Fantastic funky soul from a very mysterious figure – Georgia's Nathan Bartell, a singer with a deep soul style, and an under-exposed legacy that mostly involves a few indie label singles, and countless work in the smaller clubs of his state! The blend of music here is a bit different than most collections of this nature – as Nathan's work spans both the hard-hitting funky 45 world of the 70s, and the emerging groove styles of the 80s – which means that the record begins with the kind of funky material you'd guess from other southern singles of the time, then moves into midtempo modern soul that's more in the territory of Leon Ware! The mix of modes is a great testament to the under-recognized strengths of Bartell – an artist who kept on growing, even if the rest of the world wasn't paying attention at the time. Titles include "I Feel It Coming", "Top Going Down Bottom Going Up", "Moving On", "Some One Like You", "Ooh Baby I Love You", "Mystery Lady", "I Want Your Love", "See Me Cry", "If I Could Win Your Love", and "Jody & John". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Hilarious! This is the soundtrack to a goofy late 60s shocker film about the time when hippies and young folks would take over America. Les Baxter handled the musical score for the film, but the real treat is the schlocky rock tracks – written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with arrangements by Mike Curb in that fuzzy Tower/AIP mode! The lyrics are hysterical, but also oddly catchy, even though they're trying to make fun of 60s rock. Titles include "Psychedelic Senate", "Fourteen Or Fight", "Wild In The Streets", "Sally LeRoy", and "Free Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing debut of Be Bop Deluxe – a record that's made up of all sorts of familiar parts, yet somehow really manages to set itself apart as a whole! The young Bill Nelson is at the top of his game here – a hell of a guitarist, which we sometimes forget in his later work – and a vocalist with a sinister edge that gives the record a sense of darkness that matches the compressed production and overall moody vibe – a child of the Bowie/Bolan generation, but one that's a real black sheep of the family too! The strength of the record is impossible to sum up in easy words – but it's there for the hearing, right from the very first note – on titles that include "Jet Silver & The Dolls Of Venus", "Axe Victim", "Love Is Swift Arrows", "No Trains To Heaven", "Jets At Dawn", "Rocket Cathedrals", and "Third Floor Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever recorded by pianist Charles Bell – a fresh-voiced modernist who flourished briefly on the recording scene at the beginning of the 60s, when he recorded great records for Columbia and Atlantic, plus this little gem for the smaller Gateway label! The set's a live one, and has Bell playing in a style that's more open than some of his other records – still very much concerned with moods and colors, in an almost John Lewis-like way – but also playing some extremely inventive lines on the piano, and giving the record a keenly improvised quality. Titles include "Take Five", "Memories Of Home", "Whisper Not", "Work Song", "Prancing", and "Tommy's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A bittersweet set of vocals from Polly Bergen – recorded with a sound that really fits her sad-eyed look on the cover! Although Bergen's voice is sometimes confident and full, it's nicely restrained here – often somewhat dark-toned and moody – in ways that remind us of Morgana King, especially in the way that Polly holds back at just the right moments – keeping things mature by never getting too overly emotive. There's a nice sense of depth to the record that goes way beyond simple pop singing – and Luther Henderson's arrangements further help color the sound of the set – by giving it a sense of unity that almost reminds us of some of Sinatra's best blue-toned late 50s albums for Capitol. Titles include "By Myself", "When The Wind Was Green", "All Alone", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Too Late Now", "He Didn't Call", and "Not Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of those excellent King albums from James that features a wide range of tracks, done in a wide range of styles – including some wonderful obscure numbers that go way past the "hits" promised in the title. The groove runs from sad ballad soul to heavy instrumentals – and titles include "Messing with the Blues", "Fine Old Foxy Self", "Try Me", "Got To Cry", "I've Got To Change", "Strange Things Happen", "There Must Be A Reason", "I Want You So Bad", and "Why Do You Do Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album from singer Tedd Brown – who mixes in a blend of jazz, blues, and calypso styles to his music! LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual high-concept project from Dave Brubeck – with the man himself on piano, in a setting that features the Cinncinnatti Symphony conducted by Erich Kunzel, with voices too! LP, Vinyl record album

An Italian funk double-header – a sweet little set from the end of the 60s, and one that features killer cuts from both Sandro Brugnolini and Stefano Torossi! We love either artist on their other own records, but there also seems to be something about putting them together here that makes them even better than before – certainly funkier, as the album's full of the kind of sharp, hard-grooving titles that first made us fall in love with sound library records in the first place! The date of the album's 1969, and both musicians make nice use of psych elements in their instrumentation – adding a bit of fuzz, wah-wah, or trippy guitar in just the right spaces – never going over the top, or getting too indulgent – but just moving in a groove that's tightly jazz funky at the bottom, and maybe a bit freaky at the top. Wonderful work throughout – and titles include "Sweet Beat", "Repetition", "Starter", and "Makkaresh" by Stefano Torossi – and "Wawa", "Motuproprio", "Polyphony", and "Flyer" by Sandro Brugnolini. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing minimalism from the legendary Sandy Bull – an artist who might have had acoustic roots in folk music, but who was instantly turning his music into something else – drawing on modal styles of Eastern music, European generations of expression on guitar, jazz-based improvisation – and maybe even prefiguring work to come from composers like Terry Riley and La Monte Young! This album's one of Bull's first, and it's pure genius right from the start – with a side-long performance on the incredible "Blend", which features slight drums from jazz musician Billy Higgins – which Sandy extrapolates these long passages on acoustic guitar. Side two features the fantastic "Carmina Burana Fantasy" on banjo – a kind of trans-historical performance that's right up there with John Fahey's best of the decade – alongside equally mindblowing "Non Nobis Domine" and "Little Maggie" – and the closing electric guitar genius of "Gospel Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Very weird soundtrack to this spooky 70s film starring Peter Boyle! Bobby Scott did the score, and it's hipper than most of his other stuff – with a mixture of jazz, groovy, and straight orchestral scoring. Jerry Butler sings vocals on the tracks "Where Are You Going?" and "You Can Fly", which is a killer 11 minute workout with hard soulful drums, a tight driving groove, and lots of funky changes! Exuma sings on the cut "You Don't Know What's Going On", and other tunes include "Compton's Hangout", "The Expiration Of Frank", and "Send The Hippies To Hell". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful entry in the Jazz Workshop series on RCA – and proof that the line of releases was definitely worth the promise of its title! Billy Byers was a well-known mainstream arranger at the time of this set – but here, he steps out in territory that's a bit more modern than usual – some largeish groups that are still a bit short of being a full orchestra – working in modes that are filled with great tones and colors, a bit like some of Ralph Burns' best from the same time. Byers plays trombone on all numbers – with players who include Nick Travis on trumpet, Al Cohn and Phil Woods on clarinet and saxes, Joe Venuto on vibes, and Moe Welscher on celeste and piano – all in a mode that's definitely got that RCA modern mid 50s feel. The set includes the original titles "The Tickler", "Billy Bones", "Chinese Water Torture", "The Funky Music Box", and "Misty Osie" – as well as "Thou Swell" and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the cool, classy swing that Benny Carter hit in the 1960s – a groove that was more regularly brought to backings for standout singers of the time, but which also works beautifully here in an instrumental mode! Carter's alto sax is at the top of the charts, but the album's almost more of an ensemble effort overall – with great reed work from Bud Shank on alto, Teddy Edwards and Bill Perkins on tenor, Bill Hood on baritone sax, Don Abney on piano, Barney Kessell and Mundell Lowe on guitar – all coming together as kind of a mini-large ensemble – never that big in the number of players, but grooving with a great sense of poise, class, and soul. There's a number of originals written by Carter, including "Doozy", "Prohibido", "Come On Back", "Rock Bottom", "We Were In Love", and "Titmouse" CD

A wonderful chapter in the career of Ray Charles – and a key album in helping raise his respect level a notch or two in the early 60s! We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns handled the arrangements, and given that the record was issued by ABC a few years before they brought Ray into a country mode, it's interesting to think what might have happened had his career continued this way. There's only a small number of vocal tracks on the record, and most of the rest feature Ray at the organ, grooving away very nicely! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Moanin", "I've Got News For You", "Mister C", and "Stompin Room Only". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from percussionist Bobby Christian – a set that's a bit of jazz, and a bit of bachelor pad – the latter of which you might have guessed from the cover! LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Original Mono recording – from 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great record by this very overlooked singer – a real hip cat on the early 60s New York scene – very jazzy, and very groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant large ensemble work from Ornette Coleman – ambitious material recorded with full orchestra, in a haunting sound that's light years from any of his smaller group recordings of the 60s and 70s! There's an incredible feel to the strings used here – played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Measham – all tied up and dark, with swirling sounds that run up beautifully from the bottom, then take off to the skies promised in the title – opening the door for Ornette to come in and solo freely over the top – in a magical mix that easily makes the record a standout in his long and mighty career! Harmolodic theory is definitely a part of Coleman's conception here – but in very different ways than his quartet or quintet recordings. Tracks include "The Men Who Live In The White House", "Sunday In America", "Dreams", "Native Americans", "Silver Screen", and "The Artist In America". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare live material issued in the 70s – with 50s recordings from each of the three above artists! LP, Vinyl record album

A really great project from Tito Puente – maybe not his only collaboration with Celia Cruz, but maybe one of the best – a top-to-bottom album of unified vision, topped with sublime vocals from the legendary lady! The set was arranged and produced by Tito – and brings together tunes that are maybe a bit rootsier than some of his other work – that return to tradition that Puente was clamoring for as the 70s began, as a way of shaking off what he felt were the worse influences of the Latin Soul youngsters (not something we agree with ourselves!) The vibe of the album is quite different than its 1970 date – more like something from pre-Castro Havana at times, but with an updated, more sophisticated sense of arrangements and percussion. Titles include "Guiro 6/8", "Chango", "Alguien Vendra", "Cuyi", "Sahara", "Elegua", and "Salsa De Tomate". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a legend, and easily one of the heaviest records to hit the mainstream in the late 60s! The album's got a sinister quality that you can hear on the first few notes – a low-end, rumbling approach that brings in a lot more fuzzy bass than other groups of the time had ever thought to use – all topped with some of the most wickedly edgey guitar put on record to date, and undercut by drums that are almost verging on funk at times! Basslines set the tone for most of the tunes in the set – creating a bottom-heavy groove that would be copped many times in years to come, but which still sounds tremendously fresh here in the original. Titles include "Mandrake Root", "I'm So Glad", "One More Rainy Day", "Help", "Love Help Me", "And The Address", and "Hey Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

As the title indicates, the session features Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson – but the real guy we wanna thank here is arranger Russ Garcia! Unlike some of the other Verve "soloist with the Peterson Trio" albums of the 50s, this one is more of a shared effort that has Buddy and Oscar both acting as soloists over larger backings directed by Garcia. Russ takes a lot of cues from Ralph Burns on the session – and like Burns on earlier Verve recordings, he sets things up so that the orchestrations never overwhelm the players – and instead simply augment their moods and shade in the colors of the tunes. We especially like Peterson in this format – as he was so often recorded heavily in trio format – but DeFranco is great too, snaking out over the top of the strings with a lean and angular tone on clarinet. Titles include "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "I Got Rhythm", and "It Ain't Necessarily So". LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great later work from the legendary Desmond Dekker – a set that should have been a sloppy cash-in during the ska revival, but material that shows Desmond still very much at the top of his game! The production and backings show a bit of a late 70s British touch, but Dekker's vocals are still very much his own – and the tunes really faithfully stay in the groove that made him so great in the first place. Titles include "Israelites", "Lickin' Stick", "It Mek", "Please Don't Bend", "Many Rivers To Cross", "Hippo", "Juliet", "007", "Work It Out", "Problems", "Rude Boy Train", "Pickney Gal" and "Why Fight". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and playing piano, with backing that icnludes guitar, trumpet, and a bit of flute – all in a moody mode that really fits the style of the album's selection of songs. Titles include "This Is My Story", "I'm Through With Love", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", "Spring Is Here", "Heart Of Stone", and "For The Losers". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really "the best", but a pretty nice collection of Denny's early work for Liberty – with a groovy photo on the back that shows him working with the group in action, beating on a big conga, while the rest of the band plays exotic percussion! Titles include "The Enchanted Sea", "Ruby", "Bali Hai", "China Nights", "Moonlight & Shadows", "Ebb Tide", and "Harbor Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Billy goes for a hip 70s easy mode – a bit like Grady Tate, and made even better by sweet LA arrangements from Artie Butler. The titles have kind of a sophisticated soul groove to them, and Billy's definitely stretching his voice a bit to keep up with Artie's arrangements. Titles include "Feel The Warm", "Third Child", "Mixed Up Girl", "Something More", and a version of "We've Only Just Begun" that's got a surprisingly nice groove to it! LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful doo-wop material from this legendary Chicago group – one of the few truly great full length albums in a mostly singles-dominated genre! The title track is well known not only for the original, but for a later famous sample by De La Soul – and it's a great example of the kind of grooves on the set – rough-hewn and gritty, much more in the best stripped-down doo wop mode, before production started getting too sweet. Titles include "At My Front Door", "Annie's Answer", "My Loving Baby", "Now That You've Gone", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "I Began To Realize", and "There In the Night" – and as an added bonus, the record actually features 2 more cuts by The Magnificents, another great Chicago group – "Up On the Mountain" and "Caddy Bo". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

This album was recorded live in 1962 at the Second Fret club in Philadelphia. It's a nice set where he plays some Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Jimmie Rodgers tunes as well as some others. The recording is good – you can tell it was in an intimate setting – and his voice is strong and the guitar playing tight; he switches between a folksy sound and more of a blues mode. Tracks include "Cool Water", "Hobo's Lullaby", "Boll Weevil", "How Long Blues", "Mule Skinner Blues", and "Rock Island Line". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

No Reservations is quite an unusual little set for the time – as it's a bit looser and less structured than most other vocal dates – very much in the spirit of Faye's famous performances in clubs, with a gritty, personal approach to the music that's really great. The orchestrations are relatively loose – often holding back to let Faye lead the way on vocals and piano, as she steps up and moves back her level of energy in some very unusual interpretations of the tunes. 12 titles in all, including the striking original "You're Heavenly", plus "Mad About The Boy", "Drunk With Love", "The Man I Love", "Night & Day", "A Hundred Years From Today", and "Miss Otis Regrets". LP, Vinyl record album

Put aside your reservations about Maynard Ferguson, because this is a very hip little record – one of Maynard's excellent early sessions for Roulette Records, and like the rest, done with a group that's overflowing with top-shelf players! Ferguson's definitely got a great ear for putting together an ensemble – because players here include Don Ellis on trumpet, Slide Hampton and Don Sebesky on trombones, and Joe Zawinul on piano – all working strongly alongside some lesser-known talents who are equally great! And although the group is large, there's a definite modern edge to the set – strong writing, unusual timings, and some sharp-edged solos that really make some of the longer tracks bristle. Titles include versions of Benny Golson's "Starfire" and "Night Life", Marty Paich's "Lonely Time", and Slide Hampton's "The Mark Of Jazz" – plus "Oleo" and "Back In The Satellite Again", the latter of which was written by Willie Maiden, one of the tenor players on the date. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark LP by this famous Philly trio who forever went onto change the face of club music! The record is pre-disco, but has a great strident soul sound, augmented by tight Norman Harris arrangements. Features the famous title hit – "Armed & Extremely Dangerous" – a great one in the "crime" soul subgenre, plus "Smarty Pants", "Newsy Neighbors", and lots more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

These guys are definitely Latin Freaks – of the sort who like to mix heavy percussion with some clubbier instrumentation – all at a level that would make 70s salsa disco giants like Joe Bataan or Eddie Drennon mighty proud! This Italian group have a great way with the music, and have really crafted something wonderful and amazing – a full, rich sound that draws from the sharpness of salsa instrumentation, yet which has more focused grooves for the dancefloor – tight horns on top, nice percussion on the bottom, and sweet keyboards and basslines right down the middle! There's vocals on the set from a few female singers – and the great Joe Bataan joins the group on the title "Can't Help Foolin" – next to other cuts that include "Juanita Shing A Ling", "Divine Dance", "Boogie With Your Baby", "Little Black Woman", "Latin Freak", and "Tiene O Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best by Red Garland for Prestige – a totally cooking record that features some great added conga work from Ray Barretto! Ray's presence really helps the record live up to its Latin-styled title – and Garland's usual trio with Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums seems to get a whole new life from the added percussion – really stepping things up with a bit more of a groove than usual! The title cut – "Manteca" – is an 8 minute jam that's gone onto become a real jazz dance classic – and other tracks include "Exactly Like You", "S'Wonderful", and "Mort's Report". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly groovy album from Jackie Gleason from the mid 60 – with a sound that's a lot hipper than you'd expect from the "brass" in the title! Jackie's working here with an electric bass at the bottom of the band – providing a nice bouncing rhythm that makes the tunes dance nicely, stepping out in a 60s easy mode that has a lilt at the bottom that makes for a lot more play at the top. 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "The Art Of Love", "My Love For Carmen", "A Taste Of Honey", "Mame", "La Terre", "Call Me", "Love Is Here to Stay", "It All Depends On You" and a great version of Galt MacDermot's "African Waltz"! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Johnny Griffin's hard blowing LPs as a leader for Jazzland – recorded with a crack lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! This is the kind of work that the term "hard bop" was coined for – sharp-edged jazz at its best – informed strongly by earlier bop and modern modes, but also played with a deeper dose of soul overall. The six players come together perfectly throughout – working with a tightness that matches most Blue Note work of the time – and titles are a great set of tracks that includes 3 by Chicago pianist Norman Simmons, and 1 by the great Babs Gonzales. Tunes include "Olive Refractions", "The Message", "Lonely One", "Playmates", and "63rd Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

The beautiful first solo album by Lani Hall – recorded after years of work with Sergio Mendes in the Brasil 66 group – and done in a style that certainly reflects her great vocals with that ensemble, yet which also expands her sound tremendously! The set was arranged and produced by Herb Alpert in a spare, almost folksy style that still has some sweet LA touches – and the album's worth it alone for the leadoff cut – a version of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song", done in a gently grooving mode that's got a real folk-funk feel! The set's also got a great version of "We Could Be Flying" – and other tracks include "Ocean Song", "Vincent", "Come Down In Time", and "You". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from the great Lionel Hampton – the first issued on his own small indie label! The group here is that hip 50s ensemble that had Hamp really evolving past his roots, and allowing lots of room for up-and coming younger players – including Harold Mabern on piano, Calvin Newborn on guitar, Virgil Jones on trumpet, and Eddie Pazant on sax! Also features some guest work from King Curtis on tenor and Tommy Flanagan on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album – and for good reason too – a set that's as mysterious as it is funky, and a record that's stayed at the top of our crates for years! The album features a really unusual collective of musicians, pulled together under the guidance of producer Paul Winley – a group that features George Benson on guitar, Dave Baby Cortez on organ, Willis Jackson on tenor sax, and Earl Williams on some massively funky drums! The music's a mix of funky jazz and gritty soul – put together with some really weird studio touches – including an uncredited male voice that comes in and out of the tracks, bad-rapping along with some very hip commentary. Ann Winley sings the female vocals on the set – often egged on by the dude – but the real charm of the record lies at the bottom – the wicked drums, funky basslines, and choppy instrumental bits that have gotten the set sampled plenty over the years. Titles include the classic "Smokin Cheeba Cheeba" alone, the groovy "Finger In It", a great breakbeat version of "Ain't No Sunshine" with a tenor solo by Willis Jackson, and the slow bluesy talking cut "Fed Up", a baaaad rap about a couple splitting up – done here in both vocal and instrumental versions. CD

Massive later music from Coleman Hawkins – a date that might be easy to overlook, given the unassuming package – but one that really features that newfound mix of modernism and soul that graced the later years of Hawk! The setting is a bit unusual, but that's part of the charm – as Hawkins' tenor comes into play with the trumpet of Thad Jones, piano and vibes of Eddie Costa, bass of George Duvivier, and drums of Osie Johnson – a group who are mostly easygoing, and really let Coleman take the lead – although Jones gets in a few great moments too! Titles include "Cloudy", "Almost Dawn", "Stake Out", "Cross Town", and "Shadows". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic 60s albums from pianist Andrew Hill – back to back in a single set! First up is Point Of Departure – mindblowing work from pianist Andrew Hill – one of the key records during that short initial run when Blue Note was really giving him a special showcase for his talents – and when the label was dabbling in more avant jazz as part of the "new thing" moment on the scene! The group here is really the stuff of legends – as the set features a very late performance from Eric Dolphy on alto, plus Joe Henderson on tenor, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all players at the prime of their young talents, soaring to the skies under the leadership of Hill – skittishly working their way into territory that's never truly free, but wonderfully expressive and exploratory – a clear summation of the sense of "modern" in modern jazz! All tracks are originals by the pianist, too – and titles include "New Monastery", "Flight 19", "Spectrum", "Dedication", and "Refuge". Compulsion is one of the most dynamic albums that Andrew Hill ever cut for Blue Note – a record of long tracks, played by a largeish group who seem perfectly suited to Hill's most creative musical ideas! There's an approach here that almost predates some of the more righteous soul jazz ensemble sides of the 70s – as Hill's piano leads a octet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor and bass clarinet, Cecil McBee and Richard Davis on basses, Joe Chambers on drums, and Nedi Quamar and Renaud Simmons on percussion. The percussionists roll out with quite a bit of presence in the set – not so much as on some of the Art Blakey percussion sides for Blue Note, but more with a pronounced sense of "bottom" that you might not always hear from Hill – an earthy, sometimes organic way of riffing that then allows freer solo work from the horns and piano on the top! Titles include "Compulsion", "Legacy", "Premonition", and "Limbo". CD

A really great beat group record from the 60s Italian scene – served up by a quartet who've definitely learned a sense of harmony from The Beatles! LP, Vinyl record album

A great second album from In The Tradition – a wicked combo from contemporary Detroit, and one who play with some incredibly righteous styles! The group's got some great percussion at the bottom – djimbe and conga from Kefentse Chike – and some tight horns on the top – a mix of reeds from songwriter Olujimi Tafatoana, plus trumpet and trombone – all given energy by piano from a few different players, and a bit of guitar as well. The set features a version of Horace Silver's "Mother Nature", but most other cuts are originals – one with a bit of vocals, the rest instrumental – on titles that include "Libation/For Nkrumah", "Blessed Blackness", "It's A Black Thang", "Children Of The Sun", and "In The Tradition". CD

Incognito never lets us down – and records like this keep us listening strongly year after year! The set's got all the core brilliance of Incognito at their best – a really classic approach to jazzy soul, served up with top shelf instrumentation by the group – and sent home strongly by a range of singers who include Vanessa Haynes, Tony Momrelle, Chiara Hunter, Imani, Deborah Bond, and the great Carleen Anderson! Nobody can do it as well as these guys – tight, but never uptight – smooth, but never sleepy – really right on the money from the production on down to the bottom – the kind of careful, classy soul that almost makes Incognito a genre unto themselves. Titles include "Wind Sorceress", "Rapture", "Hands Up If You Wanna Be Loved", "Hats", "I Couldn't Love You More", "Something Bout July", and "Silver Shadow". Japanese CD features the bonus track "Part Of The Plan". CD

A killer funky group from early 70s Japan – a slightly large ensemble, but one with some really heavy drums at the bottom – plus some great use of organ and electric guitar! There's a tight brace of horns at the top – flute, tenor, trumpets, and trombone – but the rhythms are what really drive the record, and give the whole thing a sometimes-funky, always-groovy quality that never lets up! The mode is almost soundtrack funk at times – jazz, but filled with some rich colors and expansive tones too – and there's a sophistication here that really rewards repeated listenings, but never gets in the way of the groovier moments too. Titles include "Theme Mustache", "Tak's Tune", "Joint", "Monster", "Lullaby For Yuh", and "Scotland Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer Latin jazz set! Players include Al Grey on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, Bobby Platter on sax and flute, Rufus Jones on drums, Noahwell Cruz on piano, and Isauro on congas. Ricardo Reyes sings on a few tracks, but the best numbers are jazzy instrumentals! Titles include "Miami Latin Beat", "Manteca", "Makin Whoopee", and "Girl From Ipanema". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from the 60s years of tenorist Willis Jackson – a time when the older R&B player was really rising to the top – thanks to the sort of smoking soul jazz setting that a record like this could provide! The whole thing's great – very much in the Groove Holmes or Jack McDuff vibe of the time – familiar tunes taken in all sorts of new, groovy directions – with help from the young Pat Azzarra on guitar and Carl Wilson on Hammond – plus trumpet from the lesser-known Joseph Hadrick! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Tangerine", "Ebb Tide", "Blue Gator", and "Secret Love". LP, Vinyl record album

With Charlie Parker and Willie Smith on alto; Charlie Ventura and Lester Young on tenor; Al Killian, Dizzy Gillespie, and Howard McGhee on trumpet; Arnold Ross and Mel Powell on piano, Billy Hadnott on bass, and Lee Young on drum. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Early Detroit soul – the second LP by the great Marv Johnson, one of the first talents to be supervised by a young Berry Gordy! In fact, it could be said that everything Berry put into his work with Marv led to the formation of Motown – as Marv's mixture of smooth vocals and swinging soul really prefaces a lot of the work to come out of the motor city during the 60s, no surprise, since he's got some of the Motown crew writing songs for him! Includes "Baby Baby", "River Of Tears", "This Heart Of Mine", "Ain't Gonna Be That Way", "I Love The Way You Love", "When You've Lost Your Love", "Easier Said (Than Done)", 'All The Love I've Got" and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Henri Rene and his orchestra accompany Eartha on this record named after her 1956 autobiography. There is an tiny excerpt from her book on the back cover but the songs don't seem to necessarily reflect her life story. It's a nice collection of some relatively tame tunes in that throaty Earth Kitt style. Titles include "Oggere," "Jonny," "Lazy Afternoon," "Lisbon Antigua," "Mademoiselle Kitt" and "Just An Old Fashioned Girl." LP, Vinyl record album