest hits, with some choice DJ performance from the past two years, including DJ Rhettmatic at the '96 West Coast DMC; Babu/J-Rocc/Melo-D/Rhettmatic at the '97 ITF Championships; some radio snippets and some new material, including a freestyle session with Ras Kass, Jurassic 5, Homeless Derelicts, Dilated Peoples and more. The second two LPs are a good selection of recent, mostly underground, tracks including Dilated Peoples' "Work The Angles", Rasco's "What's It All About", Defari's "Peoples Choice", Tha Alkaholiks' "Rockin With The Best", Visionaries' "Blessings", Mos Def's "Universal Magnetic", Jurrasic 5's "Without A Doubt", Lootpack's "The Anthem", Pumpkinhead's "Dynamic" (remix), Xzibit's "Three Card Molly", and more. CD

A stunning little set from Incognito – the group's first full album on Talkin Loud records, and a set that's head and shoulders above their earlier jazz funk from the 80s! The sound here has a real "instant classic" quality – not just because it's dripping with the best references from the jazzier side of 70s soul (think Fantasy Records at its best!) – but also because it's so well put together, with a sense of instrumentation that's tight, yet an overall groove that's relaxed and fairly spontaneous – something that was quite rare at the time the record was released! Bluey is at the height of his powers here – stepping strongly into a run of great work that would last for well over a decade – and other key figures include Maysa Leak on vocals, Kevin Robinson on trumpet, and Graham Harvey and Peter Hinds on keyboards. Titles include a killer remake of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", plus "Change", "Colibri", "Magnetic Ocean", "Closer To The Feeling", "Tribal Vibes", "Pyramid", and "I Love What You Do For Me". CD

The last-ever concert from the legendary Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell – recorded live in Berlin with a sound that not only gets at his wonderfully vivid approach to acoustic guitar, but which also showcases his magnetic power in the spotlight as well! Baden provides a bit of introduction to some songs in Portuguese, with a raspy voice that belies his age – but which is then completely offset by his still-nimble, still-youthful sound on guitar – served up here in modes that run the gamut from his early bossa styles, his Afro-Sambas mode, and some of the even more cerebral sounds he created during his 60s and 70s time overseas. Some of those records were issued by MPS, and the label makes a great place for Baden to serve up his last poetic statement – on titles that include "Samba Do Aviao", "Garota De Ipanema", "Samba Triste", "Abaete", "Naquele Tempo Choro", "Primieria Vez", "Tocata 147", "Samba Da Bencao", "Berimbau", "Marcha Escocesa Instrumental", and "Variacoes Sobre Asa Branca". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by The Magnetic Fields, The Clientele, April March, The Aislers Set, and more – 21 tracks in all! CD

Music from Magnetic, Cujo, Icarus, Le Gooster, Justice, Futique, James Hardway, Ultralights, Nonex & the Odd Toot. CD

Tracks include "Lune TNS" by Company Flow, "If You Can Huh..." and "Universal Magnetic" by Mos Def, "Freestyle" by Mos Def & Talib Kweli, "Fire In Which You Burn" by Indelible MC's, "Fortified Live" by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & DJ Hi Tek) featuring Mos Def & Mr. Man, "Arabian Nights" by Shabaam Sahdeeq, "Show Me Your Gratitude" and "What If?" by L-Fudge, "Flipside" by RA The Rugged Man, "2000 Seasons" by Reflection Eternal, "My Crown" by Black Attack, and more. 16 tracks, plus the intro. CD

A trio of albums that represent important early recordings of compositions by groundbreaking sonic genius Edgar Varese! First is the album Complete Works – an early series of recordings supervised by composer Edgard Varese – featuring versions of what were then his complete works! The record begins with two larger pieces – readings of "Integrales" and "Octandre" conducted by Frederic Waldman, working with the New York Wind Ensemble, who provide some very haunting tones, with additional percussion from the Julliard Percussion Orchestra on the first piece, which is a bit more dramatic. Rene Le Roy continues on the flute solo piece "Density 21.5", and the Julliard Percussion Orchestra comes back for a reading of the classic "Ionisation". The last work is one of the most striking – the three-part "Interpolations", which features "organized sound" compositions, realized on magnetic tape – one of Varese's haunting moves into early electronic music! Next is the Columbia album Music Of Edgar Varese – key Robert Craft takes on three earlier compositions, and the debut of "Poeme Electronique", which was created at the 1958 Brussels World Fair! "Ionisation" has a complex mix of percussion instruments, played by thirteen players – with a quality that's almost a key precursor to the music of Harry Partch. "Density 21.5" is a haunting piece for solo flute – filled with unusual tones and textures – and "Integrales" has a fuller orchestral presentation, and a nicely bombastic vibe, with woodwind tones and percussion colliding beautifully! That sound continues in "Octandre" – a 20s composition that shows just how far Varese was ahead of his time – as does "Hyperprism", from the same year, which is even more dramatic. "Poem Electronique" has a very different approach – all analogue electronics, used in an illustration of Varese's concept of "organized sound", but with a feel that's similar to the best musique concrete material of the 50s. Last up is the Columbia album Sound Spectacular – which offers three very different slices of the genius of Edgar Varese – presented here on a set of classic Columbia recordings from the early 60s! "Arcana" is perhaps the most ambitious work here – structured for an orchestra of 120 musicians, 70 of whom are string players – although the core energy of the piece seems to come from the 8 percussionists who handle a wide variety of instruments – creating those stark sounds that mark some of Varese's most important compositions – which the strings, brass, and woodwinds cluster around in equally powerful ways! "Deserts" is a piece that's more subtle, and much longer – mixing a variety of electronic sounds and instrumental moments, with shifting sonic spaces and volumes throughout – all to make up a side-long recording filled with moody moments and more powerful electronic bursts. "Offrandes" is a selection of two songs – in a haunting blend of woodwind instruments, percussion, and trumpet – plus vocals from soprano Dona Precht. CD

A classic recording of some of Luciano Berio's work – and one that features some especially great vocals from the enigmatic Cathy Berberian! The work here is directed by Berio himself, and features Berberian working with the Juliard Ensemble – mixing her voice with clarinet, cello, and harp, viola, and violin. "Differences" is written for 5 instruments and magnetic tape, and has the kind of sound that firmly established Berio as one of the most important modern composers – and "Chamber Music" features the Berberian performing a text by James Joyce – one of Berio's biggest influences! LP, Vinyl record album

Previously unreleased material from this Italian group – plus a 1974 EP with music for improvisers and magnetic tape. CD

Really wonderful Fender Rhodes work from the great Ino Hidefumi – working this time around with vocals on most tracks, and in a way that seems to underscore the soulful elements in his music even more than before! As with his instrumental albums, the tunes are often nice and lean – spare beats and plenty of warm keys – jazzy, but in a laidback funky way that fits perfectly with the easygoing quality of the vocals – all in Japanese, but with a raspy soulful charm that really grabs us right away – and which certainly gets past the boundaries of language! There's almost a touch of Brazilian soul in the way the vocals come across – and titles include "Portrait Of A Gangster", "Magnetic Dance", "In Dreams", "Squall", "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night", and "Eternal Slowmotion". LP, Vinyl record album

Images of flute, and some mighty cool keyboards too – a sweet sound library set that mixes the reed work of Joel Vandroogenbroeck with electric touches that create a killer sound that's not unlike some of the 70s soundtrack material by Sven Libaek! Joel's lead lines have the expressive feel of a jazz player, but they're mixed with these dreamy keys that stretch out in very cool ways – often a bit watery or organic, but never in any sort of a new agey mode! Instead, the record's almost like some of the best Chris Hinze work from a few years before – or, even better, the sort of thing you always hope for from Chris Hinze, but never seem to hear this well. Carole Muriel serves up some cool wordless vocals on a few numbers – and titles include "Hobbits", "Electronic Jungle", "Plaine Du Jura", "Magic Adventure", and "Magnetic Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Breathlessly beautiful work from the legendary Hermeto Pascoal – one of his greatest albums ever, and one of the best to showcase the fluidly jazzy sound of his style! The arrangements here are complex, but they're still also a bit more focused than on some of his experimental albums – and strong reed work leads many of the tunes, and gives them a boldly sort of soulful feel – as earthier percussion and more playful instrumentation provide all of the inventive Pascoal touches! The whole thing's extremely evocative – with a sound deep in emotion and feeling – and titles include "Vou Esperar", "Auriana", "Banda Encarnacao", "Voz E Vento", "Danca Da Selva Na Cidade Grande", and "Dialogo". CD

Early work from the Ultramagnetic MCs – all from the mid-80s, and predating their later album classics – but cuts that show the trio very much at the top of their game! Kool Keith is already full-formed as the unique talent we know and love – and Ced Gee provides plenty of raw old school breaks in his production – as the group cook up mad genius during their early years in the studio! Titles include "New York What Is Funky", "I'm F*ckin Flippin", "I Ain't Takin No Shorts", "Grip The Mic", "Here I Go Again", "Chuck Chillout", "Join The Party", and "Biscuits & Eggs". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that definitely funked our head up at the time of its release – a rock-solid follow up to the UMCs Critical Beatdown – and another record that has us just wishing they'd given us more music in this incarnation! A very young Kool Keith is key to the album – giving it an early dose of that special charm that would later make him a star, as a very fresh approach in hip hop at the time – working next to killer production from Ced Gee and Moe Love! The album's brimming over with gems – including the classics "Poppa Large", "Chorus Line Pt. 2", and "Make It Happen" – plus "Funk Radio", "Stop Jockin Me", "Bust The Facts", "I Like Your Style", "MC Champion", "Go For Yourz", "Message From The Boss", "Pluckin Cards", "You Ain't Real", "Moe Love On The 1 & 2", and "Porno Star". LP, Vinyl record album

10 cuts in all: "Don't Believe The Hype" by Public Enemy, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by the 2 Live Crew, "Wild Wild West" by Kool Moe Dee, "No More Rock N' Roll" by Schooly D, :Get Up Everybody (Get Up)" by Salt N Pepa, "Keep Risin' To The Top" by Doug E Fresh, "I'm Housin'" by EPMD, "Ease Back" by the Ultramagnetic MC's, "Do This My Way" by Kid N Play, and "Posse On Broadway" by Sir Mixalot. CD

Just the kind of goodies to get us buying soul CDs! 28 tracks from our hometown, and nary a one in there that we can ever come up with. Cuts include "Coming Back Girl" by The C.O.D.s, "When I'm With My Baby" by The Magnetics, "No Right To Cry" by Mamie Galore, "Cheaper Than One" by Geraldine Hunt, "Go Go Gorilla" by The Ideals, "Love Now Pay Later" by Lee Shot Williams, "Love Bandit" by Kenya Collins, "Gotta Right To Cry" by Otis Leavill, and lots lots more good Chicago soul tracks! CD

Wonderful soul from our hometown of Chicago! This set goes way way deep – past even the small indie labels in the city, into the hinterland of the rare 45s that were coming out like clockwork back in the late 60s and early 70s! There's a huge amount of great stuff on here you'll never find on wax – including "Sweet & Lonely" by The Del-Tours, "Count The Days" by The Magnetics, "Jeanette" by Wade Flemmons, "Best Is Yet To Come" by The Invaders, "Wait A Minute" by The Kittens, "Lovin On Borrowed Time" by Phil Orsi, "Don't Hurt Me No More" by Wendy Woods, "Please Mr DJ" by Eddie King & Mae B May, "Lonely Was I" by Conquistadores, and "I Can't Please You" by Jimmy Robbins. CD

Fantastic work from a lost chapter of Coltrane's career! Sure, you may know his early work with Miles Davis, or his groundbreaking later recordings on Atlantic and Impulse – but in the late 50s, 'Trane recorded some fantastic sides with trumpeter Wilbur Harden for Savoy Records, and the material is unlike anything he ever did for other labels. In a way, the Harden tunes are similar to Yusef Lateef's work for the label – hardbop at the core, but with touches of exoticism and spiritualism that brings out whole new modes of playing from the musicians. Most tracks are long and modal, a perfect platform for Coltrane's new ideas of soloing that were beginning to take shape at the time. Harden's a much different horn player than Miles Davis ever was – with a fiercer approach to rhythm that kind of drives Coltrane along in a more souful groove than ever before. Tracks include "Snuffy", "EFFPH", "Count Down", and "Rhodomagnetics". LP, Vinyl record album

"Like They Used To Say" is produced by Dug Infinite, with a sample of the JB's "Pass The Peas" for the chorus, and Maseo of De La cutting in samples from over a dozen hip hop classics – from Ultramagnetic to EZ & Troup to MC Lyte to T-La Rock. "1999" uses more mellow production by Hi-Tek, with vocals from Sadat X. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic work from a lost chapter of Coltrane's career! Sure, you may know his early work with Miles Davis, or his groundbreaking later recordings on Atlantic and Impulse – but in the late 50s, 'Trane recorded some fantastic sides with trumpeter Wilbur Harden for Savoy Records, and the material is unlike anything he ever did for other labels. In a way, the Harden tunes are similar to Yusef Lateef's work for the label – hardbop at the core, but with touches of exoticism and spiritualism that brings out whole new modes of playing from the musicians. Most tracks are long and modal, a perfect platform for Coltrane's new ideas of soloing that were beginning to take shape at the time. Harden's a much different horn player than Miles Davis ever was – with a fiercer approach to rhythm that kind of drives Coltrane along in a more souful groove than ever before. This CD features 19 tracks from the Savoy Sessions – lovingly packaged in a way that really helps you navigate the confusing structure of the LP releases. Titles include "Gold Coast", "Dial Africa", "BJ", "Once In A While", "Tanganyika Strut", "West 42nd Street", and "Rhodamagnetics" – and the CD includes alternate versions of some tracks. CD

Produced by Afrika Bambaataa and Jazzy Jay, with an all star cast from the class of '90, with Queen Latifah, X-Clan, Jungle Brothers, Lakim Shabazz, Ultramagnetic MCs, K-Solo, Brand Nubian, and many more. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A 2CD collection of Cindelic Sounds – grooves from the Italian label that blending fresh and breezy sounds and inspirtation from the 60s to today – lively bits of bossa, lounge jazz, club funk & soul and DJ oriented atmospheres! Disc 1 features 20 tracks by Montefiori Cocktail, Allessandro Scala Quintet, Mop Mop, Daniele Baldelli, Calibro 35, Signor Wolf and many more. The second disc features more club oriented sounds, though with similar inspiration – and includes some sweet remixes. 34 tracks on 2CDs: "Funky Teacher" by Moplen, "Sun Is Shinin'" by Nylon, "Starz" by Altalena, "Capo Est" by Mop Mop, "Guilty's Trip" by Signor Wolf, "Into The Fire (Reworked By Allesandro Magnananini), "King Of Swing (Remixed By Doktor Zoil)" by Magnetic4, "Psykfunk" by Dario Piana, "Robotic Dub" by Fun Trio and much more. CD

A collection of rare studio and live tracks from assorted artists on the Jazzland label from Norway – easily one of the most inventive imprints we've stocked in the past decade or so – and a company that excels at both sweeter soul and more avant garde work! The tracks here represent the latter side of the Jazzland Community – and are mostly sparer, more "outside" recordings – often featuring some of the most adventurous material we've ever heard from these artists! Bugge Wesseltoft begins the set with two solo numbers – "Kordial" and "Fabrikk" – the latter of which is a wild bit of electronics. Next are two more electronic-oriented tracks from Eivind Aarset – "Electromagnetic" and "Connectic" – the latter of which is done with Hakon Kornstad. Kornstad blows tenor sax beautifully on the solo tune "Sweden" – and he's followed by a solo vocal number by Sidsel Endresen, the haunting "Slow Song". Sidsel, Bugge, and Eivind come together as a trio on "Western Wind" – and the CD is completed by "Downwind" and "Preparation", both by the entire Jazzland Community together! CD