Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". 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

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Wonderful live work recorded with John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, and others – including tracks pulled from his live albums at the Blackhawk, Plaza, Newport, Antibes, the Plugged Nickel, and the Budokan in Tokyo. CD

A best of set that features collaborations with Dr. John, Dizzy Gillespie, Branford Marsalis, and Elvis Costello – 14 tracks total. CD

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Rare work from a time in Bob Dylan's career when he was maybe giving us too few albums – which makes all the rare material here a great addition to his early 80s run of records on Shot Of Love, Infidels, and Empire Burlesque! The tracks here all come from sessions for those records – which were often stretched out a fair bit, and feature Dylan working through lots of new ideas as he puts the songs together – which you can really hear here on the unreleased material that's presented here for the first time ever! Titles include "Need A Woman (rehearsal)", "Fur Slippers (outtake)", "Jokerman (alt take)", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight (alt take)", "Blind Willie McTell (outtake)", "New Danville Girl (outtake)", "Dark Eyes (alt take)", "Too Late (band version outtake)", "Sweetheart Like You (alt take)", "Seeing The Real You At Last (alt take)", and "Someone's Got Ahold Of My Heart (outtake)". 2CD set features 25 tracks in all – all previously unreleased – plus liner notes and track by track commentary! CD

Rare work from a time in Bob Dylan's career when he was maybe giving us too few albums – which makes all the rare material here a great addition to his early 80s run of records on Shot Of Love, Infidels, and Empire Burlesque! The tracks here all come from sessions for those records – which were often stretched out a fair bit, and feature Dylan working through lots of new ideas as he puts the songs together – which you can really hear here on the unreleased material that's presented here for the first time ever! Titles include "Need A Woman (rehearsal)", "Fur Slippers (outtake)", "Jokerman (alt take)", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight (alt take)", "Blind Willie McTell (outtake)", "New Danville Girl (outtake)", "Dark Eyes (alt take)", "Too Late (band version outtake)", "Sweetheart Like You (alt take)", "Seeing The Real You At Last (alt take)", and "Someone's Got Ahold Of My Heart (outtake)". 5CD set is a Dylan completist's dream come true – as it features 55 unreleased tracks, including lots of obscure rehearsal tracks on CD1 – with titles that include "Fever", "Let's Keep It Between Us", "Sweet Caroline", "We Just Disagree", "This Night Won't Last Forever", "Need A Woman", and "Jesus Met The Woman At The Well". Also comes with a huge hardcover book – full of rare and unseen photos and other images, plus extensive notes and track by track commentary! CD

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The new full-length album from Fauna Flash – a great little German combo who's been crafting some great singles over the past few years for the Compost label! The record shows the full range of the group's style – mixing together jazzy numbers with other tunes that have more of a downtempo feel, blending smoother soul elements with harder funky ones, often touched with the group's quirky sense of humor and flair for a bossa-inspired groove. A few tracks have some great Fender Rhodes in the lead, and the whole album sparkles with the kind of fresh jazzy sound you'd expect from Compost groups like Jazzanova or the Rainer Truby Trio! Titles include "Tel Aviv", "Mother Nature", "Percussion", "Alone Again", "Sunday At The Getty", "Question", and "Ten". CD

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A seminal session from Curtis Fuller – one of a handful he cut for Savoy, recorded during that late 50s/early 60s period when he seemed poised to become one of the biggest trombonists in jazz! (Whatever happened? How did he cut so many records as a leader so fast, then slide back into being a sideman for most of the rest of his career?) The set's cut in that laidback blowing session mode of the Savoy hardbop years – with tremendous work from Benny Golson on tenor, plus Tommy Flanagan on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Al Harewood on drums – all working through easily-handled tunes that include "Minor Vamp", "Love Your Spell Is Everywhere", "Five Spot After Dark", and "Twelve Inch". Think soul jazz with a slight touch of mysticism! CD

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A beautiful orchestral work from Philip Glass – a set that features the long piece "Itaipu", and the shorter "The Canyon" – both handled with a mix of instrumentation and voices that really gives the music a sense of majesty! Although Robert Shaw recorded some relatively mundane vocal records for RCA back in the postwar years, he's really at his best here – using the voices next to the bold brass, strings, and woodwinds with a sense of formation that often uses the lower end of the sonic spectrum in a great way – maybe a bit reminiscent of Glass' soundtrack recordings for Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, with some obvious ties to his 80s opera work too. LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of Herbie Hancock's great acoustic moments of the 70s – quite a contrast to his more dynamic electric work of the time, with the subtle, sensitive approach of some of his Japanese trio sessions! Likewise, Chick Corea reminds us that he's great on the acoustic keys too – and works here alongside Herbie on these long-spiralling tracks with no other instrumentation at all – just sublime twin-piano magic as both players bring their voices together, then rise up individually – on titles that include "Maiden Voyage", "Button Up", "Liza", "La Fiesta", and "February Moment" – all coming out very fresh and different here! CD

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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Heavy funk from a hip Japanese combo – one that features lots of drums and percussion from leader Akira Ishikawa, plus plenty of guitar, keyboards, and hard-riffing horns! Akira's taking most of his cues here from American funk of the early 70s – work by Incredible Bongo Band, BT Express, and others – but he often serves up the music with a fair bit of conga work at the front of the arrangements, in a way that takes familiar tunes and gives them a much rootsier, earthier kind of groove! The approach is unique, but totally great – and the album's a funk album unlike anything else we can think of – quite unusual even for the experimental Japanese scene of the time. Titles include "Bongo Rock", "Pick Up The Pieces", "Do It Til You're Satisfied", "I've Got To Use My Imagination", "Let's Start", "Love Is The Answer", and "Boogie On Reggae Woman". CD

Heavy funk from a hip Japanese combo – one that features lots of drums and percussion from leader Akira Ishikawa, plus plenty of guitar, keyboards, and hard-riffing horns! Akira's taking most of his cues here from American funk of the early 70s – work by Incredible Bongo Band, BT Express, and others – but he often serves up the music with a fair bit of conga work at the front of the arrangements, in a way that takes familiar tunes and gives them a much rootsier, earthier kind of groove! The approach is unique, but totally great – and the album's a funk album unlike anything else we can think of – quite unusual even for the experimental Japanese scene of the time. Titles include "Bongo Rock", "Pick Up The Pieces", "Do It Til You're Satisfied", "I've Got To Use My Imagination", "Let's Start", "Love Is The Answer", and "Boogie On Reggae Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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

One of the hippest jazz groups going in Czechoslovakia during the 70s – the mighty Jazz Q, a cool fusion combo who really knew how to groove! The group's lineup includes a lot of electric keyboards and guitars – and while some tracks have them jamming out in a really rock-inspired way, there's some other tunes that open up with a great jazzy sound. Side two of the album kicks off with an amazing modal groover called "The Wizard" – a cut that builds and builds on riffs of bass, conga, and keyboards – before soaring into a sweet female lead vocal that sounds like Lani Hall at her best! Other tracks include "Lost Soul", "Starbird", "From Dark To Light", and "Epilog". CD features two bonus tracks – "Mlyn" and "Konstelace". CD

One of the hippest jazz groups going in Czechoslovakia during the 70s – the mighty Jazz Q, a cool fusion combo who really knew how to groove! The group's lineup includes a lot of electric keyboards and guitars – and while some tracks have them jamming out in a really rock-inspired way, there's some other tunes that open up with a great jazzy sound. Side two of the album kicks off with an amazing modal groover called "The Wizard" – a cut that builds and builds on riffs of bass, conga, and keyboards – before soaring into a sweet female lead vocal that sounds like Lani Hall at her best! Other tracks include "Lost Soul", "Starbird", "From Dark To Light", and "Epilog". CD features two bonus tracks – "Mlyn" and "Konstelace". CD

John Kirby on bass with Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Russell Procope on alto saxophone, Billy Kyle on piano, O' Neil Spencer on drums & Maxine Sullivan on vocals. CD

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One of the loveliest singers we've heard from the Brazilian scene in years – working here in a set of gentle tunes with a hell of a lot of charm! Mallu Magalhaes has this raspy little quality in her voice – almost a Brazilian version of Charlotte Gainsbourg, but with a slightly warmer feel overall – one that's perfect for the album's mellow grooving numbers, served up in a blend of playful styles that moves from sonically-sensitive contemporary modes, back to a few with a slight bossa undercurrent. Marcelo Camelo produced the record, and his touch definitely helps guide the whole thing nicely – and titles include "Por Que Voce Faz Assim Comigo", "Sambinha Bom", "Cena", "Velha E Louca", "In The Morning", and "Highly Sensitive". CD

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A funky fusion of post-millenium Brazilian club groove and contemporary hip hop from Marcelo D2! MD2 does a great job of demonstrating the all inclusive groove at the core of disparate musical elements. Almost every tune has a sound rooted in percussive samba, but the vibe stretches through programmed and organic beats, bass, keys and scratches – courtesy of Mixmaster Mike! The album was produced by "fourth Beastie" Mario Caldato – who really brings his hip hop pedigree to the sound in ways that he did not when he produced Seu Jorge's album! Seu Jorge makes a behind-the-scenes appearance on the album, as does Shabazz The Disciple. The raps are in Portuguese, the groove has nu samba feel, with traces of electro, house, and hip hop love that stretches from Sugarhill to Shaolin. Tracks include "Pra Posteridade", "Vai Vendo", "A Maldicao Do Samba", "Loadeando", "Qual E?", "Re: Batucada", and more! CD

A great small combo set from this soulful Japanese singer – served up with work from Mike Wofford on piano, Harry Edison on trumpet, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums! The vibe is nice – much more jazz vocal than some of her other work. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet soulful pairing of talents – the lovely vocals of Marlene and the warm fusion talents of Seawind – coming together here in a way that's mighty nice! You'll know Seawind for their albums on CTI from the mid 70s, and this rare Japanese-only set is equally nice, but in a very different way – as the group soar along nicely with a gently soulful vibe, backing up Marlene's lyrics in a style that's a bit like the sometimes soul cuts on Japanese fusion records from the time. The singer's got an ability to soar high, but also never get too cloying – and the tunes include a great remake of the Leon Ware/Richard Rudolph gem "Let Yourself Go" – plus "Summer Nights", "Try", "Semi Forgotten Movie", "A Love Too Strong", "I Could Dance Tonight", and "My Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album by Maysa – one of Brazil's most evocative vocalists of the 60s, recorded here in a lovely session of bossa tunes that begins with her stunning reading of "O Barquinho"! There's a core jazz group backing Maysa up – and strings and larger orchestrations drift into the mix from time to time, giving the album a nicely fleshed-out sound, to match the deep range of Maysa's emotional vocals – an approach that's maybe a bit different than some of the other bossa vocal albums of the period, but which also gave the singer a very strong global appeal. Titles include "Lagrima Primeira", "So Voce", "Melancolia", "Dois Meninos", and the self-titled "Maysa". CD

Tracks include "I Got Rhythm", "Time On My Hands", "Why D'ja Make My Fall In Love", "Community Swing", "Don't Wake Up My Heart", "In A Little Spanish Town", "Sleepy Time Gal", "Every Day's A Holiday", "Sold American", and "Dippermouth Blues". CD

14 tracks including "In The Mood", "Runnin' Wild", "Little Brown Jug", "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", "Tuxedo Junction", and "String Of Pearls". CD

Great work from Monk's last decade on record – including some unreleased material too! CD

One of Lee Morgan's first-ever recordings as a leader, cut way back when he was just a hip teenager from Philly with a bucketful of promise on the trumpet! The session's a crack hard bop date – with an all-star cast that includes Hank Mobley on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and although the proceedings are a bit rough around the edges compared to some of the Blue Note sets, the album's still filled with a heck of a lot of fire, and like all Morgan albums, is totally worth owning! Tracks are longish, and filled with imagination – and titles include "Bet", "Hank's Shout", "Nostalgia", "That's All", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

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The glorious return of Os Mutantes – a recent live performance that marks the group's first new album in many many years! The show was recorded before a very enthusiastic audience in London – at a time when the city was in the throes of a recent new wave of interest in Tropicalia – clearly the inspiration for the group's performance here, which is heavy on work from their best years! The lineup features Zelia Duncan in place of Rita Lee on vocals – alongside founders Arnaldo Baptista and Sergio Dias – and the overall sound is pretty great, with some very focused and full-on guitar work throughout. Titles include "Don Quixote", "Ave Gengis Khan", "Tecnicolor", "Virgina", "Cantor De Mambo", "Baby", "El Justiciero", "Balada Do Louco", and "Ave Lucifer". CD

Eddie Palmieri works with some great jazz players here – Brian Lynch on trumpet, Conrad Herwig on trombone, and Donald Harrison on alto! CD

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The debut full length from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – a standard-setting record from the 90s that's still among one of the greatest of the decade! The set bristles with new energy and excitement right from the start – as Pete Rock's trademark mix of heavy soul, jazz, and funk production sets the bar to a level that really takes hip hop past some of the tinnier, clunkier modes of a few years before – delivering on the promise of Q-Tip's experiments in the studio, but with a very different vibe. CL Smooth handles the lyrics with effortless ease – again setting a new standard, with a balance between street and sophistication that was, and is, such a refreshing change from so many others. Titles include the classic "They Reminisce Over You (TROY)" – plus "Return Of The Mecca", "Straighten It Out", "Soul Brother #1", "Lots Of Lovin", "Skinz, "The Basement", "Anger In The Nation", "If It Ain't Rough It Ain't Right", "Can't Front On Me", "It's Like That", "On And On", "Wig Out", "Ghettos Of The Mind", and "Act Like You Know". 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 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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Features "Rhapsody in Blue", "I Got Rhythm", and James P Johnson's "Yamekraw" – all performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. CD

A sweet little set from Japanese keyboardist Masahiko Sato – one that has him playing both acoustic and electric piano, amidst a set of larger backings from Jiro Inagaki and his Big Soul Media group! The sound here is really unique – a bit like some of the fuller American jazz sides at the end of the 70s, but cast out with colors, tones, and changes that are a fair bit different too. There's certainly funky and groovy elements to the album, but also a sound that's a bit more sophisticated too – not nearly as modern or out as some of Sato's other records, but with enough echoes of them to keep things interesting. Other players include Ryo Kawasaki on guitar and Shunzo Ohno on trumpet – and tracks include "Sniper's Snooze", "Serenity", "Guru", "Love & Peace", and "Somethin Goin On". LP, Vinyl record album

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A sweet little record from Caiphus Semenya – a South African singer, but one who works here with backings from some top-shelf studio talents in LA – a mix of jazz and fusion players who really bring a great sense of groove to the material! Tracks include two originals co-written with Letta Mbulu – and the mix of South African roots and Cali soul is a bit similar to some of Letta's late 70s work – maybe a bit more upbeat than the political climate in SA warranted at the time, but that sometimes happens when an overseas artist spends a bit of time on the west coast. Titles include "Gumba Boogie", "Play With Fire", "Umoya", "Angelina", "Without You", and "Ziph'Inkomo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Frank Sinatra's earliest experiments with instrumental music – a set of tunes composed by Alec Wilder – including some handled by Wilder himself, with a group that includes Mitch Miller on oboe and Julius Baker on flute – in a cool modern chamber jazz mode! CD

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Unreleased material from the sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town! CD

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A great bit of electric jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – an album that easily rivals the best CTI work in the US at the time! Trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki heads up a quintet here – one that's heavy on electric piano and keyboards, played in a stretched-out sort of groove that reminds us a lot of the energy on Freddie Hubbard's funkiest albums from the same period. The tracks are all quite long – and step out with a wonderfully rhythmic sensibility – spare at times, and very focused on the right rolling approach to the groove. Suzuki's trombone solos are matched by some equally great sax work from Takeru Muraoka – and rhythm is from Kunimitsu Inaba on bass and Akira Ishikawa on drums. Filled with great breaks and laidback jazzy grooves – and featuring tracks that include "Cat", "Walk Tall", "Romance", "Shrimp Dance", and "Kuro To Shiro". CD

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The cover's not much to look at, but the set's one of the few collections we've ever seen of the famous bossa work by The Zimbo Trio – one of Brazil's best piano combos of the 60s! There's no real notes in the set listing dates for the material, and a number of the tracks here sound like re-recordings of the classics – but they're still done in a way that captures the warmth and freshness of the original tunes! Titles include "Samba De Maria Luiza", "Arrastao", "Samba Dobrado", "A Felicidade", "Garota De Ipanema", "Aquarela Do Brasil", and "O Morro Nao Tem Vez". CD

Includes performances from Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, John Mellencamp, Johnny Winter, Ron Wood, George Harrison, The Band, Neil Young, Chrissie Hynde, Willie Nelson, and others. CD

Includes music by Vivaldi, Purcell, Stanley, Handel, Mouret, Bach, Charpentier, Mozart, Haydn, Hummel, Arban and more – 20 tracks in all. CD

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8 songs from Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, and Thelonious Monk. CD

Includes "Bachiana Brasileira No 5" by Villa-Lobos plus pieces by Gounod, Massenet, Hahn, Duparc, Debussy, Ravel, Moret, Koechlin, and Braga. CD

Very cool new compilation that features modern versions of Tropicalia classics from the late 60's, with performances by many of the artists who made the movement happen in the first place! The CD includes 13 cuts, including versions of "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, & Tom Ze; "Divino Maravilhoso" by Gal Costa, "Atras Do Trio Eletrico" by Moraes Moreira, "Alegria, Alegria" by Daniela Mercury, "Bat Macumba" by Ile Aye, and "Soy Loco Por Ti America" by Araketu! The set's packaged in a cool sleeve with lots of colorful images in collage, and lyrics to all the songs. And in case you're wondering, the production standards are good, and not too poppy. The stuff's not as tripped out as it was in the 60's, but the set's still a great tribute to some of the greatest Brazilian songs of all time. CD

A pretty faultless 20 song compilation of classic Bowie – not so much a greatest hits collection is it is a collection of signature tracks from classic eras – from as far back as 1969's "Space Oddity" up to 2016's stunning "Lazarus". It's really one flawless track after another, and as wildly different in sound and style as individual tracks can be, Bowie is such a bonafide original that you can listen straight through. If you don't own every album, this is pretty great little collection of career highlights – with "Let's Dance', "The Man Who Sold The World", "Young Americans", "The Jean Genie", "Life On Mars (2016 mix)", "Under Pressure", "Starman", "Heroes", "Fame", "Modern Love", "Rebel Rebel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – a record that's got plenty of garagey grit at the core, but which also has a heady freak rock vibe overall! The 1967 album really captures this perfect moment – one when so many artists like Don Van Vliet had their feet in older rockish modes, but were really tripping out with new ideas – able to get nice and freaky in the course of a short tune, yet still never lose a groove that really helped send the music home! In other words, there's nothing too hippieish about the record, and nothing that's ever too self-indulgent – yet the blend of organ, guitar, and drums is completely mindblowing – and as revolutionary today as it was back then. Titles include "Abba Zabba", "Dropout Boogie", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Electricity", "Yellow Brick Road", "Grown So Ugly", and "Autumn's Child". CD version has 7 bonus tracks, with alternate takes and more. Essential! CD