A fantastic bit of modern soul – a rare Polydor single from the start of the 80s – but one that we'd put next to some of our favorite mellow soul groovers from the decade before! "Stay With Me" has a vibe that's almost Roy Ayers – midtempo, and funky stepping – a nice edge in the groove, but not too much – with female vocals that cascade beautifully over the lyrics! "You're So Unclear" is even cooler – a slower number, but with a deeper groove – and both tracks have fantastic handling by arranger Morris Bailey! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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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

Forget the silly cowboy costume on the front cover – because this is a heck of a great album! Bo might have gotten saddled (no pun intended!) with a silly gimmick for the title and image of the set – but the album's one of his best from the early Chess years, and features a rip-roaring batch of tracks that really cut it up in his classic scratchy guitar mode of the time! Lyrics are great – nearly all originals by Bo himself, with that hip swinging, and hard-wailing approach that was always a lot of fun – and cuts include "Gunslinger", "Diddling", "Cheyenne", "Cadillac", and "Doing The Craw-Daddy". CD features 5 bonus tracks too – including "Working Man", "Do What I Say", "Prisoner Of Love", "Googlia Moo", and "Better Watch Yourself". CD

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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

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A pivotal session for Gil Evans – one that brought his genius to the American public strongly and successfully, without the help of Miles Davis! Sure, Gil had recorded albums as a leader before this one – but the sparkling quality of this set is right up there with the charts he handled for Miles, and the quality of the players in the group make the performance every bit as great. Gil's band includes trumpeter Johnny Coles, plus Ron Carter on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, Budd Johnson on tenor, and Ray Crawford on guitar. Titles include "Stratusphunk", "Sunken Treasure", "La Nevada", and a great reading of Kurt Weil's "Bilbao Song". CD

A real killer of an Afro Funk set – a CD that brings together 2 sparkling moments from Fela's early career! The Shakara album is a longtime classic, and features 2 extended jams – "Lady" and "Shakara" – that are both tight straight-ahead funky groovers with a nice nice sound. London Scene has a number of shorter tracks – like "Buy Africa", "Who're You", and "Fight To Finish" – that Fela recorded in London during his brief attempt to storm that city's recording scene. The tracks have a slightly different sound than usual, and feature some nice tight arrangements. 7 tracks in all! CD

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A new generation of the Gainsbourg family line comes into the musical fold – with results that are surprisingly nice! Lulu's an offspring of Serge, of a generation past Charlotte Gainsbourg – but he's still equally well-suited to pay tribute to his pop – as you'll hear in this reworking of famous tunes from the songbook of the great one! Lulu Gainsbourg enlists a host of famous guests on the outing – including Rufus Wainwright, Marianne Faithfull, Shane McGowan, Iggy Pop, Ayo, and others – and highlights include Scarlett Johansson joining Lulu on a remake of "Bonnie & Clyde", and Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis singing together on "Ballade De Melody Nelson"! Other tracks include "Initials BB" with Iggy Pop, "Sous Le Soleil Exactement" with Shane McGowan, "Manon" with Marianne Faithful, "La Javanaise" with Richard Bona, and "Couleur Cafe" with Aya. Instrumental tunes include "Intoxicated Man" and "Black Trombone". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare work from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg – studio outtakes, alternate versions, and lots of other material that stands as a great addition to the catalog of one of the coolest, grooviest French language singers ever! This vinyl volume 1 brings together rare tracks by Serge himself – some from 45 or LP projects, but presented here in different modes that stand as a wonderful complement to some of the versions you might know – almost like a "part 2" or extended take in some cases. Titles include "Black Trombone (avec intro)", "L'Homme A Tete De Chou (instrumental)", "Sea Sex & Sun (extrait des prises voix", "Chez Les Yeye (prise complete)", "L'Eau A La Bouche (avec intro)", "Requiem Pour Un Con (instrumental)", "69 Annee Erotique (instrumental)", and two very long tracks – "Melody (prise complete)" and "Lola Roastaquoouere (instrumental)". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soul duets between Marvin & Tammi Terrell – a landmark pair in 60s soul music, and easily one of the best male/female duos in pop music ever! Marvin and Tammi have a way of singing together that makes you feel like they're speaking the tunes, not singing them – a personal, intimate quality that's almost as if we're sneaking in on them behind closed doors – and not hearing their voices cast out in front of full backing in the Motown studios. Even when the tunes are familiar, they're still bracingly emotive – Includes stone classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "If I Could Build My World Around You", plus "Hold Me Oh My Darling", "Somethin Stupid", "You Got What It Takes", and "If This World Were Mine". CD

The amazing first album from Gentle Giant – a crucially overlooked group from the key years of the UK jazz-rock scene! The album definitely comes at things from a rock perspective, but there's a hell of a lot of fusion in the mix too – especially in the guitar and keyboard parts, which jump around with these sharp edges that rival some of the more jazz-based fusion from the European scene of the 70s – played to perfection, even amidst some of the record's higher-concept lyrics – which themselves kind of fall into a King Crimson camp. In fact, the mix of lyricism and all-out jamming makes the record a good comparison to the Crimson camp of the time – yet for some reason, these guys have never gotten as much cred over the years as that group. Titles include "Nothing At All", "Isn't It Quiet & Cold", "Why Not", "Giant", and "Funny Ways". CD

A stone classic from the great Bennie Green – working here at a sharp 50s level that easily makes him one of the most hard-edged players in jazz at the time! Bennie's rooted in bop, but has plenty of deeper soulful elements too – a groove that others would expand more in the soul jazz generation, but which Green unleashes here with a really raw sort of energy – a tightness that's almost more suited to the trumpet than modes you'd usually hear from other trombonists. The setting's almost a blowing session one, but a bit tighter overall – and the quintet features Eric Dixon on tenor and Lloyd Mayers on piano – plus raw rhythms from Sonny Wellesley on bass and Bill English on drums. Titles include "East Of The Little Big Horn", "Walkin Down", and "But Not For Me". CD

A long-lost album from one of our favorite jazz talents of all time – British tenor legend Tubby Hayes, a player we'd easily place on a short list with giants like Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins! Like both of those players, Hayes has an incredible talent for longform solos that never lose their fire, direction, or imagination – a quality that emerges here maybe even more strongly than on some of the records that preceded it – as Hayes works with just a quartet, on long tracks that are really dominated by both his great sound, and the strong contributions of pianist Mike Pyne – an equal star on the set! At a time when British jazz was going for a lot of new recording modes, crossover styles, and other gimmicks, the whole thing is a back to basics record for Tubby – but also one that shows just how much he's grown as a soloist in just a few short years – really on fire, as the tenor is driven strongly by the efforts of Ron Mathewson on bass and Spike Wells on drums, completing a great quartet who really get the energy of their leader. Titles include a great version of the Duke Pearson tune "You Know I Care", a lovely take on "Where Am I Going", and the Hayes originals "For Members Only", "Rumpus", and "Grits Beans & Greens". Fantastic stuff – long overdue, and instantly a key addition to the Tubby Hayes Fontana catalog of the 60s! CD

A long-lost album from one of our favorite jazz talents of all time – British tenor legend Tubby Hayes, a player we'd easily place on a short list with giants like Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins! Like both of those players, Hayes has an incredible talent for longform solos that never lose their fire, direction, or imagination – a quality that emerges here maybe even more strongly than on some of the records that preceded it – as Hayes works with just a quartet, on long tracks that are really dominated by both his great sound, and the strong contributions of pianist Mike Pyne – an equal star on the set! At a time when British jazz was going for a lot of new recording modes, crossover styles, and other gimmicks, the whole thing is a back to basics record for Tubby – but also one that shows just how much he's grown as a soloist in just a few short years – really on fire, as the tenor is driven strongly by the efforts of Ron Mathewson on bass and Spike Wells on drums, completing a great quartet who really get the energy of their leader. Titles include a great version of the Duke Pearson tune "You Know I Care", a lovely take on "Where Am I Going", and the Hayes originals "For Members Only", "Rumpus", and "Grits Beans & Greens". Fantastic stuff – long overdue, and instantly a key addition to the Tubby Hayes Fontana catalog of the 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A long-lost album from one of our favorite jazz talents of all time – British tenor legend Tubby Hayes, a player we'd easily place on a short list with giants like Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins! Like both of those players, Hayes has an incredible talent for longform solos that never lose their fire, direction, or imagination – a quality that emerges here maybe even more strongly than on some of the records that preceded it – as Hayes works with just a quartet, on long tracks that are really dominated by both his great sound, and the strong contributions of pianist Mike Pyne – an equal star on the set! At a time when British jazz was going for a lot of new recording modes, crossover styles, and other gimmicks, the whole thing is a back to basics record for Tubby – but also one that shows just how much he's grown as a soloist in just a few short years – really on fire, as the tenor is driven strongly by the efforts of Ron Mathewson on bass and Spike Wells on drums, completing a great quartet who really get the energy of their leader. Titles include a great version of the Duke Pearson tune "You Know I Care", a lovely take on "Where Am I Going", and the Hayes originals "For Members Only", "Rumpus", and "Grits Beans & Greens". Fantastic stuff – long overdue, and instantly a key addition to the Tubby Hayes Fontana catalog of the 60s! This great 2CD version features the full versions of all the sessions, with a number of takes on some of the tunes – including an unusual version of "Where Am I Going" with the guitar of Louis Stewart instead of the piano of Mike Pyne. Also has a hardcover package, and a nice booklet of notes! CD

A long-lost album from one of our favorite jazz talents of all time – British tenor legend Tubby Hayes, a player we'd easily place on a short list with giants like Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins! Like both of those players, Hayes has an incredible talent for longform solos that never lose their fire, direction, or imagination – a quality that emerges here maybe even more strongly than on some of the records that preceded it – as Hayes works with just a quartet, on long tracks that are really dominated by both his great sound, and the strong contributions of pianist Mike Pyne – an equal star on the set! At a time when British jazz was going for a lot of new recording modes, crossover styles, and other gimmicks, the whole thing is a back to basics record for Tubby – but also one that shows just how much he's grown as a soloist in just a few short years – really on fire, as the tenor is driven strongly by the efforts of Ron Mathewson on bass and Spike Wells on drums, completing a great quartet who really get the energy of their leader. Titles include a great version of the Duke Pearson tune "You Know I Care", a lovely take on "Where Am I Going", and the Hayes originals "For Members Only", "Rumpus", and "Grits Beans & Greens". Fantastic stuff – long overdue, and instantly a key addition to the Tubby Hayes Fontana catalog of the 60s! This great 2CD version features the full versions of all the sessions, with a number of takes on some of the tunes – including an unusual version of "Where Am I Going" with the guitar of Louis Stewart instead of the piano of Mike Pyne. Also has a hardcover package, and a nice booklet of notes! CD

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A really dark little album of vocal jazz from 50s singer Barbara Lea – recorded here with small combo backing, and a strange sound that's a fair bit different than most other efforts of this type from the time! At one level, there's definitely a leaner 50s vocal jazz approach going on – similar to work on Bethlehem – but Barbara also serves things up with some odd notes of nostalgia and sentimentality, echoing earlier eras not in the style of the music, but almost in a sense of sadness and wistfulness that comes through in her vocals. The style's quite a change from the iciness of other postwar chanteuses – but it's also not as overly emotional as those from other eras either. Players in the groups include Dick Cary on piano, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Johnny Windhurst on trumpet, and Jimmy Lyons on piano. Titles include "Will I Find My Love Today", "Sleep Peaceful Mr Used To Be", "Am I In Love", "Autumn Leaves", "We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together", and "More Than You Know". CD

Fantastic! This is the French pressing of the Michel Legrand score to Jaques Demy's incredible 1965 film The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg. Every word of dialogue in the film is sung, and Legrand came up with an amazing array of themes to carry the emotion of the film. Embedded in here are lines that later became worldwide hits – like "I Will Wait For You" and "Watch What Happens" – but in this version, the songs are just themes in the huge pastiche of dialogue and narrative, and they lurk behind the score in a beautiful way. This is one of our favorite all-time soundtracks, and this French version has a very lovely cover with Catherine Deneuve standing amidst some umbrellas! Great 2LP version – with more material than the original LP release! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest jazz work ever recorded by Michel Legrand! Although Legrand's always been known for his sweet soundtrack work and his famous easy listening sides – he's also a heck of a jazz pianist, and here in this rare 1959 session, he works in a trio format that puts him right up there with the best of the French piano-technics of his generation, like Maurice Vander or Rene Utreger. The arrangements are wonderfully off-beat – and Legrand dances around the piano with a versatility that we didn't know he had. The group features Guy Pedersen on bass and Gus Wallez on drums – and titles include "Paris In The Spring", "Sous Les Ponts De Paris", "Paris Canaille", "Moulin Rouge", and "La Vie En Rose". CD

A beautiful pairing of Michel Legrand and Stephane Grappelli – two of France's most sensitive jazz musicians ever, sounding really wonderful here in the company of each other! The set features Grappelli's violin and Legrand's lead piano – amidst some larger orchestrations put together by Michel, who also produced the set – all with that great balance of swing and sentiment that always makes his music so wonderful. Grappelli's gliding lines add a nice degree of lightness – especially when contrasted with the fuller string section – and titles include "Mon Homme", "Revoir Paris", "Theme From Summer Of 42", "Les Feuilles Mortes", "Parlez-Moi D'Amour", "Nuages", and "Milou En Mai". CD

Two fantastic tracks from Lexia – issued here on a limited Japanese 45! "Good Morning To You" is one of the hallmark tracks from the trio – this quick-romping number with jazzy piano and bass at the core – topped with a positive female lead vocal, which soars even more when the harmonies kick in! "Lovelight" is great too – a track that has this sublime production approach that's almost Charles Stepney – groove and strings, unusual changes in the arrangements, and with a soaring lead female vocal that's really wonderful! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An album that may well be John Martyn's crowning moment of genius – a time when he soared forward from his spare sound of a few short years ago – and found a way to bring in all these jazzy currents to his music, but all without ever going for a style that was ever over-arranged or commercially produced! Martyn's voice is amazing – completely captivating, and full of all these wonderful twists and turns – as are his guitar lines too – never in any sort of overdone way, but with a subtle power that really gives the album the sort of glow that's evoked by the cover image. The set features guest work from Richard Thomposon, Roger Powell, and Beverley Martyn – and titles include "Go Easy", "Bless The Weather", "Sugar Lump", "Walk To The Water", "Just Now", "Head & Heart", "Let The Good Things Come", "Back Down The River", and "Singin In The Rain" – with a good amount of bonus tracks including alternate takes of "Go Easy", "Walk On Water", "Back Down The River", and a single version of "May You Never". CD

An incredible record from reedman Harold McNair – one of the key Jamaican jazz players who hit the London scene in the same post-colonial wave as Joe Harriott and Shake Keane – and maybe our favorite of the bunch! Harold's a hell of a talent on both tenor and flute – and although he might be best known for his background work on late 60s Donovan albums, he really soars here as a soloist – working with Ornette Coleman group members David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both of whom swing wonderfully in McNair's company! The album bills Izenzon and Moffett strongly on the cover – as if they're one of the main attractions – but what's most compelling is the way that McNair and pianist Alan Branscombe bring the American musicians into their own sort of groove – a modal, soulful style that's completely sublime – and which makes the album a killer all the way through. Titles include the original "Affectionate Fink" – plus great takes on "I Love You", "O Barquinho", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", and "Here's That Rainy Day" – all soulful swingers. CD

Great grooves from Monday Michiru – a Soul Source collection that brings together a wealth of Monday's dancefloor work with a host of other artists! The tunes here are all upbeat and nicely grooving – very much that soulful Soul Source dancefloor vibe – and the package is a nice reminder that although Monday's been hitting some great mellow notes of late, she's also still one of the best club-oriented talents from the Japanese scene. A number of these tracks are from hard to find singles, and collaborators here include Da Lata, Jazztronik, Soul Source, Masters At Work, Joe Claussell, and Mondo Grosso. Titles include "Butterfly" by Mondo Grosso with Monday Michiru, "You Make Me (Studio Apartment rmx)" by Monday Michiru, "The Right Time (Jephte's King Street vokal)" by Monday Michiru, "The Real Thing" by Soul Source Productions with Monday Michiru, "Tiger Eyes (English version)" by Jazztronik with Monday Michiru, "New Beginnings" by Monday Michiru with Da Lata, "ADDP" by M-Flo with Monday Michiru, "Sunshine After The Rain (MAW 12" mix)" by Monday Michiru, and "Higher (Spiritual Life voc)" by Monday Michiru with Joe Claussell. CD

Wonderful work from British singer Matt Monro – early sessions for Capitol Records, done in the US – and maybe not entirely "lost", but very different here than in the way they were released! The backings here are small and jazzy – really showing Monro in an intimate mode that suits his vocals well – although producer Dave Cavanaugh at Capitol then later added bigger arrangements and strings, and sent this one off to market as the album Invitation To Broadway. Those original stripped-down session are presented here for the first time ever, along with a few unissued tracks, and later unreleased alternates too – and although many of the songs are from shows, they're a very well-chosen bunch, and move between tunes that have a slight bossa rhythm, and others that have a laidback jazz style with some nicely tinkling piano. Tracks include "Lover's Caravan", "Come Back To Me", "The Apple Tree", "If She Walked Into My Life", "I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her", "Looking For Small Pleasures", "The Lady Smiles", "Walking Happy", and "The Impossible Dream". CD 2 is a great bonus – 27 more tracks from Matt's years at Capitol – titles that include "Don't Answer Me", "Honey On The Vine", "We're Gonna Change The World", "And You Smiled", "If I Never Sing Another Song", "Walk Away", "My Kind Of Girl", "Gonna Build A Mountain", "Softly As I Leave You", "From Russia With Love", "The Music Played", and "On Days Like These. 47 tracks in all! CD

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The second set of madness from the legendary Os Mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer Rogerio Duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! The album's got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune – a playful pastiche that's partly postmodern, partly psychedelic, and still tremendously powerful decades later – even if you can't understand most of the lyrics! Styles are just about impossible to pin down, but that's what makes the record so unique and essential – and if you ever needed one album to convince you of the mindblowing energy taking place during the Tropicalia years, this one may well be it! A few tracks are written by Tom Ze, and titles include "Dom Quixote", "Dia 36", "Magica", "Rita Lee", "Algo Mais", "Qualquer Bobagem", and "Fuga No II". CD

A landmark album from late 60s Brazil! This is the first – and the wildest – album by this legendary group that was one of the founding forces of the Tropicalia movement – a brilliant musical statement that easily ranks with some of the most groundbreaking late 60s American work by The Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, or The Stooges! The music is a wonderful blend of 60s rock and early MPB – hard-driving with plenty of guitars, but also produced with beautifully baroque touches that echo through simultaneous albums by Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa – both of whose 1969 albums are strongly resonant with this one. In fact, Caetano contributed a number of tracks to the album, including "Panis et Circenses", "Bat Macumba", "Trem Fantastma", and his great "Baby", which is done fantastically here. Great stuff all 'round! CD

A strong return to the mic from the one-and-only Pharoahe Monch – his unbelievably long-awaited follow up to the amazing Internal Affairs – and one of the best major label hip hop LPs of the first half of '07! Pharoahe's nearly decade long absense from the mainstream seems to have spawned a bit of a contemplative streak on some tunes, an anthemic streak on others, and a modern cultural awareness that might catch you off guard – if you only know him for the "Girlies, rub on ya . . ." mantra, you don't know the half it. Welcome back! Production by Alchemist, Black Milk and others. Titles include "Free", "Desire" feat Showtyme, a reimagining of PE's "Welcome To The Terrordome", "What It Is", "When The Gun Draws", "Body Baby", "Bar Tap" feat Mela Machinko, "Hold On" feat Erykah Badu, "So Good" and the epic closer "Trilogy" (Acts I, II and III) feat Mr Porter, Dwele and Tone. CD

Pharrell's first solo album. After the many months of anticipation between the release of the first single and the oft-delayed street date, we've had a ample time to wonder which Pharrell would take the lead – the electro-thumping, hip hop revisionist producer with the laidback rhymes, or the Curtis Mayfield-vocal loving, sex-obsessed pop crooner – and it turns out we get both in just about equal measure! It's no surprise to us, but we'll be far happier to hear these tracks popping on the FM than just about any summer jam radio cuts we can think of! Tracks include "Can I Have It Like That" feat Gwen Stefani, "How Does It Feel?", "Raspy S**t", "Best Friend", "You Can Do It Too", "Keep It Playa" feat Slim Thug, "That Girl" feat Snoop Dogg, "Angel", "Young Girl/I Really Like You" feat Jay Z, "Stay With Me" feat Pusha T, "Easy" feat Nelly, "Number One" feat Kanye West and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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Early work by Don Randi – recorded years before he'd become too ensconced in the LA studio scene, back when he was just a fresh faced young jazz musician – with a light touch and a real talent for an understated groove! The set's a nice little sleeper with some good mellow moments – Don tinkling the keys with bass and drums behind him – the former handled by Hershey Hamel, the latter by Gene Stone. The tracks are all quite sprightly, and surprisingly soulful at times – and titles include the originals "Feelin Like Blues" and "Buddha's Mood", plus the tracks "Jada", "Summertime", and "Blues For Miti". CD

A fantastic mid 70s set led by drummer Steve Reid – fronting a group of players who groove tightly, but with a really sinister sound! Reid is an absolute steamroller on this set – laying down a fast-paced, super tight funky backdrop for the rest of the players to groove fluidly over the top. Three of the five tracks run well north of the 10 minute mark – and those pieces are strong as can be, providing just enough room for the players to lay out a groove that lies beautifully between the mid 60s avant garde of Ornette Coleman and the spiritual soul jazz of the mid 70s. The core group includes pianist Les Walker (who penned most of the material here), plus David Wertman on a wonderfully rubbery bass, Michael Keith on trombone and Arthur Blythe on alto sax – with guests Chris Capers (trumpet), Melvin Smith (guitar) and Charles Tyler (baritone sax) on "Center Of The Earth". Great stuff, with a really dark edge! Other tracks include "Kai", "Rocks (For Cannonball)", "C You Around", and "One Minute Please". CD

A masterpiece of British jazz from the end of the 60s – a set that doesn't need to answer at all to any of the jazz styles coming from America at the time – as it's sound and vision is so bold, so unique, it's a completely massive statement on its own! The set may well represent the pinnacle of this creative combo – as pianist Michael Garrick seems to be taking an even stronger role than before, and certainly gets some great space for expression on the longer live tracks within – shading things with that amazing sense of tone and timing that made his own albums of the 60s so important to British jazz, but maybe even more incredible here in the company of Carr's trumpet and flugelhorn, and Rendell's work on tenor, soprano sax, clarinet, and flute. As before, the bass of Dave Green and drums of Trevor Tompkins are a key element of the music – the amazing energy at the core – on titles that include "Pavanne", "Nimjam", "Voices", "You've Said It", "Vignette", and "On Track". CD

Holy Soundtracks! Of all the knock-off Batman albums from the 60s, this one's the only legit soundtrack to the Batman TV show – and it's way way better than any other piece of vinyl with the Batman logo at the time! The album is every bit as great as you might think – as it's got the full flavor of the campy television classic – with loads of the original music from the show – the themes you remember, as you heard them, and not a bunch of watered-down tracks inspired by the show – plus (and this is the best part!), the record has loads of dialogue from the TV show in between the tracks – cool exclamations from Adam West, Burt Ward, and others – which makes listening to the record as fun as watching the show! Titles include "Batman Pows The Penguin", "Batman Riddles The Riddler", "Gotham City", "Batman Thaws Mr Freeze", and "To The Batmobile!" LP, Vinyl record album

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Nine tracks, including "Train To Nowhere", "Vicksburg Blues", "It Hurts Me Too", "May Be Wrong", and "Tolling Bells". Produced by Mike Vernon, and the band includes Roger Earl & Lonesome Dave! CD

A great showcase for the amazing reed talents of Bud Shank – great in a small combo during the early years of his career, and equally at home in larger groups like this during the 60s! As you'd guess from the title, Bud heads up a fuller section of saxophonists – players who include Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper, and Jack Nimitz – working with Bud in a style that's a more modern extension of modes first explored by the Four Brothers/Herman group in the late 40s – but with much groovier 60s styles here! Bob Florence handles the arrangements, and he brings a great sense of color and tone – and a nice ear for a groove – on titles that include "Take Five", "The Sidewinder", "Summer Samba", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", "Reza", and "Senor Blues". CD

A massive legacy in soul music – served up here in one great little set – with the first five albums by Soul II Soul, all presented in tiny little LP-styled sleeves! It's hard to deny the power of the group at the time – and even all these many years later, we're amazed at how well these albums hold up – as the first two here had such a huge influence on American soul music, you might expect the sound to be old hat by now! Yet Jazzie B was still one of the first guys to successfully mix hip hop rhythms and modern soul production – at a level that was far less forced than American experiments of the mid 80s – and which found a way to carry all the hip underground love of soul and jazz from the British scene over to the American mainstream. Even the later albums here are still head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – and beyond the classics, the whole package here is ripe for rediscovery! CD

One of the coolest, grooviest albums of Latin Soul you could ever hope to find – one of the few records ever from the great Ray Terrace – and a set that goes even beyond some of the similar sides on Tico or Fania at the time! Ray's groove here is totally wonderful – upbeat, joyous, and blending soul and jazz in equal parts – often with English language lyrics that have the best sort of Spanish Harlem sound. Many tunes are covers, but they're completely remade by the record – with lively arrangements from Marty Sheller that never let up, and smoking soul lead vocals by Willie Torres. The whole thing swings, and there's never a dull minute – on titles that include "Get On Up", "You've Been Talking 'Bout Me Baby", "Half Way Down", "Listen To Me", and the great "I Make A Fool Of Myself". CD

A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Co-Op", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". CD

Wonderful work from the early Thin Lizzy trio lineup – a record that has all the power of their later records, but which also mixes in some airier moments that really help shape the sound! These guys are already setting themselves apart from their psych or blues rock predecessors – thanks to Phil Lynott's wonderful vocals and unique approach to a tune – which gives the record loads of great moments that don't always get their due! Titles include "The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes", "Sarah", "Brought Down", "Chatting Today", and "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the start of the 90s – a special split single that features "Tell Me Mama" by Toni Tony Tone – and "Wherever You Go", in a rare Femifem mix! One cover features Toni Tony Tone, the back features Sydney Youngblood – and the whole thing is a limited Japanese-only release! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nice late 70s work from guitarist Ralph Towner – heard here in a great trio setting with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! Both players have an ear tuned well to the sorts of open, exploratory styles that suit Towner best – but they also have a nice sense of force as well – a way of pushing things up from the bottom without bombastically approaching the rhythms – making the record a bit more than just spare expressions from Ralph on guitar. Towner plays 12 string and classical guitar, plus a bit of piano – and titles include "Waterwheel", "Green Room", "Batik", "Trellis", and "Shades Of Sutton Too". CD

A fantastic family outing from Caetano Veloso – one that has the legendary Brazilian singer working with his sons Tom, Zeca, and Moreno Veloso! Moreno's probably the one who's best known to American audiences – thanks to his fantastic legacy of sounds with Domenico and Kassin in the +2 trio – but the approach here is quite different than those records, and maybe has the warm intimacy of Caetano in some of his best stripped-down modes! All members of the family play guitar and sing, and all had a hand in directing the music – but the lineup also shifts a bit from track to track – sometimes with vocals from all four, sometimes just Caetano in duet with one of the sons, sometimes just Caetano himself. If you love Veloso when he sings with just acoustic guitar and a bit of light backing, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Oracao Ao Tempo", "Boas Vindas", "Todo Homem", "O Seu Amor", "Genipapo Absoluto", "Reconvexo", "Um Canto De Afoxe Para O Bloco Do Ile", "Forca Estranha", and "Um Passo A Frente". CD

The macho aesthetic gets redefined for a whole new audience – as The Village People play with a pastiche of masculine images from daily life, all recast for the post-Stonewall generation! The group bring camp back firmly for the 70s – and are still one of the best-remembered mainstream disco acts of the time – thanks to catchy, poppy grooves that had most of the country humming their tunes, even if they didn't agree with their sexual politics. Grooves are by the hit team that made most of the VP albums strong – Horace Ott arranging, Gypsy Lane backing, and Jacques Morali at the glorious helm of the whole thing – and titles include "Macho Man", "I Am What I Am", "Key West", and "Sodom & Gomorrah". CD

One of the best records Mal Waldron ever made, and a blinding hard bop session featuring a tight quintet with knock-down-dead front horn lines! The record really follows strongly in the mode of some of Waldron's contributions to Prestige blowing sessions from the same period – but it's also got a much great focus and tightness – one that puts the record right up there with the best hardbop sides on Blue Note! Gigi Gryce plays some razor-sharp alto on the session, Idrees Sulieman is on trumpet, and Waldron's piano is unusually soulful – with slight modern changes that really keep things interesting. Tracks include "Shome", "Transfiguration", "Stablemates", and "Dee's Dilemma". CD

A key slice of Scott Walker genius – and his only recording from the 80s, cut on the heels of a re-discovery of his older music, but a far step ahead than anything Walker had done before! Climate Of Hunter is far darker than the famous Philips albums – and carries with it echoes of his last few tunes with the re-formed Walker Brothers in the late 70s – a bleaker look at life than ever before, but one that's still touched with the sense of poetry that Scott always brought to his work, and sung in that godlike voice we love so much! Instrumentation carries a definite feel of the time – with some echoes of British post-punk production, especially in the way the drums and guitar are recorded. Yet there's also a timeless quality to the album here too – and each year past its release settles it more warmly into the classic and better-known Scott Walker catalog. Surprising guest appearances on the set include Evan Parker, Ray Russell, Mark Isham, and even Billy Ocean – and titles include "Rawhide", "Dealer", "Track 3", "Sleepwalkers Woman", "Track 5", and "Track 7". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff! Arguably Leon Ware's greatest record – and one of the greatest Motown records of the 70's! The record is a beautiful set of interwoven mellow soul tracks, recorded right on the heels of Marvin Gaye's I Want You album, which was written and conceived by Ware, then taken at the last minute by Marvin! For this set, Ware creates a very similar sound – mixing together smooth keyboards with subtle bits of funk and electronics, all wrapped up in his own sweet warm vocals, which sound better here than on any other album. The whole thing's filled with loads of beautiful tracks, including "French Waltz", "Journey Into You", "Phantom Lover", and the great "Turn Out the Light", written with Minnie Riperton. Plus, this reissue features 5 previously unissued bonus tracks – Leon's original versions of "Comfort (aka Come Live With Me Angel)", recorded with Minnie Riperton, and "I Wanna Be Where You Are", both done by Marvin Gaye on I Want You, plus the tracks "Don't You Wanna Come", "Long Time No See", and "You Are The Way You Are". CD

Maybe the best album so far by this groundbreaking Norweigian keyboardist! Bugge plays Fender Rhodes and grand piano on the set – and it's a warm batch of uptempo tracks that push the envelope a lot further than some of his previous work, sort of a mix of jazzy house and ECM-ish soundscapes, wrapped up in an icily clean style of production that really makes the set sparkle with the "new conception" that's promised in the title! Tracks include "Moving", "Yellow Is The Color", "Lone", "Heim", and "Gare Du Nord". CD

A nice little record that some folks slept on over the years – a bit of a comeback album for Barry White – an overlooked early 90s session that updates his sound a bit, yet which still continues the charm of his classic years! There's a bit of a new jack groove going on in a few of the cuts – but in true Barry White mode, the best tunes hit a solid mellow groove that kicks in from the start, and then features Barry's deeply soulful vocals oozing out over the top. Titles include "Love Is Good With You", "For Real Chill", "Break It Down With You", "Put Me In Your Mix", and "Who You Giving Your Love To". CD

A stunning debut from UK soul singer Amy Winehouse – a vocalist with a sound that's instantly captivating, and which will be with us for years! Amy's clearly cut her chops in jazz, but also has a laidback and soulful personality – easily shifting between modes for the right mood of each song, without any of the pretensions that would ruin an album like this. The backings have a proud stepping feel that fits well with tunes like "In My Bed", "What Is It About Men", "F*ck Me Pumps", and "You Sent Me Flying" – really keeping Amy's spirit fresh throughout the whole set! CD

Featuring Jay-Z. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderful reimagining of the music of Thelonious Monk – one that's done in a melange of jazz and contemporary elements – in a style that's very similar to the time that Madlib visited Blue Note over a decade ago! As with that set, there's a real 21st Century vibe here – a completely new take on Monk's music – as some tracks are played live, others are sampled, and production often includes a fair bit of hip hop elements, especially beats – woven together wonderfully with the tunes. Styles vary nicely, given the different artists participating in the project – and this limited EP features the tracks "Cyberspace Love" by Wonk and "Think Of One" by Melraw with Sara Yoshida from Mononkul. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Really wonderful work from vocalist Monica Zetterlund – recorded at a time when she was really coming into her own! The album really has Monica stepping past her initial influences from American jazz – working in an idiom that's equally well suited to expression in her native Swedish, as it is filled with traces of a pan-global approach to jazz that features elements of bossa, modal jazz, and other compelling rhythms. Backings aren't credited, but they're plenty darn great – and titles include "Monicas Vals", "Konstigt", "Siv Larssons Dagbok", "Vilsevalsen", "Jag Tror Pa Dej", "Visa Fran Utanmyra", and "Spela For Mej". CD

The soundtrack for one of the most popular John Hughes films of the 80s, and the soundtrack for a generation as well – a mix of songs that were partly pulled from other sources, but which went on to make the idea of a compilation soundtrack every bit as important as a full original film score! The set kicks off with the massive hit "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds – the virtual theme of the film – then moves through tunes that include "Fire In The Twilight" by Wang Chung, "Waiting" by Elizabeth Daily, "We Are Not Alone" by Karla DeVito, "Didn't I Tell You" by Joyce Kennedy, and "Heart Too Hot To Hold" by Jesse Johnson & Stephanie Spruill. And the set also features a few instrumentals – "I'm The Dude", "Dream Montage", "The Reggae", and "Love Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A 50th anniversary celebration of Italy's Capital Radio in 1968 – a set that combines familiar English rock of the late 60s with a huge amount of Italian pop as well! The mix of modes is great – and the 2CD package goes a long way towards illustrating the way that non-Anglo countries on the European scene were served some of the hipper British and American music of the time, in ways that effortlessly blend with more homegrown efforts of the era. Given that American radio was almost completely closed to non-English language tunes, there's a generosity to the spirit here that's really great – and which goes to show why Anglo rock dominated the globe so much in the following decade. Yet here, the time is 1968, the place the Italian scene – illustrated in a set of 42 tracks by artists who include Equipe 84, Caterina Caselli, Gianno Morandi, The Byrds, Beach Boys, I Dik Dik, I Nomadi, The Who, Lucia Dall, Temptations, The Band, The Rokes, Lugi Tengo, I Camaleonti, Buffalo Springfield, Velvet Underground, Otis Redding, Francoise Hardi, Giorgio Gaber, Fabrizio De Andre, Canned Heat, New Trolls, The Monkees, Serge Gainsbourg, and Mina. Even includes "I Sole E Di Tutti" by Stevie Wonder – an Italian version of "A Place In The Sun"! CD

Soaring, searing spiritual jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – most of it pulled from the catalog of the East Wind label, an imprint that was really letting some of the younger musicians open up and do their thing! Japanese jazz had come very far forward in the 60s – but during the 70s, there was an even greater wave of exploration – partly from the older musicians, who were really starting to break past straighter American modes, but also from younger players who were initially inspired by the spiritual styles of John Coltrane and his group, then fused that energy with their own organic explorations – with results that you'll hear here in the best of their formation! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Minors Only" by Takehiro Honda, "Recollection" by Kosuke Mine, "In The Darkness" by Terumasa Hino, "Vichakani" by Sadao Watanabi, and one more long track with a Japanese title by Masabumi Kikuchi, pulled from his End For The Beginning album. CD

Life! Liberty! Vengeance! A wild and very cool soundtrack for Tarantino's dual Blacksploitation/Spaghetti Western homage Django Unchained – featuring bits from some of our favorite Italian western composers mixed up with classic and contemporary funky soul and hip hop! It's the kind of soundtrack that could only happen for Quentin Tarantino – with rare and hard-to-find compositions by Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani and Jerry Goldsmith on one hand – along with a few seemingly antithetical new compositions on the other. LP, Vinyl record album

Some folks might dispute the date range of the "golden era" of hip hop – but there's no denying that this 4CD set is overflowing with gems from back in the day – plenty of hits and classics that really sound great in the company of each other! The package features a massive 72 tracks in all – and titles include "Livin Proof" by Group Home, "Afro Puffs" by Lady Of Rage, "It's Like That" by Run DMC, "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions, "Boyz N The Hood" by Eazy E, "Mad Scientist" by Large Professor, "How High (remix)" by Method Man & Redman, "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka" by Heltah Skeltah, "That's The Joint" by Funky 4 + 1, "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, "Set It Off" by Big Daddy Kane, "Proceed" by The Roots, "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy, "Woo Hah Got You All In Check" by Busta Rhymes, "Paid In Full" by Eric B & Rakim, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "Concrete Schoolyard" by Jurassic 5, "So Wat Cha Sayin" by EPMD, "The Choice Is Yours (revisited)" by Black Sheep, "Unbelievable" by Notorious BIG, "Award Tour" by Tribe Called Quest, "They Want Efx" by Das Efx, "Old To The New" by Nice & Smooth, "Children's Story" by Slick Rick, "It's Yours" by T La Rock & Jazzy Jay, "Rock The Bells" by LL Cool J, and "Come Clean" by Jeru The Damaja. CD

The groovy French pop of Serge Gainsbourg gets the remix treatment! After years of being sampled by hip hoppers, referenced by post-rockers, and claimed as an influence by a wide range of singers and instrumentalists – Serge Gainsbourg's finally breaking into the mainstream of modern music with this tasty batch of remixes from some of Europe's best producers. Of course, ol' Serge is probably rolling over in his grave at the thought of the project – but from our end of things, the whole thing sounds pretty groovy! Titles include "La Bas C'est Natural" remixed by Faze Action, "Ballade De Melody Nelson" remixed by Howie B, "Bonnie & Clyde" remixed by Herbert, "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" remixed by Dzihan & Kamien, "Requiem Pour Un Con" remixed by The Orb, "Marabout" remixed by Bob Sinclair, and "Lola Rastaquouere" remixed by Chateau Flight. CD