Beautifully mature work from Brazilian piano legend Joao Donato – an album that draws on his rich legacy of musical expression from the bossa years onward, presented here with a few surprising twists and turns! The core format is piano trio – Joao on the acoustic keys, with Luiz Alves on bass and Robertinho Silva on drums – yet the sound is quite changed from the early days when Donato recorded heavily in this way, inflected with some really complicated rhythms at points, and turned towards these soulful undercurrents we especially love. Instrumentation includes a bit of guest strings on one track – plus vocals from Zeca Pagodinho, flute from Ricardo Pontes, and cavaquinho from Paulinho Soares – artists who each appear on a track in the set. Titles include "Sambolero", "E Menina", "A Ra", "Jodel", "Sambou Sambou", "Amazonas", "Quem Diz Que Sabe", "Surpresa", and "Brisa Do Mar". CD

We love the music of pianist Orrin Evans in many different ways – but we especially love the sounds he makes with his Captain Black Big Band – a really tremendous ensemble that seems to unlock a whole new dynamic energy in his performance! The group here is heavy on horns – two trumpets, two trombones, alto and tenor – shifting a bit throughout the concert here, and really rising wonderfully from the energy that Evans brings on piano! Orrin's sense of sound is beautiful – bold, rich, and visionary – while also still allowing plenty of room for the individual players to really do their thing – as the long tracks here are awash in great solos that have as much power on their own as the ensemble. Rhythm is from Madison Rast on bass and either Anwar Marshall or Jason Brown on drums – and titles include "Trams", "Flip The Script", "Onward", "Question", "The Scythe", and "Answer". CD

An all-instrumental album from this lost German group of the late 70s – a combo who are definitely rock, but who play with some of the freer, more open modes of a jazz group too – maybe working here in a style that could be called prog fusion, or fusion prog! The lineup features work on flute, saxes, and trombone – mixed with some very cool organ and other keyboard work – used in ways that create all these spacey, snakey tones that lead the horns onward into the mix – while some of the core energy from the guitar, bass, and drums keeps things firmly grounded on the planet! This can maybe be heard to best effect on the very cool, almost funky title track "Im Tal Der Emmen" – and other titles include "Schubi Dubi Kong", "Ich Bin Der Postillion D'Amour Aber Meine Uhr Geht Vuur", "Der Don Juan Hat Seine Turnschuh An" and "Uck Zuruckspulen". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic unreleased work from one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene from the late 50s onward – and one of the few players who could match the depth and soul of American jazzmen on the instrument! Dusko Goykovich has given us so much great music over the years – in small groups as a leader, in unusual projects as a sideman, and even as a soloist in bigger bands – and here, we capture the trumpet giant at the earliest stage of his career – on some beautiful German radio studio recordings from the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – tight, soulful, boppish material with a slight modern edge – recorded on all tracks with Derek Humble on alto, Karl Drevo (Drewo) on tenor, Franciso Coppieters on piano, and Jonny Fischer on bass. Some tracks feature Kenny Clarke on drums, the rest feature Stuff Combe on the kit – and titles include "Mile Dave", "Omricon", "Perhaps", "Quicksilver", "Solar", "Les Copains", "Salud To Birdland", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

Crackling tight work from Roy Haynes – recorded here in a live setting with his mid 80s group that featured the great Ralph Moore on tenor. Moore's angular lines dominate the set – a bit freer than on the albums cut under his own name, driven onward by the drumming of Haynes, into a mode that's got a gutsy Sonny Rollins sort of approach. Titles include "Fee Fi Fo Fum", "True Or False", "Bud Powell", "Played Twice", "Big Foot", and "The Everywhere Calypso". CD

The future of jazz is now, even if it's in the past – as the editors here bring together a selection of essays that document the forward-thinking movements in jazz from the mid 60s onwards – some of which are only getting full appreciation all these many years later! There's a nice variety of subjects from an equally nice variety of writers – and essays include "Jeanne Lee's Voice" by Eric Porter, "Days Of Bread & Roses" by Mark Ribot, "Experimental Music In The Academy In New York City" by Tamar Barzel, "The Antiquity Of The Avant Garde" by John Szwed, "Black Jazz In The Digital Age" by Greg Tate, and "Ancient To The Future" by members of the AACM, including Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Don Moye, Wadada Leo Smith, and Roscoe Mitchell. There's also a section on the "Jazz Photography Of Thomas King" – and the whole thing is 312 pages, softcover, with some black and white photographs. Book

If this is reality, lead us onward – as the set is a mindblowing batch of trippy psych-funk from The Heliocentrics – even more offbeat and experimental than before, in ways that make the combo the true heirs to the legacy first begun by Stark Reality! The album's definitely funky at the core, but it's also filled with loads of amazing sounds – instruments tuned weirdly, played weirdly, and produced weirdly – so that over the heavy drums, there's often lots of freaky, fuzzy bits and tripped-out sounds – in ways that make the record feel like some lost acid trip outtakes from the Westbound studios of the early 70s – or like some obscure funk band that dropped acid at Andy Warhol's loft! The packaging offers up a visual example of what your ears will be going through when you tune into the music – and titles include "Mysterious Ways", "Collateral Damage", "Black Sky", "Calabash", "Path Of The Black Sun", "Mr Owusu I Presume", "Eastern Begena", and loads of cool interlude tracks too. CD

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard from Italian pianist Enrico Intra – and that's saying a lot, given his legacy of creative sounds from the 70s onward! This set has Intra playing piano, but also has all the spacey elements you'd guess from the cover – a very unusual mix of electronic sounds, odd effects, and acoustic piano – the latter of which is sometimes free and very avant, sometimes warmer and more grounded – but always handled with a spirit that's very much Erico's own! There are some moments of very strange percussion – which might well come from the body of the piano itself – and Alex Stangoni provides live electronics on a few of the album's tracks. Titles include "Ghost", "Interstellar", "Kick", "Through The Door", "Hanger", "Time Tai Chi", "Dorfles", and "Vertical". LP, Vinyl record album

The first breakaway effort from the trio of Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper, and Marvin Isley – a set that's got an even leaner groove than some of the Isley Brothers material from years before! The group really hit their stride right away – stepping out in a sweet array of funky rhythms that have some definite 80s touches on the beats, yet which still share all the best Isleys elements overall! Guitar parts are especially sharp – that carved in soul sound that showed up in most Isleys projects from the early 70s onwards – and the vocals have a great sense of warmth and soul, especially on the mellower tunes in the set, which turn down some of the more hook-heavy rhythms heard on other tracks. Titles include "Serve You Right", "Sex Drive", "Love Is Gonna Last Forever", "Kiss & Tell", "I Can't Get Over Losin You", "Look The Other Way", "Break This Chain", and "Broadway's Closer Than Sunset Blvd". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet vocals and some warmly jazzy backings – a nice little collaboration between Japanese singer Kimiko Itoh and keyboardist Masahiko Satoh, who also handles the arrangements on the set! Satoh shifts between Fender Rhodes and Steinway, and the rest of the instrumentation has a mixed electric/acoustic feel – usually quite gentle at points, and supported by fuller strings to give the set a slightly classy sort of feel. The keys dance nicely behind Kimiko's mellow vocals, and most lyrics are in English – with tracks that include "Alone Alone & Alone", "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "You Were Made For Me", "Ordinary Fool", "The Island", and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Ahmad Jamal's great mid 80s sets for Atlantic Records – recorded in a spacious acoustic mode that has Jamal crafting beautiful tones on the Steinway, yet never falling into overindulgence! The record's got a surprisingly rhythmic quality – as the drums of Herlin Riley and bass of James Cammack are often augmented by percussion from Manola Badrena – fleshing out tunes with complicated changes that soar alongside Jamal's free-floating lines on the keys. The array of colors here is simply beautiful – deeper and more expressive than Ahmad's sound in earlier years – on titles that include "Without You", "Acorn", "Yellow Fellow", "Autumn Rain", and "Winter Snow". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady double-length set from Keith Jarrett – some of his more sharper-edged work of the time, even though the session follows the free-flowing solo aproach of his other ECM recordings! The first half of the set features the extended "Invocations" suite – a work that has Jarrett working moodily on a combination of pipe organ and soprano sax – the former of which is used with plenty of dark tones and odd notes, making for a surprisingly great combination with the sax! "The Moth & The Flame" suite follows on the second disc – featuring Jarrett on more familiar piano (and a wide-bodied Steinway at that), soaring out on some warmer, more lyrical lines. LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, Rickie Lee Jones went onto become a bit of a cliche in later years, but this early album's still got an undeniable power – and was a great breath of fresh air, at a time when it seemed like most of modern music was forgetting its roots! What is it with the LA scene from the 60s onward that they always seemed to find their best inspiration in the past? Artists like Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Tom Waits and others set the stage for a record like this – by reaching back into older styles and bringing them forward with a more contemporary spin. (And why was it that LA seemed to be the center of this mode – and New York, Chicago, and other cities never worked that way?) Rickie serves up a nice assortment of older-styled vocal cuts – performed with a mixture of traditional and 70s jazz backings, supported by some extra-classy Warner production from Lenny Waronker. Titles are all originals, but done with an older hipser sort of feel – and titles include "Easy Money", "Chuck E's In Love", "Young Blood", "The Last Chance Texaco", "Danny's All Star Joint", "Weasel & The White Boys Cool", "Company", "Coolsville", and "On Saturday Afternoons In 1963". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed slice of work from Juju – the group who later transformed into spiritual funk ensemble Oneness Of Juju! Juju only recorded two full albums in the early 70s, so this unissued live set is a key addition to their catalog – and the whole thing's got this bold quality that's much more jazz-based, and often more avant than the group's later work – more in line with work in the tradition of the AACM, or some of the earliest loft jazz talents. No surprise, the set was recorded at Ornette Coleman's space on the lower east side in the early 70s – with the mighty Plunky Nakbinde on saxes and flute, sounding a lot more searing than any of his records from the 80s onward – plus Babatunde on percussion, Lon Moshe on vibes and flute, and Al-Hammel Rasul on keyboards. There's a bit of vocalizations, and lots of percussion from group members too – and the sound is very spiritual, with touches of more percussive Afro-centric playing. Includes a great version of Eddie Palmieri's "Azucar Para Ti", plus "At Least We Have A Horizon Now", and "Live Mozambique". Includes unreleased tracks "Thembi" and "Rosalie/Juju's Door". CD

A great combination of remixes old and new – a set that features some of the 12" single remixes of Kraftwerk tracks from the early 80s onward, plus some new mixes by the group themselves – more than enough to make the album a great testament to their electronic genius, and the impact they've had on other artists and producers over the decades! Despite the range of work, there's a nicely unified vibe – maybe in part because Kraftwerk were always years ahead of their time – so that the current cuts resonate nicely with the forward-thinking ones from years back. Titles include "Home Computer (2021 single edit)", "Expo Remix (Francois K & Rob Rives mix)", "Radioactivity (William Orbit hardcore rmx Kling Klang edit)", "Robotronik (Kling Klang mix)", "Expo Remix (DJ Rolando mix)", "Aero Dynamik (Kling Klang dynamix)", "La Forme (king of the mountains mix by Hot Chip)", "Tour De France (etape 2)", "Expo Remix (Orbital mix)", "Radioactivity (Francois Kevorkian 12" remix)", "Non Stop", "Robotnik (Kling Klang mix)", and "Aero Dynamik (Alex Gopher/Etienne De Crecy dynamik mix)". CD

A great combination of remixes old and new – a set that features some of the 12" single remixes of Kraftwerk tracks from the early 80s onward, plus some new mixes by the group themselves – more than enough to make the album a great testament to their electronic genius, and the impact they've had on other artists and producers over the decades! Despite the range of work, there's a nicely unified vibe – maybe in part because Kraftwerk were always years ahead of their time – so that the current cuts resonate nicely with the forward-thinking ones from years back. Titles include "Home Computer (2021 single edit)", "Expo Remix (Francois K & Rob Rives mix)", "Radioactivity (William Orbit hardcore rmx Kling Klang edit)", "Robotronik (Kling Klang mix)", "Expo Remix (DJ Rolando mix)", "Aero Dynamik (Kling Klang dynamix)", "La Forme (king of the mountains mix by Hot Chip)", "Tour De France (etape 2)", "Expo Remix (Orbital mix)", "Radioactivity (Francois Kevorkian 12" remix)", "Non Stop", "Robotnik (Kling Klang mix)", and "Aero Dynamik (Alex Gopher/Etienne De Crecy dynamik mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

Art Lillard on drums, Michael Jefry Stevens on piano, Billy Drewes on soprano and tenor saxophone, and Keiichi Ishibashi on bass. CD

The best album yet from electro pop soul combo Little Dragon – brought to more soulful realms quite beautifully by Yukimi Nagano's vocals, but the effective beatcraft and keys are as warm, sneakily effective and appealing as any of their genre-defying peers out there! A devotion to quality songs is key to Little Dragon – who meld influences from the early 80s onward, defiant of trends and devoted to songcraft. Includes "Ritual Union", "Little Man", "Brush The Heat", "Shuffle A Dream", "Please Turn", "Crystalfilm", "Precious Nightlight", "Summertearz", "When I Go Out" and "Seconds". CD

A huge amount of music, and the first-ever collection to really do justice to the huge amount of vocal material recorded by the lovely Jeanne Moreau – a figure that most folks know as an actress on screen, famous for her work in French film starting in the new wave generation! Moreau sang a famous song in an early film by Truffaut – but shortly after that, she began a legacy of really interesting, well-done albums that created as surprisingly strong legacy away from the screen – music that's included here in a complete collection of her work, then mixed with lots of other rare music too! The core of the set features seven full albums, all with a lot of bonus tracks – her two albums of songs by Cyrus Bassiak, plus Les Chansons De Clarisse, Jeanne Chante Jeanne, Chante Norge, her 1994 album of songs by Satie and Poulenc, and her 2010 duet with Etienne Daho! Then, there are three more albums of additional material – one of 25 songs from films, plus two more CDs that offer up La Voix De Jeanne Moreau. Then, the set also features two more DVDs, which feature television performances from the late 50s onward – most of which we've never seen. The whole thing comes in a massive book-style package, with 48 pages of notes and images – and a whopping 203 songs in all, including lots of unissued work too. CD

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! Also features one bonus track on this CD, "Baby's Smile", which was written by Cal Massey. CD

A special sort of Japanese disc guide – one that focuses on the key recordings in gangsta rap from the 80s onward – served up here in the usual format of these publications! As you might guess, the text is all in Japanese – but the book is filled with hundreds of album covers, along with artist, title, label, and release date all in English – so that even if you can't read the language, you can still understand the contents! There's a huge amount of titles in here that go way past the big hits and the obvious – and the book is laid out geographically, then chronologically – which makes for a great way to group these records together. Images are full color throughout, and there's some nice bonus pages of record covers too – and the book is 192 pages, softcover. And hey, if you use Google translate, you might be able to read some of the Japanese text too! Book

A great little album from Jeannie Reynolds – and her lasting contribution to underground soul! Jeannie's vocals are nice and deep – with hints of southern diva phrasing, filtered through some of the tighter soul styles coming out of Chicago and other points north at the time! Detroit talents LJ Reynolds, Tony Hester, and Don Davis produce – save for one song by Michael Henderson – and the big highlight is the slow groover "The Fruit Song", a sly seductive stepper of a track, with rolling congas, sweeping strings, and a very catchy hook from Jeannie. That number runs for about 7 minutes long – and the album also includes a number of nice shorter cuts, like "I've Still Got My Pride", "The Feelin' Ain't There", and "You Want To Get Your Hands On A Woman" – all wonderful numbers that will have you loving Jeannie as one of your favorite new discoveries in 70s soul! CD also features 4 non-LP bonus cuts – "Phone's Been Jumping All Day", "Unwanted Company", "Lay Some Lovin On Me", and "Love Don't Come Easy For Me". CD

Two of the greatest creative pianist to ever come out of the British jazz scene – working together here in a later performance that was part of the Steinway Two Piano Festival in London! Both musicians are using the very resonant version of their instrument – and the set begins with a sublime solo performance by Keith Tippett on "Sea Walk" – one that has this great sense of space and timing that show a marked change from some of Tippett's modes of the early days. Howard Riley follows on his own solo piece, "Misteriously" – which is mixed with "Round Midnight", and has some of the Monkish angles you might expect – unbound by some of Riley's inherent sense of freedom. The pair then play together on the very long "Journal Four" – a duo piece that dominates the record both in sound and presence – with tones that must have brought down the roof at the venue! CD

A long-running group from the scene in Ghana – one that was initially started by the great Ebo Taylor, and who continue onward here under the leadership of his son Henry! The album's got a nicely lean take on older Afro Funk modes – some of the small combo, soul-drenched modes that we love on Ebo's classic albums – delivered with less of the longform, Fela-driven styles that other contemporary groups use. Henry handles keyboards and lead vocals – and his raspy voice is great upfront – and the rest of the group features trumpet, tenor, guitar, and plenty of percussion. Titles include "Unconditional Love", "Ako A Bra", "Mennbo Wobi", "Adom Wura", "Otan", "Mbaa Baasa", and "Asem Ara Nko". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic school Chi hip hop from Samiam The MC & Coolout Chris – the former a freestyle and battle champion, the latter a veteran producer from the 90s onward, with production credits for local heroes Primeridan, Verbal Kent, legends like Edo G and more. It's the kind of perfectly-paired producer and MC joint effort we don't get enough of these days in either the mainstream or the underground – forever fresh craft with roots in the bedrock. Includes "Remote Control", "Gutter", "In The Park", "BOOM", "Frequency" and "A Story". CD

The first anthology we've ever seen for LA singer Bobby Sheen and a far reaching one at that – starting with a gem or 2 from as early as the late 50s and onward to the early-to-mid 70s! Sheen recorded plenty of material under his own name, but he made the biggest impact on a few singles recorded for Phil Spector under the name Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans – as well as in the group The Robins and even The Coasters. The stylistic range is nearly as wide as the years covered in the set – sweet soul both solo and group based, soaring Wall Of Sound pop soul and numbers that feel more southern soul inspired than their west coast origin. More than half the tracks are credited to Bobby Sheen, with others by The Robins, Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans and The Ding Dongs – cut for a variety of labels back in the day. Includes "Dr Love", "I May Not Be What You Want", "Sweet, Sweet Love", Something New To Do", "Love Stealing", "Don't Pass Me By", "Baby I'll Come Right Away", "Payback" and more by Bobby proper, plus "Just Like That", "How Many More Times", "Love Wire Suzy" and more cut with The Robins, "The Bells Of St Mary" and more credited to Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans, "Ding Dong (Saw Wood Mountain)" credited to The Ding Dongs and more. CD

The first anthology we've ever seen for LA singer Bobby Sheen and a far reaching one at that – starting with a gem or 2 from as early as the late 50s and onward to the early-to-mid 70s! Sheen recorded plenty of material under his own name, but he made the biggest impact on a few singles recorded for Phil Spector under the name Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans – as well as in the group The Robins and even The Coasters. The stylistic range is nearly as wide as the years covered in the set – sweet soul both solo and group based, soaring Wall Of Sound pop soul and numbers that feel more southern soul inspired than their west coast origin. More than half the tracks are credited to Bobby Sheen, with others by The Robins, Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans and The Ding Dongs – cut for a variety of labels back in the day. Includes "Dr Love", "I May Not Be What You Want", "Sweet, Sweet Love", Something New To Do", "Love Stealing", "Don't Pass Me By", "Baby I'll Come Right Away", "Payback" and more by Bobby proper, plus "Just Like That", "How Many More Times", "Love Wire Suzy" and more cut with The Robins, "The Bells Of St Mary" and more credited to Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans, "Ding Dong (Saw Wood Mountain)" credited to The Ding Dongs and more. CD

Never-heard work from the great Martial Solal – a hell of a pianist in a hell of a setting – beautifully-recorded performances done in California during the 60s – right at a time when Solal was really stretching out and forging the sort of sound that would make him a modern jazz legend for decades to come! The recordings have a slightly interesting story – they were part of a project by Ross Russell, who'd owned the legendary Dial Records bop powerhouse in the late 40s – an attempt to get back into the jazz business, something that never happened at the time. Given the care that Russell brought to his famous early recordings of Errol Garner and Dodo Marmarosa, you can guess the quality of these sides too – with Solal working on a wonderfully resonant Steinway piano – completely opening up the tunes and making them his own. The level of imagination and dexterity on the keys is astounding throughout – and titles on this first volume include "Groovin High", "Un Poco Loco", "Billie's Bounce", "Blue Monk", "Lover Man", "Now's The Time", "Yardbird Suite", "Ornithology", "Night In Tunisia", and "I Can't Get Started". CD

Never-heard work from the great Martial Solal – a hell of a pianist in a hell of a setting – beautifully-recorded performances done in California during the 60s – right at a time when Solal was really stretching out and forging the sort of sound that would make him a modern jazz legend for decades to come! The recordings have a slightly interesting story – they were part of a project by Ross Russell, who'd owned the legendary Dial Records bop powerhouse in the late 40s – an attempt to get back into the jazz business, something that never happened at the time. Given the care that Russell brought to his famous early recordings of Errol Garner and Dodo Marmarosa, you can guess the quality of these sides too – with Solal working on a wonderfully resonant Steinway piano – completely opening up the tunes and making them his own. The level of imagination and dexterity on the keys is astounding throughout. CD

An art book on a format that almost never gets is full due – that of the opening credit sequences in cinema – often a whole genre of film unto themselves! Fortunately, the authors correct the big lack of writing on the mode – and offer up hundreds of pages that reproduce opening credits in full color – often in sequential order, showing the development of the images as the film rolls on – with key entries from the years of classic Hollywood cinema onward. The book is enormous – and features bits from over 1000 films, and 300 full credit sequences in all – over 300 heavy pages, hardcover, and full color throughout. Also comes with a bonus DVD! Book

A well-done monograph for a show that ran at the University Of Maryland – and one that stands well enough on its own, given the amount of history and information included with the images! The book follows the spirit of the exhibition – and not only includes a timeline of creative milestones from 1950 onwards, but also short chapters on individual artists – with images of key works, history, and stylistic notes. The book features a few essays at the start – then runs into the main section of artist images and biographies. 107 pages, softcover, in full color. Book

Includes tracks by John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, and The Who, and featuring Deborah Conway, Chyna, and Nicola Emmanuel. LP, Vinyl record album

Townes revisiting his own time-honored tunes from the late 60s onward, often backed by just a second guitar or fiddle, spare settings that maximize the stark power of his songwriting and voice! The voice is really the key here, distinctive in both the songwriting – with some of the most effective story songs about lost souls and wayward love in the modern folk or country canon – and in performance, here sounding as clear and soulful as ever, and in much stronger form than we remembered! Beautiful stuff. Includes "Pancho & Lefty", "If I Needed You", "For The Sake Of The Song", "Our Mother The Mountain", "Dollar Bill Blues", "No Place To Fall", "Lungs", "White Freightliner Blues", "Don't You Take It Too Bad", "Tower Song", "Waitin' Round To Die", "Colorado Girl" and more. CD

Funky fusion in a runaway spaceship – the second album by Larry Young's cosmic heavy Fuel ensemble! The album's a perfect batch of jazzy keyboard grooves in a tradition that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Johnny Hammond, and Charles Earland during his Mercury years – with Larry on moog, organ, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and other cool keyboards – grooving with a sound that ranges from fast and choppy to sweet and spacious. Julius Brockington also plays a lot of funky keys on the set next to Larry, and although a few tracks have vocals, the real focus here is on the instrumentation. Titles include "Startripper", "Message From Mars", "Moonwalk", "Sticky Wicket", and "Flytime". His last album, and a nice bit of far-reaching funk! CD

Lloyd Ziff has a great eye for the city of New York – one that's presented here in dozens of photographs from the late 60s onward, all offering up a vision for the city that's surprising unified over the decade! At some points, Ziff is a "moment" photographer – capturing a special spot in time and place, often where an individual is juxtaposed with a landscape – but at other points, Ziff's eye is more spacious, and brings together many elements at once – and both modes really capture the dynamic energy of New York, but in a way that's far from cliche or overdone Big Apple hoke. The oversized book is 104 pages, and includes almost as many photographs – on heavy paper stock, in color and black and white, in a hardcover edition. Book

A long-overdue collection of work – one that really gets at the unusual appearance of Latin rhythms on the African scene of the postwar years! Latin sounds from Africa are nothing new, but they're one of those things that's always taken for granted, too – kind of assumed in most discussions of the rhythms from the 60s onward, but never explained as fully as might be needed! Given the already-great grooves going down on the continent for generations, it's surprising that African musicians might pick up styles from Cuba and the Caribbean – yet due to the vagaries of global cultural circulation, that's exactly what happened – and the music has never been the same ever since. This really well-done package offers up a range of tracks from the 50s through the 70s – showing some of the earliest African extrapolations of Latin styles – clearly enforcing the "Afro" in Afro-Cuban rhythms – then moving onto some later grooves that offer up some funkier styles too. The work's a bridge between the ethnographic sets on Honest Jons, and some of the tighter grooves you might find on a Soul Jazz collection – a wonderful blend of music, packaged beautifully too. Titles include "A Moins Que Namikosa" by Orchestra OK Jazz, "Rampa Rampa" by Orchestre Yaya Mas, "Quiero Wapacha" by Charles Lembe, "Ven Y Ven Y Ven" by Orchestre OK Jazz, "Vamos A Bailar" by Rio Band, "Guantanamo" by Laba Sosseh, "On Verra Ca" by Orchestre Baobab, "Mi Guajeo" by Orchestre N'Guewel, "N'Niyo" by Amara Toure, "Il N'Est Jamais Trop Tard" by Pierre Tchana & Orchestre Poly Rhythmo, "Africa Boogaloo" by Le Grande Kalle with Don Gonzalo & Manu Dibango, and "Adigbedoto" by Gnonnas Pedro. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Conway Twitty, Little Eva, The Stereos, Bert Kaempfert, Connie Francis, Jimmy Jones, Richard Chamberlain, The Beatles, and The Righteous Brothers. CD

A mighty dip into the British indie scene of 1991 – a time when things were still going strong, and had evolved a heck of a lot since the first C86 compilation in the mid 80s! The work here represents new ears towards dancefloor elements that had been bubbling up in Manchester and elsewhere since the second summer of love – and it also shows an increasing love of psych elements, sometimes blended with the former – and a continued ear for great songwriting, and the kind of wit and character that marked British work from the post-punk years onwards! The box is every bit as well-done as previous volumes – great notes, and a wonderful track selection that includes many cuts that were never issued on our side of the Atlantic at the time – 59 titles in all, with work from The Wendys, Stairs, Moose, Spirea X, Sun Dial, Blueboy, The Forever People, Spitfire, Honey Smugglers, Northside, Ever, Headtime, Tramway, Top, Saint Etienne, Boo Radleys, Lush, Medalark Eleven, Horse Latitudes, Catherine Wheel, Bleach, Revolver, Daisy Chainsaw, and many others! CD

A fantastic entry in this really groovy series – and one that's filled with even more surprises than the first two volumes! It's been quite awhile since Light In The Attic gave us those sets – and the time's been well-used to dig up a much later batch of tracks from the world of country music – tracks from a time when, overall, the country music mainstream was moving both towards the styles of rock and adult contemporary – and there was a bit less of the funk crossover styles that you would have heard a decade before. Yet surprisingly, there's still plenty of those grooves at hand here – and often for artists you might not expect, including some big country chart names who really surprise us with their funk-based entries on the set! Titles include "Get It Up" by Ronnie Milsap, "Rich Man" by Terri Gibbs, "Down To The Station" by Dennis Linde, "Do Me" by Travis Wammack, "I Got The Fever" by Bob Gailbraith, "Oliver Swan" by Billy Swan, "Sure Thing" by Dolly Parton, "One & Only One" by Eddie Rabbit, "Rhythm & Blues" by Jerry Reed, "Night Fires" by Conway Twitty, "Shake The Dust" by Steven Soles, "I Betcha Heaven's On A Dirt Road" by Larry Jon Wilson, "Hale To The Man" by Brian Hyland, "Gonna Let You Have It" by Gary & Sandy, "Shot From The Saddle" by Delbert McClinton, and "Alone At Last" by Tony Joe White. CD

Who's Dave Godin, you ask? Why Dave's one of the most important people in helping soul music attain greater recognition around the globe – thanks to his tireless efforts working on the UK scene from the 60s onward – as a fan, a writer, and even a record label and store owner – all arenas in which he really helped define everything he found special in soul! And one of Dave's most particular strands was what he called "deep soul" – a mode that's similar to some of the hard-burning styles that were coming out of the south in the 60s, but which could also be handled from singers in any scene – just so long as they got the spirit right, and found the right way to put their fullest level of expression into the music! This collection is the first in a genre-defining series from Godin – and it's filled with tracks that ended up being huge discoveries, even to folks who thought they already knew soul music. The landmark set features 25 tracks in all – and titles include "I'm Never Gonna Live It Down" by the Knight Brothers, "Have a Little Mercy" by Jean Wells, "Showdown" by Kenny Carter, "I'm Not the One" by Larry Banks, "The Turning Point" by Jimmy Holiday, "It's Not the Last" by Reuben Bell & the Casanovas, "I Still Love You" by Jean Stanback, "Songs To Sing" by Raw Spitt, and "I Fell Like Cryin" by Sam & Bill. CD

A deep dive into the catalog of the legendary Soul Note label – the Italian imprint that became a huge host to American jazz musicians in the late 70s onwards – a company that helped to evolve both spiritual and loft jazz modes, and continue the legacy of free-thinking expression that was begun in the shadow of John Coltrane! The choice of cuts here is great – tracks that go past some of the obvious classics of the label, but which also resonate with those moments too – a well-chosen array of tracks that often focus on more rhythmic moments of the label, with strong spiritual and modal currents throughout. Titles include "Rain Shout" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Olduvai George" by Dannie Richmond, "Mwalimu" by Max Roach, "Ondas" by Nana Vasconcelos & Antonello Salis, "Aladdin's Castle" by Beaver Harris, "Hide & Go Seek" by Paul Motian, "Spirits Return" by Tony Scott, "Tribute To Bu (take 1)" by Andrew Cyrille, "Bouka" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang, "The Earth Spins" by Adam Rudolph, "Cubano Be Cubano Bop" by George Russell, and "Nu Tune" by Hamiet Bluiett. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful batch of southern soul tracks – and one of the first times anyone's really made a strong set out of the under-reissued gems from the Jewel/Paula catalog! Most of the interest in the label's reissues has leaned towards the bluesier side of its output – and while this set definitely has a touch of the blues, it's also got a lot more soul numbers than we've ever seen on other Jewel compilations – a really rich array of material that shows just how powerful the Shreveport-based label was in keeping the southern soul flames alive. Plus, the package is very well divided – with one CD of 60s tracks, one of 70s classic soul, and one of smoother modern numbers from the later years of the label – work that never gets reissued that much, and which is a great counterpart to the older songs!. Titles include "A Man In Love" by George Patterson, "What Was I Suppose To Do" by Clarence Carter, "I'm Trapped" by Carl Sims, "Go On & Help Yourself" by Albert Washington, "Losers Win Sometimes" by Billy Keene, "Baby Be Mine" by Eddy Giles, "Ain't That The Way" by Clay Hammond, "Do What You Think Is Best" by Buddy Ace, "Checkin Out" by Lee Shot Williams, "I Want You Back Again" by Johnnie Taylor, "There Goes The Girl" by Banny Price, "Right Now Is The Time" by Willie Morganfield, "Lay It On Me Right Now" by Na Allen, "Heap Of People" by Dee Allen, "Over & Over" by The Conway Brothers, "I Stayed Away Too Long" by Wallace Brothers, and "Funky Broadway" by Bobby Powell. CD

Includes selections by Turbo, Buffalo, Streetfighter, Stormtrooper, Tarot, Bastille, Oxym, Dawnwatcher, Vardis, Silverwing, Rhabstallion, Colossus, Jedediah Strut, Warrior, Kosh, and Race Against Time. LP, Vinyl record album

The long-awaited third volume Original Raw Soul – a set that pulls together rare funky soul singles by the revolving roster of players led by the Whitefield Brothers – singles that ultimately became just as rare as the obscure funk 45s that inspired them! Nowadays, The Whitefield Brothers, their Poets Of Rhythm and associated acts can be credited for spurring the funk & raw soul revival of the 00s onward. At the time, some of the singles would appear and be hyped as reissues of regional rarities from back in the day – and they're so damn authentic, it was pretty easy to believe! Straight up raw funk instros, some jazzier gems with flute and female vox, organ-drenched jams and more credited to New Process, Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Bajka, Whitefield Brothers, Polyversal Souls and more! Includes "Bus People Theme" and "Freedom" by New Process, "Summer Days (Instrumental)" and "Flight To St Vincent" by Poets Of Rhythm, ""Will Power" and "Money For Born, Money For Die" by Transgressors (both previously unreleased), "A Vision" and "The Only Religion That I Believe" by Bajka, "$600 Song" by Mercy Sluts, "Muswell Hill Run" by Polyversal Souls, "The Bastard" by Whitefield Brothers and more. CD

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

An eye opening, fast paced and frenetic collection of electronic dance music from South Africa – recorded in the latter half of the 00s at Nozinja studio in Soweto – primitive electronics and electronic percussion blended with passionate, fairly traditional sounding vocals for a quickly moving, exciting dance music any like anything we've heard! The music here was all made at the small home studios of Nozinja (aka Dog) and a roster acts including BBC, Tshetsha Boys, Tiyiselani Vomaseve, and Zinja himself. Urban dance music unlike any we've ever stocked! Titles include "Ngunyuta Dance – The Shake Your Behind Dance" and "Ngozi – Danger" by BBC, "Nwampfundla – Pfundla's Daughter" and "Uya Kwihi Ka Rose – Rose, Where Are You Going?" by Tshetsha Boys, "Vana Vasesi – My Sister's Children" by Mancingelani, "Ntombi Ya Mugaza – Shangaan Woman", "Thula – Quiet" and more by Zinjma Hlungwani. 12 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer compilation and a testament to the creative strength of the Chicago music scene! Situation 2, like it's predecessor, is a benefit effort for city's live performance venues that were dark for most of 2020 & first half of 2021 due to the pandemic and it's as diverse as the city itself, with jazz, rock, hip hop, soul and more they defies genres and straddles eras. Includes "Slippin' Into Darkness" by Jeff Parker, "Keep The Rhythm Goin" by Fess Grandiose, "Great American" by Umphrey's McGee featuring Bela Fleck "Sinistry (Live From Definite Versions)" by Mirrors, "Reduxion"by Imperial Boxmen, "The Maker" by The God*amn Gallows, "Really Do Care" by VV Lightbody, "Drowning" by Neptune's Core" and "The Parting Glass" by Erin McGougald. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 40 tracks by the Platters, Linda Scott, Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, the Shirelles, Penguins, Duprees, Connie Francis, Ben E. King, Johnny Mathis, Everly Brothers, Ferlin Husky, Barbara Lynn, Ivory Joe Hunter, Conway Twitty, the Drifters, and others. CD

The sweet sounds of summer – served up in ways that sparkle nicely with the best pop paradise touches of the postwar years! The music here is a catchy mix of pop, rock, and vocal numbers – plus a few surprises from other styles too – and as in other titles in this series from Bear Family, the songs are all themed around summer modes – time at the beach, fun in the sun, love in the summer, and so on – all delivered with a vibe that's as wistful and playful as the image on the cover! There's plenty of overlooked gems here from the glory days of the 45rpm single – and the set features 31 titles that include "Wine Cooler" by TJ Fowler, "That Sunday" by Dinah Washington, "Beach Doll" by Johnny O'Neill, "Emerald Beach" by Tito Puente, "Beachcomber" by Conway Twitty, "Down On The Beach" by Ernie Maresca, "Summer Nights" by The Safaris, "Summertime Goodbyes" by The Quotations, "Summer Day" by Kari Lynn, "The Bully Of The Beach" by Sammy Salvo, "Swingin Summer Love" by Googie Rene, and "My Summer Heart" by Maxine Daniels. CD

An essential collection of work from the Japanese scene of the 70s – as set that really gets at the "something special" that made jazz from this generation so unique! Japanese musicians were early adopters of American modes – and the scene had great bop recordings from the 50s onward – but as the 70s approached, old and young musicians really started experimenting with a whole new range of styles – some mixed older Japanese instrumental modes with contemporary jazz, others tried a poetic approach to modal jazz, some were spiritual, and a few even got downright funky – but in ways that were very different than American jazz funk! This set brings together key examples of all those great styles – in a package that features detailed notes from Yusuke Ogawa, the man who's taught us plenty over the years – with titles that include "Mustache (live)" by Takeshi Inomata & Sound Ltd, "Fourth Expression" by Masahiko Togashi, "Do It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Romance" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Tochi Mo Kurumi Mo Fukiotose" by Masahiko Sato, "Breeze" by Soul Media, "Adult's Day" by Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd, "Sakura Sakura" by Tadaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Muraiki" by Minoru Muraoka, "Mago Uta" by Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band, "D51" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, and "Breath Prologue" by Hozan Yamamoto, Masahiko Togashi, and Yosuke Yamashita. LP, Vinyl record album

Famous hits, but in versions that you might not recognize – as they're the original recordings of the tunes, some of which are a lot more obscure than the bigger later versions! The package is a great romp through a range of different styles – rock, soul, and a little bit more – all from the glory days of the 7" single, when all sorts of artists were trying out all sorts of great material – so much so that even gems like these didn't always hit the charts! Consider the whole thing as a great "whodunit" of rock and roll – with a set list of 33 titles that includes "I Found You" by Yvonne Fair, "Pony Time" by Don Covay, "The Pale Faced Indian" by Marvin Rainwater, "Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran, "Come Tomorrow" by Marie Knight, "Rave On" by Sonny West, "Johnny Angel" by Georgia Lee, "He's A Rebel" by Vikki Carr, "Ring Of Fire" by Anita Carter, "I Wanna Go Home" by Billy Grammer, "I'm All Shook Up" by David Hill, "Endlessly" by Johnny Ray, "Go Away Little Girl" by Bobby Vee, and "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On" by Big Maybelle. CD

Famous hits, but in versions that you might not recognize – as they're the original recordings of the tunes, some of which are a lot more obscure than the bigger later versions! The package is a great romp through a range of different styles – rock, soul, and a little bit more – all from the glory days of the 7" single, when all sorts of artists were trying out all sorts of great material – so much so that even gems like these didn't always hit the charts! Consider the whole thing as a great "whodunit" of rock and roll – with a set list of 33 titles that includes "I Found You" by Yvonne Fair, "Pony Time" by Don Covay, "The Pale Faced Indian" by Marvin Rainwater, "Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran, "Come Tomorrow" by Marie Knight, "Rave On" by Sonny West, "Johnny Angel" by Georgia Lee, "He's A Rebel" by Vikki Carr, "Ring Of Fire" by Anita Carter, "I Wanna Go Home" by Billy Grammer, "I'm All Shook Up" by David Hill, "Endlessly" by Johnny Ray, "Go Away Little Girl" by Bobby Vee, and "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On" by Big Maybelle. CD

A really lovely album from flute player Mariana Zwarg – working here with the legendary Hermeto Pascoal, who also happens to be her grandfather, but in a style that's very much her own! While it might be tempting to say that there's some of the Pascoal tradition of complexity here, Mariana's music is more straightforward and tied to jazz – but always with that freewheeling vibe that's grace Brazilian variants of the music from the 60s onwards – which means that even when things are sophisticated, they're very organic – and vocals often come into play with the group as much as an instrument – effortlessly blending with the melody and rhythm. The whole set is really beautiful – like one of those rare treasures on a label like Som Da Gente or Pointer – and titles include "Lucas E Lena", "Acalanto", "Viva Hermeto", "Ventania", and "Na Carioca". LP, Vinyl record album

Weirdly tripped-out funk from Baby Elephant – a compelling collaboration from Prince Paul, Newkirk, and P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell! The sound here is quite odd – kind of a dismantling of older P-Funk modes, stripped down into a handful of key elements, then re-assembled in a range of different ways to suit the spirit of each tune. There's a good sense of humor to most of the tracks, but also an underlying sense of darkness as well – especially on some of the skits that link together the tracks, done by Prince Paul to give the album a slightly narrative feel. There's a huge amount of guest stars in the mix – including David Byrne, George Clinton, Reggie Watts, Yellowman, Nona Hendryx, and Shock 9 – and titles include "How Does The Brainwave", "Plainfield", "The Search", "Baby Elephants In Thanos", "Even Stranger", "Crack Addicts In Love", "Turn My Teeth Up", and "Fred Berry". CD

Wonderful work from two players who've just gotten better and better over the decades – both musicians who've made a huge impression from the late 70s onward, but who also continue to grow and refine their ideas as the years go on! This set features beautiful duets recorded at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, in 2009 – with Bang on violin and thumb piano, and William Parker on bass, plus a bit of shakuhashi and dousn gouni as well. Both players handle strings at a level that's far different than most of their contemporaries or influences – and have this sublimely spiritual style that's often a bit exotic too – but never in the sort of easier ways of Bang's Vietnam-related projects. Instead there's a very freely creative spirit as both players come together – finding a unique voice that's extremely moving, and never too heavy-handed – a huge reminder of why we love them both so much. Titles include "Bronx Aborigines", "Eternal Planet", "Buddha's Joy", "Medicine Buddha", and "Sky Song". CD

The rare second album from Gift Of Dreams – and that's saying a lot, because their debut was already pretty darn rare! This set follows strongly in the mode of that classic – tight boogie soul with a great 80s vibe – lots of basslines, plenty of keyboards, and beats that crackle with a sweet electro vibe – one that really fits all the wikki-wikki lines from the keys, and the general upbeat, partyful style of the music! Bettye Jo Miller sings lead vocals – despite the Mandroid title – and tracks include "Moonwalk", "Sunrise", "Sneeky", "Fantasy", "Video Sensation", and "Mandroid". CD

Beautiful images from the late 70s onwards – posters, advertisements, album covers, and lots of other visual creations used to help showcase the new sounds and styles of the punk and new wave generation! The book is better than we even could have hoped – as it's not just a loose collection of classic records, and instead is a really thoughtful presentation of a wide array of media – divided up into sections that really make sense, often with a fair bit of history and other detail that really illuminates this new movement in style! The book is split in half – half US, and half UK – but also does a great job of linking the images to global trends in aesthetics too. A hefty 335 pages, hardcover, and full color throughout! Book

Music that you'd hardly expect, if you only know the more groove-oriented side of saxophonist Timo Lassy – the sounds he's given us from the Ricky-Tick years onwards – because this album is straight jazz overall, and a relatively improvised one at that! The album shows off a whole different side of Timo's talents – one we didn't know he had at all, and which really shine out here a lot more strongly than on some of his records with more programmed rhythms – thanks in no small part to the really creative efforts of drummer Teppo Makynen, who duets here with Lassy on tracks that really run the gamut – not free jazz overall, but certainly with a similar spirit – all inside, often rhythmic, but with much looser, more open, and wonderfully expressive solos than we've ever heard from Timo. Teppo's great, too – very creative on the drum kit as a whole, with lots of cool percussive effects – on titles that include "Fallow", "Goldenrod", "Aero", "Kobi", "Heliotrope", "Dark Cyan", "Firebrick", "Resolution Blue", "Catawba", and "Liberty (part 1)". CD

Maybe the most visual issue of Maggot Brain to date – as the issue features a look at the music photography of Michael Lavine, rare images of Pavement from Gail Butensky, and the wonderful artwork of Mingering Mike! Heck, there's even a review of Irreversible Entanglements that's filled with great photos of the group – but don't worry, as there's plenty of text too – including a discussion of prog rock with the great Matt Berry, a look at Philly guitarists Rosali Middleman and Emily Robb, and the diary of legendary hobo Bill Aspinwall! Plenty more too – including a great tape section, the Visuaels collective, Lea Bertucci, the band Cindy, and 75 Dollar Bill. Magazine

A heavier, darker prime era set from Massive Attack – and rightly remembered as a classic! The grooves are still really strong, but the trip hop pioneers are delving more deeply into a bass heavy dub trip with a deep, rumbling bottom running throughout the tracks and some distorted guitar and reverb drenched key and sample bits punctuating the cuts and moody vocals. Stunningly strong to this day – which is no mean feat given the rapid musical evolutions of the 90s onward! Includes "Angel", "Risingson", "Teardrop" (which features vocals by Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser), "Inertia Creeps", "Exchange", "Dissolved Girl", "Man Next Door", "Black Milk", "Mezzanine" and "Group Four". 2CD set features a 20th Anniversary mix of the record – and a bonus CD with a Mezzanine Mad Professor selection of mixes – all handled by Mad Professor, with titles that include "Metal Banshee (Mad Professor mix one)", "Teardrop (Mazaruni dub one)", "Group Four (security forces dub)", "Wire (leaping dub)", "Inertia Creeps (floating on dubwise)", "Angel (angel dust)", "Exchange (mountain steppers dub)", and "Risingson (setting sun dub two)". CD

Harmony soul heaven – and the only full album from The Montclairs! The group were a sublime vocal group from the 70s – one with a sound to rival The Whatnauts or The Moments, but which also had a bit more of the super-dope touches you'd expect from their look on the cover of the record – a bit like Soul Generation at their best! The sound is sweet, but with an edge – and a young Phil Perry wrote most of the tracks on the record, with a really unique feel that goes beyond simple cliches from the better-known groups of the genre. Oliver Sain produced, and although the record came out on Jewel, it's got much more of a New Jersey feel than other work on the label. Titles include "Dreaming's Out Of Season", "Grand Finale", "Just Can't Get Away", "Prelude to a Heartbreak", "Do I Stand a Chance", and "Unwanted Love". CD features 9 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Make Up For Lost Time", "I Need You More Than Ever", "Hung Up On Your Love", "I'm Calling You", "Dawn Of My Life", "Out My Back Door", and "Ease The Pain". CD

The Para-Lytics definitely do not live up to their name – as this cut's so funky and so dynamic, these guys have got to be in full charge of all their facilities – riffing guitar over heavy drums and monstrous bass – all while grunted vocal calls urge the whole thing onward! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Don't be put off by the late date of the session, because this is an excellent album from McCoy Tyner – and one with a very spiritual groove that's clearly inherited from Coltrane! The album's based around longer compositions arranged by Tyner, and orchestrated by the great William S Fischer – with lead solos by Hubert Laws on flutes and McCoy on piano, over soaring searching backings that push onward with the same kind of soulful sound as some of Tyner's earlier Blue Note albums. Fischer, as always, manages to balance complexity with straight-ahead grooving – and the clean sound of the album is a surprise throughout! Titles include "Salvadore De Samba", "Beyond The Sun", "Fly With The Wind", and "Rolem". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Beyond The Sun" and "Rolem". CD

A classic of 70s avant spiritual jazz – issued on the tiny Sweet Earth label, which was also home to some very special records from Sun Ra and Marion Brown! Bassist David Wertman is a lot more obscure than those bigger names, but he was part of the New York loft jazz scene in those crucial mid 70s years – and had associations with Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Steve Reid, and other key members of the group – all heavyweights that Wertman can easily stand next to with the strength of the material on this set! The sounds here are a fantastic combination of larger ideas and more spontaneous creation – almost in an AACM mode, but a bit more spiritual overall – with David's bass at the helm of a group that includes David Swerdlove on alto and soprano sax, John Hagen on tenor and soprano, John Sprague on flutes, Greg Wall on baritone, and John Zieman on keyboards. Drummer Jay Conway really provides some great energy to keep things lively and moving – and titles include "Oh John Love Trane", "Clear Air Dancer", "Earthly Delights", and "Relations". LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy, funky, and freaky – some really incredible work from Hungarian rocker Sarolta Zalatnay – an artist with a groove that's a lot easier to get than her name! The work here was recorded in collaboration with 70s groups Locomitiv GT, Metro, Omega, and Skorpio – all of whom are pretty darn funky at times – with an approach that mixes heavy drums, rumbling bass, and lots of fuzzy guitars – making for a fair bit of break-heavy tracks on the set. Topped with Sarolta's vocals, the sound is somewhere between Betty Davis on her classic Just Sunshine albums and Gal Costa at the end of the 60s – but also a fair bit more exotic too, given the Hungarian language, and the use of Eastern phrasing on some of the tunes. And if you're scratching your head because you've never heard of Zalatnay before, don't worry – because the package features some great notes on her sordid career from the 70s onward – even though the music alone here should be more than enough to win you over! Titles include "Ne Hidd El", "Itt A Nyar", "Egyser", "Rogos Uton", "Zold Borostyan", "Munanyag Almok", "The Freak", "Move Over", "Oh Ha Milliomos Lennek", and "Fekete Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just disco cuts from the 80s – as the title might imply – but a great range of work from the mid 70s onward, including a fair bit of funky numbers that are nicely different from more familiar disco! As with other volumes in the series, the approach here is maybe more towards upbeat soul – bits of boogie, 80s groove, and even some jazz funk styles too – brought together on tracks that include "It's Too Late" by Delight, "Do You Really Love Me" by Janice Bullock, "Touch Me In The Morning" by Marlena Shaw, "I Felt You Glancin" by Kimiko Kasai, "Lookin For A Lovin" by Dorothy Moore, "You're Lying (12" mix)" by Linx, "You're Number One" by Devarne, "Do You Love Me" by Marlene, "Girl You Are The One" by Alfonzo, "The Good Life" by Bobbi Humphrey, "We Belong Together" by Tony Valor, "Rejoice" by The Emotions, "Carnival" by Splendor, "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" by Brick, "Be With Me (12" mix)" by Billy Griffin, "This Time" by Chocolate Jam Co, and "ASAP" by The Jones Girls. CD

A double-length collection of hip hop classics from the old school onwards – a package that's maybe a bit short on notes, but which more than makes up for that with an all-classic presentation of the music! There's not a cut here that won't delight – and titles include "Ring The Alarm" by Fu Schnickens, "Can I Kick It" by Tribe Called Quest, "La Raza" by Kid Frost, "It's Tricky" by Run DMC, "Go See The Doctor" by Kool Moe Dee, "Strictly Business" by EPMD, "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J, "Get On The Dance Floor" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, "Woo Hay Got You All In Check" by Busta Rhymes, "Shook Ones (part 2)" by Das Efx, "NY State Of Mind" by Nas, "I Got 5 On It" by Luniz, "Full Clip" by Gang Starr, "Paid In Full (mini madness Coldcut rmx)" by Eric B & Rakim, "6 In The Mornin" by Ice T, "CREAM" by Wu Tang Clan, "Regulate (jamming mix)" by Warren G & Nate Dogg, "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc, "She's On It" by Beastie Boys, and "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five. LP, Vinyl record album

There's been plenty happening in Pernambuco in recent years – a rich blending of styles that's made the region of Brazil a more important musical hot spot than Rio or San Paulo! The sounds of Pernambuco have been simmering under for years – and you may well have caught an earful or two from recent releases on the Trama label. But until this set, most of the region's brilliance has never been fully presented properly to a non-Brazilian audience – and as the label did two decades back with their initial Brazilian compilations, Luaka Bop does a wonderful job of opening up the Pernambuco groove to a much wider audience! Most of the work here mixes older roots with newer touches – often a bit of electronics next to acoustic percussion, or raspily soulful vocals next to tighter instrumentation – that unique sort of balance that's always been present in Brazilian music from the 60s onward, but which is currently done better in Pernambuco more than anywhere else. Titles include "Poesia Da Barro" by Alex Sant Anna, "Amigos Bons" by Junio Barreto, "Cobrinha" by Tine, "Vale Do Juca" by Siba, "Pode Me Chamar" by Eddie, "Maroca" by Mundo Livre, "Carimbaeo" by Nacao Zumbi, "Instante Feliz" by Vates E Violas, "Erectuos Cactus" by Cabruera, "O Pobre Dos Dentes De Ouro" by Cidadao Instigad, and "Cabidela" by Mombojo. CD

A late 90s classic from that moment when Dan The Automator was stepping out from his role as an underground hip hop hero on the west coast – and into superstardom in a range of different guises! Here, Dan's working as Nathaniel Merriweather, alongside the Chest Rockwell of Prince Paul – the latter of whom ensures that there's some extra-dope production on the set to really send things home! The list of guest stars is huge – Del, Grand Puba, Sadat X, DJ Shadow, Money Mark, Biz Markie, and many others – almost a whole generation of hip hop on one record – and titles include "Metaphysical", "Waterworld", "Truth", "Projects", "Sunshine", "Runway Song", and "Rock N Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)". LP, Vinyl record album

Elvin Jones towers above his bandmates on the cover of this 70s classic – and really leads them onward to some great sounds within! The record has a bit more focus and soul than some of Jones' other albums of the period – still quite powerful and dynamic, but with a good adherence to melody, and plenty of room for the group members to open up and make some beautiful sounds – including Pat LaBarbera and Michael Stuart on soprano and tenor sax, and Roland Prince on guitar! The twin reed players are wonderful – and work together in ways that are different than some of Elvin's records at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Kalima", "Section 8", "Giraffe", and "Familiar Ground". CD