Includes "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "White Cliffs Of Dover", "Georgia On My Mind", "Unchained Melody", "Ebb Tide", "The Great Pretender", and more. CD

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... 7-inch, Vinyl record

28 tracks! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Includes the Capitol albums Jonah Jones/Glen Gray and That Righteous Feelin'. CD

A very nice album of electric guitar groovers from a young Harvey Mandel! The record has less of the trippy dippy feel of Harvey's later albums – and instead has some nice tight jazzy arrangments, with his soulful guitar soloing over the top. Abe "Voco" Kesh produced the record – and it includes a very nice cover of "Jive Samba", plus the cuts "Moontang", "Boo Bee Doo", "Summer Sequence", "Short's Stuff", and "Just A Hair More". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of classics from this electronic duo – all brought together in a single set! First up is In A Wild Sanctuary – one of the best records ever from Beaver and Krause – largely because there's not so much noodling! This one features the pair on moog and organ, with help from Dave Grusin on piano, Milt Holland on percussion, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Bud Shank on reeds. The sound isn't jazz at all – but more a mix of spacey grooves and bubbling bits, with much more of a song-like structure than on other records. There's a few nice cuts here that almost hit a groove, and even when they don't, they still have a nice stripped down moogy sound that's very pleasing. Titles include "Spaced", "Salute To The Vanishing Bald Eagle", "People's Park", "Walking Green Algae Blues", and "Another Part Of Time". Gandharva is a cool mixture of rock and electronics – a perfect example of the Beaver & Krause team at their best! The ensemble on this one is bigger than usual, and the players includes jazz musicians like Mike Bloomfield, Gerry Mulligan, and Howard Roberts – but Beaver & Krause still play a lot of moog, though, and the songs are pretty groovy – although a little short. Side 2 was recorded at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Titles include "Soft/White", "Walkin By The River", "Walkin", "Nine Moons In Alaska", "Bright Shadows", and "Short Film For David". All Good Men is a higher concept album than usual for the team of Beaver & Krause – a record that still features plenty of cool moog and electronics by the pair, but which also has them teamed up with arranger Jimmie Haskell in a set of tunes that mixes older themes with original numbers! A fair bit of tracks here have vocals – either by Krause, or by female vocalists Cris Williamson, Adrienne Anderson, or Elisabeth Wilson – plus the "celestial choir" on a few tracks. There's a hearkening back here that's a bit confused at some moments – mixing Scott Joplin with the then-common apology to Native American mode – but things sound best on the original numbers, which have picked up a groove a bit more than before, and even have some nice warmer tones we really like. Titles include the spacey spinner "Between The Sun & The Rain", plus "Loves Of Col Evol", "Sweet Williams", "Bluebird Canyon Stomp", "Looking Back Now", "Child Of Morning Sun", and "All Good Men". CD

Great work from the mighty Sonny Burns – one of the hippest artists recording on the young Starday Records label – at a time when the great Pappy Daily was bringing a lot of his Texas indie genius to the company! Sonny's a singer who often sings country, but with the attitude of a young rocker – maybe that mix of rocka/hillbilly you'd find in the early work of George Jones – who was one of Burns' label mates at the time – although Sonny has maybe more of a honky tonk vibe that comes through especially well on the mellow tunes! CD features 23 tracks in all – including "I'm Not Long for This World", "Powder & Paint", "Girl Of The Streets", "A Place For Girls Like You", "Six Feet Of Earth", "Too Hot To Handle", "Heart Like A Dollar Sign", "Blue Blue Rain", "If You See My Baby", and "Satan's A Waitin". CD

Four full albums from the great Martin Denny – presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the initial Exotica album – the birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". Exotica 2 is the second album in Denny's legendary Exotica trilogy – a set of records that provided the extreme definition of the small sub-genre that today has become the stuff of legend! Denny's still working here in his classic format – a small group with heavy piano lines, playful percussion, and some birdcalls sung by the members of the group! The set's a mix of strange songs from strange sources, all given the sublime Denny twist – and titles include "Singing Bamboos", "Escales", "August Bells", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Soshu Night Serenade". Exotica 3 is sublime late 50s work from Martin Denny – his third album under the Exotica banner, and almost a deeper and weirder album than the other two! The sound here is extremely haunting – even more freed from conventional melody than the rest, and very fixated on the tonal possibilities that could be produced from Denny's unique grouping of percussion, piano, bass, and vibes. There's few tricks or gimmicks on the set – just a spare and other-worldly approach to music that's totally great! Titles include "Manila", "Mama Iti E Papa E", "Bamboo Lullaby", "Ringo Oiwake", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Congo Train", and "Beautiful Kahana". Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica genre – and the record that yielded Martin Denny his biggest hit! The title track "Quiet Village" was originally written by Les Baxter, but it was Martin Denny's approach that really managed to send the tune over the top – using spare percussion, rhythmic piano, and just the right amount of vibes and bird calls to give the track a really haunting feel. That approach is echoed throughout the set – with shifting instrumentation that includes celeste, bongos, marimbas, and marimbula as well! Titles include "Quiet Village", "Paradise Found", "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". CD features bonus tracks too – "Llama Serenade" and "The Enchanted Sea" and more. CD

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A great set – one classic album, and lots more bonus tracks too! At the heart of the collection is the album My Baby's Gone – classic heartbreaking sounds from The Louvin Brothers – a record that's maybe a bit more secular in themes than some of their other Capitol classics, but which still has a similar sense of loss and longing! The harmonies of Ira and Charlie Louvin are superb – and the backing is nice and lean, which really lets you focus on the qualities of the vocals – all with that special quality that made the pair such a key bridge between strands of styles in both postwar country and bluegrass. Titles include "Blue From Now On", "She Didn't Even Know I Was Gone", "You're Running Wild", "My Baby Came Back", "I Wish You Knew", "While You're Cheatin On Me", and "I Wish It Had Been A Dream". CD features 12 more bonus tracksd that follow similar themes, from similar times – titles that include "A Wound That Time Can't Erase" by Stonewall Jackson, "Buster's Idea" by Porter Wagoner, "The Tip of My Fingers" by Bill Anderson, "Is It Wrong" by Warner Mack, "Mommy Please Stay Home With Me" by Eddie Arnold, and "I'll Just Have A Cup Of Coffee" by Claude Gray. CD

The "Brian" in the title is Brian Eno – as you might guess from that image from Another Green World in the middle of the cover – but the sound of this set is quite different than what you might expect! CD1 imagines the sounds that Eno would talk about informing the music of his youth – tracks that showed up often on jukeboxes stocked to service visiting American GIs, which meant that the were full of raw soul, R&B, and even a bit of jazz – elements that most folks wouldn't tie to Eno, but which you can definitely hear here in arranging and production elements that would show up on his early solo vocal music, and some of the Roxy Music sounds too. Titles include work by The Tokens, Paradons, Lafayettes, Little Willie John, Dinah Washington, Ernie K Doe, Raymond Scott, The Cosmic Rays, Moondog, and Leadbelly. CD2 features more modern moments – a mix of avant jazz, early electronics, and 20th century compositions that tie a more direct link to the ambient universe – titles that include "Dream" by John Cage, "Come Back To Earth With Me" by Louis & Bebe Barron, "Atmospheres (excerpt)" by Gyorgy Ligeti, "Sleepy Time" by Raymond Scott, "Fordommelse" by Elsa Marie Pade, "Rhythmic Variations 1" by Daphne Oram, "Low Speed (excerpt)" by Otto Lueninng, "Ignition" by Tom Dissevelt, "Ectoplasm" by Raymond Scott, and "The Bewitched (Scene 1)" by Harry Partcy. CD

We're always happy to take a trip to Crampsville – as the journey means that we not only get to live within the world of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, we also get to discover a huge amount of obscure singles from the glory days of the indie 45! The Cramps built their music on building blocks like these – weird, obscure tunes from the late 50s and early 60s – often leaping across genres in a single tune – mixing rock and R&B, slinky lounge with gritty sleaze, and always exploding with the kind of energy that never could have lasted past the few minutes of music that fit on a 7" record. The set's very much in the great mode of other Righteous Cramps-inspired titles – and features 52 tracks that include "Love Slave" by Bart Mattson, "She'll Never Let Him Go" by Gin Gillette, "Little Joe" by Jack Day, "I'm Blue" by The Ikettes, "Chicken Rock" by Scott Wood & His Band, "Big Foot" by Googie Rene, "The Tingle" by Jackie Weaver, "She's Mine" by Johnny Strickland, "I Got School" by Scott Miller, "Stop At The Hop" by Don Eee, "Rock & Roll Fever" by Gene Ray, "The Gorilla Walk" by Sascha Burland, "The Cat" by Rod Willis, "Watch Your Step" by Bobby Parker, and "I'm Buggin Out Little Baby" by Donny Lee Moore. CD

Lux and Ivy serve up a whole host of records from death row – not the famous hip hop label, but the end of the line for those that pay the ultimate price for their crimes – served up here in a weird and wild blend of rare 45s from the postwar years! The music here is almost in Bear Family territory, but a bit wider – rock, blues, rockabilly, country, and other styles all mixed together – with a really wonderful blend of offbeat singles that we might never have heard otherwise! The set's one of the best Lux & Ivy collections in awhile – and features 28 tracks that include "Death Row" by Jimmy Minor, "Big Mouth Bill" by Phil McLean, "The Legend Of The Birds & Bees" by Hank Hornsby, "So Tuff" by The Furys, "Down In The Basement" by King Coleman, "Devil Is A Busy Man" by Sunnyland Slim, "Stack A Records" by Tom Tall, "The Last Drag" by The Voxpoppers, "Rompin" by Jerry Warren, "Ragged & Hungry" by Lightning Junior & The Empires, "The Plea" by The Chantels, and "Crash Out" by Jaycee Hill. CD

One of the coolest collections to ever bear the name of Lux and Ivy in the title – a really great genre-busting collection of odd, offbeat, and unusual tracks from the vintage 45 underground – very much served up in the mix of modes the duo explored in The Cramps! There's a real love of the 7" single that informs the collection – that special sense of surprise and anticipation when dropping the needle on a vintage 45 – delivered nicely here as the package steps through a whopping 50 tracks over the course of 2CDs! Titles include "Kiss Me Goodnight" by Tony Castle, "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" by Pat Hare, "The Chinese Rock N Roll" by The Flock Rocker, Annie Miss Fanny" by Mel Dorsey, "Story Of Susie" by Billy Woods with Kim Fowley, "Frustration" by The Zanies, "Too Big For Her Bikini" by Gerry Granahan, "Fallout Filly" by Chris Cerf & The Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir, "No More" by The Uptones, "Tarzan" by Artie Wilson, "Zimba Lulu" by The Rays, "You Tarzan Me Jane" by Glenn Willings, "Choo Choo Train" by Ritchie Hart, "Little Lil" by Mel Dorsey & the Heartbeats, "Fallout" by Aston Martin & The Moon Discs, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "The Switch" by Slim Marbles, "Miss Froggie" by Warren Smith, and lots lots more! CD

A deep dig into the farther reaches of the exotica boom of the late 50s – served up with the same sort of focus on unusual tracks that we love on the other collections from Lux & Ivy! Given the raunchy sound of The Cramps, you might not expect the duo to have as strong of an ear for the softer sounds of the islands – but there was always such a mish-mash of influences going into the postwar pastiche of their sound, and exotica certainly left its mark too! These tracks run from familiar names to much more obscure albums and singles – a very heady package that's divided up into a light CD, and a dark CD – with 34 titles that are awash in exotic percussion, strange sound effects, flute lines, echoey keyboards, vibes, and lots lots more. Titles include "Besame Mucho" by Ralph Font, "Ochun" by Johnny Richards, "Room 43" by Ray Anthony, "125th Street Prophet" by Phil Moore, "Hysteria" by Richard Shores, "Foggy Recollections" by Jack Fascinato, "Algiers" by Bianchi, "Now Is The Hour" by Leo Addeo, "Dawn Under The Sea" by Les Baxter, "Caravan" by Tak Shindo, "I Talk To The Trees" by Ruth Welcome, "Balsa Boat" by Elisabeth Windo, "Ebb Tide" by The Living Strings, "Legend Of The Rain" by Arthur Lyman, and "Head Hunters" by John McFarland. CD

A deep dig into the farther reaches of the exotica boom of the late 50s – served up with the same sort of focus on unusual tracks that we love on the other collections from Lux & Ivy! Given the raunchy sound of The Cramps, you might not expect the duo to have as strong of an ear for the softer sounds of the islands – but there was always such a mish-mash of influences going into the postwar pastiche of their sound, and exotica certainly left its mark too! These tracks run from familiar names to much more obscure albums and singles – a very heady package that's divided up into a light CD, and a dark CD – with 34 titles that are awash in exotic percussion, strange sound effects, flute lines, echoey keyboards, vibes, and lots lots more. Titles include "Besame Mucho" by Ralph Font, "Ochun" by Johnny Richards, "Room 43" by Ray Anthony, "125th Street Prophet" by Phil Moore, "Hysteria" by Richard Shores, "Foggy Recollections" by Jack Fascinato, "Algiers" by Bianchi, "Now Is The Hour" by Leo Addeo, "Dawn Under The Sea" by Les Baxter, "Caravan" by Tak Shindo, "I Talk To The Trees" by Ruth Welcome, "Balsa Boat" by Elisabeth Windo, "Ebb Tide" by The Living Strings, "Legend Of The Rain" by Arthur Lyman, and "Head Hunters" by John McFarland. CD

A really cool collection – one that first traces the range of R&B and early soul music that influenced the sound of Jamaica in the 60s, then follows up with early ska material that traces a really great line back to the American inspirations in the sounds! The set breaks up the early numbers to focus on older US records that played on Kingston sound systems, which makes for a great bridge forward to the original sounds created on that scene – in a set list that features 26 titles in all, with tracks that include "Ten Virgins" by Angelic Brothers, "The Joker" by Roland Alphonso, "Bess' Boogie" by Bobby Smith, "San Diego Bounce" by Harold Land, "Blow Lynn Blow" by Lynn Hope, "Goin Home" by Rosco Gordon, "Boogie In My Bones" by Laurel Aitken, "Pine Juice" by Clue J & His Blues Blasters, "Boogie Woogie Blue Plate" by Louis Jordan, "I Feel Good" by Ernest Ranglin, "Buster's Idea" by Prince Buster, "Rosabelle" by Cornell Campbell, "Me & My Forty Five" by Eric Marty Morris, and "Stew Peas & Cornflakes" by Audrey Adams & Rico Rodriguez. CD

Here's a genre that most folks have forgotten about, but which was a pretty big one at the time, and great to rediscover all these many years later – the wide world of the Elvis Presley tribute record, served up here in a host of rare 45s from the glory days of the 7" single! Much of the work has a raw rocking quality that would have made The King plenty proud – and there's also a nice mix of both styles and subject matter – so that the tunes aren't just about loving Elvis and his music, but also documenting the ups and downs of his career and its larger impact on modern music. Titles include "All American Boy" by Bobby Bare, "I Dreamed I Was Elvis" by Sonny Cole, "The King Is Coming Back" by Billy & Eddie, "Elvis Presley For President" by Lou Monte, "Oh Elvis" by Reed Harper, "Hey Mr Presley" by Pete De Bree, "I Want Elvis For Christmas" by Eddie Cochran & Holly Twins, "All About Elvis" by Milt Oshins, "Elvis" by Julie Lang, "Don't Knock Elvis" by Felton Jarvis, "Elvis In The Army" by Jaybee Wasden, and "The Story Of Elvis Presley" by Jim Ford. CD

A whole host of weird little songs from the glory days of the 45rpm single – a great assortment of tracks that ran up the charts during the big years of the novelty record – a moment that wasn't just about putting a quick joke on record, but also using the larger space of the studio in some really experimental ways! The set does a great job of mixing famous novelty tracks with more obscure numbers – served up in a variety of styles, but all really united in the way the records use interesting turns of phrase and playful production to create something new and magical over the course of a few short minutes. Titles include "Smoochin In The Sewer With Louie" by The Empalas, "Neow Not Neow" by Kookie Kat, "Big Foot" by Googie Rene, "I Hates Rabbits" by Jerry Neal, "Wombat Twist" by Glenn & christy, "Mad (part 1)" by Bobby Borda Five, "Blah" by Sidney & The Chimps, "There's A New Sound" by Tony Burrello, "Cozy Little Compact Car" by Bryan Hyland, "Kookie's Mad Pad" by Edd Byrnes, "Paralyzed" by Legendary Stardust Cowboy, "The Blob" by The Five Blobs, and "One Hen Two Ducks Three Squawking Geese" by Blue Chips. CD

The title's a bit confusing, but that's the way we like it – as the package brings together all sorts of weird and wonderful tunes – work that maybe even pushes past the boundaries of the other wild work we've loved on previous volumes in this series! The set list is huge – 50 tracks in all – and the package runs the gamut of unusual rare singles, with certainly some that might reference the odd jumble of words in the title – but others that all take off in the wonderful melange of modes. We'd not heard most of the work here before – and once again our hat's off to Lux & Ivy for hipping us to so many underground gems – in a huge set list that includes "Rat A Ma Cue" by Pat Patterson, "You're Gone I'm Left" by Tyrone Schmidling, "Red Tiger Shoes" by The Century Five, "Busy Line" by Billy Williams, "Chilli Dippin Baby" by Joyce Poynter, "Big Bowl Of Soul" by The Huntsmen, "I've Been Wrong" by Sweetie Jones, "Hot Shot" by Ronnie Pearson, "Lover Boy" by Chris Christian & The Chordaires, "Ford & Shaker" by James Gallagher, "Leather Jacket Cowboy" by Pepper Pots, "Oh Death" by John Reedy & His Stone Mountain Trio, and "Bongosera" by Grupo Afro Cubano. CD

Lux and Ivy have given us plenty of great music in plenty of great styles – but the duo are probably closest to the raw spirit of the early rockabilly years – a sound that was instrumental in their music as The Cramps! Here, the duo dig through some of their favorite rare singles from way way back – the kind of obscure cuts that even go past some of the better-done European compilations in recent decades – and which remind us that Lux and Ivy were out in the field digging for rare records back in the early 70s – when some of these impossible-to-find numbers might still have been around. As with other titles in this series, the scope of subject matter is great, and the tunes are plenty wild – 52 tracks that include "Date On The Corner" by Don Feger, "Bip Bop Boom" by Mickey Hawks, "Sweet Rockin Mama" by The Hi Tombs, "Don't Bug Me Baby" by Milton Allen, "Did We Have A Party" by Billy Brown, "Chicken Rock" by Fat Daddy Holmes, "Blast Off" by Alden Holloway, "Lonely" by Bobby McDowell, "Here Kitty Kitty" by Jimmy Murphy, "I'm A Madman" by Willie Ward & The Warblers, and "Woodpecker Rock" by Nat County & The Braves. CD

A crazy collection of singles from the pre-hippie years of the beatnik – that cool cat who loved jazz, read poetry, and dug the scene with plenty of attitude! That attitude is the main focus of most of the cuts here – obscure tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that poke fun at the heady thoughts and easy intellectualism of the beat scene – presented in a range of different styles that really run the gamut – from jazz, to rock, to many other genres in between – including a fair bit of offbeat spoken word and instrumental records too! The vibe here follows nicely in the other Lux & Ivy collections on the Righteous label – full of weird and wild records we never would have discovered otherwise – with cuts that include "Dog" by Bob Dorough, "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman, "Reaching Into In" by Ken Nordine, "No Pictures Please" by Rod McKuen, "Manhattan Fable" by Babs Gonzales, "Pimples & Braces" by Spike Jones & The City Slickers, "Teenage Beatnik" by Louis Nye, "A Beatnik Story" by The Expressos, "Meet The Bongo Man" by Johnny O, and "William Butler Yeats On The Third Avenue El" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. CD

Further proof that the 7" single is a never-ending well of fantastic sounds – a vinyl hinterland where just about anything can happen – and where songs of all styles provide a mindblowing journey in music! This set follows the same spirit of the other Cramps-inspired collections on Righteous – and continues their deep deep dig into overlooked gems from the glory days of the indie single – a mix of R&B, raw instrumentals, gritty soul, offbeat rock, crazy pop, and lots lots more – served up in a set of 52 tracks that includes "Milk From The Coconut" by Johnny Gentle, "Rise Up & Walk" by Troy Dodds, "The Slib" by JC Davis, "Do The Whip" by Skip Cole, "Roundabout" by The Jaguars, "Pretty Baby" by The Vibes, "Bullfrog" by Johnny Moore & His New Blazers, "Haunted Sax" by The Night Caps, "Wooden Bird Twist" by Buddy Vincent, "Ghoshamody Whatabody" by Glen Goza, "Any Way You Wanta" by Harvey, and "Valley Of Tears" by Bobby Rebel. CD

The title's a bit confusing, but the set's got Lux & Ivy going right back to the roots of the weird, wonderful sounds that inspired their music in The Cramps – offbeat, hard-edged 45s from the glory days of the 7" single – served up here in a range of styles, on a range of topics – all of which sound pretty darn wonderful together! There's definitely some raw soul numbers in the mix, next to rough-edged rockers, twang-heavy guitar tunes, and plenty more – all from an array of very small labels from the late 50s and early 60s. Titles include "Upturn" by Eddie Smith & The Hornets, "Payday" by Terry Richards, "Relief Check" by Bobby Sue & Her Freeloaders, "You Tell Her I Stutter" by Jimmy Lee Prow, "Nag" by The Halos, "Iggy Joe" by Willie Ward, "Party Line" by Kip Shane, "Two Cats & A Mouse" by Mickey Mandolin, "Fidel Castro Rock" by Danny Williams, "Jazz Vs Rock & Roll" by Woody Byrd, and "Magic Carpet" by The Aladdins. CD

Who better to spend Halloween with than Lux and Ivy of The Cramps – a pair who almost act like it's the last day of October all year long! Lux and Ivy are well-known as collectors of strange and offbeat 45s from the late 50s and early 60s – and that period also coincides with a great run of horror rock, monster novelties, and other spook-oriented singles – the sorts that are almost like the audio equivalent of catching a schlocky film on the late late show, or sitting at the drive-in watching some low-budget monster movie! The package features a whopping 50 tracks in all – tunes that are maybe more funny and groovy than downright scary – but that's OK with us, because the whole thing's great. Titles include "He's A Vampire" by Archie King, "She's My Witch" by Kip Tyler, "Cannibal Stew" by Jerry & Mel, "Graveyard" by Leroy Bowman & The Arrows, "Beware" by Bill Buchanan, "Voodoo Kiss" by Don Sargent & The Buddies, "Rock N Bones" by Elro Dietzel & The Rhythm Bandits, "The Cave (part 1)" by Gary Spider Webb, "Strollin Spooks" by Ken Nordine, "The Rockin Ghost" by Archie Bleyer, "The Mummy's Bracelet" by Lee Ross, "Swamp Girl" by Kay Martin, "The Spook" by The Tomkos, "Mr Ghost Goes To Town" by The Five Jones Boys, and "The Fang" by Nervous Norvus. CD

There's no waiting for Zion here – as A08 deliver the goods right from the start – a very righteous blend of reggae, West African, and other styles – but all served up with a lean approach that takes the influences very far past their roots! The group were previously known as Africaine 808 – and maybe the condensing of their name is a reference to the way the styles are condensed here – brought down to just their basics, but then topped with contributions from an array of different guests from a variety of global sources. Titles include "Water", "Pomplemousse", "I Want More", "Kisumu Bound Bus (Nyatiti mix)", "Sunset", "Bubbles", "Life", and "Yamahaica". LP, Vinyl record album

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima". CD

A killer combo from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley – a group that features George Duke on both acoustic and electric piano, stretching things out, and helping the Adderley brothers find an even more soulful groove than they had in the 60s! The George Duke approach really makes for a cool concert throughout – with Cannon on alto (and a bit of soprano on one track too!), Nat on cornet, Walter Booker on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – hitting that more complex, more righteous groove that Adderley was opening up on Fantasy Records in the final years of his life – a bit more spontaneous here, with lots of room for improvisation! The set also has some more spiritual moments than you might expect if you only know Cannon's 60s albums on Capitol – especially at the start of the show, which is very loose and open. Titles include a great version of Nat's "Hummin" – plus side-long takes on "Doctor Honoris Causa" and "Black Messiah" – and the tunes "Walk Tall/The Scene", "Soli Tomba", "Directions", and "Autumn Leaves". CD

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". LP, Vinyl record album

A spacious second set from British/Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed – a record that features dedications to feminist inspirations on every single track – but which has a soaring, righteous quality that marks Ahmed as an inspirational force of her own! The songs are long, and the music is rich in textural elements – strong trumpet solos from the leader, but also a globe's worth of contributions from other members of the contemporary London scene in which Ahmed's been making waves for the past few years! If you know the charms of the London scene in recent years, you'll have plenty to love here – and will find yourself adding Yazz to a list of artists to keep your ears on. And if you don't, this album's a great place to begin your musical discovery – on titles that include "Ruby Bridges", "Barbara", "Lahan Al-Mansour", "One Girl Among Many", and "Deeds Not Words". LP, Vinyl record album

A tribute to a lost side of the creative powers of the legendary Sun Ra – his work in prose and poetry, presented here on record by a variety of different voices – all in a production that features some cool electronics from Marshall Allen as well! The instrumental work of Ra and the Arkestra have an undeniably righteous power and spiritual message – and those qualities are presented here in a more focused, more direct style through his pen – ideas that are clear and forthright, and which show very powerful concepts of life, music, politics, race, and the cosmos – all at a level that really showcases the depths of Ra as a philosopher! EVI electronics are played by Allen, who also speaks a bit on the record – alongside others who include Carl Hancok Rux, Zakia Sewell, Abioudun Oyewole, Melanie Charles, Jive Poetic, Tara Middleton, L'Rain, Saul Williams, and Mahogany L Browne. Titles include "When Angels Speak", "The Invisible Giants", "Sun-Day", "Nothing Is", "The Melody of Air", "The Void", "The Neglected Plane Of Wisdom" and more. CD

A tribute to a lost side of the creative powers of the legendary Sun Ra – his work in prose and poetry, presented here on record by a variety of different voices – all in a production that features some cool electronics from Marshall Allen as well! The instrumental work of Ra and the Arkestra have an undeniably righteous power and spiritual message – and those qualities are presented here in a more focused, more direct style through his pen – ideas that are clear and forthright, and which show very powerful concepts of life, music, politics, race, and the cosmos – all at a level that really showcases the depths of Ra as a philosopher! EVI electronics are played by Allen, who also speaks a bit on the record – alongside others who include Carl Hancok Rux, Zakia Sewell, Abioudun Oyewole, Melanie Charles, Jive Poetic, Tara Middleton, L'Rain, Saul Williams, and Mahogany L Browne. Titles include "When Angels Speak", "The Invisible Giants", "Sun-Day", "Nothing Is", "The Melody of Air", "The Void", "The Neglected Plane Of Wisdom" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous set from reedman Karl Martin Almqvist – blowing both tenor and soprano here in a quartet that also includes some really fantastic piano from Nduduzo Makhathini – a player we love on his own records too! As you might expect if you know Makhathini, there's some strong South African jazz elements in the mix – and a richness of piano tone that's wonderful, and only deepened by the bass of Magne Thormodsaeter – a player we don't know at all, but whose sense of tone and timing round out the whole album wonderfully! Ayanda Sikade plays drums – another great player from the South African scene – and titles include "Nordic Light"," Ababhemu", "Blauzac", "Reconciliation", "Ukubuyisana", and "Eva Johanna". CD

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". CD

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a great record from Ruby Andrews – a Chicago soul singer who started out sweet, but comes on hard and heavy on this righteous classic from the start of the 70s! The record's got a badass vibe you never would have expected from Andrews a few years before – with tremendous vocals, and these arrangements that are right on the money – and which pack a solid funky punch into nearly every tune! Brothers Of Soul provide the great backings – but Ruby's the clear star of the show, and works here in a deep soul style that blows us away every time we hear the record – and we've been listening to this one for more than a few decades. Wonderful all the way through – and with titles that include the funky classic "You Made A Believer Out Of Me", plus "Good N Plenty", "My Love Is Comin Down", "You Ole Boo Boo You", and "Overdose Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic take on the tradition of spoken word in reggae – a set that's got a much rootsier vibe than you'd expect from the release date, and instrumentation that's very acoustic overall – mostly strong use of percussion to back up the righteous words of AnkAnum! The set has some echoes of modes from the earlier dee jay generation, but also maybe resonates even more strongly with spoken word projects from the African-American underground of the 70s – work that comes from a time when records were able to carry forth knowledge and ideology in ways that were unavailable via broadcast in the pre-internet days. Production is nice and lean, and just right for the lyrics – and titles include "Afrikan Man", "Bread Of Sorrow", "Song Of The Motherland", "Ovahstanding", "Man Of The Living", and "Rhetoric Of The Mysteries". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost fusion classic from the early 70s – one of the only records cut under the leadership of drummer Horacee Arnold, but a heck of a great little set with a soaringly righteous sound! The style here is plenty full-on, but a bit less rock-leaning than some of the other Columbia fusion of the period – thanks to a spacious vision on Arnold's part, and the inclusion of a fair bit of sounds from world music. Players on the set include Art Webb on flute, Sonny Fortune on soprano sax, John Abercrombie on guitar, David Friedman on vibes and marimba, Dom Um Romao on percussion, and Jan Hammer on moog and electric piano – and although there's a fair bit of guitar in the mix, the other acoustic elements are kept nice and high too – for a blend that's almost like some of the best Brazilian fusion from later years, touched by a slightly funkier sound! Tracks really stretch out nicely, allowing for plenty of solo space as they roll on, in a way that's almost a cross between Strata East and some of the more familiar mainstream fusion modes of the time. Very hip stuff, with titles that include "Benzele Windows", "Tales Of The Exonerated Flea", "Euroaquilo Silence", "Puppet Of The Seasons", "Sing Night Jar", and "Delicate Evasions". CD

A classic set of British soul by PP Arnold – LA native, and a onetime member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue who ended up staying behind in the UK after a mid 60s tour! The album's got a very interesting approach that's quite a bit more sophisticated than the sound of the Ike Turner group – with production by Andrew Loog Oldham, and rich arrangements by Tony Meehan that float in bits of Brit easy, and full-styled 60s pop orchestrations, alongside more righteous straighter soul backings – all for a mix that's great, and which makes this mod treasure a very different album than American soul of the period! Titles include "Letter To Bill", "Dreamin", "Eleanor Rigby", "As Tears Go By", "To Love Somebody", and a great version of "God Only Knows". CD

One of the key records that helped establish the genius of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at the end of the 60s – a session that was recorded on the Paris scene, where the early quartet were really starting to rub shoulders with, and influence a range of different European players – maybe no surprise, when you hear the brilliance of an album like this! There's a bit more bite here than on some of the more spacious AEC performances overseas – really bold energy that comes across on the first few minutes of the record, which have this wonderfully righteous quality – augmented by shouts and calls – on tunes that maybe also have a bit more structure than some other material from the period too. The session was recorded at the Saravah studios, and seems to echo some of the criss-crossing experiments of that famous spot – heard on the Ensemble's classic album with Brigitte Fontaine – and the set features a magnificent mish-mash of sounds from Lester Bowie on trumpet, Malachi Favors on bass, both Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of saxes and reeds, and the whole group on percussion! The set features the tracks "Old Time Religion", "Dexterity", "Rock Out", and the side-long "A Brain For The Seine" – which covers the whole second half of the record, and really sets the tone for the group's experiments to come. LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the greatest album ever by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – and also one of their rarest! The album was cut for Pathe Marconi in Paris in 1970, and was the soundtrack to a film that was as obscure as the album. The group's never been finer – and plays with a creative tightness that you'll be hard pressed to find on other record. Some tracks are almost straight jazz – but there's all these wonderful little breakdowns and burst of creative energy that keep the AACM spirit alive and true. The centerpiece of the album is the massive "Theme De Yoyo", a righteous powerful groover that features vocals by Fontella Bass (wife of Lester Bowie of the group), and which has become an all-time jazz dance classic! Other tracks have a sparer soundtracky feel, and a few more are in the experimental vein of the Art Ensemble's other Paris work at the time. Wonderful overall though – and an incredibly righteous album filled with power and imagination! Titles include "Theme De Celine", "Proverbes", "Theme Libra", and "Variations Sur Un Theme De Monteverdi". Very hard to find original French pressing – with different cover image! LP, Vinyl record album

A really romping single from the lesser-known Connie Austin – a cut that's as funky as is soulful, with a set of backings that comes down right on the money, while a little conga line kicks things right back over the top! The approach allows Connie's vocals to really soar – giving the whole thing an unexpectedly righteous vibe! Charles Spurling steps out on the flipside – a storming Northern Soul number recorded in the 60s, but which appears here on a 45 for the first time ever! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". CD

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! CD