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Solo bass from the great Barry Guy – titled after the painting Comet, by Albert Irving – an image which graces the cover of the record – but served up here in a style of sound that's completely Barry's own! The music has that mindblowing quality that Guy can hit when he's really at his best – that way of opening up the instrument to new sonic possibilities that first made him such an exciting improviser at the start of his career, and which is still best heard in a solo setting like this – one that shows that Barry has lost none of his fire, nor is ever willing to just hang around in territory that's too familiar from earlier periods in his career. The painting in the title is apt – as at times, Guy has a very painterly style in sound – really making all the right choices all feel so right – on titles that include "Comet", "Oscillating", "Old Earth Home", "Barehead", and "Closed Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Bitches Brew is the club, not the sound of the music – a night spot in Yokohama where European reedman Liudas Mockunas improvised these performances in the company of a range of different Japanese players! The lineup shifts with each track, as do the horns handled by Mockunas – who blows tenor and soprano sax – plus a very cool "water prepared soprano sax" – in the company of Akira Sakata on clarinet and alto, Masayo Koketsu on alto, Eiichi Hayashi on alto, Yoshihide Otomo on guitar, and Kazutoki Umezu on bass clarinet, alto, and soprano! All tracks are nice and long, and filled with the sort of sharp reed interplay you'd know from both the music of Mockunas or Sakata – on titles that include "Brown Line", "Green Line", "Red Line", "Blue Line", and "Yellow Line". CD

A fantastic lost legacy in European free improvisation – the complete works of a group who were first known as Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, then later as Fourmenonly – presented here in a beautiful 3CD set! First up is the album Trees – issued on a small label in 1968, but a set that matches the groundbreaking energy of the early work on FMP – played by a group that features Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Wilfreid Eichorn on tenor and soprano sax, Claus Buhler on bass, Rudi Thielmann on drums, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, Mellophon, piston, and percussion! The group have a melodic vibe at the core – often feeling out the initial space as a unit, then exploding with sound and color – and really making especially great work of the talents of Joos and Eichorn – players who work together with great power, driven on by the others. Titles include "Lonely Time", "Trees", "Schnee Verbrennt", "Change Of Beauty", and "The Devil Is Green Blue Yellow". CD also features a bonus unreleased improvisation too! Next is Position 2000 – a record of even longer improvisations, and one that shows the quintet really developing their sound – strongly aware of the farther reaches, but always beginning in some more colorful passages that almost have a melody, before exploding out with very vibrant energy! The lineup is the same as on the debut – with Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, mellophone, Indian flute, and percussion – and Wilfried Eichorn on tenor, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute, and percussion – alongside Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Klaus Buhler on bass, and Rudi Thielmann on drums. Titles include "The Sun Is Coming Over", "Position 2000", and "Where Love Forever Shines". CD also features an unreleased improvisation. For the next album, bassist Buhler has departed the group – who are renamed Fourmenonly! Their first record is a brilliant set of free jazz from the German scene of the 70s – very different than other work of the time, in that there's maybe more of a future-thinking balance between sounds and silence, frenzy and fragility – all served up by a quartet that features Herbert Joos on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wilfried Eichhorn on tenor and soprano sax, Helmuth Zimmer on piano and percussion, and Rudi Theilmann on drums and percussion. Titles include "Viridiana/Ich Und Meine Bruder/Compulsion" and "Count Down/Excess". On the album Eight Science Fiction Stories, the Fourmenonly lineup is expanded by trombonist Wolfgang Czelusta – and perform some fantastic work billed as "science fiction stories", all composed by Herbert Joos. The sound is as revolutionary as on the group's earliest material, but also maybe more compact as well – nicely focused, with especially strong emphasis on the interplay between Czelusta on trombone, Wilifried Eichorn on bass clarinet, flute, and oboe, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, trumpet, and mellophone. The piano of Helmuth Zimmer is amazing – almost Cecil Taylor-like in intensity at times – and drummer Rudi Theilmann does a great job of moving from passages of full-on power to more spacious percussion. Titles include "Lucifer Is Marching On", "Dead Season", "The Beauty Without A Face", "Departure", "Plastic Happiness", and "Space Wall". CD

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information! CD

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Sam Rivers – recorded at a point when he was really able to let loose and go for a long stretch of a time – and with a mode that's a bit similar to his better-known late 70s recordings for the Circle label! Some of the elements here are the same – such as the presence of the enigmatic Joe Daley on tuba and euphonium – both instruments he blows with stunning dexterity, to create a lower end of tone next to Sam's biting work on tenor, soprano sax, and flute! The group also features the mighty Dave Holland on bass and cello – and double drums from Barry Altschul and Charlie Persip, the latter of whom was really discovering a freer side of his talents at the time. Rivers also plays a bit of piano – and the set features one very long improvisation, titled "Universal Message". CD

An amazing collection of music from legendary bassist William Parker – 6 CDs' worth of performances, all of them unreleased, packaged together in a limited edition box set with a detailed booklet as well! The scope of the sounds is amazing – almost like finding the full career of a jazz musician in one space – even though it's only a slice of the rich contributions that Parker has made to music over his decades in jazz! A number of the tracks features important large ensembles that push forward ideas from the loft jazz generation – with players who include Daniel Carter on saxes, David S Ware on tenor, Jemeel Moondoc on alto, Charles Tyler on baritone, Roy Campbell and Raphe Malik on trumpets, Billy Bang on violin, and Rashid Bakr and Dennis Charles on drums. Other tracks feature sparer pairings that are especially haunting – duets between Parker's bass and the alto and trumpet of Daniel Carter, a trio with David S Ware on tenor and Dennis Charles on drums, and two long duo tracks with tenorist Charles Gayle! The whole thing's amazing – worth far more in music than its hefty price tag – and a huge discovery throughout! CD

A record of really powerful sounds from trumpeter Choi Sun Bae and tenorist Mototeru Takagi – both players who wrap around each other wonderfully at times, while still keeping their own strong sense of identity – given help at all the right moments from percussionist Kim Dae Hwan, a player who definitely knows that less is more in a setting like this! The raspy tone of Takagi is worth the price of admission alone – a soulful quality that's not too far from that of Akira Sakata at his best moments – and especially showcased in the open setting of these long, improvised tracks – titles that include "Ethyopia", "Step By Step", "Natural Sound", "Remember", and "Life Cycle". CD

Bassist Barry Guy joins The Thing this time around – really helping to increase their bottom line, given that the group's already got their own bass player! The recording makes inventive use of the paired instruments – putting Guy in the right channel, and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten in the left – so that in stereo, the different basslines ring out beautifully – especially at the more forceful moments, of which there are many! Mats Gustafsson is as compelling as ever on his horns – baritone, tenor, and the great slide saxophone – and Paal Nilssen-Love destroys the drum kit whenever he has the chance. Titles include "Cerium", "Lanthanum", "Europium", "Gadolinium", "Ride The Sky", and "Neodymium". LP, Vinyl record album

The compelling title is a perfect fit for this set – as there's plenty of low tones on the record, improvised together in a way that really brings up the bottom end from the basement! Of course, given that Sirone's bass is often right out in front, the low side of the spectrum is certainly given focus – but there's also some beautifully-blown, deep-toned lines from Oluyemi Thomas on bass clarinet – and heck, even his flute and soprano sax feel like they've got a bit of depth too. The group's completed by drummer Michael Wimberly, who also plays additional percussion – and the whole record has a very open loft jazz sort of feel – almost like a rare Sirone record from many years back. Titles include "Dream Worlds", "Beneath Tones Floor", "Mystic Way", "Heavenly Wisdom", and "Spirit Of Ifa". CD

A really unique concept for longform improvisation – a single performance that features a group of musicians all handling low-end instruments – which they bring together in a way that's almost sculptural at times! The album rumbles with density right from the start – and features Daunick Lazro on baritone, Jouk Minor on contrabass sarrusophone, Thierry Madiot on bass trombone and telescopic tubes, and both David Chiesa and Louis Michel Marion on five string basses – each of which is recorded in a different channel, which seems to really draw the space of the performance across the room! The set features three indexed selections – but the music was recorded in a single 66 minute performance. CD

The title's a wonderfully poetic one, and the music is too – very open improvisations between Sabu Toyozumi on drums and Yuji Takahashi on piano – along with plenty of percussion from both musicians too! There's a very spacious approach to the music – lots of thoughtful interaction between both players, as they find sonic resonance that never overwhelms at all, yet which is still freely spontaneous – beautifully organic in approach, and stretched out on two long tracks that make up the album – "Lovely Silver 6000 KM" and "Shoulder Blade & Hip Joint". CD

A rare self-released set by an obscure group of German improvisers – one who definitely deliver the "total music" promised in their name, given the fullness of the sound on each of the album's side-long tracks! We're not sure we've encountered most of these players in other settings, and they work together here with a quality that's almost a few years ahead of its time – more in the freedom of the mid 70s FMP recordings, particularly the larger groups – as the TMA is a septet, with Andreas Boje on trombone, Wilfried Eichorn on tenor and bass clarinet, Hans Jorgen Hussong on baritone and soprano, Erich Schroder on viola, Helmut Zimmer on piano, Matthias Boje on bass, and Ruti Thielmann on drums. Hussong is listed as the composer, but the music is very free and open – building quickly to improvised intensity, on the two long titles "Walpurgisnacht" and "Incubus Succubus Pestilentia". CD also features a bonus "Improvisation" from 1988 – by a smaller trio lineup with Matthias Boje on bass, Willi Schneider on drums, and Hans Jorg Hussong on baritone, tenor, and alto. CD

Reedman Mats Gustafsson seems to be able to improvise with just about anyone – really shifting his sound and his spirit to match the moment, which is definitely the case here in a set of duets with drummer Sabu Toyozumi! There's a spaciousness here that's very different than some of Gusatafsson's performances with other drummers – especially Paal Nilssen-Love – and Sabu's use of the many aspects of the drum kit match with the always-inventive creations from Mats on baritone sax, fluteophone, and flute. The proceedings are wonderfully spacious, with these rich sonic elements that seem to leap from the void with a great sense of surprise – and titles include "Sunflower", "Woman With A Cat", and "For Ever Advancing Artistry". LP, Vinyl record album

Early bop work by Sonny Rollins – from his Prestige years! Like other Milestone two-fers that were issued in the 70s, this set goes back and collects work recorded within the same time frame, and comprises material that was otherwise issued on Work Time, Tenor Madness, Sonny Boy and Tour De Force, some of his finest hard bop sides from the mid 50s. Sonny's playing alongside Ray Bryant, George Morrow, Max Roach, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones and Kenny Drew, with about half of the numbers quartet sides. 13 tracks in all: "There's No Business Like Show Business", "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "It's All Right With Me", "My Reverie", "Paul's Pal", "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World", "Tenor Madness", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Ee-ah", "Sonny Boy", "B Swift" and "B Quick". LP, Vinyl record album

No monkey business here – as the collection's an incredible document of early reggae tracks that broke big on the UK scene – embraced by the first wave of young skinheads who took the torch from earlier mods! Use of the word "skinhead" here is nothing like its later use in the US – and instead, the term applies to working class kids in the UK who shook off some of the fancier trappings of mod culture, and went back to basics – and often found the shift from rocksteady to reggae to be a perfect soundtrack for their scene! As a result, skinheads were huge supporters of new sounds coming from Jamaica – and really helped establish a UK audience for the music, on labels like Trojan and Island – the former of which is featured heavily here. Titles include "Liquidator" by Harry J All Stars, "Tighten Up" by The Untouchables, "Fatty Fatty" by Clancy Eccles, "54 46 Was My Number" by The Maytals, "007" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, and "Elizabethan Reggae" by Boris Gardiner & The Love People. LP, Vinyl record album

We've always loved Joe Gibb's productions, especially his dubs, with Erroll Thompson piloting the mixing desk, and have been waiting for one of the great revive labels to put together a set. At last, Pressure Sounds steps up to the plate, and delivers the goods with this mighty set of fat, thick grooves. Eighteen tracks in all: "I Stand Accused" (version of Easy Take It Easy), "I Am Not Ashamed Version", "Six Foot Six" (version of Burial), "Su Su Version", "Burning Version" (version of Burn Babylon), "Roots Kunte Kinte" (version of Hypocrites), "Give It To Jah" (Heart & Soul Version), "The Road Is Rough" (version of Time Will Tell), "No Mans Land" (version to Up Park Camp), "War" (Medley Studio One Version), "No Bones For The Dogs" (version to Why Birds Follow Spring), "War Is Over" (version to Tribal War), "Jah Jah See Them A Come Version", "Babylon Bridge (12" version)" , "Fulfilment/Prophesy Reveal" (version to 2 Sevens Clash), "Earthquake" , "Financial Business" (Commercial Business version to Love Is Not A Gamble) and "Alan, Hit By A Larry" (version to Cool Out Son). CD

A strong companion album to the Midnight Rockers gem from Horace Andy – and one that lets producer Adrian Sherwood take the helm even more than before, as the set features a hip mix of dubs, reworks, and alternate versions of tunes on the album! Horace's great vocals are still there in the mix – but there's also some instrumental cuts, and guest appearances from Daddy Freddy and Lone Ranger – plus plenty of top-shelf work from Sherwood too! Titles include "Come After Midnight", "Dirty Money Business", "Sleepy's Night Cap", "More Bassy", "Dub Guidance", "Hell & Back", "Away With The Gun & Knife", and "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City". LP, Vinyl record album

Raucous, rumbling and hard-charging Chess rhythms, rock and roll by Chuck Berry – his legendary After School Session – and possibly his greatest album ever! It features not only some of Chuck Berry's most famous material, but some of the best early rock songs, period –particularly the revolutionary "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" – plus"Berry Pickin", "Deep Feeling"," School Day", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Roly Poly", and "No Money Down". LP, Vinyl record album

African rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, rock inspiration, and a motherlode of funky sound library grooves from two of the best British maestros working in the business! The album's an early 70s gem from the KPM catalog – one of the most sought-after records ever issued by the label – and like the rest, never really made for public sale back at the time! Despite that humble origin, though, the grooves here are right up there with the funkiest work coming out from that side of the Atlantic at the time – a brilliant post-colonial blend of acoustic percussion, electric keyboards, and a fair bit of fuzzy guitar – all presented with a stripped-down, no-nonsense approach to the rhythms that's often funkier than work by some of the bigger names in the genre. Titles include "Heavy Water", "Ice Breaker", "Solid Satin", "Punch Bowl", "Frozen Steam", and "Black Light" by Alan Parker – and "Swamp Fever", "Range Rover", "Survival", "Afro Waltz", "Heat Haze", "Rocking Rhino", and "Afro Metropolis" by John Cameron. LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased live material from trumpeter Ted Daniel – a hell of a talent on the New York scene of the 70s, but one who hardly ever got as much recorded exposure as some of his contemporaries! Ted's got this fantastic way of blowing – bold and free, but with a sense of structure too – almost more inheriting a legacy of 60s experimentalists like Ted Curson, or the later Lee Morgan – than graced with the style of some of his contemporaries on the loft jazz scene. This album definitely has Daniel at the top of his game – shaping sound with boundless imagination and energy – lots of strength, but also lots of focus – never too free for free's sake, and always strongly influenced by the pulse of group members Richard Pierce on bass and Tatsuya Nakamura on drums. In fact, the mix of bass, drums, and trumpet almost evokes some of the Sonny Rollins trio material – especially of the more outside variety – and Daniel also plays a bit of flugelhorn and French hunting horn too. Titles include "OC", "The Moor", "Jiblet", and "Congeniality". (And in case you're wondering, the material here is of similar vintage to that on the No Business album from Ted – but different recordings.) CD

The title here is the name under which Dr John was later known during his Atlantic Records years – but the tracks here were recorded immediately before – nicely gritty work done for the Crazy Cajun label – way up in the Louisiana swampland, which must have provided plenty of inspiration for the sounds within! All the later charms of the Doctor are here – but the tunes are maybe a bit shorter, with an excellent vibe that's never overdone – yet which still has that blend of trippiness and voodoo soul that nobody else can do this well. Huey P Meaux produced, and titles include "Go Ahead On", "Don't Want No Monkey In My Business", "Loser For You Baby", "The Ear Is On Strike", "I Pulled The Cover Off You Two Lovers", "Chicky Wow Wow", and "I Got Lonesomeitis". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Sometimes", "Gangsta's Watch", "Cocaine Business" feat. Kelis, "Wethuggedout" with Missy Elliott, "First Day Home", "If U Want It", "Half Baked", "Oh No", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie, as the book is exactly what is promised – a surprisingly cool photo book that documents the laundromats of New York City – conveniently divided up into different chapters for each borough, with the real address of each location as well! Every image has the same stark representation as the photo on the front – and the presentation creates this really surprising sense of form and format – the slight variations that set each business apart, almost like the famous storefront book from years back. There's a short essay on the status of the American laundromat at the end – and the book is hardcover, full color, and 155 pages. Book

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

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funk from one of the greatest labels in the business! King Records is known to many for its classic work with singers like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Wynonie Harris – but during the later years of the label, they also pressed up a great amount of excellent funky 45s, including many that are some of the rarest you'll ever try to find. This 24 track set is the first to really try to document King's rich funk legacy – and it's got some amazing tracks that blend together raw southern soul, hard northern rhythms, and sweet James Brown-produced grooves. Any one of these tunes would set you back at least $50 on a single – not just because they're rare, but because they're some of the best funk cuts ever recorded. Titles include "Mr Tuff Stuff" by Toby King, "Gold Walk" by The Presidents, "Butter Your Popcorn" by Hank Ballard, "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters, "Don't Get Funky" by Gloria Walker, "Funky Lady (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul East, "From The Back Side (parts 1 & 2)" by The Sons Of Funk, "Camelot Time" by J Hines & The Fellows, and "Papa's Got The Wagon" by Gloria Walker. LP, Vinyl record album

Talk about a meeting of the minds! At the time of this album, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". CD

An excellent set of 70s soulful fusion from Quincy – recorded during his legendary A&M years, when he was working with some of the best new singers in the soul business, like Leon Ware, Patti Austin, Luther Vandross, and James Ingram. The album leans towards the smoother soulful side of Quincy's work, and features many classic R&B oriented cuts like "The Dude", "Body Heat", "Is It Love We're Missin", "Superstition", "I Heard That", "Razzamatazz", and the Latiny groover "Ai No Corrida". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest albums ever cut by Jimmy Witherspoon – recorded live at an early Monterey Jazz Festival, and done in a style that shows the strong link between jazz and blues in Jimmy's work! The group on the set includes Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, and Woody Herman – and the longish tracks on the set give them all more than enough room to solo alongside Jimmy's bluesy vocals. The album's also one of the first to be produced by a young David Axelrod – and shows a clear respect for both the singer and the musicians, in a combination that would come out even more strongly on Axe's later productions for Capitol. Titles include "No Rollin Blues", "Big Fine Girl", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Ain't Nobody's Business", and "When I Been Drinkin". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie – as the set's filled with super rare boogie and disco – yet the music here isn't just obscure, it's also totally great – really wonderful sounds from the farther reaches of the American club underground! The grooves here are fantastic – and many numbers are more in an uptempo soul mode than just a standard disco style – served up with warm instrumentation, soulful vocals, and lots of inventive touches in the arrangements that really keep things interesting! The collection brings together rare 12" singles and unusual records from the US and overseas – and titles include "This Party's Just For You (12" version)" by Special Touch, "There's No End To Our Love" by Leprechaun, "Never Leave Me & I'll Never Leave You" by Philadelphia Brite, "What'Em Doing Is My Business" by Gregory Jolly, "Party Track (12" mix)" by Mr Fox, "Music Freak (12" mix)" by Contagious, "Dance" by Ashanti, "Sweet Maryline" by Christian Gaubert, "When I Come Knocking" by Poncho C Saint Fingers, "Doin It Cause It Feels Good" by Chuck Strong, "Disco Spells Love" by Pure Love, and "Freex (7" mix)" by Aura. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Maybellene", "30 Days", "You Can't Catch Me", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Havana Moon", "School Days", "Rock And Roll Music", "Oh Baby Doll", "Reelin' & Rockin'", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Johnny B. Goode", "Around And Around", "Carol", "Beautiful Delilah", "Memphis", "Sweet Little Rock And Roller", "Little Queenie", "Almost Grown", "Back In The USA", "Let It Rock", "Bye Bye Johnny", "I'm Talking About You", "Come On", "Nadine", "No Particular Place To Go", and "I Want To Be Your Driver". CD

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". CD

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Includes "Lover Man", "Don't Explain", "Solitude", "Easy Living", "Good Morning Heartache", "God Bless The Child", "Them There Eyes", "Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums as a leader from the great Pony Poindexter – a reedman who mostly spent time in the Basie Band of the late 50s, and got some key nods from Lambert Hendricks & Ross – then recorded one album for Epic, a few for Prestige, and headed overseas for a rare few dates like this! Pony blows alto in a nice open-ended setting – almost spiritual at times, but held a few notches back – yet definitely stretching out way past his roots, as with other players of his generation on the American scene! Poindexter blows in a very cool modern quartet – with the young Jan Hammer on organ and piano, plus Jiri Mraz on bass, and Michael Dennert on drums – on titles that include "The Theme", "It Ain't Nobody's Business", "Tit Bit", "Wade In The Water", and "Moody's Mood For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include "Taurian Matador", "Don't Explain", "Easy Living/Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do", and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus 2 other great originals, "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little and "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus. LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as having a key ear for funk way before most other talents on the scene – and there's plenty of tracks here that take conventional soul artists and set them up in a nicely gritty mode – perfect for the format of a 45rpm 7" single – especially on some of the cuts here that spill out over both sides of the wax! The set features 28 tracks in all – many of which we've not seen on other collections – and titles include "Baby Baby I Love You" by The Hootenaires, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "Don't Make Me Cry" by Ti Mattison, "Count The Tears" by Jimmy Armstrong, "Memphis" by The Dan Dees, "My Darkest Hour" by Titus Turner, "Talk To Me Baby" by Joe Haywood, "Soul Express (parts 1 & 2)" by The Ramrods, "Hot Potato (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rinkydinks, "The Squeeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Horace Coopoer & Band, "Bank Of Love" by Janet Calloway, "Just A Little Bit Of True Love" by Betty Boothe, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, and "Dig Yourself" by Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers. CD

20 beautiful tracks of rare soul! The great Brit DJ Keb Darge put together this one – and if you've gotten his fantastic funk sets, you know that he knows his business! The set is filled with some incredible rare soul sides – all pulled from very rare sources, mostly on 45s – and we can guarantee that you won't have most of these, either on the original or on other compilations! The vibe is mellow and soulful, with a groove that's quite different from Keb's funk compilations – but every bit as excellent. Titles include "You've Got Me Hung Up" by King Tutt, "Loveland" by SPB, "Paradise" by Jewel, "Put Everything In Place" by Infinity, "Right On For The Darkness" by Willie Wright, "Baby, I Love You" by Vise, "As I Sit Here" by The Whispers, "Job Opening (part 1)" by the Del-Larks, and "Doin It Our Way" by Broomfield Corporate Jam. Great stuff, and the usual high level of quality from BBE! CD

The MJT grooves like nobody's business, thanks to a core rhythm group that includes Harold Mabern on piano, Walter Perkins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Add to the mix a young Frank Strozier on alto, fresh from Memphis (he made the trip to Chi-town with buddy Harold Mabern), and the smoking trumpet of Willie Thomas, and you've got one of the tightest combos to never make it in the big time. Who cares, though, because this album is a gem, and it grooves along mightily from top to bottom. Strozier and Mabern are fantastic, and they bring a unique soul jazz approach from their native Memphis into play with the firey Chicago rhythm of Cranshaw and Perkins. Five tracks: "Sleepy", "Brother Spike", "Whiffenpoof Song", "Rochelle" and "Big Hands". LP, Vinyl record album

2 more of the lost albums by Chicago's supreme soul jazz hardbop group from the late 50's/early 60's! The MJT grooves like nobody's business, thanks to a core rhythm group that includes Harold Mabern on piano, Walter Perkins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Add to the mix a young Frank Strozier on alto, fresh from Memphis (he made the trip to Chi-town with buddy Harold Mabern), and the smoking trumpet of Willie Thomas, and you've got one of the tightest combos to never make it in the big time. Who cares, though, because these albums are both gems, and they groove along mightily from top to bottom. Strozier and Mabern are fantastic, and they bring a unique soul jazz approach from their native Memphis into play with the firey Chicago rhythm of Cranshaw and Perkins. Great stuff, great remastering, and a dozen tracks in all! CD

Loads of great deep soul tracks from the Kent/Modern label, including tracks by Jimmy Holiday, Mary Love, Clay Hammond, ZZ Hill and Johnny Copeland. Great stuff, a lot of which was recorded in New Orleans in the 60s, with a fair number of unreleased tracks. 14 tracks in all, including "Nothing Can Change this Love", "You Messed Up My Mind", "I Can't Stand It", "Lets Get Together", "Darling I'm Standing By You", "Baby I'll Come Right Away", "I Don't Wanna Lose You", "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "Every Dog's Got His Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length collection of genius from Johnny Guitar Watson – one that focuses mostly on his key revival tunes of the mid and late 70s, and which also features some unreleased tracks! By the time of this work, Watson had already been bumping around the west coast R&B scene for nearly 20 years – recording in a range of styles that included blues, soul, and even a bit of jazz at times. Yet in the mid 70s, something really snapped – and Watson found that lean, clean style that would forever put him at the top of the funky pack – an approach that mixed together the blues of his roots with a compressed approach to guitar that was possibly inspired by younger players of the time, and which was crafted onto a homegrown groove that set the tone for a lot of other funk to come. CD features work from Watson's post Fantasy albums of the late 70s and early 80s – plus a few from the 1994 Bow Wow album – with a total of 31 tracks that includes the unreleased numbers "Ain't Nobody's Business", "Before I Let You Go", "Don't Be What UC", "Baby's In Love With The Radio", "Feel The Spirit Of My Guitar", and "ET" – plus "Ain't That A Bitch", "Superman Lover", "I Need It", "Real Mother For Ya", "I Want To Ta Ta You Baby", "Funk Beyond The Call Of Duty", "It's All About The Dollar Bill", "Gangster Of Love", "Telephone Bill", "Love Jones", and "Cop & Blow". CD

Rare work by Cannonball Adderley – recorded in the early 60s, but not issued until after his death! The album features live material – recorded in Tokyo and San Francisco – performed by Cannon's amazing sextet that includes Joe Zawinul on piano, Yusef Lateef on reeds, Nat Adderley on cornet, and the rhythm section of Sam Jones in bass and Louis Hayes on drums. Tracks are all long and grooving – with a sublime mix of the earlier soul jazz that Adderley forge in the late 50s, with some of the more exotic traces that were coming into the group through the work of Lateef. Titles include "New Delhi", "Peter & The Goats", "This Here", "Jive Samba", "Primitivo", "Autumn Leaves", "Dizzy's Business", and "Never Say Yes". CD

Rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". CD

A pair of gems from the Riverside years of Cannonball Adderley! First up is Cannonball Adderley Quintet In San Francisco – one of the greatest Cannonball Adderley albums from the Riverside years – a completely smoking live date recorded in San Francisco, often with long tracks that really let the group open up and do their thing! The lineup here is that classic one that first grabbed attention – the group with brother Nat on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums – and a young Bobby Timmons on piano, really cooking things up with tremendous drive, energy, and a sense of the groove! Titles include a great workout on Timmons' classic "This Here", plus originals "You Got It" and Spontaneous Combustion", and a great version of "Hi Fly". Soul jazz at its best, by one of the groups who gave the genre its name in the first place! Next is Cannonball Adderley Sextet In New York – rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing unfinished about this business – as The Blackbyrds are at the top of their game here – working in a sweet blend of jazz, funk, and soul – all produced to perfection by their mentor Donald Byrd! The groove is quite similar to some of Byrd's best from the time – a bit fuller than the first few records by The Blackbyrds, thanks to the addition of larger horns – and put together in ways that really has them soaring towards the skies on waves or righteous soul! There's vocals on most tracks, but they really take equal place next to the group's wonderful instrumentation – especially the heady keyboards of the mighty Kevin Toney, still a key member of the combo at this point. Titles include "Party Land", "In Life", "Time Is Movin", "Lady", and "You've Got That Something". LP, Vinyl record album

Very unusual later work from Fats Domino – recorded with a bit of a deep soul vibe by producer Felton Jarvis, who makes for some interesting twists on the usual Domino sound! Titles include "Man That's All", "Wigs", "Monkey Business", "Reelin & Rockin", and "Why Don't You Do Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Tomas Milian's the scruffy guy on the cover, and the light style of illustration lets you know that you're not in the spooky territory you might expect from Fabio Frizzi – but instead the kind of quickly-done comedy that was big business on the Italian scene of the 80s! With those films, the music was often the main glue holding the narrative together – and that's definitely the case here, as Frizzi's music is filled with catchy numbers that use electro rhythms and plenty of keyboards – playful and poppy, but with maybe a bit more thought than some of the dialogue on the screen! Back in the day, the original music was only issued as two tracks on a 7" single – but this package marks the full release of other tracks from the film, along with the cuts "Jolly Sax" and "You & I" – the latter with vocals by Tommie Babie! LP, Vinyl record album

Sam McClain – aka Mighty Sam – was one of the many great southern soul artists who recorded for the Amy label during the late 60s, and like most of those artists, Sam's never gotten his proper due, even though his work is right up there with the best of his generation. Thisset finally corrects that error, by bringing together rare tracks by Sam – most of them only available before on singles, and the bulk of which were cut at either Muscle Shoals or Memphis during the height of their glory days in the soul music business. The groove ranges from mellow southern ballads to uptempo numbers with a bit of a Solomon Burke-esque feel. LP, Vinyl record album

Rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". CD

The bip. . .the bap. . .the boom bip. . .Matt Alamano breaks it down, with crisp high hat, snapping snare and a heavy left foot on the kick on this album of 11 drum tracks, recorded live, hot and ready to serve whether your mixing, cutting or looping! They're solo live drums with the exception of one track, that adds a bassline, and tight and funky all the way through, with nice fills and variety of sounds and tones, so get ready to get busy with the business! LP, Vinyl record album