Sweet 70s funk from Hugo Montenegro – an artist who really developed a great ear for electric styles by this point in his career! The album's very heavy on Arp – and includes variations on the instrument in many formats – all set to funky jazz arrangements that follow from Hugo's previous Stevie Wonder album – and like that one, offer up his own take on 70s soul! The Arp-y keyboards show up on nearly every track – adding in so many wonderful electronic elements – alongside warmer winds from Don Menza and Ernie Watts, and smooth grooves from a rhythm combo that includes Larry Carlton on guitar and Hal Blaine on drums. Titles include a great cover of Stevie Wonder's "Creepin", plus cuts by "other brothers", like "Feel Like Makin' Love", "What's Goin' On", and "Nothing From Nothing" – as well as the great original "Noah's Arp"! LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from the team of Morrissey and Marr – a record that manages to wear its politics on its sleeve, yet still express things in a highly personal way! The balance is a key part of what made The Smiths go farther than just about all their 80s Brit indie contemporaries – and is what still keeps them going so many years later – not to mention great songwriting, haunting vocals, and some damn catchy guitar! Titles include "The Headmaster Ritual", "What She Said", "I Want The One I Can't Have", "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", "Nowhere Fast", "Barbarism Begins At Home", and "Well I Wonder". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely work from Brazilian singer Luciana Souza – a set that features both English and Portuguese language tunes, recorded in a laidback, almost torchy kind of jazz vocal style. Pianists on the set include Bruce Barth and Fred Hersch – and the overall setting is small group backing, with Luiciana's vocals right up front in the mix! Titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Corcovado", "I Shall Wait", "No Wonder", and "All Of Me". CD

Titles include "Brand New 88", "Eddy's Rock", "This Is The Story Of My Love", "Everyday I Wonder", and "Crazy Jeans". LP, Vinyl record album

Igloo Records was a teeny tiny label on the LA scene of the early 70s – but all of its releases turned out to be killers – most handled by the hip-looking Leon Gardner on the cover! The music is often heavy with the kind of deep funk you'd expect from rare singles at the time – but Gardner also has an ear for more complex sounds at times, and brings in some jazz moments that really give the Igloo titles a unique vibe – always with plenty of grit in the grooves, as befits a small indie label – but with an ear for the music that also makes us wonder what Gardner could have done, had someone given him the keys to a bigger label and studio for his productions! We'd love a bit more in the way of notes – but that's to be expected, as Leon was somewhat of a mysterious figure – and the music is more than great enough on its own, with titles that include "Farm Song", "Be There", "My Love Is Growing", "Who Are You", "Beef Jerky", "Tuff Lover", "Wonderful World Of Children", "You Gonna Cry", and "You Don't Care" by Leon Gardner himself – plus "You're My Love" by Eddie Lewis, "I've Cried" by The Jhamels, and "Petty Cash" and "Ropeokra" by Wallace Petty Combo. CD

A bit of blues, and a bit of jazz – in that sweet style that Jimmy was handling so well on his 60s recordings for Prestige. Backing is by a small combo that includes Gildo Mahones on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Roy Haynes on drums – and titles include "The Time Has Come", "I'll Never Be Free", "I Wonder", "It's All In The Game", and "Blues In The Morning". CD

With selections by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Miracles, Blinky, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Four Tops, The Marvelettes, Shorty Long, and Isley Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

A great small combo set from Ella Fitzgerald – and a record that maybe has a bit more bite than some of her Songbook sessions from the time! The combo's a great one – with excellent piano from Lou Levy, balanced with guitar work from Herb Ellis – a pair whose chromatic contributions really resonate wonderfully with the vocal range of Ella – especially as the singer is hitting that 60s stretch when she seemed to find an even more expressive tone than in earlier years! Other players include Joe Mondragon on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – no other players at all, a nice lean set – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Cry Me A River", "This Year's Kisses", "Music Goes Round & Round", "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", "My Reverie", and "You're My Thrill". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! The first 3CDs feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and CD four features Ella returning to Hollywood for two more nights in 1962, with trio backing from Paul Smith on piano, Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. There's a massive 77 tracks in all – handsomely package in a hardcover 7" square book – which also features beautiful color pages inside, lots of notes on the music, and design that's every bit as groovy as the old albums on Verve. Titles include "Joe Williams' Blues", "It's De-Lovely", "Lorelei", "I Can't Get Started", "Round Midnight", "Perdido", "Little White Lies", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "Love For Sale", "Exactly Like You", "Mack The Knife", "Teach Me Tonight", "My Kind Of Boy", "It Had To Be You", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "All Of Me", and "Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist". And, in case you're wondering, there's almost no repetition in the set at all – all discreet, unique tunes – not just the sort of rehash you might get in other concert box sets of this nature! CD

A really heady set from the contemporary jazz scene in South Africa – a record led by groundbreaking drummer Asher Gamedze, and one that has all these wonderfully righteous currents soaring from a surprisingly small group! Gamedze's sense of rhythm is nicely offbeat – different than you might expect, especially for a group led by a drummer – and the small group features intersecting lines from the trumpet of Robin Fassie and tenor of Buddy Wells, as singer Julian Deacon Otis lends vocals to really top the whole thing off in a wonderful way. Bassist Thembinkosi Mavimbela provides moody undercurrents to the whole thing – and titles include "Melancholia", "If It Rains To Pursue Truth", "Turbulence's Pulse", "Out Stepped Zim", "Sometimes I Think To Myself", and "Underground Formation". Plus, this physical edition features three bonus tracks recorded with the Another Time Ensemble, which has guitar, alto, bass, and electronics – titles that include live versions of "Melancholia", "If It Rains", and "Out Stepped Zim". LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". LP, Vinyl record album

Great Verve material from Lionel Hampton – and like most of his sides for the label, a set that offers small combo grooving in a very stretched out setting! The album only features four long tracks – and Hampton's vibes are set up nicely with a trio that includes Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Titles include "Always", "Air Mail Special", "Soft Winds", and "S'Wonderful" – all nice and long! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". CD features 3 bonus alternate takes! CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". Features bonus tracks – two takes of "Riot", and an alternate of "Goodbye To Childhood". CD

Beautiful Billie from the last years of her life. The material was recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Hollywood, featuring Barney Kessel, Ben Wesbster, Harry Edison, and Jimmy Rowles – all grooving nicely in small group formation. The tracks have a wonderfully fragile quality – and although standards, are still some of Billie's nicest work for Verve. Titles include "April In Paris", "All Or Nothing At All", "We'll Be Together Again", and "But Not For Me". Great David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime small group work from tenor saxophonist Bill Holman – and a record that really lets him stretch out with some longer-than-usual solo work! Holman's working here as the co-leader with drummer Mel Lewis – in a group that also features trumpeter Lee Katzman, bassist Wilford Middlebrook, and pianist Jimmy Rowles. The head arrangements are quite tight, and remind us a lot of some of Holman's work on charts for larger bands – but as the longish tunes unfold, the solo work is extremely dexterous – and supported wonderfully by some fluid work on piano by Rowles. Titles include Holman's classic "Jive For Five", plus "The Beat Generation", "502 Blues Theme", and "Liza". CD

Great solo piano work from Abdullah Ibrahim – and a set that's put together a bit differently than some of his other records of this nature! Often, solo Ibrahim sides are quite long and extended – but this time around, most of the tracks are quite short – some around three minutes, some almost only 60 seconds – making for a really fresh approach to the solo piano genre, and one that almost has Abdullah painting these wonderful little pictures in sound! The brevity of the tunes is no reflection of their depth – as Ibrahim really packs a lot into the small space focusing his ideas wonderfully, and moving through some dark themes that really hold us in rapt attention throughout. Titles include "Jabulani", "Mamma", "Bayana Children Of Africa", "In The Evening", "Ocean & The River", "Blue Bolero", "For Coltrane", "Dust", "Tookah", and "Blues For A Hip King". CD

One of the best-remembered jazz albums from singer Bev Kelly – partly for the record's great use of guitar by Johnny Smith, but also for the great vocals from Bev herself! The album's one of a few that really set a new standard for small combo jazz in the 50s – different than the bigger band records with singers, but also not nearly as cabaret-styled as some of the other records with a small group behind the vocalist. Smith's tone is wonderful – that moody, mellow magic he did so well – and his pairing here is not unlike that of Barney Kessel with Julie London, but with much more of a New York vibe overall. Titles include "Looking For A Boy", "Destination Moon", "Tis Autumn", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Moe's Blues". CD

One of the most unique albums from Ramsey Lewis' early years at Chess Records – a spare set of bossa groovers that has the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt augmented by added Brazilian percussion and guitar! The sound is spare, sharp, and soulful – and the record's one of the first small combo bossa dates like this in the US – a 1962 effort that even predates most of Verve's better known bossa jazz albums of the 60s, and which matches their groovy energy wonderfully. The record's quite an unusual one for Lewis, and it's further proof that the trio with Young and Holt was an incredibly dynamic outfit! Two tracks on the album – "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and "Cara De Palhacao" – feature vocals, by Carmen Costa and Josef Paulo, respectively – and other tracks are all instrumental, and include "Samba De Orpheus", "O Pato", "Roda Moinho", "Roda Moinho", and "Cancao Para Geralda". CD

A really cool record, and one that uses the Cuban tres in a style that's nicely different than more traditional modes – often blending it with some of the hipper small combo Latin elements that had popped up on the New York scene in the mid 60s, which gives the instrument a very different energy overall! Mita handles the tres wonderfully here – electrified on most cuts, which almost creates the same sort of feel as those cool boogaloo records that Arsenio Rodriguez recorded in the 60s – not faithfully traditional at all, which is really the appeal! As with so many Mag Records productions from the period, there's all sorts of wonderfully offbeat elements going on – yet they never get in the way of the burning Latin grooves of the set, as you'll hear on cuts that include "Mango Mangue", "Arecibo", "Compay Chifuco", "Mita Descarga", "No Aguanto Mas", "Descarga En Botella Y Huiro", and "El Yo Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Wes Montgomery – and the beginning of a whole new sound for his guitar! Wes moves away from his small combo soul jazz roots on the set – and hits a wonderfully sweet new vibe with larger arrangements from Don Sebesky – bigger backdrops that fill in the space between the notes wonderfully, yet still leave plenty of space for Montgomery to really open up and do his thing! Sebesky's got a perfect sense of timing on the record – and many tunes have a subtle sort of groove – one that pushes Wes' solos beautifully, and has them open up in chromatic tones that are simply mindblowing. This is the start of Montgomery's really classic years in the 60s jazz mainstream – and titles include the classic "Bumpin", plus "Mi Cosa", "Musty", "Con Alma", and "Tear It Down". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Wes Montgomery – and the beginning of a whole new sound for his guitar! Wes moves away from his small combo soul jazz roots on the set – and hits a wonderfully sweet new vibe with larger arrangements from Don Sebesky – bigger backdrops that fill in the space between the notes wonderfully, yet still leave plenty of space for Montgomery to really open up and do his thing! Sebesky's got a perfect sense of timing on the record – and many tunes have a subtle sort of groove – one that pushes Wes' solos beautifully, and has them open up in chromatic tones that are simply mindblowing. This is the start of Montgomery's really classic years in the 60s jazz mainstream – and titles include the classic "Bumpin", plus "Mi Cosa", "Musty", "Con Alma", and "Tear It Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work throughout – the last studio album ever cut by Lee Morgan, and a mindblowing session that always leaves us wondering how massive he would have become if he hadn't been tragically murdered shortly after it was recorded! The album's a huge change from Morgan's already-great work of the 60s – and features some very extended numbers, most a side long and these free-flowing numbers that are played by a larger group than usual – but with all the intensity and focus of a small group date from Lee! The set features key work from a young Billy Harper on tenor – especially on his own fantastic compositions "Capra Black" and "Croquet Ballet" – and for many folks, the record was a key introduction to Harper's genius. But the whole lineup is wonderful too – especially Harold Mabern on piano – and other titles include "In What Direction Are You Heading", "Angela", and "Inner Passions Out". CD

One of the best early albums by vocalist Mark Murphy – cut to arrangements by Bill Holman on side one, a set of big band numbers, and to smaller piano trio backing on side two, which features mellower stuff. Murphy's really developing his voice at this point, and is starting to get some of the character and freedom that made his 60s and 70s work so wonderful. Some of the material's a bit hokey, but as usual, Murphy turns things around nicely, and makes the best of what he has at hand. Titles include "Put The Blame On Mame", "Isn't It About Time", "Wishing", "As Long As I Live", "I Didn't Know About You", and "Playing The Field", a groovy uptempo song by Steve Allen. Great cover, too – with Murphy "playing the field" amidst a bunch of different ladies! LP, Vinyl record album

The great Mark Murphy works here with key members of the Clarke Boland Big Band – in a sweet small combo mode that makes for one of the hippest albums the singer ever recorded! "Sconsolato" is this wonderful tune written by bassist Jimmy Woode – and Mark takes the tune at a nicely easy clip, with well-inflected vocals that open the song up beautifully! "Just Give Me Time" is a fantastic jazz dance number – great on the vocal tip, but made even better by work from Sahib Shihab on baritone, Ronnie Scott on tenor, and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderful record – one that takes off from the spare sound of earlier albums by guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento, and adds in some smaller group instrumentation that really sends things over the top! Fabiano's still got all the amazing touches on his instrument – played at a level that's in a legacy of Brazilian acoustic right up there with Baden Powell or Luiz Bonfa – mixed this time around with a shifting palette of instrumentation that includes percussion, flutes, violin, cello, and tenor – all elements used in ways that are still spare, yet shade the music in wonderfully! While we've loved Fabiano's airy explorations in the past, we love him even more here – as the album's as full of color and scope as you'd guess from the image on the cover, or its evocative reference to Rio Bonito – on titles that include "Strings For My Guitar", "Coletivo Universal", "Kaleidoscope", "Retratos", "Theme In C", and "Emotivo". CD

Anita sings it swinging and simple – working with a smallish combo to back her up, and vocalizing in a relatively uncluttered style that's in keeping with her best mode at Verve! The tunes are mostly standards, sung in a way that bridges swing and later styles of jazz vocalization – no real scatting or vocalese, but still with a good sense of the rest of the group overall. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Tenderly", "Old Devil Moon", "S Wonderful", and "You Turned The Tables On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Rosa's working here in a warm bossa-revival mode – singing and playing acoustic guitar mostly in a smaller group setting, but occasionally working with larger, lusher arrangements – in a sweet set of tracks that's both a tribute and a sequel to Joao Gilberto's legendary 1977 album Amoroso! Players on the set include saxophonist Rodrigo Ursaia, and pianist Helio Alves – whose gentle keys makes for a great accompaniment to Rosa's mellow take on the tunes. Titles include "Wave", "Besame Mucho", "Voice Vai Ver", "Essa E Pro Joao", "S'Wonderful", "Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours", "Eu Sambo Mesmo", and "O Pato". CD

A completely beautiful record from a very local source – a small high school jazz group in York, PA – but one who come across here with some of the deeper elements of the spiritual scene in Philly at the time! The group's led by flute player Leslie Burrs, who solos on the record – and the combo also features wonderful work from younger players Timothy Warfield on tenor, Matthew Kaufhold on alto and soprano, Scott Stump on vibes, and Beth Kehler on piano – augmented at times by a few tring players, and some beautiful choral vocals too! This isn't the sort of high school band record clunkily making their way through pop covers – and instead, there's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole thing – much more Strata East than Schoolhouse Funk – on titles that include the Burrs originals "Carvings" and "Blessings & Glory To God" – plus great takes on "Naima", "Meditation", "Lazybird", and "Dolphin Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". CD

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer 60s work from the great Baden Powell – two tunes done for the Saba/MPS label, both with a very jazzy vibe! "Sarava" moves fast and fierce – lots of percussion driving the tune at the bottom, including work from the great Milton Banana on drums – while Baden delivers this crisp guitar solo over the top! "Canto De Ossanha" is one of our all-time favorite tunes – originally done by Powell with Vinicius De Moraes, but even better here in a fast-driving small combo mode! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really great record, and one that was recorded by a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – done in this spiritual style that's almost a bit like some of the Horo Records material that Sun Ra had recorded just a short time before! There's an intimacy here that's wonderful – and the group features Ra on piano, John Gilmore on tenor, Hayes Burnette on bass, and Samarai Celestial on drums – and one track also features added work from Charles Davis on baritone and Michael Ray on trumpet. The album's a lot more inside than some of the freer work by Ra during the 70s – and we mean that in a great way – and there's also less of the full ensemble chanting that you'd hear on some of the other spiritual sessions from the 70s by the Arkestra. All of these aspects add up to make for a wonderfully special set from Ra and some of his key players – served up on titles that include "The Place Of Five Points", "Omniverse", "Visitant Of The Ninth Ultimate", and "Dark Lights In A White Forest". CD features two bonus tracks – a 1979 solo piano version of "Over The Rainbow", recorded at the Moers Festival – and a 1977 live take of "The Sound Mirror". CD

Great stuff – one of Annie Ross' rare albums as a solo act away from her trio with Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert – and a great little session cut with small combo jazz backing, which gives the song a nice swinging edge! Zoot Sims is the main soloist on the tunes, Russ Freeman lays down piano tracks to set the mood – and other players include Jim Hall, Monte Budwig, Mel Lewis, and Bill Perkins – all of whom contribute wonderfully to the album, and give it a nicely grooving west coast finish. Titles include "I Was Doing Alright", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Lucky Day", "Lucky So & So", and "Nobody's Baby". CD features bonus cuts too! CD

Amazing soul from Chess Records – and an album that almost feels like some lost small-label soul set, or a batch of rare funky 45s! Shades Of Brown are an ultra-hip male group from Chicago – a quartet of singers with the range and depth of The Temptations or Dells at their best, supported by a small combo of very lively instrumentalists who bring a really funky edge to their music – that sort of self-contained sound than you might find more in the hinterlands of the 60s soul scene than at Chess. But there's also plenty of key Chess touches too – including production by Dells maestro Bobby Miller, who also penned all the tunes for the record, giving the group some wonderful material to work with. Richard Evans handled most of the arrangements, but Charles Stepney also did a few too – and titles include "Man's Worst Enemy", "Girl I'm Coming Home", "Falling In Love Too Hard", "Lite Y'All Up", "Lie #2", "Little Girl", "Ho-Hum World", "He Didn't Leave Me A Name", "Garbage Man", and "The Soil I Tilled For You" – which has an amazing break! CD

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child". CD

An overlooked gem in the career of tenorist Archie Shepp – one of those fantastically soulful European recordings that sometimes get missed, given that Shepp was recording so much and in so many ways overseas during these later years! The style here is a wonderful distillation of the modes he was exploring in his post-Impulse years – a small group rendition of the spiritual ideas of that earlier moment, but refined with more of a focus on Shepp's tremendous tone on tenor – even more maturely expressive here than before, at a level that makes us really love this period more and more as the years go on! The group features Horace Parlan on piano, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Harry Emmery on bass – the last of whom does a wonderful job of filling the space left empty by Wilbur Little, with round tones that echo the soulfulness of Archie's tenor, and really live up to the tribute promised in the title. Tunes include a really wonderful reading of "Steam" – plus "Arrival", "Manhattan", and "Reflexions". CD

An overlooked gem in the career of tenorist Archie Shepp – one of those fantastically soulful European recordings that sometimes get missed, given that Shepp was recording so much and in so many ways overseas during these later years! The style here is a wonderful distillation of the modes he was exploring in his post-Impulse years – a small group rendition of the spiritual ideas of that earlier moment, but refined with more of a focus on Shepp's tremendous tone on tenor – even more maturely expressive here than before, at a level that makes us really love this period more and more as the years go on! The group features Horace Parlan on piano, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Harry Emmery on bass – the last of whom does a wonderful job of filling the space left empty by Wilbur Little, with round tones that echo the soulfulness of Archie's tenor, and really live up to the tribute promised in the title. Tunes include a really wonderful reading of "Steam" – plus "Arrival", "Manhattan", and "Reflexions". CD

An overdue full length set from the great Helene Smith – a Miami singer who recorded for a number of small labels in the 60s, in a style that mixes deep soul leads with some wonderful sweet soul presentation! Helene's best known for the title cut, which has gotten some great play in recent years, thanks to a reissue – but the whole body of work here is great – and some of the cuts feature early production work from talents who'd later form the backbone of TK Records in the 70s, including Willie Clarke and Clarence Reid. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Pain In My Heart", "You Got To Do Your Share", "Thrills & Chills", "The Pot Can't Talk About The Kettle", "China Melody", "Gossip Don't Worry Me", "True Love Don't Grow On Trees", and "I Am Controlled By Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". CD

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". CD

A 70s set from the great Dakota Staton – but done with a lean, jazzy vibe that really gets back to the spirit of some of her earlier recordings! The group's a small combo, with the great Norman Simmons on piano – always a great accompanist for a jazz singer, and working here with saxophonist Peter Loeb, whose lines help the record sound like more than just the usual trio backing behind a singer. Staton's got some great soulful currents in her sound – and Simmons' piano really brings a wonderful aspect to the session – flowing out with a soulful edge and a lot of playful energy behind Dakota's vocals, creating a great sound that really grounds the set. Titles include "Play Your Hands Girls", "He Will Call Again", "Between 18th & 19th On Chestnut Street", and "Hurry Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully sensitive record from the legendary St Louis saxophonist Luther Thomas – very different than some of his larger group material, and in a really great way! The record features Thomas in duets with Luther C Petty – the leader on alto sax, Petty on flute, and both musicians on a variety of "small instruments" – used in these openly creative ways throughout the set as the pair improvise together with a sense of spiritual engagement that's really wonderful! The set's got that vibe from the moment when some of the energy from the New York loft jazz scene was almost hitting a sort of more personal, almost pastoral expression on some records – really pushing forward experiments first started in the AACM at a very individual level on records like this. Despite the "suite" of the title, tracks are each singular and on their own – titles that include "11th Street Fire", "Charge & Discharge", "Dormin", and takes on "Since I Lost My Baby" and "The Fire Just Keeps On Burning". CD

An incredible collection of music from the great pianist Lennie Tristano – and maybe the first-ever set to truly get at the range of genius he could express on the piano! Given that Tristano only made a small amount of records during his too-short career, yet also left a major impact on the field of modern jazz – this set really documents the full span of everything that Tristano had to offer – pulled from a wonderful range of his own recordings, all of which appear here for the first time! These aren't casual solo recordings done in the basement – and instead, the package brings together a mixture of studio, live, and even television performances – all with a different spirit on each of the CDs in the set! One of the most revelatory is the final CD – which features a number of tracks in a "free session" in 1948 - with Tristano on piano, Lee Konitz on alto, Warne Marsh on tenor, and Billy Bauer on guitar – coming together with an amazing sound throughout. That same disc also features a superb 1962 live date at the Half Note – with Konitz on alto and Zoot Sims on tenor. CD1 is wonderful too – a selection of live material with the tremendous Billy Bauer on piano – a player, like Tristano, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of his instrument in modern jazz during the postwar years. CD3 features live performances by a sextet that includes Konitz, Marsh, and Bauer – plus Arnold Fishkin on bass and Jeff Morton on drums. CD2 features beautiful solo performances recorded from the early 50s through 1970. CD4 features trio session, most with Peter Ind on bass – while CD5 features different trio and duo material, but with Sonny Dallas on bass. The set is impeccably done – in cooperation with Tristano's family – and given the wealth of material, the whole thing may well have doubled his recording catalog in the process, while also really illuminating so many different aspects of his career! CD

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

Excellent small group work from Sadao Watanabe – easily one of the best Japanese reed players of the past 50 years – still sounding great here on a recent acoustic session! Watanabe plays alto throughout – a definite preferred horn of late – and stretches out in these expressive solos in the company of Gerald Clayton on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Jonathan Blake on drums – a combo who step out with lots of warm sympathy on a set of tracks that's all original material by Watanabe! Sadao's tunes have a feel that's quite poetic, yet still also swinging too – a balance carried out in a wonderfully subtle way on tunes that include "I Miss You When I Think Of You", "Gemmation", "Vamos Juntos", "Simpatico", and "Warm Days Ahead". CD

Bobby Watson's always keeping it real in our book – as the alto saxophonist maybe hasn't made a bad record ever, and has continued to turn out the sort of fantastic music we loved right when he was an up-and-comer in an 80s version of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers! Here, Bobby's working with some key talents from his solo years – a re-formed New Horizon group that features excellent work on bass from Curtis Lundy, drums from Victor Jones, and piano from Victor Gould – plus trumpet work on some tracks by Josh Evans and on others by Giveton Gellin! The use of trumpet is somewhat striking, as it's an instrument that's not always in place on some of Bobby's small combo sessions – and both Evans and Gellin are clearly inspired by the warmth of the leader – as both soar out with a wonderfully full, rich sound that only adds to the classic soulful touch of Watson on the alto. Titles include Watson and Lundy originals "Keepin It Real", "One For John", "My Song", "The Mystery of Ebop", and "Elementary My Dear Watson 2020" – plus a nice take on the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free". CD

A beautiful little concept for a beautiful little album – a "duologue" in which Lee Wiley sings one track, then Ellis Larkins plays the next, and so on – making for a split LP, but one with a lot of variety along the way! Wiley sings on about two thirds of the tracks on the set – working with a small combo that features Jimmy Jones on piano, Ruby Braff on trumpet, Jo Jones on drums, and Bill Pemberton on bass – all of whom provide gentle accompaniment to Lee's traditionally styled vocals. Ellis Larkins plays piano on the rest of the tracks – solo, with that wonderful late nite style of his – an approach that's more complicated than cocktail piano, but a bit more laidback than straighter jazz. Wiley numbers include "My Heart Stood Still", "Give It Back To The Indians", "My Romance", "You Took Advantage Of Me", and "My Funny Valentine". Larkins numbers include "Perfume & Rain", "By Myself", "Looking At You", and "Then I'll Be Tired Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Witherspoon pays tributes to his roots in rhythm and blues – but he does so in a wonderful way, by bringing a more jazz-focused approach to the material here – thanks to some nice tenor work from Ben Webster! Back in the 60s, Witherspoon always sat easily on the fence between jazz and blues – but a few key recordings really bring out that aspect of his work – and this obscure session for Reprise is one of them! Spoon's singing in a laidback, small combo setting here – very similar to the style he'd use on live dates in California – and Webster gets in some wonderful moments on the record too, blown with the boozy, late nite style used on his own Reprise album at the time. Titles include "Key To The Highway", "Confessing The Blues", "Did You Ever", "Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound", "Cherry Red", "Just A Dream", and "Please Mr Webster". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty sounds from a legendary Detroit soul producer – the great Dave Hamilton, a talent who issued a number of key singles back in the day, but who's left behind an even larger legacy of excellent unreleased work! This collection draws from both sides of that spectrum – and features upbeat Northern Soul gems that were issued on small labels like Topper and Demo-Ristic – mixed with other tracks that lay in Dave's vaults until their discovery at some point in the 90s! Together, the tracks are a wonderful illustration of the deep deep trove of material that lurked in the Detroit scene far in the shadows of Motown – artists who were eclipsed by the big names at the time, but who sound mighty darn fresh all these many years later. Titles include "What Should I Do", and "Who Are You Trying To Fool" by Little Ann, "Sweep It Out The Shed" and "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "Love Friends & Money" by James Lately, "You Won't Miss The Water" by Chico & Buddy, "Talkin About My Baby" by Dottie & Millie, "You Got Me Turned Around" by OC Tolbert, "Shoop Doop" by Dave Hamilton, and "You Did" by Priscilla Page & Rony Darrell. LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan, "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD

A 1970 compilation of rare tracks from the Old Town label – one of the smaller New York imprints of the early 60s, home to some fantastic minor soul hits, and killer doo wop material! Tracks include "So Fine" by The Fiestas, "Crazy Love" by The Royal Tones, "Chicken Hop" by Billy Bland, "Tonight Kathleen" by The Valentines, "Darling Listen To The Words Of This Song" by Ruth McFadden, "We Belong Together" by Robert & Johnny, "Wonder Of The World" by The Keytones, and "The Wedding" by The Solitaires. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. LP, Vinyl record album

London's Total Refreshment Centre has been one of the world's hippest musical venues in recent years – a fantastic showcase for all the sorts of groundbreaking, genre-busting work that's been happening in the city – as well as host to some equally free-thinking artists from around the globe! There's not set styles here – music moves easily between jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and some more cosmic styles at times – similar to the energy of the International Anthem label's more inventive projects – one of whom appear on the set. Many of these artists have not gotten the full exposure they're due, either releasing material on small labels or just online – and it's wonderful to have all this material pulled together in such a great statement on the forefront of jazz in the 2020s! Titles include "Closed Circle" by Byron Wallen, "Visions" by Soccer 96 with Kieron Boothe, "Crescent (city swamp dub)" by Jake Long, "Eloquence" by Matters Unknown with Miryam Solomon, "Isa"by Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange with Noah Slee, "Black" by Neu Grafik with Brother Portrait, and a nice reworking of the Stanley Cowell classic "Plight" by Resavoir. CD

A nice little collection, and one that definitely fits the sunny Cali look on the cover – as the set mixes together vintage jazz and AOR from the 70s, but also includes some cuts from the present as well – all with a timeless vibe that almost creates a new sort of genre unto itself! Acoustic and electric elements share the sound equally, as do vocal and instrumental modes – and there's a style to the set that's maybe as if you've come into the SoCal scene during the height of the big label recordings of the 70s – but maybe stumbled on some smaller studios down the road apiece where more personal, interesting music is taking place. Titles include "Let Love Flow" by Monica Rypma, "You Never Sang This Song" by Guy Maxwell, "Sunday Morning" by Pixie Lauer, "Ride That Train" by Guy Schwartz, "Make Believe" by Jim Lamarche, "Land Of Wonder" by Maria Fant, "Misterios" by Diana Pequeno, "Marie" by Airbone, "Summer Days/Golden Haze" by White Feature, and "Phone Home" by Michael Welch. CD