An amazing piece of work from Angel Bat Dawid – music that's light years ahead from her recordings of just a few years back – and that's really saying a lot, given the strength of that material! The album features music from a large stage performance put together by Angel – partly inspired by the legendary film The Cry Of Jazz – done by director Edward Bland at the end of the 50s, with music by Sun Ra, and groundbreaking testament on the nature of jazz and black expression in America. The film has been a touchstone for us for decades – yet somehow, Angel finds a way to to channel all its power and explode its meaning and message into something even more powerful – directing a larger group of musicians and singers with a stunningly majestic quality – one that is sure to elevate Dawid into the upper reaches of jazz for years to come. An instant masterpiece, and a record that will become a touchstone for both jazz and contemporary music in general – with titles that include "Introit", "Dias Ire", "Rex Tremendae", "Recordare", "Confutatis", "Lacrimosa", "Kyrie Eleison", "Agnus Dei", and "Lux Aeterna". CD

An amazing piece of work from Angel Bat Dawid – music that's light years ahead from her recordings of just a few years back – and that's really saying a lot, given the strength of that material! The album features music from a large stage performance put together by Angel – partly inspired by the legendary film The Cry Of Jazz – done by director Edward Bland at the end of the 50s, with music by Sun Ra, and groundbreaking testament on the nature of jazz and black expression in America. The film has been a touchstone for us for decades – yet somehow, Angel finds a way to to channel all its power and explode its meaning and message into something even more powerful – directing a larger group of musicians and singers with a stunningly majestic quality – one that is sure to elevate Dawid into the upper reaches of jazz for years to come. An instant masterpiece, and a record that will become a touchstone for both jazz and contemporary music in general – with titles that include "Introit", "Dias Ire", "Rex Tremendae", "Recordare", "Confutatis", "Lacrimosa", "Kyrie Eleison", "Agnus Dei", and "Lux Aeterna". LP, Vinyl record album

Angel Bat Dawid is a completely mesmerizing artist on record, but she's even more mindblowing in a live setting – where she seems to channel the energy of the skies and the planet into her music – brimming over with righteous energy that guides the rest of the group with a hell of a lot of power! Angel plays clarinet, keyboards, and sings throughout – effortlessly shifting between those elements in a group that includes tenor, keyboards, electronics, bass, and lots of drums and percussion – bursting out with an effortless blend of larger conception and improvisation – at a level that may well have Dawid emerging as one of the few folks from Chicago that could ever hope to match the legacy of Sun Ra! That's not saying that Angel is anything like Ra at all – but in a similar way, she immediately comes across as a true visionary, a deeply spiritual talent, and an artist who's following a path that's completely her own. Features material recorded live in Chicago and Berlin – and titles include "Capetown", "Black Family", "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black", "The Wicked Shall Not Prevail", "Melo Deez From Heab'N", "VIKTORious Return", and "Enlightenment". CD

Angel Bat Dawid is a completely mesmerizing artist on record, but she's even more mindblowing in a live setting – where she seems to channel the energy of the skies and the planet into her music – brimming over with righteous energy that guides the rest of the group with a hell of a lot of power! Angel plays clarinet, keyboards, and sings throughout – effortlessly shifting between those elements in a group that includes tenor, keyboards, electronics, bass, and lots of drums and percussion – bursting out with an effortless blend of larger conception and improvisation – at a level that may well have Dawid emerging as one of the few folks from Chicago that could ever hope to match the legacy of Sun Ra! That's not saying that Angel is anything like Ra at all – but in a similar way, she immediately comes across as a true visionary, a deeply spiritual talent, and an artist who's following a path that's completely her own. Features material recorded live in Chicago and Berlin – and titles include "Capetown", "Black Family", "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black", "The Wicked Shall Not Prevail", "Melo Deez From Heab'N", "VIKTORious Return", and "Enlightenment". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful solo sounds from Angel Bat Dawid – a Chicago clarinetist who works here with the same inventive spirit as the other contemporary artists on the International Anthem label! By that, we mean that although Angel's music starts in jazz, it quickly becomes something else – as she assembled the record not from a solitary solo performance, but by overdubbing sounds she'd recorded around the globe, and back home in Chicago – mixing her own very beautiful reed lines with a variety of other instrumentation – all recorded on cell phone, which gives the whole thing a wonderfully fresh feel! Don't worry about the album being too gimmicky, or too DIY – as it's got the same appeal as a studio-recorded spiritual session by a larger group – and there's plenty of focus on Dawid's incredible solos on her chosen instrument, with a vibe that's likely to have her rising to the level of clarinet giants like Jimmy Guiffre or John Carter. Titles include "Black Family", "Capetown", "The Oracle", "We Are Starzz", "London", and "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black". CD

An amazing piece of work from Angel Bat Dawid – music that's light years ahead from her recordings of just a few years back – and that's really saying a lot, given the strength of that material! The album features music from a large stage performance put together by Angel – partly inspired by the legendary film The Cry Of Jazz – done by director Edward Bland at the end of the 50s, with music by Sun Ra, and groundbreaking testament on the nature of jazz and black expression in America. The film has been a touchstone for us for decades – yet somehow, Angel finds a way to to channel all its power and explode its meaning and message into something even more powerful – directing a larger group of musicians and singers with a stunningly majestic quality – one that is sure to elevate Dawid into the upper reaches of jazz for years to come. An instant masterpiece, and a record that will become a touchstone for both jazz and contemporary music in general – with titles that include "Introit", "Dias Ire", "Rex Tremendae", "Recordare", "Confutatis", "Lacrimosa", "Kyrie Eleison", "Agnus Dei", and "Lux Aeterna". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album – filled with groovy numbers that recall all the charm of the Batman TV show! Hefti composed the original theme of "Batman", and although Nelson Riddle did the real soundtrack, Hefti does an excellent job here of capturing the spirit, possibly more so than on Riddle's album for the show. There's plenty of guitar in the mix, and some nice arranging with odd instruments and off tunings – all of which give tracks like "The Batusi", "Mr Freeze", "Batman Chase", and "The Mafista" a great sinister edge! LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s return to glory for the Captain – and a set that has a bit of a checkered path, in that it was originally done for Frank Zappa's Discreet label as the album Bat Chain Puller – then was held back, and mostly re-recorded for this seminal release on Warner Brothers! The set shows all the grown that Don Van Vliet had undergone during the decade – and also echoes his previous collaboration with Zappa – served up with instrumentation that is wonderfully complex, but still quite personal and earthy – a blend of composition, improvisation, and individuality that almost has Beefheart rivaling the work of Hermeto Pascoal during the decade, yet in a very different mode – given his vocal styles and occasional spoken musings! The Cap sings, plays harmonica, and blows soprano sax – alongside Jeff Moris Tepper on slide guitar and spell guitar, Bruce Lambourne Fowler on trombone, Eric Drew Friedman on Fender Rhodes and bass, Art Tripp III on marimba and percussion, Robert Arthur Williams on drums, and Richard Redus on slide guitar, bottleneck guitar, fretless bass, accordion, and guitar. Tracks include "The Floppy Boot Stomp", "Ice Rose", "Bat Chain Puller", "Candle Mambo", "Love Lies", and "Suction Prints". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s return to glory for the Captain – and a set that has a bit of a checkered path, in that it was originally done for Frank Zappa's Discreet label as the album Bat Chain Puller – then was held back, and mostly re-recorded for this seminal release on Warner Brothers! The set shows all the grown that Don Van Vliet had undergone during the decade – and also echoes his previous collaboration with Zappa – served up with instrumentation that is wonderfully complex, but still quite personal and earthy – a blend of composition, improvisation, and individuality that almost has Beefheart rivaling the work of Hermeto Pascoal during the decade, yet in a very different mode – given his vocal styles and occasional spoken musings! The Cap sings, plays harmonica, and blows soprano sax – alongside Jeff Moris Tepper on slide guitar and spell guitar, Bruce Lambourne Fowler on trombone, Eric Drew Friedman on Fender Rhodes and bass, Art Tripp III on marimba and percussion, Robert Arthur Williams on drums, and Richard Redus on slide guitar, bottleneck guitar, fretless bass, accordion, and guitar. Tracks include "The Floppy Boot Stomp", "Ice Rose", "Bat Chain Puller", "Candle Mambo", "Love Lies", and "Suction Prints". This 2LP version features a full bonus record of rare material – including "Love Lies (demo)", "Harry Irene (rough mix)", "Witch Doctor Life (demo)", "Brickbats (inst rough mix)", "Suction Prints (inst demo)", "You Know You're A Man (inst alt version)", and "When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy (demo)". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s return to glory for the Captain – and a set that has a bit of a checkered path, in that it was originally done for Frank Zappa's Discreet label as the album Bat Chain Puller – then was held back, and mostly re-recorded for this seminal release on Warner Brothers! The set shows all the grown that Don Van Vliet had undergone during the decade – and also echoes his previous collaboration with Zappa – served up with instrumentation that is wonderfully complex, but still quite personal and earthy – a blend of composition, improvisation, and individuality that almost has Beefheart rivaling the work of Hermeto Pascoal during the decade, yet in a very different mode – given his vocal styles and occasional spoken musings! The Cap sings, plays harmonica, and blows soprano sax – alongside Jeff Moris Tepper on slide guitar and spell guitar, Bruce Lambourne Fowler on trombone, Eric Drew Friedman on Fender Rhodes and bass, Art Tripp III on marimba and percussion, Robert Arthur Williams on drums, and Richard Redus on slide guitar, bottleneck guitar, fretless bass, accordion, and guitar. Tracks include "The Floppy Boot Stomp", "Ice Rose", "Bat Chain Puller", "Candle Mambo", "Love Lies", and "Suction Prints". CD

The classic! Todd Rundgren production, Jim Steinman songs, and lots of classics like "Bat Out Of Hell" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". Plus, we went to high school with Karla DeVito! CD

A well-remembered moment in the Prince catalog – and the 12" features some compelling help from William Orbit and Mark Moore on both of the remixes! CD

... CD

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Waltz To The Death", "Roof Fight", "Batman Theme", "Clown Attack", "Flowers", "Roasted Dude", "The Joker's Poem", and "The Bat Cave". CD

One of those great little sets on the Abril Cultural label – featuring a record of classic work by the artist, plus a full booklet of amazing photos and helpful writings in Portuguese. This one's got a color photo of Gil playing with Os Mutantes on TV, a haunting photo from exile in London, and lots of other nice shots. On the record, you'll get Gil singing "Expresso 2222", "Procissao", "Geleia Geral", "Aquele Abraco", "Bat Macumba", and "Domingo No Parque" – plus you'll also get Gil compositions by other artists, like "Lugar Comum" by Joao Donato, "Baba Alapala" by Zeze Motta, "Soy Loco Por Ti America" by Caetano Veloso, "Copo Vazio" by Chico Buarque, and "Meio De Camp" by Elis Regina. LP, Vinyl record album

A really strong debut from Anthony Hamilton – easily the strongest album we've ever heard on the usually much more commercial So So Def label! Anthony seriously vibrates the rich depth of southern soul on every cut here, as filtered through late-model natural hip hop beats and vibes. He's definitely influenced by Erykah Badu's sound and Voodoo-era D'Angelo (which HAS to be the most influential serious soul album of the last decade or so), but the groove is a lot sweeter and less tortured than D's. It's really warm and inviting all the way through – crisp beats, tight keys, bass and percussion, and light guitar accent Anthony's lilting and layered vocals very nicely. All of the elements are just familiar enough to let you cozy up to the material right off the bat, but Hamilton's his own man here – nothing's directly bitten, just nicely approximated. Tracks include "Mama Knew Love", "Cornbread, Fish and Collared Greens", "Since I Seen't You", "Charlene", "I'm A Mess", "Comin' From Where I'm From", "Lucille", "Float", "My First Love" and more. A nice record from the not-so-dirty south! CD

"This here is the victory lap," raps Hov midway through The Black Album, his supposed career-capper (for this stage, anyway), and if nothing here immediately dazzles us to the core the way the best of his past singles have done, overall this is probably the most consistent front-to-back listen of all his albums. One of the nicest things about the Black Album is the brevity. As tight as the best of his recent output has been over the last couple of years – from singles, to album tracks, to guest spots – Jay-Z's simply been TOO productive, which has diluted the overall power of his presence. That issue is addressed right off the bat here – with a very manageable 14 tracks, no guest rhymers, and a consistent overall sound and mood thanks in part to strong production by Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Neptunes, Timbaland, Eminem (who's baroque synth productions are getting dangerously close to going stale, but it fits Jay-Z's dramatic finale theme very well), Rick Rubin and DJ Quik. It's a wildly disparate cast behind the boards, but this thing flows incredibly well thanks to Jay-Z's predetermined mission to make a great album, not just a hot record. We may still have to lean towards Blueprint as his late masterpiece, but this is way up there. "December 4th", "What More Can I Say?", "Encore", "Change Clothes", "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Threat", "Moment Of Clarity", "99 Problems", "Justify My Thug", "Lucifer", "Allure", "My First Song", and a couple of brief interludes. LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a much harder edge than you'd expect from the cover – not the ancient vibe of a medieval crusade, or the religiosity in the title – and instead this searing entry to the hard rock underground at the time! The group have a really heavy Black Sabbath sort of sound – with excellent lead guitars from Bob Cooke, and a sinister sound that has the grooves really dipping down into the depths, pushed even further by evil-edged vocals from singer Lynden Williams. The album's got the raw power of Sabbath's best work – and the whole thing's a killer record that should have been an instant classic. Titles include "Midnight Steamer", "Frustration", "Hooded Eagle", "Primitive Man", "She Came Like A Bat Out Of Hell", and "When The Wolf Sits". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant and beautiful album from Damon Locks – even more powerful than his Where Future Unfolds album, and that's saying a heck of a lot! The record proclaims part of its mission in its title – and is maybe the first set we've heard to point the way forward creatively after the dark days of 2020 – reclaiming the future for the present, as Locks works with a stunning array of Chicago-based talent – including Angel Bat Dawid on clarinet, Ben LaMar Gay on cornet and melodica, Dana Hall on drums, and Arif Smith on percussion! There's no other instruments in the core of the combo – but Locks adds in plenty of electronics and sound samples, including both musical moments and all these many found voices which are woven through the record alongside vocals by a sextet of singers – a chorus who rise up and give the whole thing a heavenly vibe that's completely mindblowing! While so many others are doing a decent job of reworking a 70s jazz spirit, Damon's giving us the future to come – the kind of visionary work we always knew he was capable of, but which is now finally getting the chance to exist on record. Titles include "The People Vs The Rest Of Us", "Keep Your Mind Free", "Movement & You", "Now", and "The Body Is Electric". CD

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". CD

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential introduction to the work of this legendary group – an important American issue of some of their best material – all of which never came out in our market back in the day! If you don't know Os Mutantes, prepare to be blown away – as they were a key part of the Tropicalia movement, alongside bigger names Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Gilberto Gil – creating music that was years ahead of its time, but which has gone on to become legendary over the years! There's so many different elements going on here, it's impossible to pin down – avant and psychedelic modes, Brazilian styles and postmodern ones, all put together with sublime production that's also way ahead of the pack! This Luaka Bop presentation was put together by David Byrne – and it features a total of 14 cuts in all – including an English and Portuguese reading of the famous "Baby", plus the tunes "Ave Lucifer", "Desculpe, Babe", "Adeus Maria Fulo", "Panis Et Circensis", "Bat Macumba", "Dia 36", and "Fuga No II". LP, Vinyl record album

This is sort of a Prince Jammy riff on the format of the popular Junjo Lawes-produced Scientist dub series. Nonetheless, he steps up to bat, and indeed defeats the evil planet munchers, with the able help of the Roots Radics rhytnm section. Recorded at Channel One and mixed at Tubby's – and how can you argue with that!? Fat, heavy rhythms dubbed into deep, deep outer space by the heir to the throne! 8 tracks in all, including "Conspiracy On Neptune", "Saturn Bombardment", "Attack on Ganymede", "Martian Encounter", "The Great Red Spot", "Life On Uranus", "Final Destruction" and "War In The Asteroid Belt". LP, Vinyl record album

With vintage selections by Bert Mays, Barrel House Welch, Rudy Foster, Jack O'Diamonds, James "Bat" Robinson, Louise Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery, Jabo Williams, and Turner Parrish. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous entry in this wonderful series – a set that proudly proclaims its contents with the "NOW" on the cover! Back when the Spiritual Jazz series first started on the Jazzman label, the music was mostly relegated to material of the John Coltrane generation and the generation that followed – but in the past decade or so, there's been a huge explosion in new artists that explore the deeper, more righteous currents of jazz – music that's pulled in from the farther reaches of free improvisation, to righteous, message-oriented styles that often mix modal rhythms with more exploratory solo passages. Yet this new generation is hardly slavish to the sounds of Impulse Records – as they've really moved beyond, and have used a globe's worth of influences and new 21st Century concepts to bring fresh spirit to the music – opening things up in ways that have made this new movement one of our greatest sources of inspiration in recent years. This double-length entry is a fantastic overview of the sounds that are currently reshaping the planet – and titles on volume 2 include "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Slow Sweet Burn" by Abeeku, "Palms To Heaven" by The Cosmic Range, "Nova" by Menagerie, "Avo's Tune" by Teemu Akerblom Quartet, "Paris" by Jonas Kullhammar, "Vessels" by The Jamie Saft Quartet, "What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black "by Angel Bat Dawid, "Trane's Groove" by Carla Marciano, "For Coltrane" by Steve Reid Foundation, "Empty Streets" by Vibration Black Finger, and "Memory Ritual" by The Pyramids. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled not just with great music, but also an overwhelming amount of notes that trace the history of Brazilian music and art through their changes in relation to Tropicalia! In fact, the notes are almost worth the price of the compilation alone – very densely written over 48 pages in the CD booklet, with more information in one place than we've ever seen before. But as you might imagine, it's the music that really makes the set special – and Soul Jazz have done an excellent job of pulling together key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso. CD

A landmark album – not just in Brazilian music, but in all modern music in general! The set's a legendary manifesto for the Tropicalia movement in Brazil – and features key works by all the leading musical luminaries in the movement – including a few later stars who are heard here at their most edgey! The work is as groundbreaking today as it was at the end of the 60s – a brilliant testament to the power of artists to really break down boundaries in art and music, and find a way to mix the political with the popular at the same time. Titles include a fantastic version of Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso singing "Baby", the "Tres Caravelas" duet between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba" with Costa and Veloso, Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", Os Mutantes performing "Panis Et Circenses", Gilberto on "Geleia Geral, Caetano doing "Coracao Materno, and Rita Lee, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso singing "Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem". LP, Vinyl record album

Ben LaMar Gay might well be one of the most creatively intense artists on the International Anthem label – and that's saying a lot, given all of the groundbreaking talents who've come to record for the company in recent years! And while Ben's previous record was completely mindblowing, this set really pushes things over the top – and has the artist at the helm of a large assemblage of musicians who provide all these different sonic elements to augment the intensity of his vision – as the leader handles cornet, organ, and a host of other instruments – while singing on most cuts, but in a way that's majestic and very much his own – neither soul, nor jazz – at least in familiar ways. The lineup features voices of many others – and instrumentation that includes Tomeka Reid on cello, Matthew Davis on trombone, Johanna Brock on viola, and Rob Frye on flute – mixed with spoken and sung passages from a number of others, including Angel Bat Dawid. Incredibly beautiful throughout – with titles that include "Hood Rich Happy", "I Once Carried A Blossom", "Slightly Before The Dawn", "Be Loving Me Some Of You", "We Gon Win", "S'Phisticated Lady", "In Tongues & Droves", and "Touch Don't Scroll". CD

A record with a much harder edge than you'd expect from the cover – not the ancient vibe of a medieval crusade, or the religiosity in the title – and instead this searing entry to the hard rock underground at the time! The group have a really heavy Black Sabbath sort of sound – with excellent lead guitars from Bob Cooke, and a sinister sound that has the grooves really dipping down into the depths, pushed even further by evil-edged vocals from singer Lynden Williams. The album's got the raw power of Sabbath's best work – and the whole thing's a killer record that should have been an instant classic. Titles include "Midnight Steamer", "Frustration", "Hooded Eagle", "Primitive Man", "She Came Like A Bat Out Of Hell", and "When The Wolf Sits". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most striking Pat Metheny albums of the period – as the set features the guitarist working with an all-star group that actually features 2 horn players! The group's a quintet, with Dewey Redman and Michael Brecker on tenor sax – blowing in open and spacious modes that complement the sound of Metheny's guitar nicely and really give the set a different feel. The rest of the group features Charlie Haden on bass and Jack De Johnette on drums – and the double space of the set is well used on a set of tracks that includes "Two Folk Songs", "The Bat", "Turnaround", "Open", "Pretty Scattered", and "Goin Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful little record from Pat Metheny – quite possibly our favorite by the man, thanks to some really inventive sounds that still resonate strongly in the groove scene today! Pat's skirting nicely here between the sound-based quality of earlier records, and some of the more fluid and Brazilian-influenced song structures that were emerging in his work – using the percussion of Nana Vasconcelos to give the tracks a nice earthy undercurrent, but still also managing to slide around wonderfully in that fluid groove he was building with keyboardist Lyle Mayes. Includes the great cut "Are You Going With Me?", plus "The Bat", "James", "Barcarole", and "Eighteen". CD

Includes "My Woman From Tokyo", "Super Trouper", "Rat Bat Blue" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic take on the "Batman" hit of the 60s – one that moves the tune from camp TV theme to sweet rock instrumental territory – in a manner that prefaces later takes on the tune by The Who and The Jam! The track may well be the biggest ever by The Marketts – and showcases their ability to step way past the usual surf instrumental modes of the time – and work within the larger studio genius of Warner Brothers to create some very groovy sounds! Dick Glasser heads up production – and moves the music into territory that's still instrumental, yet much more varied than usual for a rock album of the type – almost soundtrack-oriented in points, but mostly handled in a small combo mode. In addition to the "Batman" hit, other titles are all caped crusader-related – and include "Dr Death", "The Joker", "Bat Cape", "Cat Women", "Bat Cave", and "Bat Signal". LP, Vinyl record album

A cheesy cover, but a rock-solid set of work from the mighty Eric Alexander – who seems to be stretching out even more here than before! Alexander's always been a hell of a straight ahead talent on the tenor, but here he's almost hitting a few more modern modes at times – not "out" in his soloing, but a bit more free thinking in the overall construction and execution of the tunes – willing to change things up a bit in the rhythms, and give the record even more freshness than we might have expected. Alexander's easily one of the greatest living talents in jazz recording today – and we're already huge fans of his work – but he's won us over even more with this set, and a few of the chances he takes on some of the tunes. The group's a well-matched batch of regulars – including Jim Rotondi on trumpet, David Hazeltine on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and titles include "The Temple Of Olympic Zeus", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Lucas Too", "Blues For David", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Dave's System". CD

Gritty live work from twin tenor giants Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon – recorded in an open-ended style that's a bit like some of Gordon's famous early work on the Central Avenue scene in LA, or Ammons' famous live "battles" with Sonny Stitt! The date was recorded in Chicago at the North Park Hotel – with sound that's a bit more "live" than some of the other Prestige sessions at the time – and an unusual lineup that features local players Jodie Christian and John Young on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Steve McCall on drums. The lovely Vi Redd makes a vocal appearance on the track "Lonesome Lover Blues" – and other titles include "The Chase", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "The Happy Blues" – all nice and long! LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the groundbreaking Landsdowne series of UK jazz recordings at the end of the 70s – an ambitious effort directed by composer Neil Ardley, cut very much in the mode of the best work by the Ian Carr/Don Rendell group of the time! As the title might imply, the tunes are all of Greek mythological inspiration – but not in a hokey sort of style, or one that has any overdone "battle of the gods" feel. Instead, there's a warm, intimate approach to the work – almost in the mode of the best sophisticated jazz soundtracks of the late 60s – with a real concern for color, shadings, and tone – ultimately in a style that has less to do with mythology than you might think, but which is pretty darn impressive nonetheless! Carr plays trumpet and flugelhorn, Rendell plays saxes and flutes – and other players include Jack Bruce on bass, Chris Spedding on guitar, and and Barbara Thompson on reeds. Titles include "The Greek Variations", "Farewell Penelope", "Persephone's Jive", "Veil Of Ino", and "Siren's Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed the face of the New York scene – a mindblowing mix of Latin rhythms and soul-based inspiration, served up in a mix of English and Spanish language lyrics! The title track is a sublime cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" – one that's even more heartbreaking than the original – and other titles include "Ordinary Guy", Sugar Guaguanco", "So Fine", "Fuego", and the groovy "Chickie's Trombone" – a tight little jammer that shows that Joe's group also drew plenty of inspiration from the descarga scene too. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the sweeeeet club groovers recorded by Joe Bataan in the the early 80s – and an album that has a bit more of a disco feel than before, but which still stays firmly in the Latinized Salsoul sound that Bataan helped to forge and name! Joe's vocals are great – still honest and with a lot of integrity, and filled with the themes of confused love and identity that have always made his records some of the best of the New York scene. There's some nice electro touches amidst the grooves – but not too many – and titles include "Mestizo II", "Super Girl", "When We Get Married", and "Ling Ching Tong". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Bataan working in a pronounced dancefloor soul mode! While the legendary Bataan was no stranger to the fusion of Latin, soul and funk, this some of the most club soul oriented sounds from Joe we've ever heard – and the sessions are seeing official release for the first time ever! The recording feature players who worked on Joe's stellar Afrofilipino and features a backdrop of wonderful Afro and Latin percussion and rhythms with the best sounds of the NYC dancefloor soul in the mix – with uptempo and midtempo vocal numbers flirting with disco and modern soul very nicely – with solid lead vocals and groovy female backup! Most tunes bring a bit of harp into the mix for a little more of a soar that plays off the percussion in really cool way. Titles include "Sadie", "When We Get Married", "My Cloud", "I Need Love", a take on the Isaac Hayes "Theme From The Men", "Let Me Kove You", "My Opera" and "I Do Love You". CD

Recent genius from the true king of Latin Soul – the mighty Joe Bataan, sounding every bit as great now as he did back in the day! Bataan gets some very hip backing from Los Fulanos – a Barcelona-based combo who help recreate the tight sound of Joe's early grooves from the late 60s, with just a touch of the funk he picked up in the 70s too – a really great blend that helps Bataan breath fresh new life into a range of classics from years back. The set list includes some of our favorite Latin Soul gems from Joe, and both the rhythms and production styles are completely faithful to the originals – but also aren't just simple copycat versions either. After so many years in obscurity, it's great to see Bataan back in action so strongly – cooking it hard and heavy on cuts that include "Latin Soul Square Dance", "Gypsy Woman", "Mestizo", "The Bottle", "Johnny's No Good", "Special Girl", "Subway Joe", "Puerto Rico Me Llama", and "Rap O Clap O 2008". CD

Features Branford Marsalis, who produces the album and plays on three tracks. CD

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". CD

A record with a nicely earthy vibe, and a sound that definitely lives up to the "misticismo percussivo" and "primitivismo sonoro" promise of the cover! The group's a quartet with plenty of percussion throughout – mixed with bass, keyboards, and some nicely moody woodwinds – all served up on a set of tracks dedicated to the four elements wind, water, fire, and air – in a style that's almost a contemporary blend of spiritual jazz currents with older exotica inspirations! The approach is great, and makes the record slide nicely between genres to a space that's all its own – on titles that include "Chango", "Oyanza", "Ile Aye", and "Omi Tuto". LP, Vinyl record album

The bands of Bobby Byrne and Kai Winding playing four tunes each in their own style – "Perdido", "That's A Plenty", "Get Happy", and "Hot & Cool Blues" – with Byrne playing with Yank Lawson, Arrtie Baker, Jack Lesberg, and more, and Winding with Howard McGhee, John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet batch of soulful fusion from alto saxophonist Sonny Criss – quite different than the small group acoustic sessions that made up most of his career – but a shining light in his later revival, and an album that really got him in touch with a wider range of listeners! The style here is full and soulful – arranged by Wade Marcus with a mix of larger jazz ensemble playing, and a bit of strings – similar to styles used a the time for Lou Donaldson, Willis Jackson, and other 60s reedmen. Criss is right out front on alto, and other players include Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Patrice Rushen on keyboards – working nicely here in a style that's almost Kudo or CTI. Titles include "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", "Turn Me Loose", "Stolen Moments", and "Midnight Mellow". LP, Vinyl record album

Griff and Lock are playing head to head here – right in their classic "tuff tenors" mode, although not recorded Live at Mintons! Rhythm is by Norman Simmons, Vic Sproles, and Ben Riley – and the album's actually a bit gutsier and more freewheeling than some of their earlier sets, the ones with a bit more Monk work. Titles include "What's Happening?", "63rd Street Theme", "Pull My Coat", and "Hey Jim!". CD features a bonus version of "Billie's Bounce" – one that runs for nearly 12 minutes! CD

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". LP, Vinyl record album

Brazilian percussion mixed with 21st Century sounds – all served up sublimely in the hands of Kirk Degiorgio – one of the few artists we could ever expect to get a project like this just right! The album follows nicely off Kirk's previous collaboration with Azymuth – but has an even starker sound overall, as core acoustic percussion bits are worked into contemporary rhythm programs – then topped with some of the crackling electric touches that you'd expect – often with a warmer sound than other projects of this nature, but a groove that's plenty driving overall. Titles include "Babilonia", "Morro Da Formiga", "Dende", "Borel", "Vidigal", "Rocinha", "Prazeres", and "Complexo Do Alemao" – plus remixes "Babilonia (Rick Wilhite dub)", "Borel (Jonas Kopp my vision of samba rmx)", and "Borel (Nxi rmx)". CD

Great small group work – and the Johnny Dodds group features trumpet from Charlie Shavers, while the Jimmy Noone combo features both Shavers on trumpet and Pete Brown on alto! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Birth Of A Penguin", "The Lair", "Selena Transforms", "Cat Suite", "Rise And Fall From Grace", "The Children's Hour", and "Final Confrontation". CD

A very cool Japanese set – with new readings of music from films that include Enter The Dragon, 2001, The Godfather, Morning After, Jaws, Superman, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Black Hole, and Star Wars! LP, Vinyl record album