British Progressive Jazz (UK), Late 1960s/Early 1970s.
The title gets it right – as the set features some of the coolest, hippest British jazz of the late 60s and early 70s – served up here in a special package that features nine never-issued tracks! The work here is all by giants who really helped open doors and let British jazz musicians ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Palm/SeriE.WOC (France), 1974. (reissue)
Maybe the hippest record ever cut by vibist Khan Jamal – and that's saying a lot, as all of his records are pretty darn hip! This rare date was originally done for the French Palm Records label run by avant jazz giant Jef Gilson – and the approach is very loose and free, but also not ...
(Jazz LP)
Jazzaggression (Finland), 2024.
A set with a great improvised groove – music that's created on the spot, yet often nicely rhythmic too – although not without some farther-out moments as well! The set really gets a lot from the keyboards of Virginia Genta and guitar of Topias Tiheasalo – both players whose ...
(Jazz LP)
Wah Wah (UK), 2024.
A really cosmic album from UK artist Jamie Finlay – one that swirls together spiritual fusion and soulful vocals, all at a level that takes us back to the 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith! The style and instrumentation are a bit more contemporary, but there's a definite depth here that easily ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Dal Segno/Mo Jazz (UK), Late 1960s. (reissue)
A wickedly cool small combo set from the 60s – featuring reedman John Lemon, who blows both tenor and flute, plus a bit of alto as well – in a combo with Jimmy Scott on organ, Ernest McLean on guitar, and Bobby Brooks on drums! The set's got a great soul jazz vibe – like a ...
(Jazz LP)
SoNo, 2024.
The voice of Lalah Hathaway just seems to get better and better with age – warmer and more mature, and definitely part of a legacy that makes her one of the strongest talents of her generation! As with other records, Hathaway has a great way of balancing herself between mainstream soul and ...
(Soul CD)
Tru Thoughts (UK), 2024.
Trumpeter Sefi Zisling has a background in funk, but also really showcases his jazz chops here – in a set that's maybe his deepest, most personal record to date – a set that really takes its time and space to find its voice, not just from the leader, but from the other musicians as well! ...
(Jazz LP)
Impulse, 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from ...
(Jazz LP)
East Wind/Universal (Japan), 1976.
A real standout in the mid 70s Japanese jazz scene – one of a few excellent albums by Isao Suzuki, a jazz cello player who could work well in a variety of settings! This album's got Isao grooving with some slight electric touches – working with Japanese players that include Kazumi ...
(Jazz CD)
Universal (France), 2024.
A Latin jazz group, but one with a real difference – as the approach here moves very far from familiar Afro-Cuban roots, and instead embraces a whole host of more contemporary rhythms and instrumental phrasing! The group's a French one, and have a quality that echoes some of the older criss-c ...
(Latin CD)
Raven/Freestyle (UK), 1988. (reissue)
A rare bit of UK soul from Rick Clarke – a sweet little set that's got a nicely lean feel – part of that 80s UK style of R&B that really seemed to set the scene for the coming years that would give the world artists like Omar and Soul II Soul! The groove here definitely echoes some ...
(Soul LP)
Belby Wetterman/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1980. (reissue)
Belair is a combo led by guitarist Michael Belair – who works here with a very cool California group, in a style that's different than some of the other work of his generation! The feel is definitely 70s, but the style echoes older gypsy swing – an acoustic mode served up with ...
(Jazz LP)
Horizon/Verve, 1977. Gatefold (reissue)
Bassist Charlie Haden in a really wonderful mode – stepping out here in a set of spare duets, each with a different hip player on each of the album's four long tracks – a masterful setting not just for his own work as an improviser, but also for the collaborative spirit that's always ...
(Jazz LP)
Union/Lawson (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
The only album as a leader from this tremendous tenor saxophonist – a player with a very rich tone, and a deeply spiritual vibe – flowing out effortlessly here on a session that really makes us wish he'd given us more record! There's a strong modal sensibility to the record – ...
(Jazz LP)
Tamla/Elemental, 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
Fantastic solo work from Smokey Robinson – recorded a few years before his monumental Quiet Storm album, but with a very similar high level of quality! Willie Hutch co-produced the album with Smokey, and working with arrangements by Hutch and Gene Page, they transform Smokey's sound into a ...
(Soul LP)
Luaka Bop, 2024.
A long-overdue second album from this very spiritual group – one recorded almost 50 years after their first, and with a sound that's maybe even deeper overall! Over the course of decades, it's clear that the Staples Jr Singers have lived a lot of life – which really comes through in ...
(Gospel LP)
Atlantic/Sundazed, 1969. (reissue)
The second tripped-out set from Ars Nova – an under-remembered late 60s group who had a great talent for blending together a range of different styles! At some level, Ars Nova share qualities with some of the harder-jamming groups of their time – but they've also got a sound that ...
(Rock LP)
Numero, Late 1960s/1970s. 2LP Gatefold
Over a decade back, the Numero Group put out a groundbreaking set of funky 45s – 45 of the little 7" single gems, all packaged in a special case – and billed as the Eccentric Soul Omnibus! Here, the label revisits that limited and long-gone package, but in a Minibus version – ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
People/Sundazed, 1970. (reissue)
The only album ever issued by this trippy trio from the start of the 70s, but one who come across with a surprisingly soulful vibe at times – thanks to production on the album from Leon Ware, Clarence Paul, and Mickey Stevenson! At the core, Truth have sound that maybe echoes some of the ...
(Rock LP)
Motown/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 1960s/Early 1970s. 2CD
Four classics from this legendary Motown group – including 2 albums on CD for the first time ever! First up is What Love Has Joined Together – excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! ...
(Soul CD)
Legere (UK), 2024.
A warm set of blue-eyed soul from the UK's James Sayer – a singer with a raspy charm that comes through right away – almost a classic quality from the AOR generation, but served up here with a vibe that's much more down to earth! While some folks are trying hard these days to echo ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Ahmed (Pat Thomas/Antonin Gerbal/Joel Grip/Seymour Wright)
Wood Blues
Astral Spirits, 2024. 2LP
An album-length improvisation, but one that has a surprising amount of swing at times – some very old school jazz-based changes, which are then pushed aside for freer moments of expression in a really great way! The quartet have this really magical way of coming together, and often spin out ...
(Jazz LP)
Ace/Kent (UK), 1960s/1970s.
Classic tracks from one of the greatest songwriting teams in soul music during the 60s and 70s – the legendary trio of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland – two of whom started out as soul singers, and all three of whom left behind a huge legacy on the Detroit scene! And ...
(Soul CD)
Now Again, Mid 1970s.
Wonderfully trippy sounds from Mike Nyoni – one of the funkier talents in the Zamrock scene of the 70s – even though he also works with lots of the slight psychedelic touches of other contemporaries too! Mike's style on guitar is a bit too loose to be funk, but it's also got this nice ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Takt/Le Tres Jazz Club (France), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
One of our favorite albums ever by this inventive Japanese trumpeter – and a really that really lives up to its title! Terumasa's entering his spacey period here – but not too spacey – and he's playing in a stretched out style that takes his trumpet into warm soulful lines that ...
(Jazz LP)
Nimbus, 1979.
A set that's overflowing with genius from the LA scene of the 70s – a larger lineup of key players, all directed by pianist Horace Tapscott at a time when he was doing some of his greatest music on the planet! Tapscott is great in a trio or solo – but we really love him when he's able ...
(Jazz CD)
Guitorn/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1980. (reissue)
A soulful, spiritual set from the start of the 80s – served up by a group who seem to have only recorded this one rare album, yet who come across like a combo with a much longer legacy! There's a laidback approach to the music that reminds us of similar work from the Cali scene in the 70s ...
(Jazz LP)
Timmion (Finland), 2024.
Jimi Tenor is always a wonderfully collaborative artist – and depending on his partners on a project, he can effortlessly move between the worlds of funk, club, and spiritual jazz! Here, he works with Cold Diamond & Mink in this beautifully laidback take on soul – music that's got ...
(Deep Funk CD)
Salsoul/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 1970s. 8CD
Vince Montana might look a bit hokey on the cover – but over the course of a few short years, he helped transform the sound of the soulful dancefloor with the huge amount of music on this set – a stunning legacy that's presented here with expanded versions of the group's full albums ...
(Soul CD)
Cherry Red (UK), 1980s. 4CD
A really deep dive into the darker side of electronic music in the 80s – a package that begins after the first few years of post-punk experiments, and moves into a time when some groups were really helping to find a new global outlet for their sounds! That doesn't mean that the music here is ...
(Rock CD)
Crown/We Want Sounds (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
Wicked funk from Japanese keyboardist Norio Maeda – also a hell of an arranger, too – as you'll hear on this superb set from the start of the 70s! The record's one of those key albums that took a 60s groovy Japanese sound much further into the future – giving the whole thing a ...
(Jazz LP)
BBE (UK), 2024. 2LP Gatefold
A really fantastic projects from Jake Ferguson, who you'll know for his work in the Heliocentrics – working here with excellent funky beats from Malcolm Catto, and in a style that's a lot more hip hop than some of his earlier work! There's strong guests throughout – a lineup of singers ...
(Hip Hop LP)
Native Rebel (UK), 2024. 2LP
A record with a fantastically beautiful sound, and one that's fantastically difficult to describe in words as well – which is maybe great praise for the amazing combination of vocals and instrumentation that's taking place over the course of the record! Ganavya sings in Tamil, with this ...
(New Grooves LP)
Shindig, 2024.
The mighty Rascals get some great coverage here – in a deep feature that looks at their "Young" years on Atlantic Records! There's also a great look at Margo Guryan, timed perfectly for her great box set from Numero – and the issue also has a great feature on the way that the ...
(Magazine)
BBE (UK), 1979.
Super-soulful work from Remi Kabaka – a set recorded in LA, where Remi added in some great Cali soul touches to his Afro Funk groove! The tracks are longish, and have some sweet riffing guitar, driving percussion, and keyboards and vocals from Remi himself – topped with some guest ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Lee, 2024.
We've been digging the music of Lee for years, and he just seems to get better and better with each new record – effortlessly working in a mature blend of soul and jazzy currents, in a style that's a real cut above so many of his contemporaries on the indie scene! Lee has a great way with a ...
(Neo Soul CD)
WeJazz (Finland), 2024.
Finnish keyboardist Olli Ahvenlahti cut some wickedly funky work back in the 70s – and here, he's playing Fender Rhodes and sounding completely stunning – on an album that's every bit as great as his classics from back in the day! The record has a lean vibe, with Olli on Rhodes and a ...
(Jazz CD)
Janus/Partisan, 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
The fantastic first album by one of the most unique funk groups of all time! A key part of the crumbling British colonial network that produced some excellent music in the postwar years, Cymande was comprised mostly of West Indians who'd emigrated to England in the 60s, eventually meeting up ...
(Soul LP)
Motown/Elemental, 1970. (reissue)
One of the last albums the Four Tops ever issued on Motown – but also one of the best, and a set that really has the group taking off in a strong new direction for the 70s! Frank Wilson's at the production helm, and the set has all these cool little twists and turns that work perfectly with ...
(Soul LP)
Moserobie (Sweden), 2024.
Swedish tenorist Gilbert Holmstrom is fantastic here – recording decades after his groundbreaking debut album in the 60s, but with a style that's equally vibrant, and still committed to the modern jazz legacy he helped ignite! The tunes have a sense of structure, but one that's very ...
(Jazz CD)
Brain/Made In Germany (Germany), 1975. 2CD
A set that features two really fantastic side-long pieces by electronic music genius Klaus Schulze – both supposedly performed live in the studio, with no dubbing or editing – which maybe makes the music even more amazing overall! Schulze is using a sequencer to create a sense of ...
(Rock CD)
Moserobie (Sweden), 2024.
Beautifully hard-driving work from this cool Norwegian combo – a lineup who have a wonderfully unified groove that really sets fire at the start of each new track, before things explode with wonderful solos that really make things soar! The great Kjetil Moster plays saxes on the set, and has ...
(Jazz CD)
Dave Rempis/Tashi Dorji
Gnash
Aerophonic, 2024.
Very striking improvisations – served up on a record that features the great reedman Dave Rempis on soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone sax – plus Tashi Dorji on some mighty mean guitar! Dorji can improvise like a jazz musician, but he's also got influences from the worlds of punk, ...
(Jazz CD)
LRC/Mr Bongo (UK), 1977.
A sweet 70s groover from the great Lonnie Smith – a soulful little session that has the keyboardist really stretching out in some great ways! At the time, Smith fares a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries – as he's got a great lean style, perfect for the ...
(Jazz CD)
Eternal Triangle (Trevor Watts/Veryan Weston/Jamie Harris)
Gravity
Jazz Now (UK), 2024.
A young group, but one that features some key older members of the British jazz scene – Trevor Watts on alto and soprano, Veryan Weston on piano, and Jamie Harris on percussion – all working together in a loose, open style that's really wonderful! Weston's playing a Nord keyboard, ...
(Jazz CD)
Ankh Arts/Native Rebel (UK), 1985. (reissue)
A really fantastic take on the tradition of spoken word in reggae – a set that's got a much rootsier vibe than you'd expect from the release date, and instrumentation that's very acoustic overall – mostly strong use of percussion to back up the righteous words of AnkAnum! The set has ...
(Reggae LP)
Reprise/Esoteric (UK), 1974.
A great post-Family project from singer Roger Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney – working here in a way that really seems to hone in on the individual charms that both musicians have to offer! Chapman's vocals are every bit as distinct as before, but nicely tuned towards different styles ...
(Rock CD)
Cherry Red (UK), Early 80s. 3CD
The complete recordings of a group departed all too soon – the wonderfully catchy, completely groovy Bow Wow Wow – a great breath of fresh air at the start of the 80s! The group were a new project of Malcolm McLaren after the Sex Pistols – but they clearly had plenty going for ...
(Rock CD)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 1940s/Early 1950s.
Killer postwar work from the great Roy Brown – one of the giants in the new groove of R&B at the time, and an artist who really helped pave the way for later rock and soul music as well! Roy's got a groove that's every bit as hard and heavy as King Records labelmate Wynonie Harris – ...
(Soul CD)
Nimbus, 1979.
Soaring spiritual sounds from this legendary ensemble – finally given a longer look at their famous series of performances at the Immanuel United church in LA! The mighty Horace Tapscott is at the lead of the group on piano – and the list of other players is almost an all-star lineup ...
(Jazz CD)
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2024.
The name of the group is a reference to Zen culture – but their sound is very different than that might make you expect – as the trio has a very searing, very intense sound on the album's two long tracks – as much an exercise in noise as it is in improvisation! The lineup ...
(Jazz CD)
Soul Jazz (UK), Early 1980s.
The resurgence of one of the most groundbreaking periods in recent groove history – the almost-forgotten post-punk years in England, a time of incredible musical convergence! In the heady days of the early 80s – a time when much music was being lost under a gloss of big hair, tinny ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Salsoul/BMG (UK), Late 1970s/Early 1980s. 2LP Gatefold
Vibes, strings, keyboards, and vocals – the heavenly sound of the Salsoul Orchestra, one of the greatest disco outfits of the 70s! At the time, the group were ubiquitous on the dancefloor scene – but the amazing thing to our ears is how great these tunes still sound after all these ...
(Soul LP)
Colemine, 2024.
A contemporary group, but one who bring out a classic Cali soul vibe – particularly that sound that played very well in East LA back in the day – when mellow sweet soul was the biggest thing on the scene! The sound here is wonderful – fragile but strong at the same time – ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Nimbus, 1979.
Beautifully righteous work from this legendary ensemble – and a performance that features vocal work from both Linda Hill and Adele Sebastian – better known as instrumentalists with records on Nimbus from the time, but artists whose voices really bring a special sort of soul to the ...
(Jazz CD)
Bethlehem/Solid (Japan), 1961.
One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw ...
(Jazz CD)
Third World/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1977. (reissue)
A really great 70s album from The Ethiopians – done in a strong roots style that's given lots of great production touches from Niney The Observer! There's great use of percussion at the bottom of most cuts – and the set begins with a cut that's less reggae than most, which really sets ...
(Reggae LP)
Cellar Live (Canada), 2014.
A really beautiful setting for the trumpet of Jim Rotondi – a stunning large ensemble session that has his horn sparkling out strongly amidst a whole host of other wonderful musicians! The larger backings are arranged and led by Jakob Helling – who brings together a blend of trumpets, ...
(Jazz LP)
Cellar Live (Canada), 2024.
Eric Alexander plays here in a setting that's both a nice change, and a familiar one too – familiar in that he's on tenor throughout, instead of the alto he's been treating us to on recent albums – but changed up in that the players are less familiar musical partners for Eric, which ...
(Jazz CD)
Mavuthela/Jazz Room (UK), 1975. (reissue)
A brilliant set of funk from the South African scene – a record that's very different than some of the other SA jazz of the time, and which maybe has both a bit of influence from The Meters, and some of the organ-driven instrumental work of the Jamaican scene from a few years before! The ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Loud/Get On Down, 1999. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
A Memphis hip hop classic – the debut of Project Pat, and a set that was supposedly partially written behind bars! Pat's in sharp form here – and working with a really sinister sound on the bottom end – that shift from bouncy Miami bass to some of the darker, fatter styles that ...
(Hip Hop LP)
Crystal Clear/Liberation Hall, 1978. (reissue)
One of the most obscure albums of the 70s from jazz vibes legend Cal Tjader – a set that was originally done as a direct-to-disc session for an audiophile label, but one that has Tjader recording with some of his grooviest modes of the time! The group here is wonderful – and the album ...
(Jazz LP)
Svart (Finland), 1975.
One of the most obscure albums ever recorded by Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava – and one of the greatest as well! The set is a rare meeting between Rava and some key players on the Argentine scene of the mid 70s – a great quartet that features Fernando Gelbard on Fender Rhodes, ...
(Jazz CD)
Cuneiform, 1971. 4CD
A stunning live performance from this legendary group – presented here in its entirety for the first time ever – spread out over a total of four discs that really let the lineup stretch out and do their thing! Soft Machine are at their jazz/rock best here – with Mike Ratledge on ...
(Rock CD)
Savant, 2024.
Trombonist Conrad Herwig has a great way of reworking older jazz tunes with a bold Latin Jazz vibe – a project he's done with the music of Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and others – and which here really explodes with a great soulful sensibility on the music of McCoy Tyner! Given the oft- ...
(Jazz CD)
Far Out (UK), 2024.
A wonderfully evocative solo set from Lau Ro – an artist raised in Brazil, working in London, and at a level that really has a sound that both reflects and transcends those roots! You might know Lau from their work in Wax Machine, but the performance here is much more personal and intimate ...
(Brazil CD)
Flying Dutchman/Real Gone, 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
A real gem from Lonnie Liston Smith's early years in the studio – and a record that's perhaps a bit more "cosmic" than it is "funk" – but that's why we like it so much! The session has Lonnie stretching out a bit more than usual – borrowing some of the ...
(Jazz LP)
Saturn/Superior Viaduct, 1964. (reissue)
Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall – and marks a great large venue performance by the Arkestra on the New ...
(Jazz LP)
Jazz Now (UK), 2024.
A contemporary British jazz combo, but one who pay tribute to some of the modern giants of the past – working here in a set of tracks that includes a number of compositions by Keith Tippett, plus other tunes by Harry Miller, Elton Dean, Dudu Pukwana, Hugh Hopper, and even King Crimson! The ...
(Jazz CD)
Drag City, Mid 1990s. 2CDs
A great addition to the too-short legacy of Gastr Del Sol – that legendary pairing of the young David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke, at a time when both were poised between earlier work in more rock-based music, and a famous future to come in much more experimental modes! The special balance that ...
(Rock CD)
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1973.
One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and the record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders! The vibe here is much more jazz-based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using ...
(Jazz CD)
Stones Throw, 2024.
A great collaboration between Anderson.Paak and Knxwledge – and a long overdue follow-up to their great album Yes Lawd too! Anderson's vocals are always great, but they seem to have a special sort of crackle here – just the right sort of crisp Cali vibe to balance with the warmth in ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Trunk (UK), Early 1980s.
The mad British arranger Ron Geesin has made many crazy records over the years – but this obscure set from the start of the 80s might well be one of his wildest – a batch of very cool, unusual tunes that were recorded for a math education program on British TV! Yet despite any sort of ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Jalapeno (UK), 2024.
Wolfgang Valbrun has a sound that's as striking as his image on the cover – an old school sense of majesty in soul music, which he uses to deliver work on some very powerful themes! The production is crisp and tight, but also matches the majesty in the music – with additional singers ...
(Neo Soul CD)
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2024.
A very different side of the talents of the great Joe McPhee, and a great one too – a set of spoken word passages that are provided with occasional saxophone contributions from Ken Vandermark – all coming together in a way that's maybe even more righteous than some of the instrumental ...
(Jazz CD)
Bethlehem/Solid (Japan), 1955.
Twin-flute magic from the quintet of Herbie Mann and Sam Most – both of whom play the long, thin instrument here – in intertwining lines of sound that are totally great! There's a style here that's often a bit more frenetic than usual for Herbie – one that's possibly picked up ...
(Jazz CD)
Epic/Get On Down, 1974. (reissue)
An insanely wonderful album! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, ...
(Soul LP)
East Wind (Japan), 1975.
A searing live performance from this brilliant Japanese trumpeter – working here at the height of his stretched-out, open-ended powers – but with a style that's a bit more inside than some of his work from the start of the 70s! Hino really shows himself to be a great leader here – ...
(Jazz CD)
Atak (Takuya Kuroda)
Zazu
Atak (Japan), 2024.
A very cool large ensemble – one led by trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, and with a sound that's very different than his own work as a leader – as the groove here is a wonderful blend of inspirations from older Afro Funk, inflected with more of a sense of contemporary groove – all served ...
(Jazz CD)
Saravah/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1970.
Genius work from French composer Francis Lai – one of his greatest soundtracks ever, and done during the same period as Live For Life and A Man & A Woman! The feel here is very similar to the work of those films – and was also done for a project directed by Claude Lelouch – ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Night Dreamer (UK), 2023. 2LP
A really bold step forward for Chicago tenor genius Isaiah Collier – and maybe the first record to showcase his emergence as a multi-instrumentalist instead of just a spiritual jazz musician! There's clearly a lot of improvisation going on here – not just from the larger ensemble, ...
(Jazz LP)
EM (Japan), 1970.
An insane bit of noise from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – a legendary performance from Expo 70, one put together by artist Yoshimura Masunobu – who unites the freewheeling fuzz of the Flower Traveling band with the sound of 50 different motorcycles, and some other ...
(Rock LP)
Charly (UK), Late 1970s/Early 1980s.
A classic set of grooves from the Minneapolis scene – work that comes from the early days of Prince, when he was an up and coming talent on the scene – and which also continues a bit into early 80s years as well, even after he'd been signed to Warner Brothers! The exact nature of these ...
(Soul LP)
East Wind (Japan), 1969.
A rare early gem from Joe Lee Wilson – the singer who's probably best known to the world for his performances on Archie Shepp's late Impulse recordings. The vibe here is similar to his work on Shepp's albums of the time – but it's also mixed with a hip and mellow approach that has Joe ...
(Vocalists CD)
Mr Bongo (UK), 2024.
Keyboardist Finn Rees works here in a really cool blend of spiritual jazz elements and warmer, more soulful touches – mixing his own work on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards with some acoustic elements that create a wonderfully swirling, searching sort of groove! The album's a bit ...
(Jazz CD)
Bethlehem/Solid (Japan), 1961.
A fantastic sextet session recorded in 1961, shortly before Booker Little's death – and filled with all the promise and power he ever packed into his playing! There's a sharp, angular groove to many of the numbers here – that mix of modern and hardbop that was cresting best in the ...
(Jazz CD)
Liberation Hall, 1975.
Cannonball Adderley left the planet all too soon during the year of 1975 – but he's still going fantastically strong in this live date from the same year – a set that maybe shows us what sort of directions that Cannon might have taken had he stuck around for another decade or two! ...
(Jazz CD)
Somethin Cool (Japan), 2024.
An album with a really beautiful sound – not just from the core work of the piano trio, but also from the guy who recorded the whole thing too – the legendary engineer for the Three Blind Mice label in Japan, Yoshihiko Kaminari! It's not often that the engineer gets billed on the back ...
(Jazz LP)
Blue Note (Japan), 1968.
One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his ...
(Jazz CD)
Toshiyuki Honda & Soichi Noriki
Hon Nori
Pit Inn (Japan), 2024.
A beautiful set of duets from these two mature players in Japanese jazz – recorded with a wonderful sense of room that seems to really enhance the quality of both instruments in the lineup! Soichi Noriki plays piano, and Toshiyuki Honda plays alto and soprano – the latter using the ...
(Jazz CD)
El (UK), Late 1940s/1950s/Early 1960s. 3CDs
The title here is a reference to a classic song by Scott Walker – and the tracks within are presented as a showcase of the rich array of different singers and styles that had an influence on the music that Walker created on his classic albums of the late 60s! As with other sets in the really ...
(Classical CD)
Organic Music/Black Truffle (Austria), 1984. (reissue)
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 ...
(Jazz LP)
Timeless/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1986.
A really bold, really freewheeling performance from the great McCoy Tyner – an 80s live album that may well stand as one of his most powerful of the decade! The group here is billed as an All-Star one – and it's a tight quintet that also features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Joe ...
(Jazz CD)
Acid Jazz (UK), 2024.
Sean Khan's given us some more groove-oriented music in the past – but here, the saxophonist has this great way of laying back into more of the jazz-based energy of his work – blowing soprano and flute in a tight combo that blend the jazzy currents in the music with some of the folk ...
(New Grooves CD)
Somethin Cool (Japan), 2024.
Korean vocalist Moon Haewon is a really great singer – one who's got this old school command of her voice like an instrument, and a way of finding a range of expression that really makes these tunes come alive – but also while still hanging strongly to the energy of the group! That is, ...
(Vocalists CD)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 1940s/1950s/Early 1960s. 7CD
One of the coolest collections of work related to Ray Charles that we've ever seen – a huge box that brings together both some of the music that inspired Ray, then his own recordings, then tracks that he did that inspired other artists too! The first four CDs feature work from a generation ...
(Soul CD)
Mainstream/We Want Sounds (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the hippest albums ever from the team of Harold Land and Bobby Hutcherson – and a set that's even more open than some of their other records on Blue Note or Chess! This set's a bit more electric than some of the other records from the pair – with these drawn-out Fender Rhodes ...
(Jazz LP)
Transition/Blue Note, 1955. (reissue)
A wailer! This rare 1955 album is one of Donald Byrd's first records as a leader – recorded for the tiny Transition label in Boston, but with a hardbop groove that's right up there with his early work for Savoy and Blue Note. The record is practically a Jazz Messengers session – as it ...
(Jazz LP)
Electric Bird/We Want Sounds (UK), Late 1970s/Early 1980s.
Sweet funky fusion from the Japanese scene at the end of the 70s – work that's all from the mighty Electric Bird label, an imprint who were as important to Japan as CTI/Kudu were in the US! As with that famous pairing of labels, Electric Bird helped artists find a new groove with a sweet ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Mercury/Lemon (UK), Late 1970s. 3CD
Great work from the second chapter in the career of Lindisfarne – three full albums, and lots of bonus tracks too! First is a double-length live album – a set that definitely has some Magic In The Air – as it features a re-formed lineup of Lindisfarne, sounding nicely different ...
(Rock CD)
Easy Eye Sound, 2024.
Jon Muq hails from Uganda, and he's got a very unique sound here – singing in English, but with a voice that's different than more familiar soul singers on the US scene – a really fresh approach, and one that's filled with all these really great twists and turns, and a sense of ...
(Neo Soul CD)
Stereophonk (France), 2024.
The Selenites didn't actually record these tracks on the moon – and instead the set brings together tracks from a number of different live performances – all of which resonate strongly with the group's really wonderful blend of Ethio Jazz inspirations and more funk-based performance! ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Kakuba Rhythm (Japan), 2024.
A record with an AOR-styled cover, but a groove that's much more stripped-down overall – lean and soulful, and with a mixture of Fender Rhodes, other keyboards, and spare Maestro Rhythm King grooves – all topped with these easygoing vocals from Jin Ono! Given the use of the drum ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Modern Harmonic, 1984.
One of the most unique Sun Ra performances ever recorded – a live date recorded in Atlanta on New Years Eve, 1984 – and one that has the keyboard giant playing a massive pipe organ that was so big, it had its own name! As you might imagine from his work on piano and other more unusual ...
(Jazz LP)
Contemporary/Craft, 1958. (reissue)
A great set by Hampton Hawes – really one of his best ever records, and for a number of reasons! First up, Harold Land's playing tenor on the record, opening it up a lot more than some of Hamp's regular trio sides – blowing with that soulful distinction that made him one of the most up- ...
(Jazz LP)
Beat Rocket, Mid 1960s.
Searing work from this legendary group – and a set that stands as a stunning tribute to the raw power of the Northwest scene at its best! Don & The Goodtimes cut some material later that was a bit more produced in the studio – but much of the music here is raw, raunchy, and very ...
(Rock CD)
Blue Note (Japan), Late 1960s.
Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of ...
(Jazz CD)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 1970s. 2CD
Four classic roots albums, all produced by Niney The Observer – one of which appears here on CD for the first time ever! The set begins with Slave Call – a really great 70s album from The Ethiopians – done in a strong roots style that's given lots of great production touches from ...
(Reggae CD)
Studio 16 (UK), 1974. (reissue)
Wonderfully earthy dubs from Winston Edwards – tracks recorded both at Black Ark and the studio of Joe Gibbs – and delivered in this lean style that's really wonderful – and a bit different from more familiar material of this mode! The bass is heavy enough, but the focus here ...
(Reggae LP)
Toyokasei (Japan), 2024.
An excellent funk group from Japan – one who pick up some of the fuller horns of the Stax Records or Afro Funk generations, mix it with some leaner rhythms at times – and also make a strong nod towards contemporary funk modes as well – but all without sounding like anyone else at ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Analog Africa (Germany), Late 1960s/1970s/Early 1980s. 2LP Gatefold
A really incredible compilation, and one that's a great reminder of why we love the Analog Africa record label so much! Sure, there's been collections of Congolese music before – but this one's got that special something extra that Analog Africa can bring to play – an ear for just the ...
(Global Grooves LP)
International Anthem, 2024.
The music of Carlos Nino just seems to be getting deeper and deeper with each new release – and even on a record like this, which has a birthing concept that's tied to its title, the overall sound is much more sophisticated and mindbending than you might expect! Things are still very much in ...
(Jazz CD)
Verve, 1959. Gatefold (reissue)
Duke Ellington makes a rare Verve appearance on this classic album – and works strongly in the mode of earlier sides recorded for the label by Johnny Hodges! There's a relaxed, small group feel going on here – one that's a bit different than some of the tighter Ellington work on ...
(Jazz LP)
Relax In/We Want Sounds (UK), 1987. (reissue)
A really enigmatic blend of Mid-East styles and more contemporary modes – and one of the hippest 80s albums from Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani – a record that seems to cull together all the best albums of previous records, and lift them together to something even more magnificent and new! ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Diggers Factory/Wnts (France), 1979.
One of those great overseas sessions that Chet Baker cut in the last decade of his life – material that's so different than his older work, and which shows the maturing trumpeter really in search of a new sort of groove! Here, the album features key work from Jean-Paul Florens on guitar ...
(Jazz LP)
Viscojon/Tidal Waves, 1974.
A great indie soul set from the west coast scene – one that's got a lot more richness than you might expect from the cover, and an approach that's a lot like a stripped-down take on the territory of Barry White! There's definitely a few of Barry's songs on here, mixed with some other funky ...
(Soul LP)
Monument/Iron Mountain Analog Research (Australia), Late 1960s. Gatefold
Really great work from the overlooked Henson Cargill – a country singer with a great way of commenting on changes in society in the late 60s – often with a wry wit, and the kind of sharpness that makes this music a nice change from other Nashville sounds at the time! Henson's got a ...
(Folk/Country LP)
Four Flies (Italy), 1976.
That's the great Tomas Milian on the cover – looking like a slightly comedic undercover cop – which is a good way to highlight the music on this soundtrack! The work is definitely in the cop/crime territory of the Gudio and Maurizio DeAngelis team, but there's also a lighter feel to ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Saigon Supersound (Germany), 2024.
Totally great work from this ultra-hip group – a combo who serve up their version of 60s and 70s sounds from Vietnam, but with a deep funk current in the background! The approach is great, and unlike anything else you'll ever hear – with lead vocals by a very seductive female singer, ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Dusty Groove,
A lean, clean inner record sleeve – one that will fit in the tightest of record covers, and can even slip inside most printed inner sleeves too – able to serve as an extra layer of security for keeping your vinyl safe! These sleeves are made of high density polyethylene, and have a ...
(Turntables & Supplies Record Care)
Numero, 1970s.
A sweet selection of mellow grooves – served up here in a package that's got a beautiful image of our hometown on the cover! The sunny shot of the Windy City in the 70s is perfect for the vibe of the album – as the whole thing brings together overlooked tracks from the vast reaches of ...
(Rock LP)
Joe Gibbs (UK), Late 1970s. (reissue)
Crucial work from Joe Gibbs – a set with a social message on the cover, but one that delivers its righteous energy with an all-instrumental groove! The core group here are wonderful – Franklyn Waul and Errol Nelson on piano and organ, Tommy McCook on tenor, Vin Gordon on trombone, Sly ...
(Reggae LP)
Seven Seas/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1976.
A sleazy film, but one with some really great music from Francis Lai – the composer better known for his mainstream contributions to classics like A Man & A Woman and Live For Life! In any setting, Lai displays an amazing genius for spare tunes that hit a lyrical chord and a warmly ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Blue Note, 1962. (reissue)
One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused ...
(Jazz LP)
Stop Point (UK), Mid 1970s. (reissue)
A great collection of overlooked grooves from the Kingston scene of the 70s – material that comes from the vaults of producer Keeling Beckford, who handled just about every track on the set! There's a strong early reggae vibe going on here, but with plenty of roots elements too – as ...
(Reggae LP)
Sahel Sounds, 2024.
A set with a really cool concept, and one that takes the acoustic guitar sound of West Africa into very different territory – as Tidiane Thiam plays here with some great help from producer Makhtar N'Diaye, who adds in some percussion, samples, and other elements too! The aprroach is great, ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Doctor Bird (UK), Mid 1970s. 2CD
A stunning amount of music recorded in just the space of two short years – all standing as a mighty strong testament to the production genius of Niney The Observer during the roots reggae generation! The package features a fair bit of tracks that have never been on CD before, and as stated, ...
(Reggae CD)
Blue Note, 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
A brilliant collaboration between vibist Bobby Hutcherson and reedman Harold Land – the first Blue Note album to feature the talents of the pair together, and a stone classic from the very first note! Hutcherson had already been making big waves for the label with his earlier sides – ...
(Jazz LP)
Elemental, 1969.
A killer combo from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley – a group that features George Duke on both acoustic and electric piano, stretching things out, and helping the Adderley brothers find an even more soulful groove than they had in the 60s! The George Duke approach really makes for a cool ...
(Jazz CD)
Shandar/Superior Viaduct, 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
Important 70s work from the great La Monte Young – a set that takes off strongly on his exploration of tones and sonic waves – heard here in two very unique settings! Side one features a quartet – with Young on voice and sine wave generator, alongside Jon Hassell on trumpet, ...
(Out Sound LP)
Iron Mountain Analog Research (Australia), Late 1950s/1960s/Early 1970s.
There's always something great afoot in the Hillbillies In Hell series – usually way more than you might guess from the theme hinted at on the cover, as the scope of songs within tend to deliver a lot more too! As with the other volumes, the music here is from the farther reaches of country ...
(Folk/Country LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 1970s/Early 1980s. 2LP Gatefold
An amazing second foray into the world of punk rock 45s – and the British chapter to the previous American volume from Soul Jazz! Like the first set, the track selection here is superb – no overdone punk "oldies" or overplayed classics – and instead a great range of ...
(Rock LP)
Acid Jazz (UK), Late 1960s.
Genius work from the British scene of the 60s – a set rare tracks from that first mod movement in the UK – a time when the young sound of London burst forth in ways of soul, psych, garage, and R&B! This package brings together some of the most stunning tracks from the Rare Mod CD ...
(Rock LP)
Subliminal Sounds, 1987.
Really lovely work from Japanese musician Shiho Yabuki – a set of keyboard ambient tracks that come across with a very subtle sense of beauty – really taking their time to find their way amidst the sonic space of the record, as Yabuki does more with less – but all in a way that ...
(Out Sound CD)
Frasco/Universal (Japan), 1975.
Searing, soulful energy from this overlooked Japanese combo of the 70s – a crack quartet led by drummer Ryojiro Furusawa, working here with some great guest work on trombone from Shigeharu Mukai! The tunes are often very simple, but with a groove that's totally great – a bit of a modal ...
(Jazz CD)
Raadio Kohila (Estonia), Late 1960s/1970s/Early 1980s.
An unusual set – not the pop you might expect from the title, and instead a whole host of short, mostly instrumental tunes from very obscure Estonian animated films! The styles here follow a bit of the modes of Polish work from the period – lots of electronics, used in very cool ways ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Alfa/Sony (Japan), 1980s. 2LP
A totally cool look at a totally cool label – the early home of YMO, and an imprint that was host to some of the coolest Japanese music in the 80s! Some of the artists on the Alpha label were already rising stars by the time the company launched in 1980 – but they found a new outlet ...
(Japanese LP)
Freedom/Muzak (Japan), 1967.
Genius early work from reedman Marion Brown – an album that was originally only issued overseas, where it was recorded – as part of that legacy that's always had Brown getting a lot more attention in Europe than back at home! Yet the record's a monster that stands equally with Marion's ...
(Jazz CD)
Teichiku/We Want Sounds (UK), 1972.
The debut album from Meiko Kaji – an artist most folks knew first as an actress, but whose voice finds a wonderful setting in this record! There's a gentle current of funk to most tracks – stepping electric bass next to soaring strings, a bit of horns, and great use of koto from time ...
(Japanese LP)
Soul Note (Italy), 1979. (reissue)
Seminal work from Billy Harper – one of his few albums to get wider exposure in the 70s, and searing set of righteous power all the way through! By this point in his career, Billy's really got a handle on his sound – and reaches forth here on tenor with a sense of majesty we'd rank ...
(Jazz LP)
Studio One, Late 1960s/Early 1970s.
It's reggae time from Studio One – which is maybe no surprise, as the legendary Jamaican imprint really helped get the music going before the big labels took over! This set's an obscure compilation from the best years of Studio One – and mixes rocksteady and early reggae tracks that ...
(Reggae LP)
Jazz City (Japan), 2024.
Beautiful photographs of beautiful spaces – and a really lovely book that shows that the Japanese jazz kissa scene is still going strong into the 21st Century! Jazz kissa are small bars and coffee spots that have superb sound systems and amazing record collections – vintage jazz vinyl, ...
(Book)
Four Flies (Italy), Mid 1970s.
A whole new world of grooves we've never heard before – music from a short stretch on the Italian scene when local artists were really taken with the new developments in Afro Funk, and started to serve up some fresh styles of their own! The music here is maybe a blend of West African sounds ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Tico/Craft, Mid 1960s. (reissue)
Killer combo work from the great Joe Cuba – a set recorded a few years before his big fame of the Latin Soul years – but in a way that shows how Joe was already shaking up the Latin scene in New York! After a generation when larger bands were seen as better, Joe works here with just a ...
(Latin LP)
Reprise/Sundazed, 1966. (reissue)
A very cool later album from Duane Eddy – done at a time when his old wonderproducer Lee Hazlewood was having great success at Reprise Records – where he invited Eddy for an update of their previous style! The album's totally great – with more fuzz and distortion than previous ...
(Rock LP)
Ratspack (Japan), 2009.
You might know the work of Masahiko Togashi as a jazz percussionist – one who could sometimes make archly modern music – but the artist was also a great composer, especially of mellower ballads, of the sort that are featured on this set – a really loving set of remakes of his ...
(Jazz CD)
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1970. (reissue)
Early work from this tremendous Japanese saxophonist – working here on both alto and soprano sax, in styles that are sharply angular, but also quite warm and soulful! Kosuke Mine's got a quality that's a bit like Joe Henderson at the same time – obviously informed by earlier hardbop, ...
(Jazz LP)
Piano Piano, 2024.
Sven Wunder evokes an older European style of painting with the cover and title of this set – and the tunes themselves are painterly, but also in a funky way too – a great mix of gentle grooves and larger instrumentation, all filled with the sorts of charms we love in older Italian film ...
(New Grooves LP)
SST/Superior Viaduct, 1983. (reissue)
Fast and loud sounds from The Dicks – an Austin band, but one who released this killer classic during the glory days of SST Records – as a set that could easily go head to head with the most hardcore work on the LA scene! The set shares plenty with its labelmates' efforts – a ...
(Rock LP)
Soundway (UK), 1980s/Early 1990s. 2CDs
A long-overdue follow up to the legendary first Ghana Special collection – and one that presents a second chapter of work – not just from the regional scene, but from a time when some of its best artists were also recording in other nations too! The result is a more powerful, soulful ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Nicole/SeriE.WOC (Netherlands), 1974. (reissue)
A really fantastic record – a righteous blend of jazz and spoken word, served up at a level that rivals some of the famous collaborations between Langston Hughes and Charles Mingus! The tunes have a similar introspective quality to that work, but are delivered with a style that's maybe more ...
(Jazz LP)
Omnivore, 2024.
Rare work from the late Maurice White – a really great solo set that follows the strong legacy of albums he spun off on his own when stepping aside for a moment from Earth Wind & Fire! The album's a collaboration with Preston Glass – who'd made great contributions to EWF as well, ...
(Soul CD)
Blue Note, 1957. 3LP Gatefold
The complete recordings of sessions that led to one of the greatest Sonny Rollins records ever – and a genre-defining record that really introduced the world to the concept of a tenor saxophone trio! Rollins is incredible here – really at his best and most adventurous, and almost light ...
(Jazz LP)
Verve, 1965. Gatefold (reissue)
A standout session from guitar giant Kenny Burrell – and a set that's maybe one of his most modern albums of the 60s! The record features backings from arranger Gil Evans – most famous for his work with Miles Davis, and working here in a style that's nicely different with Kenny – ...
(Jazz LP)
Beat (Italy), 1976.
That's the great Tomas Milian on the cover – looking like a slightly comedic undercover cop – which is a good way to highlight the music on this soundtrack! The work is definitely in the cop/crime territory of the Gudio and Maurizio DeAngelis team, but there's also a lighter feel to ...
(Soundtracks CD)
Colpix/Sundazed, 1965. (reissue)
A really great chapter in the 60s career of guitar giant Duane Eddy – a set that still has him working with Lee Hazlewood, the original producer who first brought him fame – in a set of all-Bob Dylan tunes that really sparkle with the twang heavy approach of Duane! There's some more ...
(Rock LP)
RCA/BGO (UK), Mid 1960s. 2CDs
A trio of early RCA albums from vibes genius Gary Burton – all brought together in a single set! First up is New Vibe Man In Town – the first-ever album from vibist Gary Burton – a very young player at the time of recording, but one who's definitely worth the "new vibe ...
(Jazz CD)
Argo/Verve, 1959. (reissue)
A hip live date from Kenny Burrell – and a record that really showcases his amazing tone in a stripped-down trio setting! Burrell has a way of mixing chromatic chords with leaner lines that's simply breathtaking – qualities that really come out in the intimate space of the Village ...
(Jazz LP)
Sdban (Belgium), 1980s. 2CDs
Cool cuts from the 80s – a really well-done collection of under-discovered grooves from the scenes in The Netherlands and Belgium – music that we never would have heard otherwise! Some of the cuts here echo better-known UK work of the period, especially those which feature keyboards ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Mr Bongo (UK), 2024.
A contemporary set, but one that may well be destined to become an instant classic in the world of Brazilian music – as the young Rubel has a way of embracing so many traditions of his culture, while also finding a way to move things forward boldly! The approach here is different than some ...
(Brazil CD)
Digitmovies (Italy), 1977.
An unusual group that we only know from this one Italian soundtrack – and a combo who's not nearly as electronic as you might guess from their Kraftwerk-sounding name! Instead, the approach here is a bit like that of Goblin on their horror scores from the same time – a style that uses ...
(Soundtracks CD)
Fantasy/Craft, Late 1960s/Early 1970s.
Great work from a series that always delivers excellent music – one with a hokey title and concept, but a rock-solid set of grooves from the Fantasy/Concord catalog! There's an especially righteous vibe to this edition of the series – which you might guess from the title – tunes ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Three Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1976.
A record with a really beautiful title – and a sound that definitely lives up to the "Sailing Ice" on the cover! The music is very much in the best post-Coltrane mode – played by a group led by the great Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino, and featuring Mabumi Yamaguchi on tenor ...
(Jazz CD)
Jazz Detective/Elemental, 1972.
Two of the coolest trumpeters from the LA scene of the 50s – reunited here in a never-issued album from the start of the 70s! At the time of the set, Jack Sheldon was the real star of the date – big on TV, and a very confident, cool player – as well as a singer with a wonderfully ...
(Jazz CD)
RCA/Soul Bank (UK), 1974.
Really hard-jamming work from keyboardist Brian Auger – the first of a 2-part live set from the US, and easily some of his greatest work on record! The tracks are all very long and stretched out here – an extrapolation of the territory Auger was already exploring on studio sides, taken ...
(Jazz LP)
Gearbox (UK), 1980s/1990s/2000s. 2CD
A really great dive into the city pop years of Japanese music – and a collection that's a bit different than some others, in that it not only presents gems from the 80s, but also follows the evolution of city pop modes into later decades as well! There's a nice variety of styles here – ...
(Japanese CD)
Dusty Groove,
A stunning image of our legendary Chicago outpost – the three story building where Dusty Groove has resided since the start of the 21st Century, and a building that's chock full of music, every day of the week! The sleek images gets at the charms of our Wicker Park location, and our ...
(Dusty Groove Swag Photo)
British Progressive Jazz (UK), 2024.
A fierce, full-on session from British pianist Pat Smythe – a player you might know from more conventional settings, but who really lets loose here in this unreleased live set from the early 70s! Pat plays plenty of Fender Rhodes in addition to piano – and the set's got an especially ...
(Jazz CD)
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few
Almighty
Division 81, 2024.
An album that really lives up to its title – as the record sets out to prove to the world that Isaiah Collier is one of the most almighty talents on the saxophone in recent years! The album has a spiritual majesty that tops even the previous album with the Chosen Few group – as in ...
(Jazz CD)
Madlib Invazion, 2024.
One of the most keyboard-heavy sets in the excellent Madlib Invazion sound library series – a set that has all sorts of vintage keys and synth over lightly tripping grooves that are mighty nice! The approach is spacey and dreamy, yet still very funky – as the keys handle as much rhythm ...
(Sound Library LP)
Far East/Universal (Japan), 1971.
The first album recorded by Kazumi Watanabe, the Japanese guitarist whose firey style would go onto play a big part in the growth of that country's jazz scene during the 70s! This album's quite different from the later smoother work from Kaz – a pretty intense set, and it features Watanabe ...
(Jazz CD)
Local Tree (France), 2024.
Saxophonist Yann Jankielewicz got the title of the record as advice from the late Tony Allen, when working with Tony in the studio on a project – and Yann definitely takes that advice here, on a set that's partly jazz, but also channels some of the experience he had with Allen! The music is ...
(New Grooves LP)
Perfect Toy (Germany), Late 1960s/Early 1970s.
The Perfect Toy label has an amazing way of coming up with grooves we've never heard before – really rare tracks that make us dig each new release from the label – just as they keep on digging for more rare records to make their releases great! We've been Hammond fans for decades ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
RCA/Soul Bank (UK), 1974. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really ...
(Jazz LP)
Sdban (Belgium), 2024.
A nicely expanded edition of this great series – one that still presents the contemporary cuts from the European scene that we loved on the first two volumes, but which also goes beyond jazz-based modes to include some very hip sounds in a variety of styles! The music this time around moves ...
(New Grooves CD)
Wings Of A Hummingbird (UK), 2024.
Terri Walker's every bit as great here as when we first fell in love with her music many years back – so much so that it's hard to believe there's been any passage of years, as the album's got all the freshness and sense of promise of the neo soul generation from back in the day! As before, ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Houseplant, 1970s/2024. 3LPs
Classic funk, rare soul, and contemporary goodies too – all served up in a beautiful package designed by the folks at Seth Rogan's Houseplant! As with the previous set, this one is divided into three modes – one record sativa, one indica, and the third a hybrid – capturing ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Grand Gallery (Japan), 2011.
A great one from Monday Michiru – sweet, soulful, and totally right on the money! The set's almost a return to the warm soul territory that first won us over in Monday's work from the 90s – as she takes on a whole host of older American soul tunes by Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, and ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Jazz City (Japan), 2023.
A beautiful Japanese publication, one that looks at the long legacy of bars and coffee shops that focus on presenting quality jazz vinyl with high end sound systems – really amazing spots that are presented here in a special edition with full text in English! As with other issues of the ...
(Book)
PNL, 2024.
A huge ensemble, and one who create sounds that we never would have expected from avant jazz drummer Paal Nilssen-Love many years back – as the whole performance resonates with Ethiopian and Brazilian elements that are very different than some of the more improvised music that we usually ...
(Jazz CD)
Studio One/Soul Jazz (UK), Late 1960s/Early 1970s. 2LP
A killer collection of early work from Studio One – and a set that focuses on the ska and rocksteady that were the initial famous calling card of that legendary Jamaican label! Soul Jazz originally issued a smaller 7" single box set under the same title – but this version is ...
(Reggae LP)
Tammy/Numero, 1960s/1970s.
Killer soul from a tiny label on a tiny scene – the small Tammy Records imprint, not to be confused with Motown partner Tamla – a really great indie from the Youngstown scene in east Ohio, and a company who cut some killer soul in the 60s and 70s! The label seem to have an especially ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970.
A really landmark album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – one of the key records in which musicians like Takeru Muraoka were helping to discover something new and unique – a fantastic hybrid of modal jazz, freer solo moments, and some nice electric touches on keyboards ...
(Jazz CD)
BYG/Charly (UK), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
The Art Ensemble at the height of their powers – really letting loose on the Parisian scene of the late 60s, where they found a great audience for all the new ideas they'd been brewing up back home! The album's definitely one that has the group's unique ethos coming into focus – that ...
(Jazz LP)
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1974.
Not "Misty" in an Errol Garner sense – although Tsuyoshi Yamamoto serves up his own version of the tune here – and instead a hip set from the Three Blind Mice scene of the 70s, with a very open, freewheeling approach to piano trio work! Yamamoto's a bit straighter than some ...
(Jazz CD)
Gearbox (UK), 2021. 2LP Gatefold
Maybe the most majestic album from this very majestic group – a righteous combo of musicians whose sound is far more than the simple "cookers" name might imply – as they really reach for the skies with a masterful blend of talents from an all star group! Trumpeter David Weiss ...
(Jazz LP)
We Release Jazz (Switzerland), 2024.
A genre-stepping set of soul work from Mo Kolours – aka Joseph Deenmamode – a singer with roots in many styles, which he wraps together here wonderfully! At some level, the album takes the approach of a collaborative hip hop production, but in a way that uses live musicians – but ...
(Neo Soul CD)
Motown/Elemental, 1965. (reissue)
A great tribute to the late Sam Cooke – recently departed at the time of this 1965 album, taken from the world all too soon! The set features a host of tunes associated with Cooke's too-short career in soul music – done by The Supremes in a way that makes great use of their harmonies, ...
(Soul LP)
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), Mid 70s. 2CDs
A great overview of work on the legendary Three Blind Mice label from 70s Japan – a crucial imprint that gave exposure to the new generation of Japanese jazz musicians who were forging a fresh sort of ideas apart from their counterparts in the US! Three Blind Mice was always a label that was ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Schema (Italy), 2024.
Maybe the most sensitive work we've ever heard from this Italian duo – a group who can sometimes be clubby, but who here lay back a bit more in the pacing of their rhythms, which allows for more introspection and careful consideration in the music! There's a range of different singers on the ...
(New Grooves CD)
Philips/Universal (France), 1971. 3CD
French rocker Johnny Hallyday hits the 70s, with a sound and style that's a bit funky, and a bit touched by some of the crossover American trends coming out of the LA rock scene. This one's arranged mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier ...
(French CD)
Elemental, 1972. 2CDs
A never-issued live set from spiritual reed genius Yusef Lateef – one that was recorded during the years he was recording for Atlantic Records, but with a nicely different vibe! The tracks are all long, loose, and very open – Yusef blowing tenor, soprano sax, and flute – shifting ...
(Jazz CD)
Modern Harmonic, 1984. 2CD
The overlooked legacy of John Fekner – a New York artist who works here in the world of hip hop and electro soul – on tunes that are sometimes infused with lyrics that refer to the art concepts that inspire his creations! The sound is spare – just drum machine beats, bits of ...
(Rock CD)
Marlin/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978.
Tight work from this famous disco trio – a set recorded at Sigma Sound in NYC with lots of soaring strings, thanks to the disco perfection of producer Jacques Morali – who really found a great outlet for his talents with the group! And the album's also got some surprisingly soulful ...
(Soul CD)
Astigmatic (Poland), 2024.
A keyboard-heavy set by a group of musicians who all have roots in the London jazz scene – working together here in modes that are a bit more spacey and electric overall! The music has amazing drums from Chiminyo at the core – playing funkily, but also with some elements that almost ...
(New Grooves CD)
Favorite/P-Vine (Japan), 2024.
Wonderful music from Lucas Arruda – an artist who embraces some of the warmest, most soulful styles of Brazilian music from back in the 70s, but manages to deliver them with a crisp contemporary spin! There's a lot of vintage Azymuth-styled grooves here – wicked rhythms, excellent ...
(Brazil CD)
SR/Sonor (Italy), 1972. (reissue)
A gem of a sound library record from one of the all-time greats – and maybe one of the few artists who gave his equal all, whether he was cutting a full film soundtrack, or just a discreet batch of tracks like these in the studio! The music is as groovy as groovy can be – sometimes ...
(Sound Library LP)
Albina Music Trust, Late 1960s.
Fantastic funk from a totally obscure group – Portland's Shades Of Brown, a combo not to be confused with the Chicago group who recorded for Chess Records – but one who share a very similar sense of righteous soul! There's a heady groove to the record right from the start – ...
(Soul LP)
Cellar Live, 1972. 2CDs
Rare material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – legendary Hammond hero Jack McDuff, heard here in a really wonderful setting! McDuff in the 60s was already great – an organist who played in ways that really stood out, with a sense of rhythm that was completely ...
(Jazz CD)
Sdban (Belgium), 2024.
A keyboard trio, but one with an approach that's very different than traditional modes – partly because they've always had a very inventive sound, but also because they're working here this time around with production from Jaga Jazzist! All the familiar elements are in place – bass ...
(Jazz LP)
Blue Note, 2024.
A stunning setting for the guitar of Bill Frisell – and an album that's maybe even more beautiful than we might have expected! The record features Bill's core trio – with Rudy Royston on drums and Thomas Morgan on bass – but the real genius of the set may well come from the great ...
(Jazz CD)
Gearbox (UK), 2021.
Richly spiritual work from a group of London musicians who combine jazz modes with larger orchestrations – all at a level that's maybe somewhere between earlier projects from Cinematic Orchestra, and some of the LA jazz work of Miguel Atwood Ferguson! But as with so much London music of late ...
(Jazz CD)
Astigmatic (Poland), 1972.
Beautiful improvised work from legendary Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko – work that's much more powerful and bracing than the atmospheric recordings he would do for ECM in later years! The work here comes right at a key moment for free jazz on the European scene – and Stanko works with ...
(Jazz CD)
Impulse (Japan), 1966.
A rare non-Blue Note 60s date as a leader from Stanley Turrentine – recorded for Impulse when his (then) wife Shirley Scott was contracted to the label – and featuring the talents of both players on some very groovy tracks! The quartet features both Stan's tenor and Shirley's Hammond ...
(Jazz CD)
Young Turks, 2024. 2LP Gatefold
Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past ...
(Jazz LP)
Impulse, 2024.
A very different album than you might expect from London reedman Shabaka Hutchings – a set that's got a very peaceful, meditative vibe a times – and one that has Shabaka looking inside for righteous inspiration, then spinning things out in a beautiful way! Hutchings put aside his more ...
(Jazz CD)
MPS/Endless Happiness (Italy), 1969. (reissue)
A fantastic album that brings together all of the European winners of the recent Downbeat polls of the late 60s – a massive all-star lineup that features Karin Krog on vocals, John Surman on baritone and soprano sax, Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Francy Boland on piano, Niels Henning ...
(Jazz LP)
Impulse, 1971. 2CDs
A fantastic live performance from Alice Coltrane – and one that features a very heavy-hitting group – stretching out here in a beautiful performance of extended tracks that maybe takes off even more than some of Coltrane's famous albums for Impulse Records! The group is great – ...
(Jazz CD)
Life Goes On, 1981. (reissue)
A great bit of jungle exotica from funky sitar player Ananda Shankar – composed as a full piece with an "atmosphere of twilight and the feeling of watching animals at a water hole", but with a sweeping soundtracky feel that makes it more like some lost 70s film gem in the best ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Gearbox (UK), 2020.
A stunner of a set from legendary trumpeter Charles Tolliver – and a record that shows that he's lost none of his brilliance since the years of his 70s recordings for the Strata East label! The format here is a bit like those – long tracks by a small group, with an outward appearance ...
(Jazz CD)
Impulse, Mid 1960s. (reissue)
Wonderfully groovy work from drummer Chico Hamilton – one of his hip 60s albums for Impulse, done in a style that's completely different than his work of the 50s! Here, Chico's clearly in love with a modal groove, and also sets things up with more romping rhythms that are upbeat in a way he ...
(Jazz LP)
M Plant, 2024.
A really different setting for the saxophone of Afro Funk legend Femi Kuti – as instead of working with a large group, he just blows here alongside the keyboard creations of Robert Hood – in a mode that makes for a really wonderful album all the way through! The tracks are each just ...
(New Grooves CD)
Mississippi, 1930s.
A great set of rural blues and folksy modes, presented here with little in the way of information – which then maybe makes the whole thing a completely delightful musical discovery – as if you've found a whole stack of vintage 78rpm singles with the labels rubbed off, and have to drop ...
(Blues LP)
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly
Mestizx
International Anthem/Nonesuch, 2024.
We first fell in love with the work of Frank Rosaly when he was a drummer here on the Chicago jazz and improv scene – but this album is something completely different overall, and a real evolution of Frank's talents both as a percussionist and musical visionary! The album's a collaboration ...
(Jazz CD)
Doctor Bird (UK), Mid 1970s. 2CDs
Two classic Lloyd Charmers albums – both new to CD, and presented here with lots of first-time CD bonus tracks too! First up is the great Gold Connection album – an obscure little record, but a soulful one too – a rare 70s Federal Records session that mixes together reggae and ...
(Reggae CD)
Cellar Live, 1958/1966. 2CDs
Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – ...
(Jazz CD)
Morabeza/Lusafrica (France), Early 1970s. 2LP Gatefold
A pair of classic albums, served up here in a single set! First up is the sound of Angola, circa 1972 – served up here in a beautiful album of songs from Bonga! The music is relatively spare – mostly just lead acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion – the latter of which is played ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Timeless/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1983. (reissue)
Chet Baker blows trumpet here with one of the tightest rhythm sections of his later albums – a killer trio led by pianist Kirk Lightsey, who also gets in some great solos here too! The session's led by Kirk, and has a nicely different vibe than some of those issued under Baker's own name ...
(Jazz LP)
Vault/Real Gone, 1969. (reissue)
A righteous treasure from the end of the 60s – an album of vocal tracks recorded by the Minister Of Information for the Black Panther Party, set to backings from the legendary jazz visionary Horace Tapscott! Elaine Brown's less of a soul singer than a powerful speaker who delivers the lyrics ...
(Soul LP)
Modern Harmonic, Early 1970s.
Never-issued performances from Sun Ra and his legendary Arkestra – recorded live at Slugs in New York, and featuring the group in two very different modes! Side one features "Calling Planet Earth/We'll Wait For You" – from the same performance that also gave the world the ...
(Jazz LP)
Serge Gainsbourg/Michel Colombier
Anna
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1967.
A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its ...
(French CD)
Warner/Big Pink (South Korea), 1974.
A Canadian group with roots that go back to The Guess Who – but who come across here with a sound that's very much their own – well-produced, and with some soulful undercurrents that come as a nice surprise for anyone who might have been expecting a more offbeat approach from their name! ...
(Rock CD)
Vault/Friday Music, 1966. (reissue)
A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also ...
(Jazz LP)
Impulse, 1963. (reissue)
A wonderful session of 60s Hammond jazz – a record that was somewhat overlooked at the time, but which has really gotten the attention it deserves over the years! The album's one of a rare few cut by organist Gloria Coleman – an obscure east coast player who was also the wife of ...
(Jazz LP)
Imperative Mood, 2004.
A laidback set of funky instrumentals served up by a combo who mix up organ, guitar, bass, and drums – plus nice use of percussion in all the right moments, which underscores the slight exotica bent they hint at in the title! There's also some slight but great use of electronics – ...
(Deep Funk CD)
Edsel (UK), 1970s/1980s/Early 1990s. 14CD
One of the greatest British groups of the 70s – presented here in all their glory – a huge package that includes all their full length albums in one set, plus rare bonus material too! The music here runs from the original quartet lineup through the time when Kevin Godley and Lol Creme ...
(Rock CD)
Rough Trade/Kill Rock Stars, Late 1970s/Early 1980s. Gatefold (reissue)
Fantastic work from Delta 5 – one of our favorite groups from the UK post-punk years, and a group whose funky, dubby approach to punk rivals the best work by groups like The Slits or Gang Of Four! Like both groups, they have smart songs with interesting lyrics – but focused down right ...
(Rock LP)
Astigmatic (Poland), 2022. Gatefold
A really great record with a vibe that's all its own – a stunning blend of spiritual jazz, North Indian music, and some slight contemporary touches – all with a sense of deeper energy that really opens up as the album moves on! There's plenty of great keyboards on the record – a ...
(Jazz LP)
Beverley's/Culture Factory, 1971. (reissue)
Pre-Island Records material from Bob Marley and The Wailers – and a set that really focuses on the strong harmony modes that made the group so great! Bob's lead is still wonderful, but the way the voices come together is tremendous – echoing American soul styles, but with a righteous ...
(Reggae LP)
Pick Up/Jazz Room (UK), 1980. (reissue)
Brazilian fusion from Denmark – a really wonderful set from this cool Scandinavian combo! The record feels a fair bit like some of the Brazilian jazz coming out of the west coast of the US during the 70s – soaring, soulful, and put together with a breezy brilliance that almost takes ...
(Jazz LP)
RCA/Be With (UK), 1975. (reissue)
A real revelation from pianist Cedar Walton – an unusual electric album from the 70s – quite a surprise, given the mostly-acoustic sound of most of Cedar's other records! The album's a killer, though – and has this fresh, full take on funky jazz for the time – not the usual ...
(Jazz LP)
Akuphone (France), 1980s.
Jac Berrocal is a trumpeter, with some background in jazz – but the tracks within are way more than that – and feature Berrocal at some of his most experimental, in ways that range nicely through a wide array of styles! The work here is a mix of rare and unreleased tracks – some ...
(Jazz LP)
Imperial/Sundazed, 1965. (reissue)
Drums galore from the great Sandy Nelson – an artist who was one of the most hard-burning talents on the kit, back in the day – with a propulsive quality that makes a record like this take off right from the very first note! As with so many of Sandy's instrumental classics from back ...
(Rock LP)
Teichiku/Lawson (Japan), 1971. (reissue)
Quite a weird little record – part psychedelia, but with some really rootsy elements – and also some odd use of recorded music as well! The sound here is really mindblowing – experimental and trippy, but never too free or over the top – and the core instrumentation includes ...
(Japanese LP)
Kill Rock Stars, Late 1970s. 2LP Gatefold
Fantastic sounds from Kleenex/Liliput – one of the few early punk groups to come from Switzerland, and a female combo with energy to rival The Slits or Poison Girls at their best! The tunes here are short and sharp, and often have a biting quality in the lyrics – which are often in ...
(Rock LP)
Elektra/Strut (UK), Late 1970s/Early 1980s. 3LP
Stunning work from the great second chapter of Patrice Rushen – the time when the lady moved over to Elektra Records and really opened up her groove! Rushen had already been making great music for most of the 70s – playing fantastic keyboards as a real up-and-coming star on the funky ...
(Jazz LP)
Northern Spy, 2024.
A solo record, but one that's got the sound of more things at once than you might expect – as saxophonist Josh Johnson has this great way of processing the sound from his horns, then layering them with samples and other elements too – but all in a way that's never gimmicky, and really ...
(Jazz CD)
Jive, 1987. (reissue)
A stunning underground set from back in the day – a record that was originally released on the label run by Schoolly D himself, then was picked up by Jive Records – because Schoolly had a runaway hit on his own! The whole thing is great – one of the first really hardcore records, ...
(Hip Hop LP)
Impulse, 2024.
Tenorist James Brandon Lewis is easily one of the most important voices on his instrument in recent years – and also one of the most versatile too, as is shown in this project with the guitar-driven group The Messthetics! Two of the group's members hail from legendary punk band Fugazi, but ...
(Jazz CD)
Ace (UK), 1980s/1990s/2000s.
Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward ...
(Rock CD)
Sam First, 2024. 2LP
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 ...
(Jazz LP)
New Jazz/Craft, 1961. (reissue)
A haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from ...
(Jazz LP)
Blue Note, 2024. 2CDs
Late life brilliance from the legendary Charles Lloyd – a reed player who seems to have given the world more great music in the past 20 years than he had in the previous 60s! Lloyd keeps on moving forward with all these new ideas and fresh conceptions – and here, he blows tenor, alto, ...
(Jazz CD)
Wave/Lawson (Japan), 1986. (reissue)
A really cool album from the Japanese scene of the 80s – one that's much more experimental and creative than some of the city pop material of the time – with a shifting style of music that really keeps things interesting! Ryuichi Sakamoto helped with the first track on the set, which ...
(Japanese LP)
Sam First, 2024.
Rachel Eckroth has a resume that includes work behind some famous singers in a variety of styles – but here, she's a very committed jazz instrumentalist – working with a very bold touch on the piano at times, alongside guitarist Andrew Renfroe, who's got this edgey sense of tone on his ...
(Jazz LP)
Alston/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
Great work from this oft-overlooked smooth soul singer! Lew Kirton was part of the Miami soul scene that centered around TK Records in Florida – but he has a smooth sexy style that reminds us a lot more of northern modern soul singers – especially the most sophisticated side of the New ...
(Soul CD)
BBE (UK), 1997. 2LP Gatefold
A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like ...
(Brazil LP)
A&M/Future Days, 1970. (reissue)
One of our favorite-ever keyboard albums – a rare lost session from pianist Pete Jolly – one of his only electric dates, and a completely improvised set of grooves! Pete plays electric piano, organ, and even a bit of musette – jamming in the studio with help from Chuck Berghofer ...
(Jazz LP)
Kent/Omnivore, 1974.
One of the most obscure albums that Little Richard ever cut – and a great one too – a set that was done after his excellent comeback years on Warner Brothers, and with a vibe that's similar, but nicely gritty too! There's an old school southern soul quality to the record – and ...
(Soul CD)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1976.
A sexy soundtrack to a mid-70s film written and directed by Serge Gainsbourg – and starring Jane Birkin and a young Gerard Depardieu! The feel here is very much in the spirit of Serge's work of the time – especially that recorded with Birkin – but in a way, it's almost even ...
(French CD)
Jazzman (UK), Late 60s/1970s/1980s/1990s.
A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this ...
(Funky Compilations CD)
Mute, 2CDs
Smoking live work from Can – a set that's very different than their studio work of the time, and which maybe gives an idea of how they came up with all the fantastic sounds on their famous albums! The set's really just one long freewheeling performance – driven by stunning ...
(Rock CD)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1964. 2CDs
One of the most wonderful soundtracks ever! Michel Legrand wrote the jazzy groovy score for this legendary French film from the mid 60s – and every word of dialogue in the film is sung throughout, making for a very cool, ever-changing array of vocal bits and jazzy styles. Embedded in here ...
(Soundtracks CD)
Dusty Groove Gear,
A modernist design that hearkens back to our favorite jazz albums of the 50s – served up as a testament to our best-selling style of music year after year! Yet even if you're not a jazz listener, you can still dig the sleek look of the image – which is printed here on an even better ...
(Clothing)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1966. 2CDs
One of our favorite soundtracks ever – a jazzy swinging ode to love found and love lost – all penned by the legendary Michel Legrand! The work was composed in collaboration with director Jacques Demy for his 1966 film of the same name – and, like the previous Demy/Legrand ...
(Soundtracks CD)
Akenaton (Egypt), Late 1950s/1960s/1970s/Early 1980s.
A mad mix of sounds from the glory days of Indian cinema – served up in a package that offers up a much broader blend of styles than other Bollywood collections – as it features numbers from the late 50s all the way through the early 80s! Some of the tracks here have a rockish vibe ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Numero, Early 1980s.
Very cool grooves from Tony Palkovic – an artist who's kind of a one man soul band in himself – playing keyboards and guitar over drum machine riffs – on these tracks that are laidback, soulful, and instrumental – almost serving up a smoother take on the territory of 80s ...
(Soul LP)
Im-Hotep/P-Vine (Japan), 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
Amazing sounds from the righteous Roy Brooks – a drummer who worked strongly in the soul jazz mainstream of the 60s, then stepped out into even headier territory here in the 70s! The album's a spiritual masterpiece all the way through – an album on par with early 70s Impulse sides from ...
(Jazz LP)
P-Vine (Japan), 1977/1979.
A huge musical treasure – a full unreleased album by Weldon Irvine, plus a bonus material as well! The music is from the stage play Young Gifted & Broke – a short-lived production by Weldon, and one that's done with some of the same hip modes he was bringing to his own music of the ...
(Jazz CD)
Big Crown, 2024.
A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed ...
(Deep Funk CD)
Jazz Is Dead, 2024.
Key tracks from this long-running series – taken into new territory by a whole host of contemporary remix talents! The set's heavy on producers and musicians from the London scene – so that the earlier LA efforts of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad are given new cosmic ...
(Deep Funk CD)
Nederlands Jazz Archief (Netherlands), 1970.
A long-lost performance by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – recorded in Amsterdam at the start of the 70s, when the group were brought in by avant saxophonist Hans Dulfer for a special performance! This album marks the first-ever issue of the material, from rediscovered tapes that finally present ...
(Jazz CD)
As Shams/Afrodelic (Italy), 1976. (reissue)
One of a handful of very righteous albums that American reedman Hal Singer made overseas – very different material than the more R&B-based tenor material that started out his career! Here, Hal's got this easygoing approach to soul jazz – stretching out on these really long tracks ...
(Jazz LP)
Clean Feed (Portugal), 2024.
Rob Mazurek is one of the most collaborative musicians we know – but this time around, he's completely solo, but handling a range of instruments that might usually be associated with a larger group! In addition to his familiar trumpet and pocket trumpet work, Rob's creating sounds here on ...
(Jazz CD)
Far Out (UK), 2024.
Bruno Berle's titled this album in a way that's similar to his debut – but it's way more than just a "part 2", as the Brazilian singer has really grown a lot since that release! There's a rock-solid sound to the record that takes us back to some of our favorite MPB work of the past ...
(Brazil CD)
Blue Note, 1963. Gatefold (reissue)
A bit less well-known than some of the real Horace Silver classics on Blue Note – but an incredible record that shows the Silver Quintet at all its lyrical best! The record is a masterpiece of original voicings from Horace – not just in the unique tunes he penned for the set, but also ...
(Jazz LP)
Yazoo, Mid 1930s.
The cover's a striking one – and it definitely supports the music inside, given that most of these Bo Carter tunes are vintage blues tunes with a decidedly erotic bent! The metaphors are obvious, but they're put together beautifully – without any of the heavy-handed schlock that later ...
(Blues LP)
Guerssen (Spain), Late 1970s/Early 1980s. 2LP
Overlooked mid-period work from this legendary Korean trio – music the group recorded after their first three albums – all records that have been reissued a bit over the years, which these tracks have not! There's a deeply moody vibe to the music – still all the fuzz, freak, and ...
(Rock LP)
Cadet/Verve, 1969. (reissue)
An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach ...
(Jazz LP)
Atlantic/ARC (UK), 1968. (reissue)
Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even ...
(Jazz LP)
Blue Note, 1968.
Amazing later work from Booker Ervin – far more modern and far-reaching than you'd guess from the "Texas" title in the set! Although Ervin first came onto the scene as a strong-voiced tenorist from a Texas tradition, through the course of the 60s he'd really expanded his musical ...
(Jazz LP)
Teichiku/Lawson (Japan), 1961. (reissue)
A brilliant early album from Japanese drummer Hideo Shiraki – a jazz session that bristles with the same intensity as key late 50s work by Benny Golson or Gigi Gryce! Although Hideo's leading the group on drums, his work on the kit is remarkably subtle – done with the snappingly ...
(Jazz LP)
Intakt (Switzerland), 2024.
A really fantastic album from David Murray – a no-nonsense session that's a real return to the kind of fresh tenor genius he was bringing the world in the 80s! This is a set with a quartet that swings – and Murray blows tenor and a bit of bass clarinet with the kind of raspy warmth and ...
(Jazz CD)
A&M/Robinsongs (UK), Mid 1980s. 2CD
Three solo albums from Jesse Johnson – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Jesse Johnson's Revue – a killer solo debut from guitarist Jesse Johnson, who was easily one of the most driving forces in The Time after leader Morris Day – and an artist who can definitely stand strongly ...
(Soul CD)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 1950s/Early 1960s.
Really obscure work from the early days of the German rock scene – a time long before the prog experiments that would get some of its bigger groups international attention – and done when the nation was maybe working harder to import sounds from outside, rather than export its own new ...
(Rock CD)
Holidays (Italy), 1974. (reissue)
A really wild little record – and one that's as much a free jazz set as it is some kind of freewheeling freakout from the San Francisco scene of the 70s! There's a very primal feel to the music here – lots of percussion and reeds – including work on flute, alto, and soprano from ...
(Jazz LP)
Hat Art (Switzerland), 1980.
Never-issued genius from pianist Cecil Taylor – a tremendous live performance from a time when Cecil was at the height of his powers! The group here is a really compelling sextet – with frequent partner Jimmy Lyons on brilliant alto throughout, next to Ramsey Ameen on violin, Alan ...
(Jazz CD)
Wah Wah 45s (UK), 2024.
Espen Horne has a great way of mixing jazz influences with a range of other styles – sometimes cosmic, sometimes kicking – and served up with guest help on vibes, keyboards, and vocals too! There's a vibe here that's almost like that point years ago when Nicola Conte started getting a ...
(New Grooves LP)