An incredible collection of work by one of the greatest Afro Funk groups of the 70s! From their inception as the AACM-styled jazz group Juju in the early 70s, to their key days in the DC Black Fire scene of the mid 70s, to their early 80s fame as club groovers, Oneness of Juju were one of the most revolutionary acts of their generation, with an influence that spanned far more than just the few albums the group released under their own name. This wonderfully-compiled set is the first-ever to really document the full scope of the group's activities – and apart from tracks that were included on their classic albums, it's got a wealth of other material that you probably don't have in your record collection! The notes are great, the music is amazing, and there's more tunes on here than we could have ever hoped to hear! Titles include "No Name #3/Love Is/My N_gger & Me" by Roach Om, "West Wind (previously unissued)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Every Way But Loose" by Plunky & Oneness Of Juju, "African Rhythms (LP version)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Asante Sana" by Okyerema Asante, "Nairobi/Chants" by Juju, "Sabi (Black Fire mix)" by Okyerema Asante, "Got To Be Right On It (45 version)" by Juju & The Space Rangers, "Bootsie's Lament (unreleased version)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Plastic (45 version)" by Juju & The Space Rangers, "Doin The Carvin For Thabo" by Lon Moshe, "Nomusa" by Ndinkho Xaba, and "The End Of The Butterfly King" by Juju. CD has 25 tracks on 2CDs! CD

An incredible collection of work by one of the greatest Afro Funk groups of the 70s! From their inception as the AACM-styled jazz group Juju in the early 70s, to their key days in the DC Black Fire scene of the mid 70s, to their early 80s fame as club groovers, Oneness of Juju were one of the most revolutionary acts of their generation, with an influence that spanned far more than just the few albums the group released under their own name. This wonderfully-compiled set is the first-ever to really document the full scope of the group's activities – and apart from tracks that were included on their classic albums, it's got a wealth of other material that you probably don't have in your record collection! The notes are great, the music is amazing, and there's more tunes on here than we could have ever hoped to hear! Titles include "No Name #3/Love Is/My N_gger & Me" by Roach Om, "West Wind (previously unissued)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Every Way But Loose" by Plunky & Oneness Of Juju, "African Rhythms (LP version)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Asante Sana" by Okyerema Asante, "Nairobi/Chants" by Juju, "Sabi (Black Fire mix)" by Okyerema Asante, "Got To Be Right On It (45 version)" by Juju & The Space Rangers, "Bootsie's Lament (unreleased version)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Plastic (45 version)" by Juju & The Space Rangers, "Doin The Carvin For Thabo" by Lon Moshe, "Nomusa" by Ndinkho Xaba, and "The End Of The Butterfly King" by Juju. CD has 25 tracks on 2CDs! LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued performance by the legendary spiritual jazz group Juju – the genre-crossing combo who'd later expand to the full Oneness Of Juju ensemble! This set captures the group in more avant formation than their later funky records – more clearly tied to a late Coltrane inspiration, but with some of the energy of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and other creative improvisational groups – especially in the way the members of the lineup seem to effortlessly shift instruments over the course of the long tunes on the set! The vibe is very similar to the Juju albums on Strata East – and this set might be thought of as a chapter three to those two records – with a lineup that features the mighty Plunky Nakabinde on tenor, soprano, flute, and percussion – plus Al Hammel Rasul on piano, Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Ken Shabala on bass, and Babatunde and Jalango on percussion and vocals too. Titles include "Black Experience", "Struggle Home", "At Least We Have A Horizon Now", and "Soledad Brothers". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set that's filled with life, emotion, and wonderful instrumentation throughout! The group are a bit more relaxed overall – easing into things, but in a way that really builds up as the album moves on – as they layer together heavy percussion, sweet keyboards, and lots of great sax solos from Plunky Nakabinde – plus wonderfully warm vocals that add a soulful edge the group never had before, but which still is very jazzy – and not like the funky club of later years. The whole thing's wonderfully cohesive, and a treasure throughout – and titles include the warm vocal number "River Luvrite", to the harder hitting "Space Jungle Funk", and other gems like "Soul Love Now", "Follow Me", "The Connection", and "Love's Messenger". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St Louis at the same time, but maybe a bit more direct, too – and really showing some of the stronger spiritual tones that would only blossom more strongly in later years! Reedman Plunky Nakabinde is firmly at the helm of the group – on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – but the set also features great work from Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Babatunde on congas and drums, Phil Branch on bass, and Al-Hammond Raul on piano and percussion. The sounds are a bit less Afro-styled than on the Oneness records, but still have all the great spiritual currents – and titles include an excellent version of Pharoah Sanders' "Black Unity", plus the original tunes "Contradiction", "Nia", "Black Experience", and "The End Of The Butterfly King". LP, Vinyl record album

Five full albums from the legendary Black Fire label – a DC-based imprint that was home to a heck of a lot of knowledge and power back in the 70s! First up is Live At The East – a never-issued performance by the legendary spiritual jazz group Juju – the genre-crossing combo who'd later expand to the full Oneness Of Juju ensemble! This set captures the group in more avant formation than their later funky records – more clearly tied to a late Coltrane inspiration, but with some of the energy of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and other creative improvisational groups – especially in the way the members of the lineup seem to effortlessly shift instruments over the course of the long tunes on the set! The vibe is very similar to the Juju albums on Strata East – and this set might be thought of as a chapter three to those two records – with a lineup that features the mighty Plunky Nakabinde on tenor, soprano, flute, and percussion – plus Al Hammel Rasul on piano, Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Ken Shabala on bass, and Babatunde and Jalango on percussion and vocals too. Titles include "Black Experience", "Struggle Home", "At Least We Have A Horizon Now", and "Soledad Brothers". Next is Chapter Two – the rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St Louis at the same time, but maybe a bit more direct, too – and really showing some of the stronger spiritual tones that would only blossom more strongly in later years! Reedman Plunky Nakabinde is firmly at the helm of the group – on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – but the set also features great work from Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Babatunde on congas and drums, Phil Branch on bass, and Al-Hammond Raul on piano and percussion. The sounds are a bit less Afro-styled than on the Oneness records, but still have all the great spiritual currents – and titles include an excellent version of Pharoah Sanders' "Black Unity", plus the original tunes "Contradiction","Nia", "Black Experience", and "The End Of The Butterfly King". On the next record, the group shifts into the new name Oneness Of Juju, and delivers African Rhythms – a landmark of 70s Afro-styled jazz – and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble – formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with spiritual and political aspirations that stretched far beyond the average funky combo. This first album is a masterful blend of percussion, jazz, and a slight bit of funk – alternating vocal tracks with harder-hitting jazz instrumentals, all held together under the leadership of sax player Plunky Nakabinde – a reedman whose work here alone is worth the price of admission – laid out nicely alongside some great percussion, Fender Rhodes, and wonderfully worm vocals on a few tracks. The album's one of the greatest independent soul jazz albums of the 70s – and it's filled with great tracks, such as the breakbeat classic "African Rhythms" and "Liberation Dues" – plus "Kazi", "Funky Wood", "Don't Give Up", "Poo Too", and "Incognito". The group returns on Space Jungle Luv – a fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set that's filled with life, emotion, and wonderful instrumentation throughout! The group are a bit more relaxed overall – easing into things, but in a way that really builds up as the album moves on – as they layer together heavy percussion, sweet keyboards, and lots of great sax solos from Plunky Nakabinde – plus wonderfully warm vocals that add a soulful edge the group never had before, but which still is very jazzy – and not like the funky club of later years. The whole thing's wonderfully cohesive, and a treasure throughout – and titles include the warm vocal number "River Luvrite", to the harder hitting "Space Jungle Funk", and other gems like "Soul Love Now", "Follow Me", "The Connection", and "Love's Messenger". Lastly, Experience Unlimited serve up a wonderfully spiritual album – and one that's maybe a bit of a surprise, given the later fame of the group! The group here is billed by their full name – Experience Unlimited – but where later known to most of the world as EU, the DC funk outfit that went onto become pretty big in the GoGo scene, and who scored big with the 80s party cut "Da Butt". Yet as a classic album on the Black Fire label, this record is nothing like their 80s material at all – and instead catches the group when they were part of a more spiritual scene, the same DC one that gave the world Oneness Of Juju and the larger family of Black Fire artists! This album has the group very much in a mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire mode – jamming hard and free, with plenty of electric guitar riffing, funky keyboards, horns, and lots of percussion. Some tracks have vocals, and some are instrumentals – but the whole thing's an extremely unified album with a great overall vibe – and a message to match the title and the cover. Titles include "Functus", "Free Yourself", "Hey You", "It's All Imagination", and "Funk Consciousness". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark of 70s Afro-styled jazz – and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble – formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with spiritual and political aspirations that stretched far beyond the average funky combo. This first album is a masterful blend of percussion, jazz, and a slight bit of funk – alternating vocal tracks with harder-hitting jazz instrumentals, all held together under the leadership of sax player Plunky Nakabinde – a reedman whose work here alone is worth the price of admission – laid out nicely alongside some great percussion, Fender Rhodes, and wonderfully worm vocals on a few tracks. The album's one of the greatest independent soul jazz albums of the 70s – and it's filled with great tracks, such as the breakbeat classic "African Rhythms" and "Liberation Dues" – plus "Kazi", "Funky Wood", "Don't Give Up", "Poo Too", and "Incognito". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A landmark of Afro-centric jazz in the 70s – and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble – formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with spiritual and political aspirations that stretched far beyond the average funky combo. This first album is a masterful blend of percussion, jazz, and a slight bit of funk – alternating vocal tracks with harder-hitting jazz instrumentals, all held together under the leadership of sax player Plunky Nakabinde. The album's one of the greatest independent soul jazz albums of the 70s – and it's filled with great tracks, such as the breakbeat classic "African Rhythms" and "Liberation Dues". Other titles include "Kazi", "Funky Wood", "Don't Give Up", "Poo Too", and "Incognito". Expanded UK version also includes 2 bonus tracks – "African Rhythms (45 mix – parts 1 & 2)" and the previously-unreleased "Aforbeat". CD

A great late 70s session by Sun Ra – released on the small Sweet Earth label, recorded in 1979, with a version of the Arkestra that includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Eddie Gale on trumpet, and June Tyson on vocals – plus Sun Ra himself on Fender Rhodes, percussion, and a bit of vocals too! There's a few longer straighter tracks, like "Sunny Side Of The Street" and "Manhattan Cocktail", but the real highlight is the album's funky version of "Space Is The Place", which sounds like a lost groover by Oneness Of Juju! Another nice funky track is "Space Fling", which has kind of a New Orleans stompin groove to it. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. LP, Vinyl record album

The hippest funky jazz from the start of the 70s – music that takes all the pride, power, triumph, and challenge of the 60s – and focuses into a bold new energy for a young generation! The work here draws equally from jazz and soul, with lots of other global influences coming into play as well – and together, the tracks present an amazing portrait of a generation moving past the initial Civil Rights struggle – building a new culture through righteous expressions like these! Nearly every track is a classic – and all the artists are ones we've supported for years on their own reissues – and together, the tracks sound wonderful, especially when given the full sort of Soul Jazz presentation with great notes and other details. Titles include "Exchange (part 2)" by Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe, "Space Jungle Funk" by Oneness Of Juju, "Damballa" by The Pharoahs, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott Heron, "Brown Rice" by Don Cherry, "Work It Out" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz, "Beneficent" by Tribe, "Sweet Power Your Embrace" by James Mason, "Kitty Bey" by Byron Morris & Unity, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "Theme De Yoyo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and "Welcome To The Party" by Har-You Percussion Group. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. CD

The hippest funky jazz from the start of the 70s – music that takes all the pride, power, triumph, and challenge of the 60s – and focuses into a bold new energy for a young generation! The work here draws equally from jazz and soul, with lots of other global influences coming into play as well – and together, the tracks present an amazing portrait of a generation moving past the initial Civil Rights struggle – building a new culture through righteous expressions like these! Nearly every track is a classic – and all the artists are ones we've supported for years on their own reissues – and together, the tracks sound wonderful, especially when given the full sort of Soul Jazz presentation with great notes and other details. Titles include "Exchange (part 2)" by Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe, "Space Jungle Funk" by Oneness Of Juju, "Damballa" by The Pharoahs, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott Heron, "Brown Rice" by Don Cherry, "Work It Out" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz, "Beneficent" by Tribe, "Sweet Power Your Embrace" by James Mason, "Kitty Bey" by Byron Morris & Unity, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "Theme De Yoyo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and "Welcome To The Party" by Har-You Percussion Group. CD

A soulful gem from reedman Daoud Abubakar Balewa – head of the Ambiance Fusion Ensemble, who cut a few really great albums back in the day! This set is definitely one of them – and it's got a unique approach that's rooted in spiritual jazz, but delivered with some fusion touches too – guitar, keyboards, and electric bass giving some of the tunes a bit of a groove – a bit like that shift that Oneness Of Juju made in the late 70s too! There's a really great female singer on a few tracks – who has this vibe that's a bit like Jean Carn singing on an early Doug Carn record, or maybe like female vocals on some of the Roy Ayers albums for Polydor – and the whole album is as soulful as it is groovy, with some nice cosmic touches throughout. Titles include a killer version of Walter Bishop's "Turnaround", plus the original numbers "Ebun", "Camouflage", "After June", "OFC", and "Bossa Monife". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost set from percussionist Okyerema Asante – an African percussionist, but one who made some great music as part of the Black Fire/Oneness Of Juju collective on the DC scene in the 70s! This album follows with a spirit that's a bit like the later work of Oneness – and in fact, the group also features its leader, the excellent Plunky Nakabinde on a variety of saxes and flute. There's a strong dancefloor current at times – mixing funk and soul with deeper roots – similar to Oneness on their Make A Change album, inflected with lots of clubby rhythms and a bit of electronics. The best cut is "That's My Girl" – a 15 minute number that grooves on with some good sax bits from Plunky, and a catchy hook that comes off quite soulfully – but the other long track, "Sabi (Get Down)", is pretty great too. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully spiritual album – and one that's maybe a bit of a surprise, given the later fame of the group! The group here is billed by their full name – Experience Unlimited – but where later known to most of the world as EU, the DC funk outfit that went onto become pretty big in the GoGo scene, and who scored big with the 80s party cut "Da Butt". Yet as a classic album on the Black Fire label, this record is nothing like their 80s material at all – and instead catches the group when they were part of a more spiritual scene, the same DC one that gave the world Oneness Of Juju and the larger family of Black Fire artists! This album has the group very much in a mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire mode – jamming hard and free, with plenty of electric guitar riffing, funky keyboards, horns, and lots of percussion. Some tracks have vocals, and some are instrumentals – but the whole thing's an extremely unified album with a great overall vibe – and a message to match the title and the cover. Titles include "Functus", "Free Yourself", "Hey You", "It's All Imagination", and "Funk Consciousness". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary Nimbus label – and the only set we've ever seen from pianist Linda Hill as a leader! The set's got the same open-ended, spiritually-expressive sound as Adele Sebastian's record for the label – and Sebastian's also a key part of the group, working here on vocal and flute, to give the album a richly righteous sound! The vocals are great, and often feature help from Jugeger Juan Grey – with more soul than usual for this sort of set, but still plenty of jazz elements too – with an offbeat quality that's almost like Oneness Of Juju – often used just to lead off a tune, before the solos come in strongly. Other musicians include Sabir Matteen on tenor, Roberto Miranda on bass, Everett Brown on drums, and Virjilio Figuera on percussion. Titles include "Lullaby For Linda", "Children", "Leland's Song", and "The Creator's Musician". LP, Vinyl record album

The first of BBE's forays into current hip hop – and a wonderful debut in the series! The album started as a breakbeat project from Detroit's Jay Dee, but soon morphed into a full-on hip hop album – complete with real instrumentation on Fender Rhodes, trumpet, keyboards, and drums, with lyrics on about half of the tracks. Features great remakes of "African Rhythms" (Oneness of Juju), "Brazilian Groove" (Earth Wind & Fire), and "Think Twice" (Donald Byrd), plus the cuts "Rico Suave Bossa Nova", "Shake It Down", "Give it Up", "The Clapper", and "Come Get It". CD

Fantastic work from Kapingbdi – a group who hail from Liberia, but who recorded all of these tracks for a label in Germany – all at a level that makes for a wonderfully open, criss-crossing sort of sound! These tracks aren't cleaned up or polished world music for the post-colonial market – but instead, they perfectly reflect the new musical crossroads that appeared in that generation – as a group like Kapingbdi were able to effortlessly draw from American soul and jazz, especially the latter – all while making music that was uniquely their own. There's some very strong jazz work in the mix – especially on the saxes and flute of group leader E Kojo Samuels – whose strong lead voice and solo passages really help give these tracks a depth that maybe even recalls some of the best work by Oneness Of Juju. Instrumentation includes plenty of percussion mixed with just the right dose of Fender Rhodes – and although there are vocals on the tracks, the instrumental passages often hold sway. Titlesinclude "Don't Escape", "You Go Go You Go Home", "Wrong Curfew Walk", "Our Heritage (Sengadebon)", "Take The Guitar Out", "Boys Town", "Deadea (edit)", and "Mali Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Kapingbdi – a group who hail from Liberia, but who recorded all of these tracks for a label in Germany – all at a level that makes for a wonderfully open, criss-crossing sort of sound! These tracks aren't cleaned up or polished world music for the post-colonial market – but instead, they perfectly reflect the new musical crossroads that appeared in that generation – as a group like Kapingbdi were able to effortlessly draw from American soul and jazz, especially the latter – all while making music that was uniquely their own. There's some very strong jazz work in the mix – especially on the saxes and flute of group leader E Kojo Samuels – whose strong lead voice and solo passages really help give these tracks a depth that maybe even recalls some of the best work by Oneness Of Juju. Instrumentation includes plenty of percussion mixed with just the right dose of Fender Rhodes – and although there are vocals on the tracks, the instrumental passages often hold sway. Titlesinclude "Don't Escape", "You Go Go You Go Home", "Wrong Curfew Walk", "Our Heritage (Sengadebon)", "Take The Guitar Out", "Boys Town", "Deadea (edit)", and "Mali Feeling" – plus the CD bonus tracks "Hey Brother" and"Kapingbdi". CD

A wonderful bit of lost spiritual soul jazz from Chicago – recorded in the early 80s, but with a progressive and righteous feel that's very much in the 70s Strata East vein! The group's led by Billy Mahdi on tenor, soprano, and flute – and features Corky McClerkin on piano, Eldee Young on bass, and Dave Baldwin on sax. But the real treat on the set is a trio of female singers that augment some of the best tracks – singing in a slightly off-beat style that is somewhere between Oneness Of Juju and Ramp. And in fact, Oneness of Juju are a good comparison here – as the album's got a lot of tracks that are kind of like that group's tighter jazz dance, less Afro-inspired numbers. Includes the spiritual classics "Tune Weaver" and "Summer Love" – plus "Love Dream", "79th Street Blues", and "Excuse Me". CD

Beautifully spiritual work from this obscure Chicago group from the late 70s – an AACM ensemble, and quite possibly one of the most soulful we've ever heard! There's a really spare, earthy approach to the work here – one that uses percussion, piano, and saxes from Light Henry Huff – plus beautiful male and female vocals, in a range of spare tunes that build up from the bottom, and flow out with joy and life. The album's not nearly as "out" as you'd expect, given its AACM roots – and has a feeling that's much more in the spirit of groups like Oneness Of Juju, The Pyramids, or Descendents Of Mike & Phoebe – mixing righteous solo passages with a well-conceived approach to the music that holds together wonderfully throughout. Kahil El Zabar is in the group on congas and vocals, and titles include "Soul Flower", "Rasta", "Live Without Fear", "Bright Tune", "Father Spirit Mother Love", and "Children's Song". CD

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary Nimbus label – and the only set we've ever seen from pianist Linda Hill as a leader! The set's got the same open-ended, spiritually-expressive sound as Adele Sebastian's record for the label – and Sebastian's also a key part of the group, working here on vocal and flute, to give the album a richly righteous sound! The vocals are great, and often feature help from Jugeger Juan Grey – with more soul than usual for this sort of set, but still plenty of jazz elements too – with an offbeat quality that's almost like Oneness Of Juju – often used just to lead off a tune, before the solos come in strongly. Other musicians include Sabir Matteen on tenor, Roberto Miranda on bass, Everett Brown on drums, and Virjilio Figuera on percussion. Titles include "Lullaby For Linda", "Children", "Leland's Song", and "The Creator's Musician". CD

The first of BBE's forays into current hip hop – and a wonderful debut in the series! The album started as a breakbeat project from Detroit's Jay Dee, but soon morphed into a full-on hip hop album – complete with real instrumentation on Fender Rhodes, trumpet, keyboards, and drums, with lyrics on about half of the tracks. Features great remakes of "African Rhythms" (Oneness of Juju), "Brazilian Groove" (Earth Wind & Fire), and "Think Twice" (Donald Byrd), plus the cuts "Rico Suave Bossa Nova", "Shake It Down", "Give it Up", "The Clapper", and "Come Get It". CD

The first of BBE's forays into current hip hop – and a wonderful debut in the series! The album started as a breakbeat project from Detroit's Jay Dee, but soon morphed into a full-on hip hop album – complete with real instrumentation on Fender Rhodes, trumpet, keyboards, and drums, with lyrics on about half of the tracks. Features great remakes of "African Rhythms" (Oneness of Juju), "Brazilian Groove" (Earth Wind & Fire), and "Think Twice" (Donald Byrd), plus the cuts "Rico Suave Bossa Nova", "Shake It Down", "Give it Up", "The Clapper", and "Come Get It". LP, Vinyl record album

The deeply in-demand beats for Jay Dee's now classic 2001 effort – The first of BBE's forays into new school hip hop – finally available! We don't need to tell you that Welcome 2 Detroit turned out to be and a wonderful debut for the initial BBE hip hop series. It really started out as a breakbeat project from Detroit's Jay Dee, but soon morphed into a full-on hip hop album – complete with live instrumentation on Fender Rhodes, trumpet, keyboards, and drums, with lyrics on about half of the tracks. This one returns the project to more of that pre-planned breakbeat feel. A stellar set, with lyrics, or without – one that laid the groundwork for Dilla's subsequent production aesthetic! Features great remakes of "African Rhythms" (Oneness of Juju), "Brazilian Groove" (Earth Wind & Fire), and "Think Twice" (Donald Byrd), plus the cuts "Y'all Ain't Ready", "Shake It Down", "Give it Up", "The Clapper", and "Come Get It", "Think Twice" and more! CD

Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit of a Dollar Brand vibe in Xaba's piano – long lines, with a really compelling pulse – but other times, the music opens up with the kind of searching freedoms you'd hear on the AACM scene of the time – mixing together righteous styles with inventive musical expression! The great Plunky – of Oneness Of Juju fame – is in the group on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and the record also features Black Fire labelmate Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, plus additional percussion, bass, and drums. Titles include "Freedom", "Flight", "Nomusa", "Makohsi", and "Shwabada". CD features two great bonus tracks – both very soulful – "Zulu Lunchbag" and "Big Time". CD

The archive here appears to be Volcov's own record collection – but that's A-OK with us, because he's got some wonderfully groovy, wonderfully soulful, wonderfully under-discovered records he wants to share with us! The set's got a wicked blend of obscure tracks from decades back, and some contemporary cuts that share a similar vibe – music that's in a really special place between soul, jazz, and fusion – often with a cosmic vibe that gives the whole collection a very righteous sound! Liner notes are by Patrick Forge, who points out how obscure most of these tracks are, and what a special collection this is – and we definitely agree with his words, as most of these tracks are new to us, too. Titles include "Keep The Same Old Feeling" by Hot Quisine, "Do The Right Thing" by JOB, "Go (Chez Damien classic mix)" by The Urban Cru, "The Sound Of The Memory Of Many Living People" by Are & Be, "Arigo (Volcov edit)" by Manfredo Fest, "Turning On To Me" by Oneness Of Juju, "Footprints On The Sand (Shannon Harris Urbanicity reinterpretation)" by Chanan Hanspal, "Sophisticated Disco (Volcov edit)" by O'Donel Levy, "Simon's Melody" by The Antilles, "Part 4" by Shakazulu, and "Sun On My Back" by Bembe Segue. CD