A Chicago group who never hit the big time during their short run at the start of the 80s – but one who definitely know how to groove! There's a vibe here that really lives up to the "togetherness" in the group's name – a way of coming together with a tight, sharp sound throughout – but one that's never too slick, just surprisingly strong for such an underground funk group from the Windy City! And although the music is upbeat, the style is less disco than it is the kind of faster funk that percolated strongly in the underground scene in the pre-house years – almost more akin to some of the best indie club work coming out of the east coast, but with a very unique vibe too. As usual with Numero, the set does way more than just bring this lost music to light – it also tells the tale of the Universal Togetherness Band, and their never-flagging sense of energy and inspiration during their short but important run. Titles include "Ain't Gonna Cry", "Try Try Try", "My Sentiment", "Real Thrill", "Once In A Lifetime", "Call For Love", "I Want You", and "Taken By Love". CD

One of THE indie soul treasures of the 70s – a wickedly funky record that blends together jazz, soul, and club – and which stands out with a sound that's all its own! You may well know the tag "moods and grooves" – as the record's had an influence on countless scenes, and has been referenced by many artists over the years. But nothing beats this original set, a sublime batch of electric grooves performed by a core combo of electric keys, bass, and congas – augmented by sweetened strings and some occasional chorus vocals – bad-stepping around the grooves in a mostly-instrumental mode that rivals (if not betters) some of the best funky soundtrack work of the decade! Titles include "Time", "Chicago Calypso", "Funky Music", "Flute Salad", and "Gotta Get-A-Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful live performance from the same trio that delivered the Third World Underground album for Trio Records in 1972 – a set done with a similar mix of earthy, global elements as that gem – delivered by Carlos Ward on alto and flute, Dollar Brand on piano and flute, and Don Cherry on flute, trumpet, and percussion! There's a style here that's almost an extension of the energy of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – especially in the way the musicians mix up instruments – combined with some of the more globally-sensitive elements of Don Cherry's work in Sweden, which clearly brings out qualities in Brand and Ward that are different than their already-great work together on other albums. Titles include "African Session", "Air", "Berimbau", "Waya Wa Egoli", "Cherry", and "Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro". CD

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook". LP, Vinyl record album

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Wild work from one of the more compelling artists of the Cali soul scene – an Oakland singer/keyboardist who issued a rare album under the name of TJ Hustler in 1979, then kept on making his own sounds away from the mainstream! The vibe here is very very 80s underground – lots of Casio-styled keyboards, used with spare drum programs – and topped with lyrics that are quite far from any mainstream understanding of soul – clearly marking Preacherman as his own sort of singer right from the start. The collection is a perfect fit for the Luaka Bop style of finding truly unique artists and giving them the spotlight they deserve – and titles include "Feel It", "Out Of This World", "Tell Me Why", "That's Good", "Age Of Individualism", and the 18 minute long "Up & Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Vitous on bass, Jan Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax, Chick Corea on piano, John McLaughlin on guitar, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. CD

A sweet sweet set of electric 70s funk – recorded by Booker T during a brief, but well-needed reunion with the MGs! The sound here is quite different than Stax-era MGs – as Booker plays a range of keyboards, not just organ – and the grooves have these great jazz funk touches at the bottom – almost a CTI vibe at times, but packed with the tighter energy you'd expect from the group! Steve Cropper's guitar is great – super-fine, and razor-sharp – really helping cut a nice edge on the cuts – over bass from Donald Duck Dunn and drums from Willie Hall, who's the only new member of the group. In a way, the album feels like mid 70s efforts from Johnny Hammond or Jimmy Smith – sweetly soaring on a let-loose 70s vibe. Titles include the funky break track "Grab Bag", plus "Sticky Stuff", "Moto Cross", "Tie Stick", and "Space Nuts". CD

Jazztronik are sounding really wonderful here – maybe even with more jazz than in the early days, thanks to the increasing piano and keyboard skills of leader Ryota Nozaki! In fact, even the structure of the record is more jazz-based than before – really just a trio lineup, with bass and drums next to Nozaki's keys – at a level that's like some of the more dynamic Japanese trios of the younger generation, but with all the depth that Ryota's been bringing to his music since the 90s – a quality that really sets this one apart from more facile records of the same nature. And if you still dig the groove side of Jazztronik, you'll find plenty to love here – just delivered with more live instrumentation and less samples and programs – on cuts that include "1976", "Don't Miss That Rain", "The Hare & The Tortoise", "Move", "In The Forest", and "Evening Shower". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and London – and as with every one of his different projects, Makaya seems to bring a different voice to each live track here – recording with Brandee Younger on harp and Joel Ross on vibes in New York, Shabaka Hutchings on tenor in Chicago; Nubya Garcia on tenor and Ashley Henry on Rhodes in London; and Josh Johnson on alto, Jeff Parker on guitar, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on violin in LA! The rhythms are as amazing as the contributions from the different soloists – and the sound of the record is maybe something we'd call post-spiritual – moving past that Coltrane-inspired mode that's been revived so well in the 21st Century, while still holding onto its best sense of energy. The whole thing is fantastic – and titles include "The Count Off", "Brighter Days Beginning", "Universal Beings", "Mantra", "Young Genius", "Holy Lands", "Wise Man Wiser Woman", "Prosperity's Fear", "Atlantic Black", "Flipped Out", "Voila", and "Suite Hans". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great idea for a record – and one that echoes the same "E & F" mode that Makaya McCraven brought to his previous album! The approach here is as unique as the drummer himself – in that McCraven went back to the sessions for the core album, and pulled out material that's recast into a completely different record altogether – not a remix project, or a batch of alternate takes – but new music from the ground up, as Makaya continues his groundbreaking style of using live jazz performance as the basis for a record that's eventually cut-up and reassembled! Performances were recorded in Chicago, Cali, Brooklyn, and London – with players who include Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Dezron Douglas on bass, Ashley Henry on Fender Rhodes, Nubya Garcia on tenor, Jeff Parker on guitar, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin, Carlos Nino on percussion, Junius Paul on bass, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Shabaka Hutchings on tenor – an amazing lineup that gets plenty of space to shine in the hands of Makaya. Titles include "Everybody Coo", "Mak Attack", "The Hunt", "Beat Science", "Kings & Queens", "Traveling Space", "Butterss Fly", "Universal Beings Part 2", "Her Name", "Half Steppin", and "The Way Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Alice Coltrane's most adventurous albums – a beautiful blend of organ, harp, percussion, and strings – much of which are transcribed for the album by Ornette Coleman! The most haunting aspect of the album is Alice's work on organ – spare, jagged, with a nascent soulful quality that's quite different from her piano work on other Impulse albums. The strings provide a sheet of sound – a shimmering backdrop to support Alice's work on the keys – moving forward tentatively, but growing in energy as the album progresses through a host of Eastern spiritual influences. Alice is way past jazz at this point – moving towards the new level of consciousness hinted at in the title, growing majestically on tracks that include "Oh Allah", "Sita Ram", "Hare Krishna", "Universal Consciousness", and "The Ankh of Amen-Ra". CD

A stone classic from Cannonball Adderley – and a pivotal set that has him continuing the live recording setting of some of his best 60s albums, while also stretching forward to some of the more inventive ideas of the latter part of the decade! David Axelrod produced, and the album's definitely got his ear firmly in place – a great way of bringing together the album's hip instrumentation – Cannon's alto, Nat Adderley's cornet, and the wicked electric piano of Joe Zawinul – played here in a style that would go onto have a huge influence on countless other musicians on the instrument. Rhythm is by Victor Gaskin on bass and Roy McCurdy on drums – and as with other Axelrod live albums, there's some great spoken bits left in the mix – Cannon's charming conversation with the audience, which really opens up the tunes. Titles include the 2 title hits – "Walk Tall" and "74 Miles Away" – plus "I Remember Bird", "Oh Babe", and "Do Do Do". CD

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima". CD

Cannonball Adderley with David Axelrod production – a combination that couldn't miss back in the 60s! In keeping with the success of the Mercy Mercy Mercy album done with Axelrod, Capitol did everything they could to catch Cannonball in a live setting – a great move, given the open, soulful energy his group had in the format – crowd-pleasing, but always plenty darn creative too! Added to the mix here is some nice production by David Axelrod, capturing all the right moments in all the right ways – especially when Joe Zawinul steps up to take some sweet solos on the keys – and the great Charles Lloyd serves up some mighty nice work on flute and tenor sax. Other players include Nat Adderley on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include "The Song My Lady Sings", "Little Boy With The Sad Eyes", "Work Song", and "Sweet Georgia Bright". CD

Rare concert work by Cannonball Adderley – recorded live in Europe in the early 60s, only ever issued there until a much later release in the US, but every bit as essential as any of the Adderley live combo albums from the early 60s – including their classics at the Lighthouse and in San Francisco! The group here is every bit as wonderful as the combos on those sets – a young Yusef Lateef on reeds, really hitting his stride in the mix of soulful and exotic grooves in the set – working with Nat Adderley on cornet, Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. The tunes are a good mix of modal numbers and more straightforward hardbop – and titles include "P Bouk", "Gemini", "Work Song", "Trouble In Mind", and "Dizzy's Business". CD

Almost everything soulful at Capitol Records in the mid 60s – packed together in one sweet little place! The set's a winner in a great line of Cannonball Adderley live dates from the time – produced by David Axelrod, and done with that great mix of angular, slightly electric groove the combo was virtually pioneering – thanks to help from Joe Zawinul on electric piano, and Nat Adderley on cornet! Cannon also plays some great soprano sax – an instrument that he was taking off beautifully with at the time – and sets fire to a few great tunes with the instrument. But as if that's not enough, Lou Rawls joins in on vocals on a few cuts, and Nancy Wilson comes in on a few more – and the album alternates singing with instrumentals in a really great way. Titles include two very nice extended tracks by Joe Zawinul – "Rumplestiltskin" and "The Scavenger", both of which are over 10 minutes long, and which have the group stretching out in a nice live vein – and other cuts include "The Scene", "Somewhere", "Sweet Emma", and "Zorba". CD

A record that's as striking as its cover – a set from a Belgian duo, but one who take on important issues on the global scene – delivered mostly in English, which gives the record a really universal sense of appeal! Their style is quite unique – almost an older mix of beats, electronics, and production touches – but used playfully, almost as if they're sprinkled in to offset some of the deeper currents of the lyrics – almost as a sly trick to bring you in to their political agenda. Titles include "Making Sense Stop", "It Hit Me", "Ceci N'Est Pas Un Cliche", "Mantra", "Haha", "Thank You", "Hey", and "Esperanto". CD

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One of the coolest rock concept albums ever – and arguably the crowning moment for Aphrodite's Child – an incredibly hip Greek group from the early 70s – featuring a young Demis Roussos on vocals, and Vangelis Papathanassiou on organ, piano, vibes, flute, and a lot of other instrumentation! Vangelis composed the whole set – as an extended piece based on the Apocalypse of St John – and the album was recorded in Paris, away from their native Greece – in a time of political unrest and cultural upheaval that's clearly referenced in the music! There's a really wide array of textures and moods on the set – from sinister to soft, freaky to peaceful, all laid out beautifully with a sense of poetry and power that few other groups could match! Irene Pappas performs a recitation, and also gives some sexy sounds on the classic "Infinity" – and other tunes include "The System", "Babylon", "Loud Loud Loud", "The Four Horsemen", "The Seventh Seal", "Aegian Sea", "The Marching Beast", "Capture Of The Beast", "Altamont", "Seven Trumpets", and "Hic Et Nunc". CD

An unusual mid 80s set from Maki Asakawa – one that follows some of the moody styles that she was really digging into at the time, but which also brings in a touch of American soul – thanks in part to work from bassist Bobby Watson, and drummer Cecil Moore – who also seems to do a bit of singing on the set as well! As before, most lyrics are in Japanese, but there's a few English moments that we think are coming from Moore – although these are sometimes also set off by some darker guitar lines that almost feel like they're from the Bill Laswell side of the spectrum. As usual, Maki's music is tough to describe in words, but every bit as compelling as the years go on – on titles that include "Music Love", "Dreamtime", "Zero Hour", and "Here To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully moody record fron Maki Asakawa, and a set that may well be one of her most striking ever – thanks to a stripped-down approach to recording that often mixes her vocals with just a bit of piano and saxophone – handled by Toshiyuki Honda throughout! The vibe here is very different than some of Asakawa's previous records – almost timeless in approach, although every bit as dark as most of her other 80s sessions – yet given a very different quality, due to the relatively spare sound of the cuts. Tristan Honsinger plays cello on a few tracks too – and titles include "Rapsodie De La Russie", "La Valse", and "Shanghai". LP, Vinyl record album

Maki Asakawa looks as dark and moody as ever on the cover, but there's actually a few moments here that seem to have a spark of positivity – although maybe one that's just in the instrumentation and production, which seem to borrow a bit from some of the darker side of the UK spectrum at the time! In some ways, Maki might be said to be one of the original goths in music – but with her longer legacy, and varied roots, that sort of a tag would only be reductive –as you'll hear on this set. The record features work by Tetsu Yamauchi and Toshiyuki Honda – and titles include "Leave The Flow", "King Of Losing Time", "Some Years Past", "Said News Said Old", "Dancer", and "Melancholy On The Other Side". LP, Vinyl record album

A really richly layered album from Maki Asakawa – part of that move she made into more textured material in the 80s, although still with all the deeply moody qualities that made her 70s vocals so great! This time around, there's help from a few key jazz players – Shigeru Mukai on trombone and Toshiyuki Honda on saxes – all set up with these great arrangements from bassist Tsugutoshi Goto! The whole thing is a great illustration of how collaborative Maki can be with her music – that special sort of partnership that gives each album a slightly different vibe. As usual, song titles and lyrics are all in Japanese – or else we'd tell you more. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising second album from Erykah Badu – a live recording, coming right on the heels of her first studio set – and showing that the girl's equally great without any added production work! The feel is warm, earth, and wonderful – intimate, and richly spiritual – as Erykah reprises a few tracks from the Baduizm set, and runs through a few newer numbers as well! Titles include "Rimshot", "Otherside Of The Game", "Boogie Nights", "Stay", "Tyrone", and "Searchin". CD

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Features warm Brazilian rhythms from Trio Da Paz! CD

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be". CD

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A landmark recording that is one of Jorge Ben's best albums ever! The album is a perfect realization of the way that Jorge mixes Brazilian rhythms with choppy Afro grooves – and the result is a masterpiece that yeilded some of his biggest tracks ever. Included here is the great choppy funk track "Ponta De Lanca", plus loads of other goodies like "O Filosofo", "Xica Da Silva", "A Historia De Jorge", and a great remake of "Taj Mahal" – probably his greatest cut ever. Great all the way through – and is a perfect introduction to Jorge Ben if you don't know his work, and an essential addition to your collection if you do! CD

One of the greatest compilations of Jorge Ben's work that we've ever heard! The set features 14 tracks from the Philips/Universal years – recorded at a time when Jorge was forging together bossa, funk, jazz, and soul, into a unique blend that's marked him as one of Brazil's most adventurous artists of the 60s and 70s. If you've got some of Jorge's big albums from the time, you may already have some of these tracks – but the set's a treasure anyway. CD

One of Jorge Ben's greatest albums – a groundbreaking blend of samba and soul that forever went onto transform the face of Brazilian music! The record works off the groove set down by Jorge's earlier hit "Mas Que Nada" (which appears on another LP), and takes the blend of bossa, samba, and jazz, and infuses it with a sense of folksy soul delivered by Jorge's raspy vocals and acoustic guitar work. The combination of styles works perfectly – and every track on the album sparkles with a sense of excitement and new musical discovery that will probably blow away most of the recent records you've bought for your collection! Titles include "Nena Nana", "Espero Por Voce", "Nao Desanima, Joao", "Carnaval Triste", "Gimbo", "Capoeira", and "Anjo Azul". CD