... LP, Vinyl record album

Texas boogie badassery from the great ZZ Top – the follow-up to the absolutely killer Tres Hombres! One side features the trio doing what it does best – slaying a live audience, this one at The Warehouse in New Orleans – and the other side features a handful of hard grooving studio tracks. Here ZZ Top proudly promises "hot, spontaneous and presented to you honestly, without the assistance of studio gimmicks." Later on they'd wholy embrace those gimmicks, but boy, did they ever kill it in the mid 70s without that stuff! Includes "Thunderbird", the greasy "Backdoor Medley", "Nasty Dogs And Funky King", "Tush" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Includes the classics, "Gimme All Your Lovin", "Sharp Dressed Man", "Legs", "TV Dinners", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

An early breakthrough for ZZ Top – a raucous hard electric blues rock classic that was popular at the time, if not critically beloved – finally getting its deserved respect nowadays for timeless grit and groove! The opening couple of classics "Waitin' For The Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago" flow one to the other seamlessly and set the mood perfectly, and it's pretty much one great tune after another from there, including "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers", "Master Of Sparks", "Hot, Blue And Righteous", "Move Me On Down The Line", "Precious And Grace", the almighty, never to diminish "La Grange", "Sheik" and "Have You Heard". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool package – in the shape of a BBQ shack, with special inserts, 4CDs, and band and BBQ cutouts! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A bit later in the classic run of ZZ Top – but still before they somehow became the mid-80s darlings of MTV! Titles include their classic "Tube Snake Boogie" – plus "Ten Foot Pole", "Leila", "Don't Tease Me", "Heaven Hell Or Houston", "Groovy Little Hippie Pad", "Party On The Patio", "Pearl Necklace", "It's So Hard", and "I Wanna Drive You Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from this Texas trio – pulled from a time when they were still super-hip, and one of the freshest mainstream things to come from their scene! The mix of blues roots and psych influences here is wonderful – much rawer than in the group's later years, with a strong link in sonic intensity to the 60s Texas garage/psych scene – thanks to mindblowing work on guitar from the young Billy Gibbons! Titles include "Bar B Q", "Whiskey N Mama", "Francine", "Just Got Paid", "Ko Ko Blue", "Chevrolet", "Mushmouth Shoutin", and "Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic first album from ZZ Top – already a heady mix of Texas blues and psych roots, served up into a style that's completely the group's own – but which hasn't yet been watered down by commercial cliches and MTV! The sound here really puts these guys much more in the company of the fantastic Texas garage psych scene of the late 60s – with a really strong focus on the amazing guitar of Billy Gibbons, and the way he can compact down so many elements into one very unique tone – but without ever having to show off as a blues rocker either. The blend is perfect, the edge is razor sharp, and even if these guys never had any later hits, the record would have been an underground gem! Titles include "Neighbor Neighbor", "Shaking Your Tree", "Brown Sugar", "Squank", "Going Down To Mexico", "Backdoor Love Affair", and "Just Got Back From Baby's". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty debut of Grand Funk Railroad – a set that has them bursting out of the box as one of the hardest-hitting power trios on the American scene! Like contemporaries ZZ Top or James Gang, these guys have clearly been influenced by the best electric blues of the previous decade or two – but are already turning that inspiration into some harder rocking modes – really prefacing all the guitar hero groups to come along in the next few years! Mark Farner's work on the guitar is fantastic, and he also adds in a bit of harmonica too – but the whole thing is definitely a group effort – thanks to heavy bass from Mel Schacher and pounding drums from Don Brewer! Titles include "Anybody's Answer", "Time Machine", "Into The Sun", "Heartbreaker", "Call Yourself A Man", "Ups & Downs", "TNUC", and "High On A Horse". LP, Vinyl record album

Features pre-ZZ Top work from Dusty Hill! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest Christmas albums issued during the 80s – a promo-only 2LP set from Warner Brothers, featuring a host of special songs, and a number of special radio station ID bits as well! The range of artists is pretty great – and titles include "Don't Drink & Drive Duh" and "Pee Wee Wilbury ID" by Pee Wee Herman, "Ways To Save Money At Christmas" by Julie Brown, "Santa Claus Is Getting Down" by Jesse Ed Davis, "Blue Christmas" by Danielle Dax, "Santa" by Throwing Muses, "Deck The Halls" by REM, "Rudolph The Manic Reindeer" by Los Lobos, "Silver Bells" by Jim Horn, "Christmas Without You" by Tommy Pge, "Cold Chillin Christmas" by Cold Chillin Juice Crew, and "God Rest The House" by Jeff Lorber. Also features Holiday station ID bits from Apollonia, James Ingram, ZZ Top, Ofra Haza, Lou Reed, Peter Cetera, Randy Travis, and Traveling Wilburys. LP, Vinyl record album

A great group from the Texas scene of the late 60s – one that's maybe best known for giving the world the bass of Dusty Hill and drums of Frank Beard – who'd later go on to form ZZ Top with Billy Gibbons – but a combo who are more than great enough on their own! Yes, there's plenty of blues inspiration in the music – but the sound is every bit as trippy as the cover – and Rocky Hill works in some very sharp, very complex guitar lines throughout – already outpacing his influences by a lot, as the group come across with a sound that's steeped in the best Texas psych modes of the time! We don't know much about the setting for the record, but the production and presentation are top-shelf – maybe even better than the group's following record on Uni – and titles include "Mercury Blues", "Fugue For Lady Cheriff", "It's Gone", "Keep My Heart In A Rage", "Melted By Snow", "All I Saw Was You", and a great trippy remake of "If I Were A Carpenter". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty debut of Grand Funk Railroad – a set that has them bursting out of the box as one of the hardest-hitting power trios on the American scene! Like contemporaries ZZ Top or James Gang, these guys have clearly been influenced by the best electric blues of the previous decade or two – but are already turning that inspiration into some harder rocking modes – really prefacing all the guitar hero groups to come along in the next few years! Mark Farner's work on the guitar is fantastic, and he also adds in a bit of harmonica too – but the whole thing is definitely a group effort – thanks to heavy bass from Mel Schacher and pounding drums from Don Brewer! Titles include "Anybody's Answer", "Time Machine", "Into The Sun", "Heartbreaker", "Call Yourself A Man", "Ups & Downs", "TNUC", and "High On A Horse". CD

The mighty debut of Grand Funk Railroad – a set that has them bursting out of the box as one of the hardest-hitting power trios on the American scene! Like contemporaries ZZ Top or James Gang, these guys have clearly been influenced by the best electric blues of the previous decade or two – but are already turning that inspiration into some harder rocking modes – really prefacing all the guitar hero groups to come along in the next few years! Mark Farner's work on the guitar is fantastic, and he also adds in a bit of harmonica too – but the whole thing is definitely a group effort – thanks to heavy bass from Mel Schacher and pounding drums from Don Brewer! Titles include "Anybody's Answer", "Time Machine", "Into The Sun", "Heartbreaker", "Call Yourself A Man", "Ups & Downs", "TNUC", and "High On A Horse". CD

A massive batch of mixes from dancefloor maestro John Luongo – a set that's heavy on cuts from the 80s in many styles, and which has some other surprises in the mix as well! Luongo was one of those talents who did a great job of bringing underground dancefloor modes to a more mainstream audience – and he finds grooves in cuts that might not normally have gotten such strong club treatment on their own, or in the hands of another remix talent! This 2LP set features some of the best work that Luongo did back in the day – titles that include "The Best (ext mighty mix)" by Tina Turner, "Suspicious Minds (suspicious mix)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "The Chinese Way (New York rmx)" by Level 42, "Out In The Night (12" version)" by Serge Ponsar, "Give It Up (12" version)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "Missing You (ext version)" by John Waite, "Eyes Without A Face (full length version)" by Billy Idol, "Look Of Love (part 3 – dance version)" by ABC, "Fade To Grey (US 12" version)" by Visage, "Blind Vision (ext version)" by Blancmange, "Shy Boy (US ext version)" by Bananarama, "Tarzan Boy (ext dance version)" by Baltimora, "Relight My Fire (historical 1979 rmx)" by Dan Hartman with Loleatta Holloway, "You Stepped Into My Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Melba Moore, and "Music Is My Way Of Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Patti Labelle – plus more from Soft Cell, Bill Nelson, Sharon Ridley, Fantasy, Material, Cabaret Voltaire, Cher, ZZ Top, Gonzalez, Marlena Shaw, Jackie Moore, and others. 4CD set features 43 tracks in all – and includes a 32 page booklet, with rare photos, track annotations, and an essay on Luongo's music! CD

An amazing array of southern soul – a 3CD package that's overflowing with classics in the genre, but which also features a fair bit of rare numbers too! The presentation of the whole thing is completely top-shelf – with a 72 page booklet that's almost worth the price of admission alone, supported with 3CDs of music containing a total of 75 songs in all! The set's divided up thematically – discs titled You Don't Miss Your Water, The Rainbow Road, and The River, respectively – and even if you've already got a fair bit of southern soul in your collection, you'd be hard pressed to find so much great music anywhere else, especially presented this well. Titles include "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Polly Wally" by Tony Borders, "Faithful & True" by ZZ Hill, "What I Don't Know Won't Hurt Me" by Paul Thompson, "I Can't Give You My Heart" by Jimmy Braswell, "Lead Me On" by Gwen McCrae, "Let's Face Facts" by The Masqueraders, "Something I Never Had" by Jarvis Jackson, "Mumble In My Ear" by Marcell Strong, "Tired Of Being Alone" by Al Green, "Jody Come Back & Get Your Shoes" by Bobby Newsom, "Starting All Over Again" by Mel & Tim, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Geater Davis, "I'll Make It Up To You" by Clay Hammond, "The One You Can't Have" by Shirley Walton, "My Adorable One" by Joe Simon, "Losin Boy" by Eddie Giles, and "We Always Come Back Strong" by Sam Dees. CD

A really heady set of tracks from the American scene – music that effortlessly bridges the 60s sounds of garage, blues rock, and psych – and prefaces some of the metal and more guitar-heavy modes to emerge later on in the 70s! The work here definitely shares more with the sounds of the 60s, but also really captures the music at a moment when things were really transforming – groups were getting past a slavish presentation of their influences, finding bold new modes of expression, and really letting their freak flag fly with fuzzy brilliance throughout – all at levels that were also different than some of the longer-spun modes of the European progressive world. As with other Grapefruit packages, the distillation of a sound and scene here is wonderful – and supported with very detailed notes too – in a package that includes 62 tracks in all - with work from Bang, Sudden Death, Dust, Arthur Lee, Boomerang, Cactus, Grand Funk, The Flow, Head Over Heels, Sir Lord Baltimore, ZZ Top, Brigade, Fuse, Conception, Morgen, Coven, Alice Cooper, Nazz, Stack, Spirit, Kim Fowley, SRC, Mass Confusion Rock Band, Society's Children, Omnibus, Wildwood, Human Beinz, The Sound Barrier, Fever Tree, and many others! CD

The cover image features a classic quartet date from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – and the issue looks at important records in a similar format – all of which feature either a saxophonist, trumpeter, or trombonist with a rhythm trio for backing! The issue follows the Jazz Critique mode and has a discography of nearly 100 albums – with album cover art and other text in English, and longer reviews on Japanese – all as part of this issue that has other Japanese articles on jazz topics both past and present, all graced with very nice black and white photos! 200 pages, book-style format, and a great layout and design. Book

The Worldwide on the cover is a reference to the long-running radio show served up by DJ Gilles Peterson – a figure who's influenced us in countless ways over the years – from his late 80s work on the London scene, to his Talking Loud label in the 90s, his Brownswood projects in the 21st Century – and so many other efforts that continue to shape the way we listen to music! This issue's got a great cover feature on Gilles – alongside other excellent articles of the sort that keep We Jazz at the top of our reading stack, issue after issue – more on Ingrid Laubrock, Astro Can Caravan, Takuya Kuroda, and Die Enttauschung – plus the Discaholic column by Mats Gustafsson, a look at Dutch Jazz and Japanese Jazz, and the mix of spoken word and free jazz on record! 128 pages, squarebound, and filled with beautiful color images throughout. Magazine

Christoph Merki on alto saxophone, Daniel Schenker on trumpet, Chris Wiesendanger and Hans Feigenwinter on piano, Domenico Ferrari and Ephrem Luchinger on electronics, Stephan Athanas on bass, Tony Renold on drums, and Matthias Eser on marimba and percussion. CD

A great overview of the far reaching strains of jazzy and funky music made in South Africa from the early 60s to the late 70s – the conclusion of the incredible Next Stop Soweto series on Strut – capping off the series with the best of the three! In a period of both physical and cultural segregation, truly exceptional music was made – much of it in a jazzy mode – relatively early soul jazz sounds and jazzy funk that's uniquely South African. African drums, percussion fused with region free jazziness and boundless spirit. Amazing stuff! The vinyl version includes 11 tracks on 2LPs: "Itumeleng" by Matsumi, "Joy" by Spirits Rejoice, "Emakhaya" by The Heshoo Beshoo Group, "Little Old Man (Maxhegwana)" by Early Mabuza Quartet, "Orlando" by Dennis Mpale, "Sibathathu" by Malombo Jazz Makers, "Spring" by Chris Schilder Quartet feat Mankunku, "Stay Cool" by Tete Mbambisa" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty incredible legacy of jazz from the scene in Belgium during the late 60s and early 70s – a place that never got the kind of exposure as the jazz worlds of the UK, Scandinavia, and Germany – but one that was making some really amazing work at the time! Take the "progressive" in the title a bit loosely – this is neither prog jazz rock, nor work that's too academic to be groovy – as the groups here are often a bit funky, and play with a surprising degree of soul – just the right space between the notes to make for tunes that cross over very well to fans of American funky jazz from the 70s, with some moments that also rival the best in Brazilian 70s jazz too! The rhythms are wonderful – sometimes full-on funky, sometimes more modal and spacious – and the tracks mix electric and acoustic instrumentation perfectly – mostly instrumental, but with a few vocals from time to time. Some of the artists are ones here you might not normally associate with Belgium – and that's just because they're finally getting their due here, in a well-collected package that also illuminates the connections with a great set of notes. Titles include "Vas Y Voir" by Brussels Art Quintet, "Pathetic Dreams" by Koen De Bruyne, "Archangelo" by Raphael, "Memphis Talk" by Philip Catherine, "Naima" by Lou MacConnell, "Pro Forma 1" by Babs Robert, "Utopic Cities" by Solis Lacus, "SUS" by Placebo, "Face Reality" by Jacques & Micheline Pelzer, "Tohubohu (part 1)" by Marc Moulin, "Open Sky" by Open Sky Unit, and "Sakara" by Clarke Boland Big Band. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Harry Betts leads a great group of west coast all-stars here – maybe not in a way that's got the soul jazz promised in the title, but which makes for some wonderfully groovy music overall! The set's a great example of the way that so many 50s west coast players really opened up their game in the 60s – especially when they got a chance to play in different settings – which is definitely the case here in a record that's got stunning read work from Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, and Herbie Steward – plus trumpet from Conte Candoli and Jack Sheldon, vibes and percussion from Larry Bunker, piano by Russ Freeman, trombone from Frank Rosolino and Milt Bernhart, and even some congas by a young Francisco Aguabella! The charts are large, and the material isn't just from Dr Kildare – as the set features a variety of different film themes – from "The Asphalt Jungle", "Adventures In Paradise", "Bus Stop", "National Velvet", "Klondike", "Hong Kong", and "Cain's Hundred" – all done in jazzy ensemble modes. CD

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

A motherload of funky grooves from Brass Construction – one of the most unique groups of the 70s, and one whose music just seemed to get better and better as the years went on! The great Randy Muller's at the head of the lineup – a talent you may know from his work on other projects, but who really rose to fame with the unique sound of this group – a masterful combination of jazzy horns, clubby rhythms, and just the right sort of funk and soul undercurrents – which results in an all-killer, no-filler approach all the way through! With their use of horns as live instrumentation, Brass Construction have a crackle and a sense of spontaneity that's different than other acts of their generation – a commitment to a groove, but a way of laying things out with a complexity that offers way more than catchy rhythms – a further tribute to the arranging genius of Muller! This 3CD package features 43 of the group's best tracks, from a long run of albums that spanned a decade – which is great, as a number of the albums have barely been reissued over the years. Titles include "Movin", "Celebrate", "Get Up", "Can You See The Light", "Do That Thang", "Perception", "Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing", "Ha Cha Cha", "Screwed", "Changin", "Peekin", "I'm Not Gonna Stop", "We Are Brass", "Partyline", "Dangerous", "Zig Zag", "Walkin The Line", "Right Place", "Shakit", "The Message", "Do Ya", "Attitude", "ETC", and "Conquest". CD

A sweet live set from Dave Brubeck's early years on Columbia Records – recorded in New York, but with all the calculated cool and modern tones Brubeck first forged in the San Francisco scene of the 50s! Paul Desmond's on board on alto sax – really getting a lot of space to stretch out on the album's extended performances, with a haunting, floating tone that really sends us. Remaining members include Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums – and tracks include "Lover", "Love Walked In", "The Duke", "Little Girl Blue", and "Fare Thee Well Annabelle". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual session of trad jazz for the mostly-west coast World Pacific label – one that features guitarist Eddie Condon at the host of an all-star group that includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Bud Freeman on tenor sax, Herb Hall on clarinet, and Cutty Cutshall on trombone. The sound's in a strongly trad mode overall – but a number of tunes get some longer treatments here, and expand with freedoms of later recording modes. Titles include "Ostrich Walk", "Sensation Rag", "Livery Stable Blues", "Tiger Rag", "Reisenweber Rag", and "Lazy River". LP, Vinyl record album

Live recordings from Stampen in Stockholm, Sweden – with Arne Domnerus on saxophone and clarinet, Bengt Hallbert on piano, and Georg Riedel on bass, with Egil Johansen on drums, and Lars Erstrand on vibes. LP, Vinyl record album

A crazy collection of poetry and jazz – but one that doesn't come from as much of the sort of hipster/beat angle as one would expect from this sort of project! Instead, the interpreters take the high art road – with John Carradine, Hoagy Carmichael, Ben Wright, Roy Glenn and Bob Dorough all reading selections penned by Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, William Carlos Williams, Langston Hughes, Lawrence Lipton, Philip Whalen, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The music is very progressive and expressionistic for the period – performed by the Chico Hamilton Quintet, the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, the Ralph Pena-Bob Dorough Quintet, or a special group put together for this recording called the Jazz Canto Ensemble – which features Jack Montrose, Larry Bunker, Paul Horn, Buddy Collette and other west coast players from the LA scene. The sound is a bit more serious than some of the Fantasy Records jazz-meets-poetry experiments of the same time – and titles include "Poets To Come", "Tract", "In My Craft Or Sullen Art", "Night Song For The Sleepless", "Lament", "Dog", "Young Sycamore", "Three Songs", and "Big High Song For Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic pairing of postwar trumpets – those of Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge, each given plenty of space to speak their piece here in the best Verve all-star tradition! The group's great too – with Herb Ellis on guitar, Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums. The album's got some sweet stretched out tracks that feature the two trumpet giants really opening up! Titles include "Algo Bueno", "I Can't Get Started", "Trumpet Blues", and "Pretty Eyed Baby", which even has a bit of vocals from Roy and Diz! LP, Vinyl record album

A sharp early 60s session from the Duke Ellington group – one that seems to draw strongly on the best late 50s work for Columbia Records, but which also seems to add in an extra crackle too! The tunes are relatively short, but the group pack plenty of punch in the small space – especially on the more rhythmic numbers, which almost seem to borrow a bit from Basie's bag – yet with more of the sophistication you'd expect on the Ellington horns. The work of Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums is especially strong on this session – but there's loads of great interplay from reedmen who include Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Russel Procope, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – plus trumpet from Bill Berry, Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, and Harold Baker. Titles include "Taffy Twist", "Flirtbird", "Smada", "What Am I Here For", "Boo Dah", "Black & Tan Fantasy", and "I'm Gonna Go Fishin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most magical records ever from this legendary group – a set that swings as hard and soulfully as some of their previous sessions, yet also has a sharper, more modern vibe as well! Of course, this latter aspect is no surprise – once you realize that a young Grachan Moncur is on trombone – adding his hip horn to the wonderful frontline of Benny Golson on tenor and Art Farmer on trumpet and flugelhorn. And given that the rhythm group also features Harold Mabern on piano, you can bet there's a freshness here that can't be beat – a sound and energy that's kept this one at the top of our stack for many many years. Mabern and Moncur contribute two of the best tracks – "Richie's Dilemma" and "Sonny's Back" – and other titles include "Whisper Not", "Tonk", "Rue Prevail", and "Ruby My Dear". LP, Vinyl record album

A compilation album, but one that's classic enough to stand on its own – thanks to a rock-solid roster of talent from the mighty Savoy Records catalog of the 50s! The format here follows in the looser blowing session mode of some of Savoy's best sides of the period – and groups shift from track to track, but really maintain the feel of the record overall. Titles include "Walkin" by a large group arranged by Billy Ver Planck, "Monday Stroll" by Frank Wess and Kenny Burrell, "Sram" by Yusef Lateef, "MC" by Frank Foster with Donald Byrd, "June Is Busting Out All Over" by AK Salim, "Stop"by Sonny Redd & Pepper Adams, and "Sugar Dugar" by Sahib Shihab with Phil Woods. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to stop the Blastfighter when he's got music like this to back him up – an assortment of sounds served up by Fabio Frizzi – in a style that uses some of the instrumentation of his better-known horror work, but in a very different way! The buzzword here is "action" – and the best cuts have a throbbing rhythm driven by drum machines, and washes of 80s keyboards over the top – then guitars, basslines, and whatever touches are needed to move things forward – with an occasional rest on a cut that's a bit more mellow, but never sleepy at all! If you dig 80s action scores, you'll find plenty to love here – and there's a lean, compact vibe that gives the whole record a very unified feel. CD

A wonderfully exotic set – thanks to unusual piano phrasing from Freddie Gambrell and hip reed lines from Paul Horn – plus percussion from Ray Mosca and Armando Peraza, bass from Ben Tucker, and guitar from Dempsey Wright! LP, Vinyl record album