Stunning work from Michael Angelo – a little-known singer/songwriter from the Kansas City scene of the late 70s – one with a style that's totally great, but way too off the era's chronological expectations to get much notice at the time! Michael's music has a real late 60s vibe – some of the trippier folk modes of someone like Donovan, but mixed with the more complete songwriting of an artist like Nilsson or some of the hipper LA writers of the late 60s – all recorded in this laidback, understated way – especially for the 70s – with acoustic guitar most strongly in the mix, and a few other light rhythm touches and keyboards. The production's sharper than folk, but not much more so – and the music here is a great reminder that while we can look at the rock and roll timeline, and think that the punk explosion of the mid 70s was changing everything at once – out in the hinterlands there were still folks like Angelo who were dedicated to refining an older craft. The CD features a huge amount of material – the full original self-titled album, more tracks from those sessions, and a full second album recorded around the same time. 32 tracks on 2CDs, with lots of notes too – and titles that include "Field Of Lonely Eyes", "Future", "Journey To Find Who We Are", "Russian Lament", "Nubian Queen", "This Is The Night", "Love Is Too High", "Spirits Of Mercury", and "SOS Titanic". CD

Two great albums from a time when Maynard Ferguson was really hitting his stride – back to back on one CD! New Sounds is a really nice set, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working in the group – a lineup that includes Willie Maiden on tenor sax, Dusko Goykovich (horribly misspelled in the notes) on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on Baritone, and Lanny Morgan on alto – all of whom get to step out in short but soulful solos that make the tracks bristle with more excitement than you'd think. And as with other Cameo jazz sides from the time, Rufus Jones is on drums – bringing in a nice little punch to the tracks that kicks them up in just the right sort of way. Titles include the originals "Bossa Nova De Funk", "Maine Bone", and "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" – plus a version of "Watermelon Man", and the bonus track "The Song Is You". Come Blow Your Horn is a surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme". CD

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues". CD

A very cool Japanese-only collection of early Columbia Records material from Dave Brubeck – with titles that include "Blue Rondo A La Turk", "Unsquare Dance", "Bossa Nova USA", "Elven Four", "It's A Raggy Waltz", and "Take Five". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful vocal work from Guy Cabay – put together with a strong touch of jazz, a bit of bossa, and a swirling vibe that's mighty nice! Guy's got a breathy style of singing that works perfect with the backings – and its bits of guitar, organ, and other elements – often used as gently as Cabay's vocals, but in a style that's warm and sophisticated – like some of the hippest material on Saravah Records in the 70s, particularly work by Pierre Barouh! These tunes also often have a breezy rhythm that borrows from bossa nova, and which really suits the style of Guy's vocals – on titles that include "Julia Deus", "Pove Tiesse", "Tot Reguede", "Camamele Et Cataplame", "A M'Vwezene", "Li Robaleu", "Pax Pollinibus Bonae Voluntatis", and "Li Sabat D'Sinte Mere L'Oto". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost early chapter in the career of Roberta Flack – material recorded during the sessions for her legendary First Take album, but unissued at the time – and presented here with an amazing demonstration of the depth of her young talents! All the genius of First Take is in place here – that groundbreaking territory between jazz and soul that set Roberta apart from the pack, right from the start – but there's also a wider range of currents going on – maybe some more jazz-based numbers, mixed with other soul-referenced titles too – a wider span that furthers the role that Flack plays as a bridge between the 60s innovations of Nina Simone and a host of others to follow. The group is just a trio – Flack on piano with Marshall Hawkins on bass and Bernard Sweetney on drums – but the tunes have a very wide-open vibe that's very visionary, and every bit as great as Roberta's debut! Titles include a stunning version of "Afro Blue", plus "It's Way Past Suppertime", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Groove Me", "To Sir With Love", "The Song Is Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out", "The House Song", and "Hush A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked little record, and one that lives up to its Space Invaders theme right from the start – thanks to a host of sweet electronic touches from Scientist, over a set of killer head-nodding dubs from Roots Radics! The group themselves are in totally top form – massive bass from Flabba Holt and drums from Style and Santa – topped with wicked guitar licks, and some sweet organ lines from Winston Wright – but it's clearly Scientist who's the star of the show, for the way he cooks the elements together and comes up with a sound that more than does justice to the extra-cool cover! Familiar elements are nicely abstracted, and juxtaposed with clever shifts in the studio – all to create massive dubs that include "Beam Down", "Red Shift", "Time Warp", "Cloning Process", "Pulsar", "Laser Attack", "Dematerialize", "Fission", "Super Nova Explosion", and "Quasar". 2LP version features bonus vocal tracks – by Wayne Wade, Wailing Souls, Sammy Dread, Linval Thompson, and Johnny Osbourne! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential collection of work from one of the hippest funk groups of the 70s – the mysterious Wood Brass & Steel, who also participated in the legendary Skullsnaps record! The first part of the set features an unreleased album that the group recorded for the All-Platinum label in 1973 – music that's hard and funky, but which also shows a strong current of jazz as well – the kind of material that has the group very much in the best Earth Wind & Fire territory of the period, with a sense of righteous perfection that should have made them huge – had the album not stayed in the vaults! The set includes their fantastic "Hey What's That You Say" – which was later reworked as "It's A New Day" for the Skullsnaps album – plus a few more cuts that later appeared on the Brother To Brother debut album – titles that include "Trespassing", "Let's Take A Stroll", "Jermilah", "If He Can Do It She Can Do It", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "A Love Of My Own". Next is the self-titled Wood Brass & Steel album – a legendary bit of east coast funk from the 70s – by a group who'd go on to have a huge influence both in the worlds of hip hop and house! Wood Brass & Steel feature two key players who later became part of the Sugarhill Records house band, and later the On-U Sound collective – Doug Wimbush and Skip McDonald – but the set's got a much fuller, more soulful vibe than work from those later projects – nice use of horns, as hinted at in the title – but not in a way that make these guys a brassy funk band either! Instead, there's a smooth groove throughout – one that comes up from the rhythms first, with a wonderful quality that's years ahead of its time – never disco, but not afraid of some faster rhythms that point the way towards underground club to come. The whole thing's the kind of funky lost gem that makes us happy to do what we do – and it's had long life over the past few decades, thanks to the rich variety of tunes on the set. Titles include the classic cut "Funkanova", an uptempo jazzy instrumental that continued to be a club favorite throughout the house years – plus loads of other good cuts, too, like "WBS Theme", "Welcome To The Party", "Same Ol Me", "Working On A Dream", and a version of "Always There". Hard & Heavy is the incredibly rare second album from Wood Brass & Steel – the mighty funk group we've loved for years for their landmark debut from the mid 70s! This sophomore set is from a few years later, and has the group honing their groove even more – working with these righteous currents in their music that expand the sound into territory that's almost a bit like Roy Ayers at times! As with Ayers, the vocals are often layered into the rhythms – sometimes sung by group members with this soulfully flowing current that has a subtle, sublime sort of vibe – and which works perfectly for the message in the music. Tunes are often in the faster side of midtempo – but never conventional club or disco at all – and there's this really special quality to the whole record, one that even tops the unique vibe of their first album. The original album was very briefly issued by Sugar Hill, during a time when the label was mostly doing hip hop – and is impossibly hard to find in the original pressing. Titles include "Open Up Your Heart", "Be Yourself", "Long Live Music", "Space Walk", "Fly With Music", "Superstar", and "Are You Busy". CD

An excellent session of rare bossa material, recorded at the legendary Paramount Theatre, the temple to bossa nova! The album features tracks by a number of different artists, handled with a lot more care and a lot better recording quality than other live bossa sessions – and the result is one of the best compilations from the old days that we can think of. Features an amazing version of "Nana" by The Zimbo Trio, with a great funky bass breakdown in the middle – and other great tracks include "Vivo Sonhando" by Wanda De Sah, "Antes E Depois" by Oscar Castro Neves, "Tem Do De Mim" by Quarteto Em Cy, and a great duet on "Terra De Ninguem" by Marcos Valle and Elis Regina! CD

The evolution of Far Out's excellent Brazilian Love Affair series – featuring standouts from earlier volumes as well as new and exclusive tracks! Brazilian Love Affair Revisited celebrates the series to date as well as it charts the evolving sounds of Brazil and its London interpreters – and shows where the sound is going via newer material and younger talents. A great set with both classic and contemporary legends such as Ed Motta, Marcos Valle, Joyce, Azymuth and others, respectful remixes and interpretations by Osunlade, Mark Pritchard and Kirk Degiorgio, newer tracks from more recent Far Out arrivals such as Raf Vilar and Clara Moreno. 15 tracks in all: "Os Escravos Do Jo (Precussion Edit)" and more by Friends From Rio 2, "Ponteio" by Da Lata, "Nova Bossa Nova" by Marcos Valle, "Paz" by Troubleman feat Nina Miranda, "Todos Os Santos" by Joyce, "Preguiciman" by Mamond, "Bossa Me" by Raf Vilar, "Without Words" by 4 Hero Presents Nature's Plan feat Ed Motta, "Sem Pressa (Remix By Danny Wheeler)" by Alex Malheiros And Banda Utopia feat Sabrina Malheiros and more. CD

A tremendous entry in this wonderful series – a set that proudly proclaims its contents with the "NOW" on the cover! Back when the Spiritual Jazz series first started on the Jazzman label, the music was mostly relegated to material of the John Coltrane generation and the generation that followed – but in the past decade or so, there's been a huge explosion in new artists that explore the deeper, more righteous currents of jazz – music that's pulled in from the farther reaches of free improvisation, to righteous, message-oriented styles that often mix modal rhythms with more exploratory solo passages. Yet this new generation is hardly slavish to the sounds of Impulse Records – as they've really moved beyond, and have used a globe's worth of influences and new 21st Century concepts to bring fresh spirit to the music – opening things up in ways that have made this new movement one of our greatest sources of inspiration in recent years. This double-length entry is a fantastic overview of the sounds that are currently reshaping the planet – and titles on volume 2 include "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Slow Sweet Burn" by Abeeku, "Palms To Heaven" by The Cosmic Range, "Nova" by Menagerie, "Avo's Tune" by Teemu Akerblom Quartet, "Paris" by Jonas Kullhammar, "Vessels" by The Jamie Saft Quartet, "What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black "by Angel Bat Dawid, "Trane's Groove" by Carla Marciano, "For Coltrane" by Steve Reid Foundation, "Empty Streets" by Vibration Black Finger, and "Memory Ritual" by The Pyramids. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little package, and way more than just the familiar exotica moments on mainstream compilations – as your guides here are Lux Interior and Poison Ivy of The Cramps – two folks who know more than plenty about the music of the farther reaches of the postwar years! And although their other collections for this label have gone way out to pull in some totally obscure material, the blend here is more measured – so that you'll get great cuts by some of the bigger exotica names, mixed with other numbers that are more unusual – and some that we wouldn't have even thought to include in such a package – all awash in sounds from the islands, tropical percussion, and even a few birdcalls and chants along the way! The 2CD set features a great range of material – and titles include "The Twisters" by Mel Henke, "Hampi" by Yma Sumac, "Mystery Of Love" by Olatunji, "Jardin De La Noche" by Robert Drasnin, "Mood For You" by Phil Moore, "Alegres Conga" by Cal Tlader, Envy" by Bill Russo, "Kele Kele" by Johnny Richards, "African Bossa Nova" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Tabu" by Augie Colon, "Pua Carnaeon" by Arthur Lyman, "Adventures In Paradise" by Leo Addeo, "Dance Of The Nustas" by Elisabeth Waldo, "Pagan Love Song" by Alex Stordal, "Balikpapan" by Jimmy Namaro Trio, and "Train To Ranchipur" by Markko Polo Adventurers. CD

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Two wonderful albums from Loleatta Holloway – both a strong full-length document of her early genius in the Atlanta studios! First up is the Loleatta album from 1973 – and if you only know Loleatta Holloway as a disco singer, you'll be really amazed at this debut album – because Loleatta emerges first as deep soul singer with a strong southern vibe – very much in the mode the Atlanta scene did best, before picking up the pace a bit more as the 70s moved on! There's a mellow, blue sort of vibe to the record – but still plenty of that pride and power that made Holloway an equally great singer on an upbeat tune – served up here on tunes by Sam Dees, Ashford & Simpson, and other hip songwriters of the period – set to strong arrangements by Mike Terry, who does a great job of bringing out the lady at her best. Titles include "We Did It", "Mother Of Shame", "Only A Fool", "So Can I", "Our Love", and "Love Woke Me Up". Cry To Me is a wonderful album of southern soul from Loleatta Holloway! The record was her last in the deep soul mode – and it's a gem that should have made her as big as her later disco records – a really well-crafted extension of styles that Stax and Atlantic had done in the 60s, but given a smoother, more sophisticated vibe for the 70s! The record was produced by Floyd Smith, and it's got some of the most sophisticated production we've heard on a southern diva album from the 70s – with instrumentation that still boggles us with its brilliance. Case in point is the amazing cut "Cry To Me", which has these insane banks of "weeping" guitar that send chills down our spine! The cut was written by Sam Dees, who also penned some other fine material for the album – and titles include "I Know Where You're Coming From", "Just Be True To Me", "Something About The Way I Feel", and a cover of Ruby Andrews' "Casanova". CD

Weird and wild sounds from 60s/70s composer Andrzej Korzynski – an artist we mostly know from soundtrack material, but represented here by a rich array of rare material from his personal archives! The scope of styles is really wonderful – as the set steps between funky numbers and very offbeat instrumentals – kind of the full range of sound library elements you might get from the hippest European scenes of the 70s – no surprise, given that this material was recorded in France, Italy, and Poland! Some tunes are heavy on electronics, others use a mix of acoustic and electric instruments together – and almost all the tracks are relatively short, and work together as this shifting palette of musical statements from Korzynski – almost a mini-movie in sound, with all the vivid qualities that reference implies. Titles include "Third Part Of The Night Main Theme)", "Diabel", "La Grabuge", "Roza Roza", "Bossa Nova", "Saved From Oblivion", "Trying To Catch A Fly", "Agent No 1", "Tajemnica Enigmy", and "W Instyucie". LP, Vinyl record album

Iggy Pop's mid-to-late 70s era working David Bowie as a co-writer, producer and incredible creative foil – in a 7CD box set! It includes Iggy's first 2 and to this day all-time great solo albums The Idiot and Lust For Life, neither of which seem to have aged a day since 1977, a full CD of alternate mixes and out-takes, the original classic live album TV Eye – 1977 that compiled soundboard recordings from the '77 tour – and perhaps this box set's deepest dug treasure trove – 3CDs of complete sets from that same 1977 tour at London's Rainbow Theatre, The Agora in Cleveland, and at Mantra Studios in Chicago! While the Idiot and Lust Of Life showed Iggy to be a lot more versatile of a front man and songwriter to anyone who might not have seen past the manic firebrand howling out front for The Stooges, his live material from that era is pretty amazing too, embracing the Stooges catalog with some of the more innovative style of his early solo albums –bigger arrangements, woozy keyboards and soulful back up singers among them without sacrificing any of the...well, we gotta say it...any of the raw power. Nearly as ferocious as ever but with a real sense of style and craft – and there's a wealth of it collected here for the first time ever. Also includes a 40-page hardback book! CD

A window into a near-lost side of American avant jazz of the 70s – the self-produced albums issued by Leo Smith on his Kabell label – presented here as a beautiful 4CD set, complete with over 2 hours of previously unreleased material! The original albums have always been incredibly hard to find, and they show a side of Smith that is one of the purest on record from the time – displaying him as a key innovator in the tradition of Chicago musicians of the AACM, and the New York players of the loft scene – both of whom Smith interacted with freely. Players on the set include Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, and Pheerokan Ak Laff – and the set features music from the albums Creative Music 1, Song Of Humanity, Reflectativity, and Akhreanvention – as well as unreleased tracks from those sessions! CD

A landmark early moment from Doris Troy – a set that has her shining not just as a key 60s soul singer for Atlantic Records – but also as a heck of a great songwriter too! She's got a really fresh approach here – one that's right up front for the time – with a mix of raw vocals and classy production, in a style that's partly New York uptown – but which also has the kind of strongly individual vibe you'd get from singers like Maxine Brown or Barbara Lewis too! Arrangements on the record are by Gregory Carroll, who also wrote the bulk of the material with Doris – including tracks like "Lazy Days", "Bossa Nova Blues", "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", "Time", and "Just One Look". Other tracks include "Stormy Weather", "School For Fools", and "Somewhere Along The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most seductive sound library albums ever recorded by Piero Umiliani – a set that was originally issued under his Zalla pseudonym, but which has all the best jazzy grooves of some of his famous soundtrack material from the end of the 60s! As on those records, Umiliani plays a host of great keyboards, especially organ – over rhythms that are mellow-stepping and slightly funky – often updated with modes borrowed from bossa nova, but brought into a more sensuous Italian soundtrack setting – balanced with nice touches on flute, guitar, and other instrumentation as well. The whole thing's wonderful – as lovely as your favorite soundtrack work by Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, or Armando Trovajoli – with titles that include "Porta D'Oriented", "Tanto Lontano", "Pianure D'Asia", "Oriente Rosso", "Prime Nebbie", "Nel Parco", "Vecchie Strade", and "Laguna Tropicale". CD

One of the most seductive sound library albums ever recorded by Piero Umiliani – a set that was originally issued under his Zalla pseudonym, but which has all the best jazzy grooves of some of his famous soundtrack material from the end of the 60s! As on those records, Umiliani plays a host of great keyboards, especially organ – over rhythms that are mellow-stepping and slightly funky – often updated with modes borrowed from bossa nova, but brought into a more sensuous Italian soundtrack setting – balanced with nice touches on flute, guitar, and other instrumentation as well. The whole thing's wonderful – as lovely as your favorite soundtrack work by Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, or Armando Trovajoli – with titles that include "Porta D'Oriented", "Tanto Lontano", "Pianure D'Asia", "Oriente Rosso", "Prime Nebbie", "Nel Parco", "Vecchie Strade", and "Laguna Tropicale". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive 70s album from the great Bill Withers – one that's sometimes overlooked next to his huge crossover records that preceded it – but which is every bit as wonderful! Withers is still on Sussex Records, and still has that completely unique approach that made him a soul genre unto himself – a fantastic voice, a nicely acoustic core, and this sense of flow that's completely magnetic – augmented here with maybe a bit more funk than before, and some great use of keyboards too! The material has a conversational, wise and world weary tone that's brilliantly effective and more intimate than Bill's bigger hits of the day – and there's also some subtly innovative parts to the production that are really moving, from the harp accented piano on "Stories" and the funky percussion flavored rambler of a closing number "Railroad Man". Other tracks include "You", "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", "Heartbreak Road", "Green Grass", "Ruby Lee", "Can We Pretend", "Liza", and "Make A Smile For Me". CD

A second great serving of grooves from the French scene of the late 60s and early 70s – a package that also includes some rare sound library material too, and which shows that if you know where to look, French records can be a real treasure trove of funky cuts! We loved the first volume, but this second one may well dig even deeper – as much of the work here is new to our ears, and the cuts work together in a really great blend of funky instrumental modes – familiar elements from the time, but lots of great twists and turns too! Titles include "Mr Buzz" by The Flying Dutchman, "Soul Car" by Pierre Alain Dahan & Slim Pezin, "Riviera Express" by Bernard Estardy, "Ten Et Medor" by Alain Goraguer, "Belle Gueuse" by Claude Engel, "Lewis & Clark" by Raymond Guiot, "Red Medium" by Tonio Rubio, "Aubergine Time" by Bernard Lubat, "Bass Session" by Guy Pedersen, "Jelly Roll Dance" by Jean Pierre Martin, "Bass Duettino" by Raymond Guiot, "Nage Libre" by Hervey Roy, "Patio Bass" by Guy Pedersen, and "Bahia Bossa Nova" by Bernard Lubat. LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking work in the field of jazz trombone – a unique 4 trombone session that features the talents of JJ Johnson, Kai Winding, Benny Green, and Willie Dennis – all set to rhythm by the trio of John Lewis on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! The players all get plenty of room to solo – stretching out nicely on the tracks, and resisting the popular multi-trombone style of ensemble work of the time. The CD features 8 tracks in all – material that was originally released on a two-volume series of 10" albums – titled 4 Trombones. Tracks include "Stardust", "Move", "I'll Remember April", "Trombonosophere", "Ow", "Chazzanova", and "Now's The Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful music from singer Tom Rapp – probably best known as the lead voice behind Pearls Before Swine, but a hell of a solo act on his own! The work here follows in the same moody, melancholic territory as the best ESP sides from Pearls Before Swine – but there's also a bit tighter feel too – not one that's commercial, but just very well put-together – with a vibe that's a bit like some of the best early Leonard Cohen material for Columbia. Rapp's got an extremely unique sound in his vocals – which makes the tunes come across with an eerie quality that goes well beyond their simple lyrical content – and the backing mixes familiar folk elements with undercurrents of percussion and bits of jazzy phrasing – a bit like you might find on some mellower late 60s moments from Donovan. Titles include "Stardancer", "Marshall", "Les Ans", "The Baptist", "Tiny Song", "Summer Of 55", and "For The Dead In Space". LP, Vinyl record album

wicked little record, and one that lives up to its Space Invaders theme right from the start – thanks to a host of sweet electronic touches from Scientist, over a set of killer head-nodding dubs from Roots Radics! The group themselves are in totally top form – massive bass from Flabba Holt and drums from Style and Santa – topped with wicked guitar licks, and some sweet organ lines from Winston Wright – but it's clearly Scientist who's the star of the show, for the way he cooks the elements together and comes up with a sound that more than does justice to the extra-cool cover! Familiar elements are nicely abstracted, and juxtaposed with clever shifts in the studio – all to create massive dubs that include "Beam Down", "Red Shift", "Time Warp", "Cloning Process", "Pulsar", "Laser Attack", "Dematerialize", "Fission", "Super Nova Explosion", and "Quasar". 2CD version features bonus vocal tracks – by Wayne Wade, Wailing Souls, Sammy Dread, Linval Thompson, and Johnny Osbourne! CD

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more. CD