Harold Land on tenor sax, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... Cassette

An assortment of jazz, blues, and gospel – with music from Tramaine Hawkins, Asante, Puff Johnson, Dionne Farris, Terence Blanchard, Blind Willie Johnson, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Miles Davis, Major Lance, James Brown, and many others! CD

A legendary live set from the Grateful Dead – served up here in a set so big, it needs 16 sides' worth of vinyl to deliver the music! There's loads of long jams here – the kind of criss-crossing, song-shifting material that makes the Dead so wonderful at this point in their career – as you'll hear on tunes that include "Dark Star", "Here Comes Sunshine", "Around & Around", "Not Fade Away/Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad", "It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry", "That's All Right", "Promised Land", "Dark Star/He's Gone", "Wharf Rat/Truckin", "Ramble On Rose", "Jack Straw", "Wave That Flag", "Morning Dew", "Beat It On Down The Line", "Looks Like Rain", "Box Of Rain", "El Paso", "Bird Song", "Playing In The Band", "Big River", "Eyes Of The World", and "Stella Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime mid 70s live Dead from a monumental series of shows at Winterland in late October, 1974! Steal Your Face is something of a benchmark in the official Dead archives, as it not only captures the band during their "farewell" run before going on hiatus, it was also the final album on their own Grateful Dead Records label in it's original incarnation when it first came out in 1976. Historical significance aside, it's just a great snapshot of the band at a peak level, with "The Promised Land", "Cold Rain & Snow", "Around And Around", "Stella Blue", "Ship Of Fools", "Big River", "El Paso", "Sugaree", "I Must Have Been The Roses", "Casey Jones" and more. CD

The second installment in the Videoclub – and like the first, a set of tracks that definitely lives up to the vintage action styles promised on the cover! The tracks are heavy on influences from classic crime, cop, and kung fu soundtracks – served up as shorter instrumental tracks that also make a nice nod to 70s sound library styles too – all with production that's totally great, and right on the money – so that the music never sounds too contemporary at all, and really has the spirit of analog funk from back in the day! Titles include "Trouble In Istanbul", "Bombay Sapphire", "Land Cruiser Radio", "Cairo City Limits", "High Voltage", "Golden VHS Awakening", and "She's An Agent". LP, Vinyl record album

Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open up with modes that echo some of the changes in soul via house, electro, and other new styles of the decade – including the big role of the remixer, as many of these numbers are special remixes for the dancefloors! The package is a 7" square book-styled set, with pages of notes, images, and track details by Paul Burston – and the set features 54 long numbers in all – with titles that include "Love Reaction (12" version)" by Divine, "High Energy (ext)" by Evelyn Thomas, "I Like You (ext)" by Phyllis Nelson, "Another Night (dance mix)" by Aretha Franklin, "They Say It's Gonna Rain (Zulu mix)" by Hazel Dean, "Jump (12" long version)" by The Pointer Sisters, "Give Me Your Love (Ultimix)" by Sisley Ferre, "So Many Men So Little Time (ext)" by Miguel Brown, "Male Stripper (ext US rmx)" by Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish, "No GDM (12" version)" by Gina X Performance, "Memorabilia (non stop ecstatic dancing version)" by Soft Cell, "Why (12" version)" by Bronski Beat, "Relax (New York mix)" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Don't Drop Bombs (ext)" by Liza Minelli, "Love In The First Degree (jailers mix)" by Bananarama, "In Private (12" version)" by Dusty Springfield, "Someday (club)" by Cece Rogers, "Break 4 Love (drop the panties)" by Raze, "Touch Me (sexual version)" by The 49-ers, "It's Over Now (Basement Boys mix)" by Ultra Nate, "Promised Land (club mix)" by Joe Smooth, "Wait (long version)" by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and lots lots more! CD

Great Blue Note 2-fer that brings together a bunch of previously unreleased live sessions from Art Blakey and different incarnations of the Jazz Messengers! Sides 1 through 3 feature a stellar set of tracks recorded in 1961 and 1962 with the sextet lineup that included Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and Curtis Fuller, with the titles "Promised Land", "Arabia", "Mosaic", "Ping Pong", and "Up Jumped Spring". Side 4 has some older material, from 1954 – by the first incarnation of the group that included Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, and Horace Silver – and the titles "Wee Dot", "Blues", and "The Way You Look Tonight". Nice notes, and as usual, the Messengers shine in a good live setting. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums ever from bop pianist George Wallington – a quintet session recorded for Atlantic's short-lived East/West subsidiary, right around the same time as his better-known group dates for Prestige! The core trio features Wallington alongside Teddy Kotick on bass and Nick Stabulas on drums – and the sharp-edged and imaginative tenor of JR Monterose appears on all tracks but one – a few of which also feature incredible bass trumpet from Jerry Lloyd! The sound is often more modern and inventive than Wallington's other non-trio dates of the 50s – somewhat playful, but also dominated by a deeper sense of soul – heard especially strongly on the Monterose compositions "The Prestidigitator" and "Jouons", as well as the Mose Allison numbers "In Salah", "Promised Land", and "Rural Route" – all slightly unusual choices for Wallington! CD

Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open up with modes that echo some of the changes in soul via house, electro, and other new styles of the decade – including the big role of the remixer, as many of these numbers are special remixes for the dancefloors! The package is a 7" square book-styled set, with pages of notes, images, and track details by Paul Burston – and the set features 54 long numbers in all – with titles that include "Love Reaction (12" version)" by Divine, "High Energy (ext)" by Evelyn Thomas, "I Like You (ext)" by Phyllis Nelson, "Another Night (dance mix)" by Aretha Franklin, "They Say It's Gonna Rain (Zulu mix)" by Hazel Dean, "Jump (12" long version)" by The Pointer Sisters, "Give Me Your Love (Ultimix)" by Sisley Ferre, "So Many Men So Little Time (ext)" by Miguel Brown, "Male Stripper (ext US rmx)" by Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish, "No GDM (12" version)" by Gina X Performance, "Memorabilia (non stop ecstatic dancing version)" by Soft Cell, "Why (12" version)" by Bronski Beat, "Relax (New York mix)" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Don't Drop Bombs (ext)" by Liza Minelli, "Love In The First Degree (jailers mix)" by Bananarama, "In Private (12" version)" by Dusty Springfield, "Someday (club)" by Cece Rogers, "Break 4 Love (drop the panties)" by Raze, "Touch Me (sexual version)" by The 49-ers, "It's Over Now (Basement Boys mix)" by Ultra Nate, "Promised Land (club mix)" by Joe Smooth, "Wait (long version)" by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and lots lots more! CD

A great way to dip into the Chicago sound of the 80s! The package features an all-classic 12 track selection of singles that virtually defines the house sound that was coming out of the windy city back in the day – a mix of hard-thumping grooves, soulful vocals, and spare keyboard work that forever changed the face of dance music! Tracks include "Love Can't Turn Around" by Farley Jackmaster Funk, "Move Your Body" by Marshall Jefferson, "Your Love" by Frankie Knuckles, "Can You Feel It" by Mr Fingers, "You Used To Hold Me" by Ralphi Rosario, "Baby Wants To Ride" by Frankie Knuckles with Jamie Principle, "Promised Land" by Joe Smooth, "Bring Down The Walls" by Robert Owens, "Do It Properly" by Adonis, "Can't Get Enough" by Liz Torres, and "Pump Up London" by Mr Lee. CD

The long-overdue return of Gloria Scott – one of our favorite female soul singers of the 70s, and an artist who only gave the world one famous full length album, produced by Barry White! The vibe here is nicely similar to that classic, but more contemporary too – still-great vocals from Gloria, given a fresh setting by producer/arranger Andrew McGuinness, who knows that a groove always seems to bring out the best in Scott's talents, while also allowing her even more depth and space to soar than she got from Barry White! Titles include a sublime remake of the Joe Smooth tune "Promised Land" – plus new cuts "Running Away", "Come Back Baby", "So Wonderful", "Real", "I Found Love", and "Show Me" – and remakes of "There's No Cure For Me", "I've Got To Have All Of You", and "All Of The Time You're On My Mind". CD

A walearic classic from the Japanese scene of the early 80s – a set that's definitely got some of the Latin elements promised in the title, but which also resonates strongly with some of the more electronic modes of the time! The tunes are instrumental, and often a bit jazzy – but also have keyboards and rhythms that might have been borrowed from city pop or some of the electro crossover acts of the time – rooted with acoustic percussion at the core, and lots of horn parts that keep up the Latin themes! The whole thing's got a nice sparkle – a bit fusion, but more than that too – and titles include "Jungle Drums", "Siboney", "El Cumbanchero", "Hindu", "Danza Lucumi", and "Pygmy Land". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums ever cut by pianist Marian McPartland – and definitely a set that offers up the bossa and soul promised in the title! Marian's playing electric and acoustic, over some very groovy rhythms from the trio of Ben Tucker on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Ralph Dorsey on congas – a group who give Marian a groove that's much more like the sort you'd find on a 60s record by Vince Guaraldi than any of her other work! The electric piano is great – not a Fender Rhodes, but most likely a Wurlitzer – which creates unusual tones that again really changes the McPartland sound – and the rhythms throughout create a wicked vibe, and loads of wonderful modal numbers. Titles include "Stranger In A Dream", "Coming Home Baby", "Green Dolphin Street", "Baby You Should Know It", "Love For Sale", "Tell Me", and "Sweet And Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

Very early work from Ruth White – a set that's very different than her late 60s electronic experiments, yet one that also still manages to have a similarly sort of creepy vibe overall! The work is exactly what's promised in the title – a set of 24 lullabies, sung in different languages by both Marilyn Horne and Richard Robinson – with light piano backing from Ruth, and a recording quality that somehow makes these supposedly restful songs come across with a vibe that is quite unsettling – maybe the sorts of tunes used to put the kids to bed on the island in Wicker Man! Titles include "English Cradle Song", "Dormi Dormi", "Gaelic Lullaby", "All Through The Night", "Tigua Indian Lullaby", "Danish Cradle Song", and "Prayer Humperdinck". CD

A great set that's way way more than the "chill out" promised in the title – a collection of Brazilian groovers pulled from some of the best labels in the business! As with previous volumes in this series, the focus is on work done for the groundbreaking Far Out label – but this time around, they've also thrown in some choice bits from outside sources, including some killer underground bits from Brazil and a few choice classics! Titles include "Without Words" by 4 Hero Presents Nature's Plan with Ed Motta, "Na Batida Do Agogo (Osunlade rmx)" by Grupo Batuque, "Os Oculos Escuros De Cartola" by Max De Castro, "Papa" by Azymuth featuring Sabrina Malheiros, "Preguiciman" by Mamond, "Falso Amour" by Jirzinho Oliveira, "Escape" by Marcos Valle, "Beleza Nao Vai Embora" by Orlandivo, "E O Meu Amor Vi Passar" by Patricia Marx, and "Vera Cruz" by Vox Populi. CD

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins – one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title – a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets – all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall – all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums – and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out – an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument – Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker – supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. There's a definite swing-based approach here – different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time – but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life". LP, Vinyl record album

If you've never had the pleasure of visiting Wisconsin, you're really missing something – and one of the state's greatest treasures is its long legacy of local watering holes – including some of the taverns pictured in this book! The volume is everything promised in the title – loving portraits of local bars in Wisconsin – shot around the state, in full color – and in a variety of formats that shifts focus from the landscape of the tavern, to special features within, to some of the owners and managers of these well-established bars. In a generation of too-big TVs and too much sports in drinking establishments, places like this are falling by the wayside – and the book is a loving portrait of a slice of American life that may soon be lost if we're not careful! Hardcover, 125 pages, full color throughout. Book

A wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years – a date that was maybe done as a seasonal one-off for singer Ella Fitzgerald, but one that's gone on to become one of her best-selling records of all time! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers – upbeat and swinging, very much as promised in the title – with a quality that makes the tunes move, and avoids some of the too-blue and more melancholy modes that can sometimes get in the way of making a Christmas jazz vocal album work this well! Fitzgerald has great arrangements here – working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia – on a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Frosty The Snowman", and one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" ever recorded! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years – a date that was maybe done as a seasonal one-off for singer Ella Fitzgerald, but one that's gone on to become one of her best-selling records of all time! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers – upbeat and swinging, very much as promised in the title – with a quality that makes the tunes move, and avoids some of the too-blue and more melancholy modes that can sometimes get in the way of making a Christmas jazz vocal album work this well! Fitzgerald has great arrangements here – working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia – on a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Frosty The Snowman", and one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" ever recorded! Plus, the CD features a few tasty alternates – and the album also includes great packaging, and the groovy tune "Christmas Island"! CD

Excellent early work from Little Johnny Taylor – not to be confused with the bigger-name singer on Stax! The title's a bit of a misnomer, given that Little Johnny Taylor wasn't the biggest hitmaker of the 60s – but the album's a killer batch of his best work for the Galaxy label – work that's definitely the "soul full of blues" promised in the title! The style here's a bit like Bobby Blue Bland at his best – bluesy, but with a much more sophisticated feel overall, and certainly some jazz phrasing that comes in from time to time – all to push Johnny much more into the soul side of the spectrum for the 60s. There's almost an Otis Redding feel at times – and the backings by Ray Shanklin certainly show a Memphis influence. Titles include "Part Time Love", "Help Yourself", "If You Love Me Like You Say", "One More Chance", "I Smell Trouble", and "Somebody's Got To Pay". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than just another dip into the legendary catalog of the Studio One label – as there's a well-chosen selection of cuts here that go well past the hits, and really live up to the kind of "classics" promised in the title! It's no secret that Studio One was one of the first and most important studios and labels to rise up on the Kingston scene at the end of the 60s – pioneering impeccable production, tight musicianship, and the kind of soul-drenched vocals that helped Jamaican music rich a much larger global audience – music that's given a fantastic showcase here on titles that include "No Man Is An Island" by Dennis Brown, "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "I'm Just A Guy" by Alton Ellis, "Rocking Time" by Burning Spear, "Confucious" by Don Drummond, "Rub A Dub Style" by Michigan & Smiley, "Fever" by Horace Andy, "School" by Prince Jazzbo, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, "Rockfort Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by The Heptones, and "El Pussycat Ska" by The Skatalites. LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from guitarist Yoshiyaki Masuo – a record that seems to have all the cool glide promised by the cover and title! Yoshiaki plays guitar, but the album features loads of great contributions from other American fusion musicians too – including Dave Grusin, Richard Tee, and Mike Nock on keyboards – who all bring in these smooth, soulful styles that really make the record great – almost a crossover between Japanese fusion and some of the later CTI/Kudu Records modes. There's a bit of vocals on one track, but the album's all instrumental otherwise, and also features some guest guitar from Eric Gale. Titles include "Nature's Anthem", "Kirk Out", "Cracker Jack", "Treasure Island", and "Sailing Wonder". CD

A collection of cuts that's way hipper than you might expect – partly the hard rock promised in the title, but also served up in all these really weird and wild ways that more than live up to the unusual spirit of the Finnish scene of the 70s! At the time, Finland was a surprising hotbed of creative recording activity – farther reaches in jazz, inside grooves in fusion, and a strong legacy of rock groups who were really picking up the fuzz and power that UK groups had unleashed at the end of the 60s! There's plenty here that would stand perfectly right next to the headiest guitar hero groups of that generation – but there's also differences at times, too – like a cool, compressed production style that often makes for some really great sonic play overall – and heavy drums that almost get into some funky passages at points. And of course, the lyrics are all in Finnish, which makes these tracks sound even cooler than they might in English – served up on a well-chosen set list that includes "Superkingi" by Jigsaw, "Palaa" by Yellow, "Rokkilauaja Vain" by Danny, "Uskontunnustus" by Woodoo, "Pikku Nainen" by Hard Rock Sallinen, "Plastic Maailma" by Paroni Paakkunaien, "Kivistdan" by Sulo's Rock Band, "Vieras Sateesta" by Apostolit, "American Look" by Haikara, and "Hideko Tojo" by Apollo. LP, Vinyl record album

Greg Abate's working here with a hell of a great rhythm section – one who give the set enough soulful sparkle to take it far from the straight bop promised in the title! Abate's certainly got plenty of bop chops on his reeds – which include tenor, alto, soprano sax, and flute – but there's a more open, fluid groove to most of the tunes – courtesy of a combo that includes James Williams on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and the great Kenny Washington on drums – all of whom swing things with plenty of round, warm tones. A number of tracks are well-penned originals by Abate, and stand out strongly from the rest – with titles that include "Andromeda", "The Young Uns", "Sax O'Blues", "Gemini Mood", "Minorism", "Bop City", and "Peaks Beaks". CD

A really unique combo, and one that's definitely what's promised in the title – a lineup that's heavy on trombones, given a nice kick at the bottom from guitar, bass, and drums! The players come together here in a really wonderful sound – partly extending from the postwar multi-trombone experiments of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, but with occasional nods to New Orleans music, Afro Funk, and other styles that can be heavier on the horns! Female trombonist Nabou Claerhout leads the group, which features four other trombonists on most tracks – and the leadoff track also features guest work from Robin Eubanks. Titles include "Wistful", "A Duet For Three", "Hutch", "Murphy All The Way", "Slide Unit", and "A Day At The Huge Field With A Little House". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set from the Polish scene at the start of the 80s – one that's definitely got some of the disco elements promised in the title, but sometimes with an offbeat vibe that's pretty unique! About half the tracks have some familiar disco-styled charts, done at an instrumental level – which means that there's fast funk in the rhythms, and jazzy instrumentation at the core – and these cuts are mixed with others that are a bit more lean and electric, and almost hint at some of the UK electro club sounds that were just showing up in the post-punk years – maybe not as dark here as on those recordings, but still quite a nice surprise. Titles include "Family Disco", "Mimma", "Erebus", "Disco Flash", "Sarisari", "Drums", and "Mr Fuzz". CD features three bonus tracks – "Horoskop", "Forte Brass", and "Warka Eksport". CD