... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Prime symphonic disco from the mighty John Davis and his well-named Monster Orchestra! The set's got a dramatic flourish that still mixes in plenty of live instrumentation – including keyboards and flute from John, plus some nice congas from Larry Washington! John sings lead vocals on most cuts, but uses some cool processing to kind of space out the sound – making for a compressed and flanged-out sound that's poppy, but really compelling. And although the whole thing sounds hokey, the quality of the grooves is actually pretty great from an instrumental standpoint. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "We Can Fly", "Up Jumped The Devil", "You Gotta Give It Up", "You're The One", "The Magic Is You", and "Recapitulation". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from the Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra – a group with family ties to Azymuth and Incognito, and who work here in the best blend of Brazilian and soulful elements that might imply! The ensemble is a crowning achievement for the Far Out label – a summation of all the great work they've done from the London scene, including their reintroduction of key Brazilian musicians of the 70s – all soaring to the skies here, with a richly collaborative energy! The group features lots of keyboards from Jose Roberto Bertrami, guitars from Alex Malheiros, and keyboards and rhythms from Daniel Maunick – plus great contributions from many others, including some help from the legendary Arthur Verocai. Most tunes groove in a mighty nice way – not vintage disco, but a soaring, righteous 21st Century version of club – on tunes that include "Step Into My Life", "Flying High", "Black Sun", "The Two Of Us", "Walking Bass", "Give It To Me", and "Where Do We Go From Here". CD also features bonus instrumentals of most songs on the album! CD

... CD

A really wonderful project that was years in the making – a mix of American club and Brazilian elements – put together by a group that includes members of Azymuth and Banda Black Rio, as well as the legendary Arthur Verocai! Jose Roberto Bertrami's the strongest contributor here – and the music really echoes that great late 70s/early 80s point when the Azymuth fusion groove crossed over into tighter, funkier territory – coming off here with a sound that's got really universal appeal and a wickedly classic vibe overall – like some unusual cross-breeding of Brazilian grooves and Salsoul Records! Vocals are by Mia Mendes and Marcina Arnold, but the instrumentation is even better than the lyrics – filled with jazzy touches, blended with bits of strings, and perfectly produced all the way through. Really tremendous stuff – one of the freshest records we've heard from Far Out in years – with titles that include "Mystery", "Keep Believing", "Dead Dance", "The Last Carnival", "A Disco Supreme", "Vendetta", and "Don't Cha Know He's Alright". 2CD set features 8 more bonus remix tracks too! CD

... Cassette

Early work from John Davis and his Monster Orchestra – easily one of the coolest larger groups working on the US disco scene of the 70s – definitely a cut above some of their more mainstream contemporaries! The Davis difference is hard to define, but John definitely gets it right on this set – using full strings, female chorus vocals, and other instrumentation – but really still keeping things lean, in the best manner of MFSB or the Salsoul Orchestra. Core rhythms are from Davis on keyboards, Charles Collins on drums, Sugar Bear Foreman on bass, and Larry Washington on percussion – and titles include "I Can't Stop", "In The Still Of The Night", "I Get A Kick", "Night & Day", "Tell Me How You Like It", and "I've Got You Under My Skin". LP, Vinyl record album

The groundbreaking debut of Can – a record that came out on 1969, and is every bit a part of its time – but also light-years ahead of so many of its contemporaries, with a quality that's kept the music intensely resonant over the decades! The songs are long, jamming, and full of plenty of prog and psych elements – yet they're also unlike those genres at all – maybe colder, starker, more visionary – using just familiar instruments, but in ways that are oddly unsettling – thanks in part to the intensity of the group's sense of interplay! The amazing Jaki Leibezeit is on drums, next to the raw guitar work of Michael Karoli, the insane basslines of Holger Czukay, and mad organ of Irmin Schmidt – topped here with vocals from the group's initial singer, Malcolm Mooney. The whole thing's fantastic – and titles include "Father Cannot Yell", "Mary Mary So Contrary", "Outside My Door", and the incredible side-long "You Doo Right" – which takes up the second half of the album! CD

A nice later noise pop moment in REM's canon, bringing some electric fuzz to the forefront after the soaring, anthemic alt folk of Automatic For The People! Monster might've been a bit divisive at the time, and maybe it still is after all these years, but it holds up better than a lot of their later work, with catchy vocals sailing over reverb-y guitars. REM changed courses a lot over the years, but this might be one of the their latest daring twists, especially coming out at right after the most popular peak. Includes "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush With Eyeliner", "Star 69", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Strange Currencies" and more. CD

With selections by The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Jr Walker & The All Stars, and The Jackson 5. LP, Vinyl record album

Totally cool Jimmy Smith album that has him playing a lot of funky groovy versions of TV and Film themes, like "Goldfinger", "Theme From The Munsters", "Theme From Man With the Golden Arm", and "Theme From Bewitched". Oliver Nelson leads a large band and does the arrangements, and Jimmy's in fine fine form, with hard solos that come out wailing over the top of the orchestrations. LP, Vinyl record album

With Nick Lowe on "Baby, It's You". 12-inch, Vinyl record

An amazing little group – one that starts with the ensemble improvisation energy of John Coltrane's Ascension, but then takes off into a whole new electrified direction of its own! Crimetime Orchestra boast a heady rhythm section in the form of Bugge Wesseltoft on keyboards, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on electric bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all players schooled in free jazz ways, but working here with an electrified sort of force – almost a rockish fusion undercurrent, which is mixed beautifully with the complicated horn lines of the other members of the group. Bassist Bjornar Andressen brings in a double-heavy bottom to the record – and other players include Vidar Johansen on tenor, Jon Klette on alto, Djetil Moster on tenor, Oyvind Brakke on trombone, Sjur Miljeteig on trumpet, and Anders Hana on guitar. Bugge recorded the whole thing, with some additional electric effects – and titles include "Rest In Piece" and the seven-part "Live Is A Beautiful Monster" suite. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Not as striking as the word "Monster" in the title might make you think – but a nicely laidback European session, one that has Dexter blowing freely, with only bass and drum accompaniment. Tracks are mostly pretty long, and titles include "Tanya", "Born To Be Blue", "Nursery Blues", "Green Dolphin Street", and "Lullaby For A Monster". CD

A definite monster from Herbie Hancock – one of those great records from Hancock's second chapter at Columbia Records – a time when he was really evolving as an artist, and able to take on the world of soul as well as he did with jazz and fusion! The groove is a great fusion of the funky elements that Herbie created on some of his wilder earlier records, and the tighter style of funky soul at the time – a mode that's much hipper than disco, with almost a CTI current at times – but qualities that are even groovier in the hands of Herbie! The set's got some vocals – leads by Gavin Christopher, and backup by The Waters – and there's plenty of sweet keyboard lines as well – at a level that still blows away all the younger cats who were trying to horn in on Herbie's action. Includes the funky classic "Stars In Your Eyes" – which has a bassline that just won't quit – a sweet stepper called "Making Love", and the cuts "It All Comes Round", "Don't Hold It", and "Saturday Night". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

David Thomas has left Pere Ubu behind – but he's got great help here from The Wooden Birds – a group that features Allen Ravenstine on keyboards and electronics, and Tony Maimone on bass! Thomas also plays a bit of accordion alongside his increasingly wild vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

16 originals covered by The Cramps – with tracks by The Bostweeds, Dwight Pullen, Link Wray, Ronnie Dawson, Dale Hawkins, Roy Orbison, The Third Bardo, The Ventures, The Phantom, Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Burnette R&R Trio, The Busters, Kip Tyler & The Flips, The Sonics, Bill Allen & The Backbeats, and The Rumblers. LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of one of the most obscure set recordings by this amazing duo – singers Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, who you might know best from their work on the legendary Saravah Records at the start of the 70s! The work here isn't musical theater, but was instead recorded for French radio in 1973 – and is maybe even more experimental than some of the duo's other albums of the time – still this amazing blend of poetic lyrics, matched-up voices, and light acoustic instrumentation – but sometimes less song-based than at other points – with Fontaine really bringing a lot of subtle drama into her performance! The whole thing is beautiful – a much-needed addition to the small catalog of this legendary duo. Titles on this volume include "Les Murailles", "Apres La Guerre", "L'Ete L'Ete", "Il Pleut Sur La Gare", "Ragalia", "Les Borias", "Le Six Septembre", and "Les Petits Chevaux". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record that was done for a strange 60s film about pop singers – one that features some rockish tunes that fit the spirit of the movie, but also some groovy instrumentals that spice things up in a mighty nice way! Most tunes are short, as these are the versions recorded for the film – and the vocals are done by the "idoles" who appear in the story, but the instrumentation is all handled by the Rollsticks – a group put together for the project, which features contributions from important French musicians who include jazzmen Michel Portal and Ivan Jullien, and the great Didier Malherbe – later of Gong fame. Titles include "Non Papa", "Youpelle", "Je Suis Seul", "Viens Dans Mon Coeur", "Du Byrrh", "La Meme", "Une Jaguar", "Number One Dance", "Danse Crawl", and "Les Gretschen". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Vangelis – recorded years before his new age drippy stretch, at a time when he was fresh off work in the amazing Aphrodite's Child, where he really learned to make some amazing sounds on his keyboards! There's a nicely spacey vibe to the set, and some really dark currents too – as Vangelis plays lots of Fender Rhodes, plus a bit of percussion and mellotron – often in offbeat ways, and with contributions from Laurent De Gasperis on flute, percussion, and mandolin. Although a soundtrack, the music is plenty visual on its own away from the film – and titles include "Giudecca", "Venezia", "Ruga Do Pozlic", "Marina", "La Contessina", and "Ma Dove Sei". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length monster from Amon Duul – issued after the first incarnation of the group had disbanded, and pulled from recordings that also gave the world the legendary Psychedelic Underground record! The sounds here are often rawer and more powerful than most of the group's other music – sometimes droning with almost a Faust-like sense of noise, other times rocking but with a vibe that's almost tribal at times – thanks in part to drum parts and percussion that bring a very earthy vibe to the record! While some of the Krautrock groups of this generation were soaring to the skies, this one has Amon Duul almost romping in the dirt – on titles that include "Somnium", "Frequency", "Autonomes", "Chaoticolour", "Asynchron", and "Drum Things". CD

A double-length monster from Amon Duul – issued after the first incarnation of the group had disbanded, and pulled from recordings that also gave the world the legendary Psychedelic Underground record! The sounds here are often rawer and more powerful than most of the group's other music – sometimes droning with almost a Faust-like sense of noise, other times rocking but with a vibe that's almost tribal at times – thanks in part to drum parts and percussion that bring a very earthy vibe to the record! While some of the Krautrock groups of this generation were soaring to the skies, this one has Amon Duul almost romping in the dirt – on titles that include "Somnium", "Frequency", "Autonomes", "Chaoticolour", "Asynchron", and "Drum Things". LP, Vinyl record album

Third album from the Brit prog-rockers. This album is a bit funkier than their previous releases, as their Memphis soul influence is quite apparent here. Nice moments throughout, with a monster drumbreak on "The Rock". Other titles include "Breakthrough", "Decision/Indecision", "Devil's Answer", and "Black Snake". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album by this righteous funky combo from Ohio! Although Brute Force were an American group of the late 60s, they've got a sound that brings in traces of the African rhythms that were bubbling under at the time – similar to some of the best London groups of the post-colonial years, like Cymande, Demon Fuzz, or Asiko. There's often a jagged and jazzy style on the bottom of the grooves, topped with brighter horn flourishes, and combined with a vocal approach that has some slight folksy touches – very hip, progressive, and as righteous as you'd expect from the cover! Sonny Sharrock sits in on some tracks, and the titles include "Some Kind Of Approval", "Doubt", "Ye Le Wa", "Do It Right Now", "The Deacon", and "Monster". CD

A nice little single – despite the name! The a-side is a sleepy blues number, but the flip – "Disco Blues" – is a great groover. The cut begins with a bouncy bass and choppy guitar, all rolling together in a nice funky way while Willie sings and plays harmonica in a bluesy style. The gimmick shouldn't work, but the cut's pretty compelling overall – and that bass is monster dirty! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best albums ever from reedman Buddy Collette – a great small group session with a harder edge than some of Buddy's later records for bigger labels! Collette was always one of the more interesting players from the LA scene of the 50s – and although he had his roots in harder jazz styles, he also played a lot of studio sessions – and had an amazing ability to shift through different modes and settings with effortless ease – and also shift his work on different reed instruments too! This album's a nice mix of both sides of his style – with some cuts that have Collette playing flute or clarinet with a lyrical groove, and some more hard-blowing tracks that feature alto and tenor – in a cool quintet that features Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Al Viola on guitar, Wilfred Middlebrook on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums The session's a darn tough one to find, despite its importance in Collette's career – and titles include "Walkin' Willie", "Changes", "The Cute Monster", and "Orlando Blues". CD features a bonus track – "Soft Touch (take 5)". CD

One of the best full lengths by The Cramps! By the time A Date With Elvis came out in the mid 80s, The Cramps had pretty much perfected their wild mix of ghoulish innuendo and truly devoted roots rock/garage revivalism. The sex club and monster movie imagery was for show, but their love of rootsy rumbles was no joke! The record is dedicated to the memory of Ricky Nelson and the dedication is not ironic. Great, ghoulish Cramps at their mid-decade peak. Oh, and by the way. . .Elvis couldn't have handled a date with Ivy. She'd have wrecked that boy. Includes "How Far Can I Go?", "The Hot Pearl Snatch", "People Ain't No Good", "What's Inside A Girl?", "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?", "Kizmiaz", "Aloha From Hell", "Cornfed Dames" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Cymande hit some well-deserved heights on this massive third album – working with a complicated groove that's even more compelling than their earlier albums – in a righteous blend of heavy bass and tripped-out guitars that's unlike anything else we've ever heard! The music's a unique blend of roots from Guyana coming into play with the changes of the 70s London scene – and the group have a way of reaching out past borders, past familiar styles, and making a whole new world of their own! Things are funky, but pretty darn dubby too – and the whole thing's got a sly sound that others have tried to copy over the years – but never done this well at all. Titles include the monster funk cut "Brothers On the Slide", a jaunty sample-laden groover – plus "Pon De Dungle", "Changes", "Sheshamani", and "Leavert". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent compilation of concert recordings from Miles Davis – the first 3 numbers from the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival and capturing Miles, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette in the months before the studio version of Bitches Brew – plus 6 tracks from Isle Of Wight in the months after the revolutionary Bitches Brew came out! The earlier tracks from Newport were previously unissued, and include "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" (the earliest known professional, non-bootleg live recording of this track and it's a monster), "Sanctuary" and "It's About Time". The rest of the CD features the full live set from the iconic Isle Of Wight festival in 1970 – Miles in full-on funked out mode with Gary Bartz, Keith Jarrett and Airto Moreira in addition to the above mentioned players. The Isle Of Wight stuff was previously included with the mammoth Complete Columbia Recordings box set, but never issued completely anywhere else. Those tracks include "Directions", "Bitches Brew", "It's About That Time", a totally different, shorter and spacier take on "Sanctuary", "Spanish Key" and "The Theme". Rare and overlooked live Miles, recorded on a pair of dates during one of the most incredible 13 month periods that any artist ever lived! CD

An excellent album of funky drumbreaks – cut by a drummer who's a legend among funk fans, but who hardly ever gets mentioned in history books of jazz! Les DeMerle was a lesser-known LA player, and he had a monster approach to the kit – which is why most of the few albums he cut are very in demand for fans of a good funky drum break, as well as the longer grooves! This one's a stellar session that mixes together straight funk with some strong choppy fusion numbers – and it was issued on the tiny Dobre label, which came out with some excellent obscure sides during the 70s. Raul De Souza's on trombone, Milcho Leview plays piano, and Robby Robinson plays plenty of nice electric keyboards. Includes the break-heavy tracks "Moondial" and "Funk It!", the jazz dance cut "Canned Heat Suite", the choppy funky "Bacchanal", and the great groover "Kaballa". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction". CD

A heady duo, working here with a boundless sense of depth – Steeltipped Dove on production, Fatboi Sharif on vocals – all operating with the sort of bleak sensibility that you might expect from the cover image! Dove has outdone himself with experimental production – and even among the darker territory of the Backwoodz label, the set's got a sonic intensity that's mindblowing – almost avant at points, with all these edges and unsettling elements that many other producers might do well to study! Titles include "Ash Wednesday", "Phantasm", "East Hollywood", "Measuring Spoon Techniques", "Think Pieces", "Kingdom", "Boogie Monster", and "The 6th Floor". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best soul collaborations ever! Fela and Roy Ayers team up for this whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Long overdue! LP, Vinyl record album

An album-length monster from Fela Kuti – and a cut that has him still burning strong in the final years of his too-short life! The cut "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake" is a funky monster – spanning both sides of the record with a choppy drawn-out groove that features a cool spacey electric piano solo, sad wailing sax, and some catchy vocals on the hook – all with a core acoustic vibe that shows no traces of Fela and the group leaning into 80s technology, as so many of their contemporaries were doing. The track's right up there with Fela's best work ever – and the later, more obscure origin of the album makes it tougher to find than some of the earlier records too! LP, Vinyl record album

A holy grail of funky music – and a rare gem from the DC scene of the 70s! Keyboardist Hilton Felton cut this wicked killer for his own tiny label – Hilton's Concept – and it's a very unique blend of jazz and funk modes, done with help from members of The Blackbyrds and Three Pieces! Felton plays Fender Rhodes, vibes, organ, and even some percussion on the record – grooving in this stretched-out, easygoing way that's unlike anyone else we can think of – often with fuller backings that might be at home on a soundtrack, but which have a much more open flow overall. Most tracks are nice and long, with plenty of sweet electric solo space – and titles include the classic "Bee Bop Boogie", a 9 minute groover with a monster break on the intro – plus "The Light Of Mankind", "Man For All Reasons", "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need", "Love's Losers", and "Blues For a Weary Man". CD

A rare 70s session from guitar genius Eddie Fisher – best known for his early classics on Chess/Cadet Records, and sounding even funkier here overall! Eddie's still a monster on the guitar – and plays with all of the fuzzy energy of his second album, while throwing in a few of the mellower moments of his first – but all with a trippy vibe that really shows just how much Fisher could explore when allowed to step off onto his own self-run label! There's some cool use of pedals, effects, and keyboards on the record too – and Eddie sings as well, bringing in a great current of soul to the funky rhythms – on titles that include "Cosmic Blues", "The Sunrise", "Music Makes Me Feel Good", "Do You Like It", "Give Me Lend Me Loan Me Let Me Have", "Good Old Days", and "Energy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of genius from the great George Clinton – a record that has Funkadelic really finding their groove, in the same way that Parliament were helping push underground funk into both the clubs and the mainstream – while also showing that the P-Funk empire can jam better than just about anyone else! The whole thing is hitting on all burners throughout – with an impeccable sense of instrumentation, balanced with an easygoing attitude that makes the whole thing seem effortless – especially compared to other funk ensembles who were picking up the speed a bit too much in the disco generation. The centerpiece of the album is the classic "One Nation Under A Groove" – a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, spun out here in a great extended version – followed by other classics that include "Into You", "Grooveallegiance", and "Cholly". Features bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain/Chant", "Lunchmeataphobia", and "PE Squad/Doo Doo Chasers". CD

One of the rarest albums ever from percussionist Milford Graves, and one of the most intense as well – a completely unbridled live performance that features saxes from Hugh Glover and Arthur Doyle! Glover and Doyle are amazing together – and with that trademark raspy tone, Doyle's set apart nicely, even amidst the frenzy – and Graves is a complete monster on the drum kit, moving with a speed that must have been breathtaking to see in person – at a level that always has us checking the record to make sure that we don't have it set to 45rpm! If you've ever overlooked the contributions that Graves has made to improvised music, this is the record to convince you – with titles that include "Ba", "Bi", and "Babi". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums ever from percussionist Milford Graves, and one of the most intense as well – a completely unbridled live performance that features saxes from Hugh Glover and Arthur Doyle! Glover and Doyle are amazing together – and with that trademark raspy tone, Doyle's set apart nicely, even amidst the frenzy – and Graves is a complete monster on the drum kit, moving with a speed that must have been breathtaking to see in person – at a level that always has us checking the record to make sure that we don't have it set to 45rpm! If you've ever overlooked the contributions that Graves has made to improvised music, this is the record to convince you – with titles that include "Ba", "Bi", and "Babi". Great bonus material too – a whole CD that features the same trio, playing together 8 years before – recorded in New York in 1969, with four improvisations of varying length. CD