Nothing mystifying here – as the album grabs us right from the get-go – with wonderful Fender Rhodes lines from leader Tom Grant, and plenty of soulful tenor from the great Joe Henderson! The album's an overlooked gem from Joe's late 70s years – and the the player is right at home next to Grant's keys – which are sometimes acoustic, and sometimes accompanied by a wordless, humming sort of vocal – which really gives the album some strongly soulful currents! The rest of the quartet features Rick Laird on bass and Ron Steen on drums – and the electric tunes are especially wonderful, and are almost an extension of the vibe of some of Joe's late Milestone albums. Titles include "Caribbean Firedance", "Gazelle", "No Me Esqueca", and "Peddie Has A Point". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet jazzy grooves from a variety of global points in the late 70s/early 80s scene – music that's often much cooler and more interesting than mainstream fusion or jazz funk of the time! The set features work by artists who've dug the 70s experiments on CTI Records, but soon move into territory that's all their own – sometimes bringing in more regional instrumentation, or inflections from an earlier non-fusion world of expression – which includes some great Latin, Brazilian, and Eastern European elements throughout the set! The collection is maybe even more compelling than the first volume in the series – and titles include "Pendulum" by Bobby Martinez, "Oto Przyczyna" by Krystyna Pronko, "Cactus" by Nivaldo Ornelas, "Mystified" by Tom Grant, "Brownstones" by Dana Kaproff, "Oamoreomar" by Carlos Mendes, and "Free" by Lerma De La Cruz. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes unreleased versions by Big Country, Elvis Costello, Dire Straits, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Eddy Grant, Nick Hayward, Rubert Hine, Howard Jones, Tom Robinson, and Pete Townshend. LP, Vinyl record album

Remixes by DJ Spinna, Nuspirit Helsinki, Spiritual South, Tom Middleton, Thievery Corporation, Grant Nelson, Telfon Tel Aviv, and more. CD

With Tony Rizzi on lead guitar and arrangements, Tim May on rhythm guitar, Grant Geissman on second guitar and solos, Bruce Lofgren on third guitar, Michael Rosati on fourth guitar, John Pereti on drums, Wiliam Von Ravensbeg on bass, Tom Ranier on Fender Rhodes, clavinette, and synthesizer, and Doublas Thompson on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

With Tony Rizzi, Tim May, Mike Rosati, Jimmy Wyble, and Grant Geissman on guitars, John Periett on drums, Tom Azarello on bass, Tom Ranier on piano, and Pete Christlieb on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet mix of Brazilian grooves and New York attitude – an overlooked session from the end of the 90s – recorded in the US by Brazilian saxman Leo Gandelman, with soulful help from a variety of American players – including Reuben Wilson on organ and both Charlie Hunter and Grant Green Jr on guitar! There's a rich sort of 70s vibe to the record – a tight, funky blend of jazzy riffing and Brazilian percussion, all put together at a level that almost reminds us of Kudu Records at its best – lean, soulful, and surprisingly focused throughout – a great step forward for Gandelman, and for percussionist Juliano Zanoni, who co-arranged the set with Leo, and also wrote most of the tunes. Supposedly, the record never saw the light of day when it was recorded – making this sweet Far Out package its first-ever release! Titles include "Safari", "Pau Grande", "April 7th", "Dance", "Prince Samba", "Groove In The Head", "Pirulito", and "Charlie 1". CD

A really great record from French rocker Johnny Hallyday – a great artist who's really letting his style open up here – recording in London, and using some modes that are a bit funky at times, and also touched with some elements that were coming out of the LA scene at the start of the 70s too! Arrangements are mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/Memphis sound, with lots of soulful piano, bubbling organ riffs, riffing guitar, and backings that are generally more in the soul/rock camp than in Hallyday's earlier pop rock style – all of which seems to really bring out some great qualities in Johnny's vocals too! Titles include "La Joi", "L'Autre Motif", "Flagrant Delit", "Fils De Personne", and "Fille De La Nuit". 2LP set features a full bonus record of unissued material from the original sessions – lots of alternate takes, and the unissued tunes "Waterloo" and "Reste". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from French rocker Johnny Hallyday – a great artist who's really letting his style open up here – recording in London, and using some modes that are a bit funky at times, and also touched with some elements that were coming out of the LA scene at the start of the 70s too! Arrangements are mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/Memphis sound, with lots of soulful piano, bubbling organ riffs, riffing guitar, and backings that are generally more in the soul/rock camp than in Hallyday's earlier pop rock style – all of which seems to really bring out some great qualities in Johnny's vocals too! Titles include "La Joi", "L'Autre Motif", "Flagrant Delit", "Fils De Personne", and "Fille De La Nuit". This totally cool package is filled with great material – a CD and LP version of the original album, then a bonus CD and LP that features a full bonus record of unissued material from the original sessions – lots of alternate takes, and the unissued tunes "Waterloo" and "Reste". Also features a 3rd CD, with a full Paris live show from September of 1971 – and a 4th CD that features another French live show from August of 1971. Also includes a DVD with an interview with Philippe Labro too. Plus, the whole thing comes in a heavy book-style package with a huge 48 page booklet of images and notes! LP, Vinyl record album

French rocker Johnny Hallyday hits the 70s, with a sound and style that's a bit funky, and a bit touched by some of the crossover American trends coming out of the LA rock scene. This one's arranged mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/Memphis sound, with lots of honky tonk piano, bubbling organ riffs, and backings that are generally more in the soul/rock camp than in Hallyday's earlier pop rock style. Titles include "La Joi", "L'Autre Motif", "Flagrant Delit", "Fils De Personne", and "Fille De La Nuit". CD

Seminal soulful bop! Horace Parlan's Blue Note sides remain some of the most collectible recordings in the label's discography, and this dynamite collection brings all of the pianists work as a leader into one place! This set includes all of the albums Movin' & Groovin', Us Three, Speakin' My Piece, Headin' South, On The Spur Of The Moment, Up & Down and Happy Frame Of Mind. Sidemen include Stanley and Tommy Turrentine, Booker Ervin, Grant Green, Johnny Coles, George Tucker, Ray Barretto and Al Harewood. There's a total of 52 tracks spread out over 5 discs, with titles that include "Up In Cynthia's Room", "Lady Bird", "Us Three", "Wadin'", "Return Engagement", "Headin' South", "Low Down", "Congalegre", "Borderline", "Rastus", "Speakin' My Piece", "On The Spur Of The Moment", "Skoo Chee", "Al's Tune", "The Book's Beat", "Fugee", "The Other Part Of Town", "Lonely One", "Home Is Africa", "A Tune For Richard", "Back From The Gig", "Dexi", "Kucheza Blues", and "Happy Frame Of Mind". CD

A wonderful package – four full albums by one of the most unique groups of their time! First up is These Things Too – the first Reprise album from Pearls Before Swine – a bit more straight ahead and folksy than their work for ESP – but in a really great way, one that lets you hear the best of Tom Rapp's amazing songs and vocals! The album follows in a tradition that includes Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, and Fred Neil – but it's also got a really unique style that's the unique province of Tom Rapp – the main force behind the group, and the voice on all of the tunes. Rapp's vision was quite unique for the time – not nearly as revolutionary or personally preoccupied – more sad at the fading world, and granted with a unique ability to paint any subject in shades of blue. Titles include "Wizard Of Is", "Frog In The Window", "Footnote", "Look Into Her Eyes", "These Things Too", and "Mon Amour". Use Of Ashes is an incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". Next is Beautiful Lies You Could Live In – one of the most perfectly formed albums ever recorded by Tom Rapp's enigmatic group Pearls Before Swine – a record that does an incredible job of skirting between Rapp's earthy sense of the planet's passing, and his ambitions for larger forums of expression. The core group is lightly folksy – with strong use of acoustic guitar that goes far beyond any folk rock cliches – plus some additional arrangements that feature contributions from the team of Bob Dorough and Stu Scharf, who seem to have a habit of appearing on under-discovered gems like this one, and making them sound all that more hip! The whole thing's great – filled with beautiful songs that should have been as over-recorded as the best by Tim Hardin or Leonard Cohen – with titles that are even better, too! Tracks include "Snow Queen", "A Life", "Butterflies", "Simple Things", "Freedom", "She's Gone", and "Island Lady". Last up is City Of Gold – a return to folksier forms for Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine – working here in territory that's very different than some of the baroque light arrangements used on previous records. Rapp's emerging as a more confident singer/songwriter – recording in an almost Dylan-like setting, but with more of the irony of Leonard Cohen, and as always, working in a timeless idiom that's still beginning to be understood more than 30 years after its inception. Beautiful work throughout – as earthy as it is majestic – and with titles that include "My Father", "The Man", "Once Upon A Time", "City Of Gold", "Nancy", and "Wedding". CD

It's Christmas once again – but thanks to this groovy little set, you'll be celebrating with music that's a nice change from previous years! The package does a great job of pulling together rare 50s cuts in a variety of styles – country, R&B, instrumental, and early rock and roll – a blend that works wonderfully as the set steps from one unusual tune to the next – making for a great change from the Frank Sinatra and Vince Guaraldi albums that usually get big play during the 12th month of the year! The set's got 30 tracks in all – and titles include "Snow Man Rock" by Big Bud, "Frosty The Snowman" by Porter Wagoner, "Who Said There Ain't No Santa Claus" by Ron Holden, "Christmas Dinner" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "Joy To The World" by The Louvin Brothers, "Swingin Christmas" by Earl Grant, "We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo" by Big John Greer, "Sleigh Bell Rock" by Chuck Blevins, "Santa's Helper" by Joe Poovey, "Jingle Bells" by Chet Atkins, "I'm Gonna Tell Santa Claus On You" by Faron Young, and "Mister Santa" by Dorothy Collins. CD

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! CD

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! LP, Vinyl record album

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! LP, Vinyl record album

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! CD

A rare funky treasure – lost live material from Grant Green's hippest years at Blue Note – recorded in the early 70s funky years, but unissued for decades! The set's an incredibly smoking one – with loads of long tracks that really stretch out in a hard-hitting, bottom-heavy funky mode – no surprise, considering that Idris Muhammad's on drums, as part of a lineup that also includes Ronnie Foster on organ, Houston Person on tenor, and the more obscure Clarence Thomas on soprano sax and tenor! The groove here is a bit more Prestige jazz funk than Blue Note – the kind of rough-edged and spontaneous vibe that Rusty Bryant, Leon Spencer, and others cooked up during the early 70s on some of their best classics for that label – but Green's a perfect person to catch the spirit of that wildfire, and jams long and nicely here on 8 tracks that include "Farid", "Jan Jan", "One More Chance", "Patches", "I Am Somebody", "More Today Than Yesterday", "Bottom Of The Barrel", and "Walk On By". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from guitarist Grant Green – a set that's every bit as great as his other Blue Note funk albums from the time – but in a very different way! First off, the group has vibes – played by the more obscure Willie Bivens, sometimes with this hard chromatic sound that's really wonderful – especially when combined by the organ work on the set by Ronnie Foster and Neal Creque – both very cool players with an unusual conception – which sends the whole thing off in very hip territory! The mighty Idris Muhammad plays drums – ensuring a very tight bottom – and the group also features Claude Bartee on tenor, who has a strong, soulful vibe. The set includes a fantastic live version of "Down Here On the Ground" – famously sampled by Tribe Called Quest – and other highlights include heavy funk takes on "Let The Music Take Your Mind" and "Sookie Sookie", and the Creque original "Time To Remember". CD

A really fantastic album from guitarist Grant Green – a set that's every bit as great as his other Blue Note funk albums from the time – but in a very different way! First off, the group has vibes – played by the more obscure Willie Bivens, sometimes with this hard chromatic sound that's really wonderful – especially when combined by the organ work on the set by Ronnie Foster and Neal Creque – both very cool players with an unusual conception – which sends the whole thing off in very hip territory! The mighty Idris Muhammad plays drums – ensuring a very tight bottom – and the group also features Claude Bartee on tenor, who has a strong, soulful vibe. The set includes a fantastic live version of "Down Here On the Ground" – famously sampled by Tribe Called Quest – and other highlights include heavy funk takes on "Let The Music Take Your Mind" and "Sookie Sookie", and the Creque original "Time To Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked late Blue Note album from Grant Green – quite different than his smaller combo work from the early years, and done with some great larger arrangements that feature some ultra-hip vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten! Wooten's as great here as on his famous work with the Ninteenth Whole, and his vibes bring a nice edge to the record – ringing out in bold chromatic tones behind Green's guitar – amidst some warm electric backings that feature keyboards from Emmanuel Riggins, drums from Idris Muhammad, and congas from Ray Armando. Wade Marcus helped a bit on the music, and there's some tracks that definitely show his sophisti-soul touches – and the whole thing's almost got a CTI-funk sort of feel overall – with a great undercurrent of soul, no matter what the choice of material. Titles include a very groovy version of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" – plus "Cantaloupe Woman", "Blues For Abraham", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Love On A Two Way Street", and "We've Only Just Begun". CD

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A wicked late Blue Note album from Grant Green – quite different than his smaller combo work from the early years, and done with some great larger arrangements that feature some ultra-hip vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten! Wooten's as great here as on his famous work with the Ninteenth Whole, and his vibes bring a nice edge to the record – ringing out in bold chromatic tones behind Green's guitar – amidst some warm electric backings that feature keyboards from Emmanuel Riggins, drums from Idris Muhammad, and congas from Ray Armando. Wade Marcus helped a bit on the music, and there's some tracks that definitely show his sophisti-soul touches – and the whole thing's almost got a CTI-funk sort of feel overall – with a great undercurrent of soul, no matter what the choice of material. Titles include a very groovy version of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" – plus "Cantaloupe Woman", "Blues For Abraham", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Love On A Two Way Street", and "We've Only Just Begun". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Light the Road", "The Immigrant", "I'll Go Blind", and "The I Ching Thing". Produced by Teo Macero – with lots of great horns! LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's every bit as cool as its cover – and one of the strongest Blue Note sessions from Hammond organ legend Big John Patton! The tracks are long, and have a great loping rhythm – a groove that Patton creates by using the bass pedals alongside the drums of Ben Dixon – a player who really helps John break past more familiar Hammond modes – and helps establish that unique sound that really made the organist one of the strongest 60s players on his instrument! The rest of the combo is fantastic too – with Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Richard Williams on trumpet – the last of whom is a real surprise, if you only know his work with Charles Mingus. The tracks are nice and long, and have a good balance between soulful roots and more modern intentions – on titles that include "Just 3/4", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "The Rock", and "Davene". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone! LP, Vinyl record album