Brotzmann and rhythm section return with a live-in-the-studio recording. CD

Alexander Balanescu on violin and vocals, Andy Parker on viola, Nick Cooper on cello, and PK drum programming. CD

Heady, hypnotic, ominous, and hard-grooving early Can – a lost set that was recorded in the late 60s, but not actually released until the early 80s – and some of the earliest, brawniest Can jams from the Malcolm Mooney years! The record may not have the name-checking power as the other early Can albums, but it's still completely revelatory – and virtually the blueprint for the prog rock generation to come! Rhythms are driving and hypnotic (thanks, Jaki Liebezeit!) – and titles include "Butterfly", "PNOOM", "Nineteen Century Man", "Thief", "Man Named Joe", "Uphill" and "Little Star Of Bethlehem". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning live material from Can – a never-issued performance from 1975, and very much in the same spirit as their excellent release of concert material from a Stuttgart show of the same year – in that the tracks are long, free-flowing, and even more jamming than their work on record! In fact, there's an approach here that almost goes back to the roots – as if Can were shrugging off the songs they'd created for their increasingly-tight albums of the 70s, and going for more of a spontaneous jam vibe overall – one that's driven by the always-wonderful drums of Jaki Liebezeit, which sound even better here in the echoey space of the concert! You'll definitely catch snippets of familiar Can classics, but in a nicely mixed up way – spun out over the seven long tracks on the double-length set. CD

Stunning live material from Can – a never-issued performance from 1975, and very much in the same spirit as their excellent release of concert material from a Stuttgart show of the same year – in that the tracks are long, free-flowing, and even more jamming than their work on record! In fact, there's an approach here that almost goes back to the roots – as if Can were shrugging off the songs they'd created for their increasingly-tight albums of the 70s, and going for more of a spontaneous jam vibe overall – one that's driven by the always-wonderful drums of Jaki Liebezeit, which sound even better here in the echoey space of the concert! You'll definitely catch snippets of familiar Can classics, but in a nicely mixed up way – spun out over the seven long tracks on the double-length set. LP, Vinyl record album

A great addition to the 70s catalog of the legendary Can – a set of live recordings made in Stuttgart in 1975, all of which have the group working in this wonderfully long-jamming style! Tracks are long, and maybe even more proggy than the group's studio work of the time – an all-instrumental onslaught driven by the incredible drums of Jaki Leibezeit, with guitars from Michael Karoli, bass from Holger Czukay, and keyboards and electronics from Irmin Schmidt! Schmidt himself oversaw the entire release – and the way the tracks are put together is revelatory – a long-overdue look at the power the group had to offer in a concert setting – every bit as wonderful as their classic albums, but in a completely different way. CD

A great addition to the 70s catalog of the legendary Can – a set of live recordings made in Stuttgart in 1975, all of which have the group working in this wonderfully long-jamming style! Tracks are long, and maybe even more proggy than the group's studio work of the time – an all-instrumental onslaught driven by the incredible drums of Jaki Leibezeit, with guitars from Michael Karoli, bass from Holger Czukay, and keyboards and electronics from Irmin Schmidt! Schmidt himself oversaw the entire release – and the way the tracks are put together is revelatory – a long-overdue look at the power the group had to offer in a concert setting – every bit as wonderful as their classic albums, but in a completely different way. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great introduction to the work of Telex – the very groovy Euro pop group started by keyboardist Marc Moulin after his early work in Placebo! The sound here is very different than that group – very catchy, very poppy, and upbeat with a ear towards helping the continental scene live past the years of disco – so much so that the electronic vibe of the set is also arguably a very strong influence on UK and Japanese electronic pop in years to come! Telex were always smarter than most, and had a great sense of humor and a way of sneaking politics into catchy little songs – as you'll hear on titles that include "Beautiful Li(f)e", "The Number One Song In Heaven", "The Beat Goes On/Off", "Moskow Diskow", "Eurovision", "Exercise Is Good For You", and "L'Amour Toujours". CD

A great introduction to the work of Telex – the very groovy Euro pop group started by keyboardist Marc Moulin after his early work in Placebo! The sound here is very different than that group – very catchy, very poppy, and upbeat with a ear towards helping the continental scene live past the years of disco – so much so that the electronic vibe of the set is also arguably a very strong influence on UK and Japanese electronic pop in years to come! Telex were always smarter than most, and had a great sense of humor and a way of sneaking politics into catchy little songs – as you'll hear on titles that include "Beautiful Li(f)e", "The Number One Song In Heaven", "The Beat Goes On/Off", "Moskow Diskow", "Eurovision", "Exercise Is Good For You", and "L'Amour Toujours". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An early classic – with the cuts "People Are People", "Everything Counts", "Love In Itself", "Get The Balance Right", "Leave In Silence", and "Work Hard". CD

Never-issued material from the legendary Pop Group – some of it intended for a second album, and produced by Dennis Bovell and the group together! Titles include "Don't Call Me Pain (first mix)", "Words Disobey Me (Dennis The Menace mix)", "We Are Time (ricochet)", "Snowgirl (take 3)", "Boys From Brazil (ridge reel 4)", "Thief Of Fire (bass addict)", "Don't Sell Your Dreams (a mix)", "Kiss The Baak", and "Blood Money (st)". LP, Vinyl record album

An astounding package of work from Nick Cave – one that shows just how endlessly creative he's been in recent years – decades that have most of us thinking of the artist as far more than just a singer and musician – even though he's still able to spend plenty of time in the studio, on music like this! As the title implies, the tracks here are either b-sides to singles issued over the past 20 years, or rare material from a variety of different projects – brought together as a double-length set that fits very well next to any of Cave's full albums with The Bad Seeds. There's a total of 27 tracks in all – and titles include "Opium Eyes", "Instrumental 33", "First Skeleton Tree", "Hey Little Firing Squad", "Fleeting Love", "Accidents Will Happen", "Avalanche", "Vortex", "Free To Walk", "Give Us A Kiss", "Needle Boy", "Lightning Bolts", "Steve McQueen", "First Girl In Amber", "Glacier", "Sudden Song", "Earthlings", and "Heart That Kills You". Also features a live orchestral version of "Push The Sky Away". LP, Vinyl record album

An astounding package of work from Nick Cave – one that shows just how endlessly creative he's been in recent years – decades that have most of us thinking of the artist as far more than just a singer and musician – even though he's still able to spend plenty of time in the studio, on music like this! As the title implies, the tracks here are either b-sides to singles issued over the past 20 years, or rare material from a variety of different projects – brought together as a double-length set that fits very well next to any of Cave's full albums with The Bad Seeds. There's a total of 27 tracks in all – and titles include "Opium Eyes", "Instrumental 33", "First Skeleton Tree", "Hey Little Firing Squad", "Fleeting Love", "Accidents Will Happen", "Avalanche", "Vortex", "Free To Walk", "Give Us A Kiss", "Needle Boy", "Lightning Bolts", "Steve McQueen", "First Girl In Amber", "Glacier", "Sudden Song", "Earthlings", and "Heart That Kills You". Also features a live orchestral version of "Push The Sky Away". CD

Hard to believe this is the fifth project together between Curren$y and Harry Fraud – and definitely a standalone project, despite what you might guess from the title! The album was originally supposed to be a deluxe take on Outrunners, but the duo are so quickly collaborative, they ended up creating a whole new work in the process – often with the kind of cool crispness of the previous record, but with fresh material throughout – and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Trippie Redd, Styles P, and Larry Lune. Titles include "White Ashes", "Work Too Hard", "Vintage Haze", "180 Days", "Quicksand", "Kitt", "New On Mute", and "The Crow's Nest". CD

... CD

A split album – featuring work from Seattle up-and-comer AJ Suede, and longstanding resident artist Specswizard! There's a strong sense of history that runs through the AJ Suede titles – vintage soul snippets and historical recordings – laced together carefully to accompany AJ's down to earth lyrics on titles that include "Blood Cruzzins", "Democrazy Manifest", "The Plane", "Majora", and "Ten Times Plus". Things are a bit more lean on the Specswizard side – lots of fantastic soulful tones and textures, mixed together with a spare sound that never gets in the way of the muted voice that delivers the rhymes – some biting commentary on his city and scene – on titles that include "Floyd", "The President", "Legend", "Pirate Tax", "Another", and "Empty". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the moodiest albums we've ever heard from the Zamrock scene of the 70s – a record of slow-building tunes with a very personal vibe – all vocals and most instrumentation handled by Ricky Banda himself – in a style that's more intimate than other Zambian albums of the time! The style's not entirely folksy or singer/songwriter – but definitely stands in that territory in comparison to Zamrock group efforts of the time – psychedelic currents muted a bit, and focused in some slight instrumental elements, while the snakey progression of Ricky's vocals really carries the main weight of the record. Titles include "Let's Get Up Brothers", "Who's That Guy", "Yangu E Mwebaleya", "Away From Home", "I Believe The Man In The Sky", and "Mavuto". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure Anthony Braxton albums of the first decade of the century – but also one that's completely well worth seeking out, as it's got this warm spirit of collaborative creation that takes us back to some of his best moments of the 70s and 80s! The record features duets with trumpeter John McDonough – a Braxton fanatic who's clearly a great partner for the saxophonist to spin out ideas – trumpet notes both muted and muted, mixing with Braxton's work on alto, baritone, sopranino, and soprano sax – each with a very different sense of interplay from track to track! The album features two long, very out numbers – "Improvisation" and "Composition 168 + (103)" – then moves into a sublime sonic exercise on "Massive Breath Attack", offers a surprising reading of "Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty", and also includes the tunes "Finnish Line" and "Schizoid". CD

An obscure bit of boogie from Brief Encounter – a southern soul group known best for their mid 70s sides for the Sound Stage Seven label, stepping out here in a completely different 80s groove! Most tracks are upbeat and dancefloor funky – plenty of bass on the bottom and some sweet electric keys – but often used in a way that's more in a 70s ensemble funk mode than the keyboards you'd hear on other early 80s indie soul. There's a warmth here that's quite nice, and most tracks feature the larger group harmonizing on vocals – in a way that sounds especially sweet on the mellower tracks. And while the recording quality of the original record is sometimes a bit muted, the group themselves sound plenty great – really bouncing along wonderfully with a soaring groove and a sense of tightness that goes beyond their indie roots! Titles include "Sweet Tender Loving", "We Want To Play For You", "Now I Know I Love You", "Rocking", "Since I Met You Girl", "Just For Love", "Open Up Your Heart", and "If You Want My Love". CD

Moody magic from Miles Davis and Gil Evans – one of the pair's most perfectly poised albums together, and a set with a slight bossa nova undercurrent! Evans' shimmering horn patterns are in fine form here – complicated, but never in cold and too-modern ways – just the right sort of backdrop for Miles' muted solo work – blow with a great sense of space and care throughout! There's almost a soundtrack sort of depth to the record, but the solos still keep the jazz element nicely in focus – and titles include "Summer Night", "Wait Till You See Her", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Song #1", "Song #2", "Corcovado", and "Once Upon A Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection of work from Polish sound library talent Henryk Debich – all 70s material that was designed to evoke the feel of the modern city – including many tracks that were issued in a special cassette series for daily commuters! The material was recorded at the Polish Radio studios, and mixes groovy 70s elements with fuller orchestrations – some disco rhythms at points, mellower soundtrack touches at others – keyboards often stepping out strongly from the fuller arrangements in a way that's a bit like Italian or UK sound library material at the same time! Titles include "UFO", "Obsydian", "Marmyszka", "City", "Choral I Final", and "Perforowany Parmezan". CD features four bonus tracks too! CD

James Francies may not have the purest form of jazz going on here – but man, has he got something to say! The pianist leaps into the fray with an amazing sense of energy – single notes cascading alongside fuller chords and tones – as Francies plays both acoustic piano and keyboards, driven on strongly by the work of Burnis Travis on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums – a pair who are every bit as dynamic as James! There's a full musical vision here that's very much in keeping with the hippest artists on contemporary Blue Note – and no surprise, the record features guest appearances from Joel Ross on vibes and Immanuel Wilkins on tenor. There's a bit of vocals on the set – often muted and layered in the mix – save for a few lead lines from Bilal, Elliott Skinner, and Peyton. Titles include a genre-setting remake of "My Favorite Things" – plus "Levitate", "Transfiguration", "Rose Water", "Melting", "713", "Where We Stand", "Freedman's Town", "Eyes Wide Shut", and "Still Here". CD

James Francies may not have the purest form of jazz going on here – but man, has he got something to say! The pianist leaps into the fray with an amazing sense of energy – single notes cascading alongside fuller chords and tones – as Francies plays both acoustic piano and keyboards, driven on strongly by the work of Burnis Travis on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums – a pair who are every bit as dynamic as James! There's a full musical vision here that's very much in keeping with the hippest artists on contemporary Blue Note – and no surprise, the record features guest appearances from Joel Ross on vibes and Immanuel Wilkins on tenor. There's a bit of vocals on the set – often muted and layered in the mix – save for a few lead lines from Bilal, Elliott Skinner, and Peyton. Titles include a genre-setting remake of "My Favorite Things" – plus "Levitate", "Transfiguration", "Rose Water", "Melting", "713", "Where We Stand", "Freedman's Town", "Eyes Wide Shut", and "Still Here". CD

A really obscure set from the tiny scene in Uruguay at the start of the 90s – a sweet batch of electronic instrumentals from Hugo Jasa, who works here in a mode that's more like Japanese electric music of the 80s than anything you might expect from South America! There's plenty of drum machine rhythms and keyboard lines – and although vocals do appear at times, they're usually pretty processed, and not the main focus here – as other instrumentation really takes over, and includes some cool muted trumpet too. Titles include "Homo Sapiens", "Peregrino", "Estados De Animo", "Sobrevolando", "Tapiz Montevideando", and "Kabumba". LP, Vinyl record album

A quartet of early 80s albums from Waylon Jennings – brought together here in a single set! First up is It's Only Rock & Roll – a set that still has Waylon working with a really great ear for the best sort of songwriters on the scene, and throwing in a few of his own gems too! The "rock & roll" in the title is somewhat apt – as Jennings is picking up a few influences from the world of country rock – but the record is hardly a nod at that crossover scene, as there's no denying that individuality that Jennings cultivated over the years – maybe heard best on a reprise of a few older classics on the set. The record not only features a remake of "Mental Revenge", but also includes a "Medley Of Hits" from earlier years that comes off surprisingly well – plus the cuts "Living Legends", "Breaking Down", "Lucille", "Love's Legalities", "No Middle Ground", and "Let Her Do The Walking". On Never Could Toe The Mark, Waylon Jennings still has a way with a pen – and does a really great job of contributing the sort of original material that made some of his 70s records such classics – including a fair bit of tracks that embrace the outlaw spirit of the album's title! Production is nicely understated at times – not as country rock as some of his contemporaries, with maybe a bit of a muted quality on some of the vocals – which we can appreciate, Waylon is at his best when he's not pushing himself too hard. Titles include "People In Texas", "Never Could Toe The Mark", "Whatever Gets You Through The Night", "Where Would I Be", "Sparkling Brown Eyes", "The Gemini Song", and "Talk Good Boogie". On Turn The Page, the title track's a reference to the album's take on a Bob Seger song – one that Waylon Jennings maybe does better than the Detroit poet himself – but the album's filled with the kind of well-crafted country work that Jennings had been giving the mainstream world of country since his classic albums of the 70s! As with some of his contemporaries, age has maybe softened his spirit a bit – but also opened up an emotional complexity that Jennings never had at the start – still that magnificent voice, tuned well on tracks that include "The Devil's On The Loose", "You Showed Me Somethin About Lovin", "Don't Bring It Around Anymore", "As Far As The Eye Can See", "Drinkin & Dreamin", "Those Kind Of Memories", and "Turn The Page". On Sweet Mother Texas, Johnny Cash makes a guest appearance – maybe no surprise, given that he and Waylon Jennings were part of the Highwaymen supergroup at the time – but the album's still pure Waylon all the way through, even when he's taking on a tune by Bruce Springsteen, "I'm On Fire" – which he does surprisingly well! Other cuts include the great original by Jennings, "Me & Them Brothers" – plus "Hanging On", "Living Legend", "Sweet Mother Texas", "I Take My Comfort In You", and "Be Careful Who You Love". CD

The expansive musical mind of August Darnell stretches on in this fourth album from Kid Creole & The Coconuts – a blend of dancefloor rhythms and unusual tunes with a B-Movie approach to pop! Darnell's jazzy influences are still running strong on the set – eclipsed slightly by some more modern production, in a way that gives the album a bit more of a crossover feel than previous albums, but still not in a way that mutes the genius underneath. Titles include "Bongo Eddie's Lament", "The Lifeboat Party", "Underachiever", "If You Wanna Be Happy", "Distractions", "Survivors", "Call Me The Entertainer", and "The Seven Year Itch". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Second Race" by Thad Jones performed by Jim Milne on piano, Barry Ries on muted trumpet, Thad Jones on open flugelhorn, Jim Moore on tenor, and Mel Lewis on drums; "A Time For Love" with guitar solo by Mundell Lowe; "Down On The Riverside" with trumpet solos by Leonard Candelaria, Ric Wolkins, Joe Rodriguez, Keith Jourdan, and Barry Ries; "Who's Sorry Now?" with Jim Moore on tenor and Frank Hames on piano; "Is There Anything Still There?" with Jeff Richey on tenor; and "Perdido" with trombone solos by Bill Guthrie, Mike Slusher, Bill Yeager, Dave Glenn, and Ron Anson. LP, Vinyl record album

Two very unusual works by the always-enigmatic Van Dyke Parks – both of them variations on older compositions from the middle of the 19th Century! "Old Black Joe" is a famous tune by Stephen Foster – but Parks' version here features this avant take on upright piano, mixed with odd-tuned guitar lines, muted vocals, and all these other strange sonic elements that actually make the whole thing feel like Christian Marclay is playing with the sound on a stack of vintage 78s! The whole thing makes for an unusual refraction of the sense of American history we often love in Van Dyke's music – given a slightly straighter spin on the flipside, which is a beautiful piano/violin/mandolin take on "Souvenir De La Havane", penned by Louis Gottschalk! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Less of a standard Duke Ellington tribute than you might expect – as trumpeter Clark Terry works here in some wonderfully loose formation – on tunes that are more of an extrapolation of Ellington ideals than simple copycat versions! The lineup features some especially great piano from Jack Wilson and guitar from Joe Pass – both players who work with a relatively airy tone here, which suits Terry's muted horn well. Other players include Ray Brown on bass and Frank Severino on drums – and titles include "Echoes Of Harlem", "Passion Flower", "Sophisticated Lady", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", and "Come Sunday". LP, Vinyl record album

Strong work from Cologne-based producer, beatmaker Twit One – with moody keyboards and crackling hip hop soul beatcraft – with an even deeper sense of soul, thanks to guest vocals by May, poet PB Louison and Imam Ally-Salaam. Overall, it's a really cool blend of headnodding hip hop beatcraft and more abstract, but still soulful sounds. Includes "Nuseance", "Du Trik", "Go", "Haunted House", "El Snorto", "Oldtimer", "Babylon Hills", "Malandragem", "Roy Roy", "The Muted Sound of Falling Things", "Cyclo", "Daftari Hili" and "Nunu". CD

Sweeter studio Miles Davis from the 80s – a record that takes the 70s electric experiments and fuses them into a sound that's got a lot more R&B influence than before! The style is a bit poppy at times, but never in a way that's too slick – and often, Davis is using his muted trumpet to state lines boldly in ways that still have a greater sense of depth and craft than most of his contemporaries. A few tracks show some of the gritty New York rock/funk trend of the time, while others are lighter and more lyrical – and titles include covers of "Time After Time" and "Human Nature" – Miles' attempt to find standards in contemporary pop – plus the tracks "Katia", "You're Under Arrest", "Ms Morrisine", and "One Phone Call/Street Scenes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection of work from Polish sound library talent Henryk Debich – all 70s material that was designed to evoke the feel of the modern city – including many tracks that were issued in a special cassette series for daily commuters! The material was recorded at the Polish Radio studios, and mixes groovy 70s elements with fuller orchestrations – some disco rhythms at points, mellower soundtrack touches at others – keyboards often stepping out strongly from the fuller arrangements in a way that's a bit like Italian or UK sound library material at the same time! Titles include "UFO", "Obsydian", "Marmyszka", "City", "Choral I Final", and "Perforowany Parmezan". LP, Vinyl record album

The band may be riding in a carriage on the cover, but there's nothing old-timey about this set – as the record represents some of the best modern jazz on the Danish scene at the start of the 60s! The album's a rare gem from drummer Bjarne Rostvold – one of the key exponents of his scene at the time, working here in both trio and quartet formation – the former with Bent Axen on piano and Erik Moseholm on bass, the latter featuring the same group with the addition of trumpeter Allan Botschinsky! The quartet tracks lead off the set, and really sparkle nicely, thanks to Botschinsky's presence – a trumpet sound that's sharp-edged, but never too modern – muted at times, and blowing with echoes of the Pacific Jazz years of the LA scene. Trio tracks follow on the second half of the record, and showcase both the well-crafted piano lines of Axen and the round-toned bass of Moseholm – one of those players who contributed a lot to key sides back in the day, but who only now finally seems to be getting his due. Titles include "Mister Man", "Fluted Columns", "Autumn Leaves", "No Problem", and "Mister PC". CD

An incredibly groovy little LP – recorded for Reprise in the early 60s, and near lost to the sands of time! Trumpeter Jack Sheldon makes one of his first moves into the groovy style of the 60s in this tribute to Ray Charles – playing trumpet in a cool muted way that's quite different and more soulful than his earlier bop work – and working with a really unusual quartet that features stellar organ work from Marty Paich! The cool trumpet/organ sound is very unique, and the rhythms of the set snap along nicely – sounding nothing like Ray Charles, mind you – but in a way that makes us love the set even more! Titles include "Rosetta", "Am I Blue", "Deed I Do", "One Mint Julep", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Moonlight In Vermont", and "There's No You". LP, Vinyl record album