ABC/Universal (Japan), 1956. New Copy
An obscure little album of jazz vocals -- but a great one! Janet Brace has a style that's similar to Jackie Cain or Chris Connor during the same time -- kind of light and floating, but with a deeper sadness that makes the tracks stand out from the usual vocal fluff -- a rich sort of feeling, but
... (Vocalists)
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Blue Note, 1964. New Copy (reissue)
An incredible album from the man that changed the way the world hears the Hammond! This album was Larry Young's first for Blue Note -- and it's a mindblowing batch of tunes that push the organ into realms that had never been heard of in jazz. Young's got a real penchant for a modal groove -- no
... (Jazz)
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Mochilla, 2008. New Copy
Mad mischief from Madlib -- crafting a killer mix of his trademark blunt funk beatcraft mixed with crates of obscure Brazilian music --- a hot mix for Mochilla! Ever the adventurer, Madlib's mix has a deep, deep eclecticism -- with sweet samba, folkloric stuff, jazzier soundscapes hallucinatory
... (Funky Compilations)
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Prestige/Universal (Japan), 1961. New Copy
A relaxed small group session from saxophonist Oliver Nelson -- a record that's quite different than some of his more tightly arranged dates, and a good reminder of this side of his talents! Oliver plays both alto and tenor sax on the album, and he's joined by a perfect group for the easy rolling
... (Jazz)
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Inner City, 1976. New Copy 2CD
One of Sun Ra's best non-Saturn live sets of the 70s -- a nice little record that shows the group mixing it up with equal parts avant garde and straight ahead jazz, all handled in that ever-growing large group style that made them a real force to be reckoned with in a concert setting! The album
... (Jazz)
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Deja Vu (Italy), 2008. New Copy
A cool Italian trio with a really great vocalist -- a contemporary combo, but one with a swinging sort of 60s feel! There's plenty of modal elements in the music here -- a magnificent dance between acoustic piano, bass, and drums -- sometimes joined by vocalist Alan Farrington, a raspy-voiced
... (Jazz)
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Just Sunshine, 1974. New Copy (reissue)
Amazing work from The Voices Of East Harlem -- a group with roots in gospel, but working here in a wonderfully soaring secular soul style -- complete with arrangements and production from the legendary Leroy Hutson! The style here is similar to some of Leroy's best work, and that of his
... (Soul)
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Muthas Of Invention (UK), 2008. New Copy
A tremendous combination of Latin roots and contemporary grooves -- the mixing of the Puerto Rican scene with a definite influence from West London -- resulting here in a really righteous batch of tracks! The set's the brainchild of Afronaut, and features a bit of his own work, plus contributions
... (New Grooves)
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Decca/Universal (Japan), 1956. New Copy
Pat Kirby's looking a little bit like a school teacher on the cover of this one -- but the music inside is lush, mature, and all-adult -- hardly the stuff of schoolboy fantasies! Kirby's a lesser-known singer from the 50s, but she's a great one too -- a vocalist who never goes too far, but who
... (Vocalists)
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Freedom School (Japan), 2008. New Copy 2LP
A brilliant album from Kaidi Tatham -- deeper by far than anything we've ever heard from him, and way more than you might expect if you only know his singles from the London scene! This set's got a very strong jazz component -- monstrous keyboard work from Kaidi that stretches and soars with the
... (New Grooves)
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Rootdown, 2008. New Copy
Hard driving funky holiday cheer from the Breakestra -- a stormer of a Christmas single from one of the flagship combos in the deep funk underground! "Let The Bells Ring" starts out literally with some jingle bells that clear the way for walloping funky drums that pull you deep down into
... (Funky 45's)
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FMP (Germany), 1977. New Copy
Vintage piano solos from Alexander Von Schlippenbach -- one of our favorite artists on the FMP label, heard here in a late 70s session that's filled with unbridled creativity! Schlippenbach's solo work always has a great sense of drama and timing -- a style that's free, but never totally abstract -
... (Jazz)
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Soul Jazz (UK), Late 70s/1980s. New Copy 2LP
Another astounding set of heavy vibrations from Soul Jazz in there ongoing series of collections focusing on great Jamaican music! This bouncing set takes a long, deep look at Dancehall culture, and accompanies a great book by Beth Lesser! While dance halls have existed in Jamaican music for
... (Reggae)
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Kama Sutra/BMG (Japan), 1967. New Copy
The only album from The Innocence -- a cool little group with a really playful pop feel -- one that's definitely cut from the same cloth as other Kama Sutra groups from the Lovin Spoonful generation! The core sounds here are from the duo of Pete Anders and Vinnie Poncia -- who often use relatively
... (Rock)
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Roc-A-Fella, 2008. New Copy
A darkness tinged departure for Kanye West -- his electro hip hop soul tome 808s & Heartbreak! Kanye's albums are always newsworthy, but this one divides opinions as sharply as any major release of 2008. That said, we'll go on the record with some real love for this sometimes confounding,
... (Hip Hop)
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Geffen, 2008. New Copy
Common's easygoing Universal Mind Control -- a record that by design doesn't cut as deep soulfully and emotionally as the previous couple of LPs -- this one's spun for a slick synth heavy party rocking vibe by the Neptunes! The record was originally titled Invincible Summer and was set to drop for
... (Hip Hop)
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Wax Poetics, 2008. New Copy
Big features this time around on Sly Stone and Jimmy Cliff -- plus shorter bits on Egyptian Lover, Ahmad Jamal, and South Korean B-Boys! As usual, the Wax Poetics crew have also stuffed plenty of other great bits inside the full-color, beautifully printed journal -- articles on Randy's Records,
... (Books & Magazines)
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Shook (UK), 2008. New Copy
More greatness from Shook -- a magazine that's fast becoming one of our favorite reads for all things funky! Shook has grown strongly with each new issue -- finding a unique space for itself away from Wax Poetics, or earlier mags like Big Daddy or Straight No Chaser -- and this time around, they're
... (Books & Magazines)
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Quiet Power, 2008. New Copy
Wonderful work from Wayna -- an artist we've waited a few years to hear again after her great debut -- and one who re-emerges here with a fresh, mature sound! Wayna's still got that personal quality to her lyrics -- one that almost makes you feel like she's speaking to you personally -- but she's
... (Neo Soul)
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Le Smoke Disque, Late 60s/1970s. New Copy
A massive tribute to The Meters -- one that features rare versions of some of their best funky classics! If you dig The Meters, you'll no doubt recognize most of the tunes -- but you've probably never heard them in these versions before -- as most of them are pulled from the farthest reaches of
... (Funky Compilations)
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