A decades-spanning batch of stellar SOUL – the Sounds Of Universal Love – compiled by Fitzroy Facey and The Soul Survivors team! Soul Survivors is a UK-based magazine celebrating the best and brightest soul, funk and jazz from the 70s onward, and Facey does a terrific job here of putting together a set with a broad reach, but still manages to have a cohesive feel. It's got a bit of 70s cosmic soul, some sweet modern groovers, classic group soul, fusiony funk and more! Includes "A Little Bit Of Love" by Brenda Russell, "Journey Into Love" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Fan The Fire" by The Impressions, "Come On" by Omar feat Kele Le Roc, "Search My Mind" by George Duke, "Yearing For Your Love" by The Gap Band, "High In Me" feat Patrice Rushen, "Heaven" by Amp Fiddler feat Stephanie McKay and more. 16 tracks, all of them great! CD

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The cover's a bit trippy, but the sound is anything but – and instead stands as a strong tribute to the way the early work of Chuck Berry continued to influence a generation of rockers well through the 60s! Berry's the frontman, and gets plenty of chance to sing and sear on guitar – and the backing band is actually the combo of a young Steve Miller – soon to explode in fame of his own, but here very respectful to Chuck! Wally Heider recorded the set – and it's definitely one of the headier Chuck Berry moments of the 60s – but mostly because the live setting allows things to get a bit looser, and even grittier. Miller plays guitar, and Jim Peterman turns in lots of great work on organ and electric piano – and titles include "Flying Home", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "CC Rider", "Feelin It", "Wee Baby Blues", "Hoochie Coochie Man", and "Driftin Blues". CD features 5 bonus tracks – including "Reelin & Rockin", "Worried Life Blues", and "Bring Another Drink". CD

Strong work by Maria Bethania from the late 70s – a session that has her tightening up her sound a bit more than before, but without any loss of her sense of drama or emotion! The album was recorded with a number of different musical backgrounds, including many small group settings with guitar by Rosinha De Valenca – an artist we love on her own, and who adds in a nicely personal touch to this album's mix of strings, keyboards, and rootsier percussion. The guitar works nicely with Maria's voice, and is perhaps second in the mix behind her singing – giving the songs a nice focus even when the backings are quite large. Songs are a mix of tunes by Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, and other likely suspects – and titles include "Calice", "Interior", "De Todas As Maneiras", "O Meu Amor", "Ronda", and "Diamante Verdadeiro". CD

A nicely rootsy little album from Maria Bethania – recorded during a period when some of her music could often sound much fuller and more electric! The album's got subtle help from Toninho Horta, Dori Caymmi, and Guto Graca Mello – all of whom arrange Maria's vocals in a sophisticated singer/songwriter sort of mode – very personal, often spare, and used with a sensitivity to the lyrics that's really wonderful. The Terra Trio also play on the record, and titles include "Ciclo", "Filosofia Pura", "Motriz", "Vinho", "Lua", "Cantar Pra Fazer O Sol Adormecer", and "Rio De Janeiro". CD

Cash Money classic featuring the all-star line up of Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh , Baby, and Turk. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A sweet Italian take on the music of Burt Bacharach – one that changes the lyrics of all the tunes from their original English versions, but serves them up with the sort of setting that might have made the maestro proud! The Vince Tempera Orchestra handles the backings – and they've definitely got the right sort of ear for the 60s – as most of the instrumentation here could easily have come from a vintage album, and the production preserves most of that quality as well – leaving Marizia Bi to soar out over the top on Italian versions of "Close To You", "Walk On By", "Keep Away From Other Girls", "The Look Of Love", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and "Always Something There To Remind Me". CD

Fantastic future soul from Bigyuki – an artist who's got a really far-reaching vision for his music – even though his sound is very stripped down overall! The music here is almost a science fiction take on contemporary soul – with these really wonderful, almost sinister keyboards and basslines – used in electronic flows that are wrapped alongside guest lyrics from Bilal, Chris Turner and others – but which also are more than happy to hang around some beats, and shift in these beautiful instrumental modes! The whole thing is completely unique – immediately contemporary, but with the depth of keyboard work of the past – jazz elements in the mix somewhere, but nice and lean overall. Titles include "Burnt N Turnt", "Pom Pom", "Eclipse", "Simple Like You", "Soft Places", "NuNu", "In A Spiral", "2060 Chiron", "Boom", and "Belong". CD

Art Blakey's soundtrack to this fantastic French film is one of his best non-Blue Note albums ever – and it's got the additional bonus of featuring performances by the great French tenor star Barney Wilen! The tunes here are way more than just short scene-setting soundtrack numbers – and are instead some incredibly memorable numbers from these great years of the Jazz Messengers – handled with all the fire of their Blue Note sides. The date was recorded in New York – with Wilen on tenor, Lee Morgan on trumpet, and Bobby Timmons on piano – and the tracks are a great mix of hardbop riffs and very catchy jazzy themes for the soundtrack. Titles include "No Problem", "Weehawken Mad Pad", "Valmontana", and "Miguel's Party". CD includes and alternative version of "No Hay Problema". CD

Three great French jazz soundtracks on one CD! The bulk of the set is taken up with Art Blakey's wornderful score to the film Des Femmes Disparaissent – which features work by Jazz Messengers Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, and Benny Golson, recorded in Paris in 1958, with a hip swinging hardbop sound. These tracks make up 17 titles on the CD – with songs that include "Mambo Dans La Voiture", "Merlin", "Tom", "Nasol", and "Blues Pour Vava", plus a few solo drum tracks that are really great! 4 more tracks are from the rare ep-only soundtrack to Les Tricheurs – played by a Jazz At The Philharmonic group that includes Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Coleman Hawkins, and Roy Eldridge. Tracks on those numbers include "Les Tricheurs", "Phil's Tune", and "Mic's Jump". The last 2 tracks on the CD – "La Bride Sur Le Cou" and "Brigitte Strip Blues" – are by a quintet led by pianist Georges Arvanitas, and featuring trumpet by Bernard Vitet and tenor by Francois Jenneau. Very hip stuff all around – and a real treat for fans of jazz and film alike! 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

One of the earliest of the classic Verve bossa nova sessions of the 60s – and a wonderful showcase for the talents of guitarist Luiz Bonfa! Most of Bonfa's previous recordings were done in a very spare or solo mode – and this set makes a nice change by adding in some larger orchestrations – yet still handled with great bossa sensitivity by Oscar Castro Neves and Lalo Schifrin – themselves very big up-and-coming talents at the time! The sound is bright and breezy, as you'd expect from Verve at this time – and Bonfa's a lot livelier than usual, and even sings on a number of cuts – with a charming quality that's a bit like Joao Gilberto. Titles include "Bossa Nova Cha Cha", "Sambalamento", "Vem So", "Samba De Duas Notas", "Domingo A Noite", "Quebra Mar", and "Adeus". CD

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Blam is right – an all-out batch of funky tracks from The Brothers Johnson – captured here right in the middle of their classic period with Quincy Jones! The Q's at the helm on production for the set, and the record's a great extension of their earlier efforts with the man – but a bit more Johnson-tuned (if we can say that in mixed company) – with the bass upfront on some of the best numbers, and a surprisingly strong male ballad approach on some of the gentler tunes. There's a slightly jazzy undercurrent at times, and tracks include "Rocket Countdown/Blastoff", "Ride-O-Rocket", "Streetwave", "Blam", "So You Won't Stay", "Ain't We Funkin Now", and "Mista Cool". CD

Great rare material from Clifford Brown's legendary days at Emarcy – tracks recorded as part of the Dinah Jams vocal sessions, but done in a much more extended jam session mode! Washington sings a bit on 2 of the tracks, but the main focus here is on Brownie working with a jamming set of instrumentalists that really open up on extended solo work. The album features 2 groups – one with the great Walter Benton on tenor, Herb Geller and Joe Maini on altos, and Kenny Drew on piano – the other with Clark Terry on trumpet, Geller on alto, Harold Land on tenor, and Junior Mance on piano – great lineups on both sessions! Tracks are long, very much in the "jams" feeling of the title – and titles include "Coronado", "I'll Remember April", and "Crazy He Calls Me". CD

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". CD features four bonus tracks – the mono single mixes of "Think", "Lost Someone", "I'll Go Crazy", and a shorter version of the medley. CD

James Brown's great second album recorded live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem – a set we like even better than the first famous volume – because it's much more stretched-out, harder-hitting, and full of fire! You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of Brown's showmanship on record – as James urges the band through these triple-time takes on some of his classics, and turns in some amazing work in the process! The set includes a killer long version of "There Was A Time" – almost the blueprint of the James Brown funk sound to come – and other titles include "Bring It Up", "Let Yourself Go", and a wonderful duet version of "Think" – plus "Prisoner Of Love", "Out Of Sight", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Lost Someone","Thanks", "Cold Sweat", "I Feel Alright", and "Please, Please, Please". Features 30 minutes of extra material, with remixed tracks, set in the original running order, and lots of great notes! CD

A lost treasure from James Brown & The JBs – a vintage live performance from the early 70s, and one that captures the group at the height of their powers! The format here is very similar to the excellent Revolution Of The Mind set – a totally funky, totally righteous live performance that has James and the group even more energized than in the studio – working with the kind of razor-sharp intensity that made them a legendary funk act – leaping from tune to tune with nary a break at all! Bobby Byrd acts as the MC, and joins James for a bit of vocals – and the group at this point still includes Bootsy Collins on bass, plus loads of great guitar from Catfish Collins, and Fred Wesley on trombone and Jabo Starks on drums. Dave Matthews handled some of the arrangements – and titles include "Soul Power", "Sex Machine", "Bewildered", "It's A New Day", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Brother Rapp", "Super Bad", "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag/I Got You/I Got The Feelin". CD

Raw live energy from the great James Brown – and a record that comes hot on the heels of Live At The Apollo! Like that one, this set was supposedly "recorded on the spot" – and it's even harder, faster, and noisier than that classic – with a loud-bursting sound that definitely lives up to the "dynamite" title, and which is far more unbridled than James on his King studio albums. The crowds seem to get equal time in front of the microphones as James – further enforcing the liveness of the record – and titles include "I'll Never Let You Go", "Good Good Lovin", "Shout & Shimmy", "Like A Baby", and "I'm Tired But I'm Clean". Album cover is great too – with a cool gatefold cover that's filled with photos of James, fans, and some lovely ladies! CD

One of those 70s rock albums that seems to turn up in a fair bit of collections of hip soul and jazz – a bit like the work of Harvey Mandel, and with a similar blend of blues rock currents with farther-reaching ideals! Roy Buchanan is spectacular on the guitar here – the kind of player who almost could have fronted a bigger arena rock group, given his chops – but who choses instead to keep things close to the chest, with the more down to earth vibe of his look on the cover – even though his playing here is pretty outta sight. Roy's got some great help on the album – including some of the MGs on a version of "Green Onions" – plus more guitar from Steve Cropper on other tracks, plus piano from Jan Hammer, bass from Stanley Clarke, and drums from Narada Michael Walden. Other titles include "Judy", "Your Love", "Done Your Daddy Dirty", "The Circle", and "Hidden". CD

A fantastic early solo project from guitarist Roy Buchanan – recorded for Polydor at the start of the 70s, but never issued at the time! We're not sure why the label slept on the set, as it's a searing little killer right from the start – done in a gritty mode that's far hipper than some of the other blues rock of the period – never that cliched, with some swampy elements, a few funky touches, and a strong hint of the farther-reaching modes that Buchanan would hit in later years. Roy sings, as does a young Charlie Daniels, who plays second guitar and also wrote many of the tracks – and the set also features some vocals from Joe DiGregorio, and keyboards from Bob Wilson. Titles include "Humbug Down On The River", "Billy Joe Young", "The Story Of Isaac", "Black Autumn", "Funky Junky", "There'll Always Be", "I Desire You", and "Pain". 2CD set also features a March 1971 session, and bonus tracks too – with titles that include "Roy's Bluz", "Shotgun", "Dual Soliloquy", "CC Rider (live)", "Down By The River (live)", "After Hours/The Messiah Will Come Again", and "Sweet Dreams". CD

A bluesy classic from Roy Buchanan – and a record that states his mighty guitar powers right from the very first note! In fact, although Roy sings on the record, it's the guitar that's probably the main attraction here – and the instrument often comes off first on most tunes, setting a rich current that's complemented by the vocals in ways that sometimes remind us of swamp rock modes from the late 60s – and at others which have the changes that were shifting in blues rock during the mid 70s. titles include "If Six Was Nine", "Running Out", "Man On The Floor", "Keep What You Got", "Caruso", "Okay", and "Guitar Cadenza". CD

The title might be a tipoff here – as Roy Buchanan really soars into space on an album that finds an even more majestic setting for his mighty powers on guitar – especially given that a fair bit of the album's instrumental! Roy works with a core quartet that includes Ray Gomez on second guitar, Willie Weeks on bass, and Andrew Newmark on drums – a group who are almost a fusion combo at times, and who maybe help Buchanan find one of his more compelling settings of the 70s – free from some of the song structures that vocals would provide, and sounding fantastic throughout. The set does have a great vocal workout of the Neil Young tune "Down By The River" – with lead vocals by Gary St Clair – and other titles include "You're Not Alone", "The Opening/Miles From Earth", "Fly Night Bird", "Turn To Stone", and "Supernova". CD

Bouncy, bubbly soul from Vernon Burch – one of his stone dancefloor classics from the 70s, served up with a groove that never quits! Burch is one of the few who can make a clubby set sparkle with the more personal qualities of a mellower soul album – and this excellent set is a great example of his style at the time. Production is by James Gadson, who also plays funky drums in the small backing combo – along with keyboards from Michael Thompson and guitar from Burke himself. Titles include the slightly bizarre transgender tune "Sammy Joanne (One Half Woman One Half Man)" – but other numbers are all pretty great, and include "Get Up", "Arrogant Lady", "Once Again In My Life", "Never Can Find The Way", and "For You". CD

The cover's a bit creepy, but the album's still plenty great – old school Cameo still strongly in a funk-based mode, before some of the stiffer grooves of their later years! Bass is the ruler of the set – and most tracks here vamp around in a very heavy P-Funk style of groove – lots of guitar dancing around the rhythms, and plenty of spoken/sung vocals from the whole ensemble – not to mention a heavy dose of keyboards that helps keep things clean and lean! A partyful album if there ever was one – with tracks that include "Soul Army", "Enjoy Your Life", "Flirt", "Secrets Of Time", "I Owe It All To You", and "For You". CD

Massively funky work from Cameo – a set that's right in the middle of their classic early run – and still quite strong on the bass-heavy grooves the group helped inspire in countless legions of imitators! The tightness of the set is incredible – moving at a pace that's simply mindblowing, especially in a pre-sampling, pre-programming world – proof that spontaneous work by a group like this could still blow away any commercial crap! There's a few mellower moments too – always a side of the group that we love – and titles include "Use It Or Lose It", "Freaky Dancin", "I Like It", "Knights By Nights", "I'll Always Stay", "The Sound Table", and "Don't Be So Cool". CD

One of our favorite albums ever from Cameo – the group's third release! The album's got a great approach that hints at more sophisticated soul styles, but which is still firmly in charge of the bass-driven grooves that made their early albums so great – a compressed approach to the music that was copied by countless other groups at the time, but rarely came off this well! The whole thing's great – filled with excellent cuts that include "I'll Be With You", "Give Love a Chance", "Ugly Ego", "Two of Us", "Friend to Me", "Insane", and "I Want You". Super-dope – with loads of great jams! CD

A mid-80s classic from Cameo – one that showed the world that the group was still very much in the funky music game, even if their lineup had been reduced to a trio! Larry Blackmon's still at the head of the group – singing, drumming, and playing bass throughout – with plenty of support on keyboards and a variety of instruments from an army of session players called in for the record. The style's a bit less on the heavy funk tip of earlier Cameo records, but also steps along nicely in that mellower, midtempo groove that proved to be a great refuge for funk bands as the 80s wore on – a mode that's slightly romantic at times, but always handled with a bit of bounce at the bottom. Titles include "Word Up", "Candy", "She's Mine", "Don't Be Lonely", "Back & Forth", and "You Can Have The World". CD

Great early work from one of the hippest bassists of his generation! Paul Chambers cut this obscure little album in LA, featuring a "jazz delegation from the east" that included Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor – plus pianist Kenny Drew, who had already been working on the west coast – all in a style that's much more relaxed and stretched-out than most other jazz recorded in LA at the time! The album is one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane, and it's a very spare batch of tracks that lead off with Chambers' amazing work on bass – but which also feature some incredible early work from Trane – very raw and loud in the mix, with a lot more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Visitation", "John Paul Jones", and "Eastbound". CD

Great early work from one of the hippest bassists of his generation! Paul Chambers cut this obscure little album in LA, featuring a "jazz delegation from the east" that included Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor – plus pianist Kenny Drew, who had already been working on the west coast – all in a style that's much more relaxed and stretched-out than most other jazz recorded in LA at the time! The album is one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane, and it's a very spare batch of tracks that lead off with Chambers' amazing work on bass – but which also feature some incredible early work from Trane – very raw and loud in the mix, with a lot more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Visitation", "John Paul Jones", and "Eastbound". CD

Some of the grooviest classical piano work you'll ever hope to hear, thanks to the keyboard talents of the amazing Eugen Cicero – heard here on a two rare albums of material recorded for the MPS label! Back in the 60s, a number of European artists were experimenting with a blend of classics and jazz – but few did it as well as Cicero, who could hit the keys with the fluidity of a concert pianist, but make the whole thing swing like some of his best jazz labelmates! The set begins with Marching The Classics – which has Cicero really swinging some unlikely numbers – march numbers from Mozart, Strauss, and others – taken at quick tempos that really move wonderfully with very fluid piano lines from Eugen, and work on bass from JA Rettenbacher, and drums from Kenny Clarke. Titles include "Aida March", "Carmen March", "Boccaccio March", "Love Of The Three Oranges March", and "Radetzky March". Balkan Rhapsody features wonderful tunes sourced from Balkan folklore, but also revamped strongly by Eugen Cicero – to give them a swinging 60s piano sound overall! Great credit here goes to the members of his trio – Peter Witte on bass and the legendary Charly Antolini on drums, the latter of whom had a sense of tightness that really brought a new sense of energy to these tracks. Titles include "Der Gehort Mein Ganzes Leben", "Memories Of Clausenberg", "Suber Sang Ertront", "Dort In Der Ferne", "Ima Modenschein", and "Der Schlitten Eilt". CD

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Heady work from Cluster – a record that really helped set the tone for a whole generation of German experimentation! The sound here is incredibly dense – guitar and keyboard parts that are processed heavily, looped back on themselves, and sometimes supported by a bit of electronics – all at a level that's still quite fresh and free – never too jamming, nor too experimental for experiment's sake! There's an intrinsically rhythmic feel to the whole record – a cosmic pulse that ebbs and flows beautifully – and the whole thing still has a lot more of an edge than most of the later work from the team of Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. The album was co-produced with Conny Plank – and titles include "Plas", "Im Suden", "Fur Dir Katz", "Georgel", "Live In Der Fabrik", and "Nabitte". CD

Not the group's 7th album, but a bold statement of the unity they feel as a 7 piece ensemble – perfectly lived up to in the record's well-crafted grooves! The album's one of Con Funk Shun's best overall – really solid, but never too slick, very tight in the bass department, but still soulful on the vocal tip, and never afraid to slip into a sweeter, more mellow tune. Titles include "Straight From The Heart", "Bad Lady", "Promise You Love", "I'll Get You Back", "A Song For You", and "California 1". CD

A stellar bit of boogie from Con Funk Shun – produced to perfection by Skip Scarborough, and done in a style that has lots of jazzy elements! The album was recorded well into the group's time on the Mercury label, but it's a real standout from the rest – thanks to an extremely well-written batch of tunes, and a mode of bass-heavy funk that avoids the cliches of other groups at the time – and goes for a more laidback style that sounds especially nice on the mellower numbers. Michael Cooper's great on lead vocals – and titles include "By Your Side", "Early Morning Sunshine", "Curtain Call", "Happy Face", "Juicy", "Lovestruck 1980", and "Honey Wild". CD

An overlooked album from pianist Eddie Costa – recorded in the late 50s for Dot Records! The set's a bit different than some of Costa's other material from the time – in that has Eddie playing with a much heavier touch on the left hand – inflecting the keys in a bluesier mode, but also working here with some modern touches from drummer Paul Motian, who's in the trio along with bassist Wendell Marshall. Costa's tone has changed decidedly for the record – and he's often got a loudly flowing approach to the keys that echoes later work by McCoy Tyner, Steve Kuhn, and other key 60s innovators. And even though tracks are again mostly familiar numbers, Costa's really pushing them to new levels – pushing, pausing, and twisting them into unusual time structures and melodic progressions. Titles include "House Of Blue Lights", "Diane", "When I Fall In Love", "My Funny Valentine", "What's To Ya", and "Anabelle". CD

A sweet collection of funk from this ultra-cool Japanese combo – all hand-picked, and served up in a special mix by DJ Muro! Crazy Ken Band have an odd name, but a warmly soulful take on funk that began in the pre-Daptone years, and which maybe shares more with the funk revival modes on the London scene at the start of the 90s – especially as the group have some of the warmer currents of Incognito or Brand New Heavies! But there's also a harder funk approach on some numbers – really sharp instrumentation that works equally well with blasting horns or warmer modern soul grooves – almost always topped with lead lyrics in Japanese. Most of their work was only issued overseas, so this collection's a great place to start with their music, especially with Muro in the lead! CD features 25 titles, most listed in Japanese – but with tracks that include "Brand New Honda", "El Diablo", "Midnight Cruiser", "Lady Mustang", and "Punch Punch Punch". CD

A great little album that's as hip as its cover image – one of 3 seminal mid 50s recordings for Imperial by LA altoist Sonny Criss! At this point in his career, Criss had a sharp-edged sound that could easily rival the best work by Sonny Stitt or Charlie Parker on the alto sax – but he also had a groove that was a bit more spacious, and a tone that was slightly more raspy – a wonderful quality that we can only describe as Criss-esque, recorded perfectly in the Imperial studios! The group here is a tight quartet – with Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums – and Criss' solos are brilliant throughout! Titles include "Wailin With Joe", "The Man I Love", "Blues For Rose", "Blue Prelude", and "Summertime". CD

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Incredible early work from Ivor Cutler – recorded at the end of the 50s and the start of the 60s – and with an approach that's somehow even odder than his later work from the hipster rock years! Although Cutler's later fame came from his association with talents in the progressive and punk rock eras, the style here is decidedly different – almost a naive folksy one, with hints of Moondog and Eden Ahbez, plus strains of an older British musical tradition. Ivor's billed here as an "OMP" (Oblique Musical Philosopher), and is singing along to spare percussive accompaniment, harmonium, and other assorted, very spare and gentle instrumentation. The stark and quirky quality of the Cutler vocal approach is very firmly in place already – and Ivor speaks and sings his way through a variety of tunes that have the child-like appeal of some of Bruce Haack's early pre-electric work. The CD features the full tracks from 2 Eps – Ivor Cutler Of Y'Hup and Get Away From The Wall – plus the album Who Tore Your Trousers. Titles include "Size 9 1/2", "Gravity Begins At Home", "The Obliging Fairy", "Red Flower", "Warning To The Flies", "Grass Seed", "Tooth Song", "Egg Meat", "Sh Chi", "Stick Out Your Chest", "Turkish Bath Play", and "There's A Turtle In My Soup". CD

A beautiful turn in style for Johnny Darrell – a singer who maybe hit kind of a pop/country mode in the 60s – but who here comes across with a nicely deep vibe! The cover image has kind of a lonely feel, and that spirit is definitely in he music too – as Darrell matures into a much better singer than we remember, and picks up elements of the rising country rock world too – a hip vibe that really works well for the songs on the album – which include work by Jackson Browne, Hoyt Axton, Lowell George, and DeWayne Blackwell. Titles include "These Days", "Brother River", "She's Headed For The Country", "Brother River", "Willing", "Mae Jean Goes To Hollywood", "Mama Come N Get Your Baby Boy", and "Meanwhile Back In Memphis". CD

Anthony David keeps on getting better and better – to a point where a record like this really makes us say "damn, why isn't this guy one of the world's biggest soul stars?" The music is completely seductive – mellow beats, acoustic guitar, and David's raspy real soul vocals – all tied together in a set of gentle rhythms that unfold as naturally as Anthony's simply-penned lyrics. And yes, the sound is possibly a bit more mainstream than before – but in a way that only helps David hit more on the mark than before – with a groove that's still plenty righteous, but which should hopefully be opening up whole new audiences to his music. Titles include "Stop Playin", "Spittin Game", "Smoke One", "GA Peach", "Cold Turkey", "Krooked Cop", "Cheatin Man", and "Words", which features India.Arie. CD

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". This amazing 2CD version features one never-issued track – "L'Interrogatoire De Julien" – plus 16 more tracks from the sessions for the recordings, and a 60 page booklet of notes! CD

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". This amazing 3LP version features one never-issued track – "L'Interrogatoire De Julien" – plus 16 more tracks from the sessions for the recordings, and a booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Five fantastic albums from the legendary Spanish guitarist – all packaged with original album sleeves too! First up is El Duende Flamenco – a richly personal vision of music – played by Paco with incredible deftness on the guitar, yet with a way that's never trying to show off, or bury feeling with any overdone sense of technique! Instead, De Lucia creates this really special sort of magic on the instrument – unlocking amazing tones and colors with effortless ease – all with the energy you might expect from a free jazz musician on the instrument, yet always directed in a tuneful, musical way. The album's a key early accomplishment from Paco – and although some tracks have light additional strings, these are used very gently to shade in the background, and still leave the set with the feeling of a solo album overall. Titles include "Percusion Flamenca", "Barrio La Vina", "De Madruga", "Cuando Canta El Gallo", "Canestera", "Punta Del Faro", and "Farolillo De Ferria". Fuente Y Caudal is one of our favorite albums ever from the legendary Paco De Lucia – and a set that really has the guitarist coming into his own – stepping past even his rich flamenco roots, and coming up with a new style that's practically a genre unto itself! Paco's sense of imagination here is wonderful – freed up from any previous expectations, and really set loose on the strings of the guitar – coming up with an amazing blend of rhythm and melody in these fast flurries of notes – at a level that's as passionately powerful as it is breathtaking from a sheer technical perspective. Ramon De Algeciras joins Paco on two tracks, but most numbers are solo – and titles include "Fuente Y Caudal", "Entre Dos Aguas", "Plaza De San Juan", "Los Pinares", and "Cepa Andaluza". En Vivo Desde El Teatro Real is a strong live set from the great Paco DeLucia – one that has his sublime acoustic guitar sounds really ringing out in the large space of a theater – which creates a slightly different vibe than some of his more close-up studio records of the 70s! DeLucia is extremely commanding in this space – and seems to reach out with even more majesty than ever – incredibly deft work on the strings of the guitar, full of fire and feeling – on a set of original numbers that reference tradition, then completely dismantle it as well. Ramon De Algeciras joins on a bit of second guitar, and titles include "Solea", "Fandangos", "Rumba", "Guajiras", "Alegrias", and "Tarantas". Almoraima is a brilliant 70s set from guitarist Paco DeLucia – one that really shows him stretching out with even more pride and power than before – finding that really unique groove that was part jazz, part flamenco, but really something very special of his own! Paco's got a highly rhythmic way with his guitar – using the instrument almost as much as a drum in some passages – while still being able to carve out these complicated passages on the strings, with dynamic energy that few American players might be able to match. Ramon De Algeciras plays second guitar on the record, but most of the music is from Paco's own instrument – and titles include "Rio Ancho", "Plaza Alta", "Ole", "Llanos Del Real", "Almoraima", and "Cueva Del Gato". Last up is a beautiful album in which Paco De Lucia Plays Manuel De Falla – songs by the famous composer that include "Danza De La Molinera", "Danza Ritual Del Fuego", "Danza De Los Vecinos", "Escena", and "Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo". CD

A stone classic from that great early 80s run by DeBarge – that time when they were really reinventing the group soul sound for a new generation, finding a way to bring back older sweet soul modes, but with a very different twist! The record's as strong as its predecessors, although slightly more commercial – but since DeBarge were never going to be one of the rootsiest acts in soul, we can hardly fault them for that! Titles include "Who's Holding Donna Now" and "Rhythm Of The Night", plus "Single Heart" off the DC Cab soundtrack, and "You Wear It Well", "The Walls Come Tumbling Down", and "Share My World". CD

The classic single! "X Gon' Give It To Ya" kicks of loudly but loose, a horns and a growly intro from DMX before falling into that steady beat and DMX balancing wild energy and on beat control. We paired with the equally huge "Party Up" (Up Here)" on the flip. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A live set recorded in 1965 – and more straight ahead soul jazz than Lou's later funk work on Blue Note, even though Leo Morris/Idris Muhammad is on drums. The album is a nice transitional session, though, with a good lounge jazz feel, and some nice long cuts like "Fried Buzzard", "Summertime" – and "The Thang", which have a rawer feel than most of his Blue Note stuff. CD

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

Dr Hook were always one of the weirder groups in mainstream rock during the 70s – a group who were maybe founded in roots rock modes, but who often had a funky current in their rhythms – and this very weird blend of catchy tunes and the offbeat lead vocals of Ray Sawyer! The sound's a bit hard to describe, but surprisingly compelling over the years – kind of like the hippies taking over the corporation – which is a bit like the image on the cover! Titles include "Let Me Be Your Lover", "Levitate", "Everybody Loves Me", "Cooky & Lila", "Everybody's Making It Big But Me", and "The Millionaire". CD

A record that gave Yvonne Elliman one of her biggest solo hits – the huge disco crossover cut "If I Can't Have You" – but a set that also features a nicely wide-ranging mix of material too! The album's got a much more balanced vibe than you'd expect from the single – some mellower cuts that almost seem to respect Yvonne's vocals even more, and touches of global rhythms at points that illustrate her role as a bigger star around the world, thanks to roles on stage and screen. In addition to "If I Can't Have You", other titles include "Sailing Ships", "Baby Don't Let It Mess Your Mind", "In A Stranger's Arms", "I'll Be Around", and "Sally Go Round The Roses". CD

The fourth and final Eric B & Rakim LP from their classic mid 80s to early 90s run – with some of Rakim's finest rhymes and most devasting delivery to date, and some of Eric B's best production, too! The title track, if course, is a monster – with Rakim's precise rhymes, the furious funky beat, massive soul jazz bass and horn bit culled from Young-Holt Unlimited and Kool & The Gang samples, it'll be a stunner til the end of time – but the record as a whole deserves an eternal shelf life. The end of an incredible era in hip hop. "What's On Your Mind", "Teach The Children", "Pass The Hand Grenade", "Casualties Of War", "Rest Assured", "The Punisher", "Relax With Pep", "Keep The Beat", "What's Going On" and "Kick Along". LP, Vinyl record album

No sophomore slump for the second Eric B & Rakim album – benchmark hip hop of the first order and up there with the best of all time! Following up Paid In Pull was no easy task, and the appropriately titled Follow The Leader makes it look easy, completing one of the great one-two punches in hip hop history by bring in a richer, fuller, more skillfully creative sound, without sacrificing the dense, hard hitting, sparely funk greatness of the debut. Includes the awesome title track, plus "Lyrics Of Fury", "Microphone Fiend", "The R", "Musical Massacre", "No Competition", "Just A Beat", "Eric B Never Scared", "Put Your Hands Together", "To The Listeners" and "Beats For The Listeners". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album from Eric B & Rakim – absolute classic MC/DJ duo hip hop and maybe their most solid from beginning end, as impossible as that should've been after high bars they set with Paid In Full & Follow The Leader! By this point, Rakim was firmly established as one of hip hop's greatest rhymers, but he still steps to a higher level here, with a more forceful approach on some grittier material and his trademark cool and measured flow on others. "Let The Rhythm Hit Em" and "In The Ghetto" strong enough to call this a classic on their majesty alone, but this one's got one should-be standout track after another including "Mahogany", "No Omega", "Keep Em Eager To Listen", "Step Back", "Run For Cover" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Paid In Full, indeed! Eric B & Rakim's seminal debut still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of the nascent school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise it's due. Essential would be an understatement, it's really part of the bedrock for some of the best hip hop to come, very little of which could match it! Includes the immortal "I Ain't No Joke", "Eric B Is In The Cut", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move The Crowd", "Paid in Full", "Chinese Arithmetic", and "Eric B. Is President". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Bill Evans – one of his rare non-trio sides of the 60s – and a stunning batch of tunes with backings from the mighty Claus Ogerman! Most of the tunes here are of classical origin, but they're recast by Evans and Ogerman with almost a soundtrack sensitivity – Bill's piano up front, moving spaciously at very much its own pace – none of the too-virtuoso styles of other 60s jazz-meets-classical players. And Ogerman's backings are also great too – hardly ever strong, and more just light shading amidst the notes of Bill's piano – beautifully sliding in to bring a nice level of warm to the tunes. Titles include a sublime reading of "Pavane", plus the tracks "Granadas", "Time Remembered", "Blue Interlude", "Elegy", and "My Bells". CD

Bill Evans' first album as a leader – and a well-titled set that went onto transform the sound of the piano in jazz! The session isn't as lyrically free as some of Evans' later classics, but already has an undeniably fresh approach to the keys – one that's modern, yet never academic – fluid, but never flowery – pure genius of economy and understatement, while also at the same time opening bold new worlds in sound. The trio features drummer Paul Motian and bassist Teddy Kotick, and titles include the classics "Five" and "Waltz For Debby", the latter of which is performed solo by Evans – plus tracks that include "Displacement", "I Love You", "My Romance", and "Our Delight". CD features an extra bonus track – an alternate take of "No Cover, No Minimum"! CD