Pivotal early dancehall work from the Kingston scene – all of it produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger, almost all of it issued on her short-lived Dance Hall label! The music here shares some of the qualities of the emerging mode at other labels – but unlike, say, Studio one – which built new tracks on older rhythms – Pottinger works here with new grooves, mostly by The Revolutionaries – mostly slow-tripping, at a level that takes off from the roots years – topped with a mix of singers and DJs that get some really great dubby production touches! This isn't the digital work of a few years to come, but warm, well-crafted material that caps off the last moment before reggae took on some more electronic styles in the following decade – all served up with the usual great notes and attention to detail we love from the Doctor Bird label. The package features 34 tracks in all – some unreleased – and titles include "Tan Turdy" by Errol Scorcher, "Stormy Weather (12" mix)" by Bobby Ellis, "Different Fashion" by Lee Van Cleef, "A Little Bit Of Love" by Jah Thomas, "Whole Lot Of Loving" by The Enchanters, "Oppressor" by Tony Tuff, "Financial Problem" by Zara, "Annie Palmer (12" mix)" by Papa Ritchie, "Mr Landlord (12" mix)" by Michael Palmer, "Road Block" by Carl & Gibby, "General" by Ranking Joe, and "It's My Home (12" mix)" by Lorna Bennett. CD

The fine folks at BBE, building on their success with the Disco Spectrum series, have teamed up with the respected French DJ, Dimitri From Paris, to release this classy triple CD boxset of massive disco tunes. Dimitri has compiled a irresistible mix of disco classics and harder to find rare tracks with an emphasis on a soulful jazzy groove with a Latin edge to mix things up. Tracks include "We're On Our Way Home" by Brainstorm, "I Got A Thing" by Silver Platinum & Gold, "Flight To Jamaica" by Crashers, "You're So Right For Me" by Eastside Connection, "My Love Supreme" from Milton Hamilton, the Universal Robot Band's "Barely Breaking Even", "Ain't No Stopping Us Know" by Charanga 76, "Que Tal America" by Two Man Sound System", the LTG Exchange's "Corazon", "Love Hangover" by Touch, "Smile" from Skylite, Little Scotty's "Shout at the Disco", Pat Lundy's "Work Song". CD 1 is a solid mix of music – and CDs 2 and 3 are unmixed, with two tracks not on CD 1: Jimmy Roma's "Beyond the Galaxy" and "I Don't Wanna Lose It" by Bambu. CD

Funky disco sound is right – as P&P were one of the greatest club labels of the late 70s! The label was run by Peter Brown and Patrick Adams – both inventive producers who'd made their mark at other labels over the years, and who had an insane talent for cooking up unusual ways to put over a groove. They mixed together soul, funk, disco, and occasional touches of electronics to create a wild groove that was always fresh, and which pushed way past the simple club grooves of some of the contemporaries. Their work at P&P (and related imprints) was perhaps too groundbreaking to hit as big on the charts as other larger disco acts – but from the get-go, they'd always had a strong underground following, and are claimed as an enormous influence on both house music and modern dance alike. Work on the label's been cropping up on reissue singles for a number of years, but this is the first time anyone's done a proper job of putting together work from P&P – and given that the set's of British origin, you can bet that the quality and packaging are super-high, not to mention the selection! There's a total of 13 cuts in all – including "Flying High" and "Patty Duke" by Cloud One, "Johnson Jumpin" by Johnson Products, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Feel The Spirit" by Foster Jackson, "NY Applejack" by Scott Davis, "Got To Have Your Love" by Clyde Alexander, and "Get Down Boy" by Paper Doll. CD

A whole host of cool Latin tracks from the French West Indies scene of the late 60s – not music that flowed to Guadeloupe or Martinique from Cuba or Puerto Rico – but fresh new sounds that were directly inspired by the boogaloo generation on the New York scene! The tracks here aren't straight Latin Soul – and they're hardly familiar Latin, either – and are instead this wonderful hybrid of elements, including some previous Caribbean modes – all fused into the tighter, shorter burst of energy that was unlocked once Joe Cuba and some of his generation discovered the smaller combo mode of Latin grooving! There's a nicely messed-up criss-crossing of sounds going on here – not the same as, but with similar energy to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time – on cuts that include "Jerk Vide" by David Martial, "Mais Tu Sais" by Dany Play, "Je Voudrais Danser Avec Toi" by Les Bois Sirop, "Sauvagement Sexy" by Gaby Siarras, "Sekirite" by Maurice Alcindor, "Tu Bois Beaucoup" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Disque La Raye" by Joby Valente, "Ou Que Di Moin" by Monsieur X, and "Ou Pas Z'Amis En Moin" by Henri Debs. CD

An all-star tribute to Ella Fitzgerald – a special show recorded live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, in celebration of what would have been her 100th Birthday! The whole event is hosted by David Allen Grier, and begins with a vintage 1934 Apollo Amateur Night radio broadcast – before going into a host of Ella favorites, done by others – mostly with backing by the Count Basie Orchestra! Patti Austin sings "A Tisket A Tasket" and "When I Get Low I Get High", Andra Day sings "Ain't Misbehavin", Ayo & Afro Blue perform "Oh Lady Be Good", Lizz Wright sings "Love You Madly" and "The Nearness Of You", Cassandra Wilson sings "Cry Me A River", and a few other numbers feature different pairings of the artists involved. CD

Freaky funk from the Italian scene – exactly the kind of grooves that will open your ears if you think that funky sounds can only come from American soul bands or jazz musicians! The music here is filled with heavy drums, tight basslines, and lots of other groovy instrumental touches – offbeat keyboards, riffing guitars, and other instrumentation that's sometimes given these odd psychedelic touches by the studio maestros who were putting together the cuts at the time – some of which were used in obscure soundtracks, and a number of which appear here for the first time ever! This isn't the overly-familiar film music territory of other collections – and instead, most of this music is completely fresh – even for the longtime collector – presented in a great package that includes the cuts "Anastasia Mio Fratello" by Piero Piccioni, "Un Uomo Dalla Pelle Dura" by Carlo Pes, "La Mano Lunga Del Padrino" by Silvano D'Auria, "L'Arbitro" by Guido & Maurizio DeAngelis, "La Liceale Nella Classe Dei Ripetenti" by Gianni Ferrio, "L'Altro Dio" by Alessandro Alessandroni, "Giovane Clan" by Sandro Brugnolini, "La Profonda Luce Dei Sensi" by SEverino Gazzelloni, and "Calamo" by Claudio Tallino. LP, Vinyl record album

Really hypnotic sounds from Ethiopian singer Kassa Tessema – heard here on two records from the 70s, both of which have a very ancient feel! Kassa has this very deep sound in his voice – a range that really goes down right to the bottom, with less of the higher tones of other Ethiopian instrumentation or singers – and the backings for the records are very spare, often just a bit of krar or harp – used in simple melodic patterns, but which get very compelling as they cycle through in repetition. Some tracks are instrumental, and the booklet also offers translations of the most compelling lyrical passages – on titles that include "Woubye", "Tezeta", "Fanno", "Gelel", "Yemuziqa Moges","Satenaw", and "Antchi Hoy Lene". CD

An excellent modern take on the Afro Funk genre of the 70s – one that's filled with work by current groups who really get the classic sound right! As in the older work of Fela, there's plenty of percussion, keyboards, and horns in the mix here – often played straight and live, as on the older records, and with a solidly soulful sound that would be bound to make the great one proud! A few tracks go for a slightly more modern production approach, but always still keep the overall feel of the tune just right – and the set's one that you'll proudly put next to your older Afro Funk records, as proof that the sound lives on today, when placed in the right hands. Titles include "Mama Don't Want No Gun (Beatfanatic rmx)" by Kokolo, "NESTA 75" by Antibalas, "Diggin" by Ras, "Elephant" by Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, "Lagos Sound System" by Les Barons, "Un Tour Du Monde (inst mix)" by Love & Salt, "Cheney Lane" by Nostalgia 77, "The Name Of Fela Will Always Stand For Freedom" by The Jetsons with Jessica Lauren, "Take Time To Change Your Mind (Faze Action rmx)" by Quantic Soul Orchestra, and "See Line Woman" by Femm Nameless. CD

A pair of classic Clancy Eccles-produced compilations from the start of the 70s – issued here with plenty of bonus tracks too! Foolish Fool was initially billed to Cynthia Richards, the great singer who delivers the leadoff title tune – but the real start of the set is maybe Clancy Eccles, as the tracks here are all from the hand of the legendary producer – and really show the way that rocksteady was moving towards some of the tighter, sharper rhythms that would mark the early days of reggae! All the singers are as great as Richards – and titles include "Don't Look Back" and "Here Comes The Night" by Busty Brown, "Don't Mind Me" and "Mademoiselle" by Joe Higgs, "Foolish Fool" and "Conversation" by Cynthia Richards, "Feel The Rhythm" and "Africa" by Clancy Eccles, and "Revival" by The Dynamites. Herbsman Reggae is a set that more clearly foregrounds the work of Clancy Eccles in the lead – and one that also gives plenty of credit to the great Dynamites band on most of these tracks – a wicked quintet with Winston Wright on organ, Hucks Brown on guitar, and Gladdy Adams on piano! The rhythms are hard, the production is wonderful – all spacey and weird – and the record has this beautiful unified mix of vocals and instrumentals, a number with some cool pre-dub use of echo. Tracks include "Herbsman Shuffle" by King Stitt & Andy Capp, "Black Beret" and "Phantom" by The Dynamites, "Promise" by Cynthia Richards, "See Me (take 2)" by Earl George, "False Nyah" by Barry & The Affections, "The Ugly One" by King Stitt, and "Senor Judas" by Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites. This fantastic 2CD reissue also includes 34 bonus tracks – more Eccles productions of work by The Westmorlites, Barrington Sadler, The Dingle Brothers, Glen & Roy, Carlton Wedderburn, Carl Dawkins, and many others. 56 tracks in all! CD

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Features tracks from Greg Osby, Cassandra Willson, Craig Harris, Steve Coleman, Hank Roberts, anhd Jean-Paul Bourelly. CD

The sound of jazz in the 21st Century – a bold new wave of acosutic expression and soulful improvisation – served up here in an amazing assortment that features a few previously unreleased tunes! As with other volumes in this Schema series, the focus here is on the strong return to acoustic jazz on the dancefloor – served up mostly by European combos who are steeped in the traditions of 50s hardbop and 60s soul jazz. A few titles here are of older vintage, but most numbers are recent ones – either pulled from pricey import singles, or from previously unreleased tapes by the artists. Unreleased titles include "Jitterbug" by Gerardo Frisina, "Anisia" by Luis Ferri, "Revealed" by Soulstance, "Shades Of Blue" by Quintetto Lo Greco, and "A Handful Of Soul" by Marco Biondi & High Five Quintet – and other tracks include "African Rumble" by Timo Lassey, "Versilian Samba (Five Corners Quintet version)" by Sunaga T Experience, "Conversation (Nicola Conte new jazz club mix)" by High Five Quintet, "Invitation" by Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Sextet, "Bohemia After Dark" by Sahib Shihab, and "Freedom Jaz Dance" by Fez Combo. CD

Includes tracks by John English and the Lemondrips, Zorba and the Greeks, Dave Travis Extreme, Traces of Time, Deepest Blue, the Amoeba, Graven Image, the Other Four, and the Druids. CD

There's nothing too ghetto here – given that the work on the set all comes from the Miami soul powerhouse of TK Records – a company that was always known for a tight, well-crafted groove! And while TK had plenty of chart hits during the disco years, there's a number of cuts here that are lesser-known, and also presented in different mixes too – served up by DJ Nori in one extended 70 minute mix, but which still fits most of the tracks into the groove in a very complete way! Titles include "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Inner City Blues" by Paul Lewis, "Do You Like That Way That It Feels" by Tempest Trio, "Bahama Soul Stew (DK edit)" by Funky Nassau, "Spank (inst 12" re-edit)" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Get On Down" by King Sporty, "Where Is The Love" by Betty Wright, "Dance to The Drummer's Beat (Harvey's nightclub re-edit)" by Herman Kelly, "For The Love Of It" by Lonnie Smith, "Ghetto Disco" by Ted Taylor, and "Music (DJ Nori edit)" by Montreal. CD

Music by John Mellencamp, produced T Bone Burnett, and based on a libretto by Stephen King. Performers include Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Taj Mahal, and Rosanne Cash. CD

A killer killer compilation – the sort we've been dying to own for years! It's a well known fact that there's plenty of funky nuggets hidden amidst 70s gospel recordings – massive grooves and break-heavy tracks that rank right up there with the best indie funk from the same time. Yet tracking down these tunes has always been plenty tough – given that most gospel records sold in different circles, had different distribution, and often are less easy to decipher for the crate digger than more conventional funk and soul. Enter the folks at Numero – who have really gone all out this time around, and dug through piles and piles of rare gospel records to come up with a whopping batch of great tracks! This set is definitely ground zero for getting into funky gospel – and it's filled with far more obscure work than the Soul Gospel set on Soul Jazz – all indie numbers from small labels that only got minor distribution at the time. As usual with Numero, the notes and package match the soulful depth and righteousness of the music – and the set is one of the most perfectly wrapped-up genre compilations we've ever seen! 18 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Thank The Lord" by Mighty Voices Of Wonder, "This Old World Is Going Down" by The Modulations, "Look Where He Brought Us" by The Apostles Of Music, "Thoughs (sic) Were The Days" by LaVice & Company, "Bad Situation" by 5 Spiritual Tones, "God Been Good To Me" by Mighty Walker Brothers, "O Yes My Lord" by Voices Of Conquest, "We Don't Love Enough" by Triumphs, "Heaven On Their Minds" by Sam Taylor, "God Will Dry My Weeping Eyes" by Horace Family, and "I Call Him" by Masonic Wonders. CD

An overdue look at a very cool record label – the short-lived Gospel Truth imprint, which was an outlet for the more spiritual side of Stax Records in the early 70s! The music is gospel, but often has plenty of the best Memphis soul elements of more popular Stax/Volt work of the time – and there's a nice criss-crossing of artists going on here – so that you'll get some gospel singers moving into very soulful territory, and some soul artists trying their hand at music that's a bit more righteous overall! And while albums by The Rance Allen Group on the label have been reissued over the years, this is the first time anyone's pulled together the much more obscure 45s – which gives us a much bigger picture of the label at work. The set features 34 tracks in all – and titles include "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" by Reverend W Bernard Avant, "He's Mine" by Jacqui Verdell, "At The Feet Of The Master" by Blue Aquarius, "I'm A Child Of The King" by The People's Choir Of Operation Push, "Reflections" by Louise McCord, "We're The Salt Of The Earth" by Rance Allen Group, "Ride Out The Storm" by Joshie Jo Armstead, "If The Shoe Fits Wear It" by The 21st Century, "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" by Rev Maceo Woods, "Hot Line To Jesus" by Rance Allen Group, "I Got The Vibes" by Joshie Jo Armstead, "Consider Me" by Terry Lynn Community Choir, "Keep My Baby Warm" by Charles May & Annette May Thomas, and "Do It Yourself" by Jimmy Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Groove Armada, Ticklah, Cutty Ranks, See-I, International Observer, Boozoo Bajou, Daddy Ous, Tosca, Sola Rosa, Reggae Disco Rockers, and Roots Combination. CD

A hell of a cool little set – one that begins with obscure country songs about drug use, then moves onto a whole host of songs with themes of suicide, insanity, damnation, and redemption! The music is every bit as great as you'd guess from the title and cover – and the folks at Omni, who already do an amazing job with obscure country reissues, really knock it out of the park with this one – by pulling together two decades' worth of unusual tracks from the indie underground – all supported by great notes as well. The package is a heady journey through the underbelly of country – sounds you'd never hear on the charts – and titles include "Suicide" by Louie Innis, "Satan's Chauffeur" by Jimmy Minor, "Marijuana The Devil Flower" by Johnny Price, "The Needle" by Harry Snyder, "California Hippie Murders" by Red River Dave, "Demon Of Jealousy" by Jesse Bruce, "The Devil Was Laughing At Me" by Jimmy Newman, "Psycho" by Eddie Noack, "Three AM" by Bill Anderson, "Race With The Devil" by Johnny David, and "Fourteen Stories Down" by Don Bailey. This deluxe reissue includes 2 bonus tracks – "Hades Highway" by Len Barrow and "Hellbound Train" by Dick Flood. CD

Those hillbillies get no end of hell – but maybe that's what they should expect, what with all the cheatin, drinkin, and carryin on! This set follows in the same tradition as all the rest of the fantastic series – looking at themes of loss and remorse in midcentury country music – both in work from big artists in the mainstream, and some of the lesser-known talents who recorded around the edges – and whose work here is especially powerful! Songs have some themes of redemption, but are mixed with some darker moments too – all put together with a great ear for an overlooked tune, and maybe a nice dose of wit as well. Titles include "A Wonderful Time Up There" by Wally Fowler & The Oak Ridge Quartet, "No Grave Is Gonna Keep This Soul" by Charlie Moore & The Dixie Partners, "Fire's A Comin" by Swanee River Boys, "Oh Death" by John Reedy & The Stone Mountain Trio, "Filthy Sea Of Sin" by Ernest Carter & The Hymn Trio, "Are You Insured Beyond The Grave" by Little Jimmy Dickens, "Death's Black Train" by AL Phipps Family, "Conversation With Death" by Clyde Moody, and "Satan Has No Claim On Me" by Joel & Labreeska. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful entry in this long-running series – a continuing testament to the darker sides of American life that formed the subject matter for so much of postwar country music! The package brings together some great tunes by bigger names of the time – not entirely hits, but the kind of material that these top-shelf talents can turn out with effortless ease – bringing just the right balance of subtle emotion to send the whole thing home in just the right way! These aren't overdone weepies, but honest songs about the tragedy that is life – served up here on 16 titles that include "One Dyin & A Buryin" by Roger Miller, "The Drunken Driver" by Ferlin Husky, "I'm Low Low Low" by Loy Clingman, "The Town That Broke My Heart" by Bobby Bare, "All My Trials" by Anita Carter, "Bury The Bottle With Me" by Dick Curless, "None Of My Business" by Henson Cargill, "Jim Johnson" by Porter Wagoner, "The Old Pine Tree" by Red Sovine, and "Goin To Hell On A Sled" by John D Loudermilk. LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, June 12. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning Saturday, June 12. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on June 12 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful collection of rare work pulled from a variety of different 78rpm singles – Indian classical music from the generation before Ravi Shankar and a few other artists gave it global exposure – with an especially strong focus on the use of the violin next to sitars and tablas! The violin is amazing – very stretched out and snakey – used maybe with some techniques of European heritage, but with a sonic result that's very very different – and a perfect fit for the rhythms and other instrumentation in the tracks! The collection is very well-done – similar to such projects on labels like Dust-To-Digital or Honest Jons – and titles include "Raga Thodi" by Gajanan Madhav Karnad, "Nagumomu Ganale (parts 1 & 2)" by Muthi & Masni, "Ragamalika Ragam Thanam (parts 1 & 2)" by Dwaram Venkatswamny Naidu, "Ikanaiana Raga Manirang" by Mysor Chowdiah, and the tracks "Raga Adana", "Thumri", "Raga Bageshree", "Raga Ahir Bhairi", and "Raga Sur Malha" by Paritosh Seal – clearly the star of the set! Also features two earlier, pre-classical tracks – "Thodi" and "Ragam Alapana" by Cunniah Naidu. CD

Music from Burning Spear, Junior Murvin, Toots & The Maytals, Third World, Steel Pulse, Prince Jammy & The Wailing Souls, Rico Rodriquez, Judy Mowatt, Aswad, Junior Delgado, Black Uhuru, Leroy Smart, Black Uhuru, and more. CD

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. CD

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. CD

An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/Hideo Ichikawa Quartet, "Teru-Teru Bozu" (Black Keys) by Teru Sakamoto Trio, "Little Giant" by Nobuo & Sharps & Flats, "Brown Trout" by Akira Miyazawa and more – plus the CD bonus track "Original Bill" by Koichi Matsukaze Trio. 15 tracks on 2CDs. CD

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A continuing dip into the deep underground of German prog sounds from the start of the 70s – that fantastic world that mixed together all the best experiments that were taking place in jazz, electronic, and rock music modes – all to come up with something so fresh, it would continue to influence the world for decades to come! As with previous volumes, the set list here is great – some bigger names mixed with more obscure acts that were important in Germany, but never got exposure here – topped with a few strong jazz contributions to really round things out. There's 23 long tracks on 2CDs, plus great notes too – and titles include "Mechelwind" by Aera, "Taussenfussler" by Embryo, "Jump Into Your Grave" by Emergency, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Rainbow Rider" by Sahara, "Fohats Work" by Dzyan, "Mindwill" by Volker Kriegel, "Miscarriage Of Human Thinking (part 2)" by Action, "Black Sand" by Brainticket, "We're Losing Touch" by Octopus, "Tobacco Road" by Orange Peel, "Der Elektrolurch" by Guru Guru, "Contacts Rudiment" by Joy Unlimited, "Holiday Am Marterhorn" by Kraan, "Blue Apple" by Gift, and "Mellodrama 2a" by Wolfgang Dauner Et Cetera. CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, June 12. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning Saturday, June 12. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on June 12 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) CD

Mellow soul heaven – and one of the greatest compilations of this style we've ever heard! This is exactly the kind of laidback, tripped-out soul we totally love – a host of rare ballads and love songs pulled from the 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – sometimes by groups who are better known for funky tracks, other times by overlooked harmony groups and solo singers who rival the greatness of east coast artists like The Moments or Whatnauts! Titles include "I Don't Think I'll Ever Love Another" by Darling Dears, "Slippin Around" by Thomas East, "Since You've Been Gone" by Little Janice, "Love" by Black Conspirators, "What Am I Waiting For" by Black Exotics, "Who Do You Think You're Fooling (part 1)" by Symphonic Four, "I'll Find A True Love" by Lee Bonds, "Young Girl" by Jazzie Cazzie & The Eight Sounds, and "Is It Me You Really Love" by Black Velvet. LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes pieces by Gilad Cohen, Reinaldo Moya, Jennifer Higdon, Sofia Belimova, William David Cooper, and Jakub Ciupinski. CD

A totally wonderful collection of music from the very tiny scene in Mauritius – an island nation in the Indian Ocean, nicely poised at a real crossroads of culture during the 70s! The music here begins in the style of sega, which often features a local percussion instrument at the core of the rhythms – but there's a huge amount of the fuzz promised in the title, cool touches on both guitar and organ that are woven strongly with the percussion, in ways that almost feel like a psychedelic take on the sounds of East Africa! Most numbers have French vocals, and the blend of voice, fuzz, and rhythms is great – on titles that include "Maria" by Daniel Delord, "Capito" by Lelou Menwar, "Beau Pere" by Colouce, "Machin Sex" by Jean Claude, "Pop Sega" by George Gabriel, "Qui Fine Arrive" by Claudio, "Django" by Harold Betty, "Silvie" by Roland Fatime, and "Soul Sabattah" by The Features Of Life". CD

Music from Nuspirit Helsinki, the Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble /Tony Allen V Tweak, Femi Kuti, Meitz, Easydelics, Suba, Antenna, Butti 49, Louise Vertigo, and Tom Y Joyce. CD

The Nigerian groove of the 70s – way past the familiar modes of Fela Kuti, and served up here in a range of artists who followed on a huge second wave of soul that soared from Lagos and beyond in the second half of the decade! The music here opens up in a sweet range of different styles – including bits of club and boogie that have come into the scene to open up Nigerian funk in more global modes for the dancefloor – blending African roots with American currents, in a sound that's completely unique – and which is way better than some of the Afro-disco modes that were coming from Europe a the time! As usual with the folks at Soul Jazz, the set's an ear-opening work of genius – from the superb track selection, to the very thorough notes and research – which really do a great job of presenting this side of Nigerian funk that's always been a bit eclipsed by some of the bigger names on the scene. Liner notes are by dancefloor historian Bill Brewster – and titles include "Do The Funkro" by Joni Haastrup, "You Can't Change A Man" by Christy Essien, "Afrikana Disco" by Akin Richards & The Executives, "Ocheche" by Don Bruce & The Anges, "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" by Tee Mac, "Get Up & Dance" by Benis Cletin, "Enoviyin" by Colomach, "Nwaeze" by Jimmy Sherry & The Musik Agents, "Wake Up Your Mind" by Joni Haastrup, "Disco Dancing" by Angela Starr, "Mr Been To" by Arakatula, "Living Every Day" by Tee Mac with Marjorie Barnes, "Wake Up Africa" by Arakatula, and "Soul Fever" by Benis Cletin. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection, and one that goes deep deep into the farther reaches of the spiritual scene in the 70s – tracks that are way more obscure than music on labels like Strata East or Impulse, and which really show an evolution of music ideas at the time! The core style is jazz, but there are also other elements at play too – and the tracks are a mix of instrumentals and vocals, the latter of which have an especially wonderful quality! Some of the tunes are nicely gentle, almost quiet in spirit – while others have a bolder, more political approach – and the mix of tunes throughout is very fresh, and maybe even better than the first collection in this series. Titles include "Mother's Day" by Lenny Marcus Trio, "Africa The Beautiful" by Roland Hayes, "Muhammad Ali" by Jule Farmer, "Fulive" by Supa Lowery Brothers, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Natural Life" by Natural Life, "Heal It" by Rama Dyushambee, "Ghana Cha" by Donn Preston Group, "Quernemoen" by Wayne Powell Octet, "Egg Nog" by Tommy Jones, "Attitude" by Organic Pulse Ensemble, "Brass Winds" by The Niambi Big Band, "Freedom" by Brother Yu Sextet, and "Ser Vi Tude" by James Scales & All Stars. CD

This series keeps blowing us away with each new entry – taking us into musical territory that's completely its own, in a way that few other compilations have ever done! The cover is a bit misleading, as the territory here is the farther reaches of hip soul and groovy jazz in the 70s – territory that's slightly spiritual, but not in the more familiar modes of spiritual jazz – as most tunes have a bit of a groove, and the compilation balances instrumental and vocal tracks in this really great way – almost with a compressed approach to righteousness that really packs a heck of a lot of spirit into a shorter sort of track! The whole thing is filled with music we never would have discovered otherwise – and titles include "Wear Me Out" by The Kats, "Low Down Soul" by Jerry Sandifer, "Summertime" by Promotion Soul Concern, "He Does It Better' by Marva Josie, "Brazilica" by Stevens Scott & Dee, "Sometimes" by Penn Central, "Love In Disguise" by The New Hope Project, "A Blind Man Who Can See" by Edmund Sullivan, "She Shut Me Down" by The M+M, "Flower Song" by Shalynn, and "So Far Down" by James Kelly Duhon. CD

A deep dig into the farther reaches of the exotica boom of the late 50s – served up with the same sort of focus on unusual tracks that we love on the other collections from Lux & Ivy! Given the raunchy sound of The Cramps, you might not expect the duo to have as strong of an ear for the softer sounds of the islands – but there was always such a mish-mash of influences going into the postwar pastiche of their sound, and exotica certainly left its mark too! These tracks run from familiar names to much more obscure albums and singles – a very heady package that's divided up into a light CD, and a dark CD – with 34 titles that are awash in exotic percussion, strange sound effects, flute lines, echoey keyboards, vibes, and lots lots more. Titles include "Besame Mucho" by Ralph Font, "Ochun" by Johnny Richards, "Room 43" by Ray Anthony, "125th Street Prophet" by Phil Moore, "Hysteria" by Richard Shores, "Foggy Recollections" by Jack Fascinato, "Algiers" by Bianchi, "Now Is The Hour" by Leo Addeo, "Dawn Under The Sea" by Les Baxter, "Caravan" by Tak Shindo, "I Talk To The Trees" by Ruth Welcome, "Balsa Boat" by Elisabeth Windo, "Ebb Tide" by The Living Strings, "Legend Of The Rain" by Arthur Lyman, and "Head Hunters" by John McFarland. CD

A hefty collection of funky numbers from the Daptone Records label – long-trusted source of sounds from the contemporary underground – and nicely evolving past their roots in recent years! Titles include "Ephra" and "The Proposition" by Budos Band, "Dancer's Mood" by Menehan Street Band, "Iyami Aje" by Antibalas AWOL, "All My Relations" and "Mitote" by Cochema, "El Bouhala" by Innov Gnawa, "Na Teef Know De Road Of Teef" by Pax Nicholas, "Eltsuhg Ibal Lasiti" by The Daktaris, and "Kpon Fi La" by El Rego. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

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(Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, June 12. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning Saturday, June 12. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on June 12 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

The long-overdue release of a killer collection of underground ska from the Jamaican scene of the 60s – a package put together by a small London label to feature the best production work of Kingston producer Lindon Pottinger! These cuts lie in the Trojan Records vaults for decades – and finally see the light of day here, in a soul-drenched tracklist that's overflowing with gems that go way past the obvious – and which remind us yet again that the initial years of Ska were so amazing, all other generations really pale in comparison! The vibe here is a strong mix of influences from American soul and some of the bubbling, hard-stepping rhythms of Jamaica – served up with a brilliant sound on tracks that include "What Have I Done" and "Time Will Tell" by Winston Samuels, "The Ska" by Jackie Estick, "Let's Jump" by The Maytals, "Sammy No Dead" by Clacy Eccles, "Cling To Me" by Horrell Dawkins, "Paradise" by Roy Shirley & Ken, and "Too Late" by Lloyd & Glen. 2CD package features a huge amount of bonus material – 47 more tracks in all, with work by Karl Bryan, Derrick Harriott, Baba Brooks, Winston Samuels, Dobby Dobson, The Cables, The Originators, Clive Bonnie, King Rocky, Ben Levy, and other Pottinger-produced artists. CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, June 12. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning Saturday, June 12. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on June 12 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright. CD

Music from Naked Funk, MC Toro, Soulstaff featuring Cunnie Williams, STP, FM Inc, Ever - C, and His Masters Voice. CD

A classic album featuring music from The Sound Of Jazz – the legendary 1957 TV show that brought together some of the greatest talents then working in jazz! Unusual for TV, the show really seemed to capture the players at their best – and recorded some tremendous live performances that were among the most moving ever filmed by the artists involved. Highlights include "The Train & The River" played by the Jimmy Giuffre Trio, "Fine & Mellow" sung by Billie Holiday, "Rosetta" and "Wild Man Blues" by the Red Allen All-Stars, "Blues" by Jimmy Giuffre & Pee Wee Russell, "I Left My Baby" by Count Basie with Jimmy Rushing, "Dickie's Dream" by Count Basie, and "Nervous", a solo piano number by Mal Waldron. CD

Very righteous work from the legendary catalog of Studio One – material that includes some early reggae numbers mixed with later roots numbers – served up here with a few unreleased tracks as well! Studio one might be known for more soul-based reggae from the late 60s/early 70s, but the tracks here showcase a much deeper current in the label – proof that although Clement Dodd released plenty of his productions during the long career of the company, there's still a lot to be discovered in the vaults! Unreleased tracks include "We're Gonna Climb" by Alton & Zoot, "Hooray" by Wailing Souls, "Rasta Footprints (12" mix)" by Vicedroys, "Afrikan Blood (take 2)" by Judah Eskender Tafari, and "King Alpha (take 2)" by Dennis Lovelock – and the set features unreleased stereo versions of "I Was born A Free Man" by Al & Freddy, "Drought" by Simms & Robinson, and "I Am Free" by The Gaylads" – plus the tunes "Send Another Moses" by The Willows" and "Justice & Peace" by Rodley Brissett. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funky 45 tracks and previously unreleased masters – the best and deepest compilation yet from the Super Funk series on BGP UK – 70s instrumentals and hard funky soul vocal treasures from around the regional US scenes by SOUL, The Eternal Flames, Linda Lyndall, Sue Ann Jones, David Camon, The Ebony Godfathers, The Six Sense and many more! Mission Impossible is the first new compilation in a few years from the top shelf Super Funk series – and the time taken to dig deeper really turns this into the most impressive set yet! 13 of the 20 tracks are previously unreleased masters and there's a lucky 7 from rare 45s. Includes "Burning Spear" by SOUL, "What The Matter For Ya" by Eternal Flames, "Stir It Up" by Johnny Jacobs, "Junkyard Dog" by Miles Grayson, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by David Camon, "Confusion" by The Two Things In One, "Don't Knock My Love" by The Sixth Sense, "Help Me" by Archie Russell, "Fix It" by OC Tolbert and more. CD

A really cool combination of styles – bossa nova rhythms from Brazil, mixed with French language vocals – often given some very cool twists and turns in the arrangements that really make the music sound unique! Make no mistake, there's a definite Brazilian vibe to these cuts – but that also mixed with elements from 60s French pop and soundtrack work, which makes the whole thing sound wonderfully groovy, and a very fresh take on territory that we already love already! In other words, the combination of "French" and "bossa nova" is even better than you might expect – served up here on titles that include "Vai Vai" by Jean Pierre Sabar, "Corto Maltesse" by Sylvia Fels, "Casa Forte" by Isabelle Aubret, "Pas Tant D'Chici Ponpon" by Jean Constantin, "Le Petit Cuica" by Marpessa Dawn, "La Poupee Des Favelas" by Ann Sorel, "Un Enfant Cafe Au Lait" by Charles Level, "T'As Vu Ce Printems" by Aldo Frank, "HLM Et Cine Roman" by Christianne Legrand, "La Lune" by Francoise Legrand, "Aquarela" by Hit Parade Des Enfants, and "Comme Une Samba" by Frank Gerard. CD

Jamaican Ska, and a whole lot more – a key batch of early Studio One recordings that show just how many styles were criss-crossing in Kingston at the time! There's definitely lots of rhythms here that would make a rude boy happy, but there's also some richly soulful vocals that point the way towards rocksteady and reggae to come – and instrumentation that echoes some of the Jamaican styles of the early 60s, including an initial influence from jazz. The set features some tracks that were only ever out on 45s – and titles include "How Many Times" and "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "20 75" and "Sucu Sucu" by Roland Alphonso, "Salt Lane Gal" by The Skatalites, "Gal & Boy" by The Gaylads, "Sit down Servant" and "Push Wood" by Jackie Opel, "The Vow" by Jackie & Doreen, "Finger Mash" by The Blue Beat, and "Roll On Sweet Don" by Don Drummond & Roland Alphonso. CD

An amazing set of offbeat numbers from the darker side of country music in the 60s – tracks that really show the changing currents of the scene, and which open up even more that quality of heartbreak that was always present in the music! Some of the songs here deal more honestly with political and family themes, some are more personal overall – and there's a fantastic range of music within – just what you'd expect from the same folks who gave you the Hillbillies In Hell compilations! Titles include "The Family Way" by Justin Tubb, "Hide My Sin" by Lorene Mann, "No Meaning & No End" by Hank Williams Jr, "Cold Cold Hands" by Lawton Williams, "Four Chrome Wheels" by Trooper Jim Foster, "The Animal Of A Man" by Roger Miller, "Teddy Bear Song" by Norma Jean, "Your Credit Card Won't Get You Into Heaven" by Bobby Bare, and "Push The Panic Button" by Stonewall Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

Norton Records, the reigning deep garage rock relic hunters, have done it again – a straight up incredible batch of rugged, shambling r&b fueled, punk rock prefiguring singles from 1964-1968 – stuff that's never even been officially released! The stuff runs the gamut, from raw, but capable blue eyed interpretations of r&b, to wild instrument bashing in the most hard charging and stumbling tradition. Some of it's ultra low fi, others raw, but with a clarity that could have pushed it closer to the mainstream – totally great stuff that's gotta be fresh news to even the most devoting 60s garage enthusiasts! Titles include "Yesterday We Laughed" by Cirkit, "Too Many Reasons" by Coachmen, "I Want You" by Thorns, "The Hill" by Hidden Charms, "Want Me" by Night Crawlers, "Get Off My Back" by Henchmen, "Hey Baby" by Khuns and more. 14 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Norton Records, the reigning deep garage rock relic hunters, have done it again – a straight up incredible batch of rugged, shambling r&b fueled, punk rock prefiguring singles from 1964-1968 – stuff that's never even been officially released! The stuff runs the gamut, from raw, but capable blue eyed interpretations of r&b, to wild instrument bashing in the most hard charging and stumbling tradition. Some of it's ultra low fi, others raw, but with a clarity that could have pushed it closer to the mainstream – totally great stuff that's gotta be fresh news to even the most devoting 60s garage enthusiasts! Titles include "Life Of My Own" by Loved Ones, "It's Your Choice" by Briks, "I Love You So" by Others, "The Laugh's On You" by Other Ones, "And You Believe Me" by Fabulous Courdels, "I've Paid My Dues" by Creations, "Thinkin Bout It" by Sheep and more. 14 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Norton Records, the reigning deep garage rock relic hunters, have done it again – a straight up incredible batch of rugged, shambling r&b fueled, punk rock prefiguring singles from 1964-1968 – stuff that's never even been officially released! The stuff runs the gamut, from raw, but capable blue eyed interpretations of r&b, to wild instrument bashing in the most hard charging and stumbling tradition. Some of it's ultra low fi, others raw, but with a clarity that could have pushed it closer to the mainstream – totally great stuff that's gotta be fresh news to even the most devoting 60s garage enthusiasts! Titles include "Woman" by Fantatics, "I'm Gone" by Noblemen, "My Heart Is In Pain" by Dave And The Wanderers, "Hey" by Wombats, "Let Me Tell You Girl" by Juveniles, "I Feel So Well" by 4 Dimensions, "I'm On My Own" by Straightjackets, and more. 14 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning compilation of Italian grooves from the early 70's – and one that has a slightly different twist than some of the other one's we've been stocking. The folks at Schema have put this one together, and the set's got a feel that's similar to some of the newer releases they've been working on over the past few years. The grooves are funky, yes, but they also have a light and airy sound, with lots of groovy bossa tinges, cool vocal parts, and the kind of smooth Italian feel that you'd never find on American records from the time. The tracks are played by groups like Expo 80, The Paris Studio Group, The Psycheground Group, The Black Fire, and The Hawksworth Big Band and String. Most of the tracks are breezy and groovy, with a sound that's similar to some of the best stuff on the Sound Gallery compilation – and different than the other funky Italian grooves we've been stocking! Nice one. CD

A really groovy set of tracks – not just the French cha cha promised by the title, but instead this beautiful mash-up of sounds and styles – often with results that are pretty darn unique! Sure, the rhythms are Latin, and the language is French – but there's also strands of crime jazz, soundtrack modes, hi-fi scoring, and other cool approaches of the period – so that the tunes come together with all these wonderful twists and turns, very cool surprises, and often a nice dose of humor as well! Titles include "Le Fil Direct" by Billy's Sax, "Please Mr Hitchcock" by Cassius Simon, "Cha Cha Transistor" by Jack Ary, "Mundial Cha Cha" by Norman Maine, "Ca C'Est Du Proulet" by Los Chiquitos, "Ne Nous Fachons Pas" by Spartaco Sax, "Cha Cha Stop" by Gilian Hills, "Le Soukou Soukou" by Les Kills Cats, and "Marchand De Melons" by Les Bretelles. CD

Includes selections from Philip Aaberg, Paul McCandless, Michael Hedges, Metamora, Michael Manning, Modern Mandolin Quartet, Nightnoise, Thesese Schroeder-Sheker, Turtle Island String Quartet, Fred Simon, Barbara Higbie, Malcolm Dalglish, Stein & Walder, Will Ackerman, and WA Mathieu. CD

Fab French grooves from the end of the 60s – funky, trippy, and a whole lot more – and a set that goes way beyond the sorts of familiar French tracks you'll know from your local coffee shop or bistro! Instead, these tunes really dig deep – very obscure work by artists who were embracing all the best freedoms of the 60s – to mix together elements in this cool, groovy way – often with results that are surprisingly funky! Maybe the best volume in the series so far – and certainly the one that's got the most obscure material – with titles that include "Helga Selzer" by Bernard Chabert, "Hold Up Inusite" by Joana, "Je T'Apprendrai A Faire L'Amour" by Nato, "Tumba (part 2)" by Fatty Nauty, "Notre Homme A Moi" by Jane Et Julie, "Eve" by Bruno Leys, and "Nevralgie Particuliere" by Long Chris. CD

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An excellent collection of rare jazz grooves – the special kind of tracks that effortlessly mix up influences and styles, with a result that makes each and every number a real standout in the set! This is the third volume in the series, and the mix of music is wonderful – tunes from artists who are definitely jazz, and who have sophistication that goes way past familiar funky modes – into territory that's often far-reaching, and influenced by spiritual modes – even though all the tracks have a great little groove! There's plenty of fantastic modal moments in the collection, and although the core energy of the package comes from the 70s underground jazz scene, there's also some great bits from other periods too. Titles include "Nepal" by Bjorn Alkes Kvartette, "Probuzeni" by Jazz Celula "Dawn" by Sangram, "Manteca" by Phineas Newborn Jr, "Pan African Ballet Music" by Karlton Hester & The Contemporary Jazz Art Movement, "Hasta La Victra Siempra" by Copa Salvo, "Impressions" by Stafford James Ensemble, "Middle Passage" by Tyrone Jefferson, "Aladdin's Carpet" by Beaver Harris, and "24 Carat" by Gabor Szabo. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from a new wave of music that hit the east African coast in the 70s – music from Zanzibar that echoes a lot of the swirling, echoing, other-worldly modes of the Ethiopian scene at the same time – often done with highly-inflected vocals next to a spacey organ line, stark percussion, and some occasional reed passages as well! As you'd guess from the title, the tracks here hail from the coastal cities of Mombasa and Tanga – and they've got a really haunting quality that may well make this one of the best volumes we've ever heard from the Zanzibara series – and one of the few to really rival the genius of the similar Ethiopiques releases. As with those, there's music here we never would have heard otherwise – 15 titles that include "Sikio" by Mohammed Mrisho & Black Star, "Humvui Alovikwa" by Zuhura & Party, "Mapenzi Yamepungua" by Shakila & Lucky Star, "Binti" by Matano & Morning Star, "Nisaidie Mpenzi" by Zein Musical Party, "Kabibi" by Maulidi Musical Party, "Mpishi" by Ali Mkali & Sta Mvita, and "Manahodha" by Malika & Party. CD

Mostly recent recordings by Bi Kidude – billed here as "the diva of Zanzibari music", and supported by a great set of material that certainly helps her live up to this title! Kidude sings in a haunting, almost ancient kind of way – very thin-voiced, but powerful – often snaking over instrumentation that includes accordion, keyboards, violins, and a host of Zanzibari instruments. As with other titles in the series, the package and presentation are a godsent to the uninitiated – with full notes on both Kidude and the music, as well as a bit of cultural history on Zanzibari music. Titles include "Msondo", "Jua Toka", "Ya Laiti", "Suhuba Ya Dai", "Pakistani", "Alaminadura", "Beru", and "Khaifu". CD

14 tracks from Tito Puente & His Orchestra, Beny More & His All Star Afro Cuban Orchestra, Tito Rodriguez & His Orchestra, Noro Morales Afro Cuban Jazz Quintet, Orquesta Aragon, Aldemaro Romero & His All Star Afro Cuban Orchestra, Perez Prado & His Orchestra, Beny More And His Orchestra, El Original Cuarteto D'Aida, and Beny More With The Rafael De Paz Orchestra. CD

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold – a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks – incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth! LP, Vinyl record album

Live like a funky legend with this massively-stuffed Daptone Gold collection – filled with gems from one of the coolest, funkiest record labels of the past 20 years! The set features a few special tracks for the collection, plus some numbers from old Daptone 45s – making a full length debut here – plus lots more of the classic-styled cuts that make the label so great – some of the first and best of the new wave of funk that first broke on these shores at the end of the 90s – still handled by Daptone better than most! There's loads of deep soul vocals, hard funky drums, sweet guitar lines, keyboards, and other classic soul touches – and exclusive tracks include "Thunderclap" by The Dap Kings and "You Gotta Move" by Naomi Shelton – alongside other titles that include "Dirty Money" by Antibalas, "Luv Jones" by Charles Bradley & Larose Jackson, "Little Boys With Shiny Toys" by Sharon Jones, "Sinner" by Naomi Shelton, "The Traitor" by Menahan Street Band, "Witches Boogaloo" by Sugarman 3, "Unbroken Unshave" by Budos Band, "Look Closer" by Saun & Starr, "Strictly Reserved" by Charles Bradley, and "Out Of The Wilderness" by Como Mamas. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly great set from Either/Orchestra – easily their finest album ever, and a wicked batch of Ethiopian funk! The set's a very faithful homage to the best Ethiopian styles of the 70s – with lots of echoes of the generation of Mulatu, who also makes a guest appearance himself on the album! Bits of Afro Funk come into play with more complicated jazz – making for a really unique approach to the music that stays faithful to its roots, but also somehow extrapolates the best elements and pulls them even more strongly forward. Features percussion by Mulatu, tenor sax by Getachew Mekurya, and vocals by Bahta Gebre-Heywet, Michael Belayneh, and Tsendia Gebre-Marqos. 2CD set includes the tracks "Soul Tezeta", "Amlak Abet Abet", "Muziqawi Silt", "Yezemed Yebada", "Eyeye", "Embi Ba", "Shellela", "Bati", "Feger Aydelem Wey", and "Keset Eswa Betcha". Almost a tribute to the sound of the Ethiopiques series – played with some of its key stars from older years! CD

Heavy funk from 70s Ghana – a sweet little set that's filled with rare and unusual grooves! The collection's got a strong focus on unreleased and very obscure material – and from what we can tell, none of these tracks have been reissued at all! The work here is not only funky, but it's also got some really offbeat qualities too – a bit psych-oriented at times, in the way the production comes together, or in the style of the instrumentation – a lot less crossover-oriented than some of the other grooves coming from other parts of the African scene in the 70s, although there's plenty of numbers here that would appeal to fans of American funk and soul. Titles include "Accra Makola" and "Kofi Wedzidzi" by Cutlass Dance Band, "Okuan Tsentsen Awar" and "Mber Papa" by CK Mann, "Kwaakwa" and "I Am Black" by Apagya Show Band, "Bolga Besia" by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, "Dza Hunu Tso" by Amartey Hedzoleh, "Amponsah" by Ebo Taylor, and "Read The Bible" by Rob. CD

A killer killer compilation – the sort we've been dying to own for years! It's a well known fact that there's plenty of funky nuggets hidden amidst 70s gospel recordings – massive grooves and break-heavy tracks that rank right up there with the best indie funk from the same time. Yet tracking down these tunes has always been plenty tough – given that most gospel records sold in different circles, had different distribution, and often are less easy to decipher for the crate digger than more conventional funk and soul. Enter the folks at Numero – who have really gone all out this time around, and dug through piles and piles of rare gospel records to come up with a whopping batch of great tracks! This set is definitely ground zero for getting into funky gospel – and it's filled with far more obscure work than the Soul Gospel set on Soul Jazz – all indie numbers from small labels that only got minor distribution at the time. As usual with Numero, the notes and package match the soulful depth and righteousness of the music – and the set is one of the most perfectly wrapped-up genre compilations we've ever seen! 18 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Thank The Lord" by Mighty Voices Of Wonder, "This Old World Is Going Down" by The Modulations, "Look Where He Brought Us" by The Apostles Of Music, "Thoughs (sic) Were The Days" by LaVice & Company, "Bad Situation" by 5 Spiritual Tones, "God Been Good To Me" by Mighty Walker Brothers, "O Yes My Lord" by Voices Of Conquest, "We Don't Love Enough" by Triumphs, "Heaven On Their Minds" by Sam Taylor, "God Will Dry My Weeping Eyes" by Horace Family, and "I Call Him" by Masonic Wonders. CD

The hits of 77 here aren't the big American chart hits of 1977 – but instead are some key cuts from the Jamaican scene in Kingston – served up here in versions produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger! And in fact, it might be a stretch to call all these cuts hits – but that's OK with us, because the set works best as a musical snapshot of evolving 70s reggae from Pottinger's perspective – which, as always, represents the more soulful side of the spectrum – that move forward from earlier rocksteady inspiration, served up with more of a late 70s reggae vibe. Titles include "Anywhere You want To Go" by Calman Scott, "Without Love" by Hell & Fire, "Up Park Camp" by Turnel McCormack & The Cordells, "I'm Still In Love" by Maureen Pearson, "Run For Your Life" by Earth & Stone, and "Ghetto Girl" by The Fantells. PLUS, this 2CD version features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 34 more numbers added to the original album, most unavailable since the 70s – all Pottinger-produced tracks by Jimmy Riley, Delroy Wilson, Earth & Stone, Reggae George, Bobby Ellis & The Revolutionaries, Al Brown, Astley Bennett, The Prince Brothers, U Roy, Owen Gray, Soul Syndicate, and others. CD

Beautiful sounds from the island of Java – material that has some of the rhythmic components that you'll know from their famous recordings of gamelan music, but which also includes some other elements too – including great use of flute, zither, and the female voice! The tunes are really lovely – all nice and long, and really taking the right time to build – with a hypnotic quality that's never too over the top – just this organic flow that really unlocks the way that Indonesian music has a sense of time and space that's completely its own. The set is half instrumental, half vocal – and titles include "Bayubud/Liwung/Bungur", "Palwa/Lalayaran", "Lor-Loran/Erang Barong/Tablo", "Sinyur/Samarangan", and "Panyawang/Pamekaran/Samar Samar". CD

Rare rock from the Golden Triangle scene of Southeast TX in the late 60s and early 70s – a well-curated overview of the stylistically sprawling material being cut at Mickey Rouse's Lowland Recording Studio in Beaumont! Texas rock of the late 60s and early 70s justifiably brings to mind acts like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Bubble Puppy – tripped out psychedelia in other words, but Texas is huge, and there was a heck of a lot more going on than just the best remembered cult favorites. The music coming out of just the Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Texas "triangle" chronicled here was incredibly diverse. It includes proto TX boogie rock that's a clear precursor to early ZZ Top, harmony flavored numbers that sound closer to Cali than they do The Lone Star State, one track that somehow fuses CS&N with The Beatles and does so with prominent cowbell in the mix (and it's good!!!), punchy psych grit, and swaggering country rock with some twang in the strings that feels a bit more profoundly Texan. You don't need our word that The Numero Group has devoted some serious attention to detail – with a 35-page booklet of notes, photos and histories, plus the impressive Lost In The Golden Triangle "family tree" of the regional musicians involved – as if discovering these long buried regional relics wasn't impressive enough already. Beautiful! 22 tracks in all: "Trash One" by the Lowland Studio Band, "Live My Life Today" by Insight Out, "Simple House" by Mother Lion, "Love Of The Morning" by Circus, "Take A Look At Your Friends" by Next Exit, "You Know I Love You" by Roy Briggs & Alton Tew, "Calling Me Home (Demo)" by Donald Thomas and more. CD

Magical music from the days when radio really mattered – an assortment of raw and raunchy singles all popularized by Pittsburgh DJ Mad Mike Metrovich in the 60s! Mad Mike had an ear that was unlike anyone else – a way of seeking out unusual tunes with a gritty edge – cuts that fell far from the charts, and included a rich array of garage, instrumental, and R&B-influenced styles! Even at the height of his popularity, Mike was dedicated to digging up little-heard singles – and would often work towards keeping them obscure by covering up the labels – a practice that was still yet to come in hip hop or Northern soul scenes. This amazing series does a great job of making Mike's music live again – combining rare singles with a few radio spots too – and packaging the whole thing will full notes on Mike, the Pittsburgh scene, and the rich array of record stores and radio stations that allowed music this great to exist! Titles on this third volume include "Firewater" by Premieres, "Strollie Bun" by Blonde Bomber, "Malanese" by Avalons, "Monkey Man" by Baby Huey & The Babysitters, "The Birds" by Motivations, "Oo Ma Liddi" by JJ Jackson & The Jackals, "Cotton" by Duvals, "Come On Back" by Big Syl Barnes, "Zebra" by Youngsters, "Done Done The Slop" by Ervin Rucker, "Cherry Juice" by Marino Choice, "The Hunch" by Mad Mike & The Maniacs, and "Uncle John" by Wild Child Gipson. LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime bossa groovers from Italy! The first volume of this series was one of our favorite compilations that year it was released – and this second volume is equally as great! Schema groover Gerardo Frisina serves up a hand-picked batch of 16 tunes, mostly classic numbers from the late 60s and early 70s, pulled from the ranks of Italian soundtrack, jazz, and easy listening albums – all with a flair for making the bossa even groovier than it already is! Electric keyboards abound – and the rhythms run from dreamy to driving to slightly funky, always at the right pace for the material, and always making the set dance with delight! Titles include "Incontro All'Aereoporto" by Piero Piccioni, "Allora, Il Treno" by Bruno Nicolai & Edda Dell'Orso, "Avances" by Gerardo Frisina, "Wind" by Red Redford Sound System One, "Bossalonga" by Mustang, "Unreality Landscape" by Angel Pocho Gatti, "Susan Theme" by Daniele Patucchi, "Per Lei" by Stefano Torossi, and "Colpa Tua" by Giancarlo Gazzani. CD

We'll be the first to admit that we're never that comfortable with efforts to out gay and bi performers in pop music – especially if such outing is never the choice of the performers themselves – but this package is a fair bit better than most, thanks to some careful handling by compiler Jon Savage! As with some of his other efforts, Savage does a great job of drawing lines between unlikely sources – pulling together bits of 60s pop that are less explicit about their content and desires, and using them to start a path that leads into more openly expressive work from the glam, punk, and disco years of the 70s. As with other Trikont packages, the set features full notes on the music and each track – both in German and English – and the CD boasts a wonderfully eclectic batch of material that includes "Eros" by Rod McKuen, "At The Black Cat" by Jose, "See My Friend" by The Kinks, "Kay Why" by The Brothers Butch, "Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Coochy Coo" by Polly Perkins, "Closet Queen" by Harrison Kennedy, "Astral Cowboy" by Curt Boettcher, "I Was Born This Way" by Valentino, "Ain't Nobody Straight In LA" by The Miracles, "53rd & 3rd" by The Ramones, "Trouble At The Cup" by Black Randy & The Metro Squad, "The Man I Love" by Zebedy, and "These Boots" by Teddy & Darrel. 24 tracks in all. CD

Soul power 1968, but Kingston-style too – served up here in a host of gems from the vaults of Jamaican producer Duke Reid! The material is from a perfect moment in Reid's career – a time when he was changing his well-crafted Treasure Isle groove from ska to rocksteady – bringing in a new wave of inspiration from American soul, similar to the work at the start of the 60s that first inspired Jamaican artists to take off in some new directions of their own! The mode here is a blend of styles you might hear on Atlantic or Stax, but set to rhythms that are much more Jamaican – sometimes with soulful vocals in the lead, sometimes working as an answer to American soul instrumental singles of the time. Titles include "Come On Little Girl" by The Melodians, "Funky Beat" by Lloyd Williams, "In The Midnight Hour" by The Silvertones, "Soul Power" by Radcliff Butler, "Music Is My Occupation" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Black Power" by Winston Wright, and "What More Can I Do" by Clive & Doreen. 2CD set features a stunning 30 bonus tracks – 18 titles of which are new to CD, 3 of which appear here for the first time – material from The Sensations, Hopeton Lewis, Lloyd Tyrell, Joya Landis, The Gladiators, Yardbrooms, Phyllis Dillon, Tommy McCook, and others. 42 tracks in all! CD

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright. CD

Jamaican Ska, and a whole lot more – a key batch of early Studio One recordings that show just how many styles were criss-crossing in Kingston at the time! There's definitely lots of rhythms here that would make a rude boy happy, but there's also some richly soulful vocals that point the way towards rocksteady and reggae to come – and instrumentation that echoes some of the Jamaican styles of the early 60s, including an initial influence from jazz. The set features some tracks that were only ever out on 45s – and titles include "How Many Times" and "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "20 75" and "Sucu Sucu" by Roland Alphonso, "Salt Lane Gal" by The Skatalites, "Gal & Boy" by The Gaylads, "Sit down Servant" and "Push Wood" by Jackie Opel, "The Vow" by Jackie & Doreen, "Finger Mash" by The Blue Beat, and "Roll On Sweet Don" by Don Drummond & Roland Alphonso. LP, Vinyl record album