With production by Buckwild on "The Difference" and "Back To Berth", and RNS on "Murder We Wrote". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great presentation of work from the legendary Tribe Records of Detroit – all handled by DJ Muro, who's posed on the front in a way that recalls one of the label's rarest albums! The style here is different than other collections of Tribe Records material – as Muro goes for cuts that showcase some of the more soulful, funky sides of the label – still very righteous overall, but with less of the longer or more avant-oriented tracks that came from the Detroit underground at the time. Muro's been giving us amazing collections for many years, and this one is no exception – a fantastic demonstration of his magical ear, as he makes his way through cuts that include "The Wok" by Wendell Harrison, "Ode To Africa" by Harold McKinney, "Why Don't Love Make Everything Right" by Cosmic Force, "Ginseng Love" by Wendell Harrison, "Freedom Jazz Dance" by Harold McKinney, "For Real" by Doug Hammond, "Glue Fingers (part 2)" by Marcus Belgrave, "Vibes From The Tribe (prelude)" by Phil Ranelin, "What We Need" by Wendell Harrison & Phil Ranelin, "In The Moog" by Harold McKinney, "Farewell To The Welfare" by Wendell Harrison & The Tribe, "Wake Up Brothers" by Doug Hammond, "Sounds From The Village" by Phil Ranelin, and "Belle Isle" by Wendell Harrison. CD

A great presentation of work from the legendary Tribe Records of Detroit – all handled by DJ Muro, who's posed on the front in a way that recalls one of the label's rarest albums! The style here is different than other collections of Tribe Records material – as Muro goes for cuts that showcase some of the more soulful, funky sides of the label – still very righteous overall, but with less of the longer or more avant-oriented tracks that came from the Detroit underground at the time. Muro's been giving us amazing collections for many years, and this one is no exception – a fantastic demonstration of his magical ear, as he makes his way through cuts that include "The Wok" by Wendell Harrison, "Ode To Africa (single version)" by Harold McKinney, "Ginseng Love" by Wendell Harrison, "Freedom Jazz Dance" by Harold McKinney, "Take Time Out" by Wendell Harrison, "Sounds From The Village" by Phil Ranelin, and "Belle Isle" by Wendell Harrison. LP, Vinyl record album

A very unique book on the Japanese crate-digging scene – one that has a strong focus on DJ Muro, the man who's given us countless great mixes and compilations over the years! The book is in Japanese, and begins with an initial interview with Muro, complete with lots of photos – but it then goes into a long section of "Diggin" chapters, with images and lists of key records by funk and soul artists, both American and Japanese. The format is different than Japanese disc guides, but still provides plenty of small images of cover art, and information on very cool records you might want to track down. Given how much greatness Muro has given us over the years, we can certainly trust his picks here – and there's enough visual information here to direct your digging, even if you can't read Japanese! (But special hint: you can always use Google translate on your phone to decode things.) Softcover book is almost 200 pages long, with a mix of black and white and color images. Book

Brilliant brown-eyed soul from Ray Camacho – an artist who was previously known for more border-styled work with his Teardrops band, but who steps out here with a surprisingly great blend of electric jazz and boogie! The approach is wonderful – a real re-direction of Ray's earlier groove into even more soulful territory – handled with that unique fusion that was happening in just a few of the best Texas spots, like the scene in Austin at the time. The album's equal parts soul and funk, but still has a few Latin roots too – and had this gem come out on Fantasy Records at the time, it would have pushed Ray and group into much headier territory. But we're also happy the set's been undiscovered for so many years (consider it our little secret) – and titles include "Reach Out", "Diggin Deep", "Shake What You Got", "Nobody But You", "Nothing But A Party", and "What A Day". CD

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm and fluid, and which really gets past the cliches of other larger funk acts – and manages to find a space in sound that's all its own! There's lots of odd phrasings and chords on the set – creating these very blue passages even when the group's grooving in an uptempo mode – almost like the sense of sadness that creeps out from Stevie Wonder's work during his best early 70s years. The sound is totally unique, and uniquely wonderful – and the album includes the classic "Father Time", plus the cuts "Magic Lady", "Mellow Days, Easy Nights", "Fatback Sally", and "Hungry Grin". Newban 2 is every bit as great as the first album – if not better – with some excellent excellent lost material that's the kind of stuff that still keeps you diggin' for the hard ones. Includes the track "Greenburgh", with a tight funky intro and a smooth sweet soul groove, plus lots of other great cuts like "Free Your Mind", "Easin' Through", "Find a Place to Live", and "Rhythm & Rhyme". This deluxe package also features three rare bonus tracks – "Oh Wow", "Miracle Holiday", and "Bells" – tracks recorded before the first two albums! CD

A jazz-inspired hip hop uberclassic! While Digable Planets might not have pioneered the jazzy hip hop vibe – we might nod to the Native Tongues scene and DJ Premier's productions in the late 80s for that – Digables set a new standard with breezy but head nodding production and mellow, laidback rhyme style that dug into the abstract lyrical realm more than any of their predecessors. Still sounds fresh today, too! Includes "Where I'm From", "It's Good To Be Here", "What Cool Breezes Do", "Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)", "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", "Escapism (Gettin Free)", "Pacifics", "Appointment At The Fat Clinic", "Swoon Units", "Last Of The Spiddyocks", "Examination Of What", "Nickel Bags", and "Jimmi Diggin Cats". CD

Not just Rock N Roll, but a classic collection of doo wop, R&B, and more – served up in a massive CD package that brings together all versions of this classic album on Crown Records! The original Rock N Roll Dance Party was a key collection in the late 50s – one that helped push the best R&B artists on the Modern/Kent label to a wider audience, thanks to a more mainstream cover. But as the 60s moved in, the title was re-vamped with new titles – and appeared in different versions that are finally getting sorted out and presented here. The CD features 26 tracks from all the albums – and even if you're not concerned with the discographical information, the whole thing still stands as a hard-rocking collection of grooves – as fresh today as it was nearly 50 years ago! Titles include "Cherry Pie" by Marvin & Johnny, "Don't Be Angry" by The Cadets, "Sunday Meetin Rock" by Johnny Allen, "All Night Long" by Joe Houston, "Dance With Me Henry" by Etta Jones, "Vido's Boogie" by Vido Musso, "Bye Bye Fare Thee Well" by Peppermint Harris, "Ay La Bah" by Dolly Cooper, "Cool Diggin" by Maxwell Davis, "I Want My Baby" by Jimmy Beasley, "Convicted" by Oscar McLollie, and "Have Mercy Miss Percy" by Long Tall Marvin. CD

The Beastie Boys are looking plenty playful on the cover, and they definitely follow up in spirit on the record – all with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into the world frm the New York scene! The album has a space of a few years between its predecessor Ill Communication – and it almost feels as if the Beasties spent that time to go record shopping and crate digging – to bring in all these really cool musical twists and turns that remind us that some of their best expressions often come from the direct inspirations of others! Lee Scratch Perry and Money Mark help out on the set – but as always, it's the energy of the core trio that really ignites the fire – on titles that include "Super Disco Breakin", "The Move", "Song For The Man", "Just A Test", "Body Movin'", "Intergalactic", "Flowin Prose", "Remote Control", "Three MCs & One DJ", "Song For Junior", and "Dr Lee PhD". CD

A great guide for digging into the world of Japanese music from the mid 80s onward – and a book that's different than some of the more vinyl-centric disc guide, in that it focuses strongly on city pop titles that were only issued on CD! The Japanese city pop movement really got going at the start of the 80s, when vinyl and cassette were still king and queen – but it kept on going even after formats shifted – at a level that makes this book such a key document of the scene and style, which is often just tied to the vinyl market. As with other Japanese disc guides, the bulk of the text is in Japanese – which can now easily be read using Google Translate on your phone – but the book has entries for hundreds of titles, each with a full color image of the cover – which will offer up plenty of information for your digging. The book has a few other features alongside the disc listings – and is a total of 242 pages, softcover, with hundreds of full color images throughout. Book

A Japanese book, but one with a very deep dive into urban soul from the 70s onward – mostly American and European records that together represent a whole new wave of cool, sophisticated R&B! This isn't the deep soul of the 60s – although many of the singers still have a wonderful vocal range – and the disc guide looks at rare LP releases and titles in other formats from different spots in the western hemisphere – tracing an evolution of soul music style across hundreds of individual entries for records – each of which are listed with a full color cover image, English language details on the dates, labels, and titles – and a small review in Japanese! You can read the review using a translate feature on your phone – but even without that, the book is a great guide for digging – and is especially helpful for tracking soul records of the past few decades that you might have missed. Almost 200 pages, softcover, with hundreds of entries and images in color! Book

A really wonderful second set from Panama Limited – a group who've dropped the "Jug Band" from their name, and come across here with a very different sound! The album's still got lots of acoustic roots elements in the mix, but the overall conception is very strongly rooted in blues, then filtered through a more experimental generation – ala Captain Beefheart! It's clear that the group had been digging the Cap themselves, but they're not just copping his style here – as the album has a more pointed, tuneful approach – with vocals augmented by new group member Anne Matthews, who really helps them find a fresh groove. Way more trippy than before – thanks to some very evocative lyrics – and titles include "Moonshine", "Set Me Free", "Woman I Love", "Darkness Brings", "Laughing", and "Eastern Man". CD

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more. CD

Jazzy goodness galore – a set of really well-chosen tracks that we're not sure we've ever seen reissued before – mostly from obscure sources that might well have remained underdiscovered otherwise! Jazz is at the key, but there's also some soulful vocal moments too – and most tracks are long, and have a vibe that's a nice change from funky jazz or spiritual modes – even though there's still plenty of soulful energy throughout the set! Instrumentation is both electric and acoustic, and styles change up nicely – in ways that make each new track a great discovery, even if you've got ears that are well-trained on years of record digging. Titles include "On Dit" by Sara Alexander, "On A Winder's Day" by Afrodisax, "For You" by Dave Plaehn, "Pre-Stretch Warm Up" by Rick Panzer, "Du Ar Frisk" by Roger Ekman, "Philosophy" by Anne Marie Giortz, "Sengakuji" by Urban Hansson, and "Alcohol" by Rene Van Helsdingen. LP, Vinyl record album

The Beastie Boys are looking plenty playful on the cover, and they definitely follow up in spirit on the record – all with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into the world frm the New York scene! The album has a space of a few years between its predecessor Ill Communication – and it almost feels as if the Beasties spent that time to go record shopping and crate digging – to bring in all these really cool musical twists and turns that remind us that some of their best expressions often come from the direct inspirations of others! Lee Scratch Perry and Money Mark help out on the set – but as always, it's the energy of the core trio that really ignites the fire – on titles that include "Super Disco Breakin", "The Move", "Song For The Man", "Just A Test", "Body Movin'", "Intergalactic", "Flowin Prose", "Remote Control", "Three MCs & One DJ", "Song For Junior", and "Dr Lee PhD". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 90s classic from the Beastie Boys, done with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into the world frm the New York scene! The album has a space of a few years between its predecessor Ill Communication – and it almost feels as if the Beasties spent that time to go record shopping and crate digging – to bring in all these really cool musical twists and turns that remind us that some of their best expressions often come from the direct inspirations of others! Lee Scratch Perry and Money Mark help out on the set – but as always, it's the energy of the core trio that really ignites the fire – on titles that include "Super Disco Breakin", "The Move", "Song For The Man", "Just A Test", "Body Movin'", "Intergalactic", "Flowin Prose", "Remote Control", "Three MCs & One DJ", "Song For Junior", and "Dr Lee PhD". Features two bonus LPs of material – including remixes, live tracks, and b-sides! LP, Vinyl record album

10 tracks that sum up the hopes for modern funk and underground soul – circa 1995! The set was a big one back in its day, and it still provides a good picture of what the kids were digging during those difficult years for modern groove. Titles include "Hell Is Round The Corner" by Tricky, "Friendly Pressure" by Jhelisa, "Eine Kleine Hed Musick" by Coldcut, "Boundaries" by Leena Conquest & Hip Hop Finger, "Get It Together" by The Beastie Boys, "Nouveau Western" by MC Solaar, "Revenge Of The Number" by Portishead, and "Deep S**t (parts 1 & 2)" by Kruder & Dorfmeister. CD

Rare 70s funky soul from The Equatics – just the kind of record that keeps us digging and still excited after all these years – resurrected by the like minded diggers at Now Again! You know the kind of album we're talking about, the ones you come across with enigmatic cover art, no names on the back you recognize or even anything indicating where or when it's from. Then you take a spin and it's the real thing from the get go! The production is nice and raw but not ragged, and a funky vibe that groups today emulate but just can't recapture. This set's mid 70s R&B, mostly instrumental but with a few vocal numbers, all nicely done up in a very groovy, funky fashion. There's a couple of nice covers, like their Isaac Hayes-ish take on "Walk On By" and a nice rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine", but the rest of the set's mostly originals, like "Merry-Go-Round" and some nice raggedy instrumentals like "What They Doin?", "Santana" done up in parts 1 and 2 (maybe on a 45 somewhere. . .), "Cisco Fare" and the jazzy "The Touch Of You". Amazing! CD

Exactly the kind of record that's got us digging Japanese trio sessions from the 70s so much – a set that's filled with lots of warm, soulful sounds, creatively compelling changes, and fresh rhythms that really keep the tunes interesting! There's a slight undercurrent of funk on most numbers, but never too much – as the set still preserves all the best lyrical lines of pianist Kichiro Sugino, who steps beautifully around the bass of Kishio Kitahara and drums of Mitsaki Katayama – a perfectly-hinged trio who soar plenty on the record – more than enough to earn the "flight" in the title! This one's really a cut above – filled with wonderful energy, and never a dull moment throughout – a real gem that's waiting to be re-discovered by the 21st Century generation. Titles include "Unknown Point", "Arizona High Way", "It's Over", "Louis", and "First Flight". CD

Latimore's digging deeper, and sounding greater than ever – working at Muscle Shoals with some great Miami production from Steve Alaimo – and coming across with a sound that's even warmer and more sophisticated than before – yet still very true to its deep soul roots too! At a time when some of Latimore's contemporaries might have been heading for the disco, he keeps it real and focuses on the best mellow modes that always made him so great – particularly those which use keyboards next to his unique vocal approach. Heck, even the album's odd cover of "Tonight's The Night" sounds pretty darn great – although we're even more partial to the original tracks like "Out To Get Cha", "We Got To Hit It Off", and "Dig A Little Deeper" – as well as his sweet version of George Jackson's "Ain't Nothing Like A Sweet Woman's Love". CD

A title and cover that beautifully illustrate the sharp-edged power of the Thelonious Monk quartet on Columbia – and a wonderful place to start if you're just digging Thelonious' music! The record is similar to the best of Monk's Columbia sides – in that it revisits older tunes and themes from previous years, but in a way that's often much better than the original recordings – thanks to some incredible energy between group members Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums! Rouse's sharp horn is easily a real bnous here – as it dances beautifully with Monk's piano lines and creates a magical sense of juxtaposition and fluidity, but is still nicely earthy and soulful as well! Titles include "Criss Cross", "Think Of One", "Eronel", "Hackensack", "Rhythm-a-Ning", and "Crepuscule With Nellie". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not a "world" of piano, but a real classic from Phineas Newborn – a record that marks a harder, more soulful sound than some of his 50s work – shaking free from some of his flowery touches on the keys, and digging much deeper into the groove of his Memphis roots! The sound here is really tremendous – boldly leaping forth from the keys with a strength that's really surprising – but still sensitive enough to slide in a few more contemplative notes when the moment calls – sometimes while Newborn is still racing down the keys at breakneck speed! Rhythm on both sides is great – with Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones on side one, and Sam Jones and Louis Hayes on side two – and titles include "Cheryl", "Manteca", "Oleo", "Dahoud", "Cabu", and "For Carl". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". CD

Funky nuggets galore – and a fair bit of righteous numbers too – all brought together in celebration of one of the hippest record labels of the early 70s! Flying Dutchman was around for just a bit over five years – yet during that time, the label recorded all sorts of really wonderful music – a mixture of jazz, soul, funk, and other styles that really helped push the envelope at the time – as it took the torch from older labels like Impulse or Prestige, and really continued a big wave of new sounds and groovily experimental music! You'll no doubt recognize some of the cuts here – but the collection does a great job of digging deeper past the Flying Dutchman hits – bringing together some real surprises that showcase the way that the company was trying so many cool things at once, and creating music that's still the stuff of legends many years later. Titles include "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Peaceful Man" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Pretty Purdie, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Bolivia" by Gato Barbieri, "125th Street & 7th Ave" by Oliver Nelson, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Lament For John Coltrane (take 1)" by Bob Thiele. CD

Funky nuggets galore – and a fair bit of righteous numbers too – all brought together in celebration of one of the hippest record labels of the early 70s! Flying Dutchman was around for just a bit over five years – yet during that time, the label recorded all sorts of really wonderful music – a mixture of jazz, soul, funk, and other styles that really helped push the envelope at the time – as it took the torch from older labels like Impulse or Prestige, and really continued a big wave of new sounds and groovily experimental music! You'll no doubt recognize some of the cuts here – but the collection does a great job of digging deeper past the Flying Dutchman hits – bringing together some real surprises that showcase the way that the company was trying so many cool things at once, and creating music that's still the stuff of legends many years later. Titles include "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Peaceful Man" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Pretty Purdie, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Bolivia" by Gato Barbieri, "125th Street & 7th Ave" by Oliver Nelson, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Lament For John Coltrane (take 1)" by Bob Thiele. LP, Vinyl record album

A title and cover that beautifully illustrate the sharp-edged power of the Thelonious Monk quartet on Columbia – and a wonderful place to start if you're just digging Thelonious' music! The record is similar to the best of Monk's Columbia sides – in that it revisits older tunes and themes from previous years, but in a way that's often much better than the original recordings – thanks to some incredible energy between group members Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums! Rouse's sharp horn is easily a real bnous here – as it dances beautifully with Monk's piano lines and creates a magical sense of juxtaposition and fluidity, but is still nicely earthy and soulful as well! Titles include "Criss Cross", "Think Of One", "Eronel", "Hackensack", "Rhythm-a-Ning", and "Crepuscule With Nellie". This CD adds the bonus tracks "Coming On The Hudson","Tea For Two" and "Eronel". CD