A killer little soundtrack – and one that's quite different than the usual blacksploitation set, but still pretty funky overall! The film Black Girl was a surprisingly sensitive movie directed by Ossie Davis in the early 70s – not as much about action as it was about the everyday life, and the hopes and dreams of the lead characters – all of which made for some really well-rounded music, of the sort you'd find on some of the other great Fantasy Records soundtracks of the time, especially the classic Cornbread Earl & Me score. Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin put together the whole thing, and the album's a mix of hip instrumental tracks with some other vocal ones – a really nice range that draws from singers like Betty Everett, Rodger Collins, and JJ Malone – and jazz players like Sonny Stitt and John Hunt (plus organ from Merl Saunders on one cut.) Titles include "BJ's Step", "Black Girl", "Sister", "Earl (Still A Pearl)", "Mothers Day Song", "Power", "Get Me To The Bridge", "Chock-lite Puddin", and "Black Girl Cue". CD

A really soulful groover from the glory days of the Soul Note scene – a killer set that crackles with the kind of energy of some of the best 70s sides on Muse – like work by Woody Shaw or Kenny Barron! Pianist Michael Cochrane leads a hip quintet with Tom Harrell on trumpet and Bob Malach on tenor and flute – and the tracks skip along with a nice modal groove and a good bit of swinging soul, stepping around with lots of energy, yielding more than a few great jazz dance numbers in the set! All tracks are fresh originals by Cochrane, and titles include "Bossa For Quintet", "Reunion", "Waltz No 1", and "Proof Of the Pudding". CD

Some of the greatest, most influential rhythm & blues ever recorded – the seminal R&B recordings the great Wynonie Harris cut for King Records – plus a second CD of rare alternate takes! Wynonie paved the way for a huge number of artists to come, but even if we're going to sidestep his trailblazing legacy, the recordings are jaw-droppingly great – really raw, full of fire, and often with a gritty lyrical approach that made Harris one of the key figures in the development of rock – with an attitude towards sex and drinking that could still make your grandmother blush! The backdrops are largely made up of a piano, horns, and the thumping bass and drums rhythm section – a perfect foil for Wynonie's voice, which is always front and center – seizing your attention in full, whether the cut is a bluesy lament or sly come on. Plus, the package pulls all the music from the original acetates – essentially the "master tapes" used by King Records in the pre-tape years – with titles that include "Love is Like Rain", "Rose Get Your Clothes", "I Like My Baby's Pudding", "Baby Shame On You", "Blowin' To California", "I Want My Fanny Brown", "Wynonie's Boogie", "Blowin' To California", "All She Wants To Do Is Rock", "Oh Babe", and "Teardrops From My Eyes" with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra. 48 tracks on 2CDs! CD

A wonderful session from one of our favorite Japanese pianists – and a session that's done with equal parts acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes! Takehiro Honda's getting some great help here from Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums – gently grooving on most of the album's best numbers, with a vibe that reminds us of some of the best Herbie Hancock Japanese trio sessions from the 70s – recorded with a similarly open, spacious vibe! The Fender Rhodes tracks are great, but the acoustic numbers groove pretty nicely too – and Honda's definitely pulled out some of his most rhythmic modes for this album, really opening up in the company of the American players. Titles include "Wonder", "Longing", "Puddle", "Spirits Flow", and "Calypso Street". LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese keyboardist Kuni Kawachi works here on a variety of cool keys while also singing – serving up work on Hammond, celeste, harpsichord, and even rocksichord – while also getting strong support from the legendary Flower Travelling Band! The record's leaner than that group's music, yet definitely echoes some of their ear for offbeat sounds – as Kuni's spare vocals and keys get just the right touches of fuzzy guitar, offbeat percussion, and sweet psychedelic elements! Vocals are in Japanese throughout, and there's a balance of acoustic and electric elements that's mighty nice – on titles that include "Where Are You Walking Now", "The Cat", "A Puddle & A Purple Vetch", "Already No More Secrets", "Riddle", and "That's Why Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

Ramsey Lewis had such great success with his first album of Christmas instrumentals for Chess Records, he soon hopped back in the studio for a second record – but one with a very distinct difference! This time around, the trio's a bit unusual – in that it features regular bassist Eldee Young, but also the great Steve McCall on drums – a percussionist who'd later really flourish in the 70s, and gain great fame for his work in the group Air! The presence of McCall is no surprise, though – Malachi Favors and Muhal Richard Abrams also make appearances on early 60s Chess jazz albums – but it does give the record a nicely special sort of sound, as does the added instrumentation on some tracks too. About half the set features the trio, and the rest features a bigger group that's arranged by King Fleming and Will Jackson – jazz trio with a bit of strings, including some nice harp, and a touch of trombone from John Avant. Titles include "We Three Kings", "Snowfall", "Plum Puddin", "Little Drummer Boy", "Snowbound", "Egg Nog", and "Jingle Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

A full-on jazz rock spectacular – done with a style that's a lot like some of the best British projects of this type from the time, but recorded in Las Vegas, with a lineup of American players that includes guitarist Dean Parks, trumpeter Bobby Shew, and tenorist Don Menza! The album's got a really rumbling bassy feel – kicking ass with a rock-based bottom, but coming across with a surprisingly jazzy sound overall! There's strong solos on nearly every track, and the album (unlike many of its contemporaries) doesn't feature any vocals at all – which means that you can keep in the groove without getting sidetracked by any weak singing! Titles include "Acid West", "Keep On Burnin", "Never In My Life", "Clown", "Sin's A Good Man's Brother", and "Rice Pudding". LP, Vinyl record album

Oh for the glory days of the 7" single – that magical late 50s/early 60s time when it seemed like there was an endless supply of weird and wonderful records all the time – and at prices that allowed them to circulate easily, even if they weren't big hits! (And why are 7" singles so expensive these days?) The package is a fantastic testament to that wonderful musical moment – when you might stumble across a backroom jukebox, stuffed with overlooked gems – just waiting for you to discover them, and get them blasting out of the bassy speaker with the drop of your dime. Few folks know this generation better than Lux and Ivy of The Cramps – a pair who were record collectors before they even made a single of their own – and the set features a stunning 50 rare nuggets – with titles that include "The Mash" by Bud Spudd & The Sprouts, "No Time" by The Titans, "Purr Kitty Purr" by Sid King & The Five Strings, "Time Machine" by The Gamblers, "Little Bitty Girl" by The Memories, "The Little Martian" by Jan Amber, "The Last Meal" by Hurricane Harry, "Hello Schoolteacher" by The 4 After 5s, "Peach Fuzz" by Bob Taylor, "Zindy Lou" by The Mariners, "My Memories Of You" by Yolanda & The Natural, "Wolf Call" by Mark Anthony, "Nameless" by Bob Strauss, "Heartbeat" by The Threeteens, "I Dreamed I Was Elvis" by Sonny Cole & The Rhythm Roamers, "Mental Cruelty" by Larry & Dixie Davis, and "Bodacious" by The US Rockets. CD

Titles include "Guarachita", "Si Me Pudieras Querer", "Los Cinco Sentidos", "Amor Antillano", "Sun Sun Babae", "Mi Bambalaye", "Barin Bareta", and "Rumba A La Vida". LP, Vinyl record album

Early art punk genius from Devo – the amazing underground material from the pre-WB years – when they were still Ohio college students! Hardcore Volume 1 features 4 track recordings made in the mid 70s, including some early versions of tracks they'd re-recorded later for their first proper album – including "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Soo Bawls" and their deranged cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – and a whole bunch more that have only ever been heard by hardcore spuds. It has a cruder sound than their pop years and a darker, chillier vibe that's pretty incredible, but the concept is in full form, even at this early point! Other tracks include "Mechanical Man", "I'm A Potato", "Uglatto", "Stop Look And Listen"and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record! LP, Vinyl record album

The lovely Marilia Medalha turns her talents to a host of songs penned by Vinicius De Moraes – all numbers done in collaboration with the singer, at a level that's quite different than some of the other Vinicius projects of the time! The poet produced the set, and arrangements are by Edu Lobo and Chiquinho De Moraes – who both bring in this warmly sophisticated style that really makes things interesting – charts handled with that special care that Edu always had for his best work – with a blend of fullness in the setting, but never in a way that overwhelms the vocals. Medalha's got this well-paced, sometimes spacious approach to the music that really opens up the tunes – and titles include "Mr Toquinho", "Se O Amor Pudesse", "Moinho D'Agua", "Algum Lugar", "Ausencia", "Sagarana", "Meu Tempo", and "Distante". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare 60s work from the world of Polish vibist Jerzy Milian – not sounds from his own group, but that of the Polish Radio dance band – headed up by Edward Czerny, and featuring here a whole set of original compositions and arrangements by Milian! Jerzy plays some solo vibes on the set, and there's also solo work from Albert Pradella on tenor, Franciszek Kowalski on trumpet, and Waclaw Lesicki on flute – players who get some brief time in the spotlight, over work that's mostly in an ensemble mode overall. The approach is a bit like that of Gustav Brom at the same time – lively, swinging, and kind of an Eastern European extrapolation of modes borrowed from Duke Ellington and Count Basie, with all the rhythm and color that would imply! Titles include "Zabwa Prazy Swiecach", "Spaicy Dorozkarz", "Dwaj Panowie M", "Koleka W Grenoble", "Mala Suita Na Big Band", and "Spacery Z Pudlem". CD

Titles include "Hemos Terminado", "Gotitas De Dolor", "Piel Canela", "Odio En La Sangre", and "Si Yo Pudiera Hablarte". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In the case of these tracks, the singers often hit some fairly suggestive material – often hidden in early 50s innuendo, but barely so – with a vibe that's often nastier than even the most hardcore rockabilly sounds to come! The music here has its roots in blues, but is inflected with plenty of jazz, and the presence of the singers often point the way towards soul music – especially the James Brown crowd that would later rise at the same label. Titles on this volume include "I Like My Baby's Pudding" by Wynonie Harris, "My Natchl Man" by Fluffy Hunter, "Mountain Oysters" by Eddie Davis, "Let Me Be Stay Away From Me" by Freddy King, "Can't Do Sixty No More" by Billy Ward & The Domonies, "My Ding A Ling" by Dave Bartholomew, "Butcher Pete" by Roy Brown, and "Sittin On It All The Time" by Wynonie Harris. CD