The nights are getting longer – perfect for some Halloween sounds!
Diane Witherspoon
LiveLife Force Jazz, 2016.
A very hip singer, and one of the most righteous jazz vocal albums we've heard in while! Diane Witherspoon has family ties to Jimmy Witherspoon, but her style here is completely different – in that mode of jazz singing that's way past torch, way past standards, and in much hipper territory ... CD (Vocalists)
Grapefruit (UK), 1967. 3CD
A stunner of a set – one that goes way way past familiar psych classics of the late 60s – and explosively shows the huge wave of new sounds and ideas that were going down on the UK scene in 1967! The package brings together 80 tracks from a huge number of labels – Pye, Polydor, ... CD (Rock)
Ramsey Lewis
Hot Dawgit – The Columbia Years AnthologySoulmusic.com (UK), 1970s/1980s. 2CD
Fantastic sounds from Ramsey Lewis – killer work from a time when the legendary pianist was electrifying his sound – and transforming the worlds of jazz, funk, and soul in the process! By the time of these sides, Ramsey already had more than a decade of incredible Chess Records ... CD (Jazz)
High Risk
Common Woman/Jazzaggression (Estonia), 1974. (pic cover)
Two fantastic sides of jazz by this all-female quartet from the 70s – a group who serve up these tunes for a film titled Woman To Woman – but who work here at a level that stands more than well enough on its own! "Common Woman" begins with this wonderful tenor line from Cyndy ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Soundway (UK), 1970s/1980s.
An insane treasure trove of little-heard sounds from the East African scene – music recorded in Kenya in the 70s and 80s, and served up in a variety of different styles and sounds throughout! The work here really expands our understanding of sounds in these immediate years before the world ... CD (Global Grooves)
Tower Of Power
Bump City/Warner/Soulmusic.com (UK), 1972/1973. 2CD
Two classic albums from Tower Of Power – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! On the first album, Bump City, Tower Of Power move down to Memphis for the recording – and almost pick up a bit of Stax Records vibe in the process! The Memphis location is a key hint to ... CD (Soul)
Various
Studio One Radio ShowStudio One, 1977/1978.
LP...$20.99
21.99
An incredible document of the Kingston scene in the 70s – and one that really opens up our understanding of reggae culture at the time! The set features portions of two radio shows hosted by Winston Williams – one from 1977, one from 1978 – both complete with announcer intros and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae)
Cineploit (Austria), 2016. Gatefold
Videogram do a fantastic job here – continuing their spirit of retro cinema exploitation, but also finding a way to pack a bit more of a punch than before! The album's more of an EP than an LP – but there's a well-conceived approach that makes the whole thing feel quite full – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari
GrounationDub Store (Japan), 1972. 2 CDs
CD...$21.99
24.98
An amazing record, and one of the most spiritual, righteous sets to ever come from Jamaica in the 70s – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that scene at the time! The vibe here is really rootsy, and almost more spiritual jazz than reggae – with lots of spare percussion from Count ... CD (Reggae)
Pan/
Cinematic Lies (with bonus tracks)
Cineploit (Austria), 2016.
Pan/Scan is a great name for a group like this – given that sound of this album is nicely cinematic overall, and takes us back to the days when larger format films had to be panned and scanned when they were shown on TV! There's a fair bit of electronics in the music – following on ... CD (Soundtracks)
Various
Soho EspressoCroydon Municipal (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
The fab sound of London in the postwar years – a set of cooking cuts from the Soho scene, served up from a time when the city was finally getting back its steam! The music here is a really hip array of modes – a bit of jazz, Latin, rock instrumental, and more – used in tunes that ... CD (Vocalists)
Jazzman (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
A wonderful tribute to a music scene that got going in Belgium during the 60s, but which was completely fueled by American soul, jazz, and R&B – spun in jam-packed clubs by DJs in that nation's equivalent of the Northern Soul scene in the UK! Yet while Northern Soul has an upbeat, ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Black Belt Symphony
Brotherman/Jazzaggression (Estonia), 1983. (pic cover, reissue)
Fantastic spiritual jazz from the west coast scene of the early 80s – two tracks that have a vibe that reminds us a lot of Oneness Of Juju on their first few records, but with maybe an even headier vibe overall! The songs were both written by Somaya Peaches Moore-Khaliq – who plays ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Future Prospect
ClimbRopeadope, 2016.
CD...$8.99
13.99
These guys really live up to the "future" in their name – and serve up a wonderfully soulful version of funky jazz – one that's brimming over with youthful energy, and a strong vision that should guide the group for years to come! The music is almost a reworked version of old ... CD (Jazz)
Dave Douglas & Frank Woeste
Dada PeopleGreenleaf, 2016.
CD...$9.99
14.98
One of the most soulful albums in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – quite a surprise, given that the whole thing is a dedication to the dada movement! There's a very deep sound to the record – thanks in part to tremendous drum work from Clarence Penn, and equally strong bass from ... CD (Jazz)
Grover Washington Jr
Grover Washington Jr – The Definitive CollectionRobinsongs (UK), 1970s/1980s. 2 CDs
Grover Washington Jr is one of the most soulful soloists to ever pick up a saxophone – and he's really given his full due here – in a fantastic extended collection that not only spans labels to bring together his best tracks, but also includes some important performances on other folks' ... CD (Jazz)
SSJ (Japan), 1965.
Beautifully-recorded live material from tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a series of performances done for the BBC in 1965, and presented here with superb sound that really gets at the amazing power of Tubby's solos! The album's a bit different than some other 60s live work by Hayes – in that ... CD (Jazz)
Tales Of Justine
Petals From A Sunflower – The Complete Recordings 1967 to 1969EMI/Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s.
A criminally neglected group from the UK scene of the 60s – a cool psychedelic trio who recorded at Abbey Road in the same generation as The Beatles and Pink Floyd, but never got the fame they deserved! The tunes are very creative and clever – never overblown, but filled with as much ... CD (Rock)
Croydon Municipal (UK), Late 50s.
Great female rock from the end of the 50s – music that's got a mighty strong influence from rockabilly, hillbilly bop, and a fair bit of R&B – not to mention some of the bigger male singers of the time! Some of these cuts are covers, some are answer songs, and some are especially ... CD (Rock)
Soulmusic.com (UK), 1970s/Mid 80s.
A soaring testament to the presence of Tavares on the dancefloor – a legacy that was cemented by use of their music in Saturday Night Fever – but which was already in place, thanks to grooves this great! The package brings together a number of vintage Tavares remixes – some from ... CD (Soul)
Henry Junjo Lawes
Juno Presents – Evil Curse Of The Vampires (2CD pressing)Greensleeves, 1981. 2CD
CD...$18.99
21.98
Scientist spins out on a dub-driven power boat – scanning the swamps to drive out the vampires and a host of other ghouls too – all while reinventing Jamaican music in the process! The record's filled with lots of cool electric elements – those weird production effects and ... CD (Reggae)
RCA/Tune In (UK), 1969/1970.
Two RCA classics from Zager & Evans – back to back on a single CD, with bonus tracks too! 2525 is the lasting classic from the team of Denny Zager & Rick Evans – a pair who might have been more folksy popsingers a few years before, but who stand out here in a compelling blend ... CD (Rock)
Sao Paulo Underground (Rob Mazurek)
Cantos InvisiveisCuneiform, 2016.
CD...$15.99
17.98
Rob Mazurek's Sao Paulo Underground group just keeps on getting better and better – and opening up with new ideas we never would have expected in their music just a few years before! The group's been an important springboard for a newly emotional, spiritual side of Mazurek's music – ... CD (Jazz)
Assagai
Zimbabwe (180 gram pressing)Philips/Prog Temple (UK), 1971. (reissue)
One of the hippest blends of African roots and psychedelic sounds ever – a tremendous record from the UK scene at the start of the 70s! The group is a unique blend of the jazz elements of the Blue Notes group from South Africa – Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto and vocals, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Assagai
Assagai (180 gram pressing)Vertigo/Prog Temple (UK), 1971. (reissue)
An excellent bit of UK Afro-Funk – recorded at the beginning of the 70s by a group that included members of the legendary South African jazz combo The Blue Notes – Dudu Pukwana on reeds, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, and Louis Moholo on drums! The record's quite different than you'd guess ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Henry Junjo Lawes/
Junto Presents – Heavyweight Dub Champion (2CD pressing)
Greensleeves, 1980. 2CD
CD...$18.99
21.98
It's easy to be the Dub Champion when you've got grooves this good – wonderful work brewed up at Channel One by the Roots Radics band, then reworked King Tubby's studio – plus a bonus LP with the original Barrington Levy vocal cuts! The talents here are all the best in the Jamaican ... CD (Reggae)
SSJ (Japan), 1964.
Fantastic Stan Getz material from the 60s – a beautiful live set recorded right around the same time as Stan's Getz-A-Go-Go album – and, like that one, also features great vibes from Gary Burton and a bit of guest vocals from Astrud Gilberto! The main focus is on Stan's core sound with ... CD (Jazz)
Jose Mauro
ObnoxiusQuartin/Far Out (UK), 1970.
An incredible treasure of Brazilian music – the only album we've ever seen from Jose Mauro, and one of the few records ever issued on the legendary Quartin label! There's a soaring brilliance here that easily matches the best early 70s work from Milton Nascimento and Edu Lobo – with ... CD (Brazil)
Wadada Leo Smith
America's National ParksCuneiform, 2016. 2 CDs
CD...$22.99
24.98
An incredibly ambitious work from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – an extended piece that's dedicated to the national park system in America, but which is also almost a musical "conversation" with that system too – one that seeks to expand and transform the landscape through a ... CD (Jazz)
Charly (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
Socking soul from the 60s and early 70s – brought together here in a mighty tribute to the lasting power of the Northern Soul scene in the UK! Other volumes of this collection have focused on sounds that played big in British clubs in the early days of the scene – but this set ... CD (Soul)
Joyce
CoolFar Out (UK), 2015.
Plenty cool sounds from Joyce – a lady who's always been the definition of the world used in the title – thanks to her totally unique, totally wonderful style! The album's one of a number of recent gems that have Joyce really going back to basics – hitting that soaring blend of ... CD (Brazil)
Paul Magi Big Band
Esimene/Jazzaggression (Estonia), 1984. (pic cover, reissue)
Sweet funky big band work from the Finnish scene – material recorded in the 80s, but almost with an MPS big band sound from the early 70s! "Esimene" has this cascading rhythm from guitar and keyboards dancing together – as flutes and other reeds cut these angular, but soulful ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Vaudou Game
KidayuHot Casa (France), 2016.
A contemporary combo from Togo, but one who've got a hard-riffing sound that takes us back to the James Brown band of the late 60s – which is then mixed with a lot of sweet touches of their own, to create one of the freshest strands of Afro Funk we've heard in years! These guys are hardly ... CD (Global Grooves)
Motown/Kent (UK), Late 60s.
CD...$14.99
19.99
Rare early material from one of the hippest singers on 70s Motown – the heavenly Syreeta, best known for her seminal work with Stevie Wonder – heard here in the years before, on a rare single and a huge amount of never-issued tracks! Syreeta first worked for Motown under the name of ... CD (Soul)
Saif Abu Bakr & The Scorpions
JazzPrivate (Italy), Early 80s.
A rare gem from the Sudanese scene at the start of the 80s – played by a group who definitely deliver the jazz in the title, but who also open up with lots of other unusual elements too! The music here has a similarity to some of the tracks we love in the Ethiopiques series – sometimes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Various
Svenska Shakers – R&B Crunchers, Mod Grooves, Freakbeat, & Psych Pop From Sweden 1964 to 1968RPM (UK), Mid 60s. 2CD
Cool combos from the Swedish scene of the 60s – a surprising north European hotbed of garagey grooves that were every bit as gritty as sounds from the US! In fact, these guys owe nothing to The Seeds or Sonics – as most are recording at right around the same time, and have a similarly ... CD (Rock)
Corey King
LashesRopeadope, 2016.
CD...$8.99
13.99
A striking debut as a solo act from Corey King – an artist who's been on the New York scene for years now, and had the chance to work with artists as diverse as Gil Scott-Heron, Esperanza Spaulding, Lonnie Smith, Mos Def, and Glen Hansard – and has come up with a sound that's completely ... CD (Neo Soul)
Terry Allen
Lubbock (On Everything) (deluxe edition)fate/Paradise Of Bachelors, 1978. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
Fantastic sounds from Terry Allen – one of the key underground Texas talents who were helping transform the style of country music in the 70s – and one of the few who maybe never fully got his due! Terry's from the same scene as David Allen Coe, Billy Joe Shaver, and Guy Clark, but his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Folk/Country)
Julius Hemphill (Mbari)
Dogon AD (2LP 200 gram pressing – with bonus track)International Phonograph, 1972/1977. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$51.99
62.98
A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Takuya Kuroda
ZigzaggerConcord, 2016.
CD...$14.99
15.99
We fell in love with the music of Takuya Kuroda on his debut record as a leader for Blue Note – but the trumpeter really blows our mind here on this second set – which really explodes with new musical possibilities from the very first note! Kuroda's crisp, compressed trumpet is very ... CD (Jazz)
Eugene Chadbourne
There'll Be No Tears TonightParachute/Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1980. Gatefold
One of the most compelling albums ever recorded by guitarist Eugene Chadbourne – a set billed as "free improvised country and western bebop" – and which features Chadbourne serving up these wild variations on tunes by Carl Perkins, Roger Miller, David Allen Coe, Bobby Bare, ... CD (Out Sound)
Henry Junjo Lawes
Juno Presents – Big Showdown 1980 (2CD version)Greensleeves, 1980. 2CD
Scientist and Prince Jammy go head to head here – each mixing five dubs apiece, both with core elements supplied by the Roots Radics Band! Henry Junjo Lawes arranges the core group, and comes up with excellent bottom-heavy sounds that are a perfect base for either mixologist – ... CD (Reggae)
Columbia/Big Break (UK), 1990. 2CD
An incredible debut album from The Chimes – one that really rocked our world back in the day, and which we still go back to again and again over the years! The group sprang forth at a wonderful time when the British scene was bringing back a lot of depth to soul music – the Soul II ... CD (Soul)
Trikont (Germany), 2014.
If the sound of Nigeria was a huge influence on funk bands in the previous decade, the sound of Ethiopia has been an even bigger one in recent years – as testified by the huge amount of contemporary work presented in this set – which offers up a very fresh spin on the golden era styles ... CD (Global Grooves)
Noel McGhie
Noel McGhie Afro-Carribean Project – Re-MastersMarge (France), 2016.
CD...$14.99
16.99
We've loved drummer Noel McGhie in many modes over the years – including free jazz and funky fusion – and here, he's working in a very cool hybrid of jazz and Caribbean styles – with some island-styled rhythms inflected by solo work on trumpet, guitar, and alto sax! The sound is ... CD (Jazz)
Claudio Meranda
Brazilian New WaveCrestview/Essential, Mid 60s.
CD...$11.99
14.99
A weird little set of bossa grooves – one with an obscure origin, but a great sound overall! The album features singer Claudio Meranda, working here with an unnamed group – and the session was produced by Jack Millman, who we know as a west coast jazz talent – although due to the ... CD (Brazil)
Epic/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2 CDs
A tremendous run of music from the great George Duke – an artist who'd already spent many years in the jazz and soul world before hitting his time at Epic Records – where he really took off on a great run of tracks like this! Duke started out as a straight jazz player in the 60s, then ... CD (Jazz)
Various
Spirit Of Philadelphia 4 EverExpansion (UK), Late 70s.
A totally great entry in one of our favorite-ever collections of Philly Soul – a series that goes way past the obvious, to uncover the kind of underground gems that made the Philadelphia scene interesting – even when they were turning out hits! Make no mistake, these aren't clunky cuts ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Puccio Roelens
Musica Per Commenti SonoriCostanza/Schema (Italy), 1979. Gatefold
A sound library album from the end of the 70s, but one that's got a fair bit of funky jazz in the mix, too – thanks to a lifetime dedication to the music by Amleto "Puccio" Roelens! Roelens was a musician with a long lineage on the Italian scene in the postwar years – and ... CD (Sound Library)
Spooky Tooth & Pierre Henry
Ceremony (with bonus tracks)A&M/Universal (UK), 1969.
An amazing collaboration between rock group Spooky Tooth and French composer Pierre Henry – a great meeting of the minds that comes out sounding pretty darn groovy! Henry's right at the height of his "Psyche Rock" experiments here – and he inflects the band's darker style ... CD (Rock)
Bernd Jonkmanns
Record Stores – Tribute to Record Stores – 400 Pages, 190 Stores, 36 Countries, 5 ContinentsSeltmann+Soehne, 2016.
Book...$46.99
59.00
Call us biased, but we think this is one hell of an amazing book – a beautiful journey through dozens of record stores around the world – served up in these amazing color photographs that get to the core of what makes a great record store so unique! Bernd Jonkmanns really did a great ... Book (Books)
Picnic
PicnicData/Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1985. Gatefold
Free jazz, and lots lots more – a lost nugget from an especially creative period in the Dutch scene, headed up by cellist Tristan Honsinger! At some level, the music echoes other improvised work by Honsinger – but at others, it also reflects the criss-crossing of genres and scenes that ... CD (Jazz)
Maker
Maker Vs Now Again V.3Now Again, 2016.
CD...$12.99
14.98
Chicago beatmaker Maker's third trip through the Now Again catalog the craft his own heady hip hop instrumentals – and it's the farthest reaching, funkiest yet! Give a no nonsense producer the keys to a vault as deep as Now Again's – rich with drum heavy funk, fuzzy psych, and heady ... CD (Hip Hop)
Chico Buarque
Construcao (180 gram pressing)Philips/Elemental (France), 1971. (reissue)
If you've ever been wondering which album to get by Chico Buarque – this is it! The record's a stunning batch of sophisticated sides, done in collaboration with Roberto Menescal, and with help from Jobim and MPB4! The album builds on the style of Buarque's excellent late 60s songwriting, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)
Aura
AuraAloha Got Soul, 1979. (reissue)
A funky soul gem from the Hawaiian scene of the 70s – the only full length set ever recorded by Aura, who were one of the greatest groups going on the islands! Don't confuse these guys with Aurra – as they've only got one "r" in their name, and got started a few years before ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Julie London with Bobby Troup
Julie London In Tokyo 1964 – The Julie London ShowSSJ (Japan), 1964.
Great 60s material from the lovely Julie London – and a set that's a really nice contrast to the style of her studio work on Liberty Records at the time! The performance is a live one – a setting that Julie hardly ever recorded in – with a very cool small combo at the core, ... CD (Vocalists)
Adrian Younge Presents The Electronique Void
Black NoiseLinear Labs, 2016.
LP...$19.99
22.98
Adrian Younge is a man of many modes – soundtrack funk, to hip hop, to a great project with The Delfonics – and here, he opens up yet another side of his genius – to give us a set of tracks that feel as if they could have been lifted from some great early 80s electronic film score! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
Kay Lyra
Just A Silly GameSunnyside, 2016.
CD...$14.99
16.98
Lovely vocals from Kay Lyra – the daughter of bossa legend Carlos Lyra, and a singer who's equally at home singing in English and Portuguese! There's definitely some bossa currents here that showcase her family legacy, but the sound is also much more wide-ranging too – especially on ... CD (Brazil)
Beastie Boys
Licensed To Ill (180 gram pressing)Def Jam, 1986. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
The game changing Def Jam classic – and possibly the greatest album by the Beastie Boys – even though they'd grow up a whole lot after this! Profane party anthems galore, and the Beasties would distance themselves from much of the attitude of this album, making their career arc from ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
RVNG, Early 70s. 3LP
LP...$28.99
36.98
The complete document of the amazing Syrinx – a very trippy Canadian group whose use of electronics was years ahead of its time! These guys are neither proggy nor noisy – and instead use a range of keyboards and analogue sythesizers in these wonderfully varied styles – sometimes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Don Cherry
Don Cherry Complete Communion – Live In Stuttgart At Liederhalle – May 12, 1966 (180 gram vinyl)Modern Silence (Italy), 1966.
A rare performance from trumpeter Don Cherry – caught here at a key experimental moment in the 60s, when he was working with his Complete Communion lineup! The group are a trans-Atlantic quintet – with a young Gato Barbieri on tenor sax, Karl Berger on piano and vibes, Bo Stief on bass ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Faces (Small Faces)
First Step (colored vinyl)Warner, 1970. (reissue)
LP...$17.99
19.98
The first album ever from The Faces – a mighty merger of half of the old Small Faces with the young Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, fresh from the Jeff Beck group! The meeting of talents really set The Faces on fire – bringing even sharper focus to the group's previous sound, and giving it a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Big Crown,
A very cool blend of sweet girl group harmonies and rawer funky grooves on the Big Crown label! The vocal trio really carries the vibe in a beautiful way here, with flute floating along side for a little bit of lushness over a grittier funky drums backdrop. The flipside has a pretty great disco dub ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill (25th Anniversary Edition)Columbia/Get On Down, 1991. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
24.98
Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
BBE (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s.
CD...$13.99
15.98
The Grasso Brothers definitely know how to boogie – and they more than prove themselves with a wicked selection of rare tracks from the deepest years of the underground! The set's a killer collection right from the start – pulled from vintage 12" singles, albums, and even some ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Various
Beyond Addis Vol 2 – Modern Ethiopian Dance Grooves Inspired By Swinging Addis (with download)Trikont (Germany), 2014. 2 LPs
The influence of Ethiopian grooves has been strongly felt in the worlds of funk and jazz over the past decade or two – thanks to tremendous global exposure of the sound of the 70s through various reissues and the Ethiopiques compilation series – which has inspired a whole new generation ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Natalie Cole
I'm Ready (with bonus tracks)Epic/Soulmusic.com (UK), 1983.
A great re-launch for the sound of Natalie Cole in the 80s – an album that represents a shift from Capitol Records to Epic, but which also still features work from Cole's best collaborators – the soulful team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy! The Chicago duo help out on most of the ... CD (Soul)
Orrin Evans
#KnowingishalfthebatSmoke Sessions, 2016.
CD...$16.99
17.98
The first track here almost made us think we had the wrong record in the sound system – as it's a creative electronic piece that introduces the straighter jazz numbers – but that sonic surprise is just another great reminder of the ever-growing range of expression we've come to ... CD (Jazz)
Stelvio Cipriani
Cani Arrabbiati (Rabid Dogs) (with bonus tracks)Chris' Soundtrack Corner (Germany), 1973.
Rabid dogs never sounded so great before – thanks to some incredible scoring from Italian maestro Stelvio Cipriani! The music here has this way of moving forward in almost marching waves of sound – keyboard lines and string passages that advance in steps, and create both a sense of ... CD (Soundtracks)
Betty Davis
Columbia Years – 1968/Light In The Attic/Columbia, Late 60s.
A soul and funk fan's dream come true – never-heard recordings by the legendary Betty Davis, done for Columbia Records a few years before her debut album! At the time, Betty was hanging with Miles Davis, and turning him onto the sounds of fuzzy funk – and Miles actually produced these ... CD (Soul)
Efficient Space (Australia), 1960s/1970s/1980s/Early 90s. 2LP
The title uses a lot of words to try to get at the sound of music within – but one drop of the needle tells us we're in a very special sonic space! The music here is a lot more thoughtful and personal than you'd guess from the DIY – and there's a really timeless vibe that somehow ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Sessions/
Suite From The Black Maskers/Mercury, 1957. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
21.98
Two wonderfully fresh works for orchestra – both conducted with plenty of inventive touches by Howard Hanson during his tenure with the Eastman Rochester Orchestra! "The Black Maskers" is a piece originally penned for a production of the dramatic work by Leonid Andreyev – but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Classical)
Heliopolar Egg (Hartmut Geerken/
Live In Kabul
Sagittarius (Italy), 1976. 2LP
An extended improvised performance from the legendary Heliopolar Egg – a free improv duo formed in Cairo in the early 70s, but recorded here in Kabul – where mainman Hartmut Geerken was living at the time! You might know Geerken for some of his work with Sun Ra and the Arkestra – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Sandy Bull
Fantasias For Guitar & BanjoVanguard/Real Gone, 1963.
CD...$12.99
13.98
Mindblowing minimalism from the legendary Sandy Bull – an artist who might have had acoustic roots in folk music, but who was instantly turning his music into something else – drawing on modal styles of Eastern music, European generations of expression on guitar, jazz-based ... CD (Folk/Country)
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson & Others
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's Contribution WorksRings (Japan), 2016.
A wonderful collection of work that features from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – an artist you might know from his music on a variety of projects from spiritual jazz maestro Carlos Nino – and one who continues that collaborative spirit here with a surprising range of different artists! ... CD (New Grooves)
Claude Francois
Comme D'HabitudePhilips/Elemental (France), 1967. (reissue)
Very groovy work from French singer Claude Francois – and a set that's got all the mod touches you might expect from his image on the cover! Claude gets some strong UK help here from arrangers Reg Guest and David Whitaker, who both give the tunes a nice sort of London punch – some ... LP, Vinyl record album (French)
BBE (UK), Late 60s/1970s.
CD...$13.99
14.99
One of the most fantastic collections we've ever heard from DJ Amir – a set that may well blow away his classic On/Off Track sets for the depth of its spirit and feeling! Amir's been well-known as a crate digger for many years – and while digging for funk, soul, and hip hop on the New ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Airto
FreeCTI/King (Japan), 1972.
One of the coolest, grooviest albums you'll ever hear from the legendary percussionist Airto – a set that mixes his own Brazilian roots with the electric genius of 70s CTI – all with stunning results! Airto's in the lead – and blows some beautiful wood flute lines alongside ... CD (Jazz)
Strut (UK), Late 60s/1970s. 3LP
A double-length look at the music of Pat Thomas – a key figure on the scene in Ghana during the 70s, heard here in a variety of settings and styles! The range of sounds promised in the title definitely rings true – as the music starts with early jazzy highlife, then moves through 70s ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
ECM (Germany), 1982. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
25.99
A beautifully rich session from bassist Gary Peacock – one that draws equal energy from his three associates on the date – all of whom did some great ECM Records work on their own! Peacock composed the tunes, and his spacious notes on bass provide the core setting – but the album ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Nels Cline
LoversBlue Note, 2016. 2 CDs
CD...$16.99
17.98
The Blue Note debut of Wilco guitarist Nels Cline – a player who's quite a talent in his own right, and who seems to reach a new sort of height on this album! The record's an ambitious one – and features sublime larger arrangements by Michael Leonhart – who provides a very ... CD (Jazz)
Hank Crawford
Tico RicoKudu/King (Japan), 1976.
Hank Crawford's always been a great saxophonist – but he's also one that sometimes works even more strongly in a bigger group setting – as you'll hear on this 70s Kudu session with funky arranger David Matthews! Dave takes the groove forward from the sound that Hank sometimes had back ... CD (Jazz)
Big Star
Complete Third (3CD set)Omnivore, Late 70s. 3CD
CD...$45.99
49.98
More of a journey than just a straight record – as this incredible 3CD set brings together all the recordings that went into Big Star's amazing Third (or 3rd if you please) – one of the best one-time lost rock albums of the 70s! How this could have ever been thought of as anything less ... CD (Rock)
Five Special
Five Special (with bonus tracks)Elektra/Big Break (UK), 1979.
The debut album from Five Special – a wonderful group who push an older harmony soul style firmly into the 80s groove generation! Decked out in skinny ties, suspenders, and soft linen jackets, Five Special manage to keep the vocals sweet while picking up the groove – working with ... CD (Soul)
Various
Burkina Faso Vol 2Sublime Frequencies, 2016.
Contemporary sounds from Burkina Faso – but music that has a very ancient feel overall – thanks in part to the rich cultural heritage that informs these performances! The styles shift from track to track, as older and modern modes of expression come into play – but always with a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
James Luther Dickinson
Dixie FriedAtlantic/Future Days, 1972. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$25.99
28.99
Jim really gets it right on this one – a soul-steeped, country-fried gem that's one of the greatest things to come out of the southern rock scene of the early 70s! Dickinson might be best remembered these days for his work as a vital session player and producer, but Dixie Fried is an ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Sam Cooke
Mr Soul (180 gram pressing)RCA/Analog Spark, 1963. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
29.99
If there's anyone who earns the name "Mr Soul", it's gotta be Sam Cooke – given that records like these were crucial to getting the term of soul music out to the public in the 60s! The set's a great illustration of the way that Sam cooks up soul, too – as it mostly features ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
A&M/Elemental (France), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
The first (and maybe only) American release by one of the greatest Brazilian singer/songwriters of the sixties – and a record that's quite different than any Sergio Mendes work of the time, despite Sergio's name in the title! The vibe is like Lobo's best of Brazil from the late 60s – a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)
Tomasz Stanko
Jazz Message From PolandBe! (Germany), 1972.
A jazz message from Poland, and one that's served up loud and proud, too – thanks to tremendous work from trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and a very sharp-edged group! The music here has that open flow that some of the more fusion-based players were exploring in Poland at the time – but the ... CD (Jazz)
Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy (with bonus tracks)Philadelphia International/Big Break (UK), 1979.
Proof that Teddy Pendergrass was a fantastic solo act – and some of the most godlike work that he ever recorded! The record shows Teddy moving into territory all his own – with wonderfully smooth quiet storm arrangements offsetting the deeply soulful vocals he forged with Harold Melvin ... CD (Soul)
Jacques Brel
Live In Paris 1960/Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1960/1961.
CD...$14.99
18.99
Rare live material from the great Jacques Brel – almost all of which has never been issued before, and stands as a much-needed addition to his catalog of classics in the 60s! The recordings are great – done for radio, and re-presented here with fidelity that's every bit as rich as Brel' ... CD (French)
Egberto Gismonti
Danca Das Cabecas (180 gram pressing – with bonus download)ECM (Germany), 1977. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
25.99
A really unique moment for Brazilian genius Egberto Gismonti – as the album marks a strong move away from some of the fuller orchestrations of his previous sets! The album features Gismonti on acoustic 8 string guitar – mixed with piano, wood flutes, and voice – plus some sublime ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)
Lady Wray
Queen AloneBig Crown, 2016.
A stunning full length debut from Lady Wray – a voice you might know from her previous collaboration in the duo Lady – but one that's even more amazing out front here on her own! The album's got a rock-solid, totally classic vibe – thanks to Leon "El" Michels – ... CD (Deep Funk)
Milt Jackson
OlingaCTI/King (Japan), 1974.
Milt Jackson's third album for CTI – part of a wonderful run that really helped him redefine his sound in the 70s! The album's got the electric approach you'd expect from the label – a great change from the sound of Jackson in the Modern Jazz Quartet, and a surprisingly great setting ... CD (Jazz)
Resolution 88
AfterglowSplash Blue (UK), 2016.
Man, these guys are totally great – one of the few contemporary combos who can so perfectly get the sound of the most soulful fusion of the 70s – instantly taking us back to the generation of The Crusaders with their wonderful music on the set! We loved Resolution 88 the last time ... CD (Jazz)
Blind Owl Wilson
Blind Owl WilsonMississippi, Late 60s. (reissue)
Blind Owl Wilson is Alan Wilson of the band Canned Heat – an artist who was surprisingly dedicated to the roots of blues, and always brought a richly personal style to his music! The package brings together key Wilson moments from his time with the group, plus a few other sides – all ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Terri Kapsalis & John Corbett
Dead LevelCorbett vs. Dempsey, 2000.
An extended "radio noir" by the team of John Corbett and Terri Kapsalis – one that pays tribute to the glory days of the hardboiled detective through an array of music, sounds, and readings! The duo draw on a wealth of film noir influences, plus the hard-boiled fiction of writers ... CD (Jazz)
Various
Burkina Faso Vol 1Sublime Frequencies, 2016.
The first volume of this great series looks at the special Burkina Faso variant of the balafon – that wooden form of xylophone that is common in a number of African musical cultures – and which here takes on the form of the gyil, a regional variant on the instrument! Each side of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Robert Glasper Experiment
ArtScienceBlue Note, 2016.
Tremendous material from Robert Glasper – a set that takes us back to the brilliance of his first few releases for Blue Note – while also encompassing all the changes he's gone through in recent years too! There's definitely some vocals on the record – but this time around, ... CD (Jazz)
Nick Waterhouse
Never Twice (180 gram pressing – with download)Innovative Leisure, 2016.
LP...$17.99
19.98
Nick Waterhouse keeps winning us over again and again with his music – which seems to get better and better with each new release! This album might be Nick's most compelling so far – a nicely gritty set that almost takes us back to that hip London stretch in the 60s, when British ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
John Phillips, Stomu Yamashta, & Others
Man Who Fell To Earth – Original SoundtrackUniversal (UK), 1976. 2 CDs
David Bowie's on the cover, but the music here is from a much wider array of musical sources – in a surprising array of instrumental and vocal tracks that really live up to the madness of the famous film! The key contributor here is John Phillips – who not only gives us some excellent ... CD (Soundtracks)
Various
Burkina Faso Vol 3Sublime Frequencies, 2016.
Possibly the earthiest volume in this great collection of contemporary recordings from Burkina Faso – music that often features chants and stories that are woven in amongst the instrumentation – usually performed by groups who have another cultural role in addition to their music! As ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Wood Brass & Steel
Hard & Heavy (180 gram pressing)Sugar Hill/Soul Brother (UK), 1980. (reissue)
The incredibly rare second album from Wood Brass & Steel – the mighty funk group we've loved for years for their landmark debut from the mid 70s! This sophomore set is from a few years later, and has the group honing their groove even more – working with these righteous currents in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Tomasz Stanko & Adam Makowicz
Tomasz Stanko & Adam Makowicz Unit Featuring Czeslaw BartkowskiBe! (Germany), 1975.
A fantastic electric session from the 70s Polish scene – a record that not only features freewheeling trumpet from Tomasz Stanko, and sweet Fender Rhodes from Adam Mackowicz, but also includes some very inventive work on drums and percussion from the great Czelaw Bartkowski! All three ... CD (Jazz)
Jordan Young
Jazz JukeboxPosi tone, 2016.
CD...$11.99
16.99
Drummer Jordan Young has a great quartet here – one that features Brian Charette on Hammond, who shapes the sound as much as Jordan's drums! In fact, the organ's so up front in the lead, the record might almost come across as being under Charette's leadership – but, like the time when ... CD (Jazz)
Analog Africa (UK), 1997. Gatefold
An album with a very unusual vibe – one that showcases the Cape Verdean style of funana – a fast-moving groove that features accordion in the lead! That instrument is played here by Bitori – who was 57 years old at the time of the recording, but plays with the deft energy of a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Various
Puissance 13 + 2Musea/Lion, 1971. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
A wicked collection of French prog and fusion from the start of the 70s – all with a jazzy or folky vibe that shows just how wonderfully warm the French scene was at the time – and how it could be very different than similar music coming from Germany, England, or Italy during the same ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Magic In Threes
IVGED Soul, 2016.
Magic In Threes is actually a quintet, and the album's numbered four – but don't let these digits confuse you, because the sound is nicely straight ahead – and a really fresh approach to instrumental funk! These guys have a laidback groove that almost reminds us of 70s soundtrack modes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
Record Breakin Ensemble
Batucada Samba – Batucada (Osage rmx)/Record Breakin, 2016. (pic cover)
A sweet reworking of the Brazilian batucada groove – one that takes the heavy percussion style into the clubs – by mixing the drums with some warm keyboard lines and mighty soulful vocals! The approach works great on "Batucada (Osage rmx)" – a tune that builds in ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope (with download)Orfeon/Now Again, 1969. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
24.98
Not the US group Kaleidoscope, but a Puerto Rican one – very fuzzy and tripped out, with English language lyrics all the way through! The production is nice and muddy – in just that right psyche way to make the vocals lay on top of the guitars lay on top of the basslines – which ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Pat Van Dyke
Let the Horns Blow EPRecord Breakin, 2016. (pic cover)
Pat Van Dyke definitely lets the horns blow here – a trumpet, tenor, and trombone – often working together in the frontline, in a way that echoes the old school sound of the JBs – while Pat Van Dyke lays down a set of more contemporary breaks and beats! The mix of studio rhythms ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
People Under The Stairs
Gettin Off Stage EPs, Steps 1 & 2 (Instrumentals)Redefinition/Piecelock 70, 2016.
Cassette...$11.99
12.98
Strong work from the always solid People Under The Stairs – the complete instrumentals for The Gettin Off Stage EPs 1 & 2 – focused squarely on the sharpest Thes One production in years. Titles inckude ncludes "100 Miles", "Runaway", "#asapfreedumwillyum$&qu; ... Cassette
Crimson (UK), Early 80s. 3 CDs
New wave, new romantic, and a host of other new sounds from the 80s – served up here on wealth of wonderful 12" single tracks – from a time when the format was really coming into its own! The music here is heavy on influence from the UK scene – as even some of the American ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Heavenly Sweetness (Netherlands), 1970s. Gatefold
The fourth fantastic volume in this wonderful series – and maybe the best so far, as the Beach Diggin groove has extended past its familiar boundaries – to pick up rare soulful sounds from points all over the globe! The approach is wonderful – with a focus on slinky cuts that ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Geoff & Maria Muldaur
Pottery Pie (with bonus tracks)Reprise (Japan), 1968.
The duo of Geoff and Maria Muldaur – caught here at a perfect point in their career – and sounding especially nice with some great production from the legendary Joe Boyd! The album's got a more contemporary vibe than the early jug band material from Geoff – but it's also not in ... CD (Rock)
Edwin Birdsong
Edwin Birdsong (with bonus tracks)Philadelphia International/Big Break (UK), 1979.
A breakout solo moment from the great Edwin Birdsong – an artist who participated in some of Roy Ayers great albums of the 70s, and who cut some great underground records of his own – but who finally got the chance to step into the limelight on this set for Philadelphia International! ... CD (Soul)
Gregory Tardy
Chasing After The WindSteeplechase (Denmark), 2016.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Gregory Tardy's turned into a reedman with a great ability for complex soundshapes – these beautiful phrasings and passages from his tenor sax – yet always delivered in a way that never fails to swing with soul! On this excellent set, Tardy and his musical associates paint these lovely ... CD (Jazz)
Gaslamp Killer
Instrumentalepathy (2 X 10")Cuss, 2016. 2 X 10" Gatefold
Heady sounds from Gaslamp Killer – tunes that are as fuzzy as they are funky – which might be something that we'd say about the man himself! As with other productions, there's definitely a focus on the low end and lo-fi here – but never as a lack of anything, or as a mistake ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves)
Brand Nubian
One For AllElektra/Traffic, 1990. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$21.99
24.98
Pure greatness from Brand Nubian at their early best! The Nubes' have made a handful of solid-to-great albums, but none could top this essential debut. Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar are on point with the politicized rhymes over classic early 90s jazzed up, funky beats, built from now well ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Michel Camilo & Tomatito
Spain ForeverVerve, 2016.
CD...$13.99
14.98
The third pairing of pianist Michel Camilo and guitarist Tomatito, and maybe the best so far – as the musicians have gotten past the initial idea of their collaboration and criss-crossing of jazz and flamenco modes – and instead seem to have moved off into a special space that's all ... CD (Jazz)
People Under The Stairs
Gettin Off Stage EP, Step 2 (Instrumentals) (colored vinyl)Redefinition/Piecelock 70, 2016.
LP...$19.99
21.98
Strong work from the always solid People Under The Stairs – the first EP in a series, and one that finds them delivering timeless, soulful hip hop – with the instrumentals focused squarely on the sharpest Thes One production in years. Step 2 includes "Back From The Dead"," ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Plunky & Oneness
Juju Jazz FunkName Brand Records, 2016.
One of the best records we've heard from reedman Plunky in years – a set that really takes us back to the late 70s groove of his Oneness Of Juju ensemble! As with that period for the group, the style here is a hybrid of jazz, funk, and soul – with occasional touches of some of the ... CD (Soul)
Ole Matthiessen
Flashbacks & DedicationsStunt (Denmark), 2016.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Wonderful work from pianist Ole Matthiessen – an artist we especially love as a composer, thanks to his fantastic compositions on this set! The album's a small combo outing – but there's a richness to the tunes that grabs us right away – a balance of color and emotion that's ... CD (Jazz)
Various
Songs For Swinging GhostsCroydon Municipal (UK), Early 60s.
One of the coolest Halloween collections you'll ever own – not just monster rock numbers or overplayed holiday hits, and instead this really cool assortment of jazzy, mod, and just plain weird tracks – including a fair bit of obscure numbers from the UK scene! There's definitely a ... CD (Halloween)
Incognito
Classic Album Series (Who Needs Love/Dome (UK), 2002/2004/2005. 3 CDs
Three great albums from Incognito – served up at a mighty nice price, and with bonus tracks too! Who Needs Love is a gem from over a decade ago – and Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick pulled out all the stops on this set – working with a range of vocalists that includes Joy ... CD (Neo Soul)
Wally Badarou
Back To Scales To-NightBarclay/Expansion (UK), 1980.
A great early solo album from Wally Badarou – done before his bigger global records on Island, but at a point when he'd already had great work in the studio, helping out some of the key sessions on the Nassau scene at the end of the 70s! Wally's as much a singer as he is a keyboardist here ... CD (Soul)
Sory Bamba
Sory Bamba Du MaliSonafric/Africa Seven (UK), 1979. (reissue)
Fantastic grooves from Sory Bamba – aka Sorry Bamba – sharp-edged, angular tracks that move at a similar pace to other late 70s Afro Funk – but with lots more weird and rough-edged touches! The recording quality isn't nearly as polished as some other efforts from the date – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Oscar Peterson
Walking The LineMPS (Germany), 1970.
CD...$18.99
19.99
An album with a groove as fluid as you might guess from the title – and from the nicely stretched image of Oscar Peterson on the cover! The album's one of the best-remembered from Oscar's years at MPS – a session that's got almost as much soul jazz at the bottom as it does the fluid ... CD (Jazz)
John Lindberg BC3 with Wendell Harrison & Kevin No
Born In An Urban RuinClean Feed (Portugal), 2016. Gatefold
Bassist John Lindberg is the leader here – but the record starts with a beautiful solo clarinet piece by reedman Wendell Harrison – who we've loved ever since his Tribe Records work of the 70s! Harrison has played in many formats over the years – some more straight or polished ... CD (Jazz)
Shinjuku Madness
Shinjuku MadnessSomethin Cool (Japan), 2016.
A very hip group from the contemporary Japanese scene – a large ensemble who completely remake modern big band modes with a very cerebral vibe – perfectly balancing modern impulses and swing with effortless ease! It's no surprise that the first track on the set is a Duke Ellington ... CD (Jazz)
Various
Soul Togetherness 2016Expansion (UK), 2016. 2LP
A wickedly sharp entry in the Soul Togetherness series – and one that maybe features a bit more contemporary material than before! There's a few older tracks from the modern soul years of the late 70s – but most of the work here is contemporary soul from the global underground – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)
Bobby Hebb
Sunny (180 gram pressing)Philips/Trocadero (Germany), 1966. (reissue)
Sublime pop soul genius from Bobby Hebb – a standout record that really made his career, and a dusty nugget we never tire of hearing! Bobby was really unique at the time – singing a mixture of soul and pop that kept things real while still crossing over big – earning him an equal ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Clio
ClioUgo & Play/Think (Japan), 2016.
Dreamy French pop from Clio – a contemporary singer, but one who hearkens back to our favorite chanteuses of years past – especially the hip wave of Parisian talents in the late 60s! The approach here is gentle and laidback – a bit in the pace of Jane Birkin, but maybe set to ... CD (French)
Ennio Morricone/
Teorema – Original Soundtrack (green vinyl pressing)
Ariete/BTF (Italy), 1968. (reissue)
A great score for an incredible film! Teorema is a strange and wonderful early film by Pier Paolo Pasolini – and about half of the soundtrack was written by Ennio Morricone, in a mixture of dark, edgey themes, and some more groovy tunes with a great late 60s Italy feel – an early ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Frank McComb
Soulmate – Another Love StoryBoobeescoot, 2016.
The first properly put-together album by Frank McComb in years – and a wonderful summation of all the fantastic energy he's put into some of his more homegrown records of the past decade or so! Frank's always been one of our favorite soul talents of the 21st Century – and here, with ... CD (Neo Soul)
Piero Piccioni
Musica AmoreGeneral/Cinedelic (Italy), 1972. (reissue)
The music of love from the great Piero Piccioni – served up here in a set that's right up there with his best soundtracks of the early 70s! The sounds come from a wonderful Piccioni array of instrumentation – some heavy Hammond here, a bit of soaring strings there – all set to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Armando Trovajoli
Chiamate 22 22 Tenente Sheridan (180 gram pressing)Four Flies (Italy), 1960.
A great little soundtrack from that wonderful moment when the Italian cinema was heavy on sounds drawn from jazz and Latin music – served up here by the young Armando Trovajoli, who was in the process of moving from his modern jazz roots into the world of film scores! Much of the music here ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Arthur Crudup
Music Man Like Nobody Every Saw (5CD set)Bear Family (Germany), 1940s/1950s/Early 60s. 5CD
CD...$149.99
174.99
One of the founding fathers of rock and roll – finally given his due in this massive box set! Arthur Crudup was a famous influence on Elvis Presley, but even without that fame, he was a hell of a bluesman on his own – a key part in the shift of styles that took place during the 40s ... CD (Blues)
Gruff Rhys
Set Fire To The StarsTwisted Nerve (UK), 2016.
A really great soundtrack from Gruff Rhys – a set that's maybe even more personal and beautiful than some of his more familiar records on his own! The music's for a film about the first week that poet Dylan Thomas spent in America in the 50s – but the sound is quite different from any ... CD (Soundtracks)
Gemini
Imagination A NationAnother Day (UK), 1997. 2LP
Dark sounds from Spender "Gemini" Kincy – recorded on the Chicago scene in the mid 90s, at a time when the city's house scene was free to work out some great new sounds of its own! The music here almost seems set loose from the needs of the clubs – still pulsating with energy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Yusef Lateef
In A Temple GardenCTI/King (Japan), 1979.
An obscure one for Yusef Lateef – and proof that the reedman was always open to new ideas at every single point in his career! Lateef had already recorded for the CTI label on a few great previous albums – but this album is quite late in his run for the label, and has a slightly ... CD (Jazz)
Blonde Redhead
Masculin Feminin (2CD set)Numero, Mid 90s. 2CD
A motherlode of early Blonde Redhead – with their seminal first 2 albums, Blonde Redhead and La Mia Vita Violenta, plus hard-to-find singles, unreleased demos, live radio performances and more! Blonde Redhead has a way of blending jagged guitar noise with oddly melodic vocals that's somewhat ... CD (Rock)
Soul Searchers
Salt Of The EarthSussex/Soul Brother (UK), 1974. (reissue)
The amazing second album from The Soul Searchers – even harder, funkier, and rarer than the first! This one blows away everything else the group have ever done – as the record has an angular approach that has the band taking a lot of weird twists with the grooves, creating these dark ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Dan Penn
Nobody's FoolBell/Bear Family (Germany), 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$28.99
31.99
A fantastic set from the legendary Dan Penn – an artist who's maybe known more as a songwriter, but who's finally been given his due as a singer over the years! Back in the day, Dan recorded this gem, but it quickly fell between the cracks of the too-wide music business – yet since ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Rush Hour (Netherlands), Late 70s/Early 80s.
A huge range of funky soul cuts from a very surprising source – the nation of Surinam, which didn't earn its independence until the mid 70s – which then seemed to pave the way for a big wave of wonderful music like this! The cuts often have a groove that's more northern hemisphere club ... CD (Global Grooves)
Stelvio Cipriani
Ecologia Del Delitto (Bay Of Blood) (with bonus tracks)Chris' Soundtrack Corner (Germany), 1971.
One of the coolest 70s soundtracks from the great Stelvio Cipriani – served up here with a huge amount of bonus tracks too! The music here was scored for a Mario Bava horror film, but it often has a quality that's more lean and lovely overall – that current of sex that we always love ... CD (Soundtracks)
Ennio Morricone
La Califfa (pink vinyl pressing)EMI/BTF (Italy), 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
A really moody little record from Ennio Morricone – spare, subtle, and extremely beautiful – touched with notes of sadness and remorse, but also handled with a strong spirit of redemption! The sound here isn't as cold or atonal as that on some of Morricone's horror work – but it's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Legacy, 1969. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$31.99
39.98
One of the great examples of why the revised presentation of the Jimi Hendrix legacy is such a great thing – as this legendary New Year's show from 1969 is finally restored to its full order, with a resulting 9 never-released songs thrown into the mix as well! There's a clarity to the music ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Macy Gray
StrippedChesky, 2016.
CD...$15.99
17.98
Macy Gray in a whole new setting – working here with a small jazz combo, in a mode that's definitely as stripped-down as the title implies – and which really gives us a new way to focus on her famous vocals! The group's a quartet – with the great Wallace Roney on trumpet, plus ... CD (Neo Soul)
Piero Umiliani
Audace Colpo Dei Soliti Ignoti (180 gram pressing)Four Flies (Italy), 1959.
One of the jazziest soundtracks we've ever heard from Piero Umiliani – and maybe the best we've heard from his late 50s stretch – thanks to some really well-conceived tunes that stand well on their own away from the film! The music here is awash in strong solos – Umiliani on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Jimmy Helms
Jimmy Helms (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Oracle/Creole Stream (Japan), Late 60s.
Early work from Jimmy Helms – an American soul singer, but one who recorded more famously later on in the UK – heard here on his full length debut! The set was put together at a time when Jimmy was getting some exposure on the Merv Griffin Show (the cover shot is from one appearance) ... CD (Soul)
Sandro Brugnolini/
Musica Per Commenti Sonori
Carosello/Schema (Italy), 1969. Gatefold
An Italian funk double-header – a sweet little set from the end of the 60s, and one that features killer cuts from both Sandro Brugnolini and Stefano Torossi! We love either artist on their other own records, but there also seems to be something about putting them together here that makes ... CD (Sound Library)
Misha Panfilov Sound Combo
You Got It Right/Funk Night, 2016. (pic cover)
This sweet sound combo has definitely got it right – as they've cooked up a very sharp, tight, funky groove for this excellent single – a style that really lives up to the image on the cover! The music's got a mod romping approach to funk – organ swirls over the funky drums, a ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Deep Purple
Machine Head (clear vinyl pressing)Warner, 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
One of the crowning classics from the early years of Deep Purple – and a set that will forever be remembered for giving the world the classic rock anthem "Smoke On The Water"! Yet the record as a whole is even better – and is filled with some long-burning, hard-wailing tracks ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Shadoks (Germany), 1971. (reissue)
A bit folksy, a bit psychedelic – and a classic bit of South American rock from Ernan Roch – a Mexican singer who's probably best known for this rare album from Argentina! Ernan sings in English throughout – often in a mode that mixes bluesy phrasings with a raspier folk style ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
U-Nam
Surface LevelSkytown, 2016.
The grooves here go way past the surface level – mighty deep overall, and served up in that fantastic mix of jazzy fusion and club that we love so much from U-Nam! The guitarist just seems to get better and better with each new recording – mixing a 70s style of George Benson soloing ... CD (Neo Soul)
Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza
Nuova Consonanza (with bonus CD)RCA/Schema (Italy), 1966. Gatefold (reissue)
Some of the most striking work we've ever heard from this legendary Italian group – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the power of their work in the 60s and 70s! The assemblage features important avant garde sounds from Ennio Morricone – and offers up a real look at the roots of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Out Sound)
Manuel Gottsching
Inventions For Electric GuitarOMM/MG Art (Germany), 1975. (reissue)
A wonderful electronic classic from Ash Ra Tempel founder Manuel Goettsching – a record that features nothing but his own guitar experiments, filtered through a variety of effects – but at a level that feels a lot more like a keyboard or analogue electronics workout overall! In fact, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Luis Bacalov (Luiz Enriquez)
L'Amica (with bonus tracks)Cinedelic (Italy), 1969. (reissue)
One of the greatest soundtracks ever from Luiz Bacalov – a set that's filled with sex and slink, but which also has a great sense of groove as well – blending bossa jazz, mod moments, and all the best styles of the late 60s Italian scene! The music is mostly acoustic, but has a really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Nina Simone
Wild Is The WindPhilips, 1966. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
A landmark album from Nina – one that broke down countless barriers with the classic tune "Four Women" – a righteous portrait of 4 different women and their struggles, unique for its time, and a key part of the early Women's Liberation movement! The rest of the album has a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists)
Eden Ahbez & Others
Wild Boy – The Lost Songs Of Eden Ahbez (180 gram pressing)Bear Family (Germany), 1950s/1960s. Gatefold
LP...$28.99
31.99
A much-needed look at the untapped musical legacy of Eden Ahbez – the west coast mystic who's best remembered for delivering the song "Nature Boy" to Nat King Cole (legendarily walking in barefooted during a recording session!) – but who also made a range of other great music ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound)
Stelvio Cipriani
Quel Pomeriggio Maledetto (The Perfect Killer)Sugar/Cinedelic (Italy), 1977. Gatefold (reissue)
Sweet funky soundtrack work from Stelvio Cipriani – one of the maestro's best late 70s film scores, and one of his grooviest too! The music here has all the sharp, soulful elements of early 70s American soundtracks by Quincy Jones or Lalo Schifrin – complete with wah wah guitar, sweet ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Willie Colon
Cosa Nuestra (180 gram pressing)Fania (France), 1972. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
22.98
A monster album of 70s salsa – and one that has bad boy Willie Colon taking the Latin world by storm – forging the new sound that would push him and the New York scene into the frontline of 70s Latin! Willie's got a strength on the set that's very much in keeping with his machine gun ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin)
Dan Hartman
Instant Replay (with bonus tracks)Blue Sky/Soulmusic.com (UK), 1978.
A crossover club classic from Dan Hartman – a set that hit big with the mainstream audiences at the time, but which also had enough raw disco talent to hold onto longtime fans of the music too! Dan sings lead vocals, and handles most of the instruments at the core – but he's also got ... CD (Soul)
Zalla (Piero Umiliani)
SuspenseLiuto/Schema (Italy), 1972.
One of the coolest records ever cut under the Zalla alias of Italian soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani – a set that definitely lives up to the suspense promised in the title, but with lots of groovy touches along the way! Think of the album as kind of an update of older "scare" ... CD (Sound Library)
3rd Generation Band
Because Of Money/Mr Bongo (UK), Late 70s.
The fast-stepping drums make this one a winner right from the start – then the rough-edged vocals come in with a nicely moody vibe, and are matched by this tight, fast horns – and lots of other instrumental solos from the group! The cut's surprisingly long for a 45 – and has ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Ernie Hines
ElectrifiedWe Produce/Stax, 1972. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
21.99
An underground set from early 70s Stax Records – the only set cut back in the day by Ernie Hines – a really great singer who works here with a blend of southern soul and sweet harmony modes! The album's got a pretty laidback vibe, which is great – almost in the same space as The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Riccardo Luciani
Inchiesta Sul Mondo (180 gram pressing – with bonus download)Cinedelic (Italy), 1976. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
A sound library set, but one that goes deeper than usual – as the whole project was put together as sort of a concept record, with thoughts on the contemporary scene of the 70s! The two records each have a different title and theme – Stati D'Animo and Diganosi Ecologia – but the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library)
Ennio Morricone
Il Serpente (with bonus tracks)Music Box (France), 1973.
A groovy soundtrack to a film we'd love to see – an obscure thriller that starred Henry Fonda and Yul Brynner! The style of the music runs between the two poles of work from Morricone at the time – with some cuts that are spare, quiet, and very pretty – and others that are fuller ... CD (Soundtracks)
Pied Piper/Kent (UK), Late 60s.
Stunning soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s – a treasure trove of gems that literally grew up in the shadows of Motown – given that the work here was spearheaded by the Pied Piper Productions team of Jack Ashford, Mike Terry, Joe Hunter and Herbie Williams of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Various
Best Of Down & Wired Vol 1 & 2Perfect Toy (Germany), Late 60s/Early 70s.
Funky sounds from the rock side of the musical spectrum – music by artists who might have worked in psych or garage modes in the 60s, but also had a pretty darn heavy groove – and a fair bit of inspiration from 60s soul in their vocals! The tracks are wonderful – really unlikely ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Cultures Of Soul, Early 80s.
There's no breakdown to the boogie here – as the album's overflowing with stunning sounds that are right up there with better-known club music from the early 80s – every bit as full of basslines, beats, and keyboards as the best tracks from the American scene of the period, but maybe ... CD (Global Grooves)
Carlo Rustichelli
L'Homme Presse/Music Box (France), 1977/1978.
Two really lovely soundtracks from Carlo Rustichelli – a composer we mostly hear on music for Italian films, but who turns in two beautiful French film scores here! First up is L'Homme Presse – music that has this open, floating sort of vibe – light strings, and isolated piano ... CD (Soundtracks)
Daniel Grau
Disco FantasyOom Dooby Dochas/Sonar Kollektiv (Germany), 1979.
Sweet clubby sounds from a very obscure source – the mighty Daniel Grau, an artist who was working on the Venezuelan scene at the end of the 70s – and hardly ever got the exposure of American or European disco artists at the time! The album's way more than a fantasy – as Grau is ... CD (Soul)
Baden Powell
Images on GuitarMPS (Germany), 1971.
CD...$18.99
19.99
One of Baden Powell's grooviest albums ever – a brilliant blend of his bossa roots with the freer 70s grooves of MPS! The album follows the mode of some of his other European recordings, but is still a bit different – in that the overall sound is a bit freer than before, with tracks ... CD (Brazil)
David Bowie
Who Can I Be Now – 1974 to 1976 (12 CD set)Parlophone, Mid 70s. 12CD
Some really incredible years in the career of David Bowie – served up here in a massive package that's overflowing with rare and obscure material! The years 1974 to 1976 were a time of great fame for Bowie – post Ziggy Stardust, in the middle of this Thin White Duke years, and showing ... CD (Rock)
Numero, 1970s.
A fantastic follow-up to the legendary Home Schooled collection from Numero Group – and, like that one, a set that focuses on the surprisingly great genre of kid soul that flourished in the 70s – in the wake of bigger groups like the Jackson Five, Sylvers, and 5 Stairsteps! These ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Manuel Gottsching
E2 E4Racket/MG Art (Germany), 1981.
Some of the most beautiful sounds ever crafted from Manuel Gottsching – work that's a lot more tuneful and fluid than some of his material with Ash Ra Tempel – and which maybe has more of an 80s vibe overall! That's not to say that Gottsching's gone in for electro pop – just that ... CD (Rock)
Alex Puddu
Golden Age Of Danish Pornography Vol 3Schema (Italy), 2016. Gatefold
A great third chapter in the Danish Pornography series by Alex Puddu – and, like the others, music that was recorded to accompany the re-release of some classic adult films from the 70s! As you'd guess from the title and project, the sound here is very retro overall – wicked funk that ... CD (Deep Funk)
Jef Gilson
Enfin! (180 gram pressing)Modern Silence (Italy), 1963. (reissue)
Some of the earliest music ever from groundbreaking French pianist Jef Gilson – and proof that right at the start, he was already in a unique space that was all his own! Gilson was a real standout in the European postwar scene – and he was one of the first in the 60s to really try to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Eri Yamamoto
LifeAum Fidelity, 2016.
CD...$13.99
14.98
Fantastic sounds from pianist Eri Yamamoto – a musician we've maybe not given her due in previous years – but who really has us listening strongly again with her wonderful work on this record! There's a pointed, poetic quality to the performance – one that's underscored by some ... CD (Jazz)
Albert King
LovejoyStax, 1971. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
21.99
A funky classic from Albert King's great years on Stax – a time when he was forging his bluesy roots with all the sharp sounds the Memphis label had to provide! The album's got production and some great songs from Don Nix – who certainly makes his presence known here, by slanting the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues)
Tee Mac featuring Marjorie Barnes
Night IllusionSKJ/Soul Jazz (UK), 1980.
CD...$19.99
22.99
A sweet bit of funky club from Tee Mac – a set that was recorded in Lagos at the end of the 70s, but which has plenty of American disco touches overall! Tee plays some sweet flute solos in the mix, and the record also features some great lead vocals from Majorie Barnes – who tops off ... CD (Global Grooves)
Candide/Modern Silence (Italy), Late 50s. (reissue)
A groundbreaking collection of the musical style that was known as musique concrete – pulled from key early recordings from the Paris studios of Groupe De Recherches Musicales ORTF! These guys were some of the most important sound scientists of the 20th century – as much technicians as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Out Sound)
Tramp (Germany), 1970s.
Funky folk, jazzy soul, and lots more righteous sounds from the 70s – all served up here in a massive fourth volume of this wonderful series! Praise Poems virtually defines a genre unto itself – music that's between spaces, scenes, and styles – and which borrows from the best ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Jose Feliciano
El Fantastico/RCA/El (UK), 1967.
Two Spanish language albums from Jose Feliciano – back to back on a single CD! First up is El Fantastico – one of the first albums ever from the young Jose Feliciano – and a set that shows that he was already on his way to huge international fame! The lyrics here are all in ... CD (Soul)
Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida
BBC Jazz 625 – 1963 (Japanese paper sleeve edition)SSJ (Japan), 1963.
Beautiful sounds from the Modern Jazz Quartet – a special BBC program from 1963 that not only features the group at their height, but also adds in some great guest work from guitarist Laurindo Almeida too! Almeida joins the group on two tracks – "One Note Samba" and "Fugu ... CD (Jazz)
Derrick Harriott & Others
Derrick Harriott Rock Steady 1966 to 1969Crystal/Dub Store (Japan), Late 60s.
CD...$18.99
19.98
A double-length set that really digs deep into the rich array of sounds that Derrick Harriott brought to Jamaican music in the late 60s – not just cuts he recorded under his own name, but work by some of his contemporaries that were done with Derrick's help – served up here as one of ... CD (Reggae)
Os Mutantes
Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol (180 gram pressing)Som Livre/Polysom (Brazil), 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
Wild! This lost Mutantes LP fits in between Mutantes E Seus Cometas and the Mutantes Ao Vivo LP – and like the latter, it's got a very progressive feel! The band has changed membership (Rita Lee's no longer in the group), and it's clear that they've been listening to a lot of Yes – as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil)
Led Zeppelin
Complete BBC Sessions (3CD set)Atlantic, Late 60s/Early 70s. 3CD
A massive collection of genius from Led Zeppelin – and material that has gone onto become a crucial part of their all-too-small catalog over the years! The work here was all recorded for the BBC in the years 1969 through 1971 – offering up a much wider picture of the group during these ... CD (Rock)
Tyshawn Sorey
Koan (with bonus tracks)482 Music, 2009. 2LP
LP...$24.99
29.99
A nicely moody album from Tyshawn Sorey – a record that features his drums and just a bit of guitar and bass – used in ways that make for some really stunning sounds overall! Tood Neufeld plays acoustic and electric guitar – and Thomas Morgan plays bass and additional acoustic ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Mike Cotton Sound
Mike Cotton Sound (with bonus tracks)Columbia/Wah Wah (Spain), Mid 60s. (reissue)
One of the coolest combos of the UK 60s scene – and one of the most obscure as well – a very hip instrumental group that was equal parts jazz and soul, with a vibe that was somewhere between Stax Records and mod London at the time! Hammond figures strongly into lots of these songs ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
2000 Black/BBQ (Japan), 2016.
Brilliant work from Dego – a rich continuation of the 4Hero groove, but set to styles that are very much Dego's own! The vibe here follows nicely from some of his well-circulated mixes from a few years back – but Dego's directing all the music himself in this flurry of skittish beats ... CD (New Grooves)
Ralf Nowy
Lucifer's DreamGlobal/Wah Wah (Spain), 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
A rare bit of fusion from European reedman Ralf Nowy – a player who didn't cross over to the US as much as some of his other overseas contemporaries, but who's equally great! This album's got kind of a flowery cover, but a sound that's surprisingly soulful – a fusion groove that's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Rustblade (Italy), Late 60s/Early 70s.
Spooky sounds from the maestro – an incredible collection of those otherworldly sounds that Ennio Morricone brought to his soundtracks during the golden years of his talents – that time when he could make so many amazing sonic steps from standard, familiar acoustic instrumentation! ... CD (Soundtracks)
Gene & Eddie
True Enough – Gene & Eddie With Sir Joe At Ru-Jac (blue vinyl pressing – with download)Ru-Jac/Omnivore, Late 60s.
LP...$17.99
19.98
Rare Baltimore soul from the duo of Gene & Eddie – and a collection that's equally noteworthy for its early contributions from the mighty Sir Joe Quarterman, who'd later become a funk legend in the 70s! The style is rough-edged duo soul – kind of an east coast variant of the modes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Outer Space
Chase Across Orion (with bonus tracks)Tucxone (Spain), 2016.
An action-packed Afro Jazz and psych funk trip from Outer Space – a Catalan group who'd only been traveling the spaceways for a couple years leading up to this stellar set, but has the instinctive grooves and masterful interplay of a veteran act – all the more impressive given that the ... CD (Global Grooves)
Alton McClain & Destiny
It Must Be Love/Polydor/Expansion (UK), 1978/1979.
A pair of overlooked female soul gems – back to back on a single CD! The first album is It Must Be Love – sweet late 70s modern soul from Alton McClain & Destiny – a great little female vocal trio with a sound that ranges from lightly funky with jazzy flourishes, to soaringly ... CD (Soul)
Prince
Around The World In A DayPaisley Park, 1985. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
A mad bit of soul psychedelia from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but wince in the face of living up to such a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Soul Jazz (UK), Early 60s.
Not the usual Nigerian funk collection you might expect – as the music here is from the years before Fela Kuti and other artists exploded onto international 70s fame – and instead, come from a time where the Nigerian scene was busy drinking up influences from a range of other cultures ... CD (Global Grooves)
If you're ever in Chicago, be sure to visit our Chicago record store!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am-8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am-8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
We buy new and used LPs, 45s, vinyl records, and CDs
in the store from 11am-6pm daily. Feel free to stop by with used vinyl and sell or trade with us.We pay top prices for older jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and other genres in good shape!
See why Dusty Groove is consistently rated one of Chicago's Best Record Stores!
We happily accept debit and credit cards!