Cut Chemist brings his deep digging style out of the world of legendary mix sets and behind-the-scenes hip hop wizardry – finally out front with his first ever solo album – and it's as good as we'd hoped for! Sadly, you have to worry when a great hip hop DJ/producer gets a major label solo album in this sad day and age of expensive sample clearance, as they often feel a little bit neutered by the system. Never fear in this case. Chem builds his signature eclectic craft around samples – some fairly obvious and some quite surprising – with occasional live instrumentation and a few appearances by topshelf underground MCs. The sounds are far too diverse to nail in a sentence or two, but they run from a catchy hip hop thump, to some Brazil-sampling groovers, to funky avant garde bits. Too many newer beatmakers opt for an obtuse, laptop-derived, barely musical approach. All the more reason to cherish Cut Chemist! Tracks include "Motivational Speaker", "(My 1st) Big Break", "The Lift", "The Garden", "Spat", "What's The Attitude" feat Hymnal, "Metrorail Thru Space", "Storm" feat Edan & Mr Lif, "2266 Cambridge" feat Thes One, "Spoon", "A Peak In Time" and "The Audience Is Speaking Theme Song". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost slice of work from one of our favorite singers of all time – a set of different live performances recorded in the Netherlands, most of which have some larger arrangements that give the whole thing the same sort of vibe as Blossom Dearie's famous London recordings of the 60s! The material here spans a time that stretches from 1968 to the end of the 80s – and Blossom is on piano throughout, and works with large backings from the Metropole Orchestra on about half the tracks – with arrangements from Arthur Greenslade and Rob Pronk, who really get the groovy spirit of the music right! Other tracks feature smaller group recordings, but still with that special charm that Blossom has in the London years – on titles that include "Discover Who I Am", "The Music Played", "You Have Lived In Autumn", "Who Knows Why", "Both Sides Now", "Bring All Your Love Again", "Bye Bye Country Boy", "Sammy", "Winchester In Apple Blossom Time", "Sweet Georgie Fame", and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". CD

An incredible lost slice of work from one of our favorite singers of all time – a set of different live performances recorded in the Netherlands, most of which have some larger arrangements that give the whole thing the same sort of vibe as Blossom Dearie's famous London recordings of the 60s! The material here spans a time that stretches from 1968 to the end of the 80s – and Blossom is on piano throughout, and works with large backings from the Metropole Orchestra on about half the tracks – with arrangements from Arthur Greenslade and Rob Pronk, who really get the groovy spirit of the music right! Other tracks feature smaller group recordings, but still with that special charm that Blossom has in the London years – on titles that include "Discover Who I Am", "The Music Played", "You Have Lived In Autumn", "Who Knows Why", "Both Sides Now", "Bring All Your Love Again", "Bye Bye Country Boy", "Sammy", "Winchester In Apple Blossom Time", "Sweet Georgie Fame", and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of greatest hits, plus work with Sarah Vaughan and the Metronome All Stars, with 30 tracks over 2 LPs! LP, Vinyl record album

A mix of very rare and more familiar work from the legendary Lars Gullin – really showing a lot of growth here in the mid 50 scene in Sweden! The first four tracks on the album are especially great – some very unusually-titled tunes cut for Metronome Records – with a modern-styled septet that features Ake Persson on trombone, Putte Wickman on clarinet, Bjarne Nerem on tenor, and Bengt Hallberg on piano – working through some killer Gullin compositions that have lots of corners and angles – tunes that include "Primula Veris", "Laburnum Vulgare", "Lotus Corniculatus", and "Galium Verum". Next are a handful of tracks also done for Metronome, but issued in the US by Atlantic – although on records that are quite rare anyway – septet, quintet, and octet material that includes "Fedja", "Ma", "How About You", "So What", "Always", and "Perntz". And last up are some tunes that have Lars working with the group of Gosta Theselius, but which don't appear to be ones issued on the more-familiar Swedish Jazz album of 1956 – cut during the same year, though, on titles that include "Summertime", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Yesterdays", and "A Foggy Day". 14 tracks, and nearly 80 minutes of music! CD

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

The fascinating story of a modern day utopia – an attempt to build a new African-American city from the ground up in rural North Carolina – envisioned as a moment of pride, power, and new opportunity – but one that never fully came to be! Before the book, we'd never heard of Soul City before – but it's clear that the planning and support for the project were huge at the time, before political forces brought the whole thing to a standstill just as it got going – a tale that's spun out here in a richly detailed narrative that provides for a compelling, if heartbreaking, read. Book is 434 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

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Quincy Jones was already making quite a name for himself overseas, even very early in his career – as you'll hear on these two different Swedish sessions recorded in 1953! Both of them feature the young arranger at the height of his early powers – really creating magic between all the players – letting the rhythm groove, and the soloists step out – but also making the whole thing gel together wonderfully with a soulful sense of color and tone. The first batch of tracks feature both Art Farmer and Clifford brown on trumpets – with Swedish players Ake Persson on trombone, Lars Gullin on baritone, and Bent Hallberg on piano – on "Stockholm Sweetnin", "Falling In Love With You", "Scuse These Bloos", and "Lover Come Back To Me". The last four tracks are with a similar group – but just with Farmer on trumpet, and Jimmy Cleveland with Ake Persson on trombone – on the titles "Pogo Stick", "Liza", "Jones' Bones", and "Sometimes I'm Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the music of soul singer Ledisi since her first self-released album back in the 90s – and since that time, she's matured even more as a vocalist – to a point where she can easily take on the music of Nina Simone with all the glory it deserves! This special set features Ledisi singing with accompaniment from the Metropole Orkest and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – each of whom bring a sense of fullness, but in different ways – as Ledisi stretches out the tunes with the kind of sophistication and richness that Nina might have done – but in a voice that's all her own. The set features guests appearances from Lizz Wright and Alice Smith – but Ledisi hardly needs them at all, as she's very firmly in the lead – on titles that include "Feeling Good", "Wild Is The Wind", "Work Song", "Four Women", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "I'm Going Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

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The electric lady is back again – getting great help on this set from Prince, Erykah Badu, Miguel, and Esperanza Spaulding! The set features further chapters in Janelle's Metropolis story – but apart from that overarching structure, and cool notes that situate the singer as some future cultural criminal, the overall vibe is tight funky soul – at a level that not only lives up to all of Monae's sparkling promise from before, but which also finds a great way to bring out the best elements of all the guests! There's plenty of funky numbers here that stand wonderfully well on their own, but the whole thing works even better as a unified set – with titles that include "Primetime", "Givin Em What They Love", "Queen", "Electric Lady", "Look Into My Eyes", "It's Code", "Ghetto Woman", "Victory", "Dorothy Dandrige Eyes", and "What An Experience". LP, Vinyl record album

Juliette Pearl has a really charming way with her music – singing in this lightly skipping voice that's perfect for the blend of beats and keyboards in the instrumentation – but also adding in some sweet touches on flute and electronics too! The whole thing's got the sort of sunny Cali vibe you'd guess from the cover and the title – a sweet modern update on old school modes from the AOR generation – but recorded in bedroom studios, which keeps the whole thing from avoiding any too-produced or commercial cliches – and which instead really focuses on the best elements of that moment that some of the younger generation have helped resurrect! Titles include "Pacific Ave", "Timetron", "Paraiso", "Vicarious Voyage", "Loading Screen", "Space Coast", and "Read The Room" – which features Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab. LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice material recorded by Baden Powell in Paris, with backing by Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra. There's a nice organ player in the group, and his solos give the record a cool airy sound, and a nice bottom that's sometimes missing from Baden's other records. Tracks include "Choro Para Metronome", "Deve Ser Amor", "Chanson D'Hiver", "Berimbau", "Bachiana", and "Samba Triste". LP, Vinyl record album

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A strange one, and from this perspective, it seems like a crazy decision to pair modernist tenorist Sonny Rollins with a set of large brassy arrangements. Oddly, though, the idea works, and works nicely – as Rollins' edgey solos cut through the heavy arrangements with ease, creating some angular counterpoint and a tight little space to make his own sound. The group was conducted by Ernie Wilkins, and the flipside of the album features Rollins playing in a small trio with the great Henry Grimes on bass (who also played with Rollins on some of his best sessions from the time!) Titles include "Manhattan", "If You Were The Only Gil In the World", "Who Cares?", and "Far Out East". LP, Vinyl record album

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Cardboard flexi from a cereal box! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Stereolab's third album for Elektra – continuing their wonderful brand of space age pop in the 90s, and still some of the most exciting music to come from a major label at the time! Many would argue that Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the band's finest moment, and for good reason. The bubbling tunefulness at play, from beginning to end, is as insistent as just about anything in their canon – but it also got a deeply layered and ultimately pretty diverse sound. Brilliant to this day! Titles include "Spark Plug", "Les Yper Sound", "Tomorrow Is Already Here", "Metronomic Underground", "Cybele's Reverie", "Anonymous Collective", and "Slow Fast Hazel". CD

A very cool project from the groundbreaking 70s Sound Workshop of Piero Umiliani – heard here in some of his most electronic modes ever! If you've dug the work on Umiliani's famous album To-Day's Sound, you'll be even more blown away by what you hear here – some really spare, stark electronic sounds that seem to not only rival the best early analogue experiments of the postwar years, but also seem to preface later experiments in post-punk, techo, and indie electronics – all while retaining the charm we've always loved in Umiliani's music! Some tunes are straightforward and groovy, yet still pretty offbeat – and others get quite outside, often using the studio and production elements as an equal force in the music. Titles include "Non Mollare", "Produzione", "Mondo In Crisi", "Metronomo E Cuore", "Pendolo E Angoscia", "Mafia Oggi" and "Sovversione". LP, Vinyl record album

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... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A fascinating look at our fair city of Chicago – a city of neighborhoods, which are often very separate and divided – as you'll discover in this detailed look at four of them by William Julius Wilson and Richard P Taub! The volume follows on Chicago classics like Black Metropolis, but looks at things from a more contemporary process – as the evolving areas of the city continue to be a microcosm of larger issues in the country, which is obviously one of the directions the authors are taking the project. Research was very detailed – done with the assistance of a number of graduate students – but the information is nicely distilled, in a combination of ethnographic and sociological methods that combine data and dialogue. The project is great – and our main complaint as Chicagoans is that it's just lacking in a map and addresses – but that's something that will hardly bother a reader outside of the Windy City. 227 pages, softcover. Book

It's hard to believe that the German Infracom label has been around for 30 years – maybe because the label was so future-thinking at the start, they helped set the tone for so much music to come! And if you're not hip to Infracom, the collection's a chance to dig the label in all its glory – as the set is filled with cosmic soul and jazzy club tracks that still stand as some of the hippest work to come from overseas in the past few decades – music that we've dug for years at Dusty Groove, served up in a package that really does justice to the label's legacy! Titles include "Freedom" by Gabriele Poso, "Hot Pot" by Mop Mop, "Who's Sorry Now" by Nekta, "Smoke & Regret" by Rime, "The Accessory" by Taxi, "Driver (Joash rmx)" by Matthias Vogt Trio, "Herbie's Delight" by Valique, "Love Is A State Of Mind" by Jhelisa, "Celebration Of Life" by Woodland Conclave, "You Can Dig" by Metropolitan Jazz Affair, "Tears" by Re:Jazz, "Calling" by Aromabar, "La Seule Fleur Dans Le Jardin" by Kosma, and "Something's Missing" by Dublex. LP, Vinyl record album

A real treat for fans of Freddie Hubbard! The back cover has a quote from Freddie that says "This is my best playing on record" – and while we'll admit that we're still partial to some of his older studio work, we've got to admit that this live set from 1982 is an extremely valuable addition to Freddie's catalog. The set was recorded in San Francisco, with a quartet that includes Billy Childs on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. The tracks are all long and very open-ended – and they feature Freddie blowing in a complicated creative vein that you rarely get on studio sessions from the past 20 years. Titles include "Byrdlike", "Little Sunflower", "Thermo", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

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You might know these guys under their previous name of Kutimangoes – one that's dropped maybe in part because there's a shift in the music here to a slightly different style! Where Kutimangoes explored a heavy dose of Afro Funk on their records, Sunborn take off from the roots and move things into a much more fluid sense of expression – often percolating rhythms that have both acoustic and electric elements, in support of a superb hornline that moves with a sense of majesty that really makes the album stand out – giving the whole thing an instant sense of power and pride! Guests include Caio Marcio and Bigyuki – and titles include "Mankind", "Apple Blossom", "Night Sweats", "Dancing In The Dark", "Metropolis", "Beach Chase", "Echoes", and "Under The Same Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet collection of grooves from the legendary Salsoul label – easily one of the hippest imprints on the New York scene of the 70s! Salsoul's grooves go way beyond the usual disco – crafted with roots that go back to soul and salsa of the earlier part of the decade – and often mixed to perfection with a sound that holds up strongly, even on a crowded dancefloor! This package features ten of the best-remembered gems from the label – most in long mixes that echo their strong popularity as 12" single – titles that include "Doctor Love" by First Choice, "Runaway" by The Salsoul Orchestra with Loleatta Holloway, "Jingo" by Candido, "Dreamin" by Loleatta Holloway, "By The Way You Dance" by Bunny Sigler, "Love Is You" by Carol Williams, "Dance A Little Bit Closer" by Charo, "I Love New York" by Metropolis, and "Rio De Janeiro" by Gary Criss. CD

Formica may seem like an everyday surface to some – but at the time of its creation, it was a pretty revolutionary development – one that allowed household and business spaces to step free from longer-term care – giving the workers and residents lots more time to pursue their hopes and dreams! That bright promise of Formica is presented beautifully here – in a lovely history of the product, complete with dozens of vintage images that range from magazine ads to promotional flyers – to some higher-end projects in Formica from the art world! The book's beautiful – as stylish as an interior design magazine from the 60s – with a special color by color section in the middle, including writings by John Updike, Margarate Atwood, and others – on pages that are also perforated and can be folded! The first half of the book is in English, and awash with these images and text – and the second half offers more images, and text in six other languages. 408 pages, softcover, and beautiful color throughout! Book

Although we shouldn't, we've always had a soft spot for this groovy rock combo. Maybe it's their appearance in Midnight Cowboy, or their brief association with John Lennon – but we think it's mostly because they've always had a good funk sensibility, even when they're playing rock, as on this LP. This one's got the great breakbeat cut "Mongoose", plus a few other nice ones, and it's darn tough to find! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early trio album from pianist Tommy Flanagan – a set that was originally recorded overseas by Metronome Records, hence the title – and part of a long tradition of Tommy making some of his best music for non-US labels! Flanagan's already a hell of a craftsman here on the piano – able to mix boppish sharpness with the strong sense of lyricism that would grace some of his later work – in a trio that features great bass from Wilbur Little, and a pre-Coltrane Elvin jones on drums. The set's a great early example of Flanagan's special touch on the keys – and titles include "Skal Brothers", "Verdandi", "Dalarna", "Little Rock", "Eclypso", and "Beat's Up". 80s Swedish pressing of material that was issued in the US on the Overseas album – with three unissued bonus tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early trio album from pianist Tommy Flanagan – a set that was originally recorded overseas by Metronome Records, hence the title – and part of a long tradition of Tommy making some of his best music for non-US labels! Flanagan's already a hell of a craftsman here on the piano – able to mix boppish sharpness with the strong sense of lyricism that would grace some of his later work – in a trio that features great bass from Wilbur Little, and a pre-Coltrane Elvin jones on drums. The set's a great early example of Flanagan's special touch on the keys – and titles include "Skal Brothers", "Verdandi", "Dalarna", "Little Rock", "Eclypso", and "Beat's Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Europe's greatest jazz musicians ever – captured here on two rare albums from the 50s! Although Lars Gullin was mostly a baritone player, his rich talent on the instrument won him many accolades during the postwar years – and he recorded a huge amount of albums, both here in the US, and home in his native Sweden. These two sessions were originally issued in Sweden on Metronome, but are offered here in the versions issued by Atlantic in the US during the late 50s. Both records are some of Gullin's best straight material from the time – and they feature him swinging hard and straight-ahead, in a perfect setting made up of some of Sweden's finest players. Titles include "Always", "After 8pm", "Half Nelson", "So What", "Fedja", and "Perntz". Great to have back out again – and what a deal! (Please note that the CD had to omit the track "Ma" because of space limitations.) CD

The fantastic debut of Gypsy – a group who blend wonderful harmonies with really well-crafted inspiration – very much in the jazz-inspired jamming of some of the headier California groups, like Spirit or Santana at their best! The group use a swirling blend of organ and guitar next to their really beautiful vocals – warm and sweet at some of the best moments, but never in a way that ever feels like soft rock – given the intensity of the instrumentation! The album was issued on the Metromedia label, and never got the attention it would have deserved had it hit the racks from a company like Columbia or Warner – but it's every bit as great as some of their giants from the time, with titles that include "Last December", "Man Of Reason", "Third Eye", "Tomorrow Is The Last To Be Heard", "Here In My Loneliness", "Dead & Gone", "Dream If You Can", "Decisions", and "Gypsy Queen". CD

The fantastic debut of Gypsy – a group who blend wonderful harmonies with really well-crafted inspiration – very much in the jazz-inspired jamming of some of the headier California groups, like Spirit or Santana at their best! The group use a swirling blend of organ and guitar next to their really beautiful vocals – warm and sweet at some of the best moments, but never in a way that ever feels like soft rock – given the intensity of the instrumentation! The album was issued on the Metromedia label, and never got the attention it would have deserved had it hit the racks from a company like Columbia or Warner – but it's every bit as great as some of their giants from the time, with titles that include "Last December", "Man Of Reason", "Third Eye", "Tomorrow Is The Last To Be Heard", "Here In My Loneliness", "Dead & Gone", "Dream If You Can", "Decisions", and "Gypsy Queen". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set of spacey rock tracks – done in a way that reminds us a bit of very early work by ELO, with an expansive set of backings touched by solo work on keyboards and guitar, and some flanged-out vocals that really sound great. The tracks are of varying length – and some of them are all instrumental and quite jamming, not really funky, but with a nice structured sound that gives them a bit of a groove. Titles include "Premonition", "Things To Come", "Dance Of The Eloi", "Sky Scraper", "Metropolis", "Intercity Water Rat", "Smog Fog & Sunset", and "Escalator". LP, Vinyl record album

Not machine music, but instead some wonderful work from the early years of Brian Eno's Obscure Records label! Side one features a variety of sounds from composer John White – one piece with four Jew's harps, one with five bottles, one with two pianos, and one with tuba, bassoon, bass, metronome, and percussion! Side two features the long "The Squirrel & The Ricketty Racketty Bridge", a great early piece by Gavin Bryars, performed with Derek Bailey on steel acoustic guitar, Fried Frith on double-headed electric guitars, Bryars on concert guitars, and Brian Eno on electric guitars! LP, Vinyl record album

In pretty much any bio of the pioneering art punk band Wire you'll read about how between 1977 and 1979, the group made three of the best, most forward looking rock albums of the era. First they perfected punk rock (Pink Flag), a year later they opened the doors to the more melodic new wave (Chairs Missing), and followed that up by introducing experimental electronics and metronomic beats (154), clearing the way for the aggro-post-punk-dance music of the early 80s. 10 years from now, there will probably be an addendum to all of those bios, stating that in 2002/2003 Wire finally returned to form – and they were as great as they ever were! We love our hyperbole around here, there's no denying that, but we really can't overstate how amazing Send is for Wire fans. As much as they've been around in various forms, Colin Newman and co. have not sounded this vital since 1979. None of the million billion indie rock kids emulating the old boys are even in the same universe, despite what your local hipster papers and zines might say. The album is basically a collection of the comeback EPs Wire self-released in 2002 – Read And Burn 1 & 2 – plus four newer, equally ferocious tracks. The first half kind of serves as the logical 2002/3 equivalent of their razor melody guitar sound of the late 70s, and the second half adds the aggro/electro beat-driven stuff that was bastardized by others (and at times by Wire themselves) all through the 80s and 90s. The whole thing is consistent, aggressive as all-get-out, and a stunningly loud comeback that we never saw coming. It's all the more rewarding because of it. "In The Art Of Stopping", "Mr. Marx's Table", "Being Watched", "The Agfers Of Kodack", "Nice Streets Above", "Spent", "Read And Burn", "You Can't Leave Now", "Half Eaten", "99.9." CD

One of the headiest collections of jazzy grooves you'll ever hope to find – and one of the greatest, too! The tracks on the set are all hand-picked by Gilles "golden ears" Peterson – and together, they represent some of the cream of the crop of the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s! At the time, British musicians were moving away from the tighter formations used in the immediate post-war years – into a realm that was steeped in the experimental and post-colonial influences that were running through London at the time. And while you might expect that to mean that the tracks are "out", or avant, they're not – as all tunes are wonderful groovers that catch our ears right away, and hold our attention with a sense of joyous expression that's so often missing in recent jazz. The package features 10 tracks in all – most of which have never been reissued – and titles include "Ursula" by Michael Garrick Septet, "Don't Fall Off The Bridge" by Tubby Hayes & Paul Gonsalves, "Starless & Bible Black" by Stan Tracey, "Metropolis (part IX)" by Mike Westbrook, "Will You Walk A Little Faster" by Niel Ardley, "A Street In Bombay" by Amanico D'Silva, "Timewind" by Mike Taylor Remembered, "The Hipster" by Harold McNair, and "Le Dejuner Sur L'Herbe" by The New Jazz Orchestra. CD

Cut Chemist brings his deep digging style out of the world of legendary mix sets and behind-the-scenes hip hop wizardry – finally out front with (can you believe this?) his first ever solo album! Sadly, you have to worry when a great hip hop DJ/producer gets a major label solo album in this sad day and age of expensive sample clearance, as they often feel a little bit neutered by the system. Never fear in this case. Chem builds his signature eclectic craft around samples – some fairly obvious and some quite surprising – with occasional live instrumentation and a few appearances by topshelf underground MCs. The sounds are far too diverse to nail in a sentence or two, but they run from a catchy hip hop thump, to some Brazil-sampling groovers, to funky avant garde bits. Too many newer beatmakers opt for an obtuse, laptop-derived, barely musical approach. All the more reason to cherish Cut Chemist! Tracks include "Motivational Speaker", "(My 1st) Big Break", "The Lift", "The Garden", "Spat", "What's The Attitude" feat Hymnal, "Metrorail Thru Space", "Storm" feat Edan & Mr Lif, "2266 Cambridge" feat Thes One, "Spoon", "A Peak In Time" and "The Audience Is Speaking Theme Song". CD

A fantastic early trio album from pianist Tommy Flanagan – a set that was originally recorded overseas by Metronome Records, hence the title – and part of a long tradition of Tommy making some of his best music for non-US labels! Flanagan's already a hell of a craftsman here on the piano – able to mix boppish sharpness with the strong sense of lyricism that would grace some of his later work – in a trio that features great bass from Wilbur Little, and a pre-Coltrane Elvin jones on drums. The set's a great early example of Flanagan's special touch on the keys – and titles include "Skal Brothers", "Verdandi", "Dalarna", "Little Rock", "Eclypso", and "Beat's Up". LP, Vinyl record album