Miroslav Vitous is probably most well-known for his years as a founding member of seminal fusion group Weather Report. The Czech acoustic bass player and composer’s musical output […]
Jazz
Produced by Bill Laswell and Sonny Sharrock, Ask the Ages was guitarist Sharrock’s final studio album before his passing in 1994. It’s a wonder of tightly wound power […]
Recently reissued by Numero Group, Cheryl Glasgow’s “Glued to the Spot” is a perfect sunshine clubber that fuses together Sade-adjacent lovers rock vocals with street soul, boogie, synth […]
Niagara was a supergroup project envisioned by legendary German jazz drummer Klauss Weiss to create an orchestra made entirely of drummers and percussionists. Their 1970 self-titled debut is […]
Committing to and supporting the music of Makaya McCraven while he’s still in his thirties feels like both a no-brainer – nobody’s currently making better jazz records – […]
Free jazz improvisation and organic music meets electro-acoustic composition techniques and synthesizers on Don Cherry and Jon Appleton’s first collaboration, the aptly titled Human Music. Released on Bob […]
Bargain bin spiritual jazz isn’t something that pops up very often and rarely is it actually good… Illuminations features probably one of the strangest musical pairings we’ve come […]
Anita Baker is pure elegance and a powerhouse vocalist best known for her quiet storm work in the ’80s. Her path to stardom wasn’t exactly smooth… At 16, […]
Ramòn “Mongo” Santamaria was a Cuban master of percussion, mainly a conga drummer and leader of the boogaloo dance crazes of the 60s. Mongo first picked up the […]
One of Queens’ finest, Tom Browne recorded his album Love Approach in 1980 featuring the smash hit “Funkin For Jamaica(N.Y.)” which charted number one on the US Billboard […]
O’Donel Levy was a blues/funk/jazz guitarist and the brother of session drummer Stafford Levy. Born and raised in Baltimore, Levy studied music at the Peabody Institute at John […]
The followup to Dutch keyboardist Ronald Langestraat’s recently unearthed 1984 self-recorded living room gem Searching… Light Years Away is a collection of new recordings from the now 81 […]
Ronnie Laws is the fifth of eight children in the deeply talented Laws family and the brother of flutist Hubert Laws and vocalist sisters Debra Laws & Eloise […]
Featured in the “Psychedelic section” of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed Pickles is technically the third studio album by Missus Beastly, a […]
Don “Minister of Funk” Blackman had an illustrious musical career starting when he was only 15 years old with Charles McPherson, who was his neighbor growing up in […]
Sunshine Man is a classic jazz-funk album from saxophonist and flutist Harold Alexander. Released on Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman imprint, the album “exists somewhere in the space between […]
Black Talk!, recorded in 1970 by one of the most renowned jazz recording engineers Rudy Van Gelder, is the killer debut album from organist/reed player Charles Earland. Earland grew […]
Part two of the Mwandishi trilogy, Crossings further expands on the free jazz group’s sound with the introduction of Patrick Gleeson’s psychedelic electronics. As the only non-black member, […]
Breezy Hawaiian jazz from local alto sax legend Gabe Baltazar, who played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra backing singers such as Nat King Cole, Jean Turner, and Ann […]
We first came across this one on the great Lovefingers music blog… Chekeré Son is a must-have album from Afro-Cuban jazz legends Irakere (Yoruba for ‘forest’). One of […]
Luis Gasca’s For Those Who Chant is a spaced out Latin jazz classic! Some call this the forgotten Santana album because it features more than half of Santana […]
“Four years after Nuova Napoli, Nu Genea are back with Bar Mediterraneo, a new album and journey, which projects the sounds of the Neapolitan duo formed by Massimo […]
Tropical Dandy is the first album from the great Haruomi Hosono’s “Crown Years” where he explored tropical jazz fusion, soft rock, exotica, and lounge music with his band […]
Lyle Mays’ self-titled debut album followed a string of excellent collaborations with ECM mainstays Pat Metheny, Eberhard Weber, Steve Swallow, and John Abercrombie, as well as Windham Hill’s […]
Featured in the “Psychedelic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide and reissued on Florence-based balearic label Archeo Recordings, Aqua Sansa is tripped-out electronic free jazz meets […]
Hard bop meets soul-jazz, calypso, and bossa on Blue Mitchell’s underrated self-titled album (alternatively titled “Soul Village”) on Mainstream Records. While not quite a household name, Richard Allen […]
One of our favorite deadstock finds of the year, Myles Davis and Ray Herrmann’s Hybrid Vigor is private press gold from two virtually unknown musicians from Stamford who met […]
McCoy Tyner’s saxophonist and early Pan Afrikan Arkestra member Azar Lawrence steps confidently into the mid ’80s with Shadow Dancing, his first solo album in almost a decade […]
Another masterpiece from David Axelrod, Seriously Deep is one of the rarer records from the multi-talented musician, producer, composer, arranger’s heavily sampled catalog. As usual with Axelrod albums, […]
Played by our good friend Victor Rodriguez at last summer’s listening sessions… Electric Byrd is the great Howard University educator/trumpeter’s most psychedelic outing obviously influenced by Miles Davis’ […]
Japanese guitar master Masayoshi Takanaka presents a collection of more vocally-driven tropical fusion songs on his thirteenth album for Kitty Records. Takanaka’s slick ’80s guitar is obviously all […]
A favorite of our good friend Justin Gage of Aquarium Drunkard, Cycles is the second solo album by cellist David Darling on Manfred Eicher’s seminal ECM Records. With […]
Featured in Toshihito “Dubby” Maeyama’s Midnight in Tokyo Vol.2 compilation for Mule Musiq, Jugando was a short-lived Japanese latin fusion band formed by guitarist Masayuki Furuya. The group […]
Drummer/Keyboardist Jack DeJohnette delivers his trippiest solo outing to date on cult classic Sorcery with an all-star cast including Headhunters / Mwandishi legend Bennie Maupin, Bitches Brew bass […]
The landmark debut album by Durutti Column, a Factory Records project consisting of genius guitarist Vini Reilly and legendary Manchester producer Martin Hannett, The Return Of The Durutti […]
Long considered a grail of city pop but only recently reissued on vinyl, Seaside Lovers’ Memories in Beach House brings together three Japanese music icons of the ’80s […]
An essential album from the great Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, Bridges is the first from the duo to feature production assistance and synthesizer programming from Malcolm Cecil […]
Drummer Art Blakey expands his legendary Jazz Messengers group to a sextet for the first time on this 1961 classic album on Impulse! The album features a young […]
One of the earliest Impulse! records and one of Max Roach’s finest, Percussion Bitter Sweet takes on the struggles of the early ’60s civil rights movement with powerful, […]
Featured in the “Ethnic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Solar Wind is the lone release from short-lived ’80s Japanese fusion band Om. Apparently inspired by […]
An outlet for emerging local acts in Hawaii, KKUA’s four volume Home Grown series launched and propelled the careers of acts like Nohelani Cypriano, Cecilio & Kapono, Olomana, […]
One of the great classics of exotica, a style of easy listening music that emerged in the mid ’50s alongside tiki culture blending jazz, swing, latin music, psychedelia, […]
The first release on our label ISC Hi-Fi Selects, Live at Sound City is an instrumental collaboration between bassist Pino Palladino, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Blake Mills, and LA-based saxophonist Sam […]
Dutch guitar master Jan Akkerman meets blues singer Kaz Lux on their 1976 collaborative album entitled Eli. An unusual mixture of styles come together on this concept album […]
Guitarists Kevin McCormick and David Horridge collaborated on this wordless, dream-like album back in 1982, using only guitars and the occasional fretless bass to express themselves. The obvious […]
“There is joy laced with confidence in his music, and sadness, or pathos, that is as much connected to the Blues as it to the huge yearning of […]
The second act of David Axelrod’s musical interpretations of William Blake’s epic Songs of Innocence and of Experience pulls the distorted rock guitar back a tad in favor […]
The debut release by the legendary Bill Evans Trio, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, follows a 27 month break since Evans’ first release, a solo effort titled New Jazz […]
The followup to Ryo Fukui’s widely popular and now thoroughly revived classic Scenery, Mellow Dream pushes forward with even more of that rich modal, bop, and cool jazz […]
The best-selling album in the storied ECM catalog, The Köln Concert is one of the all-time great solo piano performances captured live. Fully improvised without any prior planning, […]
One of the all-time jazz classics and an essential listen, Journey In Satchidananda continues Alice Coltrane’s spiritual connection with Pharoah Sanders. From Alice herself in the liner notes: […]
The AB’s debut album is a collection of soulful fusion jazz that’s often looped in with other “city pop” releases on Moon Records, but transcends many of the […]
A truly spectacular pairing between drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the great Thelonious Monk. The album is presented in “Atlantic High Fidelity” and the first to featuring […]
Sandy Bull’s cult classic debut album Fantasias For Guitar And Banjo opens with the 22-minute long epic “Blend,” which some consider one of the greatest acoustic guitar tracks […]
A definitive moment in the storied and still-ongoing career of the great Pharoah Sanders, Karma honored John Coltrane’s spiritual jazz legacy while also pushing the movement forward. The […]
One of the great Brazilian obscurities revived by the Mr. Bongo crew, Krishnanda by Pedro Santos is a spiritual, psychedelic percussion masterpiece featuring instruments and rhythms invented by […]
After two successful albums with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Joe Farrell, and her husband Airto Moreira as Return to Forever, Flora Purim launched her solo career on New […]
Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer, and musician Nala Sinephro’s debut release Space 1.8 weaves together future-facing jazz and mellow ambient moods that feel wholly new. Sinephro was only 22 when she recorded Space […]
Featured in Numero Group’s Nu Leaf smooth jazz compilation, George Shaw’s Encounters is an underrated jazz album that you probably wouldn’t pick out of the stacks based on […]
Originally released in 1997 on independent UK label Soul Static Sound, Echoes is ex-Tortoise member Ken Brown’s final release under the short-lived Directions moniker. Much like Tortoise’s music, […]
American jazz saxophonist Robin Kenyatta meets German experimental pianist Wolfgang Dauner (who released the very first ECM record) on this underrated and somewhat out of place ECM classic. […]
Featured in Shotaro Matsumoto’s Walearic Disc Guide, Comme Des Garçons Volume One is, like its title suggests, a commissioned piece for the luxury Japanese clothing brand. While this may […]
The first release on Just Us, a shop and label from Detroit’s Bill Spencer and San Francisco’s Izaak Schlossman (Loveshadow), is an absolute belter of a psych-jazz album, […]
“A fairly essential recording from the Canterbury axis of early ’70s British progressive rock…” Avant-garde saxophonist Lol Coxhill meets blues pianist Steve Miller (not that one) for a […]
Released in 1988 on the new age sub-label of Polygram dubbed Theta, Spanish guitar maestro Joan Bibiloni’s For a Future Smile continues the artist’s work of presenting the […]
Unexpectedly incredible sun-kissed electronic smooth jazz from duo Dancing Fantasy on Klaus Schulze’s Innovative Communication. Dancing Fantasy was originally formed as a smooth jazz variation on German synthesizer […]
Featured in the “ethnic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Nyanser is the balearic masterpiece by Swedish guitar maestro Thomas Almqvist. A diverse mixture of mellow […]
Pino Palladino’s debut studio LP Notes with Attachments is a collaboration with producer, multi-instrumentalist and guitar maestro Blake Mills. A mixture of West African, Cuban, jazz, funk, and […]
Featured in the “Organic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Life Line by Michael Bierylo is a simple but gorgeous new age guitar album that seems […]
Recorded just a few hours outside of Los Angeles in the small town of Idyllwild, Linger Lane captures the spirit of the California mountains with organic marimbas, echo […]
Free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman returns to his original (and arguably best) lineup with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins on 1972’s Science Fiction. The music is […]
RAMP aka Roy Ayers Music Productions was a soul/jazz group led by the great vibes player widely known for his composition “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” The group’s lone […]
A favorite from the listening bar, Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun)‘s title is taken from verse 18 of Surat al-Baqarah in the Qur’an. “Deaf, dumb and blind […]
The story goes that Vince and Bola owe the Sheraton Hotels a bit of credit for their magical union… Bola Sete was first discovered by a Sheraton executive, […]
Reissued and compiled by Manfred Eicher on ECM, 1961 presents clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre at his finest alongside his chamber jazz trio featuring Steve Swallow on acoustic bass and […]
Part of a trio of privately released albums on David Oliver’s own Damiana Records, Hope For La Roo is a gorgeous collection of minimal jazz compositions centered around […]
One of the co-founders of internationally known Dutch band Focus, guitarist Jan Akkerman would head into a more jazz-rock / fusion direction after leaving the baroque inspired prog […]
A groundbreaking work that established the name of the “new music,” Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz was so controversial that Downbeat magazine had to feature a double-review of the […]
The 3 Pieces are Andre Richardson, Jerry Wilder, and Lincoln Ross, three Howard University students discovered by Donald Byrd while they attended one of Byrd’s classes. They released […]
William Howard “Monk” Montgomery is widely known as the man who “de-bastardized the Fender bass.” Monk worked with Lionel Hampton’s orchestra in the early 50’s and legitimized the […]
One of the great Black Jazz albums in “the key of the black power movement,” Spirit of the New Land showcases pianist Doug Carn’s innovative songwriting along with the […]
An early pioneer of “world music,” Henri Texier takes his double bass to uncharted territory on Varech, blending avant-garde jazz with Celtic, African, Indian, and Middle Eastern elements […]
Featured in the “Psychedelic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, For You is the private pressed solo debut of Angelo Noce Santoro. A founding member of […]
“Jaco is a phenomenon. He is able to make sounds on the bass that are a total surprise to the sensibilities. Not only single notes, but chords, harmonics, […]
One of the great underrated Miles albums, Get Up With It pushes forward with the full force, sophistication, groove, and beautiful chaos of Miles’ electrified wah-wah trumpet and […]
How many great Eberhard Weber albums are there on ECM? A good amount… The Colours Of Chloë once again showcases upright bassist Eberhard Weber’s mastery of composition, space, […]
A perfectly sequenced “post-modern mixtape of 12 micro-genres” created by The Numero Group’s Ken Shipley, Reach takes listeners through morning bird songs, afternoon new age, evening soul jazz, […]
Master of the “wah wah” pedal, Melvin Ragin aka guitarist Wah Wah Watson served in the Motown house band throughout the 70’s and has played on albums by […]
While not a household name, you’ve likely heard Michael White’s avant-garde violin playing on spiritual jazz classics like Pharoah Sanders’ Thembi, John Coltrane’s Infinity, and Joe Henderson & Alice […]
Highly underrated compilation of experimental jazz tracks by Korean composer / multi-instrumentalist Kim Byoung Duk. Experiment No. X takes a bit of patience to digest… many of the […]
Featured in the “Floating” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Bad Anima is guitarist/vocalist Katsutoshi Morizono’s first solo album to feature vocals after a series of […]
This album needs little introduction… Life on Mars is a space-funk classic from the oft-sampled synthesizer guru Dexter Wansel. Inspired by David Bowie’s “Is There Life on Mars?”, […]
An underrated dollar bin soul-jazz find, Formerly Of The Harlettes is the lone album by former Bette Midler backup singers Sharon Redd, Ula Hedwig, and Charlotte Crossley. The […]
A crucial collection of balearic jazz folk from Spanish singer, guitar player, songwriter Javier Bergia, Eclipse followed a string of reissues surrounding Spanish ambient collective Finis Africae. Bergia […]
Included in our “Beyond the World of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi” feature, Pinnacle by Mwandishi bassist Buster Williams is a continuation of Mwandishi, but perhaps in spirit only. Mwandishi […]
Tribal electro ambient jazz composed as the soundtrack for a Japanese TV documentary “Tadayuki Naito Zebra” about the life of a zebra… What’s more to say? Jack DeJohnette […]
Revolutionary spiritual afro jazz from exile… Ndikho Xaba and the Natives self-titled debut is an African jazz holy grail recorded “as a tribute to the struggles of Africans […]
New Age flute and saxophone player Paul Horn goes soul/fusion jazz-funk with a collection of choice covers of some of the best Stevie Wonder, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, […]
Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis plays Fender Rhodes and Arp synthesizer on his 1974 jazz-funk hit Sun Goddess. The pianist is joined by his former drummer Maurice White, members […]
An underrated gem from one of the Japanese jazz greats, Susto is essentially Masabumi Kikuchi doing his best Miles Davis electric period impression… and it works! Kikuchi brings […]
Drummer and band leader Salah Ragab is considered by many as the father of Egyptian Jazz. In the late 60’s, Egyptian music was typically bound to a strict […]
Big thanks to our friend Andrew “Lovefingers” for this gorgeous selection. The Singers Unlimited were a vocal jazz quartet formed by master singer / vocal arranger Gene Puerling. […]
Les McCann’s drum break classic Layers was conceived in his mind long before the tapes were rolling at Joel Dorn’s Regent Sound Studios in New York. With just […]
A must-have for fans of the David Mancuso Loft staple “Rude Movements”, Raw Movements / Rude Movements presents previously unreleased demos from UK duo Sun Palace. Compiled by […]
John Coltrane’s spiritual dedication A Love Supreme is a four movement masterpiece recorded in a single session at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. […]
The follow up to Sade’s brilliant debut, Promise builds on the smooth soul jazz of Diamond Life with even tighter rhythms and elegant compositions. Led by singer Sade […]
Originally released in Japan on JVC’s excellent Music Interior series but also later in Germany on Klaus Schulze’s Innovative Communication, Seigén Ono’s debut album is a minimal masterpiece […]
The great Roland Kirk’s most famous composition, The Inflated Tear is an “awakening and a cry for love” presented in a five-minute package that within it contains traces […]
This once unobtainable Italian library music classic was recently repressed by Sonor Music Editions and represents some of the best work of the great jazz pianist & library […]
Named after a collection of William Blake poems, Song of Innocence is the debut solo album by Capitol Records’ multi-talented musician, producer, composer, arranger David Axelrod. The album […]
Detroit’s Wendell Harrison is as much a teacher as he is an acclaimed reed player. Besides playing alongside numerous greats like Marvin Gaye, Sun Ra, and Aretha Franklin, […]
Antônio Carlos Jobim was a primary force behind the evolution of bossa nova and his 6th studio release Stone Flower is an absolute classic. The album is emblematic […]
One of our favorite underrated ECM cuts… And She Answered by one time project AM 4 aka saxophonist and flutist Wolfgang Puschnig, pianist Uli Scherer, and vocalist Linda […]
This oft sampled record by drummer Idris Muhammed is a cinematic jazz funk classic. Opener “Could Heaven Ever Be Like this” is as joyous as its name sounds […]
Released on Island Records’ “Antilles New Directions” sublabel, Bush Dance by master Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos is an upbeat, world fusion record that has made its way onto […]
A perfect record for sunny days, this classic record under Roy Ayers’ Ubiquity umbrella is full of funky anthems. The inaugural track “ Hey, Uh, What You Say […]
Though not quite a household name, Brother Ah (aka Robert Northern) is one of the most decorated names in jazz having played with everyone from Donald Byrd, Dizzy […]
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson’s Winter In America was the duo’s first and only release on legendary independent jazz label Strata-East. Praised for its influence on hip-hop and neo […]
Dubbed “one of pop music’s sneakiest masterpieces” due to its low-key but lasting popularity, Donald Fagen’s post-Steely Dan solo debut The Nightlfy is a semi-autobiographical concept album looking […]
From the extended world of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi… Buddy Terry’s Pure Dynamite seems to be a bit slept-on but we think it ranks with the best of the fusion-leaning […]
One of our favorite ECM Records bands, Codona features free jazz trumpeter Don Cherry alongside sitar player Collin Walcott and Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos. The band’s name is […]
One of the great holy grails of the 70s, Body, Mind, And Spirit by Harry Whitaker’s Black Renaissance is a soul-jazz masterpiece with plenty of myth and magic […]
Leon Thomas might not be a household name in jazz, but you’ve likely heard his voice if you’re a fan of Pharoah Sanders. Thomas was the vocalist and […]
French Composer and piano virtuoso Benoit Widemann began his obsession with harmony as a child and quickly found his place in the 70s prog rock scene in Paris. […]
Hailing from Brazil, Azymuth pushed the boundaries of music with a new electric jazz sound that was unmistakably their own. Known for their innovative synth sounds and smooth […]
Not to be confused with the French electronic duo, Long Island’s Air is a jazz-rock band from the 70’s consisting of four core members – Tom Coppola, John […]
Happy Ambrosia is a little known kraut release by Alto, a side project by Kraan “alto” saxophonist Johannes Pappert. The band was apparently not a proper band and […]
Included in the “cosmic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Paradise Space Shuttle is tenor saxophonist George Adam’s first U.S. release as a bandleader. Adams was […]
You probably know Patrice Rushen from her 1982 hit “Forget Me Nots” and the countless other R&B and disco classics she put out on Elektra in the late […]
On Sonidos De Aquel Dia, which translates to “Sounds of that Day”, two talented young prodigies come together to deliver a melodic, latin fusion masterpiece. Bassist César Franov, […]
Produced and compiled by Obscure Sound’s Chee Shimizu, Amarillo: Grabaciones Originales 1980-1987 collects the works of obscure Mexican pianist/composer Gerardo Bátiz. Not much is known about Bátiz other […]
After making a name for himself in the late 70’s Amsterdam jazz scene playing with Cascada and Ritmo Natural, keyboardist Ronald Langstraat began seeking his own musical curiosities […]
The debut solo LP from Italian saxophonist/composer Gianni Gebbia is a beautiful contemporary jazz masterpiece that we first discovered circulating around Japanese shops like SHE Ye, Ye and […]
We first heard this wonderful obscurity on the excellent Okonkole y Trompa music blog curated by record collectors Satoshi Yamamura and PAM. Comme Au Moulin is the self-released […]
Between was an instrumental krautrock group in the 70’s formed by composers Peter Michael Hamel and Ulrich Stranz with the purpose of creating “music between the worlds.” While […]
Richard Schneider Jr.’s Dreamlike Land is a German rarity that has a distinct sound within the web of krautrock and Can offshoots during the 70’s. It may be […]
Art Blakey & the Afro Drum Ensemble’s The African Beat is a landmark jazz percussion album. Released in 1962, the album was one of the first to bring […]
Stanley Cowell was a highly influential figure within the jazz community who somehow never broke through to the mainstream despite his long and storied career. Cowell started out […]
Batsumi’s self-titled debut is a powerful statement against the apartheid state of South Africa. The album was recorded in the segregated township of Soweto just outside Johannesburg, the […]
Singer Fairuz is often regarded as “the Soul of Lebanon” and, in collaboration with the famed Rahbani brothers, created the modern Lebanese musical tradition. Post-colonial Lebanon in the […]
Celestial Sky is an underrated disco-funk gem by Norman Connors’ Starship Orchestra. Connors is a brilliant composer/producer and one of the more unsung jazz greats even though he’s […]
Craig T. Cooper is an LA-based guitarist who recorded two incredible smooth-jazz influenced funk records in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Both albums contain a slew of […]
French keyboard player Wally Badarou had only been in London for a year when he was asked to come to Island Records’ recording studio in the Bahamas to […]
Released in 1961, Sunday At The Village Vanguard is a timeless classic that’s routinely ranked as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time. The album […]
An all-time jazz classic, Joe Henderson’s The Elements is a beautiful meeting of five singular talents propelled to cosmic dimensions by the one and only Alice ‘Swami Turiyasangitananda’ Coltrane. […]
Heard about this one on Japanese record collector Yozo Kumitake’s excellent Originals Volume 9 compilation CD. Savanna Silver Band were a mostly unknown latin jazz rock group that […]
On The Corner remains to this day, one of Miles Davis’ most polarizing efforts. Scorned by critics and fans alike upon its release, the free form jazz funk […]
One of the all time greatest 70’s jazz-funk albums, Gears features organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith in collaboration with the legendary Mizell brothers. The album was released in 1975 […]
One of our favorite ECM records, The Jewel In The Lotus is the debut solo album from master bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin. Though not a household name, Maupin […]
Perhaps the most significant thing about Seasons for Pete Jolly was that this album broke away from the more traditional approach that Jolly had been familiar with in […]
One of the finest Brazilian jazz funk fusion albums ever recorded, the exquisite music found on São Paulo • Brasil is well deserving of its cult status. Cesar […]
Sun Ra’s Angels & Demons at Play is a diptych of a record created from two separate recording sessions recorded four years apart (Side A-1956 and Side B-1960). […]
An obscure jazz-rock holy grail from Sweden that touches on elements of pastoral folk as well as progressive rock, but ultimately sounds quite unlike any of the aforementioned […]
When Bernard Wright released his debut album ‘Nard in 1981, he was only 18 years old. The only son of Roberta Flack had generated quite a bit of […]
If spacey electronics are your thing, this is your record! Released in 1976, Patrick Vian’s Bruit et Temps Analogues, was way ahead of its time in terms of […]
Brazilian drummer & percussionist Airto Moreira’s second solo LP Seeds On The Ground – The Natural Sounds Of Airto is a “world music” masterpiece that blends a variety […]
Billy Higgins may not be a household name in jazz, but the master drummer was certainly one of the most revered in the scene. In fact, Higgins is […]
Most listeners seem to discover the highly regarded avant-garde trumpeter Jon Hassell via his Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics collaboration with Brian Eno which was not just […]
Bip Redon, Dominique Lentin, his sister Isabelle Lentin (of Virgule IV), and a few other unknown musicians make up the mysterious L’Empire des Sons. Not much is known […]
Sextant, the first record Hancock cut for his new label Columbia Records, was considered a commercial flop upon its release in 1973. The record showcased Hancock’s early adoption […]
I’m the One is the debut LP from avant-garde singer and composer Anette Peacock. Peacock was a mostly self-taught musician who grew up in California and moved to […]
Pharoah Sanders’ final album for Impulse! is a joyous message of love for all times. “Love is Everywhere” begins with a gorgeous bass vamp followed by steadily cascading […]
Recently reissued by Far Out Recordings, the 1974 debut LP from Ana Mazzotti is a little known Brazilian classic. Dubbed a “Super Musician” by fellow Brazilian virtuoso Hermeto […]
Overshadowed by the exceedingly sought after India that came before it, along with the more experimental records that came into fruition during the Tropicália explosion of the late […]
One of our favorite new releases this year, Duval Timothy’s Help is a powerful narrative journey navigating through the the trenches of the music industry, self-help videos, and […]
He may be a household name in Brazil, but Erasmo Carlos never quite made it to the level of international stardom like contemporaries Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal […]
Joni Mitchell’s 8th studio album Hejira has the imagery of highways, small towns and snow, in large part because it was written on a cross country road trip […]
You may not have listened to tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon’s One Flight Up but you’ll feel like you have when you do. As original as he is timeless, […]
A collaboration between English jazz vocalist Dianne Ford and German fretless bassist Manfred Lins, Lonely Shadow is the one and only record made by the low-profile duo. Mostly […]
One of our many favorites from the legendary Oakland-based label Black Jazz, double bassist Henry Franklin’s The Skipper At Home takes off right where his solo debut The […]
Steve Kuhn’s 1971 self-titled melancholic free jazz opus was written and recorded after he returned from living in Sweden for several years in the wake of his break […]
Much more than just a rare groove classic, Eugene McDaniels’ Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse is a psychedelic-soul jazz album with a powerful message. McDaniels, who is also […]
Arthur Verocai’s eponymous 1972 debut album is considered one of the greatest Brazilian albums of all time. Copies of the original are known to go for more than […]
Rare Silk was an 80’s vocal jazz group, a genre that at the time was defined by it’s multi-part vocal harmonies, pop sensibilities and mix of swing and […]
Düsseldorf-based DJ, producer, and Salon Des Amateurs resident Jan Schulte, aka Wolf Müller or Bufiman, pulled together this excellent concept album featuring his personal favorite “tropical drum” music […]
Released in 1969, the In A Silent Way Sessions, as they were known, was all recorded in a day. These recordings were a departure for Davis and would […]
John Abercrombie’s first musical output as a band leader was in his own words originally conceived as an “organ record”. The product of persistent nagging from Manfred Eicher, […]
Recorded in Mols, a remote peninsula region located in the eastern coast of Denmark with ambient producer DJ Sports at the controls, “Petersminde” is a dubbed out, effortless […]
It’s not every day that you listen to a record where jazz and ambient genres can meld so cohesively that they form another thing altogether. On Lemon Quartet’s […]
Bit of a hidden gem from one of our favorite new labels Last Resort, G.S. Schray’s “Gabriel” is a warm, ambient trip through the suburban streets of Akron, […]
A future classic from two rising stars of the LA jazz/electronic scene. Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar was originally self-released as a limited white label in 2018 […]
When a former psych project decides to drop the guitars and approach recording a new record with looped clarinet as a basis, you don’t get psych. Instead, Tara […]
Canadian electronic collective New World Science (made up of Ramzi, Priori, Ex-terrestrial, and Emmanuel Thibau) follow up their heady debut, New Atlantis, Vol. 1, with this full length. […]
When you think of classic digger records, Lonnie’s albums are sure to come up. Endlessly sampled (the most famous being Digable Planets’ “Pacifics”) and sought after for his […]
Jon Lucien is known as one of the most focused and emotional balladeers to ever step in front of a microphone, but it’s his soothing baritone voice that […]
A limited edition LP of previously unreleased live recordings from a session at The Museum Of Modern Art, Stockholm, January 16, 1977. Modern Art features “organic music” maestro […]
Stepping Into Tomorrow is a classic jazz-funk bomb from the great Donald Byrd featuring an all star cast including Gary Bartz on saxophone, Chuck Rainey on bass, and […]
Archie Shepp’s Attica Blues is a multi-faceted jazz masterpiece. Musically, it represents a departure in Shepp’s music from the free jazz leanings of his previous output to cohesively […]
Zummo With an X is the debut album of Peter Zummo, a multi-instrumentalist and frequent collaborator/friend of the great Arthur Russell. Zummo’s playing can be heard on some […]
Tim Buckley’s third album represented many important changes for the young songwriter. He stopped working with the lyricist of his first two albums and began to write his […]
San Francisco is the perfect introductory album to American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Featuring his right-hand man Harold Land on reeds, the duo’s style takes a step forward […]
A cerebral trip through a land where classical music, Eastern exploration, and psychedelic jazz converge on a magical vortex. Gabor Szabo was a one-of-a-kind Hungarian jazz guitarist with […]
Blacks and Blues was recorded in 1973 when American jazz flutist Bobbi Humphrey was just 23 years old, two years after becoming the first African-American female instrumentalist signed […]
If you’re new to Alice Coltrane, this is an exciting first album to catapult you straight to her planet, whereas other albums might fly you there more slowly. […]
A good rule of thumb if you want to dive into an enormous artist discography and don’t know where to begin: trust the artist’s own recommendation. In this […]
What makes this record so special is the sublime interplay between Bill Evans piano playing and Jim Hall’s guitar work. These two masters of their craft found a […]
It comes as little surprise that Miles Davis was a great admirer of Ahmad Jamal. The critically acclaimed jazz innovator, known for his understated playing and elegant arrangements […]
Charlie Haden’s Closeness is comprised of 4 duet collaboration based melodies crafted by Haden. On each number, Haden (the bassist) pushes the musical envelope playing opposite an artist […]
A monumental jazz big band record, Masterpieces by Ellington was one of the earliest releases to take advantage of the extended time available on Columbia’s brand new 12-inch […]
When Pharoah Sanders’ Love in Us All was released in 1974, it was already becoming clear that the artist was shifting away from the wilder experimentations of his earlier […]
A much needed reissue of Chicago jazz legend Philip Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble’s private press gem On the Beach. Cohran played with the Sun Ra Arkestra […]
A daytime favorite at ISC, John Carroll Kirby’s solo piano album Tuscany on NYC label Patience is music inspired by a time and a place. The Los Angeles-based […]
Fluid Rustle is a subtle, beautiful piece of storytelling music – the themes and titles reflect on a passage from Richard Adams’ 1972 classic Watership Down. Through the […]
