We have to be honest, by this point we'd all but given up on George. But the truth is, Clinton and crew have pulled off a decent job of turning the tables on the whole G-funk scene, and taking a page or two out of their book, after they'd done the same to him for years! While we'd never claim this is best work, it's held up a fair bit better to the test of time than you might imagine! With "If Anybody's Gonna Get Funked Up (It's Gonna Be You)", "New Spaceship", "Flatman & Bobbin", "Sloppy Seconds", "Rock The Party" and "Get Your Funk On". CD

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Four sides of noisy, funky, stretched-out playing from Miles Davis – recorded at the Fillmore West, but with an intensity that matches some of Miles' crazy electric recordings from Japan during the early 70s! The music is a powerful blast of music that stretches out over the double-length set of the package – with a style that moves from heavy-duty avant playing, then back to more mellow grooving, then kicks it out nice and hard again – a heavy dose of rock mixed in with the fusion, but still plenty jazzy throughout. In all, the record is probably one of the most heavy-duty that the Miles electric group recorded in the 70s – and the lineup on the set features Steve Grossman on saxes, Chick Corea on electric piano, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Airto on percussion. Tracks include "Spanish Key", "Directions", "Masqualero", "It's About That Time", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Bitches Brew", "Willie Nelson", and "Sanctuary". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? This is the ultimate Miles Davis album – the one that includes so many songs that we've heard way too much in Starbucks, in retail stores, or at a friend's house who claims to be a "jazz expert", but is really a yuppie dilettante. Yet somehow, over all the years, and all those playings, the record manages to still sound fantastic – a truly inspirational piece of music that's long deserved all the attention it gets! The legendary group on the album includes John Coltrane on tenor, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Bill Evans on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass – working with Miles in a relatively modal style, with brilliant rhythm changes and a wonderful sense of space. The whole thing's sublime – and titles include "Blue In Green", "All Blues", "So What", and "Freddie Freeloader". CD

One of our 50s favorites by Miles Davis – and a record that offers the same twin-sax sound as his classic Kind Of Blue – with both John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley working alongside Miles in the group! Rhythm here is by the Prestige-era trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – but it's the two saxophonists who really help Davis shape the feel of the record, pushing things past the initial Coltrane/Davis groove with a really wonderful sense of space and sound! Titles include the classic "Milestones", plus "Two Bass Hit", "Dr Jeckyll", and "Sid's Ahead". 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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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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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

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Smooth as silk, with plenty of soul – a classic set that has the guitar of Eric Gale produced by the legendary Allen Toussaint! The cross of talents is pretty compelling – and although the album's not a New Orleans funk outing, it definitely shares some of the more creative elements that you'd get from some of Toussaint's other side projects at the end of the 70s. A few numbers definitely have a bit more bump than you'd expect from a fsuion date like this – and Toussaint himself plays piano and moog on the record, and even sings a tiny bit. Robert Dabon plays Fender Rhodes – and titles include "You Got My Life In Your Hands", "War Paint", "Touch Of Silk", "Au Privave", "With You I'm Born Again", and "Once In A Smile". CD

A real standout in the Stan Getz catalog of the 70s – a session of mostly spare duets with pianist Jimmy Rowles, done in a way that really breaks from the format of Stan's other work of the time! Rowles here has a raspy warmth that brings out new voicings in Getz's tenor – an earthiness that comes through especially well on the half of the album that features only Stan and Jimmy playing together alone, but which still shines on the few other tracks that feature the bass of Buster Williams and drums of Elvin Jones expanding the group. 2 short tracks feature only solo piano, and Rowles also sings on a number of the album's tracks, in that breathy mode of his that rarely got captured this well on record – and one other track features Jon Hendricks leading a vocal quartet through a rendition of "The Chess Players". Other titles include "It'll Never Be The Same", "Body & Soul", "What Am I Here For", "The Hour Of Parting", "The Peacocks", "Rose Marie", and "Serenade To Sweden". CD

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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

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

The brilliant bluesy side of Hendrix – great stuff recorded from '66-'70 – including his most blues based originals and incredible covers! Bluesy it is, but it's also Jimi – with the soaring, loose and massively influential lead guitar grooves and many of which went unreleased until the 90s – and remains among the most essential of posthumous Hendrix releases. Includes "Hear My Train A Comin'" (acoustic and electric versions), "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Catfish Blues", "Red House", "Voodoo Chile Blues", "Mannish Boy", "Once I Had A Woman", "Jam 292" and "Electric Church Red House". CD

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An excellent anthology of rare Hendrix – featuring previously unreleased recordings of songs we've never heard from Jimi, alternate recordings of staples, incendiary live recordings and tracks from Jimi's early years as a sideman – plus the full length Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child documentary on DVD! It's an amazing set tracing Jimi's roots as a session player for soul stars, through his iconic days as a rock guitar deity. Disc 1 of the 4CD set is the only one that features a wealth of tracks that have been previously released – the remaining discs are heavily weighted with unreleased tracks and alternate versions – tracks from the mid 60s featuring Jimi on sessions for the Isley Brothers, Don Covay, Frank Howard & The Commanders, Little Richard and others. Titles include "Testify" and more with the Isley Brothers, "Mercy, Mercy" and "Can't Stay Away" with Don Covay, "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me" with Little Richard, "Instant Groove" with King Curtis, "My Diary" and "Utee" with Rosa Lee Brooks and more. Discs 2 to 4 features the soul shredding Jimi we know and love – unheard alternate recordings of the classics and much much more, plus rare live recordings and covers. Includes versions of "Fire", "Are You Experienced?", "Can You See Me?", and amazing version of Dylan's "Tears Of Rage", plus "Message To Love", "In From The Storm", "Bolero", "All God's Children", "Everlasting First", "Freedom", "Peter Gunn/Catastrophe", "Suddenly November Morning", live versions of "Stone Free", "Wind Cries Mary", "Star Spangled Banner" and much much more. 59 tracks on 4CDs, with a thick book of notes & photos, and the 90 minute DVD featuring the documentary by Bob Smeaton. CD

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The group's first full length album – and a classic batch of soulful funky tunes, handled with the charm and care that would make Jamiroquai one of the best new soul acts to come out of the UK during the 90s. Think Brand New Heavies meets Stevie Wonder meets Steely Dan, and you'll get only part of the picture – as Jay and crew work things together perfectly, blending a wide range of influences into a globally conscious cosmic groove that's a perfect soul platform for the 21st century! 10 tracks: "Didgin' Out", "When You Gonna Learn (JK mix)", "Too Young To Die", "Music Of The Mind", "Hooked Up", "If I Like It I Do It", "Whatever It Is I Just Can't Stop", "Blow Your Mind", "Revolution 1993" and "Emergency On Planet Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer of an album from Jamiroquai – the first time we really sat up and took notice, and said "hey, these guys are onto something good!" The record's pretty darn great all the way through – a warm batch of tunes that starts with a classic 70s mode that's part Stevie Wonder, part Steely Dan – and which runs through some of the more modern London percussion/production techniques to freshen things up! Titles include "Mr Moon", "Kids", "Manifest Destiny", "Light Years", "Stillness In Time", "Morning Glory", and "Space Cowboy". CD

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

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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Features Jorge Herrera in the lead on timbales – and tracks that include "Caliche", "No Volvere", "Soy Tu Amigo", "Un Verano En Cali", "Beso Gitano", and "Canto Por La Paz". CD

One of the most wonderful soundtracks ever! Michel Legrand wrote the jazzy groovy score for this legendary French film from the mid 60s – and every word of dialogue in the film is sung throughout, making for a very cool, ever-changing array of vocal bits and jazzy styles. Embedded in here are lines that later became worldwide hits – like "I Will Wait For You" and "Watch What Happens" – but in this version, the songs are just themes in the huge pastiche of dialogue and narrative, and they lurk behind the score in a beautiful way. This is one of our favorite all-time soundtracks, and this wonderful import version features the entire thing, end to end, on 2CDs – as well as 6 bonus tracks that feature other versions of the themes and songs, done instrumentally or vocally by other artists. Fantastique! CD

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Amazing lost work from the Mahvishnu Orchestra – a previously-unreleased studio session from 1973, one that features John McLaughlin and the group working in some beautifully tripped-out territory! The lineup features McLaughlin on a variety of guitars – plus Jerry Goodman on electric violin, Jan Hammer on keyboards, Rick Laird on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – all coming together perfectly with that sense of subtle, organic fusion that made the Mahvishnu records so great – a real change from the harder, more rockish sounds of Hammer and Goodman in later years. Titles include "Dream", "Sister Andrea", "I Wonder", "Steppings Tones", "John's Song", and "Triology". CD

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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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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

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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

The debut full length from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – and a bonafide hip hop classic if there ever was one – one of the best ever! Pete Rock's trademark mix of heavy soul, jazz & funk beatcraft pretty much set the bar to a level that's been impossible to top ever sense. On top of being a front-to-back perfect album, Mecca & The Soul Brother has one of the great singles of the era, in "They Reminisce Over You (TROY)". What more can be said, really? An absolute essential! Disc 1 includes the original full length album. Titles include "Return Of The Mecca", "For Pete's Sake", "Ghettos Of The Mind", "Soul Brother #1", "Wig Out", "Anger Of The Nation", "Can't Front On Me", "The Basement" feat Heavy D, Rob-O, Grap & Dida, "If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right", "Skinz" feat Grand Puba and more. 16 tracks in all. Disc 2 features a wealth of bonus tracks, including 12" versions, remixes, acapellas, instrumentals and exclusives, including "It's Not A Game (Original 12" Version)", "Lots Of Lovin (Remix)" "They Reminisce Over You (TROY)" (Remix, Vibes Mix, and Instrumental versions), "Straighten It Out (Instrumental Version)". 15 tracks of bonus material! Comes in a heavy duty, beautiful deluxe box with a 20 page book with notes by Brian Coleman, Dante Ross, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and a full sized poster! CD

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Wonderful live work from Prince – the only official concert album ever issued by the man during his life, and a great testament to the way that his genius kept on burning bright on stage – even when he wasn't always knocking it out of the park in the studio! There's a fair bit of material here from later years, but also some classics mixed into the set – and the work often emphasizes the jazzier side of Prince's style – partly through his evolved musicianship, but also in the way the tunes come together with an even more sophisticated vibe than the early years. Titles include "Rainbow Children", "Muse 2 The Pharoah", "Extraordinary", "One Nite Alone", "Wanna B Ur Lover", "Do Me Baby", "Diamonds & Pearls", "When U Were Mine", "Mellow", "1+1+1 Is 3", "Nothing Compares 2 U", and "Sometimes It Snows In April". 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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The massive third album from Run DMC – made at the top of their game – an pivotal effort that brought them to peak popularity and helped break hip hop in a huge way in the pop culture landscape! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – produced by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons with a classic early Def Jam vibe, in the same manner that helped the Beastie Boys get their records in the hands of folks who'd never buy hip hop otherwise! That sound comes to culmination on the album's hit collaboration with Aerosmith on a remake of "Walk This Way", resulting in the commercial breakthrough, but the real triumph here is the increased complexity in both the lyricism, and the way Jam Master Jay serves up their beats – which makes for a stone classic all the way through, on tracks that include "Peter Piper", "It's Tricky", "My Adidas", "Proud To Be Black", "You Be Illin'", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of electronic work from Ryuichi Sakamoto – and a record that may well be reaching for the universal language promised in the title! The set's not nearly as pop-oriented as some of Sakamoto's other work from the time – mostly instrumental, and with a spirit that's like some of his best soundtrack material, and maybe a bit like some of the other minimalist work coming from Japan during the period – save for the fact that Sakamoto always brings in a bit more, and has some unusual sonic elements that lurk in the background and make for a nice amount of surprises! Titles include "A Carved Stone", "Angelic Penguins", "Rain Song", "Dolphins", "A Wongga Dance Song", "The Dreaming", "A Human Tube", and "Ulu Watu". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-titled set of work from Ryuichi Sakamoto – as the set features four gems from his key 80s years, all mastered by Bernie Grundman for extra-high fidelity in this limited set! Sakamoto's creative genius was at a real high point during this period – all the experimental modes of earlier years used to deliver a subtly complex approach to electronic numbers that have a richness that really beats most work from the other side of the globe! The set includes the wonderful "Ballet Mechanique", an unusual remake of the tune "Behind The Mask", and the catchy "Steppin Into Asia" – plus one instrumental with a Japanese title. LP, Vinyl record album