We love saxophonist David Murray in many settings, but one of our favorites is often a more stripped-down mode – which, with the right approach, lets Murray really open up and show us some of the more rhythmic sides of his playing! That's definitely the case here, as Murray blows tenor and bass clarinet with Brad Jones on bass and Hamid Drake on drums – both great players for such a session, especially Drake – who seems to bring as much melody to his drum work as David brings rhythm to his horns! The whole thing's a great reminder of how wonderful Murray can still be when he's got the right showcase – and the set's filled with long original titles that include "Necktar", "Anita Et Annita", "Rainbows For Julia", "Switchin In The Kitchen", "Am Gone Get Some", and "Seriana Promethea". CD

Two of our favorite mixers take on some great work from Nicola Conte – each making the tunes very much their own! DJ Spinna brings plenty of soul to "New World Shuffle" – letting the tune crackle and build over the long space of eight minutes – while Bridgette Amofah sings lyrics over the warmly flowing groove! Our local hero Anthony Nicholson brings a wickedly funky groove to "Inner Light" – starting with a tribal house rhythm, then getting more straightforwardly funk – while Raashan Amad delivers some knowledge over the top! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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Lonnie Liston Smith is really tightening up his groove on this one – bringing a bit more funk into the mix, and creating that amazingly sweet glide in his keyboard sound! The record's still steeped in the righteous influences of years past, but it brings the message out to a bigger audience – letting soul flow into the jazz-based tunes in the same way that Norman Connors was doing at the time – and creating the same sort of warm glow through a mix of earthy percussion and electric keys. Vocals on most numbers are by Donald Smith, who has a great approach that has the depth of Leon Thomas but the warm focus of Michael Henderson – and he's a perfect fit for Lonnie's well-crafted tunes on the set! Titles include the nicely breaking "Devika", plus "A Chance For Peace", "Colors of The Rainbow", "Visions Of A New World", and the killer mellow track "Summer Nights", a very warm electric piano cut, with a nice sort of "Summer Madness" feel! LP, Vinyl record album

A couple of smooth numbers by this fatastic harmony group who only ever issued a couple singles on the MGM subsidiary Lion. Both numbers hit a righteous sweet soul harmony groove over some great soaring production touches! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A brilliant standout in a late 60s world of blues rock – a set that goes way beyond what most of Steve Miller's contemporaries were doing at the time – to find a brave new world that's all its own! As before, the drums are key to the group's sound – harder and funkier than most of their contemporaries – with a propulsive energy that really pushes the group past any sort of sleepy cliches, and allows Miller to grab a whole host of other influences, and manage to forge them into the sound. Tim Davis is the mighty man on the kit – really kicking it throughout – and the group also features work from future jazz singer Ben Sidran on keyboards, and an appearance by Paul McCartney on one track too! Titles include "Space Cowboy", "Got Love Cause You Need It", "Celebration Song", "In My Dark Hour", "Kow Kow", and "Brave New World". CD

Soaring brilliance from McCoy Tyner – one of his first large group outings, and an effort undertaken with key help from William Fischer! There's a sense of soaring freedom here that's very much like Tyner's smaller group albums of the time – but Fischer tunes it with a broader sense of color and tone, really bringing the most out of players that include Hubert Laws, Sonny Fortune, Junie Booth, Alphonse Mouzon, Cecil Bridgewater, Virgil Jones, and Dick Griffin. Tyner's forceful piano is very much in the lead on most tunes, but the album's much more of a group effort than before – and the horn and string contributions on the longer tracks are really tremendous. Titles include "Little Brother", "The Divine Love", "Some Day", "Song Of The New World", and a version of "Afro Blue". CD

Joe Chambers like you've never heard him before – delivering the true promise of all his years,and working with some of the hippest players in soul jazz! The album's an abstract bit of electric funk – cut with some slight loft jazz touches, but always returning to a tightly rhythmic focus that's really great – one that cuts some of the too-out moments with a nice sense of groove! The group is wonderful – with Dick Menza on some sharp-edged saxes, Paul Mtezke on tripped-out guitar, Eddie Martinez on electric piano, Herb Bushler on bass, and both Omar Clay and Ray Mantilla on percussion. Tracks are long, with a wonderful spiritual jazz approach that takes the record farther than any other Chambers album we can think of – and Joe also plays a bit of vibes and marimba, inspired no doubt from his former work with Bobby Hutcherson. Titles include "New World", "Chung Dynasty", "Rio", "Rock Pile", and a great cover of Herbie Hancock's "Blow Up". CD

A record that's way more than just the 12" single you might guess from the format – as it's a wonderfully deep collaboration between Nicola Conte and trombonist Gianluca Petrella – done at a level that's maybe more like a spiritual jazz record overall! "African Spirits" definitely has a groove – the sort you'll know from other Conte records – but it's less bossa and more tribal, with lots of percussion layered in the mix, as well as rising voices that feel borrowed from other records – all blended with a righteous energy that's more in Osunlade territory than usual for Schema! The tune's got a very powerful set of solos – strong tenor, and even bolder trombone from Petrella – and "New World Shuffle" is even rawer at the core, but features strongly soulful vocals from Bridgette Amofah, and some great keyboards too! Both tracks are nice and long, too. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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Titles include "Telephone Line", "Livin' Thing", "Tightrope", "Above The Clouds", "Do Ya", and "So Fine". LP, Vinyl record album

With six bonus tracks including instrumental mixes of four tracks, the non-LP track "Surrender", and an alternate vocal version of "Telephone Line". CD

Hannibal Marvin Peterson's come a long way from his spiritual soul jazz sessions of the 70s – working here in a format that's tighter, a bit more electric, and filled with about as many different ideas as there are players on the session! If you approach the record from a soul-based perspective, and consider the date of the set, the album's actually still got some great moments – because Peterson's keeping an older soul fire alive here, and working out lots of his ideas from the 70s in tracks that are shorter and more focused, and which have a bit smoother sound – similar to that picked up by other 70s spiritual players, like Lonnie Liston Smith or Norman Connors, by this point. One of the best elements is the album's vocals by Dee Dee Bridgewater – who sings on a good number of cuts, in a mode that's more soul than jazz. Instrumentation includes a fair bit of electric elements – as does the production – and titles include "Diamonds Without Fire", "Fire In The Hole", "Free Mandela", "Visions Of A New World", "A Song Of Peace", and "Life Is More Than You Know". CD

The last true masterpiece by the greatest rock band to ever come out of the late 70s and early 80s L.A. scene. More Fun In The New World serves in a lot of ways as X's upright middle finger to the early years of the Reagan era, with the anthemic opener "The New World", and the ballad "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts", perfectly encapsulating the fear and loathing brought about by the ridiculous politics that infected the entire decade. The album is very much a sequel to the amazing Under The Big Black Sun, full of razor pop anthems, Billy Zoom's punkabilly guitar acrobatics, and amazing depth thanks to John and Exene's sensitive and perceptive song writing. Awesome! Other tracks include "True Love", "We're Having Much More Fun", "Poor Girl", "Make The Music Go Bang", "Devil Doll", "Painting The Town Blue", "Hot House", "Drunk In My Past", "I See Red", and "True Love Part 2". 4 bonus tracks: demo/alternate mixes of "Poor Girl", "True Love Part 2", "Devil Doll", and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts". CD

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly righteous little album from Stanley Cowell – a set cut after his more famous music for the Strata East label, but one that still hangs onto a similar vibe! The style's a bit tighter than before, but still filled with soul and spirit – thanks to a lineup that includes Julian Priester on trombone, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, and Pat Patrick on reeds – making a key appearance here away from the Sun Ra Arkestra! Cowell plays both piano and keyboards, and the record has a bit of strings, and a bit of vocals – but all used tastefully, in ways that further enforce the depth of the tunes. Tracks include "El Space-O", "Ask Him", "Island Of Haitoo", and "I'm Tryin To Find A Way". LP, Vinyl record album

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Pure slices of genius – 11 amazing records from ELO, all with bonus tracks, served up here in one brilliant package! CD

Jimmy Greene on tenor and soprano saxophone and flute, Darren Barrett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Davis on trombone, Aaron Goldberg on piano and Rhodes, Dwayne Burno in bass, Eric McPherson on drums, and Kahlil Kwame Bell on percussion. CD

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Olive Lake, David Murray, and John Purcell – on saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and bells! CD

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Features Jaco Pastorius on bass, Hiram Bullock on guitar, and Victor Lewis on drums. Tracks include "Continuum", "Straight Life", "Dolphin Dance", and "Three Views Of A Secret". CD

Classic 60s work by Shankar – working here with Alla Rhaka on tabla and Shyam But Nagar on tamboura. The album features 3 long tracks – "Raga Marawa", which takes up all of side two, plus "Raga Bairaga" and "Nata Bhariravi". CD

Jorge Dalto sounds plenty great here – in a Japanese-only session produced by bassist Teruo Nakamura, with a groove that's similar to his own work of the time! Dalto's keyboards are lean and clean throughout – often a bit of acoustic piano mixed in with electric, making for a warmly soulful sound that's like some of the best American fusion sessions of the time – no surprise, really, given that Jorge's compatriots on the date include George Benson on guitar, Bob Mintzer on reeds, Dave Valentin on flute, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums. There's a gentle groove to most numbers – especially the cuts that have a bit of Latin percussion – and titles include "Song For Adela", "Winds Of Love", "Pina Colada", "Manteca", and "Nightline". CD

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A masterpiece through and through from arranger Gil Evans – a record of swinging modern backdrops, used to showcase both the solo talents of a young Cannonball Adderley, and the dynamic energy of Evans himself! Cannon's sharp-edged early tone is a really great sound for the record – far more modern than you might expect from later funk and soul sides of the 60s – and perfectly poised next to Gil's larger back drops to reignite a host of older tunes with new energy! And while the titles are familiar, the readings certainly are not – as the Evans pen has really changed things up beautifully – as you'll hear on numbers that include "St Louis Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Willow Tree", "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", "Lester Leaps In", "Round About Midnight", "Manteca", and "Bird Feathers". LP, Vinyl record album

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Les McCann captured live on piano and vocals. Tracks include "The Girl From Ipanema", "Beau J Poo Boo", "Gus Gus", and a nice version of Marv Jenkins' "Big City". LP, Vinyl record album

Ricky Ford on tenor saxophone, James Spaulding on alto saxophone, Janice Robinson on trombone, Charles Sullivan and Oliver Breener on trumpet, Jonathan Dorn on tuba, Bob Neloms on piano, Richard Davis on double bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. CD

The Rio chapter of Gira Mundo's excellent Ponto De Partida series – done with instrumentation that's even more rootsy and earthy than the Sao Paolo set! There's a strong inspiration here from samba – heard in the percussion and lively rhythms of the track – but also warmed up a bit by some of Gira Mundo's Japanese-styled production – very much in the Jazztronik blend of older Brazilian sounds and contemporary dancefloor rhythms, served up in blend that comes off especially well on the vocal tracks! Vocals are by Toyono and Sigenji – and instrumentation mixes acoustic and electric touches very nicely. Titles include "Gira Mundo", "Salala", "Pomba Gira", "No Meio Da Chuva", "Beleza Fatal", and "Que Venga El Alba". CD

Features Jimmy Rushing on vocals on about half the tracks – in a group that also includes Budd Johnson on tenor and soprano sax! CD

With Dave Douglas, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, and others. CD

A great small combo set from the mighty Buddy Tate – a bit late in his career, but with an excellent setting that features both Buddy and Paul Quinichette on tenors, plus Cliff Smalls on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Jackie Williams on drums. CD

With Bryan Carrott on vibraphone and marimba, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Erik Friedlander on cello, and Michael Sarin on drums and temple blocks. CD

Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, synthesizer, percussion and voice – with Mark Feldman on violin, Marty Ehrlich on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Patience Higgins on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, and others. Tracks include "The Prism 3", "Ensemble Song", and "Tribute To Julius Hemphill and Don Pullen". CD

Tracks include "Love You Madly", "Sophisticated Lady", "Come Sunday", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "The Jeep Is Jumping", "Mood Indigo", and more – 20 tracks in all! CD

A great collection that features Morris working with a breathtaking range of musicians from across the jazz, free impov, and avant classical scenes! CD

The Cecil Taylor Unit here is composed of Taylor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Raphe Malik on trumpet, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Sirone on bass, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums. The three songs performed are "Idut", "Serdab", and the nearly 30 minute-long "Holiday En Masque" CD

Beautiful music from Chicago, set to another Chicago-themed project – a film based around the Roy stories of writer Barry Gifford! Yet that literary reference aside, the music here has fantastic merits of its own, even if you've never read Gifford at all – a very different, more compositional side of the spectrum from vibist Jason Adasiewicz, yet still music that has a loose small combo vibe as well – serve dup by a cool quintet that features Jonathan Doyle on saxes, Josh Berman on cornet, Joshua Abrams on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! There's a mix of new tones and modern ideas that take us back to that late 50s time on the Chicago scene when Sun Ra's Arkestra was still in town – and the tunes penned by Adasiewicz are not only superb, but a perfect showcase for his incredible tones on vibes. Doyle is a real revelation too – a player we don't know well at all at this point, but whose sense of timing and presence really makes the whole record sparkle – as does the work of the rest of the better-known players in the group. Titles include "Ballad For Kitty", "River Blindness", "Walkin To Clinton", "Rudy's Basement", "Sand", and "Blue People". LP, Vinyl record album

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". CD

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

In his later years, Leonard Bernstein became one of the most-respected conductors in the world of classical music – but at the start, he was working in more popular territory, mixing some of his more ambitious musical ideas with the more down-to-earth form of the music – mostly working in New York, where a series of productions really helped define the city on the rise in the postwar years! This package brings together all those important early Bernstein creations – including two different recordings of the "Fancy Free" ballet, both the songs and the ballet from "On The Town", plus the 1960 recording of the musical – plus "Wonderful Town", "West Side Story", and the "On The Waterfront" symphonic suite – as well as lots of other jazz interpretations of some of these themes – work by Frank Sinatra, Bill Evans, Blossom Dearie, Billie Holiday, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, and others. CD

Smoking live material from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – a set recorded at Birdland, aka The Jazz Corner Of The World – home to a number of key performances by the group! The lineup here features a key transitional version of the group – with the younger Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, already setting the combo on fire with their new ideas and very bold work on solos – and the great Hank Mobley on tenor, who'd worked with Blakey for a few years at this time – and provides this deeply soulful grounding that's as great as his own records, but maybe even a bit more open in the live setting. The great Jymie Merritt is on bass – one of Art's secret weapons over the years – and this 2CD set features all the material from both volumes – with titles that include "Hipsippy Blues", "Justice", "Just Coolin", "Art's Revelation", "Chicken & Dumplings", "Hi Fly", and "M&M". CD

Smoking live material from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – a set recorded at Birdland, aka The Jazz Corner Of The World – home to a number of key performances by the group! The lineup here features a key transitional version of the group – with the younger Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, already setting the combo on fire with their new ideas and very bold work on solos – and the great Hank Mobley on tenor, who'd worked with Blakey for a few years at this time – and provides this deeply soulful grounding that's as great as his own records, but maybe even a bit more open in the live setting. The great Jymie Merritt is on bass – one of Art's secret weapons over the years – and the set list of this second volume includes "Chicken & Dumplins", "M & M", "Art's Revelation", and a great version of "Hi Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". CD

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul! CD

A tremendous package of work from Ornette Coleman – five albums issued under his own name, and one collaboration with Jackie McLean too! First up are At The Golden Circle Vols 1 & 2 – important second chapter work from Ornette Coleman – a record that marked a real shift in his sound from the Atlantic Records years – issued by Blue Note at a level that gave the rest of the world a chance to see what Ornette had been cooking up on the underground scene! The album was recorded in Stockholm – in the tradition of European live performances that saw Coleman grow so strongly in the mid 60s – and the tracks are long, free, and full of improvised moments – with Ornette adding in trumpet and violin next to his familiar alto – in a trio with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both fantastic players who can be loose at the right moments, and bring things back at others. Tracks are long and unbridled – with less of the rhythmic changes that you'd hear in work by the classic quartet, and more of a full-on fierce soloing mode. Titles include "Snowflakes & Sunshine", "Morning Song", "Faces & Places", "Dee Dee", "Dawn", "The Riddle", and "Antiques". Next is Empty Foxhole – one of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from Charlie Haden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". Next is New York Is Now – a pretty bold statement from saxophonist Ornette Coleman, but one that definitely shows his shift in role – from a major force on the LA underground of the early 60s, to an artist who was helping pave the way for a huge wave of growth on the New York downtown scene in years to come! Ornette's at his most late 60s unbridled here – freer than before, and working with a lineup that includes Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – still no piano at all – plus great work from Dewey Redman on tenor, who really burst into new prominence with this album. Ornette plays a bit of violin alongside alto sax – and tracks include "Toy Dance", "Round Trip", "Broad Way Blues", and "We Now Interrupt For A Commercial". Then comes Love Call – a really great late 60s session from Ornette Coleman – one that shows is increasing expansion in sounds and styles, and which also offers a bridge between avant jazz generations too! That bridge comes in the presence of Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – a surprising Coltrane rhythm duo, working here with Ornette's mindblowing work on alto sax, and tenor from a young Dewey Redman – already a crucially intense player here next to Coleman, as both are set free in a group without any piano – that Ornette melding of rhythm and melody, but with a very different vibe than the Atlantic years! Coleman blows trumpet on one tune – and titles include "Love Call", "Airborne", "Check Out Time", and "Open To The Public". The set also includes the album New & Old Gospel – one of Jackie McLean's last "new thing" albums for Blue Note – and a very unique record that features Ornette Coleman on trumpet! The sound here is stark and hard – slight hints of the soulfulness that the "gospel" in the title might imply, mixed with the angular exploratory sound that McLean had been forging at Blue Note during the mid 60s – a wonderful balance that really gives the record a lot of bite! The album's easily one of the most "out" that McLean ever recorded, and the group also includes Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all pushing themselves in the company of the avant jazz giants. Tracks include the extended "Lifeline" suite, which takes up all of side one – plus "Old Gospel" and "Strange As It Seems". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual sounds galore – an amazing 2-fer from Alice Coltrane! Huntington Ashram Monastery is powerful work from Alice Coltrane – an incredible trio album that features her heavily on harp, plus a bit of piano – in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! The sound is wonderful – lush, yet contemplative – in a personal style that really shows Alice beginning to express herself in new modes after the death of The Great One. The us of harp is especially incredible – handled here with a sense of majesty that really leaves us breathless, and which goes far beyond other use of that instrument in jazz. And even Alice's piano is surprisingly nice – with these mellow, earthy undertones that bubble at the bottom and ground the whole effort on earthly territory. Titles include "Turiya", "HIS", "Jaya Jaya Rama", and "Via Sivanadagar". World Galaxy is one of Alice Coltrane's most ambitious albums of the early years – recorded with a full set of heavenly orchestrations! The core group features Alice on piano, organ, and harp – alongside Frank Lowe on saxes, Reggie Workman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, and Ben Riley on drums. Added to this combo is a much larger set of strings – swirling around in a rich musical backdrop that gives Alice's work a sense of majesty and power we could have never imagined. This is the album that really showed the world that she was far far more than just the wife of the late great one – a true mystical visionary with a sound that demanded to be heard! Side 2 features a recitation by Alice's spiritual mentor, Swami Satchdiananda – and the album features a wonderful version of "My Favorite Things", done with both organ and harp, plus the tracks "Love Supreme", "Galaxy In Turiya", and "Galaxy In Satchidandana". CD

Two obscure sci fi soundtracks – back to back on a single CD! First up is 1965's Crack In The World – scored by John Douglas with a mixture of orchestral modes to illustrate the dramatic scientific bent of the narrative – brooding brasses, airier woodwinds, and some robust passages that burst out strongly with the torrent of action on the screen! Titles include "Love Scene", "No Stopping It", "Magma/Off Sheetwater Island", "Avalance", "A New Moon", and "Stephen Is Ill". Phase IV is something else entirely – a 70s sci fi film that gets a very different soundtrack approach from Brian Gascoigne – whose tracks here are all quite long, longer than seven minutes each, and work almost as mini narratives in sound – as the darker moments are illuminated by occasional lyrical touches, which are then suppressed as more atonal insect-sounding elements win in the end! CD

Fatlip's been giving us mighty music since his early days in The Pharcyde, but with this recent set, he seems ready to represent the west coast at a new level – paired with Blu in a criss-crossing of lyrical genius that seems as effortless as the understated production on the album! All the best contemporary Cali modes are at play here, but there's also some traces of that older generation that Fatlip helped launch – echoed by guest work on the set from Ras Kass, MC Eiht, Gift Of Gab, Bilal, and Del The Funky Homosapien! Titles include "Gangsta Rap", "Street Life", "Good For The Soul", "Hollywood Celebrity", "Lfteotw", and "Crack Party". Deluxe version features the additional tracks "Cornbread" and "Ain't Changed". CD

Fatlip's been giving us mighty music since his early days in The Pharcyde, but with this recent set, he seems ready to represent the west coast at a new level – paired with Blu in a criss-crossing of lyrical genius that seems as effortless as the understated production on the album! All the best contemporary Cali modes are at play here, but there's also some traces of that older generation that Fatlip helped launch – echoed by guest work on the set from Ras Kass, MC Eiht, Gift Of Gab, Bilal, and Del The Funky Homosapien! Titles include "Gangsta Rap", "Street Life", "Good For The Soul", "Hollywood Celebrity", "Lfteotw", and "Crack Party". Deluxe version features the additional tracks "Cornbread" and "Ain't Changed". CD

A trio of heavy-hitters from hornman Maynard Ferguson – all served up in one sweet set! Primal Scream is one of the funkiest records ever from Ferguson – the climax of a great run of bigger group grooves in the 70s! The record's a tight batch of groovers, with production and keyboards by Bob James – and the whole thing's a mixture of big band funk and electronics that's simply out of this world! Side one kicks off with two massive numbers – the Arp-heavy "Cheshire Cat Walk", and the Kool & The Gang-ish "Primal Scream" – and both cuts are quite long, with loads of cool instrumental effects. Side two is a bit softer, but it does include a long keyboard groover called "Swamp". On New Vintage, Maynard really grooves it – playing with a group that's even larger than some of his early 70s funk sessions, in a style that's got traces of disco and R&B-styled fusion! The set was arranged, conducted, and produced by Jay Chataway – who's going for a nice smooth mode on most of the cuts, almost in the slick manner of some late 70s cop show soundtrack. Tracks are a bit longer than usual, with more room for the groove, and titles include the originals "Oasis" and "El Vuelvo", a surprisingly nice disco take on "Maria", and the cuts "Airegin" and "Star Wars". Carnival is a cool cooker from Maynard Ferguson – and a set that has all the upbeat tones you'd expect from the title, but lots of funky currents underneath! The set really sparkles right from the start – and has that sweet vibe that Maynard was really getting perfect on these late 70s records for Columbia – jazzy fusion that's tight, but never too uptight – with lots of room for sweet solos from the leader himself, plus Bill Hannon on moog, John Qdini on guitar, Eric Traub on tenor, and Mike Migliore on alto. Titles include a famous working of Earth Wind & Fier's "Fantasy" – plus "Battlestar Galactica", "MF Carnival", "Baker Street", "Birdland", "How Ya Doin Baby", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

Incredible modal sounds from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite contemporary jazz artists, and one whose vision just gets bolder and bolder with each new record! This completely sublime set has Halsall working tightly with reedman Nat Birchall – a frequent musical partner whose own records bristle with the same sort of spiritual energy – given some slight additional flavors here with extra flute, harp, and koto – used alongside the more familiar piano, bass, and drums that have always grounded the pair's work together. All tunes are original, and have this vibe that's perfect for the post-Coltrane spiritual jazz generation – but delivered in a way that's quite fresh, too – and not just a simple rehash of early 70s Impulse Records modes. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Sagano Bamboo Forest", "Tribute To Alice Coltrane", "When The World Was One", "Falling Water", and "Kiyomizu Dera". LP, Vinyl record album

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded from Clifford Jordan – a totally righteous little effort that was the first installment in the legendary Dolphy Series on the Strata East label! The set has Jordan working with a larger group than usual – an all-star array of players that includes Kenny Dorham and Don Cherry on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis on bass, and drums from Roy Haynes, Ed Blackwell, and Albert Heath. The titles are originals by Jordan – long numbers that flow out slowly as they build up new musical ideas – all in a style that's somewhat laidback and spacious, very organic, and a bit like some of the best early 70s Impulse material by Archie Shepp. Album features 4 long tracks – "872", "Vienna", "Doug's Prelude", and "Ouagoudougou". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky guitar gems – all served up in a single set! Black Velvet is a stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove! Windows is a great later album from O'Donel Levy – recorded after his initial flurry of work for the Groove Merchant label, but still plenty darn nice! The sound here is slightly smoother and a bit more electric than before – with Levy's sweet guitar work snaking out over some larger backings that almost have a funky soundtrack feel. The groove is still great, and O'Donel brings plenty of his trademark chromatic lines to the set – guitar parts that almost sound even better in this setting! Titles include "Moisturizer", "Green Machine", "Panama Red", and a track called "I Believe In Miracles", which is not the Jackson Sisters' hit, but a nice mellow groove with vocals that sounds like some of the George Duke soul cuts! Dawn Of A New Day features totally wicked guitar work from the mighty O'Donel Levy – easily one of the hippest talents to ever work for the Groove Merchant label! Levy's got a sound here that's a bit like Wes Montgomery on some of his late 60s sides, but also a fair bit funkier overall – a style that's steeped in soul and schooled on advancements in the 70s generation of funk fusion and blacksploitation soundtracks. Backings are relatively large – arranged by Manny Album, with players who include Charles Covington on organ and electric piano and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Tracks include covers like "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "People Make the World Go Round", and "Maiden Voyage" – plus some nice originals, like "Dawn Of A New Day" and "Baa Waa". CD

A killer album from the Philly funky studio combo MFSB – a set from the start of the 80s, and one that really has the group going for a new direction forward – even though they were such an inspirational act for many back in the previous decade! Gone are the string-heavy disco arrangements of earlier years, and in their place are some excellent jazz funk grooves – mostly penned by Dexter Wansel, who produced a good bit of the album with a similar style to his best space funk records of the late 70s! A few cuts feature vocals, but the best bits are instrumental – and have some excellent keyboards, great guitar, and plenty of fresh jazzy playing – on tracks that include "Fortune Teller", "Manhattan Skyline", "Mysteries Of The World", "Metamorphosis", and "In The Shadow". LP, Vinyl record album