Markus Stockhausen & Gary Peacock - Cosi Lontano … Quasi Dentro (1989) {ECM 1371}
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© 1989 ECM Records | ECM 1371
Jazz / Modern Creative / Third Stream / Post Bop

Trumpeter Markus Stockhausen follows, not leads, this haunting improvisation session with Gary Peacock on bass, Fabrizio Ottaviucci on piano, and Zoro Babel on drums. The colors are as rich as the names on the roster, and work their way through eight improvisatory spaces with varying degrees of clarity. “So Far,” for instance, begins like fingers groping along the wall of a pitch-dark room, awakening after an undisclosed period of unconsciousness.

The Salsoul Orchestra - Up The Yellow Brick Road (1978) {2014 Remastered & Expanded - Big Break Records CDBBR 0267}
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© 1978, 2014 Big Break Records / Cherry Red / Verse Music | CDBBR 0267
R'n'B / Funk / Disco / Soul / Philly Soul

BBR is proud to bring you UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD, the sixth instalment of our Salsoul Orchestra reissues. THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA was the brainchild of once MFSB member and legendary vibraphonist, Vincent Montana Jr. Formed in 1974, THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA, house band for the remarkable Salsoul Records, sometimes featured up to 50 members amongst its ranks including a number of former musicians from MFSB. THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA began an eight-year recording period in 1975 releasing eleven sensational albums during that time featuring production input from, Stan Lucas, Patrick Adams, Bunny Sigler and Tom Moulton through the years.

Ike & Tina Turner - What You Hear Is What You Get (1971) {2012 BGO Records BGOCD1062}
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© 1971, 2012 United Artists / Capitol / BGO Records | BGOCD1062
R&B / Soul / Funk

The duo were at their peak of popularity when this hour-long performance was recorded in New York on April 1, 1971. Of course Turner's volcanic stage presence can't be fully translated onto disc, and the set list goes heavy on predictable covers like "Sweet Soul Music," "Honky Tonk Women," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Respect," and a ten-minute-plus "Proud Mary." And the opening two numbers are sung not by Tina, but by the Ikettes.

Sam Most - Musically Yours (1956) {2014 Japan Bethlehem Album Collection 1000}
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© 1956, 2014 Solid Records / Bethlehem | CDSOL-6142 | LP BCP-6008
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Flute

Features the latest remastering. Includes a Japanese description. Features original cover artwork. One of the loosest, most relaxed albums ever from flute man Sam Most – cut with a cool quartet that also features Bob Dorough on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! The inventive touches of all the rhythm players are really felt strongly – creating these modern moments that really have Sam stretching out on his instrument, and moving it way past any cliches of a few years before. Most handles flute on almost all the tracks, but also throws in some great clarinet as well – with archly-crafted solos that really swing, but with kind of an arch modernist tone – in the manner of some of Jimmy Giuffre's best rhythm-bound work of the 50s. Titles include "Obvious Conclusion", "Stella By Starlight", "Two For Three", and "House Of Bread Blues".

Various Artists - The Gee Story (1999) {2CD Set, Westside Records WESD223 rec 1954-1962}
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© 1954-62, 1999 Gee Recordings / Westside Records | WESD 223
Rhythm & Blues / Doo Wop / Oldies / Blues / Rock 'n' Roll

This 2 disc set brings together 63 tracks from this early George Goldner run label. Covering a nice selection of the label's output from 1954 to its demise in 1962, Gee made inroads as a doo-wop specialist, primarily with the recordings of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Cleftones, and later with the Regents and the Drapers. Plemty of classics aboard from these artists as well as goodies from the Emanons, the Coins, the Five Crowns, the Valtones, Annie Kaye, and Lorraine Ellis, making this a superlative overview of a label that for almost a decade dealing in nothing but new York rhythm and blues.

John Patton - Minor Swing (1994) {DIW Records Japan Mini LP} (ft. John Zorn)
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© 1995 DIW Records / Disk Union | DIW-896
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Organ

An organ trio fronted by an avant-garde alto saxophonist like John Zorn isn't usually a combination associated with groove oriented soul-jazz. Luckily, on Minor Swing, organist Big John Patton and John Zorn encourage taking chances and opening the music up, while not going so far out as to overwhelm the intended fundamental groove. Zorn sounds comfortable and content, always maintaining his individuality, taking a cue from tenor saxophonist Harold Alexander who played in a similar "out" style on Patton's 1968 session for Blue Note, Boogaloo.

Allen Toussaint - The Complete Warner Recordings (2003) {2CD Set, Rhino Handmade ‎RHM2 7831 rec 1971-1975}
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© 1971-75, 2003 Rhino Handmade / Warner Music | ‎RHM2 7831
R&B / Soul / New Orleans R&B / Smooth Soul / Southern Soul

Allen Toussaint is a legend who wrote and produced some of the greatest songs in New Orleans R&B history, but his career as a recording artist is hardly legendary. He didn't record all that much and what he did wax is overshadowed by his compositions and productions – which, admittedly, is understandable given the work he did with the Meters, Lee Dorsey, Aaron Neville, Ernie K-Doe, the Band, LaBelle, Irma Thomas, and many others. But not being legendary is hardly the same thing as not having merit, and Rhino Handmade's 2003 double-disc set The Complete Warner Recordings makes a convincing case that Toussaint's three albums for Warner and Reprise are among the best hidden treasures in soul music.

Candi Staton - Evidence: The Complete Fame Records Masters (2011) {2CD Set, Kent Soul CDKEN2-353 rec 1969-1973}
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© 1969-73, 2011 Fame / Kent Soul / Ace Records | CDKEN2 353
Rhythm & Blues / Soul / Southern Soul / Modern Soul / Deep Soul

Candi Staton is the finest female singer ever to grace a Southern Soul recording, her achingly vulnerable vocals perfect for the lyrics of the best country/soul songs. Luckily for us, during her tenure at Rick Hall’s Fame label she got the best songs, mostly from the pen of George Jackson, perhaps the top Southern Soul songwriter of his generation. George spent every waking minute of his day writing songs and probably came up with a few while he dreamt too. As Candi herself said, “That was his thing.”

Canned Heat - Live At Montreux 1973 (2011) {Eagle Records EAGCD450}
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© 1973, 2011 Eagle Records | EAGCD450
Rock / Blues Rock / Boogie Rock / Modern Electric Blues

A fine little blues-rock jug band from the 1960s, Canned Heat had already been bitten hard by the rock & roll tragedy bug, losing key member Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson to a fatal drug overdose by the time they'd made their sole appearance at Montreux in 1973. Luckily for history's sake, the great bluesman and multi-instrumentalist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was on hand to step in with the band for this appearance, sparking things along nicely, and luckily, too: the set was filmed and recorded, eventually appearing on both DVD and CD, making it, particularly because of Brown's contributions, a valuable and fun archival historical release.

Esperanza Fernández - Canta a Saramago: Mi Voz en tu Palabra (2013) {DiscMedi Blau DM 5069-02}
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© 2013 DiscMedi Blau | DM 5069-02
Flamenco / World / Folk / Spain

ESPERANZA FERNANDEZ is currently one of the leading voices of flamenco. In its excellent faculty, and proven in countless concerts, we must add his extensive repertoire - from the dramatic to the most canasteros- siguiriya tangos and its versatility to lend their voice to very different musical aesthetics. On his new album he sings and makes music to poetry and prose literature Nobel, the Portuguese Jose Saramago.

Montserrat Figueras & Jordi Savall - Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro: Lope de Vega su tiempo (2003) {Alia Vox AVSA9831}
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© 1987, 2003 Alia Vox | AVSA9831
Classical / Vocal / Chamber Music / Renaissance / Baroque

In AliaVox’s release of the album Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro: Lope de Vega y su tiempo (1550-1650), which translates to “Intermission [music] of the Golden Century: Lope de Vega and his era,” we find soprano Montserrat Figueras and the group Hespèrion XX, Jordi Savall conducting, bringing us some of the finest examples of period music that I know of. The voice of Montserrat Figueras has the limpid and pure quality of a fine recorder, that is, each note is nearly as possible free from embellishment that became part and parcel of vocal training in the following centuries. The ensemble playing of Hespèrion, a group I’ve known for ten years, has never sounded better. Hats off to Jordi Savall. The music itself is akin to entre-act music written for the Elizabethan theater, most notably Shakespeare’s plays. You’ll note the similarity of the Spanish word entremeses and the English word intermission.

Tommy Flanagan - Trio & Sextet (1961) {Prevue CDPR11 rel 1998}
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© 1961, 1998 Xanadu / Prevue | CD PR 11
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano

This release by Tommy Flanagan was originally recorded in England for the short-lived Jazzline label, though all seven tracks didn't appear together until a 1973 Xanadu reissue. The sextet tracks include tenor saxophonist Frank Haynes (whose career ended prematurely in 1965 with his death from cancer), the always dependable trumpeter Kenny Dorham, trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Dave Bailey.

Lennie Tristano - The New Tristano (1962) {2013 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27259}
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© 1962, 2013 Atlantic / Warner Japan / WEA / Rhino | WPCR-27259
Jazz / Cool / Piano

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Tristano's piano solos are challenging and ambitious on these unaccompanied solo works, recorded between 1960 and 1962 (all except "You Don't Know What Love Is" Tristano originals). The variety and sheer amount of ideas, plus the facility of the lines and the overall performances, are impressive. This is a superb presentation of Lennie Tristano's work.

Arnett Cobb - Party Time + More Party Time + Movin' Right Along (2012) {2CD Set, Fresh Sound FSR-CD726 rec 1959-1960}
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© 1959-60, 2012 Prestige / Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD 726
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Bop / Saxophone

Of all the tenor saxophonists who have come roaring out of Lionel Hamptons band, Texas tenor Arnett Cobb always seemed the most likely to allow his essentially rich and swinging style to stand on its own merits. He demonstrated it in these relaxed, unpretentious sessions amid congenial, inventive company, including some of the most accomplished and soulful pianists around, with Ray Bryant, Tommy Flanagan, and Bobby Timmons providing some lean and lithely moving solos on these implacably swinging dates.

Sun Ra Arkestra - Live In Kalisz 1986 (2019) {Lanquidity Records}
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© 2019 Lanquidity Records
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Jazz Funk / Experimental Big Band / Progressive Jazz

One of the most peculiar landings and live recordings of the Sun Ra Arkestra released by Lanquidity Records. Taking place on the 7th of December in 1986 as part of the 13th installment of the International Jazz Piano Festival, Sun Ra and his Arkestra performed in the Polish city of Kalisz. Recently rediscovered, the complete tape of the concert lay for almost three decades in a Kalisz basement collecting dust. It has been remastered by Marcin Cichy (Ninja Tune), giving all the chance to re-live each musical moment of this historic gig.