Unmissable rocksteady: a magnificent version of the Curtis; and a hard-rocking Never Let Me Go.
The Basic Channel maestro takes on Konono. So brawling and bad-minded, dense and intense, and musically expert, it amounts to a ritual humiliation of the genre Dub Techno.
From the Tree Person’s solo album Real Life And Fiction: a punky-folk drone with chimes; disconsolate cheer-leading on the flip.
Precious relics from Berlin, 1908. UNESCO has stumped up for a lavish presentation, with fine notes and translations; but surely the fly in the ointment is the difficulty of actually listening through the music.
TW’s first Blue Note session was The Jody Grind. His debut as leader, at 23, Natural Essence is a winning mid-sixties set of his own compositions. Post-Trane dancers, jams; some lovely tunes. Woody Shaw, too.
First record as leader for the Mahavishnu drummer — featuring Tommy Bolin on guitar and Jan Hammer, keys — this is heavy fusion, with some deep funk. Massive Attack sampled Stratus for Safe From Harm.
‘Verve By Request.’
Two World Pacifics from 1959, The Swingers! and A Gasser! (featuring Annie Ross on her own). Straight songs and hip new renditions of great stuff like Little Niles, Four, Airegin, Now’s The Time.
With The Aces live in 1966, just a few months after Hoodoo Man Blues came out.
Basket-case rock and roll from 1958.