With Starang, Sean Price, and Top Dog on "High Times". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A really unusual later entry in the KPM sound library series – a set that's mellower and a lot more meditative than some of the label's usual work – not action or funky soundtrack material, but instead an electronic set that resonates nicely with some of the Japanese minimal work of the time! The tunes here are of varying lengths, and really mix together a nice range of elements – some bright moments, some more obtuse sonic passages – sometimes with a bit of rhythm, oftentimes just flowing along on air! Titles include "New Infinity", "White Mirror", "Peace Bells", "Sleep Golden", "The Long Path", "Forest Motion", "Mountain Dreaming", and "Lost Oceans". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Latin funk classics – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Azteca album – a crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's got a great blend of modes – Latin soul, touches of funk, and plenty of the jazzy inflections you'd expect from a lineup that includes Coke Escovedo on timbales, Paul Jackson on bass, Lenny White on drums, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, Tom Harrell on trumpet, and Victor Pantoja on congas! Vocals are by Pete Escovedo – who brings in a heady soulful sound to the set – and the vibe is a bit like work by Malo or El Chicano, but even more jazz-based overall! Titles include "Peace Everybody", "Empty Prophet", "Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me", "Azteca", "Ah! Ah!", and "Mamita Linda". Next is Pyramid Of The Moon – a really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh. Titles include "Red Onions", "Mazatlan", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Mexicana, Mexicana", and "Love Is A Stranger". CD

... Cassette

One of the best records ever cut by funky sax man Joe Farrell! The album's got a stripped down, choppy groove – virtually the blueprint for later 70s funk of this type, and played perfectly by Farrell and a very hip quartet lineup! Players include Joe on soprano and tenor sax, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – playing with a very angular sense of rhythm that really dives the record! The record's got a tight combo sound that's far more energetic than most CTI jazz from the time – and titles include the great cut "Great Gorge", which has a tight modal sample groove, plus "Times Lie", "Bass Folk Song", and "Moon Germs". CD

That's right, The Flaming Lips, plus Stardeath And White Dwarfs, with guests Henry Rollins and Peaches – all celebrating, deflating, inflating, messing with and making love to Pink Floyd's epic rock masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon! Titles include "Speak To Me", "Breathe", "On The Run", "Tiome", The Great Gig In The Sky", "Money", "Us And Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

The moody trumpet of Jon Hassell is set up here with some live sampling from Jan Bang, guitar from Eivind Aarset, and keyboards from Jamie Muhoberac! CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really great follow-up to the first collaboration between Khruangbin and Leon Bridges – one with a title that's similar to the first, but a sound that's nicely different too! It's almost as if the group take the "moon" in the title seriously – and go for a more laidback, dark-tinged version of the territory covered on Texas Sun – grooves that are a bit more mellow, and somewhat more introspective – at a level that really works well for the vocals of Leon Bridges, which themselves are sometimes spaced out in these really cool ways with the production! This isn't the hard-jamming side of Khruangbin, but instead that maturing quality of the trio that has them doing more with less – bringing a slow funk majesty to Bridges' vocals, on titles that include "Doris", "B-Side", "Chocolate Hills", "Father Father", and "Mariella". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever by Labelle – known especially for the massive funky title cut, which has been an in-demand groover for years! "Moonshadow" begins with a nice funky piano intro, then rolls into a 10 minute groove that's really tasty – filled with lots of jazzy riffing, tasty conga, and a weird monologue by Patti that runs through different parts of the body and why you should appreciate them! The cut was lost on American audiences of the 70s, but became a huge one in the European jazz dance scene of the late 80s, probably because most of them couldn't understand how silly Patti's vocals were! The cut's nice and funky, though – and there's some other nice ones on the record, too, including "Sunday News", "Touch Me All Over", and "Peace With Yourself". Much more interesting than most of their stuff, with a hip mixture of jazz, soul, and hard grooving! CD

One of the greatest albums ever by Labelle – known especially for the massive funky title cut, which has been an in-demand groover for years! "Moonshadow" begins with a nice funky piano intro, then rolls into a 10 minute groove that's really tasty – filled with lots of jazzy riffing, tasty conga, and a weird monologue by Patti that runs through different parts of the body and why you should appreciate them! The cut was lost on American audiences of the 70s, but became a huge one in the European jazz dance scene of the late 80s, probably because most of them couldn't understand how silly Patti's vocals were! The cut's nice and funky, though – and there's some other nice ones on the record, too, including "Sunday News", "Touch Me All Over", and "Peace With Yourself". Much more interesting than most of their stuff, with a hip mixture of jazz, soul, and hard grooving! LP, Vinyl record album

Two albums from the duo of Neil Larsen & Buzz Feiten – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Larsen Feiten Band – a fantastic bit of AOR – served up here by two musicians with a background in jazz, and a great way of harmonizing their vocals together! Larsen is Neil Larsen, who plays keyboards and sings – and Feiten is Buzz Feiten – guitarist and musical partner who helps make Neil sound even tighter and groovier here than on his solo records! The duo work with a core quintet, plus some added horn arrangements – in a style that's definitely in the hipper side of the AOR spectrum, which yields up plenty of rewarding listening all these many years later. Titles include "She's Not In Love", "Aztec Legend", "Make It", "Morning Star", "Over", "Danger Zone", and "Who'll Be The Fool Tonight". On Full Moon, the duo of Neil Larsen and Buzz Feiten sound mighty nice – Buzz on guitars and vocals, Neil on keyboards – stepping out with some added horns, tight arrangements, and a groove that takes the 70s AOR ethos into great territory for the 80s! The record's almost more of the sort you'd expect to hear in 1977 – no tinny production, no shift to drum machines for the rhythms – just rock-solid instrumentation from a really great group, tight songwriting, and catchy tunes that include "Twilight Moon", "Little Cowboys", "Standing In Line", "Hero's Welcome", "The Visitor", and "Phantom Of The Footlights". CD

HP Lovecraft drummer Michael Tegza soldiers on with a new group as Lovecraft – with a tighter sound that blends hard driving drums and guitars with more delicate, harmony vocal accented songcraft! It's a far cry from the psychedelic experimentation of HP Lovecraft – but it's actually a pretty impressive rock record in its own right – prefiguring the later 70s rock sounds long before the better known giants of the decade! Titles include "We Can All Have It Together", "Brother I Wonder", "Love Has Come To Me", "Will I Know When My Time Comes", "Two Step Hustle", "Lady Come Softly", "The Dawn", "Never Gonna Go Back", "Dear" and "Hopefully". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that no fan of funky jazz should be without! This album is far and away one of the greatest ever cut by Brother Jack McDuff – and it's a baroquely complicated batch of funky jazz cuts that's still light years ahead of any other record! The tracks are much longer than you'll find on Jack's other work – and the group plays these lines that are laidback and trippy, yet which still have a tremendous amount of funk in them. Guitar sets the tone, spacing out over the drums of the great Joe Dukes; electric bass rumbles at all the low, dark spots; flute and tenor sax cut some sharp edges in the void; and the organ of Brother Jack comes in over the top, and soars with cosmic lines of sound! The album includes the monster cut "Oblighetto", sampled by Tribe Called Quest years back – plus other amazing groovers, like "Flat Backin", "Moon Rappin", and "Loose Foot". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – the kind of album that no fan of funky jazz should be without! This album is far and away one of the greatest ever cut by Brother Jack McDuff – and it's a baroquely complicated batch of funky jazz cuts that's still light years ahead of any other record! The tracks are much longer than you'll find on Jack's other work – and the group plays these lines that are laidback and trippy, yet which still have a tremendous amount of funk in them. Guitar sets the tone, spacing out over the drums of the great Joe Dukes; electric bass rumbles at all the low, dark spots; flute and tenor sax cut some sharp edges in the void; and the organ of Brother Jack comes in over the top, and soars with cosmic lines of sound! The album includes the monster cut "Oblighetto", sampled by Tribe Called Quest years back – plus other amazing groovers, like "Flat Backin", "Moon Rappin", and "Loose Foot". CD

Not the Pink Floyd album of the same name, but a record with a very different vibe from Medicine Head – a group with bluesy roots, but who've clearly moved into new territory of their own by the time of this 1972 release! The guitar work is great, and at some level, there's maybe that sense of influences pushed way past that Floyd were hitting at the time – but delivered with a much more stripped-down lineup, and production that really keeps things at an intimate, personal level – fuzz and just the right production on the vocals, but never overdone. Titles include "Back To The Wall", "In Your Eyes", "You & Me", "On This Road", "Only To Do What Is Time", and "You Can Make It Home". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

New Edition show they're no Johnnies-come-lately on the harmony soul scene – and pay tribute to a host of older groups from the 50s and 70s – singing a mix of hits and soul classics in a laidback late nite mode that brings a real focus on their vocals. Given their age, there's a sound here that's still a bit kiddie at times – but that works well on the tunes that have a more youthful approach in the originals. Backings still have a relatively 80s sound to them, and production was handled by Freddie Perren. Titles include "Duke Of Earl", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "A Thousand Miles Away", "What's Your Name", "Tears On My Pillow", "Blue Moon", and "Bring Back The Memories", an original tune written for the set. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great American folk and country figures of the past half century, and one who doesn't get the mainstream reverence he deserves – Tom Paley, a founding member of The New Lost City Ramblers – and he's rambling quite beautifully on these 2011 recordings with his Old Time Moonshine Revue! There's an experienced, elegiac quality here on Tom's voice and on the songs, but it's lively and timeless! He's in his mid 80s and in truly classic form here! Includes "Roll On, Roll On", "Little Birdie", "Beelzebubbles", "Johnson City Blues", "The Fiddling Soldier", "A Horse Named Bill", "Whiskey Seller", "Little Rabbit", "Green Grow The Lilacs", "Poor Bill" CD

A beautiful, late "with strings" session from Art Pepper – with piano by Stanley Cowell and Cecil McBee on bass! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "On The Run", "Money", "Us & Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "The Great Gig In The Sky", and "Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". CD

One of Max's many great records from the late 50's, most of which tend to get overlooked in favor of his more experimental sessions. The group here includes Ray Bryant, Stanley Turrentine, Julian Priester, and Turrentine's great brother Tommy – and they're joined by Abbey Lincoln on vocals on a number of tracks. The set is mostly standards, and titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Namely You", "Speak Low", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful late 80s work from Pharoah – a wonderfully uncomplicated session that still has a great degree of soul! The album was recorded in Paris, with a quintet that includes William Henderson on acoustic piano, Stafford James on bass, Eddie Moore on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fale on percussion – and the overall approach is a bit more straight ahead than on some of Sanders' other albums – but in a really great way! The tunes are long and introspective – all done with spiritual rhythmic approaches, letting Pharoah open up on tenor and soprano sax – but never in a way that's overblown or overdone. The solos are perfectly placed – with wonderful phrasing and tone, rich in the colors that we've always loved on Sanders' work, but which can sometimes get lost in the confusion of an over-ambitious session. Titles include "Moon Child", "Moon Rays", "Soon", "Moniebah", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice small group set – with Shepp on tenor and vocal, plus Enrico Rava on trumpet, Siefried Kessler on piano and keyboards, Wilbur Little on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums. Includes the long title track "Little Red Moon", and a version of "Naima". CD

A really wonderful little record – by a group who should have been much bigger than they were! Despite the fact that these guys are an obscure rock band with a silly name, the record's a perfect example of the subtly soulful work that was coming out of various west coast sources during the 70s – the kind of album-oriented work that yielded gems for play on underground FM radio, but which has been mostly lost to the shifting sands of time, save for some well-placed rescue in the reissue scene. The gem on this one is the smooth stepper "Fazon", but the album's got a few other nice ones too, with a jazzy tinge that's almost in debt to Mose Allison or Ben Sidran – that kind of cool blend of many elements with younger ideas that was bubbling up on the Bay Area scene. Titles include "Dancin Wizard", "Monkeys On the Moon", "Sneaky Smith", and "Astronaut Food". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Very groovy set of vocal tracks recorded by Mel during his years with Verve, and featuring some haunting arrangements by Russ Garcia. The title track – "Swingin' On The Moon" – is a goofy uptempo number of the sort that sometimes doesn't work, but which sounds very nice here, thanks to Mel's witty interpretation. The rest of the tracks, though, have a beautiful mellow spacey sound, as the Velvet Fog rolls in, and washes over the arrangements with vocals like "Moon Song", "No Moon At All", "The Moon Was Yellow", and "Moonlight Cocktail". Comes complete with a very cool cover that has a blonde model wearing a space helmet! CD

... CD

A great set of torchy ballads from Lee Wiley – a singer who virtually helped invent the genre on record with her classic sets for Columbia Records! This album's done a few years after those – and features backings by Ralph Burns, who brings a fair bit more sentimental moments to his work here than you might expect from some of his other more modern outings. The proceedings have a nice touch of jazz – thanks to players who include Urbie Green on trombone, Nick Travis on trumpet, and Moe Wechsler on piano – and although Lee's vocals have a slightly aging quality, that only serves to help the fragile emotions of the best numbers in the set. Titles include "You're A Sweetheart", "This Is New", "Who Can I Turn To Now?", "My Ideal", "Limehouse Blues", "I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain", and "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The classic debut of Air – one of the fresher avant pop albums of the late 90s to say the least, and one of the best since then, too! Perhaps the greatest achievement here is how they deftly layer such broad influences of the preceding few decades – from soaring string film schools, to nascent electronic pop, to fusiony jazz keyboards and much in between and beyond – into a wholly original vibe all Air's own that's as breezy today as it was at the end of the 90s. Includes "La Femme D'Argent", the standout classic "Sexy Boy", "All I Need", "Kelly Watch The Stars", "Talisman". "Remember", "You Make It Easy", "Ce Matin La", "New Star In The Sky" and "Le Voyage De Penelope". LP, Vinyl record album

Chet Baker on trumpet and vocals, Phil Markowitz on piano, Scott Lee on bass, and Jeff Brillinger on drums. CD

The final album in the initial run of genius from Felt – a set that marks a short step from Creation Records over to El at Cherry Red – where they receive some nicely expanded handling on the production! Adrian Borland produced, and the tunefulness of the songs really comes to the forefront – all while still providing a perfect showcase for the lyrical and vocal talents of Lawrence, set up beautifully amidst the swirling Hammond lines that made their Creation material so distinct! There's definitely some new ideas bubbling up here – which Lawrence would explore more freely in later work – and titles include "I Can't Make Love To You Anymore", "Budgie Jacket", "Down An August Path", and "Get Out of My Mirror". CD

... CD

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". CD

A really majestic album from this mighty nice group – a set that references older space-themed albums from the postwar years, but which serves up the sound in the best style of the Ghost Funk Orchestra! There's cool use of NASA dialogue between some tracks – and rather than burst out in a countdown of rocket fuel, the music moves slowly, almost dreamily at times – really reveling in laidback funk and fuzz, while also coming across with a slightly cinematic vibe that the group's never had before! A few tracks really rise above the usual, sometimes with really great vocals or jazz solos – and titles include "Casadastra", "Space Walk", "A Solar Wind", "Helios", "Nova", "To The Moon", "Eyes Of Love", and "Infinite Dark". CD

A really majestic album from this mighty nice group – a set that references older space-themed albums from the postwar years, but which serves up the sound in the best style of the Ghost Funk Orchestra! There's cool use of NASA dialogue between some tracks – and rather than burst out in a countdown of rocket fuel, the music moves slowly, almost dreamily at times – really reveling in laidback funk and fuzz, while also coming across with a slightly cinematic vibe that the group's never had before! A few tracks really rise above the usual, sometimes with really great vocals or jazz solos – and titles include "Casadastra", "Space Walk", "A Solar Wind", "Helios", "Nova", "To The Moon", "Eyes Of Love", and "Infinite Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of tracks from Illinois Jacquet's late 60s albums for Prestige, featuring Milt Buckner, Barry Harris, and Wynton Kelly on piano, Alan Dawson, Al Foster, Jo Jones, and Oliver Jackson on drums, Frank Foster on tenor, Matthew Gee on trombone, Tiny Grimes, Billy Butler, and Wally Richardson on guitar, Montego Joe on congas, Joe Newman and Ernie Royal on trumpet, and Ben Tucker and Buster Williams on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from the Sun Ra Arkestra – and two tracks that really show just how much the initial wave of their sound tied together with other strands of postwar music! Both cuts here feature vocals from singer Ricky Murray – and as you can tell from the titles, there's a slightly exotic feel to the tunes – almost a space take on Eden Ahbez territory, handled by Murray in a rich baritone, while the Arkestra provides backing with some nicely rhythmic touches! The sound is straighter than some of the group's more avant material, but in a way that also really links them towards the more out-there side of mainstream music – that blend of exotic modes and wistful longing that Ra first explored in Chicago as the house band at the Club DeLisa! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pivotal set from Cassanda Wilson – and a record that firmly established her as one of the freshest new singers in jazz at the time! The album's awash in rootsy, dusky tones – and has an earthiness that's clearly inspired by older blues, but expressed by Cassandra in voicings that are more clearly jazz-based. Titles include an unusual range of covers – used in this way many years before the Starbucks generation of vocalists made it common place – with covers that include "Last Train To Clarksville", "Harvest Moon", "Skylark", and "Love Is Blindness" – alongside originals that include "Until", "A Little Warm Death", "Find Him", "Solomon Sang", and "Memphis". CD

The classic debut of Air – one of the fresher avant pop albums of the late 90s to say the least, and one of the best since then, too! Perhaps the greatest achievement here is how they deftly layer such broad influences of the preceding few decades – from soaring string film schools, to nascent electronic pop, to fusiony jazz keyboards and much in between and beyond – into a wholly original vibe all Air's own that's as breezy today as it was at the end of the 90s. Includes "La Femme D'Argent", the standout classic "Sexy Boy", "All I Need", "Kelly Watch The Stars", "Talisman". "Remember", "You Make It Easy", "Ce Matin La", "New Star In The Sky" and "Le Voyage De Penelope". CD

... CD

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A CD that brings together some important early work from altoist Marion Brown – two long tracks from the sessions for his Quartet album on ESP – and a later album issued only overseas! The set begins with the long tracks "Capricorn Moon" and "Mephistopheles" from Marion Brown Quartet – one of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – a rhythmic, soulful, early session by Marion Brown – recorded before his own albums on Impulse, but with a similar feel to the best new thing sessions of that label at the time! The group is superb – with Benny Maupin on sax, Alan Shorter on trumpet, Rashied Ali on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass, often playing in tandem with Reggie Johnson – for a unique double-pulsing feel that makes for a nice rhythmic thrust. Next are the tracks "Juba Lee" and "Iditus", from the album Juba Lee – brilliant work from Marion Brown – one of his first albums, and a great set of tracks that have a fragile New York avant style – almost ESP, but not as raw, and with the kind of soulful emotion that's always made Brown's work stand out from the rest of his crowd. The group on the album is a septet, with Beaver Harris on drums, Dave Burrell on piano, Bennie Maupin on tenor, Alan Shorter on trumpet, and Grachan Moncour III on trombone. CD

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A collection of Ornette Coleman albums from the end of the 60s – work from two key albums, plus some interesting bonus material too! First up is the album Ornette At 12 – a set that features two generations of Ornette Coleman – making incredible music here together! The album's a freewheeling late 60s outing from the senior Ornette – who plays alto, violin, and trumpet here – working with his young son Ornette D Coleman on drums, just 12 years old at the time – but a surprisingly strong free jazz player overall! Heavyweight help comes from Dewey Redman on tenor – really tremendous here, with energy that's up there with Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp at their 60s best – plus Charlie Haden on bass, really coming strongly back into the music at this point in his career. The album's quite free overall – similar to some of Coleman's Blue Note work of the period – and titles include "COD", "Rainbows", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Next is Crisis – a record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". The last two tracks are maybe the most unusual – originally issued only as a promo 7" single by Impulse Records, with the tunes "Man On The Moon" and "Growing Up" – recorded with a group that features Cherry on trumpet, Redman on tenor, Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – plus electronics from Emmanuel Ghent on one track! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A beautiful treasure from the legendary Nick Drake – the last album he ever recorded – and a set that may well be his most personal as well! The sound here is even more stripped-down than before – often just vocals and acoustic guitar, but used together in ways that are really unique – inflected with lots of the jazzy phrasing that always made Nick so unique – and light years from any of the folkies who were his contemporaries! There's a very special Drake-like approach to the whole record – a heavenly sound that's never been duplicated again – and titles include the classic "Pink Moon", plus "Place To Be", "Road", "Parasite", "Ride", and "From The Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

Directed by Mina Cho. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Ahmad Jamal on piano, Reginald Veal on double bass, Herlin Riley on drums, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. CD

Drummer Elvin Jones joins the Fumio Karashima Trio for this great late 70s outing – no surprise, really, given that Karashima played with Jones on some of his Japanese recordings – and it's clear that Elvin's just happy to return the favor! The tracks here are long and spacious – very much structured by Fumio's gentle touch on the keys, and hardly at all by the more driving approach that Jones might bring to a record like this at the time – in a group that also features Andy McCloud on bass. Most tracks are acoustic, but the title cut "Moonflower" features Karashima on Yamaha electric – next to other titles that include "Bessie's Blues", "Bitter Waltz", "Friday Night", and "My Funny Valentine". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An original suite based on texts by Ezra Pound – features Phil Minton on vocal and recitation, Franz Koglmann on trumpet, Tony Coe on tenor and clarinet, Angelika Riedl on bassoon, Raoul Herget on tuba, and Barre Phillips on bass. CD

Noise guitar legend Thurston Moore meets free jazz drummer Frank Rosaly – in a performance that really seems to open up new paths for both musicians! Moore's got a lot of texture in his work here – and a lot of space at times, too – an ear for notes and sounds that almost references the 70s British era of guitar improvisation at points, with currents of the American scene from the next decade that Moore helped shape so strongly. Rosaly's very loose in the setting – spare when needed, more full-on at other points – as he and Thurston shape the sound of a marshmallow moon in an improvisation that runs for more than 30 minutes! CD

... CD

Titles include "Voo Doo", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown"," Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Healing Chant", "Wild Injuns", "Wake Up", "My Blood", and "Yellow Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

A warmly robust piano trio and one with a really magnificent sound – a real richness that comes from the subtle command of the keys expressed by Roberto Olzer – a player who has this way of being gently emotive, through a great sense of tone – a quality that's also underscored by superb work on bass from Yuri Goloubev! The pair aren't exactly household names in jazz, but they work here alongside excellent drums from Maruo Beggio – in a beautiful set that really lives up to the long legacy of sublime piano trio recordings we've enjoyed from the Sawano label! The set's also got some really great tracks that round out the set – originals that include "Charisma", "La Luna E I Falo", "Little Requiem", "La Bella Estate", and "Le Vieux Charme" – plus a great take on the Ryuichi Sakamoto tune "Bibo No Aozora", and other titles that include "Seaward", "Beautiful Love", and a version of Poulenc's "Adagio" LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful alto from Yoshio Otmo – a player who brings an old school style of soul to his horn, but who also works here in the leaner, more modern mode of the Three Blind Mice label! The title track starts the album off with a wonderful sense of bite – a brilliant take on "Moon Ray" that really illustrates the unique blend of modern and personal that Otmo brings to his horn – followed by a wonderful interpretation of "Emily" that's both sentimental and inventive at the same time. Other tracks follow in a similarly unique feel – very much the best mix of freedom without indulgence that the Three Blind Mice label at that the time. The group features strong piano work by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – and titles include "Moon Ray", "If I Should Lose You", "Love Comes Quietly", "Emily", and "Shufflin". CD

Titles include "On The Run", "Money", "Us & Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "The Great Gig In The Sky", and "Time". CD

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... CD

Very cool work from Jean-Luic Aime – ex-member of Univers Zero, working here in a very heady brew of cold wave electronics! The music shifts between spare, almost tuneful numbers that remind us a bit of Minny Pops or Young Marble Giants – and some much more experimental sounds that belie Aime's legacy – done with a homegrown feel that would have been right at home in the darker corners of the early Crammed Disc universe! The album brings together tracks from a few different small-label cassette recordings, with full notes on the music from Andy Votel – and titles include "Prima Linea", "Scorpio", "Coaltar Saponine", "I Can Help You You Know", and "Ultrissima On The J's M". LP, Vinyl record album

The massive full length flowering of Television – a record issued on a major label, but which represents all the underground genius that the group had been bringing to the New York scene for a few years in the mid 70s! The guitar might be worth the price of admission alone – a standard-setting approach that influenced a generation – and, when matched with the vocals of Tom Verlaine, really knocks the whole thing out of the park! There's a blend of raw edge and understated poetry that instantly demonstrates why the American underground of the time was so different than the world of British punk – and although the set came out in 1977, it still has a massive power all these many years later. Every track's a gem – and titles include "See No Evil", "Venus", "Friction", "Marquee Moon", "Elevation", "Guiding Light", "Prove It" and "Torn Curtain". LP, Vinyl record album