Great music you won't find anywhere else!

Rare French club work from the disco years and beyond – a set that's filled with a really cool mix of funky, spacey, and far-out sounds! The music here has a similar vibe to some of the best Italian work that was evolving at this time – initially inspired by American disco, but still ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)

Wayne Escoffery really takes off here in the vibrant setting of the Smalls Live series – blowing with a fire and intensity we don't always hear – really stretching out on a lot of very long tracks! The group's a quartet – with tremendous piano from Dave Kikoski, who really seems ... CD (Jazz)

A sweet funky combo from the Montreal scene of the 70s – working here in a killer set of never-issued material! Quintonal have an approach that's tight and right on the money – electric, but never in a too-fusiony style – and instead kind of a step forward for 60s soul jazz or ... CD (Jazz)

A huge creative leap forward for Common! Com had been slowly moving from a Chicago street poet role into a more universally conscious hip hop soul from record to record to this point, but Like Water For Chocolate is the one that really catapulted him deep into that realm – especially given ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)

A totally sweet set of grooves from the African scene of the 70s – and one that's a fair bit different than most of the other collections we've got on our racks! The styles here are a bit more offbeat, and a bit less familiar – not straight Afro Funk, but also not some of the popular ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)

Rare archival work from guitarist Pat Martino – never-issued sides that feature the musician in a small club setting from 20 years back – with only additional keyboards for accompaniment! The groove is very lean, and allows us plenty of space to hear Martino's tremendous skills on the ... CD (Jazz)

A real classic from the legendary drummer Joe Jones – heard here in sextet formation with Harry Edison on trumpet, Bennie Green on trombone, Jimmy Forrest on tenor, and Tommy Flanagan on piano. There's a lively swinging feel to the set – one that's somewhere between the Verve sound of ... CD (Jazz)

Sharp sounds from the French scene at the start of the 70s – played by a group that mixes some of the free energy of the BYG/Actuel crowd with the more playful styles of the other side of the post-68 underground! The group's a quartet – with Partrick Vian on guitar, Jean Claude Cenci ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)

A great straight set from this top-shelf trombonist – done at the same relaxed, stretched-out level of some of the other excellent albums on the Smoke Sessions label – no tricks, no gimmicks, just a great demonstration of Steve Turre's strengths as a leader, and his always-sharp ability ... CD (Jazz)

A killer album of 70s New Orleans funk! Chocolate Milk were an amazing funk group in their best moments – and this album is certainly one of those moments – a blistering batch of tracks that set a whole new style for the Crescent City scene, and which showed that producers Allen ... CD (Soul)

The lovely Holly Herndon's on the cover this time around – in support of a big article on her unique blend of music and technology – and the issue also features a user's guide to the legendary music of Moondog, plus articles on Noise Poets, Isnaj Dui, Radiophrenia, and Jlin. Also ... Magazine (Magazines)

A great look at a very important side of spiritual jazz in the 60s and 70s – the evolution of jazz vocals, to a point when singers like Abbey Lincoln, Andy Bey, or Leon Thomas brought a whole new sound and soul to the spectrum of jazz! This wonderful package covers lots of key moments from ... CD (Funky Compilations)

One of the greatest soundtracks of the blacksploitation era – served up with some incredible grooves from maestro JJ Johnson! The album's got a non-stop, hard-hitting groove that ranks it with the best of its time – and which is arguably even better, because most of the record isn't ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin just keeps on getting better and better with each new recording – finding a way to strengthen his phrasing at the core, while reaching out to new modes of expression – almost always with a classic vibe that takes us back to the strengths of Freddie Hubbard or Art ... CD (Jazz)

Mos Def's landmark late 90s solo debut – a rock solid classic that stands up today as one of the best hip hop albums of its decade – and for all the dizzying creative highs and lows of his career to follow, it stands strongly among his best work ever. His preceding duo work with Talib ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)

A very cool set that returns to the earliest style of the Sublime Frequencies label – those 90s releases that often had the company grabbing global sounds out of the ether, then committing them to tape! The set here is exactly what's promised by the title – music from the radio in ... CD (Global Grooves)

Lots of dark sounds here – a record that's not entirely jazz, and which travels in some of the same genre-breaking territory as other groundbreaking work on Norway's Jazzland label! There's definitely key jazz elements in the music – especially from the trumpet of Kim Asknes and tenor ... CD (Jazz)

An amazing little record from the Uruguay scene of the 70s – not as much as a hotbed of activity as some other South American nations, but still home to a few key geniuses – like the brilliant Eduardo Mateo! Mateo works here alongside musical partner Jorge Trasante – who mixes a ... CD (Rock)

One of the strangest acts to come from Motown in the early 80s – and almost more of a new wave record than a soul one! The standout hit here is the title track "Somebody's Watching Me" – an odd electro tune that has Rockwell speaking/singing these paranoid lyrics with a vague ... CD (Soul)

Soulful harmonies-laded Jamaican music from The Inturns – who also recorded as The Viceroys and with other monikers from the mid 60s onward – and are really in peak form here in the later 70s! It's beautiful stuff, with rhythms balance a rawer grit with a lighter touch – laid down ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae)

Bassist Henry Franklin is still very much at the top of his game here – grabbing our attention right away, as he has with his other excellent recent releases on his own label – playing with this strong, soulful quality that really steps off from his better-known work of the 70s! The ... CD (Jazz)

Classic cuts, given amazing new edits and remixes by the Mighty Mike Maurro – at a level that's every bit as great as the Tom Moulton collections we've loved from Harmless Records! Like those gems, this one focuses on the most soulful side of the 70s clubs – especially the early cuts ... CD (Funky Compilations)

One of the hippest Italian soundtracks of the 60s – and a motherlode of tracks by the great Piero Piccioni! The soundtrack is the source of the oft-compiled "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in Italy – and it also features the famous tracks " ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

A totally unique record from drummer Makaya McCraven – and a great one too! The set's built around improvised performances recorded over the period of a year – with some of Chicago's best underground jazz talents, including Matt Ulery on bass, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Jeff Parker on ... CD (Jazz)

The already-great team of singer Karin Krog and pianist Steve Kuhn gets some extra special help here – thanks to the appearance of Eric Alexander on tenor and Lew Soloff on trumpet – each of whom guest on three different tracks apiece! The core of the record has Krog's dark, moody ... CD (Vocalists)

A definite masterjam from Chaka Khan and Rufus – one of the group's last key efforts together – produced to perfection by the mighty Quincy Jones! Chaka's vocals are sublime right from the start – taking on the soaring majesty she'd use on her initial solo recordings – and ... CD (Soul)

Some of the coolest, most compelling work we've heard in years from Wanda Sa – a very spare, stripped-down session that really gets back to the roots of her music from the 60s! Wanda Sa has been reviving her bossa sound for the past decade or more, but most of those recordings often have a ... CD (Brazil)

Raw rockers, offbeat groovers, and lots more odd bits from the glory days of the indie single – pulled together here in a package that sounds as sexy as it looks! The Stag-O-Lee label has been giving us some great collections in recent years, and this one's right at the top of their stack ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

Rare work from Jimmy Riley – a 70s singer who never fully got his due, but who rubbed shoulders with all the best on the Kingston scene, and made some mighty great music in the process! Jimmy's the father of Taurus Riley – the contemporary vocalist – but may well be a more ... CD (Reggae)

Atlantic Starr definitely get straight to the point on this set – bursting out strongly with an upbeat groove from the very first note – all produced to perfection by maestro Bobby Eli, in the same manner as some of his other great late 70s work for other artists! The group's a big one ... CD (Soul)

A tribute to the music of Thelonious Monk, but one that's got plenty of Tim Warfield's own spirit as well! Orrin Evans handles the piano here, and while he's certainly equipped to bring out the angularity of Monk's music, he's got his own way of approaching the tunes that are nicely fresh – ... CD (Jazz)

A really great little set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – a rare player who goes way way past traditional modes of his chosen instrument, into richly creative territory that rivals the 70s experiments of Ron Carter! Like Carter, Suzuki's never content to just let the bass be a source in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)

A groovy little gem from early 80s RCA – a set that sparkles with the same sort of energy as the label's work with Keni Burke at the time! Steven & Sterling are a hip duo who trade vocals back and forth nicely – working over rhythms that are mellow and midtempo, often with a hip ... CD (Soul)

If you want a classic funky 45 – this is it! Even when nobody was going that crazy about funky 45s, folks were always looking for "The Sad Chicken" – and for good reason too! The cut begins with this somber "taps" line on guitar, which then morphs into a snakey ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)

Beautifully groovy work from mid 60s France – all by a singer who's every bit as great as France Gall, Francoise Hardy, or other French greats of the time – but not nearly as well known! This cool collection should correct that fact, as it finally gives worldwide exposure to this ... CD (French)

A totally wonderful collection of Northern Soul – and one that really shows the evolution of the music on the scene over the years! Despite the dates on the front, most of the tracks here are from the 60s and early 70s – and the long range of years refers to the ever-changing audience ... CD (Soul)

One of the biggest and best albums ever for Hamilton Bohannon – filled with quirky rhythms and really unusual grooves! Bohannon was one of the key forces in setting the scene for disco in the early 70s – and by the time the rest of the country was hitting the dancefloor in the middle ... CD (Soul)

A funky soul compilation, and a sweet TV show as well – presented here in an ultra-cool collection that offers both audio and video work from this short-lived Chicago dance show! The Chicago Party was a very local UHF program in the Windy City – one that was kind of a homegrown version ... CD (Funky Compilations)

An overlooked gem from the Turkish rock scene of the 70s – played by these two ex-members of The Beatnik Boys, who were also collaborators with Baris Manco and Cem Karaca! The album's got a sound that definitely lives up to those reference points – a mix of 70s rock and more ... CD (Global Grooves)

Peaches & Herb get some really wonderful help here from Freddie Perren – who really helps them focus their groove nicely for the dancefloor! Given the already-great vocals from the pair, and the long legacy of upbeat work from Freddie, the album's got a heck of a lot going for it – ... CD (Soul)

A legendary soul singer finally gets her due – served up in a beautiful package that contains all of Betty Lavette's lost Atlantic album from 1972, plus additional singles for the label, including 2 previously unissued tracks! The package digs deeper than even the other excellent sets on ... CD (Soul)

Some of the fiercest music we've heard from John Zorn in a long time – material composed by him, but played by an organ trio that features John Medeski – with a sound that's almost more metal than jazz! The key element in the trio is guitarist Matt Hollenberg, who plays these fuzzy, ... CD (Jazz)

A really obscure group from the Detroit scene of the late 70s and early 80s – but one who live on strongly in this double-length set – thanks to the recording efforts of drummer Leonard King! The group were kind of a follow-up to King's previous Soul Messengers group – and to his ... CD (Soul)

A set that's heavy on classic cuts from the 70s, but throws in a few contemporary numbers too – all in this wonderful blend of music that's got a wicked mellow groove all the way through! The style is a bit modern soul, but more in that smooth 70s mellow style we love so much – lots of ... CD (Funky Compilations)

An incredible full album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! The group's a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing, keyboard filling, and sax honking – all very much in the spirit of Russell's best quirky club work of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Excellent work from reedman Carlos Garnett – caught here during the great first chapter of his career, when he cut some really unique albums for Muse Records! This set really has Carlos coming into his own – still working at the spiritual jazz level of earlier releases, but also ... CD (Jazz)

Cheebacabra return to the funky fold – with a set that offers up both unreleased material for the sessions from their previous three records, plus remixes of tracks from those albums as well! The remixes take a variety of approaches – some really cutting into the tunes, some layering ... CD (Deep Funk)

A surprising new project from the same Cali underground assemblage that gave us some of the Heru Avenger records from years back – done in a style that's even more jazz-based and spiritual than before! All tracks are long and spiraling – with heavy bass at the bottom from Heru Avenger, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)

Completely weird, completely wild work from Italian maestro Alessandro Alessandroni – a set of noisy industrial tracks that's quite different than his lighter work for film scores or TV shows! The music here definitely lives up to the "industrial" promise in the title – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library)

This killer combo starts a fire right from the very first note on the set – then continues to burn strongly all the way through – with a vibe that's even sharper and tighter than their first set of Afro Funk a few years back! Les Freres Smith travel in familiar territory, but have a ... CD (Global Grooves)

A near-lost session from pianist Al Haig – playing in an unusual (for him) format that features piano, guitar, bass, and drums! Haig's piano is recorded with a style that makes it a bit echoey – using the space of the studio in a way that seems to hang the notes in air a bit more, ... CD (Jazz)

A killer club cut from Lamar Thomas – fast keyboards that move wonderfully along with the groove, while Lamar sings a sweeter lead vocal that soars beautifully over the top! The original mix is already great enough – and the extended Waxist edit is even cooler – fleshed out in a ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Soul)

Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Jean Pierre Decerf – a lesser-known sound library artist from the 70s scene in France, but one who's finally getting his due! Decerf has a style that really lives up to the title of the collection – working with lots of keyboards and electronics in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library)

One of Tom Ze's greatest records – and an album that proves that the Tropicalista spirit didn't die once Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil went into exile! The cover is a bit standard, in comparison to the artier look of other Tom Ze albums – but the sound is very forward-thinking, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)

Genius work from British altoist Mike Osborne – a set of lost vault recordings that we might well rank right up there with Mike's classic albums for the Ogun label! The first two thirds of the set has Osborne blowing wonderfully in this open-ended trio with Harry Miller on bass and Louis ... CD (Jazz)

One of the coolest, hippest compilations we've heard in years – and a set that uncovers a whole new style of underground grooves from the 70s! The work here is definitely in the funk, soul, and jazz territory of other compilations – but it's also got a unique vibe of its own, too ... CD (Funky Compilations)

A rollicking set of classic and should-be classic tunes on Chess, King, Fame, Jubilee and other iconic labels – plus some comparably rare gems – all in touch with the bluesy roots, and laying the groundwork for the soul scenes to come! This first La Noire compilation has one killer ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

The complete mid 70s comeback years from the great Bob Crewe – the 60s pop powerhouse who found a whole new style in the disco generation! Street Talk has Bob Crewe stretching out in an album-length concept setting – one that draws heavily on the best disco styles of the time, and ... CD (Soul)

The last material ever recorded by the legendary Pops Staples – raw, rootsy tracks that are surprisingly great overall – even when augmented by Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples! Pops recorded these tracks in the late 90s, and Mavis held the tapes for years – thinking that they were ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Leave it to George Clinton to keep on being productive over all these years – so much so that even after we haven't heard from Funkadelic for awhile, George hits us with a full 3CDs' worth of new material! The sound and style here continues that extrapolation of older P-Funk with newer modes ... CD (Soul)

Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit ... CD (Global Grooves)

A sweet modern take on post-disco funky soul from Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, working together as Tuxedo! It's a pretty remarkable creative step for both parties, and classy enough to make the Tuxedo moniker fit. We've known for years to expect the unexpected from Mayer Hawthorne – we ... CD (Deep Funk)

A contemporary combo, but one who hit the style of classic sound library funk right on the money – with a killer approach that makes the album bristle like a vintage set all the way through! And trust us on this – these guys aren't "retro" or going for some sort of easy 60s ... CD (Sound Library)

An overlooked 50s soundtrack from the legendary Bernard Herrmann – one of his lesser-remembered collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock – but one that's every bit as wonderful as his more famous scores! The songs here are relatively short, but extremely evocative – these ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)

An obscure trio that we only know from this folksy gem recorded for Roulette at the start of the 70s – a surprisingly down to earth album, given the pop, soul, and psych history of the label – almost more of the sort of nugget you'd find from the Northern California underground of the ... CD (Rock)

Totally great solo work from David Borden – late 70s music recorded after the breakup of Mother Mallard, and which features Borden as an even more exploratory minimalist on his own! The set begins with the beautiful "Etsy Point" – which has Borden layered on electric piano, ... CD (Out Sound)

A tripped-out batch of tracks from Brazil! These guys mix together a bit of funk, a bit of psych, and touches of Jorge Ben-like soul – into a blend that's really groovy all the way through, and which will be sure to please any fan of the Samba Soul groove! Jorge Ben's influence is all over ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)

Wu Tang pulls together for the long-awaited A Better Tomorrow! Wu Tang is such a large, star-filled ensemble, and they form a unified front so rarely after 20+ years in the game, it's always gonna make waves when they release a proper Wu Tang Clan album. The stakes are high enough here that they ... CD (Hip Hop)

The Ritchie Family do their best to remain relevant after the glory days of commercial disco – and succeed strongly on I'll Do My Best – thanks to the sweetly soulful trio vocals and a nicely updated dancefloor soul sound! The songs are great, and groove on just long enough – ... CD (Soul)

The Manhattans' first album for Columbia – and a monster LP that showed that there was no turning back for the group! After cutting some seminal indie singles for the Carnival label during the 60s, the group sort of bumped around a bit during the early 70s – but with the release of ... CD (Soul)

Rare work from an artist who was born in Ghana, spent time in Germany, and recorded this underground cassette-only release in Toronto during the early 90s! The music has this very odd pan-national style that references Ata Kak's Ghanian roots, but also brings in some cool electronics that must ... CD (Global Grooves)

Maybe our favorite album ever from Michael Chapman – a bit more stripped-down and rootsy than his other Harvest Records classics, but in a really great way! There's a fluid spirit to the music right from the start – a great focus on Michael's vocals and guitar, but support from ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

Crispy beats from Hugo LX – who you might know from previous work with The Funk League – or sets with Large Professor, Diamond D, and Gift Of Gab! This album's half instrumental, but never in a too-boring, head-noddy way – as there's some sweet keyboard lines that make for some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)

Smoking Motown work from Thelma Houston – a great 70s set that catches the singer at the top of her groove! The album's polished, but never in a too-commercial way – and the grooves acknowledge the growing role of the dancefloor in mainstream soul, yet also mostly stay away from some ... CD (Soul)

One of the earliest recordings of the avant group Detail – heard here without the bassist Johnny Dyani, who was such a part of their later albums! The absence of bass makes for a beautifully free sound – the drums of John Stevens, piano of Eivin One Pedersen, and reeds of Frode ... CD (Jazz)

Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a ... CD (Soul)

A strong 70s recording by a group that was mostly known as the Cedar Walton trio – the group of Sam Jones on bass, Walton on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums – recorded only for the Japanese market, and a heck of a record! The set's got one standout feature that sets it apart from ... CD (Jazz)

Maybe the first true moment of greatness from Thin Lizzy – a record that really has them coming into their own, with a sharpness that really points the way at their later classics – and that unique approach that has Phil Lynott standing out as one of the most unique singers of his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

Tremendous work from the great Roy Brown – pulled from his groundbreaking years at King/Deluxe Records – and featuring very pure sound taken from original acetates in the vault! Brown is one of our favorite R&B singers ever – a vocalist with the range and skill of a jazz ... CD (Soul)

Wonderfully fluid work from the great Eddie Henderson – a record that's wrapped up in that beautiful glow and searching, soulful energy that only seems to get better and better over the years! The record's got some great partners on board – including George Cables on piano and some ... CD (Jazz)

At the beginning of the 70s, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles parted company – and while to some, it might have looked like the group would flounder without the help of their famous leader, The Miracles hit the 70s wonderfully, and continued to grow tremendously as a group! Of course, part ... CD (Soul)

A shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played ... CD (Soul)

A really unique little album from pianist Ran Blake – and that's saying a lot, given that all of his music is pretty darn unique! The album features Blake at his warmest – serving up a tribute to the vocalist Chris Connor, but at a level that's mostly instrumental – as a good ... CD (Jazz)

Beautiful solo work from Anthony Braxton – recorded live in Paris at the start of the 70s, and a fair bit more sensitive than some of his earlier work on that scene! Side one features a beautiful take on Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday" – one that runs for 25 minutes, and which ... CD (Jazz)

One of the fullest, richest collections of work we've ever seen from the great Lee Dorsey – a massive 2CD set that spans all his best early soul and funk years – with some unreleased material and live tracks too! The New Orleans groove is in full effect throughout – and the ... CD (Soul)

Excellent work from Chris Woods – a genius reed player on alto sax and flute! Chris had a similar history to Nathan Davis, another richly talented American reed player from the same era – in that he was an American, but moved to Europe and achieved greater fame by becoming a seminal ... CD (Jazz)

Great group soul from the wonderful Brunswick Records – and a sweet selection that goes way beyond the hits and the bigger groups who recorded for the label! Sure, Brunswick is known for its big groups from Chicago – who were some of the best of their time – but the label also ... CD (Funky Compilations)

Tight, upbeat funky instrumental grooves from The M-Tet! "Mike's New Adidas" mixes up a breezy, easygoing mode with a rollicking underbelly – all sunny organ grooves and raw, heavy drums. Where that side radiates bright Cali instrumental soul, the flip "All Growns Up" has ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)

A super-huge album for Kool & The Gang – and for good reason too! The set features their massive hit "Celebration" – a cut that firmly planted the group in the mainstream, and which keeps getting countless play over the decades – probably still earning them a ... CD (Soul)

Great gritty grooves from this wonderful series – a sublime set of R&B tracks, but all chosen from the perspective of later soul music too! The tracks are a nice change from the older style R&B compilations – as they all have a great little groove, and plenty of elements that ... CD (Soul)

Raw, blistering and flat out fine early 80s punk rock from Peter & The Test Tube Babies – recorded at live shows around England, and it's timeless stuff – we wish we could've been to one of shows, but it's pretty damn glorious on a turntable, too! These guys weren't out to change ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

A nice little wake up call from Yoshiyaki Masuo – a set that has his guitar working in close collaboration with extra guitar from Motoaki Masuo – for a two-stringed approach that's a bit different than some of Yoshiyaki's other records! The music is laidback, but never sleepy – ... CD (Jazz)

A lost little session from pianist Walter Bishop – one that has the pianist working at an all acoustic level, and in a trio format that's a bit different than his other 70s sessions – but still totally great! The group features wonderful work from Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on ... CD (Jazz)

The funkiest album ever recorded by Lyn Collins – a stone solid set that really lives up to the legacy of her funky 45s! Like those gems, this one has Collins working with James Brown on production and the JBs in the background – creating a razor-sharp groove that's probably the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Seminal sounds from one of the hippest vibists of the 60s – the great Jerzy Milian, who was easily Europe's answer to Bobby Hutcherson at the time! The material here comes from a few key performances by the Milian trio at the Jazz Jamboree festival in Poland – sort of the Eastern ... CD (Jazz)

Rebirth really stunned us with their massive debut – This Journey In – and nearly a decade later, they win us all over again with this long-awaited follow-up album! The set's got the group even sharper and more soulful than before – really steeped in that classic brew of ... CD (Neo Soul)

One of the best funky soul albums to come from the LA scene of the 70s – a relatively obscure indie set, but one that's shone brightly for years, thanks to attention from a host of global DJs! The style here is partly clubby, partly funk – with lots of jazzy touches that come from the ... CD (Soul)

One of the hippest albums ever from this incredible Polish vocal group – and that's saying a lot, because all of their albums are pretty darn hip! This set has the Novi Singers working in a freer, more open-ended mode than on some of their earlier records – hitting some territory that ... CD (Vocalists)

Totally great sound library material from the Polish radio scene of the late 70s and early 80s – music that never made it to our side of the Iron Curtain at the time, but which totally shows the same growing love for keyboards and electronics you'd find at the KPM or DeWolfe studios too! The ... CD (Sound Library)

Twice as sweet, and mighty neat – a killer set from Taste Of Honey, and one that has the girls moving away from Mizell Brothers help in the studio, and getting some great grooves from George Duke! Duke brings in all his best jazzy soul to the duo – lots of keyboards stepping around the ... CD (Soul)

A stunning debut from Jarrod Lawson – a singer we fell in love with right away – and who we'd rank right up there with some our favorite mellow soul artists of the 70s! Yes, the cover's got a look that's more indie rock – but Jarrod's got this righteous vibe and sense of flow ... CD (Neo Soul)

One of the most solid albums we've ever heard on the Sublime Frequencies label – a studio recording by a group with a really great approach to their music – a style that mixes classic Afro Funk elements with rootsier elements on the instrumentation! The grooves are tight, but the sound ... CD (Global Grooves)

A fantastic explosion of funk, soul, and club – put together at a level that may well even top the first Supafunkanova collection! As before, the cuts here are all super-rare and obscure – but all kick heavy ass when it comes to tight rhythms and catchy clubby grooves – never ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)

A record that you might spend a week trying to pronounce, but one that will grab you right away with its sound! Arp Life stick strongly in their best clubby modes here – mixing the keyboards of their name with some sweet disco-styled rhythms, and the occasional female chorus vocal, in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library)

Great later work from The Animals – a set that's not as tripped-out as some of their other late 60s work, and which almost starts to show Eric Burdon's rising love of soul and funk! The sound is still pretty rockish overall – but there's some great use of bass rumbling at the bottom ... CD (Rock)

The Winds Of Change are definitely afoot in the sound of The Animals – as the album's one of their most psychedelic outings ever – and also a bit funky at times too! Production by Tom Wilson is really great – echoey at most moments, with a kind of "flash" and shimmer ... CD (Rock)

An even hipper album than the first Rongetz Foundation outing – which we totally loved – thanks to work from classic musicians who include Gary Bartz on alto, Steve Turre on trombone, and Monnette Sudler on guitar! The music is a great blend of bass-heavy rhythms (acoustic bass, that ... CD (New Grooves)

A raw classic from The Pop Group – one of the funkiest punkiest bands on the UK scene at the start of the 80s – able to effortlessly blend radical politics with heavy bass and sharp guitar lines – at a level that may have only been matched by The Gang Of Four! Yet these guys are ... CD (Rock)

The only couple of albums by Nolan Porter from the early 70s – unjustly obscure records that combine swampy, funky and rock-oriented soul with more polished touches – and while there are plenty of diverse stylistic twists and turns, Nolan's voice is genuinely soulful throughout! First ... CD (Soul)

Really beautiful music from Wlodzimierz Nahorny – an artist we know mostly as a Polish jazz musician and saxophonist, but who turns out to have an equally great ear for film music as well! The style here is lush, but restrained – balanced beautifully with lots of traces of jazz, as you' ... CD (Soundtracks)

The incredible rise and too-fast fall of the late Bobby Fuller – the southwest rocker who gave the world the classic "I Fought The Law", then died as a beaten, broken man in a car fire in 1966! The book tells the full story of Bobby's life and music from the perspective of his ... Book (Books)

Hardly the love song album you might guess from the title – and instead, a classic batch of Chess Records material from the mighty Bo Diddley! The sound is loud, echoey, and nice and raw – the kind of unique groove that really made Diddley a standout in the rock and roll years – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues)

Amazing stuff! Jorge Ben never made a bad record in the 60s – and this is one of his best! The album's filled with tight jaunty numbers that mix big band samba arrangements with quickly strummed guitar, and Jorge's wonderfully raw vocals – all classic stuff for Jorge, but a style that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)

A treasure trove of rare work from the great Sam Dees – one of the best songwriters in 70s soul music, and an artist who managed to put more recordings in the vaults than he did in the charts! Sam's known best for a handful of singles and a classic album on Atlantic Records – but ... CD (Soul)

Cube's anger goes full throttle on his second post NWA full-length. He takes every aspect of his social commentator standpoints to another level from his solo debut – the roles of the angry and educated leader, and the finger-pointing blamer each get their say here, and so do those ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)

Sweet dancefloor soul from an early 80s line-up of The Ritchie Family – this one featuring Linda James, Jacqui Smith-Lee and Vera Brown – going All Night All Right on a strong batch of synth flavored grooves! The bigger hits of the commercial disco boom were well behind them by this ... CD (Soul)

Have guitar, will travel – and back in the day, Bo Diddley was going pretty darn far with great material like this! The album's a real standout, even in the classic Chess catalog of the early years –no filler, no covers, just all original material by Bo Diddley – done in that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues)

An incredible double dose of boogie funk and clubby grooves – selected by Joey Negro and Sean P, and filled with heavy basslines, funky drums, squelching synths, and floor-shaking rare groovers from the late 70s and early 80s! Joey Negro and Sean P are master compilers of rare funk & ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)

A pair of later jazzy vocal LP gems by Teresa Brewer, both backed by jazz greats – Songs Of Bessie Smith with Count Basie and Thad Jones, and It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing with Duke Ellington – both released by Flying Dutchman in 1973! Teresa's popularity peaked a ... CD (Vocalists)

Gritty mod rocker and surprisingly tender tunes, too – on a nice little compilation of mid-to-late 60s singles by The Truth! The earlier tunes live up the the "mod bedlam" description – really a nice mix of gritty, gravelly-voiced rock with a sense of soul. Later tunes show ... CD (Rock)

The album's a recent one, but the legendary Joyce also returns to her roots a bit – hence the title – working here with a bit of help from the great Roberto Menescal, who brought the singer into the studio for her first bossa session 50 years ago! The format is laidback, warm, and ... CD (Brazil)

A classic pre-soul album by The Staples – very different than their later secular work of the 70s, but every bit as excellent! The album was done in a folksy spirit for Riverside at the start of the 60s – and captures the group in very raw, stripped-down format – with just guitar ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Unjustly obscure post punk synth rock by Post Industrial Noise – an Ohio trio that put out one flexidisc and one cassette in the early 80s before disbanding and reorganizing later as Near Paris! The sound isn't really all that noisy in the caustic sense of the word – but there is a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)

A cool, classy set from southern soul singer Freddie Waters – a set that has the vocalist getting a bit more polish than on his previous records, but in a way that really ups his game! The approach here takes Freddie's soulful vocals and mixes them with some well-crafted larger backings ... CD (Soul)

Some of best work in years from resurgent soul legend Bettye Lavette – with a wise, gritty edge touched by classic southern soul and rawer, though still quite elegant bluesy influences – and giving a diverse range of material her distinct personal stamp! As wonderful as Bettye's voice ... CD (Soul)

Great groovy pop from the Italian scene of the 60s – a wealth of rare singles from female singers, almost all of whom we've never heard before! We'll confess to a long love and deep knowledge of female French singers from the time – but also admit a strong ignorance about most Italian ... CD (Rock)

A soaring set of vintage uptempo soul – if only the soundtrack to our lives was really as cheery and uplifting as this! Northern Soul – The Soundtrack To Your Life is jam-packed with two 2 dozen tunes – with some legendary names and many more that aren't as widely celebrated by ... CD (Soul)

The debut album from Fonzi Thornton – a singer who didn't even need to cop a Happy Days name to get our attention! The style here is tight 80s groove at its best – lots of keyboards and basslines driving the tunes right from the start, and a sound that's pretty lean overall – and ... CD (Soul)

A set that draws inspiration and compositions from John Zorn, but which is really the brainchild of cellist Jay Campbell – who works here with a mindblowing approach to the music! The cello has never sounded so bold and powerful before – arguably as free and frenetic as Zorn's alto ... CD (Jazz)

One of the greatest sessions ever recorded by Ronnie Mathews – an excellent soul jazz pianist who's working here in a mode that's similar to that of Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, or other 70s lyrical giants! Mathews' touch on the keys is incredible – at one moment extremely sensitive and ... CD (Jazz)

A great one from legendary vocalist Junior Murvin – and it's a great meeting between Junjo Lawes and Murvin, a singer who's well known for his classic late 70s Black Ark material with Scratch Perry – even if there's relatively few proper solo albums to his name! His high, sweet vocals ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae)

One of the strangest, most offbeat bits of 80s funk you'll ever here – and a record that's pretty darn groovy as well! Sumy hails from Surinam, and recorded this unique criss-crossing of styles in the early 80s – with a vibe that's very much in keeping with his look on the cover, and a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Some of the most freewheeling music we've heard from Don Cherry in the 70s – a live performance at the Museum Of Modern Art in Stockholm – and one that's done with a very free, open vibe! Part of the work has Cherry in the bolder improvisational space of his Paris years – yet ... CD (Jazz)

One of the coolest labels on the Chicago soul scene of the 60s – part of the larger One-Der-Ful family of imprints, and equally important as the flagship company! Mar-V-Lus cut some of the hippest work in the Windy City at the time – deeply soulful singles that were really at the cusp ... CD (Soul)

The first album ever from Billy Ocean – originally released only in the UK, where Billy had a big head start on his career before winning over the US! The sound is a cross between Ocean's Caribbean roots and some fuller, richer British modes at the time – with compressed production on ... CD (Soul)

Cybotron's self-titled record from 1976 – and it's a remarkably prescient set of experimental synth rock instrumentals! It's a bit akin the work of German pioneers like Neu! And Tangerine Dream, but Cybotron is actually the work of Australians Steve Maxwell Von Braund and Geoff Green (not to ... CD (Rock)

Seedy synth soundtrack genius from the early 80s! Turkey Shoot is a pretty notorious slice of early 80s Oz-sploitation cinema – and composer Brian May makes it all the more memorable with his soundtrack work here. It got some brief percussion and strings-heavy bits, but it's main style is ... CD (Soundtracks)

Stunning sound library material from Braen's Machine – one of the coolest, grooviest, and most obscure acts that were part of this underground Italian scene in the 70s! Quarta Pagina follows into even more trippier territory than the group's famous Underground album – a wild blend of ... CD (Sound Library)

A gospel album from the end of the 70s, but a set that works equally well as a soul album too – thanks to the beautiful presentation of the grooves and the vocals! The vibe here is often laidback – more in a mellow Marvin Gaye sort of mode – surprisingly slinky and sexy for such ... CD (Gospel)

A really wonderful under-discovered performance by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – a complete live set from 1984, presented here with really stunning fidelity! The package is a great antidote to some of the fuzzier Ra live sets on the market – as it's got the care that the Trost label has ... CD (Jazz)

Never-heard music from guitarist Calvin Keys – recorded in a number of different settings over the past decade or two, and issued here together to make for one of his most satisfying records in years! While we've liked the Wide Hive material Keys has recorded during his comeback, we're even ... CD (Jazz)

An amazing soul duo from the Memphis scene of the 60s – George Jackson and Dan Greer, who artists who are perhaps best known as songwriters and producers – but who recorded some wonderful work together at the start of their careers! Only a handful of the Jackson/Greer singles were ever ... CD (Soul)

Think Brazil only gave the world bossa nova and samba? Think again – because this set is a great example of the nation's rich legacy of soul music – especially the kind of upbeat, hard-grooving styles that still stay strong on today's global dancefloors! The groundbreaking collection ... CD (Brazil)

One of the only albums we've ever seen from Japanese guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo – and an unusual record that features very small, spare groupings – either solo, or with some slight accompaniment from a set of musicians that includes Bob Mover on alto, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and David Lee ... CD (Jazz)

A poppy record, but a great one too – and a surprisingly enduring pleasure from the Streetwise scene of the 80s! This is the album that started it all – the wave of younger groups that would come into play in 80s soul strongly by the latter half of the decade – New Edition with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

A rare collaboration between Italian soundtrack master Ennio Morricone and the always adventurous Gruppo D'Improvvisione Nuova! The film, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero, mixes pulpy horror with artier surrealism – and the music here does an incredible job of conveying that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)

A Chicago group who never hit the big time during their short run at the start of the 80s – but one who definitely know how to groove! There's a vibe here that really lives up to the "togetherness" in the group's name – a way of coming together with a tight, sharp sound ... CD (Soul)

A bit late in the classic Hi years, but Ann's still going strong – in a smooth southern style that recalls the best 70s work by singers like Millie Jackson or Shirley Brown. In fact, Ann takes a hit at the "Shirley/Barbara" answer song cycle that kept going on after Shirley's " ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)

Bombay grooves, but not just the disco promised in the title – as these cuts come mostly from the 80s years of Bollywood, and show Indian funk moving into a great new realm of styles! There's definitely a disco vibe at the core – and as in other scenes, the style stayed current a lot ... CD (Global Grooves)

Really hypnotic sounds from Ethiopian singer Kassa Tessema – heard here on two records from the 70s, both of which have a very ancient feel! Kassa has this very deep sound in his voice – a range that really goes down right to the bottom, with less of the higher tones of other Ethiopian ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)

One of the most mindblowing albums ever recorded – anywhere, anytime! This 1969 set stands as one of the greatest records ever cut by Gal Costa – done at the height of the Tropicalia movement, and featuring a sublime mix of styles that really gets the spirit of the movement right. ... CD (Brazil)