The first-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a perfect bridge between the world of his writing and the years to come of musical transformations that would forever change the American scene! The set's not the warm, jazzy soul of some of Gil's later records – and instead, there's a really raw vibe, mostly with Gil speaking instead of singing – often with just heavy percussion at the core, and these really righteous words served out over the top! All the work is his own, and the album's a showcase for his brilliant protest poetry – the most famous example of which is included in "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", which leads off the album with an especially righteous groove! The set's a key link in the African American musical tradition of the 20th century – and proof that the underground, while not always afforded a good place in the broadcast markets of the US, could always burst forth in the "narrowcast" medium of recorded music. A landmark album – one we like even better than the early work by the Last Poets – and great all the way through! Tracks include "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "Whitey On The Moon", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?", "The Subject Was Faggots", and "Brother". LP, Vinyl record album

The first post-Tommy Boy De La Soul album – and it's a winner! We've been on board with De La throughout their long career – anyone with open ears must know that even their spottiest records (and this is NOT one of those) feature at least a handful of treasure tracks. Grind Date is easily the best later De La Soul album, and brevity is as key to the album as the group's proven longevity. 12 tracks, 49 minutes, no skits. Two songs in you'll find the stellar "Verbal Clap", one of J Dilla's finest productions ever, with precise on beat rhymes by De La. Other highlights include "He Comes" with Ghostface, a soulful track that would sound just as great on Ghost's Supreme Clientele. Is Grind Date the new sound for the mid 00s? Will it blaze trails and be co-opted by the next hot producers? Are the lyrics as solid as they could be? Probably not in each scenario, but that's not the point – these guys are consummate musicians, molding their rhyme schemes to the tracks with focus and precision. Most critics will say this is De La's best album since Stakes Is High. We'll say it's better! Featuring production by Dave West, J Dilla, Madlib and 9th Wonder – plus guest appearances by Yummy, Ghostface, Carl Thomas, MF Doom, Common and others. Other tracks include "The Future", "Much More" feat Yummy, "The Grind Date", "Shopping Bags", "Days Of Our Lives" with Common, "Come On Down", "Rock Co. Kane Flow" featuring MF Doom and more. CD

An incredible document of the growth of the European jazz scene in the postwar years – a set recorded in Berlin, but featuring a host of the best players from all over the continent! The mix of musicians here is wonderful – similar to some of the great boder-crossing experiments from Saba/MPS a few years later – but still wonderfully fresh in this setting – as modern jazz giants from the other side of the Atlantic come together with amazing clarity of sound – and a host of fresh ideas that really set them apart from their contemporaries in the US! The set features a driving take on "Haitian Fight Song" with Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Arne Domnerus on alto, Hans Koller on tenor, and both Martial Solal and Tete Montoliu on piano. Other numbers include a version of "Am I Blue" with vocals by Monica Zetterlund, "Blue Monk" by a Montoliu trio, "Hittin The Blues" with vibes by Fats Said and guitar from Franco Cerri, "Gone With The Wind" with Arne Domernus on alto and Ronnie Ross on baritone, "3 + 3" with Domerus and Ross – plus Koller on tenor and Cerri on guitar, and "Avertissez-Moi" by a larger group with Martial Solal on piano, Koller on tenor, Domerus on alto, Goykovich on trumpet, and Sadi on vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a perfect bridge between the world of his writing and the years to come of musical transformations that would forever change the American scene! The set's not the warm, jazzy soul of some of Gil's later records – and instead, there's a really raw vibe, mostly with Gil speaking instead of singing – often with just heavy percussion at the core, and these really righteous words served out over the top! All the work is his own, and the album's a showcase for his brilliant protest poetry – the most famous example of which is included in "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", which leads off the album with an especially righteous groove! The set's a key link in the African American musical tradition of the 20th century – and proof that the underground, while not always afforded a good place in the broadcast markets of the US, could always burst forth in the "narrowcast" medium of recorded music. A landmark album – one we like even better than the early work by the Last Poets – and great all the way through! Tracks include "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "Whitey On The Moon", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?", "The Subject Was Faggots", and "Brother". CD

One of the leading lights of the Munich club scene – the mighty Silver Convention, who topped the charts with a number of disco classics in the mid 70s! Silver Convention took the Philly female style of disco – popularized by First Choice, Three Degrees, and others – and pumped it up with the Munich sound of throbbing bass and repetitive beats, one of the first steps towards house music in the 80s. The set features 14 of the group's biggest tracks – as well as a few solo tunes by Penny McLean and Linda Thompson – with titles that include "Fly Robin Fly", "Get Up & Boogie", "Save Me", "Another Girl", "No No Joe", "I Like It", "Tiger Baby", "You've Got What It Takes", "Telegram", "Blame It On The Music", and "I'm Not A Slot Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

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Selections from the original series, movies, and later television series including Next Generation and Deep Space Nine – performed by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops, with an introduction narrated by Leonard Nimoy! CD

A 2CD collection of Cindelic Sounds – grooves from the Italian label that blending fresh and breezy sounds and inspirtation from the 60s to today – lively bits of bossa, lounge jazz, club funk & soul and DJ oriented atmospheres! Disc 1 features 20 tracks by Montefiori Cocktail, Allessandro Scala Quintet, Mop Mop, Daniele Baldelli, Calibro 35, Signor Wolf and many more. The second disc features more club oriented sounds, though with similar inspiration – and includes some sweet remixes. 34 tracks on 2CDs: "Funky Teacher" by Moplen, "Sun Is Shinin'" by Nylon, "Starz" by Altalena, "Capo Est" by Mop Mop, "Guilty's Trip" by Signor Wolf, "Into The Fire (Reworked By Allesandro Magnananini), "King Of Swing (Remixed By Doktor Zoil)" by Magnetic4, "Psykfunk" by Dario Piana, "Robotic Dub" by Fun Trio and much more. CD

Not really the house of ages – given that most of these cuts are so rare, they're only making their first appearance here – but a great little collection that reminds us that there's still so much to discover in the funky underground of the last few years of the 20th Century! Jeremy Newell really knocks it out of the park with this one – and comes up with a deep, soulful collection of house tracks from the farthest reaches of the scene – either work that only appeared on very obscure singles, or didn't even make it past tape back in the day – leaping forth here with a wickedly groovy sound that's more than worth the wait. Titles include "Take Me Higher" by Jimi Polo, "I Promise (more beats for passion mix)" by Mark Rogers, "Keep On Pressing (KOT orig mix)" by Sean Grant, "More I Get" by Teleport feat Russell Patterson, "Yo Razor" by Arts & Craft with Razor Cain, "Don't Run Away" by Soul Dhamma, "When I See You (tight voc)" by Frank Youngwerth with Ernie, "Freak It (Tony Humprhies inst mix)" by Johanna, "Mainline (Roger S Ego trip mix)" by Tribal House, "We Can Make It (unreleased dub)" by UBQ Project, and "Deeper (Benji Candelario's deeper than deep unreleased mix)" by Susan Clark. CD

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A really fantastic pairing of forces – as keyboard collector Matt Berry serves up a special set of instrumental tracks for the KPM sound library – many of which are done on the kinds of keys that KPM were recording back in the day! You might know Matt for his work on screen, but he's also a very devoted musician, with a rich legacy of projects – and although we love his vocals on his more pop-oriented records, this set lets his keyboard skills really come to the forefront! The set features Berry on electric pianos, guitars, bass, and other keyboards – assisted by the funky drums of Craig Blundell, on titles that include "Rising Bass", "Set The Scene", "Simple Basics", "Widescreen Features", "Too Many Hats", "Telescopic", and "Driving Seat". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold, bracing ensemble of improvising musicians from both sides of the Atlantic – and one that features some surprising electric elements too! The lineup includes trumpet from Nate Wooley, alto from Mette Rasmussen, and reeds from Ken Vandermark – balanced with core sounds from Elisabeth Harnik on piano, Steve Heather and Did Kern on drums, Joe Williamson on acoustic and electric bass, Jasper Stadhouders on electric bass and guitar, Terrie Hessels on guitar, and Dieb 13 on turntables and electronics – coming together in this great mix of sonic elements that's really fantastic throughout! The three long tracks were recorded live in performance – and have the Ken Vandermark standard of being dedicated to creative inspirations – Ikue Mori, Richard Serra, and Francis Picabia. Titles include "Telegram", "Foundry", and "Perpetual Desk". CD

A nice little package, one that brings together three American releases of music by London's legendary Georgie Fame! First up is the classic Yeh Yeh – a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie Fame's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "I Love The Life I Live", "Point Of No Return", "Preach & Teach", "Get On The Right Track Baby", and the hit "Yeh Yeh". Next is Get Away – a great little album from Georgie Fame – with a hard raw soul sound that shows what a big crossover potential he had with the UK soul market – so much so that this batch of material was issued in the US as well! The album's got some wonderful arrangements – quite raw, with some nice organ, and plenty of heavy vocals from Georgie in a strong blue eyed soul mode. Titles include "Sitting In The Park", "Get Away", "Sweet Thing", "Ride Your Pony", "The In Crowd", "Last Night", and "Music Talk". Hall Of Fame is a bit of a best-of – a record that features some singles, and some album tracks – the latter of which aren't included here, as they'd be duplicated. The remaining material is Fame at his raw early best – working in a great soulful style, with plenty of jazzy charms – on cuts that include "Outrage", "Lil Darlin", "Sunny", "In The Meantime", "Something", "Do Re Mi", and Fame's own "Like We Used To Be". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks, some live recordings – titles that include "Bend A Little", "Telegram", "It Ain't Right", "Don't Make Promises", "Many Happy Returns", "I'm In Love With You", "Shop Around", "Green Onions", and "Do The Dog". CD

Great work from Hiatus Kaiyote – one of those bands who seem to have found their own spot in music, and just keep digging in deeper – to a point where they've got a style and approach that's very much their own! There's a shimmering soulfulness to the album that's instantly captivating – grooves that are spare and striking, often produced with some nicely flanged-out edges – so that there's a slightly spacey vibe to the sound, but never in a way that makes things sleepy or laidback – thanks to the ever-present vocals of lead singer Nai! The production here seems even better than before – really making the whole thing rise up together, on titles that include "How To Meet Yourself", "Cinnamon Temple", "White Rabbit", "Everything's Beautiful", "Dimitri", "Make Friends", "Dreamboat", "Telescope", and "Longcat". CD

Great work from Hiatus Kaiyote – one of those bands who seem to have found their own spot in music, and just keep digging in deeper – to a point where they've got a style and approach that's very much their own! There's a shimmering soulfulness to the album that's instantly captivating – grooves that are spare and striking, often produced with some nicely flanged-out edges – so that there's a slightly spacey vibe to the sound, but never in a way that makes things sleepy or laidback – thanks to the ever-present vocals of lead singer Nai! The production here seems even better than before – really making the whole thing rise up together, on titles that include "How To Meet Yourself", "Cinnamon Temple", "White Rabbit", "Everything's Beautiful", "Dimitri", "Make Friends", "Dreamboat", "Telescope", and "Longcat". LP, Vinyl record album

Totally groovy work from French singer Gillian Hills – an artist who was initially best known for her work in film, thanks to movies like Beat Girl or Les Liaisons Dangereuses – but one who grew to become one of the cooler singers in Parisian pop during the 60s! Gillian's work here is a great bridge between two generations of chanteuses – a bit early in the "yeh yeh" years of French pop, but still done with all the grooves and jerky rhythms of that scene – but also maybe slightly more expressive at times, in a way that has Hills bringing her acting charisma to the music! Arrangements are often nicely jazzy, but in playful 60s ways – kind of the epitome of the bright, bubbly vibe of the French pop world of the period – and since most of Hills' work from the period was issued on 7" singles and EP releases, not full albums, the music here is a lot more obscure than that of contemporaries like Sylvie Vartan or Francoise Hardy. Titles include "Tut Tut Tut", "Cha Cha Stop", "Je Partirai", "Tu Mens", "Ma Premiere Cigarette", "Un Petit Baiser", "Ne T'En Fais Pas", "C'Est Le Garcon", "Rien N'Est Change", "Maintenant Il Telephone", "Les Jolis Coeurs", "Le Paradis Pour Toit", "Qui A Su", and "Oublie". CD

Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward – material that's a blend between cold wave grooves and more synth-based sound library material – usually instrumental, and with some dark currents on most tracks that really make for some striking sounds throughout! All the cuts here are from Rodion's archive, and even the later ones have an analog vibe that feels like lost cassette culture electronic nuggets from the early 80s – brought forth here with great treatment and detailed notes from Ace Records! The package features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Vine Iarna", "Tu Rea Ce Esti", "Halou Cosmic", "Aminitiri", "The Final Farewell", "Catacombe", "Acolo Unde E Mister", "Punct", "Balkan", "Stele Si Lumini", and "Intervale". CD

Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward – material that's a blend between cold wave grooves and more synth-based sound library material – usually instrumental, and with some dark currents on most tracks that really make for some striking sounds throughout! All the cuts here are from Rodion's archive, and even the later ones have an analog vibe that feels like lost cassette culture electronic nuggets from the early 80s – brought forth here with great treatment and detailed notes from Ace Records! The package features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Vine Iarna", "Tu Rea Ce Esti", "Halou Cosmic", "Aminitiri", "The Final Farewell", "Catacombe", "Acolo Unde E Mister", "Punct", "Balkan", "Stele Si Lumini", and "Intervale". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous collection of early work by The Spinners – their sublime second album for Motown, plus 13 additional bonus tracks, most of which appear here for the first time ever! The core of the set is the 2nd Time Around album – pre-Philly magic from The Spinners – a wonderful early album recorded for Motown – done with a heady Detroit sound that's quite different than their later work in the 70s! The album already has the group sounding amazing on the harmonic tip – definitely a cut above the groups that came before them – with that brilliant Spinners ability to harmonize heavily while still hitting a groove! Arrangements are by Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and David Van DePitte – all of whom keep things full, but never overblown – presenting music with a perfect polish for the group, but in quite different ways than the later Philly groove. Titles include the classic original version of "It's a Shame", plus "My Lady Love", "Souly Ghost", "Ooh Child", "In My Diary", "My Whole World Ended", "I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby", "Bad Bad Weather", and "Pay Them No Mind". But the bonus tracks are pretty amazing, too – really showcasing the group as they grew tremendously in a few short years – on gems that include "I Can't Let You Go", "Sunshine Train", "Mental Telepathy", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Why Don't You Try It", "Just A Little Part Of Your Life", "Sadder Words Were Never Spoken", "Don't Take Your Love Away I Can't Stand It", "Your Sweet Love Is All I Need", "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love", and "When It Starts To Rain It Pours". CD

Jimi Tenor is always a wonderfully collaborative artist – and depending on his partners on a project, he can effortlessly move between the worlds of funk, club, and spiritual jazz! Here, he works with Cold Diamond & Mink in this beautifully laidback take on soul – music that's got an easygoing vibe that recalls the pace of early 70s group harmony mellow soul – but which also gets some nice spacey touches around the edges, as you might expect from the title! The album moves effortlessly between vocal and instrumental passages – with sweet keyboards, tripped-out reeds, and slow-stepping rhythms – on titles that include "Gaia Sunset", "Orbiting Telesto", "Laputa", "What Are You Doing", and "Is There Love In Outer Space". CD

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

A wonderful selection of work from gospel's "golden age" – the formative late 40s and early 50s years, when the music was first making it onto records in ways that it previously hadn't. At the time, the King label was home to some of the freshest blues and R&B artists of the time, and their position in the market made them a perfect choice to record these gospel artists, especially the small vocal groups – who were styled in a similar fashion to the label's doo wop groups of the time. And in a way, the feel here is almost like doo wop – with mostly male groups, singing in a hard and raw style with a real focus on harmonies. Titles include "Toll The Bell" and "Live So God Can Use You" by Swan Silvertone Singers, "Who Is Your Friend" and "Where Shall I Go" by The Trumpeteers, "Jesus Is All The World To Me" and "Too Close To Heaven" by Cumberland River Singers, "It's A Highway To Heaven" and "Seek & Ye Shall Find" by The Nightingales, "The Atomic Telephone" and "Workin Till The Day Is Done" by The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet, and "In That Great Reunion" and "Going Back To Jesus" by The Four Internes. CD

The end of the 80s saw a huge new shift in music on the UK scene – a moment when indie rock and club music collided – and guitar-based work was back on the dancefloors in a really big way! Part of the shift came from years of UK interest in house, electro, and other American styles – which were often spun alongside post-punk and indie material in the same clubs (maybe most famously at the Hacienda in Manchester) – leading to a surprising blend of styles that breathed a lot of new life into the world of rock music as well! This set captures cuts from the key years of this moment – the post-1988 summer of love period through years when dance might take over more completely – a much-loved moment, filled with well-remembered cuts – presented here in a big box set that features many rare mixes from 12" singles as well. The box brings together 57 tracks in all, all with detailed notes on the music – and includes work from Primal Scream, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, 808 State, Inspiral Carpets, Future Sound Of London, Electronic, Candy Flip, Telescopes, Hollow Men, Spacemen 3, Spin, World Of Twist, Mock Turtles, Northside, The Moonflowers, Charlatans, Shamen, Blow Up, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, The Dylans, Saint Etienne, and others! CD

The great Jon Savage has turned us on to plenty of music over the years – and he's especially keen on the late 70s/early 80s stretch from the UK and European scenes, which feature heavily on this set! As the title implies, Savage is bringing in obscure tracks from the early days of electronic music – the kind of cool, unusual tracks that really helped set the groundwork for edm back in the day – cuts that often are in a weird space between disco, club, cold wave, and post-punk styles! The electronics here move nicely between analog and digital modes, and nearly every track in the set is a groover – with titles that include "Burning Car" by John Foxx, "La Secte De Marrakech Suite" by Cerrone, "Archeopter" by I Signori Della Galassia, "Gaz Nevada" by IC Love Affair, "Qondile" by African Dawn, "Moscow Diskow (ext 12" mix)" by Telex, "Automatic Lover" by Dee D Jackson, "Red Mask" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Sequence 1" by Pascal Comelade, "Beachy Head" by Throbbing Gristle, and "Monochrome Days" by Thomas Leer & Robert Rental. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. CD

A really cool set that documents the rise of the synthesizer in sound library music – not the weird, offbeat electronics that were getting recorded in the late 60s – but more tuneful, keyboard-based modes that really transformed the scene at the time, and helped change up the way sound library albums were produced! Shifts in technology often allowed just one artist to come up with a whole album of grooves – different than the past, when a full orchestra or small combo was needed – an approach that would soon transform the way that film scores were recorded as well! The package features some earlier 70s work that documents the initial moments of exploration, and is very heavy on late 70s/early 80s sounds – from labels that include Sylvester, Bruton, DeWolfe, and Chappell. Titles include "Coaster" by Simon Park, "Planned Production" by Warren Bennett, "Waterfall" by Chameleon, "Telecom" by James Asher, "Eagle" by Soul City Orchestra, "Astral Plan" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Infinity" by John Cameron, "Optics" by Unit 9, "Space Walk" by Rubba, "Leaving" by Sam Spence, "Northern Lights 1" by John Cameron, "Morning Dew" by Andy Grossart & Paul Williams, "Prospect" by Paul Hart, and "Tomorrow's Fashions" by Geoff Bastow. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great project from Erykah Badu – a set that's quite spare compared to the fuller sound and energy of her New Amerykah records – done in a bedroom studio in Dallas with producer Zach Witness! The music is lean and stripped-down – hip hop-influenced soul, but almost at a level that has Badu playing with more popular modes of the time – showing that she can do them better than most, but always with this sense of sophistication that draws on all the other sounds she's given us over the years! Badu released the set direct to digital as a mixtape, but it's a fantastic standalone album project on its own – with titles that include "U Use To Call Me", "Cel U Lar Device", "Hi", "Phone Down", "What's Yo Phone Number", "I'll Call U Back", and "Mr Telephone Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

A spare session, but never a sleepy one – given the inherent complexity in the music of both bassist Ron Carter and pianist Cedar Walton – and the way they can swing even in the most mellow moments! There's only a few of those on the record, though – as most of the tunes have an upbeat groove, even without any drums – with those masterfully carved lines from Carter's acoustic bass that were developed fully on his 70s years as a leader – alongside the ever-growing palette of sound that Walton's always able to pull from the familiar keys of an acoustic piano! The album's a masterpiece in subtle swing and spacing – and titles include "Little Waltz", "Heart & Soul", "Back To Bologna", "Beautiful Friendship", "Telephone", and "Django". CD

Tom Waits's follow-up to Rain Dogs – and a batch of songs that do double duty as a straight-up, stand alone record from his wild years at Island Records – and also as the musical accompaniment to a play he co-wrote with wife Kathleen Brennan! (As Chicagoans, we have a special fondness for that side of the project, since the play premiered here with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.) It's a prime batch of Waits songcraft from this most amazing creative peak period – with the trademark gritty, howled vocals, primal drums, pre-rock horns. Titles include "More Than Rain", "Way Down In The Hole", "Straight To The Top", "Telephone Call From Istanbul", "Train Song", "Cold Cold Ground", "I'll Be Gone", "Yesterday Is Here", "Blow Wind Blow", and "Hang On St Christopher". LP, Vinyl record album

The Naked Music crew are back with another installation in this very popular series! The set's a batch of "adventurous beats, lush electronics, and soulful mood music" – served up with the warm Naked Music glow, and a feel that's sort of in the Hed Kandi vein. Titles include "Hold You Close" by P'Taah, "Inside (Metro Area rmx)" by Central Living, "Man/Child" by Dave Warrin, "Thinking About You" by Weekender, "Falling" by Gaelle, "Essential Things" by Kimra, "Lectropic" by Andy Caldwell, "Light" by Bum Bum, and "Fall Into You" by Stateless. CD

A really cool set that documents the rise of the synthesizer in sound library music – not the weird, offbeat electronics that were getting recorded in the late 60s – but more tuneful, keyboard-based modes that really transformed the scene at the time, and helped change up the way sound library albums were produced! Shifts in technology often allowed just one artist to come up with a whole album of grooves – different than the past, when a full orchestra or small combo was needed – an approach that would soon transform the way that film scores were recorded as well! The package features some earlier 70s work that documents the initial moments of exploration, and is very heavy on late 70s/early 80s sounds – from labels that include Sylvester, Bruton, DeWolfe, and Chappell. Titles include "Coaster" by Simon Park, "Planned Production" by Warren Bennett, "Waterfall" by Chameleon, "Telecom" by James Asher, "Eagle" by Soul City Orchestra, "Astral Plan" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Infinity" by John Cameron, "Optics" by Unit 9, "Space Walk" by Rubba, "Leaving" by Sam Spence, "Northern Lights 1" by John Cameron, "Morning Dew" by Andy Grossart & Paul Williams, "Prospect" by Paul Hart, and "Tomorrow's Fashions" by Geoff Bastow. CD

An underground classic from the London scene – a record that was hugely important to us in the early days of Dusty Groove, and which is still completely tremendous all these many years later! At the time, the album was the sort of ambitious undertaking that nobody else would have done – pre-Cinematic Orchestra, pre-Nostalgia 77, pre-any of those other groups that were inspired by vintage soundtracks, David Axelrod, and all sorts of higher ideas in groovy music! Chris Bowden is a saxophonist at the core – and a jazz-based one too – but he works here with these incredible arrangements of his own creation, folding in both funky and fulfilling elements – heavy drums, percussion, and keyboards – but also some great string passages, and even surprisingly strong use of clarinet at times – creating these snakey elements that offset his own soulful lead. The album was a landmark at the time – even if it was missed by most of the planet – and it's still tremendously powerful throughout – with titles that include "Forbidden Fruit", "Natural Selection", "Deaf Out", "Telescopic Three", "Sane", "Angel Falls", "Solo", "Love Lies Bleeding", "Epsilon", and "Time Capsule". CD

A spare session, but never a sleepy one – given the inherent complexity in the music of both bassist Ron Carter and pianist Cedar Walton – and the way they can swing even in the most mellow moments! There's only a few of those on the record, though – as most of the tunes have an upbeat groove, even without any drums – with those masterfully carved lines from Carter's acoustic bass that were developed fully on his 70s years as a leader – alongside the ever-growing palette of sound that Walton's always able to pull from the familiar keys of an acoustic piano! The album's a masterpiece in subtle swing and spacing – and titles include "Little Waltz", "Heart & Soul", "Back To Bologna", "Beautiful Friendship", "Telephone", and "Django". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the biggest, best collection we've ever seen to feature the work of one of our favorite soundtrack composers of all time – a package that brings together most of his key albums, plus lots of additional side projects, jazz records, and lots of other surprises too! The format is great – a book-styled cover with a huge set of notes and images – 319 tracks, and over 18 hours of music within – all very much worth the price! And if you're fans as much as we are, you'll want to know what's inside, so here goes: CD1 and CD2 feature Schifrin-related Verve Records jazz tracks – work by Bob Brookmeyer, Stan Getz, Jimmy Smith, Cal Tjader, and others – plus Schifrin Verve jazz tracks too! CD3 and CD4 feature the Dizzy Gillespie albums Free Ride and Gillespiana, plus bonus tracks. CD5 features the albums Mission Impossible and More Mission Impossible. CD6 features the soundtracks Mannix and Murders Row. CD7 features the soundtracks for Bullitt and Cool Hand Luke. CD8 features the Verve albums Once A Thief and Schifrin/Sade. CD9 features the albums There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin On and Rock Requiem. CD10 features tracks from the Dirty Harry films – 25 titles from Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool – plus a bonus track. CD11 features a range of tracks for kung fu films – the whole Enter The Dragon soundtrack, plus more for Golden Needles, The Big Brawl, and the three Rush Hour films. CD12, 13, and 14 feature a range of other soundtrack tunes – from films that include The Fox, The Liquidator, Che, Coogan's Bluff, Pussycat Pussycat I Love You, Les Felins, Sol Madrid, Harry In Your Pocket, Telefon, THX 1138, Pretty Maids All In A Row, The Nude Bomb, Brubaker, Rollercoaster, Nunzio, Tango, and others. CD15 features highlights from Jazz Meets The Symphony. And CD16 features a range of covers and other versions of Schifrin tunes – by Hugo Montenegro, Portishead, Peggy Lee, Ray Davies & The Button Down Brass, The Ventures, Laurindo Almeida, Dennis Coffey, Scot Walker, Lou Rawls, Claude Nougaro, Wilton Felder, and others. Phew! CD

Features music by Royksopp, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Terri Walker, Dirty Vegas, Puretone, Soulsearcher, Telepopmusik, and Louie Vega, CD

Killer jazzy Brazilian grooves! It's common knowledge that Brazilian music has always found a wider audience in Europe than America (at least for most of the past 30 years) – and that a large number of European jazz and groove artists have created their own versions of the music, coming up with some killer hybrids of funk, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms. This excellent set brings together a dozen great cuts in that style – mostly from French, Italian, and German sources recorded during the 70s. The cuts are all super-rare (natch), and the selection of material is put together in a great way that keeps the whole thing very lively. Titles include "Ye Me Le" by Brazil Selection, "Kinky Peanuts" by Sesso Matto, "Bamba" by Dimenzio, "Vai Vai" by Jean Pierre Sabar, "Batucada Erotica" by Michel Colombier, "Senhor Piloto" by Tega & Ricardo, and "Casa Di Moda" by G & Moi Angeus. Also features one authentic Brazilian groover, the great cut "Agibore" by MPB4 – a killer funky number issued only on a 1973 promo LP by the Brazilian Ministry of Telecommunications for a European meeting! LP, Vinyl record album

A secret world of 60s pop – long-lost treasures from the Paris scene – home to some wonderfully groovy music from back in the day! The whole series is great – a much-needed look at the incredible work being done by 60s artists in the French scene – some of whom hit international fame, lots of others who were only the province of the lucky French listeners at the time. These guys know pop better than most – and the tunes are all wonderful vocal numbers with a really groovy sound – many in "jerk" or "psyche" modes, with loads of great instrumental touches! The production is wonderful too – very fresh compared to American hits of the time – and the wealth of original songs is wonderful too – a further discovery of music we never would have heard otherwise. Titles on this second volume include "D'Etre A Vous" by Marie Laforet, "Une Fleur Un Oiseau" by Boby Lapoint, "Le Jeu Du Telephone" by natacha Snitkine, "Une Chanson Pour Mon Amour" by Rika Zarai, "Un Trou Dans Ma Chaussure" by Gregory, "Ces Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher" by Eileen, "L'Antique" by Stone, "Psyche Rock" by Les Yper Sound, "Flower Power" by Alan Stivell, "Hey Mr Caution" by Eddy Constantine, "Bonjour Mon Amour" by Gilles Et Dominique, "Ne Me Marchez Pas Sur Les Pieds" by Michel Polnareff, and "Un Enfant Super 4" by Les Fizz. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from pianist Carla Bley – a musician who just keeps on blowing us away as the decades move on – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given how many years she's been making music! There's a really special quality to this record – a warmth and maybe just a slight touch of humor, but not in the overdone way of some of Carla's records from the 80s – much more subtle, and mixed with occasional currents of darkness – all handled with this understated sense of personality that perfectly showcases all three members of the group – Bley on piano, Steve Swallow on bass, and Andy Sheppard on tenor and soprano saxes. Swallow maybe sounds more wonderful here than we've heard in years – the record is a great reminder of how many great contributions he can make to music – and titles include the longer cycles of songs "Life Goes On", "Copycat", and "Beautiful Telephones (parts 1 to 3)". CD

A rare French session by bossa guitarist Luiz Bonfa – recorded in Paris at the height of his best early years! The album's got a feel that's really great – dreamy guitar over lightly dancing arrangements, in a mode that's slightly different than the usual Rio style of recording at the time. There's almost a watery feel to the music here, with a nice bit of echo in the background behind Bonfa's guitar – but a compressed approach upfront that has his magical work on the strings at center stage, supported by some occasional vocals from time to time, and a nice bit of flute as well. The CD also features 4 tracks from the EP En Direct Du Brasil – also recorded in Paris – and titles include "Lila", "Bonfa Nova", "Cantiga Da Vida", "Amor Por Amor", "Santeleco", "Balaio", "Sorrindo", "Bossa Em Re", "Voce Chegou", "Sincopado Triste", and "Mania De Maria". CD

An underground classic from the London scene – a record that was hugely important to us in the early days of Dusty Groove, and which is still completely tremendous all these many years later! At the time, the album was the sort of ambitious undertaking that nobody else would have done – pre-Cinematic Orchestra, pre-Nostalgia 77, pre-any of those other groups that were inspired by vintage soundtracks, David Axelrod, and all sorts of higher ideas in groovy music! Chris Bowden is a saxophonist at the core – and a jazz-based one too – but he works here with these incredible arrangements of his own creation, folding in both funky and fulfilling elements – heavy drums, percussion, and keyboards – but also some great string passages, and even surprisingly strong use of clarinet at times – creating these snakey elements that offset his own soulful lead. The album was a landmark at the time – even if it was missed by most of the planet – and it's still tremendously powerful throughout – with titles that include "Forbidden Fruit", "Natural Selection", "Deaf Out", "Telescopic Three", "Sane", "Angel Falls", "Solo", "Love Lies Bleeding", "Epsilon", and "Time Capsule". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". LP, Vinyl record album

Hypnotic sound library material from Italian composer Daniela Casa – some of her rarest work from the mid 70s – recorded in her home studio and never before released commercially! It's very compelling work, with a range of styles from minimalist soundtrack music, to fairly heavy psych, to sitar-driven strings, to airy flute pieces and beyond. It was recorded for use in radio, television and film, but it honestly works just as well as melodic, if experimental instrumentals that masterfully blends and straddles genres. Titles include "Ricerca Dela Materia", "Pericolo", "Dimensione Concreta", "Grosse Cilindrate", "Avventura", "Visione Surreale", Occultismo", "Fantasia", "Motocross", "Dimensione Astrata", Ugnoto", "Circo Del Bimbi", "Sovrapposizione Di Immagini" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the original Quatermass EP from The Heliocentrics – but material that takes off in an even fuller, heavier direction – and which may well be the funkiest sounds we've heard from these guys so far! The music is stunning right from the very first heavy bassline and sharp drum crackle – more focused, more full-on, and more funky than before – with this mindblowing mix of super-tight rhythms and nicely trippy work on keyboards and guitar – all freaky and fuzzy, but always with a sense of purpose, too – and never just crazy for the sake of crazy! These guys really hit a new high with this set – simply wonderful, and at a level that has us falling in love with them all over again. Titles include "The Pit", "Gas Bottle", "Discovery", "Phenomenon Of Man", "Telekinesis", "Night & Day", "Looking Back", "Mass Psychosis", and "The Final Conclusion". CD

A really joyous album from the Kenyan scene at the end of the 70s – a set that has cascading group vocals even more in the lead than percussion and guitar – yet all delivered with this light, compact style that gives the whole record a really fluid sense of energy! Both presentation and production are nicely lean for the time – especially given some of the modes that were coming into play in the West African scene – and the whole approach really makes the whole thing almost feel more like some sort of spontaneous musical collaboration than a record that was cut in the studio for EMI. Titles include "Mapenzi Tele", "Pole Na Safari", "Rosa Wa Tanzania", and "Caren Atieno". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she made over the years – her vocal range is stunning – and arrangements here are often by important forces from the Italian cinema scene – like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Augusto Martelli, and Bruno Canforna – all of whom give Mina these full, rich backings that really match the vivid quality of her voice! But there's also groovy elements at the core, too – styles that are similar to French or British female pop of the period – especially with some of the soul currents of the latter – but shaped differently, given both Mina's style, and the Italian language and the way it comes across in song. The package is long overdue – maybe the first-ever done for the international market on Mina's music – and as with all work on Ace, the presentation is great, with very detailed notes that will teach you plenty while you enjoy the songs – a lineup that includes "Se Telefonando", "E L'Umo Per Me", "Io Sono Quel Che Sono", "No", "Citta Vuota", "Tu Farai", "Beve Amore", "Addio", "Insensatez", "Se C'E Una Cosa Che Mi Fa Impazzire", "TA Ra Ta Ta", and "La Banda". CD

A seminal collection of work from the earliest years of the London punk scene in the 70s – material by a pre-Clash group that famously featured Joe Strummer, working at a level that definitely prefaces all the greatness to come! The style here is certainly in the gritty, short, heavy punch of early UK punk – but there's also a compelling strand that traces back to early rock and roll as well – bits of 50s and 60s influence working through the music, showing just how deep of roots Strummer and the Clash would later draw from. There's less reggae influence than later, but it's still somewhere there in the mix – especially on the live tracks – and titles are a mix of studio recordings plus live cuts – with titles that include "Letsgetabitarockin", "Surf City", "Silent Telephone", "Keys To Your Heart", "Hideaway", "Sweety Of The St Moritz", "Keep Taking The Tablets", "Lonely Mother's Son", and "Shake Your Hips". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal collection of work from the earliest years of the London punk scene in the 70s – material by a pre-Clash group that famously featured Joe Strummer, working at a level that definitely prefaces all the greatness to come! The style here is certainly in the gritty, short, heavy punch of early UK punk – but there's also a compelling strand that traces back to early rock and roll as well – bits of 50s and 60s influence working through the music, showing just how deep of roots Strummer and the Clash would later draw from. There's less reggae influence than later, but it's still somewhere there in the mix – especially on the live tracks – and titles are a mix of studio recordings plus live cuts – with titles that include "Letsgetabitarockin", "Surf City", "Silent Telephone", "Keys To Your Heart", "Hideaway", "Sweety Of The St Moritz", "Keep Taking The Tablets", "Lonely Mother's Son", and "Shake Your Hips". LP, Vinyl record album

George Clinton and the P-Funk army in all their 70s glory – presented here in a live performance that was originally done for radio in Detroit! There's not much in the way of notes or personnel listed for the set, but there's definitely some long jamming passages on the set, which are likely served up by some of the more important musicians in the group – mixed with vocal numbers that hone in strongly on classics that include "Flashlight", "Maggot Brain", "Cosmic Slop", "Funkentelechy", and "Mothership Connection". LP, Vinyl record album

Two amazing works from Belgian electronic genius Alain Pierre – both appearing in this form for the first time ever! Side one features 11 minutes of continuous music that Pierre created for the short film O Sidarta – music that mixes a range of electronics, keyboards, and acoustic percussion with studio effects and voice – all with a result that almost feels like some of the longer-form prog creations of the German scene of the time – although with qualities that are much more varied, less rock-based, and with occasional nods to the earlier generation of musique concrete! The flipside features the 17 minute "Notions De Physique Intererieure" – a work that uses a wide array of electric sources in a very short space – theremin, Arp sequencer, Telefunken echomixer, and more Arp, Kort, and Oberheim keyboards – all in this slow-building, wonderfully spacey sort of mode – almost hinting at some of the straighter fantasy soundtracks that Pierre would create in the mainstream – as the piece has the feel of a story in sound! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising hit for Diana Ross – a record that really helped the singer shine brightly in the 80s, but with a vibe that's quite different than her years at Motown! The album's got plenty of star power on board – production work from Arthur Baker, Richard Perry, Daryl Hall, Lionel Richie, and Bernard Edwards – and a musical lineup that features half those artistes, plus work from Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, and the Brecker Brothers too! Diana's vocals aren't as over the top as during the disco years – and find a nice place to percolate within the warmer 80s grooves – mostly rhythms that have a nice sort of crossover potential, but not in a way that's as clunky or commercial as some of her contemporaries. Titles include "Missing You", "It's Your Move", "Swept Away", "Telephone", "All Of You", "Touch By Touch", "Nobody Makes Me Crazy", and "Rescue Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice best-of collection of Gil Scott Heron's work on Arista Records – issued in the 80s, with Gil looking a bit odd in a "Members Only" kind of way on the cover! Still, the music is great – and titles include th the extra new track "Re-Ron", an electro track about Ronald Reagan – plus live version of "The Bottle", which is edited down from it's original long version, and the tracks "Winter In America", "Johannesburg", "Angel Dust", "Shut Em Down", "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman", and a short excerpt of "B-Movie" – plus the original "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". CD

A nice best-of collection of Gil Scott Heron's work on Arista Records – issued in the 80s, with Gil looking a bit odd in a "Members Only" kind of way on the cover! Still, the music is great – and titles include th the extra new track "Re-Ron", an electro track about Ronald Reagan – plus live version of "The Bottle", which is edited down from it's original long version, and the tracks "Winter In America", "Johannesburg", "Angel Dust", "Shut Em Down", "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman", and a short excerpt of "B-Movie" – plus the original "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy collection of work from the legendary Flying Dutchman years of Gil Scott-Heron – arguably some of the most hard-hitting music that Gil ever recorded! The tunes here are a mix of spoken word tracks, with rhythms – and other tunes that have a bit more of a song-based approach – the soulful use of jazz vocals that Scott-Heron would move into more strongly in his Arista years. Gil's work at this point in his career is dead on the money – totally righteous, filled with soul, and coming across with a power that still holds up beautifully these many decades later. Titles include "Whitey On The Moon", "Free Will", "Evolution", "The Vulture", "Small Talk At 125th & Lenox", "Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues", "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Enough", "No Knock", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul", and "Billy Green Is Dead". CD

Jimi Tenor is always a wonderfully collaborative artist – and depending on his partners on a project, he can effortlessly move between the worlds of funk, club, and spiritual jazz! Here, he works with Cold Diamond & Mink in this beautifully laidback take on soul – music that's got an easygoing vibe that recalls the pace of early 70s group harmony mellow soul – but which also gets some nice spacey touches around the edges, as you might expect from the title! The album moves effortlessly between vocal and instrumental passages – with sweet keyboards, tripped-out reeds, and slow-stepping rhythms – on titles that include "Gaia Sunset", "Orbiting Telesto", "Laputa", "What Are You Doing", and "Is There Love In Outer Space". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic follow-up to the legendary Home Schooled collection from Numero Group – and, like that one, a set that focuses on the surprisingly great genre of kid soul that flourished in the 70s – in the wake of bigger groups like the Jackson Five, Sylvers, and 5 Stairsteps! These groups are all from similar territory – mostly comprised of younger members, but who work with an undeniably great sound overall – grooves as sharp as most of their adult counterparts in the indie soul field – and maybe a lot more energy and enthusiasm in their music – which makes for tracks that are wonderfully upbeat, positive, and overflowing with goodness! Most of the work here is from the early 70s – and, as always with Numero, the set is presented in a very thoughtful manner – with some great notes and wonderful sound quality overall. There's a few of our favorite Chicago groups on here, mixed with loads of other artists we've never heard before – and titles include "Runnin Wild" by Scott Three, "You Got Me Believing" by Leonard Kaigler, "Guessing Games" by Jimi Hill, "I Want A Little Girl" by The Bennetts, "Everywhere You Go" by The Next Movement, "Because I Love You" by Brighter Side Of Darkness, "It's Time For Love" by Soul Emotions & Co, "The Other Guy" by Mighty Mustangs, "Love Got A Piece Of Your Mind" by Five Ounces Of Soul, "Funky Breakdown" by Little Man & The Inquires, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by The Brothers Rap, "I'm Free No Dope For Me" by The Dynamics, and "Girl Why Do You Want To Take My Heart" by Magical Connection. CD

A fantastic celebration of London's legendary Blitz nightclub – a key late 70s spot where punk, art, electronics, and all things groovy came together at once – early home to Boy George, Steve Strange, and other key figures that would shape UK music in the 80s – and a place where the music was maybe more interesting than anywhere else on the scene! The package is put together by the club's legendary DJ Rusty Egan, and is a wonderful blend of krautrock, jazz, glam, post-punk, nd other styles – with a really strong focus on darker-styled cuts, and the sort of work that was really bridging scenes at the time! The 7" book-styled package has a hefty amount of notes and rare photos – and features 66 tracks in all, with work by Mick Ronson, La Dusseldorf, Silicon Teens, Telex, Zaine Griff, The Regents, Throbbing Gristle, The Walker Brothers, Ultravox, Lulu, Wolfgang Reichmann, Eno Moebius Rodelius, Barry DeVorzon, Cowboys International, Iggy Pop, Magazine, Tubeway Army, Rinder & Lewis, Gina X Performance, Lou Reed, and many others. CD

John Savage offers us a mighty nice look at the years of post-disco, and post-post-punk – served up here in a great mix of music from a time when soulful styles were mixing it up with returning rock on the dancefloor! The work here is from a time when the UK scene was having big global impact with a new sort of sound – often with a fair dose of electric energy, sometimes darker and more industrialized, sometimes lighter and catchy – and a perfect fit for some of the street soul styles happing in the US as well! Most acts here are British, but there's a few key American groups two – blended together in the kind of cuts that made clubs like Danceteria or The Hacienda such a delight back in the day. As usual, the notes are superb – a special Savage touch – and titles include "Techno City (voc)" by Cybotron, "Telephone Operator" by Pete Shelly, "Soweto" by Malcolm McLaren, "All Tomorrow's Parties" by Japan, "Bright Lights" by The Special AKA, "What Presence" by Orange Juice, "No Sell Out" by Malcom X mixed by Keith LeBlanc, "I Want You" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Looking From A Hilltop" by Section 25, "Why" by Bronski Beat, "Sunspots" by Julian Cope, "Never Understand" by Jesus & Mary Chain, "Heat" by Soft Cell, "The Rock Steady Grew" by Rock Steady Crew, "Disappearing Act" by Shalamar, "Lined Up" by Shriekback, and "Life's A Scream" by A Certain Ratio. CD

A very weird little collection of psychedelic albums from the Latin American scene of the 60s and 70s – one that's got some highly usual music, put together in a format that's equally odd as well! There's a bit less of the "formal" approach here than on other compilations – and the tunes sort of slide into one another with a jaunty, playful quality – one that also comes from the slightly whimsical nature of some of the tunes. There's a bit less fuzz and freakout than on other Latin American psyche sets – and instead, there's almost a bit more folkloric elements mixed in alongside the bass, drums, and guitars – often used in very odd ways. Titles include "Vamos A La Cama" by La Familia Telerin, "El Stomp & Maria Es El Nombre" by Los Bates, "Pedro Y El Lobo" by Santiago Gomez Cou, "Altuntan Ripuncca" by Conjunto Condemayta, "Ronda Tropical" by Los Destellos, "Preparando El Marck 5" by Meteoro, and "Cuando Sea Grande" by Los Traviesos. CD

Psychedelia meets British pop – in a really special musical moment that's forever come to be known as shoegaze! The work here comes from a time when the UK scene was really moving past punk rock, and starting to let its guitarists open up in the kind of longer, fuzzy solos that were big in the late 60s – along with all the sort of heady production modes that made such music sound even better, but always with the kind of leaner, more focused lessons learned from the post-punk years! The result is a special sort of sound that can trip out as needed, but never get too overindulgent to lose the tune – the balance that first came to play on the early singles of Creation or 4AD, then found flower in so many other UK groups as the years went on. These glorious years are presented here in a big 5CD set – one that comes in a book-styled package with loads of notes on the music – alongside 87 tracks by artists who include Blow Up, The Honey Buzzards, Submarine, Bailter Space, The Curtain Society, Mercury Rev, An April March, Spacemen 3, The Hinnies, Spiritualized, Moose, Spitfire, Moonshake, Bark Psychosis, AR Kane, Jesus & Mary Chain, Lush, Ride, The Darkside, Velocity Girl, Bleach, Catehrine Wheel, See See Rider, Cranes, Chapterhouse, Telescopes, Sun Dial, Medicine, Sweet Jesus, Luna, Astrobrite, and many more! CD

The title says it all – as the CD features 24 classic group harmony tunes from those days when the doo wop sound was turning into soul! The track selection is great – especially as most of these tunes are ones that you'd only ever find on rare 45s, which is where it appears that most of the set was mastered from. Still, you can easily forgive the crackles on the tunes when you've got a great set of music like this. Titles include "Sad Avenue" by The Chancellors, "This Love Of Ours" by The Sunlovers, "Tillie" by The Earles, "Lost Legend" by Four Grand, "The Stars Will Remember" by The Idols, "The Guy" by Fannie & The Varcells, "Never" by The Dundees, "Judy" by Ronnie Love & The Group, "This Lovely Night" by The Alteers, "Present of Love" by Armonda & The Jays, "I Need You" by The Utmosts, "Telegram" by Carl Holmes & The Commanders, and "New York City" by Harvey & The Seven Sounds. CD

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic pairing of forces – as keyboard collector Matt Berry serves up a special set of instrumental tracks for the KPM sound library – many of which are done on the kinds of keys that KPM were recording back in the day! You might know Matt for his work on screen, but he's also a very devoted musician, with a rich legacy of projects – and although we love his vocals on his more pop-oriented records, this set lets his keyboard skills really come to the forefront! The set features Berry on electric pianos, guitars, bass, and other keyboards – assisted by the funky drums of Craig Blundell, on titles that include "Rising Bass", "Set The Scene", "Simple Basics", "Widescreen Features", "Too Many Hats", "Telescopic", and "Driving Seat". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". LP, Vinyl record album

Not everyone digs the later Captain and crew, but the early 80s efforts have finally gotten their just props after all these years – and we'll we'll come right out and say that this second to last album before Don Van Vliet hung up the music for painting has always sounded great to us! The Magic Band is incredible as always – with Jeff Morris Tepper, Drumbo French and Eric Drew Feldman's antics under the Captain's idiosyncratic vocalese. With "Hot Head", "Ashtray Heart", "A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond", "Run Paint Run Run", "Sue Egypt", "Brickbats", "Dirty Blue Gene", "Best Batch Yet", "Telephone", "Flavor Bud Living", "Sherriff Of Hong Kong" and "Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the leading lights of the Munich club scene – the mighty Silver Convention, who topped the charts with a number of disco classics in the mid 70s! Silver Convention took the Philly female style of disco – popularized by First Choice, Three Degrees, and others – and pumped it up with the Munich sound of throbbing bass and repetitive beats, one of the first steps towards house music in the 80s – although still very much in a disco vibe here! The CD features all sorts of key singles by the group – some of which never even got much play in the US – and in addition to the tracks "Get It Up", "Summernights, "There's Always Another Girl", and "Cafe Au Lait", the set features single edits of "Fly Robin Fly", "Tiger Baby", "San Francisco Hustle", "Save Me", "No No Joe", "I Like It", "Fancy Party", "Telegram", "Hot Shot", "Everybody's Talking Bout Love", "Dancing In The Aisles", and "Spend The Night With Me". CD

Tom Waits's follow-up to Rain Dogs – and a batch of songs that do double duty as a straight-up, stand alone record from his wild years at Island Records – and also as the musical accompaniment to a play he co-wrote with wife Kathleen Brennan! (As Chicagoans, we have a special fondness for that side of the project, since the play premiered here with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.) It's a prime batch of Waits songcraft from this most amazing creative peak period – with the trademark gritty, howled vocals, primal drums, pre-rock horns. Titles include "More Than Rain", "Way Down In The Hole", "Straight To The Top", "Telephone Call From Istanbul", "Train Song", "Cold Cold Ground", "I'll Be Gone", "Yesterday Is Here", "Blow Wind Blow", and "Hang On St Christopher". LP, Vinyl record album