... LP, Vinyl record album

A huge legacy of work from Rare Bird – a group who hardly made a blip on our side of the Atlantic at the start of the 70s, but who were one of the sharpest, tightest acts to emerge in the new wave of prog in the UK! The group have a really great way with an organ line – and the vocals from Steve Gould have a surprisingly soulful current, nicely rough around the edges at times – which always keeps these guys from sounding too polished or precious! Like many of their contemporaries, the group start out with some shorter tracks, then stretch things out as their albums progress – and along the way, they also manage to deliver some surprisingly heartfelt tunes as Gould develops more and more as a singer. There's a mix of simplicity and complexity here that's wonderful – a real under-tapped legacy, presented here on the full albums Rare Bird, As Your Mind Flies By, Epic Forest, Somebody's Watching, and Born Again – plus a full never-issued 1974 live set recorded in London – plus 12 more bonus tracks too! CD

Features Charlie Parker on alto, Benny Harris on trumpet, Al Haig on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. CD

Fantastic material recorded at the legendary Birdland nightclub – with long tracks and plenty of the fire you'd know from the Candid Records years! Players include Richard Williams on trumpet, Charles McPherson on alto, Booker Ervin on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Jaki Byard on piano, Roland Kirl on tenor and flute, and even Toshiko Akioshi on piano on one set of tracks! CD

A treasure trove of work from Kevin Ayers – all four of his legendary Harvest albums, plus his Island album – all packaged in a massive set with lots of bonus tracks too! The songs here are amazing – easily on a par with the creative height of the early Pink Floyd – a lot lighter and more whimsical than Ayers original fame with Soft Machine – sometimes extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! Some numbers are a bit more experimental, but the tunefulness of the work is what really wins us – a way of being tripped-out, yet plenty catchy too – a blend that nobody else could do as well as Kevin. CD1 features the album Joy Of A Toy – with bonus tracks that include "Religious Experience", "Soon Soon Soon", and BBC tracks "Clarence In Wonderland", "You Say You Like My Hat", and "Why Are We Sleeping" – the last with Soft Machine. CD2 features a live performance in Hyde Park in 1970, plus a bonus track. CD3 features the album Shooting At The Moon – with bonus tracks that include "Butterfly Dance", "Jolie Madame", "Gemini Child", "Hat", and "Puis Je". CD4 features 12 BBC tracks from May of 1970 to November of 1971. CD5 features the album Whatevershebringswesing – plus bonus tracks that include "Sad & Lonely Faces", "Stars", "Sad Songs", "Fake Mexican Tourist Blues", "The Lady Rachel (remake)", and "Watching The Sun Go Down". CD6 and CD7 feature BBC sessions from January of 1972 to April of 1973 – 33 tracks in all. CD8 features the album Bananamour – plus bonus tracks that include "Decadance (early mix)", "Why Are We Sleeping (live Mile End)", "Connie On a Rubber Band", "Caribbean Moon", and "Take Me To Tahiti". CD9 features Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall, May 1973 – 11 tracks. DVD features rare TV performances from France and the UK – including some Old Grey Whistle Test material – and the 1973 promo film for "Caribbean Moon". 140 tracks, all newly remastered – and a 68 page booklet too! CD

A real lost legacy from GC Cameron – the stunning singer whose work graced The Spinners on some of their most famous recordings – heard here on some rare cuts done in the Fantasy Records studios in the second half of the 70s! The great Harvey Fuqua produced, and the grooves have this midtempo clubby vibe that's totally great – that special warmth that always set Fantasy tracks apart from some of the more driving disco hits of the time – a vibe that's perfect for Cameron's vocals, which are maybe even better here in the lead as a solo act than with a group! Only one track was issued at the time, on a UK single – "If I Love You", which is features here in both vocal and instrumental versions – next to two other tracks that see the light of day here for the first time – "Thank You Baby" and "Live For Love". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare slice of Duke Ellington at Newport in the 50s – recorded live at the festival in 1959, but unlike other sessions of the time, never issued on record! The set remained unissued until Duke's 90th birthday, and it's a great discovery that easily matches the strength of Ellington's larger live recordings for Columbia at the same time. As is usual for this type of outing, there's a number of shorter tracks that reprise Ellington favorites for the crowd – but those are offset by longer, more serious works that are deeply complex, the highlight of which is "Idiom 59", a great lost composition done especially for the Festival! The full performance runs for over an hour – with players that include Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges – and other tunes include "Cop Out", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Skin Deep", "Jam With Sam", "Perdido", and "Jones". CD

Live recordings from Birdland in 1960, with Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous second step for Chicago soul legend Walter Jackson – packaged here with a huge amount of bonus tracks as well! The core album is a sublime mix of new tunes and re-imagined standards – and a set that takes Walter Jackson into even more sophisticated soul territory than before! The record is proof that the up and coming soul artists of the 60s had a key place alongside the more established mainstream acts on the other side of the fence – as Walter's working here with arranger Riley Hampton to re-cast a number of familiar tunes in his cool Iceman soul mode – changing the themes, rhythms, and inflections of the tracks for a more contemporary soul market – and also interspersing them with a few great new songs of his own! The approach is amazing – far better than even Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson's work in a similar idiom – and the album features the sublime hit "Welcome Home", plus the Van McCoy tunes "Suddenly I'm All Alone", "Still At The Mercy Of Your Love", and "The Magic's Gone" – alongside versions of "Moon River", "Let It Be Me", "Imagination", and "My Funny Valentine". Added to the original album are 7 more rare tracks pulled from singles – some of the true gems in Jackson's 60s career for Okeh – with titles that include "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Cold Cold Winter", "That's When I Come To You", "Special Love", "One Heart Lonely", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", and "The Folks Who Live On The Hill". CD

A massive set of music – and one that includes all the rare Palm label recordings made by reedman Byard Lancaster in Paris during the 70s! First up is Us – a set that features a really freewheeling trio brought together under the leadership of reedman Byard Lancaster – a group that features the great AACM drummer Steve McCall, who you'll know from his work in another trio, Air – and bassist Sylvain Marc, who plays an electric version of his instrument on the set! There's a very strong AACM vibe to the music – a balance between personal, spiritual moments – and others that have the trio really taking off, especially when McCall really kicks it up on drums – a performance that really seems to show the versatility of Lancaster, as he blows beautifully on alto, tenor, and flute. Both McCall and Byard have some great solo moments – and the title track actually gets a bit funky too, in sort of an early Joe McPhee mode! Titles include "Just Test", "Us", "John III", "Flore", and "McCall All". Next is Mother Africa – one of the boldest statements ever made by reedman Byard Lancaster – a really freewheeling live set recorded in Paris, and done with the hard-burning energy that marked some of the classic late 60s sessions for BYG! Lancaster's key musical partner here is trumpeter Clint Jackson III, who's equally on fire here – effortlessly moving next to Byard as the pair chop up sound and space while spinning out these really amazing improvisations – in the company of Jean-Francois Catoire on both acoustic and electric bass, Keno Speller on percussion, and Jonathan Dickinson. And while the album definitely resonates with the very free jazz in Paris in 1969, it also has some moments of structure that really balance things out as well – almost working as a bridge to the loft jazz scene, especially with some of the spiritual currents that Byard brings to the music. Titles include "We The Blessed" and "Mother Africa". The album Exactement features some of the most beautiful, most introspective music ever recorded by the great Byard Lancaster – a set that brings his work on reeds and piano into play with the percussion of Keno Speller! Lancaster is clearly the driving force here – there are a lot of fantastic solo passages, many with a more tuneful sense of structure than some of Byard's freer work – and his work on piano, flute, bass clarinet, and soprano sax is stunning throughout – augmented by Speller in just the right ways! One track uses an octavoice to create a really wonderful sound – almost a more spiritual take on territory explored by Eddie Harris – and the double-length set is overflowing with brilliance, with tracks that include "Keno Exactement", "Virginia", "Dr Oliver W Lancaster", "Palm Sunday", "C Marianne Alicia", and "Providence Baptist Church". Funny Funky Rib Crib is a rare French session from American reedman Byard Lancaster – and easily one of his funkiest albums ever! The set's got a hip mix of avant jazz and groovier rhythms – bits of guitar and keyboards alongside sharper reeds and percussion – all in a way that's a bit like some of the funky French work cut by Hal Singer! Byard's still as progressive as ever, but focused more on the groove than before – not in a commercial way, but in a style that pushes his music strongly forward to the people. Lancaster plays mostly sax, but also a bit of flute and piano, and even vocalizes on one cut too – and other players include Francois Nyombo on guitar, Francois Tusques on electric piano, Clint Jackson on trumpet, Joseph Traindl on trombone, Del Rabenja on tenor, and both Marc Sylvain and Steve McCall on drums. Titles include "Rib Crib (parts 1 & 2)", "Dogtown", "Loving Kindness", "Work & Pray", and "Just Test". The set also features the rare extended track "Love Always" – originally for the sessions that created Mother Africa. LP, Vinyl record album

Two full albums from this legendary group – plus a heck of a lot of bonus material too! First up is the self-titled Twilights album – very groovy work from Australia's Twilights – a group who've got a lot more hard-burning power than you might expect from their name – a garagey sort of energy at the core, which they mix with really wonderful harmony vocals – all in a style that's as rough around the edges as it is tightly packed and tuneful! The balance is wonderful, and makes these guys way more than just another 60s rock act – maybe in part because recording apart from the bigger Anglo scenes, they're expressing a bit of freedom in the way they go about a tune. Titles include "Needle In A Haystack", "You Got Soul", "Sorry She's Mine", "La La La Lies", "It's Dark", "Lucky Man", and "Let Me Go". Next are both mono and stereo versions of their masterpiece Once Upon A Twilight – a wonderful bit of psychedelic madness from the Australian scene of the 60s – and like so much Aussie work of the period, a record that's really different than sounds from its UK and US contemporaries! The Twilights started out in more tuneful territory with their early work – and the album has these super-catchy tunes with fantastic harmonies and great hooks, balanced with offbeat production and all these really unusual touches to trip things out in some mighty nice ways! And sure, there were other straighter artists who experimented with psychedelic modes like this - but there's a sense of cohesion and completeness that really makes the album shine. Titles include "What A Silly Thing To Do", "Bessemae", "Mr Nice", "Stop The World For A Day", "Take Action", "Once Upon A Twilight", and "Blue Roundabout". 3CD set features 50 bonus tracks too – lots of non LP tracks that include "Sand In The Sandwiches", "The Way They Play", "Bowling Brings Out The Sweetness In You", "John Hardy", "Bad Boy", "Come On Home", "I'll Be Where You Are", "Lotus", "Things Go Better With Coke", "Comin On Down", "Time & Motion Study Man", and "Young Girl" – plus rare live tracks too, and even some solo and TV cuts as well! CD

A pair of records from this short-lived group – plus plenty of bonus tracks too! First up is Warhorse – a great Vertigo Records debut from a band with a mighty strong pedigree – led by bassist Nick Simper, who was a big part of Deep Purple's sound at the start – and a combo who first started out backing soul singer Marsha Hunt before breaking out and recording on their own! Keyboard giant Rick Wakeman was briefly in the group, but is replaced here by Frank Wilson on organ and keys – who plays in a fluid style that definitely echoes Rick's contributions to the music – and the group has some very dramatic, dynamic lead vocals from Ashley Holt – a very distinctive singer who helps shape their sound. Titles include "No Chance", "Vulture Blood", "Solitude", "Woman Of The Devil", and "Burning". Next is Red Sea – a record with a really fierce, full-on kind of sound – bass-heavy at the bottom, with a style that hearkens to some of the power trios of the growing hard rock scene – but with a more expansive sound that really makes great use of keyboards and organ at key moments, and definitely hits some more soulful passages through the vocal work of Ashley Holt! It's clear that the group are picking up enough of their own sound to have kept on going if they wanted, but sadly this is the second and last set from Warhorse – with tracks that include "Red Sea", "Back In Time", "Feeling Better","Mouthpiece", "Sybilla", and "Confident But Wrong". 2CD set features great notes on the group – and 12 more rare bonus tracks – a mix of demos and live titles recorded by the group! CD

A huge run of music from this legendary psychedelic band – all served up here in a single set! First up is their Part 1 album – the initial uttering from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – a group with a heady sound that definitely lives up to their name! There's less "pop art" going on here than just trippy psych – served up at a level that makes the group one of the best bigger label examples of the style at the time – and definitely a lot more edgey than some of their labelmates on Warner. Jimmy Bowen produced, but really keeps all the edges intact – and titles include the completely insane "Help I'm A Rock" (actually about a rock calling for help!) – plus "Shifting Sands", "1906", "Transparent Day", "Here's Where You Belong", and "If You Want This Love". Next is Volume 2 – the amazing second album from this ultra-cool group – a set that's even weirder and wilder than their debut! The trio are maybe one of the few who really live up to the farthest expectations of the psych generation – as they're really open to let their minds fly in their choice of lyrics, instrumentation, and overall presentation of the record – which hardly seems the sort to yield any sort of singles at all, even though a few of the tunes are downright catchy! Instead, the whole thing's put forth as a dark statement on late 60s society – with a sound that's as heavy as the subject matter, and not afraid to really pus all the freak and fuzz as far as it can go! Quite surprising, even for the Reprise label – and tracks include "Queen Nymphet", "Tracy Had a Hard Day Sunday", "In the Arena", "Smell of Incense", "Suppose They Gave A War & No One Comes", "Overture Wcpaeb (part 2)", and "Carte Blanche" – which supposedly they were given in recording the album! Next is Child's Guide To Good & Evil, the third album in the continuing genius of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – a group who are certainly as experimental as their name would imply, but who can also come across with some warmer Sunshine Pop touches too! And it's that which makes the group so wonderful – the blend of freak and sweet, of fuzz and fun – all given a special shape in the studio through the genius of producer Jimmy Bowen, whose work here with Bob Markley is superb – and very much open to the best freedoms that Warner was offering its creative talents at the time! The song titles are equally superb – and titles include "A Child's Guide To Good & Evil", "Ritual #1", "Anniversary of World War III", "Eighteen Is Over The Hill", "As Kind As Summer", and "Our Drummer Always Plays In the Nude". CD 4 features 18 more bonus tracks – rare takes and alternate mixes of titles that include "Watch Yourself", "Ritual #1", "As Kind As Summer", "Eighteen Is Over The Hill", and "Until The Poorest People Have Money To Spend" – plus other tracks too. And all the other three albums are presented in both mono and stereo mixes – which makes for 84 tracks in the full set! CD

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

The Beatles live at the BBC – heard here in a host of rare recordings that were done between March 1962 and June 1965 – pulled from the vaults of the legendary radio station, and with a few cool dialogue bits too! The versions here were all played live on the air, and make for some much-needed alternate takes on the big hits by the Fab Four – and a few American numbers that really show the influence of other styles on their early sound. And since the recordings were done in a top-shelf studio, they're not muddy concert recordings – but actually feel more like some lost EMI studio material from the same period. 71 titles in all – including "Nothin Shakin", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "Glad All Over", "Rock & Roll Music", "Ticket To Ride", "Ooh My Soul", "Don't Ever Change", "Slow Down", "Matchbox", "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "The Honeymoon Song", "Lucille", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Taste Of Honey", "From Us To You", "I Got A Woman", "I'll Be On My Way", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Some Other Guy", "Soldier Of Love", and "Clarabella". CD

Amazing sounds from drummer Roy Brooks – very spiritual work that's quite a change from his straighter soul jazz of the 60s! The album's right up there with Roy's better-known (though still rare) live performance at Town Hall – or his classic Free Slave session – and like those records, this one explodes with a raw power that's really amazing – heavy drums from Brooks, driving a collective of righteous musicians that really stretch out in the free space of the recording! The clineup shifts a bit from track to track, but there's a cohesive spirit to the record that comes from Brooks' bold spirit – a joyous, soulful, post-Coltrane sort of energy – let loose in the lead, to guide the talents of players who include John Stubblefield on tenor, Sonny Fortune on alto, Olu Dara and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpets, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Joe Bonner on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Eddie Jefferson makes an appearance on two tracks – singing much hipper than on any of his better-known recordings of the period – and titles include "The Last Prophet", "M'Jumbe", "Eboness", "The Smart Set", and "Eboness (Kwanza)". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles live at the BBC – heard here in a host of rare recordings that were done between March 1962 and June 1965 – pulled from the vaults of the legendary radio station, and with a few cool dialogue bits too! The versions here were all played live on the air, and make for some much-needed alternate takes on the big hits by the Fab Four – and a few American numbers that really show the influence of other styles on their early sound. And since the recordings were done in a top-shelf studio, they're not muddy concert recordings – but actually feel more like some lost EMI studio material from the same period. 71 titles in all – including "Nothin Shakin", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "Glad All Over", "Rock & Roll Music", "Ticket To Ride", "Ooh My Soul", "Don't Ever Change", "Slow Down", "Matchbox", "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "The Honeymoon Song", "Lucille", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Taste Of Honey", "From Us To You", "I Got A Woman", "I'll Be On My Way", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Some Other Guy", "Soldier Of Love", and "Clarabella". CD

One of the most unusual recordings we've ever heard from legendary drummer Art Blakey – not a Jazz Messengers session, but a rare Parisian performance by a quintet billed as the New Jazz Men! The lineup is fantastic – Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – players who express more modern intentions at times than some of Blakey's usual lineups – and who definitely earn the "new jazz" of their name – as they stretch out here on three long tracks that are superbly recorded by French radio ORTF! Hubbard is tremendous – really finding himself at this point in his career, and full of new phrasing and amazing sounds that really blow us away – and Davis is a real treat in this setting, which is every bit as great as his key overseas recordings of the period. Titles include a side-long version of "Crisis" – plus long readings of "The Hub" and "Blue Moon" – all wonderful! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic addition to the John Coltrane catalog, and a set that's wonderful for so many different reasons it's hard to fit them all in one short passage! As the title implies, the album features a rare live performance of "Love Supreme" – done in 1965, when the work was new both to the world, and the classic Coltrane quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Yet the version here is also very different than the album reading – looser, with more "interlude" passages – at a level that already has the group drinking in the spirit of the tune, and finding a way to rise with a new spiritual majesty! Another key part of the recording is the presence of Pharoah Sanders on tenor – making a very early appearance with the group – amidst a septet lineup that also features a very young Carlos Ward on alto, and Donald Rafael Garrett on bass – players who expand the lineup in ways that show some of Coltrane's growing experiments past the quartet structure. The whole thing was recorded at the Penthouse Club in Seattle – a place that's given us some other fantastic "lost" recordings from the 60s in recent years – and the record is essential listening, even if you own the studio Love Supreme record, or any other Coltrane records at all. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes radio and live performances. CD

Early Grateful Dead at Winterland – a rare set of live recordings that stands as a nice bookend to the Skull & Roses record – as you might guess from the cover! The material here was pulled from original tapes, and features long live readings of "Sugar Magnolia", "Turn On Your Lovelight", "Big Boss Man", "Casey Jones", and "Cumberland Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

2 albums on 1 CD – and a package that not only features great work from leader Lennie Neihaus, but also some great tenor from Bill Perkins too! On the first album Lennie swings, but he keeps it cool too – as this rare Mercury set steps off of the same octet energy Niehaus brought to his better-known sides for Contemporary in the mid 50s! The players here are a bit lesser known than some of Niehaus' other all-star groups – with Ken Shroyer on trombone, Ed Leddy on trumpet, and Steve Perlow on baritone – alongside some nicely searing tenor from Bill Perkins, whose presence always makes a set like this sparkle! Lou Levy plays piano and Red Kelly is on bass – and titles include "Soon", "Little Girl Blues", "P & L", "Four Eleven West", "He Ain't Got Rhythm", "Kiss Me & Kill Me With Love", and "I See Your Face Before Me". The second half of the CD drops out Lennie Niehaus entirely, and features the album Bill Perkins Live On Stage – originally recorded for Pacific Jazz in 1956, and featuring Niehaus arrangements on 2 tracks. The group includes Perkins on tenor, Bud Shank on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, Stu Williamson on trumpet, Carl Fontana on trombone, Russ Freeman on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. The live setting takes nothing away from the perfection of the group's conception, as Perkins' leadership is impeccable, bringing together the horns in a beautiful wash of sound. Titles include "Let Me See", "Zing Zang", "For Dancers Only", "One Hundred Years From Today", "Song Of The Islands", and "As They Reveled". CD

Rare live recordings that capture Bird in a relaxed club setting with Herb Pomeroy, Jimmy Woode, and others – MC'd by Symphony Sid, who produced these sessions for Boston area radio station WCOP. CD

A rare slice of work from the quintet of reedman Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr – a mid-60s live performance that's released here for the first time ever! The group was one of the most important in England at the time, and hardly recorded many studio records, so a live date like this is a crucial opportunity to hear their amazingly influential sound! Plus, the recording here is a lot more unbridled than most other material we've heard from the combo – a really far-reaching blend of Carr's trumpet with Rendell's flute, tenor, and soprano sax – blowing out in these complex lines on some tracks, showing a bit of influence from Ornette Coleman at points, while heading in warmer, more lyrical directions at others. The rest of the group is great too – the legendary Michael Garrick on piano, adding some nice modal touches – plus Dave Green or Tony Reeves on bass, and Trevor Tompkins on drums. Titles include "On", "Ursula", "Trane's Mood", "Webster's Mood", "Carolling", and "Hot Rod". CD

The second chapter in the career of Bridget St John, presented here in all its glory – with one key album, lots more rare material, and even some unissued session tracks too! The set begins with the wonderful album Jumblequeen – post-Dandelion Records work by British singer Bridget St John – an album that's a bit more straightforward than some of her earlier work, but still pretty darn great! Bridget still sings and plays guitar in a relatively folksy way – but there's a tighter focus here than before – a sense of song structure that's really wonderful, and which is delivered with these incredibly haunting vocals that almost remind us of Nico on her first album for Verve – only a bit better! Other instrumentation is often spare – but includes just the right amount of cello, organ, viola, and other lightly-used instruments to flesh out the tunes with sad colors and nicely blue shades. Titles include "Sparrowpit", "Song For The Waterden Widow", "Curious & Woolly", "Want To Be With You", "Last Goodnight", "Long Long Time", and "Sweet Painted Lady". CD1 also features other UK recordings from the time – including "3db Australia", "Bumper To Bumper", "Grow", "Nancy Alice", and "Just Like A Woman (Battered Ornaments version)". Next is the record Take The 5ifth – a set issued in the 90s, but with late 70s/early 80s demo tracks recorded by Bridget on her own, many with a fair bit of piano and keyboards – and contributions from other musicians that make them way more polished than just solo demo tracks. Titles include "Jealous Jailer", "Make Me Whole", "I Need It Sometimes", "Talk To Me", "Manhattan Madhatters", "One Night Wonder", and "Catch A Falling Star". Last up is the most unusual material, as CD3 features New York Sessions from the mid 70s, most of which have never been released, and show Bridget in a really wonderful mode – a bit warmer than her previous UK recordings, but with that edge we always love in her vocals – sometimes getting instrumental help from the team of Jim Mullen and Dick Morrissey. Titles include unusual versions of "Curious & Woolly", "Help Him Through", "Crazy Heart", "Talk To Me", "Sunnyside Up", "Flying For Now", "Moody", "Easy Come Easy Go",a nd "Keep You In Touch". CD

3 rare hardbop sides – issued together as one great 2 CD set! The album features work from 3 records first issued by the short-lived Transition label from Boston – Byrd's Eye View and Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill, both by Donald Byrd (in case you couldn't guess!), and Watkins At Large, one of the few albums ever issued by hardbop bassist Doug Watkins. The feel of the material is great – totally on a par with the Blue Note hardbop work of the late 50s, and featuring many players in common with those recordings – Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Duke Jordan, and Art Taylor. The 2CD set features 17 tracks on all, and it's the first time the material's been made available to the US market at an affordable price! Titles include "Return To Paradise", "El Sino", "Doug's Blues", "Crazy Rhythm", "If I Love Again", "What's New", "More Of The Same", and "Phinupi". CD

A stunning array of rare soul from the Atlanta scene of the 70s – almost all of which appears here for the first time ever! The tracks were recorded for the great but short-lived family of labels that included GRC, Aware, and Hotlanta – but were never issued in the label back in the day, in part because of its need to close down quickly – no reflection at all on the quality of music, as the cuts here are superb throughout! Many of the numbers have that unique blend of Chicago talents and Atlanta roots that made the labels' recordings so unique – especially on this set, which is very heavy on mellower deep soul numbers that really transform the southern modes of years before, and push them into territory that's much more like laidback mellow soul from the east coast scene! The package has very detailed notes on all the cuts, and speculations on the cuts and their recording and release histories too – in a smoking set list that features 24 titles that include "Paper Man" by Alpaca Phase III, "Con Me" by Miss Louistine, "Love Making" by Jean Battle, "Keep On Walking" by The Steppers, "Is There Someone Else" by Deep Velvet, "When Will I Stop Loving You" by Lorraine Johnson, "Fight Fire With Fire" by King Hannibal, "I Need Me Some More Of You" by Dee Ervin, "My Peaceful Forest" by Dee Clark, "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson, "Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit" by Joe Graham, "Talk's Cheap" by The Surprise Sisters, and "Sure Could Do With Some You" by Shirlean Fant. CD

A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. CD

Forget his bebop years – Dizzy was at the height of his powers in the early 70s, as you'll hear on this rare French session! Diz's solo conception is tight, but a lot more open ended than earlier, and he joins with Johnny Griffin, Kenny Clarke, and Kenny Drew in a lively set of tracks that stand with some of his best recordings of the 60s and 70s. The group also features a Brazilian percussionist on a few tracks – most notably the tight groover "Fiesta Mo Jo", a killer track with great solos and a rhythmic conception that shows that Dizzy's still got the Latin beat down nicely. Other titles include "Girl Of My Dreams", "Stella By Starlight", and "I Waited For You". CD

A stunning array of rare soul from the Atlanta scene of the 70s – almost all of which appears here for the first time ever! The tracks were recorded for the great but short-lived family of labels that included GRC, Aware, and Hotlanta – but were never issued in the label back in the day, in part because of its need to close down quickly – no reflection at all on the quality of music, as the cuts here are superb throughout! Many of the numbers have that unique blend of Chicago talents and Atlanta roots that made the labels' recordings so unique – especially on this set, which is very heavy on mellower deep soul numbers that really transform the southern modes of years before, and push them into territory that's much more like laidback mellow soul from the east coast scene! The package has very detailed notes on all the cuts, and speculations on the cuts and their recording and release histories too – in a smoking set list that features 24 titles that include "Paper Man" by Alpaca Phase III, "Con Me" by Miss Louistine, "Love Making" by Jean Battle, "Keep On Walking" by The Steppers, "Is There Someone Else" by Deep Velvet, "When Will I Stop Loving You" by Lorraine Johnson, "Fight Fire With Fire" by King Hannibal, "I Need Me Some More Of You" by Dee Ervin, "My Peaceful Forest" by Dee Clark, "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson, "Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit" by Joe Graham, "Talk's Cheap" by The Surprise Sisters, and "Sure Could Do With Some You" by Shirlean Fant. CD

A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary compilation of work from the rare Transition label – home to artists like Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Joe Gordon, Art Blakey, Doug Watkins, and Donald Byrd. Or, we should say, home to these artists before it folded after a few years of putting out some of the best jazz of the mid 50s. This sampler is one of the few legacies you'll find from the label – and it's got some tracks that represent the best of their short-lived recordings – brilliant modern jazz from 50s! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Too Late", "Sweet Like This", "I'm Lonesome, Sweetheart", "St James Infirmary", "Edna", "Olga", "Shake It & Brake It", and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

The complete recordings of July – a set that features their rare original album, unreleased tracks, and lots of surprisingly great later material too! First up is the self-titled July album from 1968, presented in both mono and stereo mixes – the debut album from July – a group who only gave the world this gem of a record back at the end of the 60s – but who've gone on to become legendary, based on the strength of the set! The whole thing is a real standout in the psych scene of the UK – well-crafted songs that are tight, but groovy and loose at the same time – tuneful, but filled with experiments – and produced with just the right sort of inventive qualities to make the special flourishes and individual moments of genius really come to light! There's so many great things going on here – an all-rich, no-filler record that's filled with gems that include "My Clown", "Dandelion Seeds", "Jolly Mary", "Hallo To Me", "You Missed It All", "The Way", "To Be Free", "Crying Is For Writers", "I See", and "A Bird Lived". Next is Second Of July – a great counterpart to the legendary self-titled album from July – material recorded in a private setting, to predate that psych masterpiece – but every bit as stunning overall! The quality of this work goes way beyond its origins as demo material – as the sound is wonderful, the musical ideas very rich, and overall psychedelic conception is amazing! There's no overindulgence, but also no easy pop psych modes either – and it's really incredible how much these guys can pack into a short song – from unusual guitar lines, to freewheeling rhythms, and trippy ideas in the lyrics. Many numbers have a sweet groove underneath, and are slightly freakbeatish – but there's also a much more unique feel to the record as well. Tracks include "Dandelion Seeds", "You Missed It All", "My Clown", "Friendly Man", "I See", "The Girl In The Cafe", and "Move On Sweet Flower". The box set then moves into two later albums from a re-formed group – Temporal Anomaly and Resurrection – both of which feature material conceived over a number of years, issued on Resurrection in 2013, and on Temporal Anomaly here for the first time ever. Tracks are great – still very much in the spirit of the classic material, and produced with a nicely understated vibe. Last up is The Wight Album – a recent project from July – still sounding surprisingly great after all these years! At this point, the group is a duo – original members Peter Cook and Tom Newman – but they really manage to craft some great sounds here, with a style that ties back to their initial recording in 1968, and which features some of the successful flourishes of their revived activity from about a decade ago! The tunes are way better than any sort of younger attempt at material like this – mostly because there's a nicely understated, although still quite psychedelic, approach to the whole thing – maybe a reminder that with the best psych records, charm is every bit as important as fuzz. Titles on the double-length set include "The Traveler", "Sophie", "Special Guy", "Henry's Squirrel", "Seeking The Hacksaw Blades", "The Game", "What's Gonna Be", "Disco Klingon", "Mods Of Ryde", "It's Up To Me", and "Once When We Was Free". CD

Excellent work from the glory days of Impulse Records – tracks from sessions for the label's most famous albums, but never issued until this special package! We're not normally ones to dig various artists collections in jazz, but this series is wonderful – an essential counterpart to the main records on Impulse, and filled with work that really offers a fresh look at the musicians. This 2nd volume is a bit more mainstream than some of the others, but still quite nice – and titles include "Gloria" by JJ Johnson, "Dear Old Stockholm" by John Coltrane, "Anything I Do" by Tommy Flanagan, "Moon Over My Annie" by Lionel Hampton, "The Blues Ain't Nothin But Some Pain" by Shirley Scott, and "Night Lights" by Oliver Nelson. LP, Vinyl record album

An essential batch of music – four overlooked gems from the German Ego label of the late 70s – one of which is a stone classic that we've treasured for decades! All albums here are incredible – but our absolute favorite is Benny Bailey's Serenade To A Planet – a set that we think is one of the greatest jazz records ever! By the time of this 1976 release, trumpeter Benny Bailey had already had quite a history – working with Quincy Jones in his early years, and recording for MPS with the likes of Nathan Davis and the Clark Boland Big Band, as well as some of the best other players in Europe. This set's Benny's masterpiece – a soulful batch of tunes that feels like it was lifted from the catalog of Strata East, but which is played by a quintet that features Europeans Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Joe Haider on piano, and Isla Eckinger on bass – as well as American Kenny Clarke on drums. The vibe is perfect – and the group's harmoniously searching with a strong modal groove on nearly every track. Titles include "Aquarian Moods", "Neptunis", "Little B", and "The Kicker". East Of Isar is something of a follow-up to that date – done by Bailey with tenorist Sal Nistico – in a wonderful group that also includes Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Billie Brooks on drums! The Haider/Eckinger team are known from other Bailey sessions in Europe – all of which are fantastic – and they perform extremely well here, too. Tracks are long, with a wonderfully searching quality – and titles include "Blues For Trane", "Joyful Sadness", and "East Of Isar". Then, the set steps into Just For Fun – another great album with a very similar groove – thanks to rhythm from Joe Haider on piano, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Joe Nay on drums. The group's backing up tenorist Sal Nistico – usually a sleepy talent, but a sparkling one on this session, thanks to a lively lyrical rhythm section, and some great compositions by Joe Haider. The whole thing sparkles with the kind of imagination and energy that keeps you tracking down sessions on MPS and other European labels – and with tracks like "Beautiful Black Casanova", "Do Not Make Circles", and "7787", you won't be disappointed in this one! And last by not least is After A Long Time – from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – a rare gem that's in a similar format to Benny Bailey's classic Serenade To A Planet! Dusko stretches out beautifully on the record – in a group that features Joe Haider on piano, Roman Schwaller on tenor, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums. Titles include "Emotionally", "After A Long Time", "Summit", "Mountain Witch", and "The Hunt Is On". CD

Rare material from Gil Evans' short-lived time on Verve Records – recorded in the early 60s, but not issued until this 70s issue! The set features Evans at his sharpest and most modern for the time – right up their with his best Impulse Records dates too – and key soloists include Kenny Burrell on guitar, Phil Woods on alto sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet, and Wayne Shorter on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". CD

The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Three slices of rare work by Duke Ellington – all recorded previously as semi-private recordings, and issued here in a short-lived 70s set! As you'd guess by the title, the tracks are all in "suite" form – that broader compositional style that dominated Ellington's later work, one in which he brought together complicated ideas with a very unified feel – often based around a single theme, but fleshed out beautifully with modes that were even more sophisticated than in his earlier work. Side one features "The Queen's Suite", recorded in 1959 with mostly full orchestra, but also a spare passage of just piano and bass – and side two features "The Goutelas Suite" from 1971, and "The Uwis Suite" from 1972. CD

A really great little album on the short-lived, Bob Thiele-run Contact label that collects rare early work by Shelly Manne from 1944! The set features a series of New York recordings with Shelly – 4 tracks with the Barney Bigard Trio with Eddie Heywood on piano; 4 more with the Eddie Heywood Orchestra with Don Byas; and 4 more with the Eddie Heywood trio. The sound is quite different than Manne's more famous LA sides of the 50s – but hearing him with Heywood's unique phrasing, we can hear where he got a lot of his ideas! Titles include "Sarcastic Lady", "Step Steps Up", "Step Steps Down", "Night & Day", "Them There Eyes", and "Moonglow". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little album on the short-lived, Bob Thiele-run Contact label that collects rare early work by Shelly Manne from 1944! The set features a series of New York recordings with Shelly – 4 tracks with the Barney Bigard Trio with Eddie Heywood on piano; 4 more with the Eddie Heywood Orchestra with Don Byas; and 4 more with the Eddie Heywood trio. The sound is quite different than Manne's more famous LA sides of the 50s – but hearing him with Heywood's unique phrasing, we can hear where he got a lot of his ideas! Titles include "Sarcastic Lady", "Step Steps Up", "Step Steps Down", "Night & Day", "Them There Eyes", and "Moonglow". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album from the German scene of the early 80s – one that mixes in some warmer currents from modal jazz and Brazilian music, in a way that reminds us a lot of some of our favorite recordings on the MPS/Saba label! Klaus-Werner Pusch is trumpeter, and he heads up this beautiful group that's tied together perfectly on every note on the session – a lineup that features these soaring rhythms from Peter Kosch on piano, Jochen Schaal on bass, and Thomas Zahn on drums – and some especially brilliant tenor work from Wilson De Oliveira – a player we don't know at all, but one who brings a sense of soul to the record that really deepens the proceedings! You might know one or two of these tracks from their inclusion on the legendary Glucklich series years back – but the whole album's fantastic, and is taken even better as a whole. Titles include "Peterchen's Mondfahrt", "Sandra", "My Destination", "Demiane", and "Tango For Patricia". And plus, this edition features a rare bonus track – a duet between Pusch on trumpet and Kirk Lightsey on piano – recorded in 2018. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer record from the late 50s – and one that hints at all the sides Stan Getz would take in later years – his bossa sessions, his vibes quartet with Gary Burton, and the playful lyricism of his recordings with Chick Corea! The set was recorded in San Francisco, when Stan had that great bassist Scott LaFaro in his group, and when he was brought into the studio by Fantasy to meet with local talents like Cal Tjader, Eddie Duran, and Vince Guaraldi. Billy Higgins is also added on drums, giving the set a lively songlike sound that's just great. The group works incredibly well together, and it's a shame they only really gelled for this rare non-Verve session. Titles include "Big Bear", "Crow's Nest", and "Ginza Samba". CD