Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

One of those key cases where Miles Davis took a familiar song and made it his own! The set's a live one, and features a famous 15 minute version of "My Funny Valentine" – played by Davis in a spacious, open sort of way – and one that has key hints of the modernism to come in his music, yet still rings out with some of his more easygoing late 50s appeal. The group here features George Coleman on tenor alongside the rhythm section of Herbie Hancock piano, Ron Carter bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all three of whom help Davis edge into darker territory, even when things are ostensibly sweet! Apart from the version of "My Funny Valentine", other titles include "All Blues", "All Of You", "I Thought About You", and "Stella By Starlight" CD

Thelonious Monk may have written the title tune, but Miles Davis makes it all his own here – blowing with a subtle moody magic that makes the album one of his true treasures from the early Columbia Records years! John Coltrane's along on tenor sax – helping Davis expand the sound the pair first forged on Prestige – and also present is the rhythm trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – impeccably recorded here with a wonderful sense of space, and almost a bridge between older Miles modes, and the genius to come. Titles include Miles seminal take on "Round Midnight", plus "Tadd's Delight", "Dear Old Stockholm", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "A Leu Cha". CD

Recorded live in Australia & Hong Kong in 2001. CD

Legendary early 70s Philly Groove recordings by the Delfonics – all of them tiny little masterpieces of 70s group soul harmony! The band were one of the best of the decade, and they have an amazing talent for making their vocals come together with a real edge, hitting lots of strange notes and weird chord changes that end up sounding fantastic together. Titles include "Hey Love", "Trying To Make A Fool Of Me", "Walk Right Up To The Sun", "Tell Me This Is A Dream", "La La Means I Love You", and the huge hit "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)". CD

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Titles include "Meet Me In The Morning", "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If You See Her, Say Hello", "Buckets Of Rain", and "Tangled Up In Blue". CD

A trio of great albums from Earth Wind & Fire – packaged together here in a single set! First up is Open Our Eyes – a set that's spiritual, soulful, and oh, so beautiful! This record captures Earth Wind & Fire at a perfect transition moment – when they've still got some of their avant jazz roots, but are leaning towards the smooth soulful funk sound that put them on the charts a few years later. The whole thing's a wonderful mix of spiritualism and funky jazz – and it includes their massive cover of "Mighty Mighty", plus a lot of tracks with cool instrumentation, like "Kalimba Story", "Drum Song", and "Caribou". Great jazzy groovers, all of them! Next is That's The Way Of The World – Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". The last album is from the early 80s, but the Powerlight is burning bright – Maurice White, Philip Bailey, and the rest of the group still very much in classic formation! Even on a post-70s set like this, Earth Wind & Fire still manage to come up with tracks that beat the rest of the ensemble funk groups that grew up in their wake – groovers that still set a new level for the boogie generation, and mellow tracks that cross over beautifully without ever getting to soppy or adult contemporary. The balance is a tricky one, but the group always manage to pull it off – and guide the whole presentation of work here with enough class and care to show that the whole thing's the result of genius planning, and not just some happy accident! Titles include "Something Special", "Miracles", "Fall In Love With Me", "Straight From The Heart", and "Spread Your Love". CD

A previously-unissued live set from Earth Wind & Fire – recorded during their monumental tour of the US in 1975! The performance captures the group at the height of their powers – working with a tightness that's incredible, especially considering the massive stage setting – hitting grooves that are often even funkier than their studio albums, with an even sharper edge than on the better-known Gratitude live album from the 70s. The choice of tracks is great – and the album's filled with loads of the group's early gems – including "Mighty Mighty", "Kalimba Story", "Yearnin Learnin", "Shining Star", "Happy Feelin", "Evil", "Reasons", and "That's The Way Of The World" – plus a version of "Sun Goddess" with guest keys from Ramsey Lewis! CD

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Maynard come back! All is forgiven! We take back all the things we've ever said about you after hearing this album! The record's a jazz funk masterpiece, and it's proof that you've always had a good head on your shoulders, and were waiting for a record like this to really come into your own! The arrangements shine with a smooth electric sparkle that reminds us of the best albums on Kudu or CTI – and even your normally "too hot" solos fit in perfectly with the band's smooth funky grooving. Our favorite tune is the spacey sample cut "Mister Mellow", but the whole album's pretty darn nice, including "Soar Like An Eagle", "The Fly", "Conquistador". Heck, we even like your funky version of "Theme From Star Trek"! Sorry we ever doubted you! CD

Christmas sounds, and a bit more too – an interesting collection of material recorded by Aretha Franklin in the early 60s for Columbia, and in the late 80s for Arista! There's definitely a fair bit of Holiday tunes on the set, but they're also mixed in with a few standards too – but these are done in a warmly jazzy style from the 60s, so that they fit right in with the sentiment of the Christmas songs – and round things out with a nice sense of variety. Titles include "Winter Wonderland", "Over The Rainbow", "Kissin By The Mistletoe", "The Christmas Song", "Accentuate The Positive", "God Bless The Child", "The Lord's Prayer", "Oh Happy Day", and "Joy To The World". CD

Mid 90s classic Fugees tracks get the remix treatment on Bootleg Versions – with worthy alternate mixes of some of the highpoints from their back-to-back milestones The Score and Blunted On Reality – seriously among the greatest successive album efforts in late 20th century popular music, and this is truly a worthwhile companion piece – plus a live version of "Killing Me Softly". 8 tracks in all: "Ready Or Not (Clark Kent/Django rmx)", "Nappy Heads (Mad Spider mix)", "Don't Cry, Dry Your Eyes", "Vocab (Salaam's remix)", "Killing Me Softly With His Song (Live @ Brixton Academy.)", "Ready Or Not (Salaam's Ready For the Show mix)", "No Woman, No Cry (rmx w/Steve Marley)", "Vocab (Refugees Hip Hop rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little collection of some of Dizzy Gillespie's best bop material for Savoy – tunes that were originally recorded as 78rpm singles – then issued together on this classic album of all-star players! The tunes are short, catchy, and often very grooving – that mix of whimsy and modernism that made Dizzy stand out from the start – handled by a few different groups of players, with musicians who include Milt Jackson on vibes, John Coltrane on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, and Percy Heath on bass. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Star Dust", "The Bluest Blues", "The Champ", "Birk's Works", "Caravan", "Time On My Hands", and "Ooh Shoo Be Doo Bee". CD

An amazing record, and one that forever transformed the sound of opera in the US – the amazing summation of all the many musical ideas that Philip Glass had been cooking up since the 60s, done as a mindblowing stage presentation with Robert Wilson! Voices, organ, reeds, and piano come together in wonderful lines that go on and on, seemingly forever, in endless variations and rivulets of sound – as simple in structure as the leaner small combo minimalist work from Glass – but with a very different style in the fuller setting, with a sonic quality that still is as groundbreaking today as it was back in the 70s! 4LP set features all acts, plus the very cool "Knee Play" segments too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime sounds from the great Herbie Hancock – presented here in one of his amazing Japanese-only albums from the 70s! The record is a showcase for Hancock in two different modes – as Herbie plays solo acoustic piano on side one, and delivers these really haunting renditions of "Maiden Voyage" and "Dolphin Dance" – both of them long, and with relaxed exploratory solos. Side two features Herbie on a variety of electric keyboards (moog, arp, etc) – playing with the kind of imagination and funkiness that characterized his best recordings of this period. On this side, Hancock lays down a sweet electric version of "Cantaloupe Island", and a nice spiritual groover called "Nobu" – both of them great, and nearer to the electric vibe of Thrust or Flood. CD

A rare Japanese-only session from Herbie Hancock – very electric, and nicely funky in all the right parts! The set was recorded at the end of the 70s with amazing fidelity – and features a unique lineup that includes Webster Lewis on additional keyboards and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – alongside more familiar partners Bennie Maupin on reeds, Paul Jackson on bass, and Bill Summers on percussion! Given these last three, there's almost a slight Headhunters feel to the set – but the overall groove is a bit more mellow, with some wonderfully spacey touches that are super-soulful – and miles above anything that Herbie was recording in the US at the time. Titles include the sublime mellow groover "Butterfly", plus "Shiftless Shuffle", and the side-long jazzy jammer "I Thought It Was You"! CD

A rare Japanese-only session from Herbie Hancock – very electric, and nicely funky in all the right parts! The set was recorded at the end of the 70s with amazing fidelity – and features a unique lineup that includes Webster Lewis on additional keyboards and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – alongside more familiar partners Bennie Maupin on reeds, Paul Jackson on bass, and Bill Summers on percussion! Given these last three, there's almost a slight Headhunters feel to the set – but the overall groove is a bit more mellow, with some wonderfully spacey touches that are super-soulful – and miles above anything that Herbie was recording in the US at the time. Titles include the sublime mellow groover "Butterfly", plus "Shiftless Shuffle", and the side-long jazzy jammer "I Thought It Was You"! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the PBS special Jazz by Ken Burns. CD

Trumpeter Keyon Harrold starts out this album with an inspirational message from his mother taken from his voicemail – then draws from that message to create one of his most amazing albums to date! Harrold's already been part of a strong underground scene for years – but here, he's clearly ready to burst forth and win over everyone else's ears – mixing his strong solo talents with a more spacious vision of presentation that sometimes uses larger strings, sometimes brings in a bit of vocals, and sometimes returns to the core energy of a combo! Harrold produced the record himself, and was clearly given a lot of space to get things right – something that's not often the case in the jazz industry these days, unless you're Robert Glasper – and he welcomes some great creative talents to the project – including Bilal , Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pharoahe Monch, Josh David Barrett, and even Glasper himself. Titles include "Ethereal Souls", "Her Beauty Through My Eyes", "Stay This Way", "When Will It Stop", "MB Lament", "The Mugician", "Bubba Rides Again", "Circus Show", and "Broken News". LP, Vinyl record album

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Tremendous work from pianist Ashley Henry – a British pianist who seems to be soaring out of the underground to become one of the leading figures in overseas jazz – a role that he definitely fills with this fantastic major label debut! The set's every bit as great as Henry's previous material, but also expands the palette too – showcasing a bold musical vision that's equally great on vocal and instrumental fronts, as Henry welcomes in a lineup of guests who include Makaya McCraven on drums, Theo Croker and Keyon Harrold on trumpets, Judi Jackson and Milton Suggs on vocals, and the team of saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd. Yet the work is clearly Henry's own – great tunes that have a soaring, spiritual current – maybe rooted in a tradition that runs from Woody Shaw through Robert Glasper, then finds its flowering in the really rich soil of the contemporary London scene. Titles include "Realisations", "Star Child", "I Still Believe", "Sunrise", "Battle", "Dark Honey", "Ahmed", "Introspection", "I Still Believe", "Colors", and "Between The Lines". LP, Vinyl record album

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A dreamy little record, and one that's every bit as warm and sunny as its cover – served up here in a mix of 70s Japanese fusion and soundtrack modes, with a relatively straight vibe overall! There's some of the whimsy of the artists' other work, but nicely filtered into modes that showcase their growing participation in the city pop years – but always with a kind of understated quality that makes the whole thing so great! There's a nicely laidback vibe to the whole thing, which breaks a bit when a jazzier moment comes into the mix – and titles are all in Japanese, or we'd tell you more about the record. LP, Vinyl record album

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A silly name, but a decidedly deep little combo – one who follow strongly in the Japanese club jazz mode of Sleepwalker and Soil & Pimp Sessions! As with those groups, the instrumentation here is almost all acoustic and played live – saxes, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums – plus just a bit of keyboards, slight programming, and turntable work to round out a dancefloor groove slightly – all wrapped together wonderfully in a host of soaring, upbeat rhythms! The tenor and soprano sax work on the album are especially nice – often warmly melodic, but filled with feeling and a nice sense of edge that keeps things real throughout. Titles include "The Art Of Blakey", "In Groove", "Ugetsu", "Missing My Bird", "Source Of Spring", "Q Track", and "Look To The Sky". CD

An album that's bound to be the stuff of debates for years to come – the last material recorded in the studio by Michael Jackson, formed into an album after his death! If anything, the set's going to be a great reminder that, amidst any controversy over his personal actions, MJ's still a hell of a soul singer – one who can, despite any outside odds, manage to lay down a track that's got a lot more lasting permanence than most of his contemporaries – and that includes a large roster from the past few decades. Some of the numbers here really stand out – and we're not sure if we should credit Michael or the producers, but there's a new maturity that almost shows Jackson moving away from pop territory – some gentler tunes that really show a lot of warmth, and which to us are the real standouts in the set. The set features duets with Akon, 50 Cent, and Lenny Kravitz – and titles include "I Like The Way You Love Me", "Hollywood Tonight", "Hold My Hand", "Keep Your Head Up", "Behind The Mask", "Much Too Soon", and "Another Day". CD

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A mindblower from Jamiroquai – the album that really broke them out of the box, thanks to an increasingly complicated sense of rhythm! For the set, Jay and the group pulled up some of the more dynamic sounds from the London underground, and wove them together with their increasingly great songwriting – coming up with tunes that played beautifully on the dancefloor, yet also offered deeper listening than on previous Jamiroquai efforts! There's still some great 70s elements here, but there's also a more cosmic, righteous vibe too – a hint at spacey London to come, but sent home with a bit more polish here. Titles include "Virtual Insanity", "Cosmic Girl", "Everyday", "Alright", "High Times", "Travelling Without Moving", "Spend A Lifetime", "Use The Force", and "Didjital Vibrations". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful album from the young Keith Jarrett – and a set that's different than most of the pianist's other well-known modes – not his solo improvisations, not his successful trio material, and not even his more outside quartet modes of the 70s – but instead this incredible criss-crossing of sounds that really stands apart from most of his other records! The album features Keith on piano and soprano sax – an instrument he played more early on – in open, freewheeling tracks that often mix tuneful passages with more rhythmic pulsations – handled with a core group that includes Charlie Haden on bass and Paul Motian on drums, working with guitar from Sam Brown, tenor from Dewey Redman, percussion from Airto, and some larger string and brass arrangements too! Jarrett also plays electric piano at times, and the album has some of the lyricism of Treasure Island, but with a very different vibe – spun out beautifully over the space of the double-length set. Titles include "Take Me Back", "Expectations", "Vision", "Common Mama", "The Magician In You", "Sundance", "Nomads", and "Bring Back The Time When". CD

With 30 tracks including "Mother's Children Have A Hard Time", "Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying", "Bye and Bye I'm Goin' To See The King", "Take Your Stand", "Soul Of A Man", and "John The Revelator". CD

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A lovely little record that really lives up to the sunny, dreamy image on the cover – relaxed tunes that evoke a mellow afternoon by the seaside – but in a mode that's filled with some of the coolest Japanese electro touches of the time! The record is part instrumental, part vocal – almost a blend of the YMO generation with some of the more minimal scene, and maybe just a dose of city pop soulfulness – all of which makes for a record that really lives up to its promise – on titles that include "Sunset Afternoon", "Wind Wave & Wineglass", "Evening Shadows", "Melting Blue", and "Lovers Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice live performance from Japanese vocalist Kimiko Kasai – one that features Oliver Nelson leading the band, soloing on alto, and even writing all the arrangements! Nelson brings the same soulful swing to the record as his famous late 60s backings for American jazz singers – although Kimiko definitely makes the tunes her own, with her unique phrasing – which partly comes from her slightly-accented approach to the English language! Nelson steps out on the instrumental theme "3210" – and other titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Goody Goody", "Go Away Little Boy", "Some Other Day", "It's Alright With Me", and "How Insensitive". CD

A blue man, without his group – and a sweet 70s fusion set from guitarist Steve Khan! The set's got that best Columbia Records groove from the time – a sound that could easily cross over to fusion fans on both sides of the tracks – those who dig soulful undercurrents, thanks to the album's keyboards from Don Grolnick – and those who might like a bit more rockish-lines, thanks to Khan's raspy edge on his guitar. Things never get too jamming, and there's a nice sense of space that definitely helps keep the soul of the record intact – on tracks that include "Some Downtime", "Daily Bulls", "Daily Valley", and "The Little Ones". CD

Just when you thought Philadelphia had shown us all its great new soul singers, another fantastic act pops into the limelight! Kindred The Family Soul are a treasure, and the kind of group we can warm to on first listen! This debut record for Hidden Beach is a rich blend of male and female vocals, served up with the kind of warm production, nice keyboards, and sensitive arrangements that made Jill Scott's first album so great. The pair really have an incredibly solid approach – working in a warm and mellow soul style that stretches back to Donny Hathaway, but which bristles with the best energy of the current scene. Titles include "Far Away", "Weather The Storm", "Family Song", "We", "What Happens Now", "Meant To Be", "Contentment", and "Spread The Word". And don't mind us – we're hopping the next plane to Philly! CD

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Collects eight albums starting with 1972's Ad Libitum and ending with her last album for CBS, 1980's Geronimo. CD

A big solo moment for Dee C Lee – a singer who'd famously worked with The Style Council, Wham, and even Guru – but who shines plenty brightly here on her own! Dee C wrote most of the songs on the set herself – a few with help from Paul Weller – and the approach here follows nicely on her work with Weller's group in the late 80s – that slightly deeper soul mode that made Style Council work nicely different from most chart material, yet still with a relatively mainstream approach overall. Titles include "Hold On", "Shrine", "Hey What'd Say", "That's When Something Special Starts", and "See The Day". CD

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Plenty real soul here – a killer collection of Columbia grooves by Cheryl Lynn – a set that runs right from the clubby start to the more commercial finish of her time at the label! The package is a great illustration of Cheryl's ability to rise to the occasion in just about any setting – and although work is handled by a variety of producers – including Marty Paic, Ray Parker Jr, Barry Blue, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and even Luther Vandross – Cheryl always comes out on top in the end! Titles include her great vocals on "Georgy Porgy" by Toto, presented here in its disco version – plus Lynn classics "Got To be Real", "Star Love (disco version)", "All My Lovin", "I've Got Just What You Need", "I've Got Faith In You", "Encore (single)", "If This World Were Mine", "It's Gonna Be Right", "Shake It Up Tonight", and "Day After Day". CD

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Live work by Marcelo D2 – the Brazilian beatmeister who's been breaking down plenty genres of late! The set was recorded for MTV Brazil's Acustico program, but has a much hipper approach than any MTV work here – and as an added bonus, the set also features guest appearances by Joao Donato and Will I Am! CD features 15 titles that include "Vai Vendo", "1967", "Batidas E Levadas", "Profizzao MC", "Samba De Primeira", and "Batucada". CD

Marcelo's not lying with the title to this one – as the record bristles with a lot more Brazilian influences than some of his previous work – a brilliant blend of the classic and the modern, served up with plenty of hip hop touches! But while certainly in the hip hop camp, Marcelo's also deeply respectful to the sounds that influence his music – and he's got a subtle way of presenting his rhymes here that really moves away from a simplistic "beats with Brazilian" approach! The balance is hard to describe accurately, but it really comes off well here – and overall the record impresses us more than anything we've heard from Marcelo before, and over and above the Portuguese lyrics, the album's almost worth it alone for Marcelo's inventive production! Titles include "Sinistro", "E Assim Que Se Faz", "E Preciso Lutar", "Meu Samba E Assim", "Lada", "Pra Que Amor", and "Falador". CD

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We never tire of this one – and we think it's a landmark soul LP that forever changed the face of soul music! Teddy Pendergrass is in perfect form, and he really gets into it on the album's 2 incredible long tracks – "I Miss You", and "Be For Real" – both with amazing monologues that will knock your socks off! The rest of the LP is prime Philly stuff with a sound that's a lot more soulful and less uptempo than their later ones – and tracks include the hit "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Ebony Woman", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", and "Let It Be You". CD features a bonus live version of "If You Don't Know Me By Now", from 1973! CD

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A groove happy single from Mondo Grosso! The track's one of their catchiest in years – a kicking two-step beat, strong use of acoustic guitar over the beats, and sweet English language vocals by Blu James. The track's an anthemic groover of the sort that's best heard blasting out of a car window on a hot summer night – and it's backed here by a wonderful instrumental reading of the tune! CD

A hard heavy track from this excellent Japanese funk combo! The cut starts with some pounding drums – batucada style – and rolls into a pumping house groove with nice touches like acoustic guitar, and lots of warm keyboard. Bird sings lead vocals on the main mix and the "MG 2.7 stepped mix" – and 2 other mixes feature Face. As with all Mondo Grosso singles, the mixes vary nicely – with lots of extra additional instrumental touches! CD

A sweet little soul single from Mondo Grosso! "Now You Know Better" features wonderful soul vocals by Amel Larrieux – in a sweet floating way that reminds us a bit of Minnie Riperton crossed with Phoebe Snow, laying out a righteous message on top of acoustic guitar and jazzy riffing from Mondo Grosso. The single mix is a nicely stripped-down version – and the remix has lots of sampled elements. "Life" is the big track off the MG4 album – offered here in a "live in studio" acoustic version with vocals by Bird, and a batucada-heavy version with Brazilian vocals by Paula Lima! Both versions of the cut are great – and the Brazilian one is a monster groover with a nice kick! CD

A soaring little soul tune from Mondo Grosso – featuring guest vocals by BoA! The track's got a blend of strings that sweeps towards the sky majestically – as beats and piano come in to give it a deeper feel, and BoA's English-language vocals drive the whole groove with a nice dash of emotion. Nice piano-pella mix, too! CD

One of the best songs ever by Mondo Grosso – redone nicely in 2 mixes, plus one instrumental version! The cut was written with Monday Michiru, who also sings lead vocals on the track – and it's got all the righteous soulful power of her best work. The hook is incredible, and the cut mixes jazz, Brazilian, soul, and house into an anthemic groove that's sure to be hitting the dancefloors for years. The main mix is lifted from the album; the Francois K mix has a heavy house vibe; the Sleepy Tongue mix has an extra-soulful punch, and the instrumental mix drum n basses it up a bit! CD

Van Morrison at the height of his solo powers – working here in an extended live set that opens up with all the genius for vocal expression and inflection he developed during his initial solo years at Warner Brothers! The setting is perfect to show the growing confidence Morrison has in his talents – an unbridled sense of soul that comes on even more strongly on some of these versions than on earlier takes of the tunes in the studio – especially as they mix with a few great covers here that further illustrate the wide range of inspirations that Van brings into his music. Backing is by a tight, soulful combo – and tracks include "Domino", "Wild Children", "I Believe To My Soul", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "These Dreams Of You", "Into The Mystic", "Warm Love", "Saint Dominic's Preview", "Bring It On Home To Me", "Listen To The Lion", "Gloria", "Cyprus Avenue", "Caravan", and "Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket". CD

Jammin! For heavy guitars and high-stepping vocals, Mountain couldn't be beat – and this early album was one of the group's best! The set kicks off with their stone classic "Mississippi Queen", then rolls into other heavy numbers like "Theme From An Imaginary Western", "To My Friend", "Sittin On A Rainbow", "Boys In The Band", "Sliver Paper", and "Never In My Life" – all served up with great guitars from Leslie West and heavy bass from Felix Pappalardi. CD includes a live bonus track of "For Yasgur's Farm". CD

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A wonderful fusion set from this great trombonist – filled with all the soul of his earlier years, but expanded by some electric help from an American lineup! The album shows Shigeharu Mukai as one of the most expressive players in this unique Japan/US fusion moment – working as a strong leader and soloist amidst talents who include Warren Bernhardt and Jorge Dalto on keyboards, Ed Walsh on keyboards, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Steve Gadd on drums. The rhythms are great – never overdone, and balanced in just the right sort of way – and guitarist Ryo Kawasaki is also on the session, which has the same sort of flavor as his own best records of the period. Titles include "Mirage", "Wind Bells", "Dragon Fanatic", "Hudson Breeze", and "From The Lonely Afternoon". CD

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A heck of a cool group – with a really cool sound! The Peddlers were a late 60s British trio, with a sound that was part soul, part jazz, part supper-club vocals – all done with a clean approach and a nice instrumental twist that often included a bit of Hammond organ! A big chunk of the work on this CD was arranged by Brit easy maestro Keith Mansfield, and as such, has a gently funky sound that really takes it miles from its original roots – as familiar numbers get transformed into nicely party-rocking tunes with a very hip groove. More than a few tracks by the group have become favorites of beatheads over the years, and listening to the whole set, we've got to say that there's a wealth of great tunes here – way more than we ever knew the group had recorded! The package features 42 cuts in all – 3 albums worth of material, plus bonus tracks – with titles that include "Sneakin Up On You", "Stormy Weather", "Smile", "Who Can I Turn To", "Southern Woman", "Ebb Tide", "Just A Pretty Song", "Lost Continent", "On A Clear Day", "Nobody Likes Me", "Wasting My Time", and "Say No More". CD

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A dream of a record from Prince – up-close, intimate, and just the voice and piano promised in the title! As you'd guess from the setting, the record presents the mellower side of the man's mighty talents – but the whole thing is no less soulful than any of his previous records – and in fact maybe is even more so in the way that Prince lays down his vocals, with all these amazing inflections, long reaches, and very personal qualities throughout! Titles include "Pearls B4 The Swine", "Have A Heart", "Here On Earth", "One Nite Alone", "U're Gonna C Me", "Young & Beautiful", "Avalanche", "Objects In The Mirror", and "Arboretum". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic live moment from Prince – a set that's even groovier and funkier than the standard One Nite Alone material – as the tracks here are nice and long, feature guest work from Musiq and George Clinton, and really feature Prince jamming with a group that features Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer on saxes, plus the legendary Larry Graham on bass! The tunes stretch out nice and long, and feel very spontaneous – like you're certainly being let into some special aftershow event – and titles include "The Everlasting Now", "Peach (xtended jam)", "Dorothy Parker", "Just Friends (Sunny)/If You Want Me To Stay", "Joy In Repetition", "We Do This", "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton", "Alphabet Street", and "Girls & Boys". LP, Vinyl record album

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A host of classic Christmas albums – all packaged together here in mini LP-styled sleeves! First up is Twelve Songs Of Christmas – a set that has the warm voice of Jim Reeves making these holiday tunes sound mighty nice – especially considering that the arrangements here are by Bill Justis and Chet Atkins! Jim may not be our favorite country artist on other material, but he does a great job of sending these tunes home for the holidays with his paternalistic approach and a genuine warmth. Titles include "Jingle Bells", "An Old Christmas Card", "Senor Santa Claus", "Blue Christmas", "Mary's Little Boy Child", "Silent Night", and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". Next is the 1957 Elvis' Christmas Album – a set that had RCA Records wisely rushing the young singer into the studio to cut a host of Christmas tunes – which ensured that Elvis would be spinning on the turntable for many seasons to come! Titles include "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Silent Night", "Blue Christmas", "White Christmas", and "Santa Bring My Baby Back". The Perry Como Christmas album is a late 60s classic – and we can't think of anyone we'd rather have sitting round the Christmas tree than ol' Perry Como! The guy's more relaxed, laidback, trusting, and honest than any of our old relatives combined – and all of his old barber charm comes through perfectly on this late 60s set of Christmas tunes arranged and conducted by Nick Perito. Perry's got the Ray Charles Singers behind him on backing vocals, and titles include "Silver Bells", "Toyland", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Christmas Eve", "There Is No Christmas Like A Home Christmas", and "Do You Hear What I Hear". The Johnny Cash Family Christmas album features work from Johnny, plus friends and relatives – a lineup that includes June Carter, Tommy Cash, Carl Perkins, and Larry Butler! The format's nice, too, with a bit of dialogue between some of the tracks – amidst tunes that include "King Of Love", "Jingle Bells", "Christmas Time's A Comin", "Christmas With You", "Christmas As I Knew It", "Merry Christmas Mary", "An Old Fashioned Christmas", and "When You're Twenty One". The Andy Williams Christmas Album features Christmas goodness from the man who really knew how to warm up the TV set during the Holiday season – a singer who virtually owned the TV airwaves at the time this record was cut, taking the masculine mantle from Perry Como – and delivering a similar sense of comfort and calm during the month of December! Titles include "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season", "The Christmas Song", "A Song & A Christmas Tree", "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells", "O Holy Night", "The First Noel" – and Andy's long-running Christmas classic, "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year". CD

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