A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style. CD

Amazing work from Eric Dolphy – a record that's come out on a number of different labels, under a number of different names – but which is one of his most perfectly-realized sessions of the 60s, and one of his most spiritual albums ever! The record features a shifting lineup of players – almost presaging the ensemble modes that would rise more strongly in the post-Coltrane years – and Dolphy's chosen a strong group of associates, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on soprano sax, Prince Lasha on flute, and Sonny Simmons on alto and bass clarinet. Dolphy plays flute, alto, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Love Me", a solo alto tune by Dolphy; "Alone Together", a duet with Davis' bass; a seminal take on "Jitterbug Waltz", completely reinventing the tune for new generations; and the massive "Music Matador". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Eric Dolphy – a record that's come out on a number of different labels, under a number of different names – but which is one of his most perfectly-realized sessions of the 60s, and one of his most spiritual albums ever! The record features a shifting lineup of players – almost presaging the ensemble modes that would rise more strongly in the post-Coltrane years – and Dolphy's chosen a strong group of associates, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on soprano sax, Prince Lasha on flute, and Sonny Simmons on alto and bass clarinet. Dolphy plays flute, alto, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Love Me", a solo alto tune by Dolphy; "Alone Together", a duet with Davis' bass; a seminal take on "Jitterbug Waltz", completely reinventing the tune for new generations; and the massive "Music Matador". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the kind of CD that makes us love reissues! Why? Well, because it features 2 incredibly rare jazz albums – both of which never turn up on vinyl, and are lovingly packaged here on 1 CD filled with a dozen hard bop grooves. The album Matador was originally issued under Kenny Dorham's name, and Inta Somethin' was issued under Jackie McLean's name – but both players are sort of co-leaders on both albums, and it's fitting to pair the records together here because they represent the unique union of these two different players. Dorham's lyrical trumpet is an unlikely match for McLean's edgey alto, but the records work well, and with a modernist groove that's extremely compelling. Titles include "El Matador", "San Francisco Beat", "Prelude", and versions of "Una Mas" and "Melanie" – both of which were recorded later by the artists on Blue Note. CD

A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album from trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a set that's maybe a bit less-known than some of his records for Blue Note, but a set that shares a lot with those classics – as it's got that similar mix of larger compositional structures and more open solo moments! Kenny's own playing is tremendous, and the rest of the group is wonderful – a unique lineup with Jackie McLean on alto, Bobby Timmons on piano, Teddy Smith on bass, and JC Moses on drums – all working with Kenny in a slightly Latin tinged mode that features some really shimmering trumpet work! The record features a stunning three part reading of McLean's haunting tune "Melanie" (done under his name on the album A Fickle Sonance) – plus the tracks "Prelude", "El Matador", "Smile", and "There Goes My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little live set from Sergio Mendes and his Brasil 65 group – a pre-Brasil 66 combo that features Wanda De Sah on vocals and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar! The style here is more traditionally Brazilian bossa than Sergio's later work on A&M – a fluidly jazzy groove captured with a good sense of intimacy despite the live setting – and issued by Atlantic as a nice antidote to some of the more watered-down bossa work on the US market! The vocals are wonderful – often spare and a bit more fragile than the two-voiced sound of A&M – and titles include "Tem Do De Mim", "Noa Noa", "Caminho De Casa", and "Arrastao". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing album of Tuareg guitar from Mdou Moctar – coming across here with even more power and intensity than ever before! For years, African guitar styles have been gaining plenty of attention in the larger world of rock – and here, the sound is almost as of Mdou Moctar is trying to bridge that gap – turning in tracks that almost defy the boundaries of nation and language, with an appeal to just about anyone with an ear for amazing guitar work, psychedelic elements, and music that really knocks it out of the park! The drums of Souleymane Ibrahim push the whole thing tremendously – with a driving power different from other Tuareg albums – and Moctar's guitar can only respond with really frenzied solo work throughout. Titles include "Takoba", "Sousome Tamacheq", "Modern Slaves", "Oh France", "Funeral For Justice", and "Djallo #1". CD

10 tracks in all, including "Les Nuits", "Morse", "Ethnic Majority", "Jorge", "Finer", "Ease Jimi", "Fire InThe Middle", "Survival" and "Capuncap". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An instant classic from Pavement – the group's first full length album, after an early buzz of crucial 45s – and one of those records that forever changed the sound of a generation! These guys grew up with a full knowledge of the noise guitar experiments of the previous decade, and the farther reaches of some of its more bombastic bands – but they hone all of that knowledge into a surprisingly tuneful, personal approach that brings all those previous elements right down to earth, inflected with a bit of Cali charm and an impeccable ear for a hook – maybe to the 90s what it was when The Replacements stepped away from straighter punk the decade before and really found their own sound! And unlike some of their contemporaries, these guys paced themselves at just the right level – both in terms of the album, and their creative output – opening up wonderfully on tunes that include "Summer Babe", "Trigger Cut", "No Life Signed Her", "Zurich Is Stained", "Loretta's Scars", "Two States", "Our Singer", "Fame Throwa", "Chelsey's Little Wrists", and "In The Mouth A Desert". CD

Think what you want about the lady and her music, this album's one of the most crucial indie sets of the 90s – a record that not only elevated a whole new level of songwriting, but also helped find a new role for the female artist in the changing scene of the time! Plus, for us, it's also a set that's as important to the Chicago scene as most of the big Seattle records were to that city – a showcase of the city's new energy towards music making, and the way it could take risks but touch a larger audience, too – thanks to the instrumental efforts of Phair's great band, and the production of Brad Wood (the set germinated just blocks from Dusty Groove – so maybe we're a bit biased, too!) Titles include "Dance Of The Seven Veils", "Never Said", "Soap Star Joe", "Canary", "Mesmerizing", "F*ck & Run", "Girls Girls Girls", "Shatter", "Divorce Song", "Flower", "Gunshy", "Strange Loop", "Stratford On Guy", and "Explain It To Me". CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

A searing album of Tuareg guitar from Mdou Moctar – coming across here with even more power and intensity than ever before! For years, African guitar styles have been gaining plenty of attention in the larger world of rock – and here, the sound is almost as of Mdou Moctar is trying to bridge that gap – turning in tracks that almost defy the boundaries of nation and language, with an appeal to just about anyone with an ear for amazing guitar work, psychedelic elements, and music that really knocks it out of the park! The drums of Souleymane Ibrahim push the whole thing tremendously – with a driving power different from other Tuareg albums – and Moctar's guitar can only respond with really frenzied solo work throughout. Titles include "Takoba", "Sousome Tamacheq", "Modern Slaves", "Oh France", "Funeral For Justice", and "Djallo #1". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare slices of work from Mdou Moctar – material collected from tapes recorded between 2017 and 2020, often featuring the group in a range of different settings in their native Niger! The work throughout is filled with the sublime guitar of Mahamadou Souleymane – but the shift in setting makes for a strong sense of variety, especially as some of the titles feature more guitar lines than vocals, which is always OK with us! Titles on this second volume include "Azawad", "Ibitilan"," Nakane Dish", "Iblis Amghar", "Chimoumounim", and "Asdikte Akal". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

This is the stuff that the Chicago soul scene cut its teeth on in the 60s! Curtis Mayfield wrote a big batch of these tracks, Carl Davis produced, and the Major lays them down with a groove groove groove! Titles include "Monkey Time", "Come See", "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um", "The Matador", "Ain't It A Shame", "Girls", "Sweet Music", and "Gotta Get Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A UK-only set – featuring killer work from one of the best 60s soul talents of the Windy City! Major Lance was one of Chicago's first big soul stars – crossing over big on the charts with huge hits for the Okeh label during the early and mid 60s – thanks to some great tunes penned by Curtis Mayfield, and stellar production from the legendary Carl Davis! In a way, Lance's sound was a key culmination of the modes that had been bubbling under in the hometown indies like Vee Jay and Chess – taken slightly to the next level, and brought more into the mainstream by Okeh. Many of the arrangements here are by the massive Johnnie Pate – who gives the record the same sort of brilliance as the best 60s Impressions work on ABC – and the titles include "Um Um Um Um Um Um", "The Monkey Time", "Rhythm", "Hey Little Girl", "The Matador", "Pride & Joy", "Sweet Music", "It Ain't No Use", "I'm The One", "Gotta Right To Cry", and "Please Don't Say No More". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Taurian Matador", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Masterpiece", "Aubrey", and "Don't Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

A monstrous bit of jazzy fusion from the 70s – and the record that really put drummer Billy Cobham on the map – virtually creating his own sort of space between jazz, funk, and prog – thanks to the help of an all star lineup too! Cobham is tremendous on drums – and is joined on most of the record by guitarist Tommy Bolin and keyboardist Jan Hammer – both at the height of their early powers – and a few other tracks feature a slightly different lineup, with great work from saxophonist Joe Farrell and trumpeter Jimmy Owens! The drummer is definitely in the space of the territory he would explore with George Duke – but is also maybe looser and more open to new sounds too – really stepping out on cuts that include the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano – plus "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4". LP, Vinyl record album

A superstar performance from the Antibes jazz festival at Cote D'Azur – one that features Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington sharing the stage, in a concert that was also recorded for a film! Most numbers here feature the full Ellington orchestra backing Ella up – but a few other numbers feature just backings from a trio with Jimmy Jones on piano and Grady Tate on drums. Duke and Ella trade the spotlight nicely – and Fitzgerald only sings on about half of the set, numbers that include "Mack The Knife", "The More I See You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jazz Samba", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Going Out Of My Head". Ellington's heard on other instrumental performances – some of which are a bit more upbeat and unbridled than usual – almost in a Basie mode. These tunes include "Trombonio Bustosolssimo", "Diminuendo In Blue & Blow By Blow", "The Old Circus Train Turn Around Blues", and "The Matador". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from one of the best 60s soul talents of the Windy City! Major Lance was one of Chicago's first big soul stars – crossing over big on the charts with huge hits for the Okeh label during the early and mid 60s – thanks to some great tunes penned by Curtis Mayfield, and stellar production from the legendary Carl Davis! In a way, Lance's sound was a key culmination of the modes that had been bubbling under in the hometown indies like Vee Jay and Chess – taken slightly to the next level, and brought more into the mainstream by Okeh. Many of the arrangements here are by the massive Johnnie Pate – who gives the record the same sort of brilliance as the best 60s Impressions work on ABC – and the titles include "Ain't No Soul", "Investigate", "Um Um Um Um Um Um", "The Monkey Time", "Wait Till I Get You In My Arms", "Delilah", "Rhythm", "Hey Little Girl", "It's The Beat", "The Matador", "Ain't It A Shame", "You Don't Want Me No More", "You Belong To Me My Love", and "Sometimes I Wonder". CD

Heavy-jamming fusion from Billy Cobham – done at a time when he was already cutting plenty of heavy-jamming fusion! The album was recorded live in Switzerland and London – all very much in a post Bitches Brew approach to jazz that has all players going pedal to the metal in pursuit of their ends – thankfully working together well here, and really propelled into the cosmos by Billy's mighty work on the drums! Players include John Abercrombie, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, and Milcho Leviv – and the tracks are all long, with titles that include "Red Baron (Revisited)", "Tenth Pinn", "Shabazz", and "Tauranian Matador (revisited)". LP, Vinyl record album

A monstrous bit of jazzy fusion from the 70s – and the record that really put drummer Billy Cobham on the map – virtually creating his own sort of space between jazz, funk, and prog – thanks to the help of an all star lineup too! Cobham is tremendous on drums – and is joined on most of the record by guitarist Tommy Bolin and keyboardist Jan Hammer – both at the height of their early powers – and a few other tracks feature a slightly different lineup, with great work from saxophonist Joe Farrell and trumpeter Jimmy Owens! The drummer is definitely in the space of the territory he would explore with George Duke – but is also maybe looser and more open to new sounds too – really stepping out on cuts that include the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano – plus "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4". CD

An unusual early soundtrack from the great Francis Lai – done for an American film, and not the sort of European movies that he did so famously! Fortunately, the musical style is quite similar – lots of those warm currents and lush, slinky moods that we've always loved in Lai since his bit fame with A Man & A Woman – and even the goofy narrative can't spoil the music, given that the film stars Peter Sellers as a "trouba-matador" – a singing matador! Sellers sings on two cuts – "Girl From Barcelona" and "Bulls Of Salamanca" – and there's also a few dreamy chorus numbers that are a bit more American, but very nice. Titles include the bossa nova version of "Bobo's Lament", plus "The Blue Matador", "The Bobo", and "Olympia's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked work from saxophonist Don Menza – really stretching out here in a massively beautiful 70s session for Catalyst Records! Menza was a heck of a player, but one who mostly kept things pretty close to the chest – yet on this album, he blows with a soulful, flowing tone that's simply impeccable – gently gliding along electric rhythms with a really mellow feel! The album unfolds like the petals of some hip 70s flower – gently opening up from tune to tune, peeling back layer upon layer of soulful sound – as Menza blows on tenor, soprano, and flute – with a group that includes Alan Broadbent on piano and electric keys, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Paulinho and Claudio Slon on percussion. All tracks are original, and titles include "Samba De Rollins", "Magnolia Rose", "Ballad Of The Matador", and "Groove Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Taurian Matador", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Masterpiece", "Aubrey", and "Don't Explain". Both volumes together – for the price of a single CD! CD

An excellent album from Gerald Wilson – one that features some of his most inventive writing and arranging to date! The album's a perfect balance between the two sides of LA jazz in the 60s – the soul jazz groove, and the growing modern scene – which often didn't get the larger exposure it needed, but would sometimes peek forth under the guidance of mainstream figures like Wilson. The set features very strong solo work by hip LA players like Jimmy Woods on alto, Jack Wilson on piano, Harold Land on tenor, and Joe Pass on guitar – and the tracks are all tributes to some of Wilson's biggest influences – so "Eric" is dedicated to Eric Dolphy, "Ravi" to Ravi Shankar, "Paco" to the great Spanish matador, and so on. The whole thing's quite hip, and another example of how Wilson could perfectly balance the modernist impulses of the LA underground with a tight sense of arrangement and presentation that helped him reach a very wide audience at the time. CD

An original compilation from this great soul label – with work by Inez Foxx, Soul Sisters, The Matadors, Johnny Darrow, The Duals, Barbara George, Ike & Tina Turner, Jimmy McGriff, Baby Washington, and Bobby Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

An original compilation from this great soul label – with work by Inez Foxx, Soul Sisters, The Matadors, Johnny Darrow, The Duals, Barbara George, Ike & Tina Turner, Jimmy McGriff, Baby Washington, and Bobby Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

The heaviest side of the Chicago soul scene of the 60s – served up in a massive batch of rare tracks from the indie label underground! The collection is a great tribute to the depth of the Windy City scene back in the day – the huge range of local artists who were working hard to keep Chicago grooving – often with a style that was nice and gritty, with a bit less polish than work from Detroit – but with an equal sort of punch on the dancefloor! All tunes here are upbeat and grooving – and the range of artists is wonderfully representative, and includes a few rare tracks from singers who'd crack later fame on bigger labels. Titles include "I Can't Forget" by Bull & The Matadors, "I'm A Big Man" by Big Daddy Rogers, "Swing Your Love My Way" by No No Starr, "Disillusioned" by Marvin L Sims, "Check Her Out" by The Idols, "Spring Song" by The Accents, "All The Way" by The Danderliers, "Lovely Ladies" by Jimmy Hughes, "All Of My Life" by The Ringleaders, "I'm A Good Guy" by The CODs, "A Lonely Boy" by Lee Wilson, and "Speed Up" by Betty Moorer. CD

A great entry in one of our favorite series for rare soul tracks these days – a really special sort of collection that brings together tracks with a vibe that's very much all its own! The set definitely serves up the "real side" that it promises in the title – tunes that aren't showy or full of fuss – and instead, these easygoing soul tracks that hit their mark, right from the start – then go long with tremendous staying power, and a sense of warmth that has us returning to the set again and again for repeated listenings! The choice of cuts is sublime – a few familiar numbers mixed with overlooked tracks from artists we know, but haven't heard from in this way before – served up on 20 tracks that include "Never Set Me Free" by Continental Showstoppers, "I'm Coming Home" by Gerald Taylor, "I Can Remember" by The Whispers, "I'd Believe Him" by Deniece Chandler, "What Does It Take" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "If You Decide" by Bull & The Matadors, "Try Something New" by Eddie Billups, "When" by Joe Simon, "Lover Come Back" by Jackey Beavers, "Nobody But You" by Willie Hightower, "I Hate Hate" by Razzy Bailey, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "Grooving With My Thing" by The DeVons, and "Smooth Sailing" by Three Shades Of Soul. CD

This series keeps on getting better and better – and this fourth installment may well be the best illustration to date of the birth of soul music! As hinted by the title, the collection features tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that marked a key transition from earlier R&B and blues into soul music – work that pulled a bit more strongly from the church than some of its predecessors, and which also put over a groove that was a bit more sophisticated, sometimes a bit more polished – all to set the stage for the huge soul music explosion to come later in the 60s! A number of the artists here are familiar from R&B years, but they're represented by tracks that show a real change in their styles – and others are known from later successes, but stand out here with early work that's a lot more formative – making them a perfect choice for the collection. CD features 24 tracks in all – including "Come On & Stomp" by Marv Johnson, "Lil Valley" by The MMs & The Peanuts, "Bossa Nova Baby" by Tippie & The Clovers, "Irresistible You" by Bobby Peterson, "Take Your Heart" by Betty Willis, "Puff" by Kenny Lynch, "Jack Be Nimble" by The Intruders, "A Clock That's Got No Hands" by Della Reese, "I Came Running" by Wade Flemons, "You'd Be Crying Too" by The Matadors, "The Gypsy Said" by The Fiestas, "Please Don't Cry Anymore" by Ketty Lester, "Pretty Little Girl Next Door" by Bobby Day, and "Trouble I've Had" by Clarence Ashe. CD