Aguaturbia look pretty wild on the cover – or pretty naked, at least – but they've got a sound on the set that's much more down to earth, with a surprising influence at times from American soul! This Chilean combo first formed at the end of the 60s, and they've got a cool female singer who draws on Anglo modes and often sings in English – moving easily between soul styles and slinkier, sexier ones – all of which makes for a set that's filled with surprises throughout! The instrumentation definitely gets a bit heady at times – matching more of your expectation of the group's look on the cover – but the whole thing's not just wild for wild's sake, as Aguaturbia have a great way with putting the whole thing together – from the choice of cuts to overall presentation. Titles include "Erotica", "Baby", "Rollin & Tumblin", "Carmesi Y Trebol", "Uno De Estos Dias", "Alguien Para Amar", and "Ah Ah Ah". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful statement from tenorist Jimi Ahlroos – maybe not a name you'll know, but one you'll love after hearing this fantastic record! Jimi's got a rich voice on his horn – one that starts way down at the bottom and brims right over the top – and he blows here in a superb trio with accompaniment from Tuomo Purhonen on bass and Mooses Kuloniemi – a group who bring a very different format to the sax trio format than usual! Where some combos of this nature are maybe looser, and let the tenorist break free in their own space – here, all three elements are very unified, with an especially strong relationship between the bass and tenor – which only seems to deepen the tone of the latter – on titles that include "Kouvo's Dance", "Blues", and "Dave Had A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real! CD

A great little fusion set from Airto – recorded in a mode that's a great bridge between his acoustic roots and some of his smoother albums in years to come! The sound has some key electric elements here – bits of bass, guitar, and keyboards – but there's still a strongly acoustic sound overall too, one that leaves plenty of room for Airto's unique jams on percussion, plus a bit of vocals from the lovely Flora Purim. Airto's got some top-shelf talents helping him out here – Billy Cobham on production, and Stanley Clarke and Milcho Leviev on arrangements – and there's a nice sense of darkness going on that even separates the album from some of Airto's other mid 70s sides on CTI. Titles include "Peasant Dance", "Musikana", "Virgin Land", and "Hot Sand". CD

No rift in decorum here – as the record may well be one of the tightest, most focused efforts we've ever heard from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a beautifully-played live set from a really wonderful quartet! Ambrose shapes his notes perfectly throughout – over these building, blocky piano parts from Sam Harris – whose sense of color both balances and amplifies the presence of the leader. The pairing is so great, we might almost miss the work of Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums – except for moments when they burst out in waves of richness that are very inspirational. The song style and length shifts throughout, but never breaks the cohesiveness of the set – and titles include "Brooklyn", "Moment In Between The Rest", "Umteyo", "Maurice & Michael", "Taymoor's World", "Condor", "Withered", and "HAMS". CD

A landmark album that shaped Latin jazz for years to come! The format of the set borrows heavily from the previous Cuban Jam Session LPs, but gives it a real New York twist that made the Alegre albums much stronger overall – and much more influential in a wider spectrum. A core group fo well-known players – Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Kako, Jose Chombo Silva, and others – come together in the studio magically – setting egos aside, and bringing their best work to the table in a hard-jamming style that defined the crackling jazz-based "descarga" style of the time. In addition to that, the production style has lots of conversation and hanging out sounds between the tracks, really setting the feel for the album with a great spirit that goes on to touch the music as well! A treasure that's still one of the best examples of the jam session at work – and with titles that include "Soy Feliz, "Ay Camino Y Ven", "Almendra", "Para Ti", and "Estoy Buscando a Kako". LP, Vinyl record album

Duets between ex-Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali and avant violinist Leroy Jenkins. Jenkins has a haunting ability to generate a wide range of sounds on the violin – pushing him past the usual snoozy jazz violinists of his generation (like Jean-Luc Ponty), and which make him a perfect sound-sensitive foil for a percussionist like Ali. The record has 4 long tracks – "The Past", "It's For You", "The Stomp", and "Swift Are The Winds Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from a perfectly-matched trio – an all-star lineup, even though pianist Geri Allen was just at the start of her career – and a group who'd already given the world a few different studio albums on other labels! The set follows up with more material from the group's sessions for DIW at the Village Vanguard – and trust us, the material here is every bit as great as the work that was first issued decades back – a perfect balance between the lyrical flights of Geri Allen on the piano, the warmly round basslines of Charlie Haden, and the measured drum work of Paul Motian – a set that's free of ego, and which really has all three players working in wonderfully sympathetic company. Titles include "Fiasco", "In Walked Bud", "Obtuse Angles", "Two Women From Padua", "Mambo Jumbo", "Song For The Whales", "Dance Of Infidels", "Dancing In The Dark", and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was". CD

A never-issued live performance from a really incredible trio – and a set that has reedman Perry Robinson coming across with some of the bold energy he brought to his important avant recordings on the New York scene of the 60s! The pairing of Barry Altschul's drums and David Izenson's bass is wonderful – as they work with that freewheeling sense of rhythm learned from their earliest experiences with important avant players a decade before, and Izenson's especially great here, as he moves between plucked and bowed passages that remind us just how great he can be in the right setting! Robinson is a delight throughout, and his use of clarinet continues to be a next step past the work of Jimmy Giuffre in terms of free, avant expression on the instrument – much sharper here than on some of his more common European recordings from the period. The set features four long improvisations – and is a revelation throughout! CD

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Quite an obscure date from trumpeter Cat Anderson – done for the tiny Wynne label in 1959, and in a great small group approximation of the Duke Ellington spirit! Anderson's trumpet is set nicely in a very hip little group – with players who include Ray Nance on violin, Quentin Jackson on trombone, Budd Johnson on tenor sax, Rudy Powell on alto, Leroy Lovett on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. The tracks are mostly Ellington standards, but are often done with a looser sort of feel than familiar takes – more small combo and open, in a way that really makes us appreciate Cat's skills for putting the set together. Titles include "Like Dig", "Chelsea Bridge", "The Mexican Bandit", "Lovelinnessence", "Between Some Place Goin No Place", and "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Trombonist Clifton Anderson always makes us wait way too long between his albums as a leader – but each of his sets is definitely worth the anticipation, and seems to push Clifton's music forward a fair bit more than before! This album's a gem through and through – all original music, save one Bacharach tune – played with a core group that includes Stephen Scott on piano, Buster Williams on bass and either Ronnie Burrage or Al Foster on drums – but open to a shifting array of players who include Peter Bernstein on guitar, Antoine Roney on soprano and tenor, Rene McLean on tenor, and Victor See Yuen on percussion – players who open things up past Anderson's already-great phrasing on the trombone, which is especially striking on a few tunes that feature some less conventional instrumentation. Titles include "Nana D", "Mission Statement", "TUBC", "Sista Gemini", "Sonny Says", "Been Down This Road Before", and "Mysticancients". CD

Two Japanese jazz giants rise up here and really make the album shine – the legendary Akira Sakata on reeds and the great Takeo Moriyama on drums – both players who almost seem to outdo the other members of the quartet, who include Johan Berthling on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and percussion! Sakata blows Bb clarinet and alto, and his edge is as sharp as ever – and his occasional vocalizations have equal bite – while the balance between Moriyama and Nilssen-Love is great too – movements between very organic pulses of sound and more intense percussion workouts. Titles include "Hamabe No Uta", "Ondo No Hunauta", "Colour Flames", "Man Came From Strange Kiswahiri", and "Clay". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little set of post-folk rock – with lots of lovely baroque touches! Ars Nova were really short-lived group – known for only two rare records – but they've got a sound that perfectly sums up a generation! There's a wonderful LA late 60s sound here – somewhere between Love and The Byrds, with the baroque touches of the former and the best country influences of the latter – all wrapped up in earnest, honest songwriting that makes even the ambitious moments come across with surprising charm. A true lost relic, and the kind of record that should be in any late 60s cannon! Titles include "Album In Your Mind", "Pavan For My Lady", "General Clover Ends A War", "And How Am I To Know", "Fields Of People", "Automatic Love", and "Song To The City". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the "alternate" in the title fool you, because it's not like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago are getting all alt-rock or anything – nor is the album a set of alternate takes! Instead, the album's one of their best from the time – a well-crafted set of tunes, recorded in very familiar company in Chicago – issued only for the Japanese market by DIW. There's a richly organic quality to some of the tunes – as many of the numbers are sparer, more thoughtful tracks that focus on spare percussion and instrumental interplay between members of the group. The album also features the longer tune "Kush", which gets fairly outside at times – plus shorter numbers that include "Imaginary Situations", "And There Was Peace", "Whatever Happens", and "Alternate Express". CD

One of the headiest albums ever recorded by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – a brilliant mix of noise and silence that rivals some of the greatest genius of the 20th century avant composition! The album's lead track "Ohnedaruth" builds slowly with a variety of percussion – traveling in People In Sorrow territory that shows a remarkable sense of sound and space. All members of the group pick up some percussion to build the track as it goes along – then follow suit with a more reed-based approach on the other extended tune on the album, "Lebert Aaly" – the group's brilliant tribute to the late Albert Ayler! The sound is incredibly deep and textured – and draws a clear line between creative improvisation and technical composition that puts the group alongside Cage and Hindemuth! CD

ASGP stands for Asian Super Guitar Project – another name for the wonderful trio interplay here between Kazumi Watanabe, Eugene Pao, and Jack Lee – players who shift between acoustic and electric instruments, and have a really wonderful way of coming together, at a level that rivals some of the older American fusion projects of this nature! The three play with only percussion from Lewis Pragasm for support – leaving lots of fantastic space for interplay between the strings – shifting melody and rhythm in a really beautiful way, on titles that include "Spanish Fried Rice", "Off Side", "Waiting In The Rain", "Asian Triangle", "For The Children", and "Made In France". CD

Pianist Eve Risser joins the Attic trio of Rodrigo Amado on tenor, Goncalo Almeida on bass, and Onno Govaert on drums – adding in another stunning sonic layer to their rich tapestry of sound! Risser's got an oft-moody tone on the piano, which lends itself beautifully as a balance to the more soulful expressions of Amado's tenor – a horn that's played in ways that are often free, but always with a sense of cohesion that's wonderful – something that's answered by Eve with some bolder passages on the keys. Bassist Almeida has a great way of lurking in the sonic space, really uniting the performances as he moves between notes and rhythms – on titles that include "Corps", "Peau", "Phrase", and "Pierre". CD

Takumi Awaya's pictured on the cover along with his bass – in an image that will give you an idea of the richness of the set, with Awaya's instrument often stepping out as the leading force of the trio – alongside the piano of Takuma Yamamoto and Naoki Takahashi! Yamamoto still gets in plenty of space, but the record, which is a live one, is often a lot more about the interaction between bass and piano instead of just having the piano in the lead – captured with warm tones that really recall some of the more inventive Japanese trio sessions of the 70s. Titles include a great remake of the Ryo Fukui tune "Mellow Dream" – plus "Pretty Woodstock", "Breeze Suite", "I Should Care", and "Too Late Now". CD

A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". And then, if that's not enough, the 2CD package also features more material from the Prophecy sessions – 6 more tracks originally issued on the Albert Smiles With Sunny album – with titles that include "Saints", "Children", "Ghosts", "Spirits", and "Wizard" – all in different versions. CD

One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still steeped in free jazz and new thing ideals, but infused with a free-thinking approach to the music that allows for bold new styles and sounds. In addition to his own stunning work on tenor, Ayler's also blowing bagpipes and vocalizing a bit next to singer Mary Maria, who does a great recitation on one track of the record. Rhythm is by the two-bass team of Stafford James and Bill Folwell, next to drums by Muhammad Ali – and the whole thing's capped off by guitarist Henry Vestine, who plays in modes that range from bluesy to free. At the time, this one was kind of dismissed as a messed-up mistake that occurred at the end of Ayler's too-short life – but honestly, over the years, this record really really opens itself to us more and more, and we have to say that we think it's one of his most groundbreaking albums! Titles include "Island Harvest", "Drudgery", "Oh Love Of Life", "Masonic Inborn (part 1)", and "A Man Is Like A Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the sweetest electric records to come from 70s Brazil – the fabulous first effort from the Azymuth trio, and work that's hardly been matched again! Although the group here have plenty of the warm keyboard touches of their more famous later work, they're also moving in territory that's a bit more abstract as well – using some noisier electronics amidst the smoother ones, to create a style that's somewhere between fusion, electric funk, and some of the more soaring Brazilian rhythms of the post-bossa years! The keyboards of Jose Roberto Bertrami are worth the price of admission alone – and include Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – plus bits of Hammond organ too! There's more than a few great breaks and samples on the set – and titles include "Brazil", "Caca De Conta", "Melo Dos Dois Bicudos", "Manha", "Periscopio", and "Montreal City". LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly well-rounded sounds from a mighty strong trio – a group who are certainly aware of some of the newer modes of expression that have opened up for the piano trio in the 21st Century, but who also balance things out with a more standard approach from time to time too! There's a very cohesive blend of elements here – drums from Mark Guiliana, bass (both electric and acoustic) from Tim Lefebre, and acoustic and electric piano from Jeff Babko – in a modes that move between hardbop swinging and more tangled-up approaches that really emphasize a rhythmic energy. Most tracks are nice and long – and titles include "New Wave Theater", "This West", "The Church Of Bill Hilton", "Chongo's Song", "Boo Boo's Birthday", and "Fugue Robotique". LP, Vinyl record album

The overlooked legacy of Bachdenkel – maybe not the biggest name on the British scene at the start of the 70s, but a group who were initially signed to Philips, and made some really fantastic music at the time! The group are a trio, and it's a bit hard to sum up the quality of the work in easy words – as it's sometimes very personal, but not folksy at all – other times a bit more instrumentally intense, yet not really prog either – always somewhat dark overall, and never trying at all for an easy hook or the kind of track that might have gotten them any sort of radio play at all. The initial album on the set is Lemmings, a moody masterpiece that Philips only issued in France, but which is a stunning piece of work – and the second record, Stalingrad, got even less circulation at the time, but is equally powerful too. The 3CD set features both those records, plus lots of bonus tracks added to each – and a full bonus CD of material from 1967 through the 70s – 22 more tracks that really fill in the space between the main records, as does the very detailed notes that come with the package. 50 tracks in all – and long overdue! CD

A rare meeting of two musical modernists – legendary improvising guitarist Derek Bailey and percussionist Paul Motian – the latter of whom is in some of his freest territory ever next to Bailey! The set features one long improvisation, plus a shorter encore – both really tremendous and in this space that's a definite meeting of the minds – with Derek maybe working at a level that's slightly more earthy next to some of Motian's percussion, while Paul finds this way to spontaneously move between more subtle sonic expressions and bolder moments of rhythm! The balance is great – an especially unique chapter in Bailey's long legacy of albums of this nature, and a key addition to Motian's catalog as well. LP, Vinyl record album

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as it's one of those nicely stripped-down sessions that Chet Baker recorded overseas in the last years of his life – done in close collaboration with the great Nicola Stilo, a musician who really helps bring something special out in Baker's music! Nicola plays guitar, flute, and piano – shifting between each to fit the mood of the long, blue performances by Chet – and the pair also get help from bassist Rocky Knauer, who comes in gently to just move things along with a light touch. Tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Arborway", "Margarine", "Zingaro", "You Can't Go Home Again", "DS Dilemma", and "But Not For Me". CD

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". LP, Vinyl record album

HB's second album for RCA – done in a rollicking mode that has lots of the jazz and soul touches that would show up in his later arrangements for Lou Rawls! HB sings, plays piano, and did the arrangements for the whole set – grooving things in a punched-up mode that has lots of jazzy touches, and plenty of percolated space between the notes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "The Last Dance", "Round Midnight", "Save The Bones For Henry Jones", "An Old Piano Plays the Blues", and "Wham". CD

A tremendous package of work from this overlooked soul and gospel legend – four classic albums, plus other rare material too – all packaged with detailed notes in the wonderful Numero Group style! First up is Like A Ship Without A Sail – a gospel album from Pastor TL Barrett, but one that's gone on to legendary status among funk and soul collectors over the years! Barrett works here with his Youth For Christ Choir – a south side ensemble that's filled with genuine spirit and passion, aimed towards lofty ideals – but set up with some deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that keep things razor sharp throughout! The album was supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with other Chess players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch on the sessions too – and the music is filled with raw drums, heavy bass, and lots of great organ lines! Next is Do Not Pass Me By Vol 1 – an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like A Ship album – a strong ear for the best secular elements of the time, which are used liberally in the instrumental backing – to really send home the message in the music! Most tunes really soft-pedal the religion, and instead go for an overall feel that really crosses over to regular soul music. Next is the great second volume of Do Not Pass Me By – like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. I Found The Answer is one of the biggest-circulating albums from this fantastic figure in Chicago gospel – a unique set done for the Gospel Truth subsidiary of Stax Records, but a set served up in the same blend of soul-based inspirations as some of TL Barrett's indie label releases back home in the Windy City! Plus, the package features a full album of Singles & Sermons – rare non-LP material by this seminal figure in both soul and spiritual music. CD

A heavily percussive set from the Polish scene at the end of the 60s – music that appears here for the first time as a commercial release, and which has a mix of drums and different instruments that would have been right at home as a late 50s Living Stereo album from RCA! The music has a very dynamic range – with a mix of percussive sources at the bottom, used in ways that move between Latin and exotica – topped with flute on a number of tracks, in a way that furthers the sonic space of the tracks with some wonderful woodwind action! The whole thing's mighty nice – jazzy at times, more bachelor pad at others – with titles that include "Bank Bank", "Namiastka", "Samba Karnawalowa", "Ostryga Pustyni", "Nadszedl Czas", and "Taniec Grzebienia". CD

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". CD features 5 bonus tracks too – including "The Late Late Show", "Sleepwalker's Serenade", and "Silks & Satins". CD

An early collaboration between Count Basie and Norman Granz – and a real cooker too! Granz shows some great foresight here – grabbing Basie at a time when his group was just getting its groove back, and really learning how to hit a more modern sound! The set includes some great tenor sax work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Paul Quinichette –and titles include "Sure Thing", "Jive At Five", "Every Tub", and "New Basie Blues". In a great David Stone Martin cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bit of Brazilian fusion from this great Dutch group! The album has the feel of some of the excellent Brazilian jazz sides coming out of the Bay Area during the late 70s – a mixture of electric and acoustic instrumentation, with lots of tight percussion, warm jazzy flourishes, and some great vocals by singer Jose Koning. The percussion on the album's very strong – as you might guess from the group's name – and the album's filled with some great originals like "Listen To The Land", "Oceans Between Us", "Beyond Words", and "Little Rudy's Theme", plus nice versions of "Ponteio" and "Vera Cruz". CD

Very dark-tinged sound library work from Battaglia – a set of tracks that might be perfect for some of the moodier horror films of the early 80s! The music is all electronic, and seems to hang in a space between analog and digital – often pulsating with a real sense of sonic wave, so that the melodic elements are as rhythmic as the percussive ones! There's a great sense of space in the tunes too – not in ways that are sleepy, but which really let the spare elements in the tunes resonate in space in this really great way – making you wonder just how Battaglia can happen to make these familiar instruments sound so sinister! The whole thing would be a perfect record to blare out on your front porch on October 31st if you don't want any trick-or-treaters – and titles on this first volume include "After Hours", "Underground", "A Quiet Place", "White Flowers", "Prisoners", "Escape", "Computer Lab", and "Chemical". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing set from Bedlam – a group who only ever gave the world one full album at the time, a set that stands as a great bridge between generations and styles on the UK hard rock scene! The group's most famous member is drummer Cozy Powell – the ersatz leader of the lineup – but the whole combo hits on all burners, with great lead vocals from Frank Aiello, guitar from Dave Ball, and bass from Dennis Ball – plus keyboards on the set from both Max Middleton and Felix Pappalardi – the latter of whom produced. Powell's drums are fantastic throughout – really driving the whole thing along – and Aiello comes across like some lost lead act from the glory days of the arena scene. The set features one killer break track called "Seven Long Years" – a stone jammer that begins with some great drums that break nicely into guitars – and other titles include "Believe In You", "Hot Lips", "Sweet Sister Mary", "Putting On The Flesh", "Set Me Free", and "The Beast". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, soul, and currents of American funk that Jorge created in his music – turned here towards some of the unusual themes that showed up on his Tabua De Esmeralda album, but maybe given a bit more punch, too – so that even without the benefit of language, the vocals and grooves on the set are completely captivating to a global audience! There's loads of fresh sounds here – some real under-discovered gems from Jorge's key 70s years – and titles include "Cuidado Com O Bulldog", "Zagueiro", "Para Ouvir No Radio (Luciana)", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Dumingaz", "Se Segura Malandro", and "Jesualda". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of late 60s Columbia classics from Tony Bennett – back to back on a single CD! First up is Tony Makes It Happen – a very jazzy album, with a group that features Joe Wilder and Joe Newman on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Joe Soldo on flute, and orchestrations from Marion Evans – all of whom really bring out those unique qualities that set Bennett apart from so many other singers in his generation! Where a Vic Damone might have used his inherent richness to push things over the top, the maturing Tony is a master of restraint – still able to run the full gamut of his amazing range, but set up with these beautiful arrangements that bring some adult understanding to the tunes, in a beautifully subtle vibe. Titles include "What Makes It Happen", "I Don't Know Why", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "She's Funny That Way", "A Beautiful Friendship", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". Next is Yesterday I Heard The Rain – fantastically mature work from Tony Bennett – a record that follows in that great direction the singer was taking in the 60s – delivering sophisticated vocals that didn't care much for the charts, but which really stand the test of time as the years go by! As on some of Tony's best from the period, arrangements are by Torrie Zito – whose careful orchestrations always let Bennett's vocals soar out in the lead, while also hitting some occasional flourishes that bring just the slight touch of drama to the music – but never in the over the top styles of some of his contemporary! Space is the key here – lots of space between the words and the notes – which makes even simpler songs sound pretty darn amazing. Titles include "Sweet Georgie Fame", "Fool Of Fools", "Only The Young", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Yesterday I Heard The Rain", and a surprisingly great version of "Hushabye Mountain". CD

A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the 60s – played by a tight combo that features Benson on guitar, Clarence Palmer on organ, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus percussion from Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson. There's a version of "So What" on here that's got to be one of the best funky takes of that standard ever – with great hard grooves on the intro – and on other cuts, the real genius is in the way the simple tracks are arranged to shift between darkly chromatic passages and slight bits of funk. Titles include "All Clear", "Ode To A Kudu", and "Somewhere In The East". Plus, the CD features 3 bonus tracks – alternate versions of "Ode To A Kudu", "Somewhere In The East", and "All Clear". CD

Screamin Jay Hawkins is best-remembered for his crazy R&B tune "I Put A Spell On You" – a wild track from the postwar years – and it turns out that the man himself has had a life that's equally wild over the years, served up here by author Steve Bergsman, pulled from hundreds of interviews with Hawkins, bandmates, and family members too! Screamin Jay would often spin plenty of tales about himself – which can make telling the truth a difficult task – and rather that completely focus on that challenge, the book instead enjoys the play between fact and fiction, life and legend, and really revels in the larger-than-life quality of Hawkins! Book is 252 pages, softcover, with some color images, and a lot more black and white images. Book

A bit blues, a bit jazz – and a singer with a style unto her own – the amazing Big Maybelle, one of the greatest artists to record for Okeh Records in the 50s! This well-done collection pulls together every single Maybelle recorded for the R&B powerhouse back in the day – a motherlode of great work that easily puts her right up there with Lavern Baker or Ruth Brown as one of the great female singers of the 50s. The package features a whopping 26 tracks in all – including many bits that get lost between the tracks in some of the too-sifted collections of her work from the time. Titles include "Maybelle's Blues", "New Kind Of Mambo", "Hair Dressin Women", "My Big Mistake", "Ain't No Use", "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "So Good To My Baby", "Gabbin Blues", "You'll Never Know", "The Other Night", and "Such A Cutie". CD

A hell of a trio from the Chicago scene of the 90s – and one of the best showcases we can think of for the mighty skills of trombonist Jeb Bishop! Bishop emerged as one of the freshest voices on his instrument in years – a player who grew up during the full exposure of the free jazz generation, but who also had a great ear for earlier, especially overlooked talents on his instrument – so that Jeb is able to move back and forth between structure and freedom, notes and noise, with an imaginative capability that's maybe heard best in a trio setting like this – with bassist Kent Kessler and drummer Tim Mulvenna. The record's got a voice and power that makes us wish that Bishop was still making waves this great on the Chicago scene – and titles include "Nomads", "Pyramid", "Duress Duress", and "Big Stubby". CD

Soulful sounds from Black Pumas – a collaboration between singer Eric Burton and the great Adrian Quesada – the latter an instrumentalist and producer that you'll know from a variety of different funky projects over the years! This set might well be Adrian's ticket to the big time – as Burton's a singer with a very strong range, and great crossover potential – echoing Al Green one minute, hitting deeper vibes the next – and working alongside small combo backing that has plenty of laidback guitar lines and warm keyboards, all produced with the usual Quesada touch! Titles include "Oct 33", "Fire", "Colors", "Know You Better", "Stay Gold", "Old Man", "Confines", and "Touch The Sky". CD

One of Art Blakey's first true moments of genius! This transitional version of the Jazz Messengers included two parts – Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons – of the holy Morgan/Shorter/Timmons trilogy, and it's also got the added bonus of Benny Golson on tenor, who was at the height of his power at this point. The record really shines in ways that few Blakey albums shone since his days with Horace Silver – in that it's a forum for fresh new writing, most importantly Golson's landmark compositions "Blues March" and "Along Came Betty", and Timmons' instant classic "Moanin". The whole album's wonderful, though, and Golson's edgey modernism adds a strong dimension to the group's usual soulful romping groove! (And in fact, as a tribute to the group's success, the album was initially named Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, but quickly retitled Moanin in this version, after the big hit single!) CD also features a bonus version of "Moanin" and a warm-up track between Lee & Rudy. CD

Carla Bley at the height of her powers – working in the late 70s to really reinvent the large ensemble after years of experience in the underground – with a style that easily slides between inside and out, searching and swinging – all delivered by just the right sort of lineup! The group here features Michael Mantler on trumpet, Elton Dean on alto, Gary Windo on tenor, John Clark on French Horn, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Hugh Hopper on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and Carla herself on organ and tenor – all musicians graced with a sense of whimsy, yet never one that overwhelms their music at all – especially during this stretch of Carla's creative career. Tracks are long, and nice and complicated – but never get lost in themselves – and titles include "Rose & Sad Song", "Wrong Key Donkey", "Drinking Music", and "Star Spangled Banner Minor & Other Patriotic Songs". CD

The title might seem familiar – given that Blundetto's first album was called Bad Bad Things – but this record really shows a strong evolution of his sound over the ten years since that release – the shifting sense of sound between hip hop, global roots, and more dynamic elements – sounding even better here than on any previous records! Blundetto works with production help from Blackjoy – in a mode that might have been born in hip hop studio techniques, but which here has much more of a French post-colonial vibe – wrapping together different global elements, soulful expressions, and jazzy flourishes with effortless ease – into a style that's completely his own overall. Titles include "Fly High", "Pais Azucar", "Barcelona", "Sunday In The Club", "Feel The Cold", "Bingi", "Menina Mulher Da Pele Preta", "Antiguas", and "Mo'Dinero". LP, Vinyl record album

You may not know European piano player Karel Boehlee, but you'll definitely sit up and take notice after hearing this sweet little set – because he's a hell of a pianist, with a wonderfully lyrical touch! The album's got a masterful sound right from the start – a confident approach to the keys that often has Boehlee leaving just the right amount of space between notes, as he makes his way through the set with very well-matched accompaniment from bassist Frans Bouwemeester and Hans Eykenaar – two more players we don't know at all, but who round out Karel's playing wonderfully. Titles include the great title original "Switch" – plus variations on "Autumn Leaves", "Summertime", "Jest", "On A Clear Day", "Forest Flower", "United Blues", and "Recorda Mae". CD

A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back mode to push the group way past the stock grooves of earlier albums – thanks to great work from the rest of the combo too. There's some mighty nice rhythm changes on this one, and a good range of non-pop tunes like "Night Owl Walk", "Chinese Checkers", "Soul Dressing", "Tic Tac Toe", "Outrage", "Home Grown", "Big Train", "Jelly Bread", and "Plum Nellie". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal moment for Jamaican soul genius Ken Boothe – a set that has him stepping into deeper, more righteous territory – maybe following the inspiration of some of his soul contemporaries in the US! The set's nicely poised between two modes – not really a roots reggae set, given that there's more warmly glowing soul in the production – but with sense of depth that really makes Boothe's work of a few years before really pale in comparison – and that's saying a lot, given how great that stuff is too. Titles include "Have I Sinned", "Look What You Have Done To Me", "Train/I Don't Want To See You Cry", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Thinking", "Black Gold & Green", and "Second Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady set of globally-influenced jazz – music that has some fusion energy at the core, but which is expanded with all sorts of great percussion and horns – the latter of which hang nicely between jazz and styles that almost have a West African sort of vibe! The album's very unique – and although it's led by tenorist Christer Bothen, the reedman also plays some African instruments as well – guinbri and doso n'koni – both of which he uses to great effect with all sorts of rhythmically melodic passages! There's a shifting lineup of other musicians from track to track – blending more percussion, saxes, trumpet, and guitar into a mighty heady groove – on long tracks that include "The Horizon Stroller", "Trance Dance", "9 + 10 Moving Pictures For The Ear", and "Mimouna". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the three great collaborations between David Bowie and Brian Eno – and possibly the ultimate statement from his years in Berlin! The album's got some tunes that still show some of the guitar power of the early 70s Bowie – but it's also got some of the beautiful spacier moments brought forward on Low – and which are every bit the Brian Eno of Another Green World. The balance is beautiful – stark and dark on one half, then airy and spacious on the next – handled without any sense of gimmickry, and a bold mainstream experiment that still resonates strongly today. Titles include "Beauty & The Beast", "Joe The Lion", "Heroes", "Sons Of The Silent Age", "Blackout", "V-2 Schneider", "Sense Of Doubt", "Moss Garden", "Neukoln", and "The Secret Life Of Arabia". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the three great collaborations between David Bowie and Brian Eno – and possibly the ultimate statement from his years in Berlin! The album's got some tunes that still show some of the guitar power of the early 70s Bowie – but it's also got some of the beautiful spacier moments brought forward on Low – and which are every bit the Brian Eno of Another Green World. The balance is beautiful – stark and dark on one half, then airy and spacious on the next – handled without any sense of gimmickry, and a bold mainstream experiment that still resonates strongly today. Titles include "Beauty & The Beast", "Joe The Lion", "Heroes", "Sons Of The Silent Age", "Blackout", "V-2 Schneider", "Sense Of Doubt", "Moss Garden", "Neukoln", and "The Secret Life Of Arabia". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the grooviest music we've ever heard from the legendary German jazz singer Inge Brandenburg– but that's also no surprise, as she gets some heavy help here on the backings – including a number that feature MPS legend Erwin Lehn, and a few more by the combo of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger with Ingfried Hoffman on the Hammond – and trumpet from Dusko Goykovich on one tune too! Inge's always pretty darn great, but the quality of these sides is superb – and there's a definite commitment to top-shelf jazz work throughout, on sessions that were recorded between 1960 and 1971, and which are collected here on CD for the first time ever! The set features a really nice range of material – and even features a few originals composed by other MPS legends – including Peter Herbholzheimer and Wolfgang Dauner. Titles include "Taste Of Honey", "Summertime", "Like A Straw", "But Not For Me", "Hello Little Boy", "I Love Jazz", "Moritat", "Stella By Starlight", "What's The Matter Daddy", and "Round Midnight". CD

One of Anthony Braxton's great records for BYG, and like the other one, a very cool session that has Braxton playing in a vibe that shows his AACM roots much more clearly than a lot of other sessions! He's playing here with a number of other Chicago expatriates – including Leo Smith on trumpet, Steve McCall on percussion, and Leroy Jenkins on violin – and between them, the four players handle a huge amount of string, reed, percussion, and keyboard instruments, switching off and on in a warmly experimental sound that characterizes the best work of the Chicago avant garde from the time. Tracks include "The Light On the Dalta", "Simple Like", and one of Braxton's weird symbol compositions. Ironically, this French session from the late 60s still stands as one of the best ways to witness the budding Chicago genius of the AACM! CD

Beautifully bottom-heavy duets between Anthony Braxton's reeds and the bass of Peter Niklas Wilson! Braxton plays sopranino, alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet – the last of which sounds especially nice next to Wilson's instrument – and although all the titles have those weird-looking academic diagrams that Braxton likes to use, the overall sound is richly organic at points – with a great depth of feeling, thanks to the bass. Titles include "Comp 155", "Comp 154", "Comp 157", and "Comp 40A". CD

A seminal meeting between two of the most important modern jazz talents of the 70s – reedman Anthony Braxton, whose roots in the Chicago AACM scene were already expanding to a huge influence on the European world of free jazz – and guitarist Derek Bailey, the British player who seemingly stepped out of his own unique space to completely revolutionize the electric guitar! Both musicians are at their best here – working together at a level that's as much sonic exploration in terms of tones, textures, and timings – as it is new frontiers of music. And that's not to say that there's not some great musical moments, too – as the combination of darkness and light is what really makes the album special – as both players move effortlessly through an extended improvisation. Bailey plays electric guitar – and Braxton blows soprano, alto, b flat clarinet, and contrabass clarinet. Great 2LP reissue – with a full two sides of unreleased material recorded at the same performance as the main album! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer cut, and one that brings back the vocals of Paul Randolph in a really wonderful way – set to this jazzy groove that features keyboards from Mark De Clive-Lowe, who also produced the track! There's plenty of other live instrumentation in the track too – guitar, percussion, and drums – and the whole thing's almost a blend between Incognito-like London soul, and some of the crisper currents of the underground! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Very cool work from Lillian Briggs – a less-remembered singer from the 50s, and one whose music here is a key bridge between earlier forms and the start of rock and roll! Briggs was as much an instrumentalist as she was a singer – playing trombone and leading her own group at times too – and she's got an approach that's like a few of her key contemporaries that lean heavily into modes used by R&B singers at the time, which comes off with a surprisingly strong groove, and a style that mixes jazzy instrumentation with some really romping rhythms – all to set fire on tunes that include "Is There A Man In The House", "I'm Burning For You", "Don't Stay Away Too Long", "Come Here", "She Sells Seashells", "That's The Only Way To Live", "Rock N Rolly Poly Santa Claus", "Come Here", "Hey Ba Ba Re Bop", "I Care For You", and "Not A Soul". CD

Sweet blue eyed soul from Brooklyn Dreams – maybe not the biggest group to record for Casablanca Records – but one of our favorites! The set's got a great vibe – a cross between late 70s club and soulful rock – almost as if Thin Lizzy had recorded for Casablanca, with a mix of rockish modes and clubbier sounds you might normally associate with the label – but also nicely different than conventional AOR, with a deeper vibe that's mighty nice! The group produced the set themselves, and they've got some great guest help in the lineup – including some guitar work from Bobby Womack – on titles that include "Spinnin", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Back On The Streets", "I Won't Let Go", and "Heartbreaker Breakaway". CD

A great early session from trombonist Bob Brookmeyer – recorded with a light easy swing that's similar to his mid 50s work with Stan Getz, and in a format that's possibly more relaxed overall! This time around, Bob's working with Al Cohn on tenor – a nice choice for the date, and a player who gives the record a different feel than the more famous Getz/Brookmeyer combination of the time. The rest of the group includes John Williams on piano, Frank Isola on bass, and Bill Anthony on drums – and there's some great interplay between Cohn's tenor and Bob's trombone – the latter of which has that trademark compressed sound throughout! Titles include "Jive At Five", "In The Mode", "Skylark", and "Open Country". CD

A great early session from trombonist Bob Brookmeyer – recorded with a light easy swing that's similar to his mid 50s work with Stan Getz, and in a format that's possibly more relaxed overall! This time around, Bob's working with Al Cohn on tenor – a nice choice for the date, and a player who gives the record a different feel than the more famous Getz/Brookmeyer combination of the time. The rest of the group includes John Williams on piano, Frank Isola on bass, and Bill Anthony on drums – and there's some great interplay between Cohn's tenor and Bob's trombone – the latter of which has that trademark compressed sound throughout! Titles include "Jive At Five", "In The Mode", "Skylark", and "Open Country". CD

A pare of rare European sessions from saxophonist Marion Brown – back to back on a single set! First up is Gesprachsfetzen – a really wonderful collaboration between alto saxophonist Marion Brown and vibist/reedman Gunter Hampel – a set that's maybe one of the sharpest to come out of their work together! The music has maybe even sharper edges than some of Brown's previous records – a dose of some of the European modernism in which Hampel was steeping himself, but also with some more organic, spiritual qualities on the solos – not just Brown's, but the work of trumpeter Ambrose Jackson – who's pretty great here too. AACM legend Steve McCall is also in the group on drums and percussion, along with bassist Buschi Niebergall – and the set was recorded live, with titles that include "Gesprachsfetzen", "Exhibit A", "Babudah", "Tomorrow Is The Beginning Of The End Of Yesterday", and "Aba". In Sommerhausen is one of the key records that alto saxophonist Marion Brown made while working on the German scene at the end of the 60s – an incredibly fruitful period that seemed to unlock all this new energy in Brown's music in a mode that was similar to what happened when Don Cherry started making time on the European scene! Brown's key partner here is Gunter Hampel – who plays vibes, bass clarinet, and percussion – the latter of which is handled by the other members of the group too – a lineup that includes Ambrose Jackson on trumpet, Daniel Laloux on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – playing here before his better-known work with the AACM. Jeanne Lee brings some lovely vocalizations to the set – and titles include "Dance No 1", "Exhibit B", "Il Ne Chant Pas", "The Sound Of A Song", and "Malipieros Midnight Theater". CD

One of the few sessions ever cut by tenorist Ted Brown – working here with a group that features Warne Marsh and Art Pepper in the frontline, with rhythm by Ronnie Ball on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Jeff Morton on drums. The session's got the outward appearance of a west coast session, but has much more soul overall – the kind of Back Bay Boston sound you'd hear in 50s sessions by Charlie Mariano or Dick Johnson – with plenty of rasp on Pepper's horn, and some nice edges on Brown's as well! Tracks are short, and often with ensemble heads – but the production is beautiful, and the interplay between the three saxophonists comes through with amazing quality! Titles include "Crazy She Calls Me", "Arrival", "Once We Were Young", "Avalon", "Foolin Myself", "Aretha", and "Long Gone". CD

Soaring sounds from trumpeter Tom Browne – a younger player who really took the torch, and opened up a new path forward from early 70s electric funk experiments by artists like Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard! With work on this set, Browne is clearly the heir apparent to the CTI sound of Hubbard, or the Larry Mizell work at Blue Note by Byrd – and finds a perfect space between jazz and soul throughout – using his horn on grooves that start out in familiar jazz funk and fusion modes, then move into some great 80s groove and old school styles too. 2CD set features 29 tracks in all – including a few mixes from singles – and titles include "Magic (12" mix)", "Throw Down", "Funkin For Jamaica", "I Never Was A Cowboy", "Brother Brother", "Her Silent Smile", "Cruisin", "Rockin Radio", "Mr Business", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Charisma", "Bye Gones (ext rmx)", "Can't Give It Away", "My Latin Sky", "A Message", "Hit Man", "Secret Fantasy (ext)", "Fungi Mama/Bebopafunkadiscolypso", "Midnight Interlude", "Angeline", and "Tighs High". CD

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". 2CD package features bonus tracks – "Ministry Of Bag (demo)", "The Clearout (alt)", "Ministry Of Bag (alt)", "Weird Of Hermison (alt)", "Escapoe To Royal Wood (inst demo)", "Vikings (first attempt)", "Rope Ladder To The Moon (second attempt)", "You Burned The Tables On Me (inst demo)", and "Rope Ladder To The Moon (first demo)" – plus a remastered version of the original mix, and a new stereo mix. Blu-ray 3 features 96 kHz/24-bit new 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Taylor and remastered original stereo mix. Blu-ray 4 features the 1970 documentary film – Rope Ladder To The Moon. CD

Billy Bruner looks nice and relaxed on the cover – and his grooves are nice and relaxed, too – but maybe that's just how they make their music in Billy's hometown of Tulsa! The set's got a sweet blend of 80s soul and mellow boogie – never too over the top, and handled with a nice mix of 80s production styles, in a good balance between electric elements and some warmer modes at the core. Most cuts are nicely unpolished – diamonds in the rough that might have been hits, had they gotten commercial treatment – but which are maybe even better sounding in this approach. The package features a few unreleased tracks, and work by Billy that also includes cuts by T'Spoon and The Davis Family – on titles that include "If You Dance Tonite", "School Dance", "Amazing", "The Tulsa Song", "The Dream", "Sweetness", "Cat's Meow", and "Say Yeah". LP, Vinyl record album

Nicely jazzy grooves from Brzzvll – adventurous and unconventional, straddling the line between inventive new jazz, avant pop, experimental rock and a bit of funk – but it's don't lot the wide range of elements discourage you, it's got a unique, cohesive vibe that works on its own terms! Drums, synth, and electronic atmospherics are a common thread – but there's also horns, flute, inventive percussion and tripped out bits of vocals. Titles include "Loving People", "Lucky Haircut", "Hitchcock Radio", "Jennifer Ate Mushrooms", "Double Joy", "Hellolleh", "Sowhereto", "and more – plus a bonus track: "Deep Sauce". CD

Heady, fuzzy instrumental psych funk from the mighty Budos Band – recorded live at the Grey Eagle on Halloween night 2015! Killer EP includes "Avalanche", a great centerpiece medley of "Inche Ince/You Keep Me Hanging On" and the blistering "Aynotchesh Yerefu". 12-inch, Vinyl record