... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Features the sublime "Jackie Blue" – along with "Lowlands", "Tidal Wave", "Look Away", "It Couldn't Be Better", "Walkin' Down The Road", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded live at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado – September 12 & 13, 2003. CD

You may know the Ozark Mountain Daredevils as a crossover AM radio act from the mid 70s – but on this early record, the group have a nicely rootsy vibe that certainly lives up to their name! Production is by David Anderle and Glyn Johns – who do a great job of avoiding some of the cliches of the nascent country rock scene – which really suits the way that the group brings some more personal themes to tunes that have a mixture of acoustic elements, especially harmonica, and some heavier rock touches. And the Ozark here might be a good way of nicely placing the album's feel away from some of the other work of the period – as the sound is neither LA country rock, nor upstate New York, nor even Memphis or Muscle Shoals. Titles include "Chicken Train", "Colorado Song", "Within Without", "Black Sky", "Road To Glory", "Standing On The Rock", and "Country Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Produced by Ian McDonald of King Crimson and Foreigner. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Elvin Jones' mid 70s years – and a sweet fusion jammer that has the best kick of the classics on the PM label! The group's a trio, with Jones on drums, Gene Perla on bass, and Jan Hammer on drums – and Elvin may be the leader of the set, but the real strength of the album belongs to the record's tight bass work by the great Perla – strong-voiced and soulful, and doing a good job here of keeping both Jones and Hammer focused on the groove of the tunes – as Hammer's keyboards spin out with lots of sweet cosmic touches! Titles include "Namuh", "On The Mountain", "Smoke In The Sun", "Destiny", and "London Air". CD

An overlooked gem from Elvin Jones' mid 70s years – and a sweet fusion jammer that has the best kick of the classics on the PM label! The group's a trio, with Jones on drums, Gene Perla on bass, and Jan Hammer on drums – and Elvin may be the leader of the set, but the real strength of the album belongs to the record's tight bass work by the great Perla – strong-voiced and soulful, and doing a good job here of keeping both Jones and Hammer focused on the groove of the tunes – as Hammer's keyboards spin out with lots of sweet cosmic touches! Titles include "Namuh", "On The Mountain", "Smoke In The Sun", "Destiny", and "London Air". CD

Elvin Jones introduces Japanese pianist Takehisa Tanaka to a larger audience – giving him a perfect setting with a quartet format that also includes Cecil McBee on bass Sonny Fortune on flute and tenor sax! Tanaka's style is a bit laidback – spacious, but sometimes a bit wispy, even more so on the tracks that have Jones playing in an unusually subtle manner. But thanks to the strength of Fortune's reed work, and the power of McBee's bass, the longish tracks all fill up with plenty of bright moments – and if anything, we really dig the set as a strong showcase for Fortune's always-great talents! Titles include "Dream Gypsy", "I Was Too Young", "My Dream Come True", "Soultrane", and "When I Was At Aso Mountain". CD

Joe Maneri on reeds and piano, Mat Maneri on violin, Ed Schuller on bass, and Randy Peterson on drums. CD

An overlooked gem from Wilson Pickett – recorded in the post-Atlantic years, and with some great funky moments mixed in with those undeniably soulful vocals from the Wicked Pickett! Arrangements are by Brad Shapiro, who works the same magic here with Wilson that he did with a handful of other southern soul artists – updating their groove a bit more for the 70s, while also still respecting the best rootsy elements of the vocals. The style's a lot like some of Joe Tex's best funky moments from the same time – save that Wilson's vocals are even rawer and grittier – and titles include "I'm Gonna Do It All Over", "That Woman", "Best Part Of A Man", "Let Me Know", "Sweetwater Jail", and "It's Gonna Be Good". LP, Vinyl record album

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Fantastic King Records work from the Stanley Brothers – titles that include "How Mountain Girls Can Love", "Keep A Memory", "Mastertone March", "Train 45", "Midnight Ramble", "The Memory Of Your Smile", and "Clinch Mountain Backstep". LP, Vinyl record album

A very nice live set by Leon – recorded with a great electric group that has Neal Creque on piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Oliver Nelson on alto, and added percussion by Sonny Morgan. The vibe is nice and free, and the tracks have a very spiritual sound, in the manner of the work that Thomas was doing with Pharoah Sanders. The album features a soaring remake of Coltrane's "Cousin Mary" – a track that really benefits from the addition of vocals – plus the cuts "Na Na", "Umbo Weti", and "Honey Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of two key 60s pop talents – the soulful sounds of Ike & Tina Turner, and the soaring production styles of Phil Spector! The album's quite different than some of the grittier Turner projects of the time – lots of full orchestrations and strings, mixed with the rougher rhythms you'd usually hear from Ike – a blend that's surprisingly great, and helps push Tina's vocals into wonderfully mature territory – a bit like the mix of deep soul and class that you'd get from Etta James on mid-60s Chess Records! The album's a feather in the cap of both Spector and Turner – and titles include "River Deep Mountain High", "I Idolize You", "A Love Like Yours", "Such A Fool For You", "I'll Never Need More Than This", "A Fool In Love", and "Hold On Baby". Weird cover, too – with photography by Dennis Hopper! CD

Leslie West is a mountain of a man – and although his greatest fame may have been in the group Mountain, this initial solo set has all the power of that famous group – and maybe a leaner, meaner sound overall! West is clearly working in the power trio style that was emerging from the British rock scene of the time – using his raw vocals and heavy guitar next to the drums of ND Smart, and the bass and keyboards of the great Felix Pappalardi – who produced and put the whole thing together in the studio! Titles include the funky rock classic "Long Red", which has great organ and drums – plus "Southbound Train", "Blood Of The Sun", "Blind Man", "Baby I'm Down", "This Whee's On Fire", "Storyteller Man", and "Because You Are My Friend". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

There's never been anyone like Brian Eno in his early years – and despite countless copycats over the years, nobody comes close to the brilliance of a record like this! There's so much going on here – darkness and wit, guitars and quiet, fantasy and sentimentality – all amazingly blended into tunes that shouldn't be catchy, but are – and which come across much more with the oddly rocking vibe of Eno's years in Roxy Music, than any of his later, better-known ambient projects. Make no mistake, that sense of sound that would grace the ambient works is definitely brewing here – as there's very interesting production, unusual sonic elements, and other surprises taking place throughout – in ways that continue to mesmerize and delight as the years go on. Titles include "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More", "Back In Judy's Jungle", "The Fat Lady Of Limbourg", "Mother Whale Eyeless", "The Great Pretender", "Third Uncle", "Put A Straw Under Baby", "The True Wheel", "China My China", and "Taking Tiger Mountain". LP, Vinyl record album

Lewis Nash isn't just a hell of a drummer, he's a hell of a leader too – although one who hardly ever gets to cut sessions up front like this – which makes every one of them a treasure! Nash has really picked some top-shelf talent for this date – a quintet lineup that features Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Jimmy Greene on tenor and soprano sax, Renee Rosnes on piano, and Peter Washington on bass – all soulfully swinging with Nash in a way that grabs us right from the start – an energy that seems to only be sharpened by the live setting of the record, and which is carried out to perfection on the album's many long tracks. Nash continues to be very inventive on the drum kit – never too playful, but always adding in a level of complexity to his rhythms – and titles include "Blues Connotation", "Arioso", "Eronel", "Ain't Nothin Nu", "Y Todavia La Quiero", and "From Here To A Star". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Music originally composed for an open-air festival in the Dolemites – performed here by Douglas on trumpet, Michael Moore on alto sax and clarinets, Peggy Lee on cello, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Dylan van der Schyff on drums. CD

One of Dave's funkier albums of the time – with cuts that include "Captain Caribe", "Rondo", "City Lights", "Rag Bag", and "Mountain Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Excellent work by Jordan – recorded right at the same time as his classic sides for the Strata East label, and with a similar feel! The group on the set is the same as heard on the Glass Bead Games album – Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and it's hard to imagine a tighter 70s soul jazz ensemble, especially one with such a capacity for sounding both exploratory and open, while also managing to keep things always at a nicely swinging pace. The album's filled with original tracks by the members of the group – including "Seven Minds", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", "The House On Maple Street", and "Miss Morgan". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

AKA Vernon Dalhart And Carson Robison. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

Very nice reissue that brings together two of the best albums by two players that don't necessarily have a lot of great albums (or at least a lot of albums that have stood the test of time!) We'll be the first to admit that Chick Corea has many weak moments – but his debut as a leader, Tones For Joan's Bones, is amazing! At the time, Chick was coming off of years of work in Latin bands, and in smaller soul jazz combos, and his writing here is a mix of the freer style that would later become too free, with the rootsier elements of his background. The players on the record include Woody Shaw, Joe Chambers, and Joe Farrell, and the tracks are long, with a sweeping, searching, soulful sound to them. Includes a beautiful rendition of Chick's "Litha", which he also recorded with Stan Getz on Sweet Rain, plus two other nice originals – "Tones For Joan's Bones" and "Straight Up And Down". And added to that album is an obscure early album by bassist Miroslav Vitous, which features playing by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and Jack DeJohnette. The album's a simple one, with less of the indulgent playing that would later mar some of Vitous' other sessions. It includes a version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", plus the originals "Infinite Search", "Cerecka", and "I Will Tell Him On You". (Please note that "When Face Gets Pale" was deleted from the Vitous album, due to space limitations.) CD

Music originally composed for an open-air festival in the Dolemites – performed here by Douglas on trumpet, Michael Moore on alto sax and clarinets, Peggy Lee on cello, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Dylan van der Schyff on drums. CD

Five full albums from keyboardist Dave Grusin – packaged together in a single set, with tiny LP-styled covers for each CD! First up is one of our favorites – the album One Of A Kind, which is a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in the 70s on shows like Barretta, or in films like Three Days of the Condor – mellow fusion with a tightly arranged style – lots of nicely isolated instrumentation, and the kind of spare and spacey grooves that you'd expect from a hip CTI session! Musicians include Grover Washington on saxes, Dave Valentin on flute, Ron Carter on bass, and Steve Gadd himself – plus Grusin on a lot of sweet keyboards – and titles include great cut "Modaji", plus "Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "Catavento", and "Montage". Mountain Dance has a similar vibe, too – nice and lean – and one of Dave's funkier albums of the time – with cuts that include "Captain Caribe", "Rondo", "City Lights", "Rag Bag", and "Mountain Dance". Out Of The Shadows has a nice sort of vibe – not the too-smooth later sound of the GRP label, and instead this nice balance of electric keyboards and acoustic piano – delivered with help from key contemporaries who include Lee Ritenour on guitar and Steve Gadd on drums! Production is nicely understated – and titles include the mellow stepper "Serengeti Walk", plus "Last Train To Paradiso", "She Could Be Mine", "Crystal Morning", "Hokkaido", and "Sweetwater Nights". Night Lines is a record that has Dave Grusin elevating a bit more into the jazz/soul mainstream – as the set has the keyboardist working with a few more crossover modes than before, but all in a way that seems to demonstrate his many years in various kinds of music! The album was a key entry in the new sound of fusion during the mid 80s – maybe a bit sharper than later smooth jazz, but with efforts from some leading lights of that generation to come – including David Sanborn and Marcus Miller. Phoebe Snow sings a bit on the record – which might provide her with one of her more exciting settings in years – and titles include "Power Wave", "Thankful N Thoughtful", "Night Lines", "Tick Tock", "Bossa Baroque", and "Secret Place". Cinemagic is a famous pairing of the keyboards of Dave Grusin with the orchestrations of the London Symphony Orchestra – served up at a level that made the record a giant hit for so many folks who wouldn't have touched a Dave Grusin record a decade before! The tunes are a bit different than usual – all film tunes, as you might expect, delivered in a way that's not afraid to lean on all the sentimental currents of the tunes – which come from films that include Tootsie, Heaven Can Wait, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Three Days Of The Condor, and The Goonies. Titles include "Condor", "An Actor's Life", "It Might Be You", "Heaven Can Wait", "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", and "Goodbye For Cathy". CD

Features Marcus Miller and Harvey Mason. CD

A mid 70s masterpiece of heavy space rock from Hawkwind – one of their best albums ever! The sci fi errata that was always such crucial element to Hawkwind's ouvre is of course, still here in force, but the heavier, more insistent and lumbering groove really serves them well – spacey, hard rocking fun from legendary group that sounds as great here as they ever would on a studio album! Includes "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)", "D-Rider", "Web Weaver", "Goat Willow", "Paradox", "Lost Johnny" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Jordan – recorded right at the same time as his classic sides for the Strata East label, and with a similar feel! The group on the set is the same as heard on the Glass Bead Games album – Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and it's hard to imagine a tighter 70s soul jazz ensemble, especially one with such a capacity for sounding both exploratory and open, while also managing to keep things always at a nicely swinging pace. The album's filled with original tracks by the members of the group – including "Seven Minds", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", "The House On Maple Street", and "Miss Morgan". CD also features previously unissued bonus tracks – "Scorpio" and "Firm Roots". CD

Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Titles include "Midnight Waltz", "One For Amos", "Blue Monk", "Highest Mountain", and "John Coltrane". CD

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... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

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... CD

Wisconsin private press folk-psyche single. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Townes' second, and perhaps best record. There are some great songs on here like "Kathleen", "Our Mother the Mountain", "St. John the Gambler". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Great work from this late 50s rocker – a set that includes the title classic in two versions, plus fourteen more nuggets from back in the day – most of them originals! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive folkloric project – one that really shows how much the form has evolved since the early days of recording! This huge book-length collection looks at the rich legacy of Appalachian music as it moved north towards the Mason-Dixon line – from roots in Virginia and Tennessee, to northern spots in Maryland and Pennsylvania as those older communities languished. The first half of the collection focuses on important 60s recordings of Ola Belle Reed and the New River Boys – done by folklorist Henry Glassie, and very well recorded – and the second half looks at the long legacy of music that's continued in that area, sometimes after the sounds have faded from the source of their original roots. CD one features all recordings of Ola and her contemporaries – while CD two features recent material with a surprisingly vibrant feel – and artists include TJ Lundy, Ryan Paisley, Hugh Campbell, Zane Campell, Dave Reed, and John Miller – as well as the Debusk-Weaver Family. The book itself is worth the price of admission – hardcover, full of photos and writings – and over 250 pages long! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An overlooked gem from Elvin Jones' mid 70s years – and a sweet fusion jammer that has the best kick of the classics on the PM label! The group's a trio, with Jones on drums, Gene Perla on bass, and Jan Hammer on drums – and Elvin may be the leader of the set, but the real strength of the album belongs to the record's tight bass work by the great Perla – strong-voiced and soulful, and doing a good job here of keeping both Jones and Hammer focused on the groove of the tunes – as Hammer's keyboards spin out with lots of sweet cosmic touches! Titles include "Namuh", "On The Mountain", "Smoke In The Sun", "Destiny", and "London Air". CD

Warmly mellow work from Steve Eaton – a singer with a nicely laidback take on blue-eyed soul, served up in some lean arrangements with a nice jazzy vibe – all a nice change from some of the bigger, more commercial work of the period! The indie approach of the set gives the whole thing the feel of a record from a half decade before – as Steve unabashedly puts himself forward vocally, while also handling both acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, piano, and more – with support from some equally easygoing session musicians too! Titles include the wonderfully groovy "Without Out" and "All In Love Say I" – plus "Got Me Moanin", "Rakin Leaves In The Wind", "Hurricanes & Tornadoes", "You're Not A Hero", "Friendly Stealer", and "Old Smart Big & Kind". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweetly soulful set from Robert Ffrench – a completely self-produced set, which seems to give the whole thing a very down to earth vibe – especially given its release in the middle of the digital dancehall generation! There's certainly elements in the music that link it to that moment – especially the electric rhythms and keyboards – but there's a very personal approach to the record that recalls some of the more intimate modes of the lovers generation, and some of the more earnest, soulful expressions of the decade before! The whole thing's great – a rare gem that really deserves the attention its warranted in critical circles over the years – with titles that include "You Are So Special", "Heartbreaker", "I Can't Finance You", "Sweet Sixteen", "Give Me Your Love", and "I Am Wondering". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album