One of those key cases where Miles Davis took a familiar song and made it his own! The set's a live one, and features a famous 15 minute version of "My Funny Valentine" – played by Davis in a spacious, open sort of way – and one that has key hints of the modernism to come in his music, yet still rings out with some of his more easygoing late 50s appeal. The group here features George Coleman on tenor alongside the rhythm section of Herbie Hancock piano, Ron Carter bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all three of whom help Davis edge into darker territory, even when things are ostensibly sweet! Apart from the version of "My Funny Valentine", other titles include "All Blues", "All Of You", "I Thought About You", and "Stella By Starlight". Four & More is breakneck live work from Miles Davis – and proof that his famous 60s quintet wasn't only just about mellow and spacious sounds! The set was recorded at the same concert as the album My Funny Valentine – and while that one's mostly ballads, this one's mostly high tempo numbers that skip along with incredible ease – crackling with modern touches on the rhythm from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – and featuring some really excellent work by George Coleman on tenor sax! Titles include "Four", "So What", "Joshua", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". CD

An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and done with a complexity in rhythms that mixes Latin elements with hardbop modes – all set up in a style that really stretches out, and drives Dorham's trumpet with a fire he'd hardly had before. The rest of the group is super-sharp – key young players who really help keep an edge the the whole thing – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Butch Warren on bass and Tony Williams drums. Tracks are all long, incredible Dorham originals – "Una Mas" fills up side one, and "Straight Ahead" and "Sao Paulo" cover the flip. Also includes a bonus track, a sweet warm take of "If Ever I Would Leave You". CD

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! The first 3CDs feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and CD four features Ella returning to Hollywood for two more nights in 1962, with trio backing from Paul Smith on piano, Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. There's a massive 77 tracks in all – handsomely package in a hardcover 7" square book – which also features beautiful color pages inside, lots of notes on the music, and design that's every bit as groovy as the old albums on Verve. Titles include "Joe Williams' Blues", "It's De-Lovely", "Lorelei", "I Can't Get Started", "Round Midnight", "Perdido", "Little White Lies", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "Love For Sale", "Exactly Like You", "Mack The Knife", "Teach Me Tonight", "My Kind Of Boy", "It Had To Be You", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "All Of Me", and "Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist". And, in case you're wondering, there's almost no repetition in the set at all – all discreet, unique tunes – not just the sort of rehash you might get in other concert box sets of this nature! CD

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run – but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz – small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums – all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone – a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely spiritual work from trombonist Charles Greenlee – a player who's best remembered for work as a sideman with Archie Shepp, but who really sparkles as a leader on this rare Japanese set! The vibe here is totally great – a righteous approach to soul jazz that rivals the best work of the Strata East scene in the US, but which is carried off with the poise and power of some of the best mid 70s Japanese-only dates of this type – clearly a great deal of respect and freedom given to Greenlee in the studio, but also some good help in putting together the record in as solid a way as possible. Jean Carn makes a great appearance singing on 3 tracks here – with a quality that's even more righteous than her work with Doug Carn on Black Jazz – and one more number features the great Joe Lee Wilson on vocals too. Players include Hubert Eaves and Art Matthews on piano, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano, Buster Williams on bass, and either Charlie Persip or Beaver Harris on drums – and titles include "I Know About The Life", "He's Gone", "Steam", "Someday", "Crusificado", and "Miss Barbara". LP, Vinyl record album

Herbie Hancock further expands his cosmic vision in this groundbreaking album of free-flowing fusiony tracks – a record that really steps up his range of keyboards, mixing in both acoustic and electric pianos, mellotron, and even a bit of spacey moog from the legendary Patrick Gleeson! The whole thing is wonderful – very open and flowing, and even more organic than Hancock's later work on Columbia – especially given the length of the tracks on the set. In addition to Gleeson, other players include Benny Maupin on reeds, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and titles include the 3 long tracks "Quasar", "Sleeping Giant", and "Water Torture" – all good ones! CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

A wonderful laid back LP from Barney Kessel, with a mellow west coast feel throughout. Kessel's got a nice sympathetic quintet supporting him on this date, with Bob Cooper, Claude Williamson, Monty Budwig and Shelly Manne. 8 numbers in all, including "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely hip little record from Morgana King – one that takes her amazing voice, and sets it amidst some expansive arrangements that push past jazz to include some trippier 70s styles! The whole session's got a nice mix of the mellow and baroque – with a subtle funky undercurrent at points, and definitely a fair bit more soul than we're used to hearing from Morgana! Arrangements are by Torrie Zito and Bob James – and the production often compresses the vocals in a really cool way – sliding them amidst the instrumentation with a haunting quality that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album one of King's most breathtaking ever! The back cover has Morgana getting props from Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Paul Williams, and Kenny Rankin – all names we can certainly trust – and titles include a great version of "We Could Be Flying", "All In All", "A Song For You", "Like A Seed", and "The Sands Of Time & Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little take on the "city symphony" mode that was big in American music a few decades back – served up by the Wynton Marsalis Septet of the early 90s, with decidedly modern touches! The double-length album's a three-tiered affair – with part one standing out as Wynton's extended "Cityscape" – a tribute to New York, done in styles that range from mellow and contemplative, to more hustling and bustling, in true speed of the city. Next up is another suite of tracks titled "Transatlantic Echoes" – work that's still jazz-based, but with a nod to African roots in some of the percussion and phrasing. Last up is "Some Present Moments Of The Future" – the final suite of the album, and one that almost echoes some of the rootsier modes explored by Wynton in his southern trilogy of a few years before. Players include Wynton on trumpet, Todd Williams on tenor and soprano sax, Wes Anderson on alto, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Reginald Veal on bass, Herlin Riley on drums, and Eric Reed on piano – and the album also features some guest tenor from Herb Harris and a bit of piano by Marthaniel Roberts. CD

Mellow magic from Johnny Mathis – a late 70s set that updates his older style for a crossover audience in adult contemporary! The style is smooth and polished, but never so much so that Johnny's amazing voice can't shine through – thanks to soulful arrangements from Gene Page, who'd done plenty of work with hipper soul artists in the 70s – and Deniece Williams makes a great guest appearance on a number of tracks – really bringing Mathis into that duet style that would hit even bigger for the singer in the 80s. Titles include "If You Believe", "To Much Too Little Too Late", "How Deep Is Your Love", "It Was Almost Like A Song", and "Till Love Touches Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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

The "trip" here is a mellow one – not the soaring, spacey style you might expect in a long line of drug-reference titles for Art Pepper albums – but that difference is a-ok with us, because Art's really hitting some great new territory here, thanks to a hip trio that includes George Cables on piano! Tracks are long and stretched out – but in a way that's gently exploratory, and focused on a really warm sense of tone – in a mode that we might liken slightly to Stan Getz at his best moments from the same period, particularly the groove he developed in his post-Sweet Rain years. Other members of the quartet include David Williams on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – and tracks include "The Trip", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "A Song For Richard", "Red Car", and "The Summer Knows". LP, Vinyl record album

The "trip" here is a mellow one – not the soaring, spacey style you might expect in a long line of drug-reference titles for Art Pepper albums – but that difference is a-ok with us, because Art's really hitting some great new territory here, thanks to a hip trio that includes George Cables on piano! Tracks are long and stretched out – but in a way that's gently exploratory, and focused on a really warm sense of tone – in a mode that we might liken slightly to Stan Getz at his best moments from the same period, particularly the groove he developed in his post-Sweet Rain years. Other members of the quartet include David Williams on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – and tracks include "The Trip", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "Song For Richard", "Red Car", and "The Summer Knows". CD features 1 bonus track! CD

A great late 60s gem from pianist Horace Silver – and a great bridge between his earlier soul jazz for Blue Note, and some of his more righteous work to come in the 70s! At one level, the sound here steps off from classics like Serenade To A Soul Sister or The Jody Grind – but at another level, there's a more open approach to the music – one that has Horace sliding into new tones and colors, with a slightly lyrical undercurrent as well. As on some of his later dates, the mellower moments are often the most compelling – showing a newly mature side of Silver's talents, and a new love of space between the notes that really helps to break the mode of previous recordings! The group here features the great Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Williams on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include "Lovely's Daughter", "Risin Sun", "You Gotta Take A Little Love", "Down & Out", and "Brain Wave". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from a player who never fails to surprise us – recorded later in the years of drummer Art Taylor's life, but bristling with the same kind of energy we first came to love in his 50s recordings! The set's got a really unified feel – with Taylor masterfully leading the group on drums, working through an assortment of like-minded tunes with a Blakey-like sense of equal power for strongly soulful numbers, and gentle guidance for mellower and more introspective tunes. The group's got a tremendous two-horn frontline in the tenor of Willie Williams and alto of Abraham Burton, and the rest of the lineup includes Marc Cary on piano and Tyler Mitchell on bass. The album's got one very short "out" track entitled "It Doesn't Matter", alongside a number of longer soulful explorations that include "Mr AT", "Soul Eyes", "Bullet Train", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

We've always loved the way that Cedar Walton kept maturing in his style over the years – and this 80s album is a wonderful example of the way he really took off during his third decade in jazz! At one level, the tunes are very simple and basic – familiar trio settings, with David Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – but Walton manages to work this subtle magic on the tunes as the album moves on – some hip undercurrents of soul, warmly flowing lyricism, and fresh ideas that make even the better-known cuts stand out from other readings. Higgins' drums help a lot to this end – always shifting up underneath the piano – almost with their own sense of melody at times – and the round, warm tones of David Williams certainly help ground the album nicely too. Titles include the Walton numbers "Ground Work", "Fantasy In D", "Theme For Red", and Another Star" – plus versions of "Once I Loved" and "Girl Talk From Harlow". CD

We've always loved the way that Cedar Walton kept maturing in his style over the years – and this 80s album is a wonderful example of the way he really took off during his third decade in jazz! At one level, the tunes are very simple and basic – familiar trio settings, with David Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – but Walton manages to work this subtle magic on the tunes as the album moves on – some hip undercurrents of soul, warmly flowing lyricism, and fresh ideas that make even the better-known cuts stand out from other readings. Higgins' drums help a lot to this end – always shifting up underneath the piano – almost with their own sense of melody at times – and the round, warm tones of David Williams certainly help ground the album nicely too. Titles include the Walton numbers "Ground Work", "Fantasy In D", "Theme For Red", and Another Star" – plus versions of "Once I Loved" and "Girl Talk From Harlow". CD

Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by Langston Hughes, and arrangements by the great Melba Liston! The material's political, radical, and modernist – but it never fails to groove, and uses its politics to achieve an added emotional punch, as in the best work from the same time by Max Roach and Charles Mingus – and some of their larger progressive projects. The group is much larger than you'd expect from Randy – with Benny Bailey and Richard Williams on trumpets, Slide Hampton on trombone, Sahib Shihab on reeds, and Candido and Olatunji on percussion – which really dominates the record. The whole thing is amazing – one of the purest realizations of the African influence in Weston's music – and movements of the suite are entitled "Uhuru Kwanza", "African Lady", "Bantu", and "Kucheza Blues" CD

Forget the cheapo look of the cover, as the set's a classic batch of gems from the Trojan Records catalog – 2CDs worth of material, with 55 titles that go way past the obvious hits – served up in a great mix of rocksteady and early reggae modes, and filled with the kind of tunes that instantly bridged the space between Kingston and London at the end of the 60s! The package takes off from a mainstream Trojan set from back in the day, and offers the much deeper dig that we love from the Doctor Bird label – tunes that make the whole thing more of a journey of discovery than you might guess from the simple statement of the title. Tracks include "Build It Up" by Tito Simon, "Sweet Sensation" by The Melodians, "This Is Reggae Music" by Zap Pow, "Floating" by Greyhound, "Black Pearl" by Horace Faith, "Liquidator" by Harry J Allstars, "Elizabethan Reggae" by Boris Gardiner & The Love People, "I Need Your Sweet Inspiration" by The Pioneers, "Red Red Wine" by Tony Tribe, "Think About That" by Dandy Livingston, "Down In The Boondocks" by Delroy Williams, "Reggae From The Ghetto" by John Holt, "Yesterday Man" by Nicky Thomas, "Who's That Lady" by Paris Connection, and lots lots more! CD

An essential chapter of Miami soul – even if most of the work is appearing here for the first time ever! The set is a magnificent companion to Numero's Deep City collection of pre-TK Miami soul – but it's put together in such a way that it's almost a beautiful introduction to the south Florida sound on its own – served up in a batch of rare, unreleased tracks! The music is every bit as wonderful as you'd expect – Miami soul recorded at a time before cliches had started to hit that scene – and when the best artists down south were strongly resonating ideas from Memphis and Muscle Shoals with other elements borrowed from northern groups both funky and mellow. But even above the 20 great tracks on the CD, the package is amazing too – filled with notes on each group, a special appendix on Miami soul, a rare indie label discography, and a wealth of great images and photos – all layered lovingly into a full-color, 32 page booklet! Numero have really outdone themselves with this one – and the collection is way more than a part 2 to their previous package – more of a brilliant set of soul tunes on its own, complete with a booklet that's as beautiful as the music. Titles include "One Little Piece" by The Rollers, "Don't Be Surprised" by Lynn Williams, "No Way Out" by Clarence Reid, "What's In The Lovin" by Helene Smith, "Mr Lucky" by Betty Wright, "There Goes My Baby" by James Knight & The Butlers, "Do What You're Doin" by The Rising Sun, "Do Your Stuff" by Perk Badger, "Masterpiece" by Deep City Band, "Nasty Dog (part 2)" by The Nasty Dog Catchers, "Thank You Baby" by Betty Wright, "Your Love Won't Let Me Leave You" by Snoopy Dean, "The Pot Can't Talk About The Kettle" by Helene Smith, "Show Me What You Got" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Don't Be A Fool" by Clarence Reid, and "Knockin At The Wrong Door" by The Rollers. CD

A heavy package of treasures from the vaults of Studio One – tracks from the early days of the label that really illustrate the special touch that Studio One had right from the start! The work here is some of the most soulful from the early years of reggae – Jamaican music that's clearly drawn strong inspiration from American work, but which is already really finding its own sort of special groove – mellow burning rocksteady, early reggae, and more – still sounding every bit as righteous and powerful as it did back in the day! This double-length set brings together both volumes of the original compilations – and titles include "Peeping Tom" by Brentford All Stars, "Honey Come Back" by Jerry James, "Get You Off My Mind" by Larry Marshall, "I'll Be Waiting" by Alton Ellis, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "My Eyes" by John Holt, "He Don't Love You" by Larry Williams, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Life" by Hortense Ellis, "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Winston Francis, "Old Time Saying" by Burning Spear, "Riddle I This" by Dennis Alcapone, "Feel Good All Over" by King Sporty, "Zion Higher" by Burning Spear, and "Home Home Version" by Dennis Alcapone & Ken Boothe. CD

A contemporary collection, but one that really hearkens back to the brown-eyed soul of the Texas scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a moment when local groups were picking up on some of the vibes of East LA – reveling in the rich history of Texas soul and blues, but mixing it with funkier currents as well! After the recent interest in Sunny & The Sunliners, there has been a great wave of contemporary acts echoing the Texas sound of years back – and here, producer Adrian Quesada serves up core instrumentation that's a great blend of mellow-yet-funky soul – while different vocalists come in to the mix and really send things over the top! The set features contributions from a nice variety of artists – and titles include "Ain't No Big Thing" with Johnny Hernandez, "I've Got Soul" with David Marez, "Just Me & You" with Amalia Mondragon, "Boogaloo En Monterey" with Ruben Ramos, "One Woman Man" with David Hidalgo, "Love Reverberation" with Johnny Benavidez, "Funky Chick" with Brownout and Tomar Williams, and "Look At My Soul" with Black Pumas and Kam Franklin. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and done with a complexity in rhythms that mixes Latin elements with hardbop modes – all set up in a style that really stretches out, and drives Dorham's trumpet with a fire he'd hardly had before. The rest of the group is super-sharp – key young players who really help keep an edge the the whole thing – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Butch Warren on bass and Tony Williams drums. Tracks are all long, incredible Dorham originals – "Una Mas" fills up side one, and "Straight Ahead" and "Sao Paulo" cover the flip. Also includes a bonus track, a sweet warm take of "If Ever I Would Leave You". CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

Nice one! A whopping 4CD set that brings together 4 of Roland Kirk's best late albums for Atlantic! Left & Right is an undisputed classic, and has Roland leading a large group of musicians through a haunting batch of complicated tracks that clearly illustrate his much-heralded concept of Black Classical Music. Snippets of this conception appear also on the albums Rahsaan Rahsaan and Prepare Thyself – although these also have Roland playing some other odd off-kilter numbers, in his usual insane style. Other Folks Music rounds up the set, and the album's an underrated gem that has a bit straighter sound than other Kirk albums, but also some incredibly warm, lyrical, imaginative jazz – played by Roland and some extremely well-chosen bandmates that include Trudy Pitts, Hilton Ruiz, and Richard Williams. A whopping batch of tracks – and at this price, a great way to get 4 CDs by one of our favorite jazz artists ever! CD

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

Trumpet player Christian Scott really steps into his own realm of excellence on Yesterday You Said Tomorrow – his best work yet for Concord – a nice mix of moods ranging from sweeter melodic modernism with a rawish, but tight underbelly to heavier, more searing sounds! Here Scott is masterfully blending influences of the 60s heroes with a profoundly modern sensibility, and the players are near perfectly suited to Scott's approach. The material is largely from Scott's pen, but they take on Thom Yorke of Radiohead's "The Eraser" early on in the set, a tune adapted to hypnotic modern jazz sound wonderfully. Players include Matthew Stevens on guitar, Milton Fletcher on piano, Kris Funn on bass and Jamire Williams on drums. Includes the Scott compositions "KKPD", "Isadora", "Angola, LA & The 13th Amendment", "The Last Broken Heart (Prop 8)", "American't" and "An Upending Repentance", Stevens's "After All" and more. CD

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. CD

Dark genius from the always-amazing Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s – a set that's a bit more subtle than some of the group's other efforts, but no less powerful – and virtually a blueprint for countless changes to come in jazz during the next few decades! The interplay of Davis' trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, and Herbie Hancock's piano is worth the price of admission alone – a force that seems to flow of its own direction, pulled three ways equally, but always emerging as a sound greater than its parts. And adding in the subtle pulse of Ron Carter on bass and nearly melodic drums of Tony Williams, the sound is even more incredible – a well-crafted and evocative sound that's far more than jazz! Titles include versions of Herbie's "Riot" and "Madness", Shorter's "Nefertiti" and "Pinocchio", and Williams' "Hand Jive". Plus, the CD reissue features 4 bonus alternate takes from the original session! CD

An overlooked funky gem from Lou Donaldson – a later date for Blue Note, done in a style that's a bit expanded from his small combo sets of the 60s – but still filled with plenty of soul and groove! The lineup features core key players Leon Spencer on Hammond, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – but there's also some added percussion, trumpet from Ed Williams, and a bit of vocals from the group Essence – who slide in with this slinky soul groove that's mighty nice! Lou plays alto sax – both electric and acoustic – and the tunes include the great originals "The Caterpillar" and "Caracas" – plus a sublime remake of Curtis Mayfield's "If There's A Hell Below (We're All Going To Go)", and a sweet take on "I'll Be There". CD

Herbie Hancock further expands his cosmic vision in this groundbreaking album of free-flowing fusiony tracks – a record that really steps up his range of keyboards, mixing in both acoustic and electric pianos, mellotron, and even a bit of spacey moog from the legendary Patrick Gleeson! The whole thing is wonderful – very open and flowing, and even more organic than Hancock's later work on Columbia – especially given the length of the tracks on the set. In addition to Gleeson, other players include Benny Maupin on reeds, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and titles include the 3 long tracks "Quasar", "Sleeping Giant", and "Water Torture" – all good ones! LP, Vinyl record album

A great amalgamation of players – and a quintet with powers far beyond their hokey name! The group's working in a polished approach to post-bop – a bit like styles heard on some of the Timeless and Steeplechase sessions of the late 70s, but with a more directive approach that really pushes the strong tunes on the set. The quintet features Charlie Rouse on tenor, Benny Bailey on trumpet, Albert Dailey on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Keith Copeland on drums – all working their way through longish tunes by composers that include John Hicks and Fritz Pauer, as well as Rouse and Dailey. The album features a beautiful take on Hicks' great tune "Naima's Love Song", plus the tracks "After The Morning", "Spelunke", "Lil Sherry", and "Mr McGhee". CD

A great late 60s gem from pianist Horace Silver – and a great bridge between his earlier soul jazz for Blue Note, and some of his more righteous work to come in the 70s! At one level, the sound here steps off from classics like Serenade To A Soul Sister or The Jody Grind – but at another level, there's a more open approach to the music – one that has Horace sliding into new tones and colors, with a slightly lyrical undercurrent as well. As on some of his later dates, the mellower moments are often the most compelling – showing a newly mature side of Silver's talents, and a new love of space between the notes that really helps to break the mode of previous recordings! The group here features the great Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Williams on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include "Lovely's Daughter", "Risin Sun", "You Gotta Take A Little Love", "Down & Out", and "Brain Wave". CD

Sublimely soulful work from Larry Willis – just the kind of record to beautifully demonstrate the strong power of his later years! Although Willis is probably best remembered for his funky sides of the 70s, by the time of this early 90s date, he'd matured into a much deeper feeling player – a pianist with a sense of rhythm and color that almost matches McCoy Tyner, and a great leader for a larger group – as you'll hear here on a sextet outing with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Tom Williams on trumpet, and John Stubblefield on tenor and soprano sax. The horns really add a lot to the album – some sharper edges alongside the warmly rhythmic modes of Larry's piano – and rhythm is by Ben Riley on drums and David Williams on bass. Titles include "For Jean", "King Cobra", "Wayman's Way", "Sensei", and "A Tribute To Someone". CD

An amazing collection of 70s soul tracks – sweet, mellow, laidback, and including loads of numbers that have been buried for years! The focus here is not on obscure groups, but on lesser-known album tracks by bigger names – including many chillout numbers that have a sweet jazzy feel, and which might have gotten eclipsed by some of the artists' bigger hits. ?uestlove of the Roots put the set together, and the whole set's got the deep soulfulness of his own work with that group – track after track of mellow 70s soul, jazzy riffs, spacey instrumentation, and warm vocals effortlessly sliding together! Titles include "Star Of The Story" by Heatwave, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "Clover" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Before The Dawn" by Patrice Rushen, "Can We Pretend" by Bill Withers, "That's What Friends Are For" by Deniece Williams, "Next To Nature" by Jean Claude Toran, "Glowin" by The Rationals, "Magic In Your Eyes" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Sienna" by Stanley Cowell, "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson, "Wheels Of Life" by Gino Vannelli, and "Gotta Find A Lover" by Roy Ayers. CD

A treasure trove of rare postwar blues from the west coast – material cut for Dootsie Williams, best known as the head of the seminal Dootone label in LA! The set offers both tracks from Dootone and Williams' rarer imprint Blue – the latter of which existed from the late 40s into the early 50s, and featured a fair bit of excellent material done in the more laidback bluesy mode of LA after the war – styles popularized by Charles Brown, Cecil Gant, and others – echoed strongly in many of the performances here. As the set rolls on into the later 50s, some of the tracks pick up a bit more of an R&B sound – but the work is still relatively unified here, thanks to a good focus on the more blues-based work on Dootone. 30 tracks in all, plus some really great notes – all at the usual high Ace level! Titles include "Rent Day" by Stormy Herman, "Richmond Blues" by Betty Hall Jones, "West Coast Baby" by Johnny Taylor & His Mellow 5, "I Got A Country Girl" by Bobby Nunn, "Everybody's Jumpin Tonight" by Dootsie Williams & His Rhythm Kings with Joe Turner, "You'd Better Come Home Baby" by Violet Hall, "The Hole In The Wall" by Cleo Brown, "Are You Ready To Go Steady" by Paul Monday, and "Katy Lee" by Fats Gaines. CD

The title's a bit confusing, but that's the way we like it – as the package brings together all sorts of weird and wonderful tunes – work that maybe even pushes past the boundaries of the other wild work we've loved on previous volumes in this series! The set list is huge – 50 tracks in all – and the package runs the gamut of unusual rare singles, with certainly some that might reference the odd jumble of words in the title – but others that all take off in the wonderful melange of modes. We'd not heard most of the work here before – and once again our hat's off to Lux & Ivy for hipping us to so many underground gems – in a huge set list that includes "Rat A Ma Cue" by Pat Patterson, "You're Gone I'm Left" by Tyrone Schmidling, "Red Tiger Shoes" by The Century Five, "Busy Line" by Billy Williams, "Chilli Dippin Baby" by Joyce Poynter, "Big Bowl Of Soul" by The Huntsmen, "I've Been Wrong" by Sweetie Jones, "Hot Shot" by Ronnie Pearson, "Lover Boy" by Chris Christian & The Chordaires, "Ford & Shaker" by James Gallagher, "Leather Jacket Cowboy" by Pepper Pots, "Oh Death" by John Reedy & His Stone Mountain Trio, and "Bongosera" by Grupo Afro Cubano. CD

Music with a message – and a wonderfully spiritual groove, too – served up here in a killer collection that goes way past the obvious, and unearths an amazing collection of work from the 70s onwards! The set's not your usual batch of post-Coltrane or Impulse Records cuts – and instead, the music comes from a very deep array of American underground records from the 70s, as well as some rare European releases from that decade and later years, plus lost tracks from the vaults – all coming together in a set of tracks that's as mind-expanding as it is righteously progressive! We'd only ever heard a few of these numbers before – which makes the whole thing a huge discovery to our ears – and titles on this second volume include "Abeba" by Mabon Dawud Quintet, "Ain't Gonna Wait That Long" by Thomas Meloncon, "Song Of Deliverance" by Roy Hytower & The Crowd Pleasers, "Leigh Ann's Dance" by Sheila Landis, "Easy Tune For Dancing" by Now, "Mystic Sky" by Deep Jazz, and "Sandance" by All Williams Quintet Plus One. LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers – an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time – and does a great job of balancing groovers with sweet mellow steppers – the kind of cool, compressed, jazzy numbers that we love so much! Ayers heads for the clubs one minute, the bedroom the next – and draws us in beautifully whichever direction he takes – thanks to some sublime vibes and electric piano – and great lead vocals from Roy, and other singers who include Terri Wells, Vivian Prince, John King, and Ricky Williams. Titles include "Ooh", "Let's Stay Together", "Feeling Good""Knock Knock", "Turn Me Loose", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Our Time Is Coming". CD

A really sublime album – the gentle late trumpet of Chet Baker, mixed with the mellow vibes of Wolfgang Lackersmid – alongside guitar from Larry Coryell, bass from Buster Williams, and drums from Tony Williams! LP, Vinyl record album

You gotta love the confidence in Blakey's title for this one – because even in the late 70s, over 20 years since starting the Jazz Messengers, he was still very much in his prime! The album has him working with a wonderful group that includes Bobby Watson, Curtis Fuller, David Schnitter, and James Williams – plus percussionist Ray Mantilla, added in on a few tracks to give the set a slightly fuller sound. Tracks are long, dynamic, and gorgeous – really stepping out with the warmth and imagination that Blakey never let die during his career – but which seemed to be burning as brightly during this stretch as it was during the few really noteworthy points of earlier years. The set features wonderful early readings of Watson tunes "Time Will Tell" and "To See Her Face" – plus "Kamal", "Jody", "Hawkman", "People Who Laugh", "Ronnie's A Dynamite Lady", and "1978". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful big band set from the great Art Blakey – but one that's got all the sharp focus of his small group sides by the Jazz Messengers! The lineup here is a great one – that very vibrant early 80s version of Blakey's group with Bobby Watson on alto sax, Bill Pierce on tenor, and James Williams on piano – augmented by Kevin Eubanks on guitar, Valerie Ponomarev on trumpet, and the Marsalis brothers rounding out the set with some extra horn work! The sound is strong and proud, and handled by Blakey with a tightness that's similar to his smaller group work of the time – but with a power that's simply incredible – especially when Watson's presence is made known on his tunes "Wheel Within A Wheel", "Linwood", and "Bit A Bittadose". Also features a take on Williams' "Minor Thesis". LP, Vinyl record album

Key proof that Art Blakey was still going strong in the late 70s – continuing his 60s legacy of working with the best young players he could find, in a setting that was bristling with sweet soul jazz energy! This version of The Jazz Messengers includes some tremendous players – including a young Bobby Watson on alto, the great David Schnitter on tenor, James Williams on piano, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet – all grooving with Art in a style that steps nicely from the soulful Prestige Records years, when Blakey was leading the group with Woody Shaw and Carter Jefferson. Tracks are nearly all originals – loping and grooving with a soulful finish that's really wonderful, showing off equal parts of writing from nearly all corners of the group. The album's awash in soulful joy and love, and titles include "Reflections In Blue", "ETA", "Mishima", "Say Dr J", and "Stretching". LP, Vinyl record album

Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung". CD

Breakneck live work from Miles Davis – and proof that his famous 60s quintet wasn't only just about mellow and spacious sounds! The set was recorded at the same concert as the album My Funny Valentine – and while that one's mostly ballads, this one's mostly high tempo numbers that skip along with incredible ease – crackling with modern touches on the rhythm from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – and featuring some really excellent work by George Coleman on tenor sax! Titles include "Four", "So What", "Joshua", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Breakneck live work from Miles Davis – and proof that his famous 60s quintet wasn't only just about mellow and spacious sounds! The set was recorded at the same concert as the album My Funny Valentine – and while that one's mostly ballads, this one's mostly high tempo numbers that skip along with incredible ease – crackling with modern touches on the rhythm from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – and featuring some really excellent work by George Coleman on tenor sax! Titles include "Four", "So What", "Joshua", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". CD

Dark genius from the always-amazing Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s – a set that's a bit more subtle than some of the group's other efforts, but no less powerful – and virtually a blueprint for countless changes to come in jazz during the next few decades! The interplay of Davis' trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, and Herbie Hancock's piano is worth the price of admission alone – a force that seems to flow of its own direction, pulled three ways equally, but always emerging as a sound greater than its parts. And adding in the subtle pulse of Ron Carter on bass and nearly melodic drums of Tony Williams, the sound is even more incredible – a well-crafted and evocative sound that's far more than jazz! Titles include versions of Herbie's "Riot" and "Madness", Shorter's "Nefertiti" and "Pinocchio", and Williams' "Hand Jive". Plus, the CD reissue features 4 bonus alternate takes from the original session! CD

An explosive late 70s moment of brilliance from trombonist Curtis Fuller – and one of his greatest albums of the time! The set's got Fuller working with an unusual group – Pepper Adams on baritone sax, making for a nice "bottom" alongside Fuller's trombone, plus James Williams, borrowed from Art Blakey's group of the time – and really stepping out here with some great soaring piano lines. The rest of the quintet features Dennis Irwin on bass and John Yarling on drums – but the real boss of the set is clearly Fuller, who's contributed some wonderful originals to the session, and is clearly working with a re-kindled spirit at this point in his career. Titles include "Four On The Outside", "Suite Kathy", "Little Dreams", "Ballad For Gabe-Wells", and "Corrida Del Torro". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge step forward in music for saxophonist Jimmy Greene – an artist who's still reeling from the loss of his daughter, who was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 – but who's turning his grief and sorrow into some of the richest music he's ever recorded! The feel here is even deeper than the first volume dedicated to Green's daughter – original songs that burst out with so much life and energy, we're held rapt right from the very first note – almost never mired in the sort of melancholy you might expect from such an experience, and instead ready to set a new fire to light the way ahead! Greene plays tenor, soprano, alto, and baritone – and other musicians include Kevin Hayes on Rhodes and piano, Mike Moreno on guitar, Renee Rosnes on piano, Ben Williams and John Patitucci on bass, and Jeff Tain Watts and Otis Brown III on drums. Titles include "Fun Circuits", "Second Breakfast", "Flowers", "Stanky Leg", "Big Guy", "Amantes", and "Thirty Two". CD

Sublimely spiritual work from trombonist Charles Greenlee – a player who's best remembered for work as a sideman with Archie Shepp, but who really sparkles as a leader on this rare Japanese set! The vibe here is totally great – a righteous approach to soul jazz that rivals the best work of the Strata East scene in the US, but which is carried off with the poise and power of some of the best mid 70s Japanese-only dates of this type – clearly a great deal of respect and freedom given to Greenlee in the studio, but also some good help in putting together the record in as solid a way as possible. Jean Carn makes a great appearance singing on 3 tracks here – with a quality that's even more righteous than her work with Doug Carn on Black Jazz – and one more number features the great Joe Lee Wilson on vocals too. Players include Hubert Eaves and Art Matthews on piano, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano, Buster Williams on bass, and either Charlie Persip or Beaver Harris on drums – and titles include "I Know About The Life", "He's Gone", "Steam", "Someday", "Crusificado", and "Miss Barbara". CD

A brilliant album – and real turning point for Herbie Hancock! After first coming onto the scene as the soul jazz hero between Blue Note funky classics like "Watermelon Man" or "Blind Man, Blind Man" – Herbie emerges here as a concerned modernist with a strand of spirituality that runs deeper than previously expressed. The key track in this vision is his brilliant modal number "Maiden Voyage" – one of those tunes that sounded totally fresh immediately, and which was picked up by many others as a jazz anthem during the 60s. The rest of the album's equally great – and features George Coleman on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all making for a very hip lineup that really lets Herbie open up stylistically! Other titles include "Dolphin Dance", "Little One", and an original version of "Survival Of The Fittest". CD

Classic Herbie Hancock from the early years – and a great mix of soul jazz and modernist inspiration! The record include a nice groovy "hit" – Herbie's "Blind Man Blind Man" – an obvious follow-up to "Watermelon Man", but still a standout track with a lot of imagination, and a fierce soul jazz hook that just won't quit! The rest of the record, while also groovy, starts to show many more signs of Herbie's far-reaching conception – especially shared with players like Tony Williams on drums, Grachan Moncur on trombone, and Chuck Israels on bass – who all work with Herbie in a larger than usual group that also includes Grant Green on guitar, Donald Byrd on trumpet, and Hank Mobley on tenor. The lineup is as great as it sounds on paper – and the larger setting really helps expand Herbie's new ideas – on tunes that include "Blind Man Blind Man", "And What If I Don't", "A Tribute To Someone", "King Cobra", and "The Pleasure Is Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

A wonderful set of modern soul – and one of the few excellent albums on the Handshake label! Karin's a singer we know nothing about, but she's got a great approach for this boogie-styled set – one that's upfront and belting on the more uptempo numbers, but also wonderfully soulful on the mellower tracks – which actually stand out as some of our favorite on the record! There's a proud, full sound to the album – post-disco soul at its best, and handled with enough depth to match the best of the better-known modern soul of the time! Arrangements are by Dunn Pearson and Dennis Williams – always with a warm sound – and titles include "So Right", "Here I Go Again", "Under The Influence Of Love", "Ooh Baby Don't", "Last Night In My Dreams", and "Ready Ready Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Charles McPherson – his first for Xanadu in the mid 70s – wherein his amazing quartet breathes fresh, bop-inspired urgency and a deft sense of soul into some older standards – maybe even as strongly as on his best work for Prestige in the 60s! It's truly timeless – holding true to the classic songcraft of the compositions, but leaving plenty of room to riff and improvise in ways that add both subtle shades and energetic flourishes. The group includes Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – all on their game. Beautiful indeed! Songs include "It Could Happen to You," "Lover," "This Can't Be Love", "They Say its Wonderful", "Body And Soul","But Beautiful". CD includes a bonus track, and it's a great one – a tremendous 9 minute take on "All God's Children Got Rhythm". CD

Classic work from the O'Jays – presented here in a multi-channel SACD! First up is Ship Ahoy – a pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". Message In The Music is one of those records that really took Philly soul to the next level back in the 70s – a set that works amazing magic with the already-great harmonies of the O'Jays – pointing them even more strongly towards groove-heavy territory, while still keeping all the fragile, personal qualities of their earlier work! The title cut is a righteous anthem that never gets old – a perfect blend of subtle politics and homegrown soul – all polished to perfection in the Philly studios. And the rest of the record is equally mindblowing – a set where even the ballads have as much power as the upbeat numbers – as you'll hear in the lineup of tracks that includes "Message In The Music", "Darlin, Darlin, Baby", "A Prayer", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Let Life Flow", and "Paradise". Live In London is a seminal album in the development of Philadelphia International – who seemed to be taking a cue from Motown and Stax in the 60s, by bringing their biggest act to a European audience! The set features the O'Jays working as beautifully in a live setting as they had in the Sigma Sound studios – singing to arrangements by Dennis Williams, but still getting enough production by Bobby Martin to keep the sound in line with their better known studio work from the time. There's a bit of a deeper soul sound overall here – especially on the vocals, which crackle nicely with a live sense of spontaneity. Titles include "Back Stabbers", "Sunshine", "Love Train", "When The World Is A Peace", and "Put Your Hands Together" – plus a few vocal introductions! CD

The "trip" here is a mellow one – not the soaring, spacey style you might expect in a long line of drug-reference titles for Art Pepper albums – but that difference is a-ok with us, because Art's really hitting some great new territory here, thanks to a hip trio that includes George Cables on piano! Tracks are long and stretched out – but in a way that's gently exploratory, and focused on a really warm sense of tone – in a mode that we might liken slightly to Stan Getz at his best moments from the same period, particularly the groove he developed in his post-Sweet Rain years. Other members of the quartet include David Williams on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – and tracks include "The Trip", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "Song For Richard", "Red Car", and "The Summer Knows". CD features 1 bonus track! CD

An early masterpiece from the young Terry Riley – a work that's a bit different than some of his more solo or small group outings – but one that really sets the stage for all of Riley's experiments in years to come! The premise here is very unusual – in that the "score" features 53 separate short musical passages – which are then to be played in an order defined by the musicians themselves, in shifting patterns of repetition, moving in and out of phase with a really otherworldly quality – ever shifting, turning, and drifting – all to create a remarkable tapestry of sound, texture, and melody. This recording of the work is still the best, and it was produced with excellent care by David Behrman – and features musicians who include Jon Hassell on trumpet, Edward Burnham on vibes, Jan Williams on marimbaphone, David Shostac on flute, and Margaret Hassell on "The Pulse". CD

Another great issue from Roctober – one that includes interviews with Neon Leon (great lost New York punk figure), Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake, James Brown, and numerous obscure but amazing Brazilian musicians. Melvin Van Peebles critical discography. Jake Austen and Chris Ware on vaudeville/minstrel legend Bert Williams. The history of Black All Girl Jazz orchestras in the 1930s and 1940s. Archival Pedro "Funkadelic" Bell articles and comics from his early 1970s college newspaper. Comics and articles about Aliyaah, Jimi Hendrix, Jackie Mittoo, Sun Ra, Funkadelic, and Black skinhead Reggae. And, believe it or not, more! Magazine