RARE RECORDS CATALOGUE
M-N
Q-R Ethnic Recordings U-V S-T O-P W-X K-L M-N V.A. I-J Y-Z G=H E-F C-D Compact Disk A-B
1632. MACERO, TEO with the PRESTIGE JAZZ QUARTET: “S/T” (Top Rank – RANK-5024) (Record: Excellent with only a couple of faint sleeve lines visible under a bright light/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very 1st press issue all complete with insert and mega rare first issue obi – comes housed in fragile flip back sleeve. Never surfaces with 1st issue obi. Features tenor saxophonist Teo Macero (who would later become much better known as a record producer) in as straight-ahead a setting as he ever appeared. With stimulating support from pianist Mal Waldron, vibraphonist Teddy Charles, bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Jerry Segal, Macero performs a variety of then-recent ballads, of which only "Star Eyes" did not come from Teo or his associates. The music is advanced but from the jazz tradition, and overall, this set is more noteworthy for Macero’s interesting playing than for the tunes themselves. Price: 200 Euro
1633. MAD RIVER: “A Gazelle – Orange Fire b/w Windchimes” Wee Records – 10021) (33RPM 7 Inch Single EP: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Original first press copy of Mad River’s arrest and greatest release – their privately issued first EP in top shape! One of the oddest and lyrically most tense of the San Francisco psychedelic bands, Mad River backed Lawrence Hammond’s trembling, angst-ridden vocals with thrilling multi-layered guitars that sometimes verged on dissonance, as well as complex we-dare-you-to-dance-to-this tempo shifts. Released on Bay Area jazz/R&B musician Lonnie Hewitt’s tiny Wee label, their 1967 EP has early versions of a couple of songs that they’d remake for their 1968 Capitol debut (A Gazelle, which would be retitled Amphetamine Gazelle, and Wind Chimes), as well as the devastating anti-war anthem, Orange Fire. Arguably their best song, this somehow did not find a place on either of their two LPs, and is worth the price of this EP alone. Which would be quite difficult if you could locate a copy, as not many are in rotation or come up often. Coming in a basic black-and-white picture sleeve (with their Berkeley PO Box listed as the contact address on back), these were quite fragile, as the band glued the covers together themselves. Guitarist Rick Bockner, in fact, doesn’t even remember seeing a copy that’s still in one piece. But here you have one, pristine copy. One of my all-time fave records of all time. Price: Offers!!!!
1634. MAD RIVER: “S/T” (Capitol – ST-2985) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Promo Only Single: Near Mint/ Company Sleeve: Near Mint). Top copy, no ring wear, best copy for miles around and getting extremely hard to find pristine copies of these albums. This is a rare PROMO copy with “FREE” perforated in upper right corner for Capitol Records promotional purpose + comes with additional promo only single to be used for airplay. What can I say but the hits keep on coming. Original US pressing in fantastic shape. “By far the most ominous-sounding of the Bay Area’s 1960s psychedelic bands, the music of Berkeley’s Mad River comes across like a spiraling, acid-spiked descent into hell. With a raw, garagey style marked by Lawrence Hammond’s quavering vocals and the interlocking exchanges of guitarists David Robinson and Rick Bockner, Mad River’s sound conjures a darker, more menacing version of Quicksilver Messenger Service or early Country Joe and The Fish. Mad River’s tabs of tortured soul—cuts like the lysergic opening rush of “Merciful Monks,” the lengthy, labyrinthine “The War Goes On,” and the truly demented “Amphetamine Gazelle”—add up to one cathartic ride, a ride that psych-heads will be tripping all over themselves to take again and again.” (Sundazed). To the point summarizations of Mad River’s debut LP. So vital, so essential, so addictive. Original US rainbow copy of this awesome beyond belief psych beast. The track “Amphetamine Gazelle”is boss and rules by days and nights. Highest possible recommendation. Top promotional copy complete with promo single. Getting damned near impossible to find impeccable copies of this beast … Price: 400 Euro
1635. MAD RIVER: “S/T” (Capitol – ST-2985) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Top copy, no ring wear, best copy for miles around and getting extremely hard to find pristine copies of these albums. Still housed in SHRINK. Original US rainbow copy of this awesome beyond belief psych beast. The track “Amphetamine Gazelle” is boss and rules by days and nights. Highest possible recommendation. Top copy and getting damned near impossible to find impeccable copies of this beast … Price: 250 Euro
1636. MAD RIVER: “Paradise Bar And Grill” (Capitol – ST-185) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still housed in original shrink). Original 1969 US pressing on green Capitol label. Always a hard one to dig up in immaculate condition as the sleeve is prawn to have always-visible wear and such. This one is pristine on all fronts. Final upgrade copy. Best one around. The follow-up to their legendary debut and final recording, boasting out a totally different musical style that may scare away fans of the very first hour but in retrospect “Paradise bar & Grill” is as good, if not better, than their debut. The LP was completely different from their debut and the tracks largely retreated into country-rock but at the same time inscrutable acidic tunes with vicious guitar riffing and detuned melodies do pop up, making it an extremely diffuse record balancing between styles and moods. Although it may seem unhinged on paper, the whole affair does gel well together and the band veered from country to agonized acid rock that made up their debut. “Paradise Bar and Grill” is a jarring roller coaster ride that made it a hard album for the critics to digest. Still, to these ears, it is as good – if not better – than their debut, reassuring the fact that Mad River was one of the most original acid fried band to seep out of that fertile West Coast scene. Fantastic!! Impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 300 Euro
1637. MAEDA NORIO TO PLAYBOYS: “Enraku No Playboy – Koza 12 Sho” (RCA Records – JRS-7003) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Pin-Up Poster: Near Mint). Brutally rare original 1st press issue of Japanese jazz cum erotic sleaze recording from the tail end of the sixties. Another Japanese erotic oddball artifact that just NEVER comes drifting up to the surface. This, together with Ike Reiko and Sandra Julien slides, is one of the greatest erotic artifacts to seep out of Japan. This time round, no female shrieks and moans in ecstatic pleasure but instead Sanyutei Enraku who later on in his career became one of the most famous Rakugo actors of his generation treats you to spoken interludes. However, here on this head twisting side, Enraku gives advice on how to conquer females and be a true playboy player with unfaultable charm and flair. The music on the other had is deliriously executed cocktail exotica with a vibrant jazz vibe simmering through, all executed with high finesse, conviction and dedication by Maeda Norio and his Playboys – a band that has in its ranks amongst others Uganda creator/ member Muraoka Takeru. Twangey primeval dessert guitars blow up dust, marimba vibes buried under layers of blow, smokey tenor sax lines wake up rattle snakes while metric complexity of the flute and the piano steer the whole group into a turbulent essay of compelling perpetual motion, the high noon desert sun coming out finally in an inspired transition to a bright swinging and playboy bunny spiked up tonality. The perfect soundtrack to your cocktail coked up, stripper infested late night parties. Original bloody rare 1970 pressing that comes housed in a stunning gatefold jacket complete with poster of Matsuoka Kikko who also graces the cover art. One of the greatest erotic vintage slides to seep out of Japan but sadly enough hopelessly rare. First copy I ever see in like a decade, so…Price: Offers!!!!
1638. MAEDA NORIO & ALL STARS: “Rock Communication – Yagi Bushi” (Teichiku Records – SL-1329) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Brutally rare Japan 1st press original all complete with original obi and in virginal condition. Never ever surfaces in this condition with obi. Wicked hybrid jammer that could only be birthed out on the Japanese archipelago from keyboardist and arranger Maeda Norio. This is formidable and jaw-breaking Minyo-infused spiritual jazz funk that saw the light of day in 1970, instantly becoming one of those key albums that took a 60s groovy Japanese sound much further into the future by giving the whole thing a sharper edge, with heavier drums, trippy acidic guitar, freaky flute lines, and swirling keyboards to give the whole thing a vibe that's almost more blacksploitation or kung fu soundtrack than most of what Maeda had done before and thereafter! It is a genetically contaminated intoxicating jazz oddball setting the tone with a theme of traditional Japanese Minyo music, arranging rural folk songs and injecting them with swirling jazz rock, turning it into a combustible mixture and becoming a hypnotic Japanese original sound that immediately infects anyone exposed to it. There will be no way back once contaminated by the groovy bug, turning addicts worldwide into a vicious feeding frenzy while searching for original but always elusive copies. Rock Communication – Yagi Bushi is the top of tops! It is a sound impregnated with melodies that drift on rural nostalgic fumes, invigorated with runs of wicked jazzy vibes, scattered throughout with dashes of an explosive psychedelic rock feel. Norio Maeda is a master who possesses the skill that is the perfect tool to fuse Minyo folk songs with lysergic jazz. As the title says “Rock Communication”, is a head-to-head folk song + psychedelic jazz rock masterpiece. The nostalgic and rural tunes are infiltrated by an urbane flow of jazz and seethed with razor-edge sharp burst of hypnoid rock, shaking the mind and body like experiencing the edge of a speed trip. Tracks are all pretty lively, and work together as a sweet set of grooves – almost with a funky Lalo Schifrin sort of vibe. Freakingly rare especially in this condition and with the obi there to boot so… you may go heavy and deep for this one. Price: Offers!!!!
1639. MAEDA NORIO & INOMATA TAKESHI to The Third: “Jazz Rock for Grand Prix – Indie 500 Mile” (Canyon – CAL-1021) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Killer and brutally awesome jazz rockslide from 1971 in top condition. Flanked with the crème of the crème of Tokyo’s weathered session players such as Mizutani Kimio on acidic guitar, Nakajima Toru (percussion), Inomata Takeshi (ds), Maeda Norio (comp, arr, p, org), Yoshida Kenji – Fukushima Teruyuki – Fushimi Tetsuo, Ohno Eri and Suzuki Takehisa (tp); Nishimura Kiji – Nakazawa Tadataka – Yamashita Haruo – Shigemitsu Domoto (tb); Suzuki Shigeo – Shimizu Makio – Jack F. Conception – Mimori Ichiro – Harada Tadayuki (reeds); Nakamura Sadanori (g) and Suzuki Jun (b). This line-up basically reads as a who is who of Japanese jazz and rock session players and together they unleash a whirlwind of big band psychedelic jazz with thunderous bass, acidic freak out & lysergic guitar onslaughts, groove vibes and funky vibes, all interwoven with snippets of concrete racing sounds that only add on to the already demented eruption of paroxysmic sounds that could trigger tonic spasms when subdued to it. In short, amazing slide that will blow your socks off. Damned rare one but still largely flying under the radar and still undetected by the hipster latte slurping trendsetters, so time to wheel it in before they bomb this one into obscurity and render it inedible just like they did with sushi. Highest recommendation and TOP condition!  Price: Offers!!!

1640. MAEKAWA YOKO & OHNO TETSUYA: “Matsumoto Bon Bon” (Studio 3 – AMS-272) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare butt-shaking, Rare Groove, Soul Jazz Minyo hip-twister that was released around 1974~5 by the Matsumoto Shopping Street Federation out of the Nagano Prefecture in order to put out – as a tiny private press issue – to commemorate the Summer Festival “Natsumatsuri Matsumoto Bon Bon”, an annual girl’s event that has been passed down for generations. Faster than your regular Minyo-styled Bon Odori, Matsumoto Bon Bon is a Minyo hybrid hip twister filled with Samba styled horns, swirling female vocals, jazzy vibes, pulsating bass lines and delirious flutes mixed through a distinct Minyo infested soul pattern. An electrifying summer breeze bouncing off rural festival vibes riding high on the fumes of jazzy waves with Samba-esque flavors, dizzy female choruses, and groovy rhythms. This cat swings like no other, dancefloor incinerating vibes bringing forth a unique crossbreed sound that only could originate out of rural Japan. Think Japanese Jazz mixed with exotic brooding Samba flavors and intoxicated with countrified matsuri dementia and you got this hybridized torcher. Even after years of digging, never seen a copy of this one before until now…stupidly rare private pressing but deliriously infectious sounds that will make headz turn! Top condition. Price: 200 Euro
1641. MAGICAL POWER MAKO: “Super Record” (Polydor – MR 5055) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Near Mint). Comes with 4-paged full colour insert. Original beautiful copy that came out in April 1975. The second and all-time best Mako album, originally issued by Japanese Polydor in 1975. Although MPM went on to record 20+ more records after this one, he would never exceed the spatial exuberance of Super Record. From the liner notes: “Mako's music possesses a certain strange kind of texture. It certainly is what they call rock, but contains elements that we can't describe so succinctly. It clearly goes beyond the various genres of music, and while full of them all, it sends forth a fierce glow. This 'Super Record' shows Mako looking down upon the earth from above, wandering through Alaska and Siberia, the Near East, Okinawa, and South America. Adding to the variety of folk music of India, Turkey, and Russia, his mandolin or Taisho koto, and especially his marvellously performed guitar, expressing fully the odour of the soil and mankind's universality.” Mind expanding greatness is imbedded within this record’s grooves that will certainly enhance your everyday grey existence. One of Japan’s greatest avant-garde meets psych records of all time. Psychedelic instrumentation, backward tape loops, musique concrete, tape music, field recordings, found sound, animal and children sounds are some of the few elements that make this disc so utterly great. One of Japan’s best ever. Hardly turns up these days and this one in excellent and beautiful condition. They do not come better than this one. Price: 150 Euro
1642. MAHAVISHNU JOHN McLAUGHLIN: “My Goal’s Beyond” (Epic – EPIA-53024) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint – still housed in original Shrink/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint – still housed in shrink). Top shape Japan original pressing with obi. Two sides of McLaughlin, both showcasing his spiritual exploratory inclination. The first side of this album features McLaughlin in a group with Billy Cobham, Airto, Charlie Haden, Dave Liebman and Jerry Goodman plus nice Indian touches from Mahalakshmi on sitar and Badal Roy on tabla. They perform two extended numbers, "Peace One" and "Peace Two", both modal free-ish excursions. Side 2 is solo guitar, or rather McLaughlin multi tracking himself, performing number of shorter pieces, like Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Miles' "Blue In Green", plus "Follow Your Heart", "Something Spiritual" and more. Price: 65 Euro

1643. MALINGA, JOE Featuring CLIFFORD THORNTON: “Joe Malinga’s Mandala – Tears For The Children Of Soweto” (Canova – CA-113LP) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Scarce and sadly totally overlooked 1980 original pressing. Former Dollar Brand reedman and South African exile Joe Malinga’s combo that featured Clifford Thornton as the group’s cornerstone. It turned out to be one of the last Clifford Thornton's recordings as well as one of the best recordings by the South-African saxophonist. The music is infused with an omnipresent South-African touch that makes the whole a very well-orchestrated modern jazz classic with flashes of freedom reigned in by Thornton and cohorts and guiding the whole sonic adventure into some South African Township tinted deep groove jazz waters. Highly recommended deep groovy jazz slide that is still (but still for how long?) affordable slide. Price: 100 Euro

1644. MAN: “Revelation” (Dawn Records/ Teichiku Records – UPS-625-YD) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japanese 1st pressing complete with obi. Only the 2nd time ever I see a copy of this beast with obi. Never surfaces!!! Rare Japanese pressing of the 1st Man album, which in my book still ranks up high. Originally issued in 1969 on Pye in the UK, “Revelation” can be regarded as a concept album that yielded a successful European single, "Erotica," which contained the sound of an orgasm and thus failed to chart in England. This version here is the rare Japanese pressing of the album. Overall a fantastic LP and together with their 2nd album the best they ever did. The “Erotica” track is just as sexed up as a song can be and quite a feat for a Welsh outfit that was used to playing in pubs. A classic and indispensable in my opinion. Top copy and the Japanese pressing with OBI is seriously rare! Sonic wise, it also blows the UK pressing straight out of the water. Original 1970 Japanese 1st press. Price: 200 Euro
1645. MAN: “2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle” (Dawn – DNLS.3003) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1969 press copy on the orange Dawn imprint in top condition. “Man's second album was released in 1969, the same year as their debut. In an effort to emphasize the serious nature of their music, Pye records moved Man to their new Dawn label. Ironically, the album title is a flippant description of the physical make-up of an LP record. Relying more and more on instrumental prowess, the opening "Prelude/The storm" is an ambitious scene setter with clear delusions of grandeur. Things continue to build towards a seemingly limitless crescendo before easing off to an altogether more relaxing, almost ambient phase. As we move into "It is as it must be" (originally to be titled "Shit on the world" till the record company took fright), we begin to uncover what would become the essence of the band. Here we have a heavy, bluesy guitar driven riff laden number with the first vocals of the album. Apart from that brief vocal excursion, the track is primarily an elongated jam featuring lead guitar and harmonica. In another example of wonderful incompetence, the record company took exception to the title of the third track. It was therefore changed from "Spunk rock" to "Spunk box" (a record company employee misunderstood the instructions and changed the wrong word!), although the former title has prevailed over time. In view of the way this track has been extended and developed in the live arena, the version here may sound a little tame. It remains though one of Man's signature numbers. My name is Jesus Smith" is the most commercial track on the album, reverting to the Bystanders (from whom Man evolved) light pop rock style with pleasant harmonies. Midway through, the song bizarrely transforms into a hoe-down style country piece. "Parchment and candles" was reputedly performed on a harpsichord belonging to producer/song writer Tony Hatch, who took exception to the band using it without his permission and threw an Elton John style tantrum. The piece itself is a brief reflective instrumental, quite unlike what we have come to expect from Man. The album closes with a Budgie like romp through "Brother Arnold's red and white striped tent". Not a particularly memorable track by any means, but fine all the same.” (Progarchives). A dead stone cold UK classic in top condition, just an amazing slab of music. Highest recommendation, but then you knew that already. Price: 250 Euro
1646. MAN: “Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day” (Liberty Records – LLP-80784) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). First original Japanese press issue from 1972 all complete with insert and pink colored “Rock Now” obi. Stellar sound quality and hardly ever surfaces with obi present. Price: 100 Euro
1647. MAN with JOHN CIPOLLINA: “Maximum Darkness” (Liberty Japan – LLS-80396) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). TOP CONDITION. Rare white label Japanese press promotion copy that comes with never seen before obi!!. Originally released in 1975, Maximum Darkness was the final album by Welsh Rock legends for United Artists Records. Recorded live in 1975 at the Roundhouse as part of a UK tour, Man were at the top of their game on stage. For this concert they were joined by John Cipollina from San Francisco's legendary Quicksilver Messenger Service. A triumphant concert, the album has become legendary. It starts off with Deke's "7171-551" from 'Iceberg' which had been expanded from a perky little single to an 11 minute assault on the senses. Next are "Codine" and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", two old standards that Quicksilver had originally recorded for the 'Revolution' soundtrack album, Deke's vocals on "Codine" are incredible. For the B-side there are two old classics "Many Are Called" and "Bananas" both turned into extended jams with all three guitars getting a chance to stretch out. Stuff of legends…..this being the rarely if ever seen Japanese edition on quality vinyl and with the obi. Rare promotional white label copy to boot. Cipollina rules on this one, so bloody fantastic. Price: 150 Euro
1648. MANDEL, HARVEY: “Cristo Redentor” (Philips – SFX-7418) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent - has some faint trace of storage visible against white background but nothing too serious - no damages or anything, beautiful jacket). Bloody rare Japan 1st original pressing from 1970 that comes housed in Japan ONLY jacket art and is complete with beautiful OBI. White label promo to boot!!! Mandel’s debut remains his best early work, introducing an accomplished blues-rock guitarist capable of producing smooth, fluid lines and a variety of tasteful distortion and buzzing via an assortment of tone pedals and customized amplifiers. He augmented his flash with an adventurous appetite for orchestrated, quasi-classical strings (especially in the eerie symphonic title cut), jazz-blues-rock fusion in the mold of the Electric Flag (as on "Before Six"), and even a bit of country in the presence of top steel guitarist Pete Drake. At once gritty and elegant, Cristo Redentor combines Nick De Caro’s lithe string arrangements with Harvey’s groundbreaking electric guitar technique to create something unearthly, far transcending the narrow blues conventions of many of his contemporaries. Mandel’s long, sinewy guitar lines earned him his nickname “The Snake,” apt not only for his drawn out sustain but also his unpredictability; the listener is never sure where he’s going. He doesn’t follow conventional patterns for soloing within songs. He’s in full slither on the epic “Wade On The Water”, partially recorded onstage at The Avalon Ballroom. “I wanted the song to be a big production number with a wide, live feel and lots of natural reverb,” he said in an interview. It takes a certain vision to record a live band performance in order to get that “big” sound, and then blend it with orchestration in the studio to create a track that seamlessly matches the thread of the album. Who does that? Just pure genius!!! WHITE LABEL PROMO with OBI issue. Just never surfaces…. Price: 250 Euro
1649. MANDRAKE SOM: “Sombossa” (Lexington – LEX-9318) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink/ Obi: Near Mint). Long deleted Japanese press issue. Originally released on EMI Italy in 1975, this is an identical high-quality reissue from years back that came out in Japan. Centered around percussionist Mandrake, Mandrake Som is a killer jazz Bossa disc that swings like a bat out of hell. These Italian dudes remade classic Brazilian Bossa tracks and merged them into groovy whirlpool of booty shaking rhythms intoxicated with Latin Jazz Samba vibes entwined around African induced percussive rattles and shakes executed by Mandrake, spearheading it all. But that is not all, beach samba induced female vocals also drift in and out of the mix, making this album a party beast like no other. Just massive and soul-stirringly exhilarating tour de force. A lost classic. All time highest possible recommendation. Price: 50 Euro
1650. MANFRED MANN: “Original Manfred Mann” (Odeon – OR-8106) (Red Wax Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan original August 1969 pressing that comes housed in Japan only sleeve art. Japan only red wax pressing. Price: 75 Euro
1651. MANFRED MANN: “Chapter Three” (Philips Japan – SFX-7200) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Original 1st Japanese issue all complete with rare OBI. This is truly an exceptional slab of moody, super-funky progressive rock, and one of the era's real lost classics, sounding like a prime late-60s Vertigo Records jazz-rock, heavy on the Hammond, drums and brass. But hey, stay focused will you, this is no ordinary middle-of-the-road crappy jazz-rock LP. Actually, this baby is dark, pitch-black, venomously dark, scary almost. There's a brooding, claustrophobic quality to their sound, which puts it in a totally different timeframe making it just downright evil... draped with some druggy drone-vibe menace, which gets a face through Mike Hugg's vocals, a sort of whispered, rattling, doped-out rasping style narcoleptic, smacked-out drawl making it such an appealing slab of music. Hell, even the flute parts sound like they have been dipped into liquid acid for that matter. The deranged brass blasts tear deep black gasping holes into it all, sucking you into its ever expanding and swirling vortex of infinity. To make it even more alienating sick, the whole gets topped off with some burning feedback, distorted synthesizer sounds, and disembodied haunting choral flashes that all melt down into some potent fat-funked-up grooves making it even more smoky than the whole already was. This is some serious shit here, and upon spinning this one you would wish that only all your records had this musical quality embedded within them. Totally badass and indispensable. A masterpiece that takes no prisoners. Damned rare with obi, only 2nd copy to cross my path in over 2 decades. Price: Offers!!!!
1652. MANFRED MANN: “Chapter Three – Volume Two” (Philips Japan – SFX-7267) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). First original Japanese press – all complete with rare OBI. RED label PROMO Issue. Released in the UK on vertigo, the Japanese issue came out on Philips, the mother company of Vertigo. High quality pressing and comes housed in thick gatefold jacket. The music is similar and the follow-up of chapter one, filled with brooding jazz tinted and psychedelic infested moves, smoky sax lines priggish moves and menacing vocals. Total killer album and a worthy successor to Chapter One. Original 1970 Japanese pressing with the 1st obi present. Promo issue. Price: Offers!!!!
1653. MANGELSDORFF, ALBERT: “Albert Mangelsdorff and his Friends” (MPS Records – YS-2310-MP) (Record: Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Released in June 1970. Original 1st issue with always missing obi on the Japanese MPS label – first pressing released in 1970 in stunningly death mint condition and housed in a thicker than life fold out jacket. On this one Mangelsdorff teams up with other hardcore players Don Cherry, Elvin Jones, Karl Berger, Attila Zoller. Lee Konitz and Wolfgang Dauner. You can hardly go wrong with such a line-up. The music speaks for its self, lyrical free blowing jazz touching on almost divine spheres. Great all over and ultra collectable, especially in this condition and the white MPS label mark. A must. Music totally waxes your jazzing needs towards eternity. Price: 100 Euro
1654. MANGELSDORFF, ALBERT QUINTETT: “Birds Of Underground” (MPS Records – 21 21746-9) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Pristine and virginal German 1st original pressing – impossible to upgrade upon. This beast here is Mangelsdorff at his most out, 1972's Birds of Underground with Heinz Sauer, saxophonist Gerd Dudek, free jazz marvel bassist Buschi Niebergall and drummer Peter Giger for two originals compositions and two free improvisations, representing the burgeoning influence of the avant-garde in Germany at the time. Price: 50 Euro
1655. MANGELSDORFF, ALBERT with JOHN LEWIS & THE ZAGREB JAZZ QUARTET: “Animal Dance” (Atlantic Records – SMJ-7214) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/First Issue Obi: Excellent). Japan very first original press issue with never seen before first issue obi. “This studio date came about as a result of Albert Mangelsdorff’s appearance at the Third Yugoslavian Jazz Festival, where pianist John Lewis was impressed enough with his performance to set up a recording session a few days later. With bassist Karl Theodor Geier and drummer Silvije Glojnaric also on hand, none of the musicians had ever played together, though it made little difference as they quickly absorbed the originals of Lewis and Mangelsdorff, along with the familiar standard "Autumn Leaves" and Gary McFarland’s "Why Are You Blue." The leader's judgment is validated with Mangelsdorff’s impressive work. The final track showcases a separate group, the Zagreb Jazz Quartet, featuring pianist Davor Kajfes, vibraphonist Bosko Petrovic, bassistMiljenko Prohaska and Giojnaric on drums. Long out of print, this Atlantic LP will be somewhat hard to find.” (All Music Guide). Comes housed in fragile flip back sleeve with obi – genuine scarce original. Price: 250 Euro
1656. MANGELSDORFF, ALBERT with JOHN LEWIS & THE ZAGREB JAZZ QUARTET: “Animal Dance” (Atlantic Records – P-4510A) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1975 first original press issue with obi + WHITE LABEL PROMO issue. “This studio date came about as a result of Albert Mangelsdorff’s appearance at the Third Yugoslavian Jazz Festival, where pianist John Lewis was impressed enough with his performance to set up a recording session a few days later. With bassist Karl Theodor Geier and drummer Silvije Glojnaric also on hand, none of the musicians had ever played together, though it made little difference as they quickly absorbed the originals of Lewis and Mangelsdorff, along with the familiar standard "Autumn Leaves" and Gary McFarland’s "Why Are You Blue." The leader's judgment is validated with Mangelsdorff’s impressive work. The final track showcases a separate group, the Zagreb Jazz Quartet, featuring pianist Davor Kajfes, vibraphonist Bosko Petrovic, bassistMiljenko Prohaska and Giojnaric on drums. Long out of print, this Atlantic LP will be somewhat hard to find.” (All Music Guide). Price: 50 Euro
1657. MANSET, GERARD: “S/T” (Odeon – SLOX340 784) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy original French pressing. Damned rare record and possibly the best French disc ever. Well, without a single doubt, this is one of the all-times best LP's to have ever come out of France. Gerard Manset 1st album. With this LP, Manset delivered an instant classic, totally deranged, wild, hyper psychedelic and totally in the tradition of French chanson but at the same time ultra-surreal and psyched out. In short the album has in every song all the elements compacted that good music should have. This it totally IT. The string arrangement and melodies are amongst the best you could find in a 60's French production, and the lyrics are just crazy psych nonsense---Released untimely in 1968 during the student riots in Paris. Fortunately, Manset got some success ten years after and EMI released monster that contains the following killer cuts: Animal On Est Mal, Mon Amour, La Toile Du Maitre, Il Rentre à 8 Heures Du Soir, On Ne Tue Pas Son Prochain, La Femme Fusée, L'une Et L'autre, Je Suis Dieu, Tu T'en Vas, La Dernière Symphonie. Aquarius commented on the music like follows – just to show you an other opinion instead of mine: “Gerard Manset is an underground French treasure, recording records since the late '60s but always avoiding the public spotlight, refusing to do interviews, appear on TV or play any of the other silly games often required to attain mainstream success. With a totally seductive voice, and lush arrangements that are as powerful as they are beautiful, this album recorded during the student riots in Paris in 1968 has become one of those discs we can't stop listening to! There is an urgency and passion in these songs rarely heard in modern music. Manset has the same kind of presence and elegance as folks like Serge Gainsbourg, Caetano Veloso, Michel Polnareff and Scott Walker. This is not ye-ye fluffy French pop. Don't get us wrong we love that stuff, but what makes Manset so damn great is how his songs are so melodic and catchy while also being so sensual and impassioned. Totally smart arrangements that will appeal to both psych and pop lovers.” (Aquarius Records). This record is one weird psychedelic trip down Wonderland Avenue. A fantastic head spinner and all-time highest recommendation. Original French pressing in TOP condition but sadly so hard to find. Price: Offers!!!!
1658. MANTECA: “Ritmo Y Sabor” (GRC – GRC-1085) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Truly 1st original pressing. Like you might know, most copies of this afro-funk bomb have condition issues – that is if copies do surface at all – being either trashed to dead or press-miss problems. So I am thrilled to be able to offer a truly clean copy without any of the previously mentioned issues, probably one of the best copies out there. Manteca is the nickname for master bongosero LazaroPla, a Cuban legend who used to play with Ernesto Lecuona and the Cuban Boys. His Ritmo + Sabor is one of the holy grail Latin funk LPs given its ridiculously funky percussion. It's an interesting album for Manteca since he didn't record out of Cuba much as a solo artist yet this album has been pressedup three times: GRC (Miami), Sound Triangle (Colombia) and Desca(?). And despite that, you'll still end up forking over a few Franklins. The interplay between the bass lines and the percussion section is ridiculously funky not to mention pure rhythm - notice, there's no melodic composition in the song atall. "Gozando Tropical" is more in a conventional Cuban dance style with its piano montuno riff but even here, the hard timbales still put percussion first...sometimes I feel like the song is mis-engineered and should have cooled down the timbales a bit but then I shrug and figure if the drummer wants to get some, who am I to deny? Price: 475 Euro
1659. MARCO DI MARCO – CHRIS WOODS SEXTET: “Together In Paris” (Tam Records – YX-7042) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Another highly butt-shaking deep groovy and funky jazz slide by the always excellent Marco Di Marco, my all-time favorite pianists ever to creep out of Italy - the Italian genius from the 70s! Marco's got a style that features lots of bossa-inspired touches – running up and down the keys with a lively and modalist sound, often backed by an extra-soulful rhythm section and a killer groovy Fender Rhodes electric piano swirls by the man himself, which makes for a style that ranks right up there with some of the best MPS recordings of the 70s. The tunes on this set are were recorded in Paris on November 7th, 1974 and features American altoist Chris Woods in the group – giving the whole a grooving nicely with a cutting and soulful edge. This one here is the damned rare Japanese pressing. So rare, never seen a copy all complete with obi (or without for that matter) as it was released on the tiny Tam records back in 1977. Needles to say these sold almost nothing, making that no copies are floating around. Such a rare Japanese pressing, all complete with never seen “Jazz From Italy” killer obi… awesome!!!! Price: 150 Euro
1660. MARCUS, STEVE with SONNY SHARROCK; VITOUS, MIROSLAV & HUMAIR, DANIEL: “Green Line” (Victor – SMJX-10109) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Hideously rare 1969 Japan only pressing of this free- jazz blaster. Yes, this is what it’s all about, a clash of the titans that balances between heavy thunderous free jazz and intoxicating jazz funk. Recorded and conceived in one take at the Victor Studios in Aoyama, Tokyo on September 11th, 1970, this disc is both a heavy collectible rarity as well as a mind torching beauty that appeals to a wide range of people being hardcore free jazz fanatics as well as funky hip cats and DJ booty shakers. Side A of this disc is the jazz funk slide and opens up with “Melvin” penned by Humair and displaying right from the opening notes a hardcore modal jazz funk groove that will have the funk jazz collector salivation upon hearing it. Truly a funked-up Memphis-jazz rock raver. Marcus blows a breezy and funky melody until Sonny "drifts in and refueling it into a scorcher and you'll end up putting it in your playlist for the commute, just excellent butt shaking freeway groove. Next up is "Mr. Sheets At Night", a Marcus family contribution and total snoozer in comparison with the opening track since it is bestowed with quieter, bowed bass tones but after the first track you want them to keep going not take a breather. This is exactly what they will do, except that for that they will apply to a scorched land technique, ransacking and pillaging all in their wake. So heavy duty awaits you on side two that kicks off with a Miroslav Vitous’ piece, a total splatter, ramshackle slice of demented tumbling down free jazz squeak, the quartet steering into a head-on collision course, an orgy of Bukowskian bohemian battle-feral medicine made of out of layers-and-layers of sonic freewheeling free form blowouts. The Sharrock piece “The Echoes” takes this even to the next level of psychic urban hardcore jazz that alternates between these lightning fast runs and picking and what sounds like trench warfare in rural Afghanistan with a bunch of troglodytes. In all an amazing and sweet ride and the prime effect of this vast intense rush toward a head clearing soul-searching Valhalla is that it will leave you in the end dissected, acidized, turned sideways and inside out as if mystery and obscurity folded up into one complete holy unrationalized sonic mind fuck. Later repressed and equally rare on the Danish Storyville label, this here is the 1st original pressing as released by Victor records in 1970. Just utterly fantastic. TOP COPY! Price: 300 Euro
1661. MARCUS, STEVE & JIRO INAGAKI & HIS SOUL MEDIA: “Something” (Columbia Records – NCB-7003) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1971 pressing all complete with obi and in virginal condition. This is a historic record that morphed into being when sax player Steve Marcus, upon visiting Japan alongside Herbie Mann and Woody Herman, was invited by Inagaki Jiro to team up with him and his group. Next to that, it was also an important marker not only for Japanese jazz but also for recording in general, as it was the first work recorded on PCM digital audio. The end result is this very rare Japanese-only album from American reedman Steve Marcus flanked by the company of Tokyo groovy saxophone blower Jiro Inagaki – who also made some pretty freaky albums of his own! The tracks here are nice and long – longer than usual from Jiro – with extended snakey sax solos from both players, and some sweet electric touches from the Soul Media group – who are more laidback here than on some of their more funk-based outings and with a lineup that included legendary players such as Masahiko Sato (p, elec. p), Ryo Kawasaki (g), Yasuo Arakawa (b), Hajime Ishimatsu (ds), and Seiji Tanaka (ds of the awesome British Rock In Japan LP). Highlights include ‘Fairy Rings’, an original track by Sato, boasting a tight interpretation that makes it a highwater mark. The sidelong B-side however is the freak out part of the record, starting off slowly as an almost tedious tearjerker but quickly morphing into a quivering free-for-all fest that incinerates all in its path, demoniacal, virulent and utterly tantalizing! The whole LP is drop-dead gorgeous and makes for a real standout for both Marcus and Inagaki – turning it into the kind of overlooked early 70s moment that makes digging for Japanese records so exhilarating! Top condition with obi and not an easy bird to catch so…. Price: Offers!!!
1662. MARIANO, CHARLIE QUARTET: “Haru No Umi – East Side & West Side” (RCA Records – JRS-7261) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – middle seam crack/ Obi: Near Mint) Seriously rare Japan only issue of spiritual slide. The material on the first side of this LP can only be found on this issue and it is a real stunner, a jaw-breaker when you put your ears to it where Mariano tackles an interpretation of traditional Japanese music composer and koto master Michio Miyagi's "Haru No Umi" and followed by his own composition "Stone Garden of Ryoan Temple". It is also a surprise to see that Mariano's composition isn't played by the quartet but instead fold out into a quintet with Sadao Watanabe (flute), Masabumi Kikuchi (piano), Masanaga Harada (bass) and Masahiko Togachi (drums). But what a track it is, opening up with a contemplative beginning consisting out of mostly dreamy flute and impressionistic piano before it breaks loose and starts to drift into freer areas. But like the wall around Kyoto's famous Ryoan-ji Zen temple garden with it's 15 stones lying as if by chance in a bed of gravel stones, there is still a frame in the composition. Mariano displays an amazing streak of creativity empowered by some sort of Japan-inspired spiritual awakening that resulted in deeply moving music. The term spiritual gets overused sometimes, but this is truly spiritual music. As the needle drops on the title track that opens the album, you are immediately transported to a different mental space with the sound of Mariano’s sax, Masabumi’s dervish-like piano playing, a hypnotic bass line, drums and flute and a soulful improvisation that reigns it all in. It is yet very subtle but also quite powerful. It is just that sort of record, melding styles and backgrounds into an eclectic and powerful creation of improvisation and jazz composition alike, blending it with dazzling Japonized playing and morphing into momentous and pulsing jazz with a heavily physical & meditative presence. There’s a restrained groove about it at times, such as on the “Stone Garden of Ryoan Temple” track but the ensemble is often reaching toward something greater and more intangible, as with the ascendant notes of Masabumi’s piano salvos. Amazing!! Very first time I have an all complete copy and one of the greatest spiritual jazz slides to seep out of Japan! Seriously rare. Never surfaces all complete with obi. Price: Offers!!!
1663. MARCONI NOTARO: “No Sub Reino Dos Metazoarios” (Discos Rozenblit – LPLCP-009) (Record: Excellent – the disc has a few sleeve lines one can detect under a bright light = best ever condition for this Brazilian original/ Fragile Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). This joyous masterpiece stands musically somewhere between the Lula Cortes 'Satwa' and the 'Paebiru' album with Ze Ramhalo. A poet's vision in mellow song, mixed with tropicalia tinged-folk, Latin and bossa nova rhythms, uplifted by joyful experimentations with electric sounds and trance-inducing effects. Tribal-esque percussion compliments the ragas, created by the beautiful sitar-like instrument 'tricordio', made by Lula himself. “With all of those who started shouting “private press only” after Shadow named an album after those American self-starters who took their recorded destiny into their own hands, consider this: as hard as it might have been to record, press and distribute your very own wax capsule in America in the early ’70s (and as rare, and good, many of them are), doing the same under Brasil’s military dictatorship was markedly more difficult. And releasing a psychedelic, fuzz and effects drenched opus with revolutionary musings disguised within double entendres? Next to impossible. You’d want this one in your collection if it contained just one good track within its beautifully packaged gatefold cover. That this album screams perfection from start to finish just adds to its legendary status. The brainchild of poet Márconi Notaro, alongside his friends and compatriots Lula Cortes and Ze Ramalho (the men behind perhaps the most legendary of Brasil’s private-pressed albums, 1975’s awesome Paebiru), this album contains what can only be described as Brasilian ragas played with the Portuguese guitar and Lula’s own invention, the Tricordio; improvised passages so fluid you’d swear they were scored; psychedelic-funk jams about staying true to one’s origins; and, throughout, Notaro’s complex yet approachable poetry, sung by the poet himself. The highlight of the album, if there is just one: Notaro’s improvised “Nao Tenho Imaginacao Pra Mudar De Mulher (I Don’t Have The Imagination to Change Wives),” a gorgeously melancholic piece that, when one sees it transcribed is nearly impossible to imagine as having flowed directly from the mind of one of the most underrated Brazilian poet/composers.” (Nowagain) One of the rarest and best psychedelic albums to seep out of Brazil and in awesome condition, I do not believe one can find a copy better than this one here…so make your best move and don’t be shy! Price: Offers!!!
1664. MARIO CASTRO NEVES & SAMBA S.A.: “S/T” (RCA VICTOR – BBL-1390) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). One of the rarest Brazilian LP’s out there, 1967 original pressing in absolutely TOP condition of this Brazilian masterpiece: Most copies out there are Peruvian later pressings or trashed to the max Brazilian remnants of what once was a desirable LP. This baby here is probably the cleanest and most perfect copy out there or ever been offered for sale. “Bossa nova has always been a multicultural movement. The American participants (Stan Getz, Bud Shank & Charlie Byrd) were influenced by Brazilian samba; the Brazilian participants (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfa, Joao and Astrud Gilberto) were influenced by American jazz (specifically, cool jazz). And it is no accident that many bossa nova standards have both English and Portuguese translations; bossa nova has long had one eye on the Brazilian market and the other on the English-speaking world. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 1967, Mario Castro-Neves & Samba S.A. is a prime example of bossa nova's multicultural outlook. This LP finds pianist Mario Castro-Neves leading a small Brazilian group, which includes the female vocal duo of Thais and Biba - and instead of having them perform Brazilian songs exclusively - Neves gives the singers a variety of Brazilian and American songs to work with. Clearly, this session was meant to appeal to both Brazilian and English-speaking audiences, which is why familiar Brazilian songs (including Jobim’s "Corcovado" and Walter Santos’ "Vem Balancar") are heard alongside English-language material (such as the standard "Bye Bye Blackbird" and the Chris Montez hit "Keep Talking"). But whether the language is English or Portuguese (mostly the latter), Neves maintains a sensuous and gently swinging approach to the samba rhythm. Samba, of course, can be played aggressively and exuberantly, but the bossa nova recordings of the '60s approached samba in a subtle, relaxed, understated, cool jazz-minded fashion -- and that is the sort of ambience that Neves favors on this pleasing album.” (All Music Guide). This 1967 album by Mario Castro-Neves and his Samba SA group is a real gem -- a breezy vocal group set with an approach that's clearly influenced by the Sergio Mendes Brasil 66 style, but which also has touches of European 60s jazz -- in a cool modal scatting mode that really makes the songs dance around nicely! There's a sparkling sound here that's strongly influenced by bossa, but which also has some sunnier 60s touches too -- and Mario's arranging skills are at an all-time high on the lightly dancing rhythms of the tunes. The sound quality is full of luster and has a fantastic punch, so much richer than the reissue. Top condition 1967 original, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!!!
1665. MARK GLYNNE & BART ZWIER: “Home Comfort” (Divorced Records – DIV-1) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent). Released way back in 1980, Mark Glynne and Bart Zwier’s sole recorded album is one of those rare gems that leave you flabbergasted since it occupies a highly unique sonic playground that can hardly be compared to anything else out there. OK, if you want to be simplistic, one could just quickly label it as Dutch wave and walk away. But “Home Comfort” is so much more. It defies categorization or every attempt to properly describe it. I guess one could say it to be an odd and eerie disc that exists in a highly unique and individual musical and psychological landscape. In a way, to me it comes over like the hybridpost-punk bastard child of Robert Wyatt merging with a slowdowned version of Frank Hannaway & Michael Barclay’s “At Home” record overlaid with a laxative induced sing-speak narrative moves. The end result is an utterly singular and obsessive sound world with an approach completely distinct from anything else going on during the era. Spell-binding to say the least and a longtime favorite over here. Price: 75 Euro

1666. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: “Soul Rebels” (Upsetter) (Record: Excellent/ Laminated Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Rare original 1970 JAMAICAN 1st press issue. “Originally issued in 1970, Soul Rebels was the first album credited to Bob Marley & the Wailers, and it was also the band's first full-length collaboration with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, for whom they had already recorded a string of fairly successful singles. Working with the newly configured Upsetters band, Marley and crew delivered a strange and wonderful set of early reggae that at times plays fast and loose with the already established conventions of the genre -- on "My Cup" the beat sounds inside out, while "It's Alright" sounds like a slightly Jamaicanized version of Motown soul. Other songs, such as the beautifully harmonized "Try Me," show their deep roots in rocksteady. One of the most arresting tracks on the album is the Peter Tosh sung "Four Hundred Years," on which Tosh unburdens himself of some of his typically dread pronouncements in his rich, chesty voice.” (All Music Guide). Original 1970 Jamaican 1st pressing in very nice condition. Opening track has a few audible crackling sounds for a couple of clicks, rest plays beautifully EX. Super nice & clean copy for an original 1970 Jamaican pressing!!! Price: 300 Euro
1667. MARLEY, BOB & THE WAILERS: “Catch A Fire” (Island Records - ILPS-9241) (Record: Near Mint/ Gimmick Zippo Lighter Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Bloody rare top copy 1st original 1973 UK press issue in incredible clean condition. Original UK Pink Rim Island label with matrix numbers being ILPS9241-A-3U / B-4U. It also comes with in the dead wax the crossed-out matrix numbers BML 2001 A-3U / B-4U, identifying it as a genuine first pressing.  Record is near perfect, no defects or blemishes, hard to improve upon. The Zippo lighter gimmick jacket is fully working, opening up without any issues and has the metal hinge ring still attached + comes with Bashing Street address on back. One can detect the faintest trace of wear on the lower seam, for the rest no defects, beautiful condition original copy – one will be hard pressed to upgrade upon this one here. Price: 550 Euro
1668. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS:“Rastaman Vibration” (island Records – ILS-80590) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Scrap Book: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Top condition Japan 1st original pressing from 1976 all complete with rare OBI and Scrapbook present. WHITE label PROMO issue. A righteous classic from the legendary Bob Marley and a set that really pushed the roots reggae sound strongly into the mainstream, almost making the mode the defining global understanding of Jamaican music, thanks to the power and presence of the album! All the Marley Tuff Gong modes are gelling perfectly here, bad-stepping rhythms from The Wailers, sweet backup from the I-Threes, and even some great guitar lines from Chinna Smith, all to complement Marley's tremendous vocal power in the lead that is rising here with majesty! Rare Japan original PROMO issue all complete!!!  Price: 200 Euro
1669. MARLEY, BOB & The WAILERS: “Is This Love b/w Crisis version” (island Records – ILR-20421) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan original press – TEST Press issue. Price: 100 Euro
1670. MARLEY, BOB & The WAILERS: “I Shot The Sheriff b/w Burnin’ and Lootin’” (Island Records – ILR-10719) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent – has a press miss bubble at opening side one, for the rest all perfect/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan original press – WHITE label PROMO issue. One that always gets away and stays elusive. Press miss bubble that causes click…on opening…. Price: 100 Euro
1671. MARS: “3E/ 11,000 Volts” (ZE Records – ZE-12010) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). TOP condition!!! Rare and original Mars EP, 11,000 Volts is for me the personal highlight of this disc, the voice brings the listener straight into a world of the wasted, just as Patti Smith tried on the song Radio Ethiopia. Where 3E is focused and driving, 11,000 Volts can barely get up. It is minimal in a way but with a narcotic twist to it, like mumbling instead of speaking after having visited the dentist. Novocain bliss mixed with post punk bleakness and teenage suburban angst. This can be attributed to Mars being possibly the darkest and most fucked-up no wave group ever to throb the downtown scene, a band with no musicians in the conventional sense. Mars was flung together out of two actors and two visual artists, who wrote garbled crumples of songs – even their instruments slurred, as if there were something terribly wrong with them. Even more dissonant than contemporaries, Mars rampaged their way through their own compositions with no regard for melody or formal musical training. Briefly signed to the ZE Records label, the quartet completed a single, "3E"/"11,000 Volts", before imploding. This is stuff of legends and so brilliantly executed. Highest recommendation. MUST!!! Price: 100 Euro
1672. MARSHALL McLUHAN: “The Medium is the Massage” (CBS Sony Japan – YS-966-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Fully Transcribed 12 Paged Booklet: Near Mint). Very rare Japanese pressing. TOP COPY!!! Released in 1967, this is the audio companion to McLuhan and Fiore’s milestone media/ art theory tract and was assembled by Columbia in-house producer John Simon (his CV also includes Leonard Cohen, Simon and Garfunkel and a documentary LP of the McCarthy trials). “In all this stunning disc is a messy agglomeration of 50s TV announcer voices reading snippets from the book, with a fluctuating backdrop of quotations gone crazy: nonsensical, sped up voices, waltzes, marches, TV tunes, dinner jazz, drum rolls, horror soundtrack splinters, backwards pop and wafts of easy listening” (The Wire). The predecessor of Plunderphonics, inspiration and guiding light for outfits like Negativland and so forth. Totally stunning, hilarious and mind bendingly great. A must – at least to these ears. Original Japanese press that comes housed in a Japan only heavy gatefold jacket complete with fully transcribed 12 page booklet. Price: 75 Euro
1673. MARZETTE WATTS: “Marzette & Co” (ESP Disk – 1044) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Totally vanished and soaring in demand original first 1966 US pressing in outstanding condition – very first sleeve issue with 156 5th Ave., NY address on back. One of the finest releases to come out on the ESP label, a fire breather of the highest echelon. Watts gets flanked by some hardcore dues out of the NY loft scene. Clifford Thornton blows his trombone like an elephant with a hernia. Saxophonist Byard Lancaster, vibraphonist Karl Berger, bassists Juni Booth and Henry Grimes and drummer J.C. Moses contribute to the angry and confused mess. Most startlingly of all is the shocking guitar style of Sonny Sharrock in 1966, which was a world that had not yet been torched by the likes of Hendrix. Sharrock gives the impression that he is possessed, playing in tongues, if you will. Next to impossible to upgrade on this one. Price: 300 Euro
1674. MASS: “Labour Of Love” (4. A.D./ Warner Pioneer Japan – P-11146) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ 4 Paged Booklet: Mint). My secret Holy Grail of British Post-Punk!!!Mass’ one and only studio album, Labour of Love, is extremely creepy. Hardly any light escapes from this dingy slab, and if it does, the dark shadows cast by the haunting atmosphere and brooding bass lines are always lurking behind. Beginning with lengthy opener “sMass,” Labour of Love delves deeper into the churning post-punk that Bauhaus with Mask and Joy Division left open in Closer. Price: 125 Euro
1675. MATCHING MOLE: “Little Red Record” (Epic – ECPL-69) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in original shrink/ Capsule Obi: Mint – still housed in original shrink/ Two-sided imprinted inner sleeve with liner notes and mole design: Near Mint). Freakingly rare Japan 1971 first original pressing with hopelessly rare OBI present and in absolutely top condition. Released in 1971 Little Red Record was Mole's second album. It was produced by Robert Fripp and it features a cameo appearance by Brian Eno. It is the quintessential Canterbury scene album. Matching Mole's style is notably different from their debut album. The group got rid of the song-oriented ballads almost entirely and introduced an even higher amount of jazz-fueled improvisation to their music. However, showcasing the group's members' musical skill does not seem to be the aim of the numerous improvisational arrangements that appear so frequently on Little Red Record. The heavy repeating passages, which often do provide a base for instrumental soloing, create vibrant musical suspense, which makes the music on this record incredibly moody and full of distinctive mysticism. The typical tongue-in-cheek, Canterbury-styled arrangements are all present and flashing their intoxicating tonal colors. This becomes evident with pre-recorded voices and sounds of various conversations played over the band's music, giving the album an eccentric appeal. An incredibly tight unit featuring Phil Miller (Hatfield and the North) on guitar, Dave McRae (Nucleus) on keyboards, Bill McCormick (Quiet Sun, 801) on bass and Wyatt himself on drums and vocals. Compared to their previous work, Red Record goes way far beyond the limits of Rock and Jazz. Even if mostly instrumental the album includes "Gloria Gloom" a magnificent song and one of the very first Wyatt's critical reflections on Music and Socialism. In one word, a classic!!! Rare beyond belief japan 1st original pressing with OBI….never saw one, took me 15 years to find a copy. Impossible to upgrade. Price: Offers!!!!
1676. ANDREW MATHESON & THE BRATS: “Grown Up Wrong” (Mercury – 6317.504) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). 1975 Norway only release that came out in a tiny run of only 563 copies. Still, hardly any original press copies do spring up for sale at all, leading to the believe that fewer than 300 are actually still in existence as sales were depressingly low at the time. That all aside, The Brats – or the Hollywood Brats as they were known sprang from penurious squat-level beginnings, but across 1973-74, these London proto-punks were one of the hottest tickets in town. Daubed in mascara and swanning around the scene on stack heels, they were championed by Keith Moon and wreaked havoc at London’s swankiest clubs, but after they inadvertently aligned themselves with a Kray Twins-affiliated management team, no record company would touch them. Not surprisingly, the band duly disintegrated, though Mercury eventually granted their debut LP Sick On You a limited release (in Norway only) as Grown Up Wrong in 1975 – long after the band had split up but Andrew always clung on to the master tapes of some studio recordings the original band did some years earlier. The music is a glorious mess of spunked out, strung out and drug rattled mid-seventies gutter punk/ glam trash. A riotous splurge of attitood-smeared, New York Dolls-esque raunch’n’roll, Sick On You is still a rough but highly covetable diamond, sparkling with vivid debauched anthems such as Chez Maximes, Courtesan and a provocative, gender-bending cover of The Ronettes’ Then He Kissed Me. One of my all-time fave recordings, took me like forever to find an original spare copy because these babies are so tough to get. The music feels like it left behind the LSD fueled UK psychedelic basement of the late sixties and early seventies to seek only sanctuary in the penthouse of amphetamine-soaked freedom culminating in a glam punk heroin groove that has yet to meet anything coming close to their greatness. Killer. As many copies are quite trashed, this one here is a nice and solid EX copy, will be hard to improve upon this one. One of the best records out there, yet almost no one has an OG filled…this can change NOW!!! Price: Offers!!!
1677. MATSUKAZE KOICHI TRIO: “At Room 427 – Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa” (ALM Records – AL-3002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/Insert: Near Mint). Original rare pressing from 1976 on the highly collectible ALM label, which was also responsible for releasing those Abe Kaoru discs and East Bionic Symphonia amongst others. This one was never released with obi – so all complete first press issue here up for grabs. Comes SIGNED by Furuzawa himself!!! ALM stuff is completely elusive and so hard to find these days, especially those lesser-known deities that appeared on the label. Recorded on November 21st 1975, the trio which consists out of Matsukaze Koichi - on alto sax, tenor; Yamazaki Hiroshi on bass and Furuzawa Ryojiro on drums – make it clear from the start that they are an unrelenting force to be reckoned with. The disc dwells into spiritual free-jazzing melodic areas similar to the Art Ensemble and middle period Classic Quartet Coltrane as far as the rhythm section is concerned). The opening track has some excellent Elvin Jones’ styles drum and snare ruffing’s that underscore Matsukaze’s swirling sax lines. Quite intoxicating in its approach, the tune immediately sets the tone for the remainder of the album to unveil itself in. Melodic, yet free and stuffed to bursting with state-of-the-art improvisational interplay of the highest echelon. The trio certainly demonstrates that they fully master their instruments and that they are fully jacked into the current state of free improvisational interplay, which baffles me why they had so little exposure because they were a top-class act. The whole disc was recorded live before a small audience in – as the title already suggests – in Room 427, a class room of the Chuo University where Matsukaze and Furuzawa were once students. But not let the location fool you, the sound quality is of the highest level and that is all thanks to Mr. Kojima who is a kick ass recording engineer, giving the record a feel like you were sitting on the first bench of the class room. For me personally, this is one of those unsung great free jazz discs to seep out of Japan, a disc that failed to gain any attention, which is so sad. This is brilliantly executed music with a great vibe resonating throughout it, melodic, free, yet at the same time filled with emotion and spine-chilling vaudevillian aesthetic. Limited one time pressing of way back in 1976. Price: 500 Euro
1678. MATSUMOTO HIROSHI & ICHIKAWA HIDEO QUARTET: “Megalopolis” (Victor Records – SMJX-10071) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Killer Japanese free jazz slide from 1968. Long-gone high-quality 2nd pressing that came out 15 years ago - high quality reissue completely identical to the original. Comes with identical obi, pressed on thick audiophile Japanese vinyl and comes in a thicker than life gatefold jacket. The music on the other hand is a sort of crossover, simmering with hypnotic spiritual vibrations, balancing between an improvisational interplay and bare-knuckle group play, hypnotic jazzy vibes popping out of the smog filled skies, ethnic rumbles and space jazz all fusing into one colorful amorphous mass of sonic bliss. Staring off with a distant mesmerizing vibe, the sound gains momentum and slowly builds up towards an entrancing mass of spiritual intoned interplay that makes the ground under your feet swell and become a liquid mass. Free spirited, yet improvisational challenging as well as funky and soulful at the same time, the Quartet proved to be a force to be reckoned with. This was the birth of true Japanese intoned jazz, bridging the gap between group interplay and free improvisational reign without ever loosing direction and steering towards higher planes. A true killer and butt shaker, rich in trance-inducing qualities and hypnotizing/ hallucinatory sonic interplay spiced up with top shelf improvisational interplay. Dead on classic and without a doubt one of the finest spiritual jazz albums to seep out of Japan. Massive!!!! Price: 200 Euro
1679. MATUMBI: “Dub Planet Orbit 1” (Extinguish Records – MR007) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare UK dub slide released in 1980 in a small run of 300 copies only and this copy here is just in top shape. The first Matumbi record was self released by Dennis Bovell as a private pressing and is one of the finest spaced out & heavy dub slides to seep out of that fertile feeding ground that was the UK in the late 1970s. Rarity-wise it rubs shoulders with the Captain Ganja record and it is just one indispensable slide that splits your head open time and time again when playing it. It has the intense Steppers kind of rhythm of that day England, interlocking with hard and melodious tracks that gets spiced up and shaped into a lysergic doped out vibe by Bovell’s own idiosyncratic mixing style. It is a masterpiece and a ground zero that helped to shape the UK’s dub landscape to come and infecting simultaneously underground punk and rock in their direction shifting sonic approach. In retrospect, Matumbi became one's the most essential a modern dub classics! A young Dennis Bovell mans the desk over H. Tenyue, Fergus Jones and Eton Blake’s driving rhythms. Though this doesn't get as way out as some of the spaciest ON-U dubs, Bovell treats the rhythms with a respect they well deserve, while still bringing a fresh outlook to the knob twirling that recasts these mighty rhythms into ghostly soudscapes. Still it is very moody underground dub – a set that's maybe as heavy as anything coming from the Kingston scene at the time! There's a sense of darkness here that may even go beyond – this unusual sense of resonance that's not entirely in On-U territory, but not far off either – although turned maybe towards music that would have more of a crossover appeal to more conventional listeners of Jamaican sounds! Vocals are by DJ Ranking Ruben in a few spots. This one just hardly ever surfaces, especially in such a top condition as this beauty here. If you dig Prince Far I’s “Cry Tuff Dub Encounter” kind of sound, that this head twister is just totally essential. Life will never ever be the same after sitting through this one. Price: 500 Euro
1680. MAX’S KANSAS CITY: “Max’ Kansas City 1976” (Ram Records/ King Records Japan – GP-474) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Very rare Japan 1st original pressing from 1976 all-complete with obi. This record is so good it sets my nuts on fire and makes me wanna dive head first into a pool that only got emptied just yesterday. Originally released in 1976 on the tiny label RAM, Max’ Kansas City is a great compilation of almost all the influential and charismatic bands that frequently played there in the early to mid-'70s. The album serves as a reminder and souvenir of punk's early days, featuring the known (Pere Ubu, Suicide, Wayne County) along with the lesser-known (the Fast, the Brats, Harry Toledo). Unlike many compilations of punk's early days, these rare tracks are all great-sounding studio recordings, with absolutely no lo-fi live tracks. You'll be treated to great, early versions of the classics "Final Solution" by Cleveland experimentalists Pere Ubu, as well as "Rocket U.S.A." by New York's confrontational electronic duo Suicide. Wayne County’s title track lists just about every band that was playing the venue at the time of song's writing, many of them reaching legendary status. The real treasure on this slide is Harry Toledo, who only recorded this one song and one EP at the time. But his “Knots” is one of the greatest downer songs blessed with a glorious early Roxy vibe ever to have been put down on wax. There is something hollow and out of focus simmering over the song and spinning this makes my balls contract violently, crawling straight up into my belly and makes me drift over the line into cheap thrills once in a while. Just beautiful and something I can truly recommend you! If you want to re-experience the New York punk of yesteryear, This LP is the ultimate ticket. Never turns up as at the time in Japan this record sold badly and only around 300 copies were issued. Most copies that turn up are white label promo issues as regular copies just did not sell and were withdrawn following the depressing sales. This copy here is one of the few surviving stock copy issues, just never surfaces. Killer slide. Price: 200 Euro

1681. MAY BLITZ: “S/T” (Vertigo/ Philips Japan – SFX-7326) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Stupidly rare Japan original press – RED label PROMO issue – with mega rare OBI. Just never turns up, first copy to cross my eyes in over 15 years. Top condition. Erected around drummer Tony Newman and two Canadians, guitarist and vocalist Jamie Black and bassist Reid Hudson. Molded in the same vein as power trio format of the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience of that day, May Blitz was nothing like them eventually. Neither were they even remotely as successful. In all, their music is a force to reckon with, an amalgam and excellent combination of hard rock, mixed through with blues and psychedelic touches, which at odd times even got spiced up a bit with a whiff of prog. And with all that going, May Blitz even managed to incorporate a stoner vibe as well as comes most prominently to the foreground on tracks like the drug-oriented “Smoking the Day Away” and “I Don’t Know”. Jamie Blacks guitar and even vocals often sound like methedrine soaked somersaulting madman with lots of axe wielding aesthetics. Shredding out some truly killer and devastatingly wasted guitar shreds that gets underscored and beefed up by Newman’s ass-pounding drumming, the band sounded like combo trying to deal with a collectively raving disorder, stomping out slammy arrangements that charges right ahead in a blustery delirium. Their act is wide open which enables them to be just another bunch of disgruntled wild cats with ideas watching while all the bullshit around them is going down. Just so bloody damned good. Top copy 1st Japan original pressing, next to impossible to score in such immaculate condition as this one here and with the mega rare obi present. Price: Offers!!!
1682. MAYALL, JOHN: “The Turning Point” (Polydor Japan – MP-1457) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – some foxing visible inside the gatefold sleeve/ Attached Insert: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). Comes with rare first issue OBI!!! Scarce Japan original pressing, comes with a Japan only gatefold jacket with attached insert. Well, this is a classic, Mayall at his best. So essential. Japanese press 1st issue…. Stunning and stupefying cheap. Price: 75 Euro
1683. MAYUZUMI TOSHIRO with SAKURAI HIDEAKIRA – NAKATANI NOZOMU & KOJIMA KAZUO with guest performer TEIJI ITO: “Suma No Arashi” (Liberty – LPC-8032) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1970 original pressing all complete with hardly ever seen & hyper rare obi. This is one of the heavy guns blazing out of the rat-hole!!! Copies without the obi float to the surface from time to time but all complete issue with obi is so damned rare, first all-complete copy I can lay my eyes and mittens on in 6 years’ time. That said, this is an all-killer, no-filler heavy and deeply resonating free improvisation and avant-garde slide that rubs shoulders with the most obscure and heavy slides in the genre. The big difference with other improvisational disc is the nature of the instrumentation as Mayuzumi opted for the bare essentials of traditional Japanese ones such as free roaming Koto slashing, delirious flute playing, screaming voice and tribal percussion rattles. On paper that does kind of kilter down the excitement a bit but upon hearing the controlled racket that is unleashed, one begs to differ. The music easily bridges the gap between Noh Gaku, stripped down austere minimalism, total freak out improvisation and free jazz, all mixed with even a gentle dose of latent psychedelic grooves. This is high-tension music where the tiniest gestures trigger apocalyptic waves of sound that result in high voltage reactions by the participants. The group rides the wave of an animated strive and move around as if engaged in some weird form of sonic trench warfare, hurtling in and out of focus where all the movements are dissected into fractious pieces before leaping back into a maniac fury, creating an exploratory sound. Although intuitive in its approach, Suma No Arashi exits totally on its own plane, both impervious to and not interested in trends of any kind. Listening to this feels like standing in the midst of a prison riot in full swing, flashing you by in slow motion, while sweating out heavy psychedelics. Awesome. Rare 1970 first press original with hopelessly rare obi. Take no substitutes! Price: Offers!!!
1684. MC 5: “Kick Out The Jams” (Elektra/ Victor Japan – SJET-8153) (Record: Near Mint – non-sounding faint hairline on side one/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Outer Jacket Cut-Out Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Top condition all complete with die-cut obi stock copy of this uncensored “mother fuckers” heavy ball crusher, released in September 1969 original Electra/ Victor LP by the MC5 “Kick Out The Jams”, all complete with the never-seen-before cut out wrap around obi!!! In short, this complete edition 1st pressing is next to impossible to dig up on these shores. So let me explain about the condition some more. The actual records jacket is total mint as well as the actual record, which I would grade in between excellent and near mint. The wrap-around-cut-out-obi sleeve I would conservatively grade at excellent ~ NM. The wrap-around-obi functions as a slide in that holds the actual record’s jacket and has the words “World New Rock” cut out, which is quite fragile and its often damaged but this one is just pristine without any blemishes. These wrap around die cut obis came out in a series of about 15 albums that next to the MC5 held artists such as Jethro Tull, The Doors, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Zappa’s “Uncle Meat” (last copy I saw of this one sold for 3000 euro here), Tim Buckley’s “Goodbye & Hello”, Pentangle 1st LP, The Loving Spoonful, Rhinoceros, Sweetwater, Ansley Dunbar Retaliation, Joni Mitchell and Noel Harrison. And as far as this MC5 LP is concerned, to make things even more mouth-watering, this here is the uncensored version to boot. So seen against this all, you have a genuine rare gem here for grabs, strictly graded like an ascetic monk crawling the hills in search for spiritual salvation. So therefore, this baby will let you bleed a bit and will have to let it go at…best one I have ever had….Price: Offers!!!
1685. MC5: “Kick Out The Jams” (Elektra – P-8608E) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Japan 1nd press issue all complete with insert and obi and in top condition – impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 100 Euro
1686. MC 5: “Back In The USA” (Atlantic Records Japan – MT-2020) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint) Rarest of the rare Japan all complete first press issue with OBI!!!! Serious shit! Rarest MC5 slide out there with obi – just surfaces…about never ever. Top condition – best ever and this is also the bloody rare 2nd MC5 LP – comes housed in Japan ONLY gatefold jacket + WHITE LABEL PROMO issue, only a handful seem to be in existence. True 1st issue with matrix numbers ending in A-1-1 and A-1-2. “While lacking the monumental impact o Kick Out The Jams, the MC5’s second album is in many regards their best and most influential, its lean, edgy sound anticipating the emergence of both the punk and power pop movements to follow later in the decade. Bookended by a pair of telling covers – Little Richard’s "Tutti Frutti" and Chuck Berry’s "Back in the U.S.A." -- the disc is as much a look back at rock & roll's origins as it is a push forward into the music's future; given the Five’s vaunted revolutionary leanings, for instance, it's both surprising and refreshing to discover the record's emotional centerpiece is a doo wop-inspired ballad, "Let Me Try," that's the most lovely and gentle song in their catalog. The recurring theme which drives Back In The USA is adolescence, its reminiscences alternately fond and embittered -- while cuts like "Tonight," "Teenage Lust," "High School," and "Shakin' Street" celebrate youth in all its rebellious glory, others like "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower" condemn a system which eats its young, filling their heads with lies before sending them off to war. Equally gripping is the record's singular sound -- produced by Jon Landau with an almost complete disregard for the bottom end, Back In The USA captures a live-wire intensity 180 degrees removed from the group's live sound yet perfectly suited to the material at hand, resulting in music which not only salutes the power of rock & roll but also reaffirms it.” (All Music Guide). Top copy and hardly ever offered Japan Only gatefold jacket white label promo issue with narcoleptically rare hardly ever seen OBI present . Very rare to say the least so give me your best shot and do not be shy to flash the cash for this one …. Price: O-O-O-Offers!!!
1687. MC 5: “Back In The USA” (Atlantic Records Japan – MT-2020) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint) Bloody rare 2nd MC5 LP – comes housed in Japan ONLY Gatefold jacket. This is the hyper scarce WHITE LABEL PROMO issue, only a handful seem to be in existence. True 1st issue with matrix numbers ending in A-1-1 and A-1-2. “While lacking the monumental impact o Kick Out The Jams, the MC5’s second album is in many regards their best and most influential, its lean, edgy sound anticipating the emergence of both the punk and power pop movements to follow later in the decade. Bookended by a pair of telling covers – Little Richard’s "Tutti Frutti" and Chuck Berry’s "Back in the U.S.A." -- the disc is as much a look back at rock & roll's origins as it is a push forward into the music's future; given the Five’s vaunted revolutionary leanings, for instance, it's both surprising and refreshing to discover the record's emotional centerpiece is a doo wop-inspired ballad, "Let Me Try," that's the most lovely and gentle song in their catalog. The recurring theme which drives Back In The USA is adolescence, its reminiscences alternately fond and embittered -- while cuts like "Tonight," "Teenage Lust," "High School," and "Shakin' Street" celebrate youth in all its rebellious glory, others like "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower" condemn a system which eats its young, filling their heads with lies before sending them off to war. Equally gripping is the record's singular sound -- produced by Jon Landau with an almost complete disregard for the bottom end, Back In The USA captures a live-wire intensity 180 degrees removed from the group's live sound yet perfectly suited to the material at hand, resulting in music which not only salutes the power of rock & roll but also reaffirms it.” (All Music Guide). Top copy and hardly ever offered Japan Only gatefold jacket white label promo issue. Very rare to say the least…. Price: 450 Euro
1688. MC5: “High Time” (Atlantic – SD-8285) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1971 US WHITE label PROMO virginal Stereo pressing of seminal MC5 slide – all complete with PROMO sleeve with TWO PROMO STICKERS on sleeve. The album kicks off with "Sister Anne", a 7 plus minute hard rock epic about a horny, bad-ass nun who "don't give a damn about evolution/she's a liberated woman she's got the solution." The song ends by fading out of the chorus into a bizarre dual guitar instrumental, but it all works splendidly! High Time may have marked the end of MC5, but the Geoffrey Haslam-produced set still finds the band in fine musical form and as accessible as ever with well-crafted cuts like "Poison" and "Skunk." With this swansong the MC5 finally found an environment in which to cut loose exactly as they pleased. Each track collides off into separate cataclysms that are all their own, loose as hell with an ever-uncoiling energy that oftentimes explodes without warning. Songwriting credits reveals the ascending star of guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith as he wrote half of the album’s eight tracks kicking it all out in a joyful, chaotic and rambunctious racket and spraying it straight down the line. It turned out to be a ferocious third and final album, and also their most fully realized studio creation that finds the band rampaging through a classic set of songs which revel in the dynamic Guitar Army assault of Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist Michael Davis and drummer Dennis Thompson and the insightful/inciteful vocals and lyrics of Rob Tyner. Indispensable and TOP condition with promo stickers! Price: 350 Euro
1689. MC5: “High Time” (Atlantic – P-8139A) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Two-sided Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Insanely rare Japan 1st original pressing all complete with damned rare obi. BLUE label PROMO issue. Second copy with obi I see in real life in the span of 15 years, it is THAT rare. Of the 3 MC5 records released in Japan, only the 1st got pushed and saw some sales, there were the 2 following albums completely bombed and sales shriveled up and withered away in the all-incinerating summer sun, making that copies all complete with obi are nearly extinct. Great condition promo issue, once this one gets snatched up, it will take another decade or more for another one to bubble up to the surface again. Rare to say the least so… Price: Offers!!!!
1690. MC5: “High Time” (Atlantic – P-8139A) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Two-sided Insert: Near Mint). Insanely rare Japan 1st original pressing with insert but no obi. BLUE label PROMO issue. Of the 3 MC5 records released in Japan, only the 1st got pushed and saw some sales, there were the 2 following albums completely bombed and sales shrivelled up and withered away in the all-incinerating summer sun, making that copies all complete with obi are nearly extinct. Great condition promo issue, obi is missing so it comes dirt cheap… Price: 450 Euro
1691. MC5: “Tonight b/w Looking at You” (Atlantic Records Japan – DT-1144) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back kPicture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Lyrics Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1970 original release, MONO pressing in top condition. Man, how do I envy the dayz that bands like this ruled the airwaves and perverted the minds of teenagers. Ankle-shopping fuzz-wah assaults backed up by talking caveman drumming and frazzled bass pulsations and a singer with a blessed voice that is bruised beyond repair. Add some amphetamine-fuelled basement vibes to the overall mix and you have a volatile sonic mixture that can burst into flames at any given second. The MC5 fucking ruled!!! Bloody rare Japan only single release that comes housed in great sleeve art. Top condition and stupidly rare. Price: 400 Euro
1692. McBEE, CECIL: “Mutima” (Strata-East/ Tokuma – JC-7507) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent – some wrinkles on back). Rare Japan original pressing with always missing obi present. “A landmark recording in early creative improvised modern music, bassist Cecil McBee’s recording for the Strata East label is an important document introducing him as a leader from the international jazz-based scene in New York City via his native Tulsa, OK and following a brief mid-'60s stint in Detroit. McBee as a pure musician has staggering technique, rich harmonic ideas, and an indefatigable swing, but it is as a composer that he is set apart from other musicians of this mid-'70s era. "Life Waves" is a stunning piece of composed and improvised music, with a brief clarion horn section setting off McBee’s chordal strumming and harp bop drive. Trumpeter Tex Allen’s brash lines, the incendiary tenor saxophonist George Adams and more thoughtful alto saxophonist Allen Braufman dig into hefty but contrasting solos, while drummer Jimmy Hopps stokes the coals. The other premier piece, "Mutima," has a soaring longer melody switching on and off onto a samba palate that is pretty, beautiful, and much more introspective than other wild and woolly cuts. The legendary but underrecognized flutist Art Webb shines on the floaty free "A Feeling,' and the atypical but wholly contemporized "Tulsa Black," a portent to the music that would be made later in this time period by Sonny Fortune and featuring the wah-wah electric bass guitar work of Cecil McBee, Jr. The two-minute "Voice of the Seventh Angel" sports the disparity of a complex arrangement alongside the beautiful singing of a young Dee Dee Bridgewater, while the marathon "From Within" has McBee performing solo, but overdubbed on two basses in opposite stereo channels, using serene long-toned arco and static pizzicato in arresting sounds that meld into a bridge squawk reminiscent of the saxophone playing of bandmate Adams. In retrospect, McBee’s great career was ostensibly launched well before this recording, having worked with prominently with Charles Lloyd, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef, Charles Tolliver and countless others. "Mutima" (translated as "unseen forces") undoubtedly solidified his stature and brilliance as a major player.” (All Music Guide). Price: 350 Euro
1693. McCOY TYNER: “Live At Newport” (Impulse – SH-3029) (Record: Excellent ~ near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very 1st press issue housed in flimsy flip back sleeve and all complete with very first issue obi. “Live at Newportwas the first live recording McCoy Tyner led, and it happened to be among his most memorable dates for Impulse, but like many memorable sessions, it was the end result of equal parts planning, spontaneity, and talent. According to Willis Conover’s original liner notes, Tyner was worn out from playing Montreal the night before, and he was paired with three musicians he'd never played with before (trumpeter Clark Terry, alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and bassist Bob Cranshaw), two of who were using borrowed instruments. Given such chaotic circumstances, it's not surprising that the quintet (also featuring drummer Mickey Roker, a former colleague of Tyner’s) chose to play two standards, plus Tyner’s "Monk's Blues," Dizzy Gillespie’s "Woody 'n' You," and the improvised opening jam, "Newport Romp." What is a surprise is that not only does the group hold together, but they excel. They sound empathetic, as if they've played many times before, yet there are enough sparks to signal that they're still unsure of what the other will play. The results are thoroughly compelling and unpredictable, even when it's just a Tyner showcase, like "Monk's Blues." Essentially a solo showcase with support from Cranshaw and Roker, Tyner really pushes on this number, beginning it as a Monk homage and pushing it to continually inventive territory. It's the riskiest playing on the record from Tyner but just because Live at Newport isn't as risky as his work with Coltrane during the early '60s doesn't mean it's limp or complacent. It's straight-ahead hard bop in the best possible sense -- accessible but stimulating, engaging and vibrant from beginning to end.” (All Music Guide). Damned scarce Japan first original pressing!!! Price: 200 Euro
1694. McCOY TYNER: “Reaching Fourth” (Impulse – A-33) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Top shape US first original MONO pressing of classic Impulse title with AM-PAR RECORDS CORP notification on label. Pianist McCoy Tyner’s second set as a leader has as of 1996 featured in a trio with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Roy Haynes, Tyner performs two of his originals ("Reaching Fourth" and "Blues Back") plus three standards and "Theme For Ernie." One of the two most original and influential pianists to fully emerge in the 1960s (along with Bill Evans), McCoy Tyner’s unique chord voicings and ease at playing creatively over vamps pushed the evolution of jazz piano forward quite a bit. This outing, although not as intense as his work with the John Coltrane Quartet, is generally memorable and still sounds quite viable 35 years later. Rare and clean US MONO/ AM-PAR very first press original. Price: 275 Euro
1695. McCOY TYNER: “Reaching Fourth” (Impulse – AS-33) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Top shape US original pressing 2nd state label without Am-Par of classic Impulse title. Pianist McCoy Tyner’s second set as a leader has as of 1996 featured in a trio with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Roy Haynes, Tyner performs two of his originals ("Reaching Fourth" and "Blues Back") plus three standards and "Theme For Ernie." One of the two most original and influential pianists to fully emerge in the 1960s (along with Bill Evans), McCoy Tyner’s unique chord voicings and ease at playing creatively over vamps pushed the evolution of jazz piano forward quite a bit. This outing, although not as intense as his work with the John Coltrane Quartet, is generally memorable and still sounds quite viable 35 years later. Rare and clean US original. Price: 175 Euro
1696. McCOY TYNER: “Reaching Forth” (Impulse/ Toshiba – IMP-88083) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint – faint foxing inside gatefold/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Regular stock copy. Japan 2nd press issue all complete with obi and insert. Top condition with only minimal foxing inside gatefold. Price: 40 Euro.
1697. McCOY TYNER: “Time For Tyner” (Blue Note – BST84307) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition US first original pressing - export copy for Japan and all complete with direct import obi and insert. Brilliant work from groundbreaking pianist McCoy Tyner – an album that has him firmly stepping out of the shadow of his old boss John Coltrane – and really taking off with a new level of spiritual jazz expression that Tyner's scene helped to foster in the 70s! The group on the set is a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – and the mixture of Hutcherson's vibes and Tyner's piano is extremely compelling – stretching out in long, rhythmic, modal lines that dance and light the groove no matter what the tune! The rest of the group features Herbie Lewis on bass and Freddie Waits on drums. Classic!!! Price: 100 Euro
1698. McCOY TYNER: “Tender Moments” (Blue Note – BST84275) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in SHRINK/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition US first original pressing - export copy for Japan and all complete with direct import obi and insert. An incredibly strong set by McCoy Tyner – one of his best late 60s sides for Blue Note – and a record that really hints at the majesty he'd attain on record in the 70s! The album features Tyner's piano at the head of a large group that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Bennie Maupin on tenor, and James Spaulding on alto and flute – very hip players who help McCoy forge the early steps in the spiritual ensemble mode that would become his greatest contribution to jazz in the immediate post-Coltrane years. Tyner's writing is out front here, and he's laid out some great charts for the group to groove upon – hitting a spiritual vibe that's very much in the mode of music to come on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz in the 70s! A MUST!!! Price: 100 Euro
1699. McCOY TYNER: “Extensions” (Blue Note – BNLA-006F) (Record: Excellent ~Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in shrink/ Obi: Near Mint). Beautiful condition US first original pressing with sleeve still housed in shrink and complete with Direct Import Obi for export to Japan. Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and players on the set include Alice Coltrane on harp, Gary Bartz on alto, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a wonderful lineup that really holds tightly to the soaring, soulful energy that Tyner spins from his piano – a mode that's never too far out or avant, yet which stretches to the skies with a heavenly vision. The whole thing's wonderful! Price: 100 Euro
1700. McDONALD AND GILES: “S/T” (Atlantic – P-8034A) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original pressing of fabulous UK prog slide that came into fruition following the disintegration of the original King Crimson lineup. In 1970, drummer Michael Giles and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald left King Crimson at the height of their early success and teamed up as a duo for their first and only LP. The result has familiar ingredients of In The Court of the Crimson King with 10+ minute epic opuses adorned with Giles' percussive jazz rhythms and McDonald's knack for woodwinds and reeds. The song writing is more Beatles than Moody Blues presented with ingenious arrangements and warm, punchy sonics making it a favorite for sampled based producers. Comes with OBI. Price: 75 Euro
1701. McINTYRE, KEN with ERIC DOLPHY: “Looking Ahead” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7560) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned scare mid-1960s Japan very first original press issue all complete with first issue obi! Pristine condition. “It was quite fitting that Ken McIntyre had an opportunity to record in a quintet with Eric Dolphy for his multi-instrumental approach was similar to Dolphy’s, although he always had a very different sound. On this LP, McIntyre plays alto on four tunes and flute on two others, while Dolphy mostly plays alto but doubles on flute on one number and switches to bass clarinet for "Dianna." With pianist Walter Bishop Jr., bassist Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor offering concise solos and swinging support, McIntyre somehow almost holds his own with Dolphy on a variety of originals. A very interesting date.” (All Music Guide). Dolphy just never fails to impress and here it is nothing less of earwaxing sonics for days. Damned rare Japan original press issue that sounds fabulous, all complete with obi. Price: 100 Euro
1702. McINTYRE, KEN: “The Year Of The Iron Sheep” (United Artists – UAJ-14015) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). US original pressing in pristine shape. One of the rare hip sides recorded by Alan Douglas during his brief tenure at United Artists – and a key bit of avant jazz that's well worth seeking out! Ken McIntyre was one of the key underground modernists of the early 60s – and apart from a record on New Jazz with Eric Dolphy, most of his other work from the time is quite hard to find. This sublime album from the early 60s features McIntyre in two hip groups – one with bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, pianist Ed Stoute, and trombonist John M Lewis; the other with Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Louis Hayes or Ben Riley on drums. McIntyre plays alto and flute in a mode that's very much in the best Dolphy manner – with a nascent sense of spiritualism mixed with a flurry of new stylistic techniques. Rarely turns up 1963 original in splendid shape. Price: 200 Euro
1703. McLEAN, JACKIE: “4 5 and 6” (Prestige/ Victor Records – RANK-5019) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan very first original press issue from 1961 and all complete with insert and rare OBI. Top copy! “In 1956 Jackie McLean was only beginning to assert himself as a true individualist on the alto saxophone, exploring the lime-flavored microtones of his instrument that purists or the misinformed perceived as being off-key or out of tune. 4, 5 and 6 presents McLean’s quartet on half the date, and tunes with an expanded quintet, and one sextet track -- thus the title. Mal Waldron, himself an unconventional pianist willing to explore different sizings and shadings of progressive jazz, is a wonderful complement for McLean’s notions, with bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor the impervious team everyone wanted for his rhythm section at the time. The quartet versions of "Sentimental Journey," "Why Was I Born?," and "When I Fall in Love" range from totally bluesy, to hard bop ribald, to pensive and hopeful, respectively. These are three great examples of McLean attempting to make the tunes his own, adding a flattened, self-effaced, almost grainy-faced texture to the music without concern for the perfectness of the melody. Donald Byrd joins the fray on his easygoing bopper "Contour," where complex is made simple and enjoyable, while Hank Mobley puts his tenor sax to the test on the lone and lengthy sextet track, a rousing version of Charlie Parker’s risk-laden "Confirmation." It's Waldron’s haunting ballad "Abstraction," with Byrd and McLean’s quick replies, faint and dour, that somewhat illuminates the darker side. As a stand-alone recording, 4, 5 and 6 does not break barriers, but does foreshadow the future of McLean as an innovative musician in an all-too-purist mainstream jazz world.” (All Music Guide). Impossible to find in such a nice condition as this one here! Price: 250 Euro
1704. McLEAN, JACKIE: “4 5 and 6” (Prestige/ Toshiba EMI – LPR-88060) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – some faint foxing due to age/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Clean Japan pressing from 1974 and all complete with insert and rare OBI. Top copy WHITE label PROMO! “In 1956 Jackie McLean was only beginning to assert himself as a true individualist on the alto saxophone, exploring the lime-flavored microtones of his instrument that purists or the misinformed perceived as being off-key or out of tune. 4, 5 and 6 presents McLean’s quartet on half the date, and tunes with an expanded quintet, and one sextet track -- thus the title. Mal Waldron, himself an unconventional pianist willing to explore different sizings and shadings of progressive jazz, is a wonderful complement for McLean’s notions, with bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor the impervious team everyone wanted for his rhythm section at the time. The quartet versions of "Sentimental Journey," "Why Was I Born?," and "When I Fall in Love" range from totally bluesy, to hard bop ribald, to pensive and hopeful, respectively. These are three great examples of McLean attempting to make the tunes his own, adding a flattened, self-effaced, almost grainy-faced texture to the music without concern for the perfectness of the melody. Donald Byrd joins the fray on his easygoing bopper "Contour," where complex is made simple and enjoyable, while Hank Mobley puts his tenor sax to the test on the lone and lengthy sextet track, a rousing version of Charlie Parker’s risk-laden "Confirmation." It's Waldron’s haunting ballad "Abstraction," with Byrd and McLean’s quick replies, faint and dour, that somewhat illuminates the darker side. As a stand-alone recording, 4, 5 and 6 does not break barriers, but does foreshadow the future of McLean as an innovative musician in an all-too-purist mainstream jazz world.” (All Music Guide). Scarce PROMO issue with OBI for cheap! Price: 50 Euro
1705. McLEAN, JACKIE: “Makin’ The Changes” (Prestige – Top Rank/ Victor Records – RANK-5071) (Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan very first original press issue – deep groove and all complete with seriously scarce first issue obi as well. “Makin’ The Changes features altoist Jackie McLean in two different settings. On three selections -- a rollicking "Bean and the Boys," an up-tempo "I Never Knew" and "I Hear a Rhapsody" -- McLean teams up with pianist Mal Waldron in a quartet with bassist Arthur Phipps and drummer Art Taylor. The other three numbers ("What's New," "Chasin' the Bird" and McLean’s original "Jackie's Ghost") have more of a jam session feel, and feature McLean in a sextet with trumpeter Webster Young, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Gil Coggins, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Louis Hayes. In general, the hard bop music is swinging and fairly advanced, a step above the usual jam sessions of the time.” (All Music Guide). First time ever I could lay my mittens on a complete copy with OBI so… don’t think twice it is alright. Price: 200 Euro
1706. McLEAN, JACKIE: “Steeplechase” (Prestige/ Victor – SMJ-7213) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan very first original pressing of all-time classic jazz slide in top shape. Comes complete with hardly ever seen before very first issue obi. Price: 200 Euro
1707. McLEAN, JACKIE: “A Fickle Sonance” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – LNJ-80157) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Clean Japanese press original with obi. Obi has small red ink pen marking on top corner from record label discount back in the day. Stunning! This is one of Jackie McLean's best-ever albums, and it's a haunting mix of hard bop and some of the more modernist tendencies that would inform his "new thing" period. Butch Warren plays bass, and he drives the set with an intensity that reminds us of Mingus and which fits perfectly with Jackie's writing, which is influenced here clearly by the time he spent with Mingus. The title cut is one of the best tracks you'll ever hear on Blue Note, and both Jackie's alto and Tommy Turrentine's trumpet play fantastic solos all the way through. Sonny Clark's on piano, compin' hard and loud, and the whole LP rolls along with a fantastic sense of urgency that you don't always hear on Blue Note. Bass is by Butch Warren, drums by Billy Higgins. Another essential one. Price: 75 Euro

1708. McLEAN, JACKIE: “New and Old Gospel” (Blue Note/ King Records – GXK-8088) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top shape high quality Japanese pressing. One of Jackie McLean's last "new thing" albums for Blue Note what turned out to be a highly unique record that features Ornette Coleman on trumpet! The sound here is stark and hard with slight hints of the soulfulness that the "gospel" in the title might imply, mixed with the angular exploratory sound that McLean had been forging at Blue Note during the mid 60s, giving it a wonderful balance that really gives the record that extra edge. The album's easily one of the most "out" that McLean ever recorded, and the group also includes Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all pushing themselves in the company of the avant jazz giants. Price: 75 Euro
1709. TREVOR McNAMARA: “Yeah Captain” (Nationwide – NLP-029) (Record: Near Mint with only one inaudible hairline on side one/ Jacket: Near Mint) Top condition of hideously rare 1968 Australian psychedelic acid folk masterpiece. Impossible to get in any condition with almost all copies in bad shape, this beauty here is in exceptional condition. Extremely rare Australian LP that saw the light of day way back in 1969 on the tiny, almost inexistant Nationwide label. Playing all instruments, Trevor creates a sound that balanced perfectly the tightrope between psychedelic rock and acid folk, layering it all with multi-layered fuzz guitar, injecting it with acoustic guitar, bone-dry percussion and free-floating bass. Sonic wise, if you must throw in comparisons, it is not totally unlike Fresh Maggots. Damned early original private pressing from Down-Undah, incredibly rare and fucking good! One of the rarest from Australia.  Top shape, next-to-impossible to ever upgrade upon so…don’t be stingy and throw me an offer that does not insult my and your intelligence. Price: Offers!!!!
1710. McNEILL, LLOYD: “Treasures” (Baobab Record No.1) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). US first original pressing from 1976 - a private press gem released on McNeill’s own private imprint. released to small fanfare in 1976 and hence regarded as a unique voice in spiritual jazz, the album finds the flautist continuing his exploration into the fusion of deep spiritual jazz with Brazilian rhythms and melodies. The recording also features a strong cast of musicians including legendary Brazilian pianist Dom Salvador, jazz bassist great Cecil McBee, and a trio of well accomplished percussionists in Portinho, Ray Armando, and Brian Blake. He mines a Brazilian and Latin-inflected vein of jazz, liable to magnificent flights of fancy in McNeill’s contemplative playing, yet thoroughly grounded by a rock-solid backing band. An ear-waxing deep spiritual jazz slide that is still affordable. Great condition copy. Price: 175 Euro
1711. McPHEE, JOE: “Trinity” (CJR Records – CJR-3) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition US first original pressing of elusive Joe McPhee slide that is as rare as and as incendiary as Nation Time. Trinity was the first record where he really began to feel comfortable with his tenor playing. “This trio date from 1971 follows Nation Time chronologically. Trinity is a powerful dose of outer space jazz, blues, and avant-soul from a master of virtually any instrument with a bell. It was recorded in the parish hall of a Catholic church. There are only three tracks on the album, the first of which is the spatially expansive "Ionization." McPhee first picks up a trumpet and then immediately goes to his tenor, accompanied only by drummer Harold E Smith. While at first this sounds like a duet in the manner of Coltrane’s Interstellar Space with Rashied Ali, it quickly moves into a sonic researching of the parameters of that space. Smith moves through polyrhythms at blinding speed, while McPhee tries recontextualizing them without overcompensating. Finally, Mike Kull enters pianissimo, throwing the energy into a tailspin of dynamic response. As Kull’s piano becomes a counterrhythm, McPhee drops out for a bit to let them stretch. And the weave is tight, yet free and clear. When he finally does re-enter, it's at full speed before bringing his trademark slow, deep-soul lyricism into the improvising with both tenor and pocket cornet. "Astral Spirits" has Kull playing an electric piano, which in 1971 was still an instrument with unexplored textural and sonic palettes. McPhee’s tenor playing here is reminiscent of Jerry Butler if he were an "out" soul singer. His playing is rooted in groove and nuance. As if this weren't enough, there is the expressionist work "Delta," with Kull getting into an avant-funk. McPhee goes modal, playing deep blues and Memphis soul without regard for bars and measures. On Trinity, the listener travels the history of sound through time and space. All that's left to do is nod silently in affirmation or weep and gnash your teeth in defeat. Revelatory. Glorious.” (All Music Guide). Drinking in his work on each of his horns over the duration of the album it’s startling how much of McPhee the mature player is already solidly in place and his explanation takes on new candor. Curiously the gothic sword and sorcery cover illustration is left unexplained. FIRE!!!!! Price: 500 Euro
1712. McPHERSON, CHARLES: “Con Alma!” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7450) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has an inaudible hairline on side one/ Jacket: Excellent – lower middle seam crack/ Obi: Near Mint). Seldom seen Japan first original press with blue colored first issue Victor Records OBI. A fantastic album from this great Detroit alto player, and one that has a lot of beautiful lyrical passages that push him way past his straight bebop stuff. Barry Harris plays piano with a sweet mellow vibe, and Clifford Jordan lays down some of his usual sharp tenor solos.  jazz classics by Monk, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie (a mysterious version of "Con Alma") and Dexter Gordon in addition to an original McPherson blues, "I Don't Know," which closely recalls "Parker's Mood." McPherson and Harris both have their share of fine solos, but Jordan takes honors on this set; he is the only musician who was looking beyond bop and playing in a more original style. Price: 50 Euro
1713. MEAT WHIPLASH: “Don’t Slip Up b/w Here It Comes” (Creation – CRE-020) (7 Inch Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent) Original UK press on the collectible Creation Records imprint. East Kilbride a dreary post-modernist industrial wasteland located south-east of Glasgow in Scotland, mostly known for being the home of noise purveyors 'The Jesus and Mary Chain' also sprung from it's womb and spewed out into the world another bunch of leather clad feedback drenched hipsters who went by the name of 'Meat Whiplash'. Following on from the success that 'The Jesus and Mary Chain' displayed with their iconic debut single 'Upside Down', Creation Records owner Alan McGhee signed this bunch of misfits and released their lone release; the genius two-sided single Don't Slip Up b/w Here It Comes. Beautiful reissue of a fantastic brain-fuck of a single, glorious sandpaper feedback emulated through a wind tunnel with shreds of oddly hollow and out of focus ankle-chopping wah, manic cackles acid-soaked drums, creating a beautiful degrading experience of teeth-grinding frenzy! Price: 75 Euro
1714. MERRILL, HELEN with GARY PEACOCK TRIO (Sato Masahiko & Hino Motohiko): “Sposin’” (Victor – SMJX-10132) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1971 1st press issue complete with insert. Has been ages since I last saw a copy. Japan only release – it later came out on the Danish Storyville label as well, but this here is the 1st press edition as released & recorded in Japan. Rarest and to these ears best Helen Merrill recording ever, a Japan only release where she gets backed up by Gary Peacock, Sato Masahiko and Hino Motohiko. With such a line-up, sparks are bound to fly high up into the air. And like expected, this slide delivers heavily and heavenly. Balancing between free roaming flashes and spiritual intoned vocal delights, to these ears this is the greatest LP ever put down by Merrill. The backing group of Sato Masahiko and Hino Motohiko sets the sparks flying off, creating a delirious female vocal spiritually inclined free jazzing masterpiece. Original 1st Japanese pressing, recorded and released when Peacock was living in Japan, this copy is as virginal as a baby’s ass. Killer with no filler. All complete with insert & obi – tough one to find, pristine condition copy! Price: Offers!!!!
1715. MICHEL AND THE FRENCH-CANADIANS: “Cause I Believe b/w Comfort Him” (Polydor – DP-1470) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Lyrics Insert: Near Mint). Damned scarce 1965 Japan only original issue by this great garage band. Only saw the light of day complete with picture sleeve in Japan. Killer garage slide filled with twangey desert echo-y surf guitars, sneaky, sneering & snotty vocals floating on a cloud of teenage angst and a cavemen rhythm section that holds it all together. The B-side is your classic teenage tearjerker that any self-respecting garage combo had to execute in order to wheel in that pussy. If it worked is another question but again … classic! Top of the line Canadian garage psych that has been comped a few times – Boulders comes to mind – and that does not disappoint for a single second. Insanely hard to find in any condition with picture sleeve present but here is a real niche top shelf copy for your nerdy psychedelic needs. Highest recommendation!!! Price: 200 Euro

1718. The MIDDLE CLASS: “Out Of Vogue – You Belong b/w Situations – Insurgence” (Joke Records – 09831) (7 Inch EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare 1978 US first original pressing of totally vanished and obscure punk/ hard core outfit that heralded out of Santa Ana, California. This is classic gnarly almost off the rails recording of totally essential USHC/Punk history. Considered as the first hardcore or proto-hardcore punk record, 1978's Out of Vogue is just faster than fast, like riding bareback a young bull on steroids. Debate continues to this day as to whether or not The Middle Class were the first hardcore band, but even if they weren't, their "Out of Vogue" EP is universally hailed as one of the most influential recordings of the original '70s punk era. Their sound evolved out of a blistering, shouted, arty version of punk, one that had an enormous influence on the hardcore sound that would emerge in the years following their first release. This record features the title track along with three other songs. This pioneering Orange County band's original sides have been notoriously hard to find, landing in the collections of only those willing to pay dearly for them. And yes this copy here is a pristine first original pressing. Blasting this a full throttle, it always makes me feel like a trigger-happy cop in a fear frenzy, trying to fight off a prison riot in full swing! Awesome! Price: 475 Euro
1719. MIDORIKAWA KEIKI: “Five Pieces Of Cake” (Off Beat – ORLP-1002) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare WHITE LABRL PROMO TEST PRESS. Original top condition copy of 1975 and Midorikawa’s first album as a leader, instantly establishing himself as a free roaming force to be reckoned with. The group Midorikawa assembled for this occasion is brilliant and consists out of Keiki Midorikawa (b. cello), Yoshiaki Fujikawa (as. fl), Tadashi Yoshida (tp. marimba), Hiroaki Katayama (ts) and Shoji Nakayama (ds). Heavyweight improvised trance from some of the hardest-thinking subterranean Japanese avantists that roamed the scene during the early and mid 1970s. The way that Midorikawa's unwieldy bass & cello constructs are cocooned in scores of light by Fujikawa’s sax and then exploded by Tadashi’s marimba, Nakayama’s drum shape shifting patterns and Katayama’s trumpet is fairly dazzling. The level of detail and precision is pretty boggling, you can hear the players react, riding sudden waves of pure tone, pulling back into chattering high, phantom exchanges, even some all-out gorgeous moments of sensuous drone. This studio recording is diamond-sharp, allowing you to get all the way inside the players’ uniquely psychedelic and subtly brain-bombing style. Midorikawa really gets into the grain of the strings, drawing thick black overtones and droning harmonics out of cold, silent space. The rest of the group plays soft, breathy tattoos, touching on aspects of Bill Dixon or Donald Ayler before breaking into phantom testifying and odd folk/traditional fragments that would reconcile the screaming, high/lonesome style of the late Kaoru Abe with the love cry of Albert Ayler and the mutant jazz feel of Moondog complete with choruses of small singing bells. There are long sections of soft, intimate exchange that recall the romantic midnight reveries of Frank Lowe and high-wire sections of tense negotiation and silence carving. Indeed, there’s a genuine ‘out of nowhere’ feel to much of this stunning session, with an advanced approach to form that fully internalizes the radical leaps that thinkers like Togashi, Abe, Yoshizawa, Toyozumi and Masayuki Takayanagi made while incorporating moments of extended textural exegesis and an expressive use of stasis and silence. A dead-on classic. So necessary, it unlocks my jaw in pure bewilderment each time I spins this sucker. Highest possible recommendation. Price: 175 Euro

1720. MIDORIKAWA KEIKI & TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Grune Revolution” (Offbeat Records – ORLP-1012) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Here you have another vanished and hardly ever offered Takayanagi related disc. Released under the name of Keiko Midorikawa, this gem is largely overlooked by most heads into or looking after Takayanagi related material. Side A is a side-long improvisation that sets Midorikawa on cello against the acoustic guitar rumblings of Takayanagi. A truly defining moment, free, slow burning, filled with burning emotions, austere and dissonant aesthetics, outward bound and asymmetrical. Takayanagi is just so great here and shows a different side of him we rarely get to hear. Music wise it goes into a similar direction as his “Pulsation” disc with Masahiko Sato out of 1983, with the only difference that here he is interacting with Midorikawa’s cello excursions way back in 1976. The whole affair was recorded live in concert. Boy if I only could have been there. The B-side sets Midorikawa against the piano bashings of Sato Masahiko, creating another outward-bound listening experience. All time highest recommendation and extremely collectable as all other Takayanagi related material. One down part is that after Offbeat Records went bankrupt, the master tapes to this gem got lost so it is unlikely that a reissue on CD will ever see the light of day, making this LP an even more desirable artifact. Price: 150 Euro
1721. MIGHTY BABY: “S/T” (Head – HDLS-6002) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Gatefold Jacket: VG++ ~ Excellent, no ring wear or damages but upon close inspection there has been some color restoration near the spine and some faint signs of handling. So VG++ ‾ EX and not too bad at all except for anal mint freaks). Original 1969 UK pressing!! Record is absolutely top, seems to be unplayed and best condition for this record imaginable!!! “When the Action broke up in the late 60s, they reformed minus Reggie King as Azoth. The Azoth name was short lived, leading the band to settle on Mighty Baby. The Action had played the club circuit for years, releasing many excellent mod singles before plunging into the world of psychedelia. This band had always worked hard, and now they were finally given the luxury to record a long player. Mighty Baby’s album was released in 1969 off the small independent Head label. At this point, Mighty Baby could technically and instrumentally hold their own against rock’s finest: The Grateful Dead, King Crimson, Collosuem, Caravan and the Allman Brothers. The album is miles away from the soulful, sweaty mod garage of their mid 60s singles and could best be described as a melding of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young harmonies, Allman Brothers guitar improv and Notorious Byrd Brothers psychedelia. Few debut openers are as good as the revolutionary Egyptian Tomb. It’s a sleek, powerful piece of psychedelia with strong west coast style guitar interplay. At 5:30 minutes, this great song never falls flat and is definitely one of the defining moments of British acid rock. Same Way From The Sun has a similar stoned vibe with psychedelic echo and sounds like it could have been lifted from a really good latter day Byrds album. The spacious, pounding A Friend You Know But Never See, yet another highlight, rocks really hard with some interesting raga style guitar and has a strange mountain air aura. Other works such as the rural I’m From The Country provided a sound Mighty Baby would further explore on their next album, the equally brilliant “Jug of Love” from 1971. Mighty Baby along with the Action and various band member’s solo careers are one of rock’s great lost family trees. During their peak they were innovative and unstoppable, thus the “English Grateful Dead” label really doesn’t do them any justice.” (the rising storm). Top copy of this freakingly rare top lever acid psych guitar jammer that is by many regarded – and rightly so – as one of the best UK album’s ever to seep out of that pocket in time. Amazing condition but as always minimal wear on the fragile non-laminated gatefold cover which had some retouching near spine, the disc on the other hand is the best condition imaginable, never seen such a perfect one as this copy here NM~MINT all the way, so I guess you have a winner here on your hands. Nice and reasonable price as the jacket is not perfect but disc is best in existence so… Price: Offers!!!
1722. MIGHTY BABY: “A Jug Of Love” (Blue Horizon – 2931-001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Insert: Excellent). Really clean copy and one of the best sleeve condition I have seen so far with hardly any wear. Comes with insert. Original 1971 UK press of their second album and arguably their best. The album was a commercial flop on the short-lived Blue Horizon label and the band’s 2nd 1971 LP remained unheard by most punters at the time. Which was a shame: Mighty Baby’s second album anticipates future developments in aerial guitar music almost as presciently as Pink Floyd’s Meddle. Whereas many psychedelic obscurities merely offer more localized explorations of the new grounds broken by more prominent contemporaries, A Jug of Love stumbles into a unique rarefied headspace. The whole affair is more lysergically intoned as compared to their debut and it has a more spaced out West Coast oriented vibe hovering over it all. The West Coast angle comes when Mighty Baby craft their ego-dissolving sound world without fully abandoning the pop song. Celestial bent notes lock arms with a Crosby, Stills, and Nash-ish chorus in the title track, and “Keep on Jugging” embarks on its third eye-opening voyage from a simple boogie foundation—what concludes with mesmeric bursts of fragmented guitar begins as innocuously as one of The Grateful Dead’s country numbers. Now that is never bad in my book and for Mighty Baby it works gloriously well as their jams never appear to be lost at sea as opposed to many other contemporaries. It especially makes more sense and causes praise when understanding that the whole affair was a rather rushed effort, recorded in barely a week's time. And when knowing this, it makes this album even more ear-bleeding and eye-watering than it initially already was. I for one never get enough of this one. Really nice condition one, record seems as clean as a new born baby’s ass, sleeve as minimal wear on spine only, one of the best so far. Price: Offers!!!
1723. MIHO KEITARO & HIS GROUP: “Sound Poesy Sachio” (Columbia – YS-10071-J) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Picture 4 Page Booklet Inside Gatefold: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Seriously rare Japan 1st original pressing from 1969 all complete with damned rare OBI. Pianist Miho Keitaro’s music is often characterized by its versatility and ability to blend various genres, including jazz, bossa nova, lounge, and experimental sounds. His work on “Sound Poesy Sachio” is no exception, as he employed a diverse range of musical styles to create an almost soundtrack-like atmosphere, that takes inspiration from a close friend of his, the Paris-born car racer Fujisawa Sachio who died, at the age of 25, in a test run accident that same year. With a lot of variety that goes from jazz to bossa nova, instrumental breaks with a few vocal songs and some scat, this is fantastic concept album injected with racecar sounds that are dubbed all over the music. In this way, Miho attempted to pay tribute to "Sachio", also a music lover who came to see his band play in Roppongi and made the comment about Miho’s sound being hard, making Miho rethink his directions. So, he set out to compose an album that Sachio would probably have liked, but "if he would hear it, he'd probably say 'it sucks" recalls Miho with a smile. Treating it as a soundtrack and arranged & performed by Miho, "Sound Poesy" was his tribute to the young racer. A large part is devoted to the racing atmosphere including dialogues inserts, racing sounds & car noises, creating a Grand-Prix's atmosphere. Other parts include female scat singing, Bossa Nova vibes and original laid-back jazzy compositions. The use of saxophone, piano, and light percussion contributes to the mellow, anesthetizing lounge-like ambiance of the music. The soundtrack-like vibe is relatively innovative for the time and Miho was able to seamlessly blend different musical genres to enhance the emotional impact of the overall score. It showcases his talent for creating evocative and memorable soundscapes that complement the visual narratives for Sachio. Killer Japanese jazz slide – largely overlooked and damned rare all complete with obi. Top shape!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1724. MIHO KEITARO & JAZZ ELEVEN: “Kokezaru Kumikyoku" (MCA Records – JMC-5026) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ MINT). Bloody rare stock copy (promo copies are around, stock copies are so scarce) and cleanest copy ever to have crossed my eyes, virginal and perfect condition, like new and impossible to ever upgrade upon!!! Bloody rare album by the under-documented Miho Keitaro & Jazz Eleven, an acidic psyched out jazz combo featuring luminary scenesters such as Sato Masahiko (Amalgamation fame), Ishikawa Akira (Uganda), Takeru Muraoka (Uganda), Inomata Takeshi (swing beast par excellence), Suzuki Takehisa, Kawasaki Ryo (lysergic psyched out and blessed in guitar hired gun slinger), Arakawa Yasuo (bass, see albums with Sato Masahiko such as Palladium, Penetration and Deformation & his contribution on Mizutani Kimio’s “A Path Through Haze” album), Muraoka Minoru (Shakuhachi crossover exploitation free form blower), koto manglers Hideaki Kusumoto and Kazuo Kojima, Kukutada Katada and spaced out female vocalist from beyond our solar system Masuda Mutsumi. Although vaguely similar in its construction as the Sato Masahiko & Soundbreakers “Amalgamation” album, this one is although less known and a zillion times harder to track down. First time ever I have a copy to offer. Following his adventure with the Soundbreakers (creating the exhilarating "Amalgamation" disc), Sato Masahiko steered together with Miho Keitaro further into the crossover pollinated regions of free-jazz, lysergic lounge, psychedelic music, rock and cinematographic sonics. Released in 1971, Kokezaru is a disc that never resurfaces which is a shame since the music is such a forceful experience that will amaze you once you get sucked into it. Opening is a tune that is similar to the opening notes to the first Dirty Harry film, although that Sato's masterwork preceded that soundtrack with several years. After that there is no stopping or slowing down whatsoever, pulling you into its ever-swirling vortex of cocktail lounge, eerie almost ghost-like female scat vocalizations popping up out of the hybrid fog of psyched-out insomnia, free jazz and pure adrenaline infused improvisation. If the Soundbreakers was to your liking, well than this one has written YOU all over it. This is one of those lost gems out of the seventies Japanese underground that foreigners fail to detect. So here you have a chance to considerably broaden up your horizon. Top condition!!!! Price: Offers!!!
1725. MILES DAVIS: “Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud with Generique – L’Assasinat de Carala – Sur l’Autoroute b/w Diner au Motel – Chez Le Photographe Du Motel” (Fontana – SFON-3008) (5 Track EP Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan only jacket art Miles Davis 5 track EP single issue, plays at 33 RPM. Rarely seen but killer EP, both music wise and package wise. Essential for any self respecting jazz head and Miles buff! Price: 40 Euro
1726. The MILES DAVIS QUINTET: “’Round About Midnight” (Columbia – SL-1012) (Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Stupidly rare very first Japan press original in outstanding condition all complete with never offered for sale before first issue OBI. Thelonious Monk may have written the title tune, but Miles Davis makes it all his own here – blowing with a subtle moody magic that makes the album one of his true treasures from the early Columbia Records years! John Coltrane's along on tenor sax – helping Davis expand the sound the pair first forged on Prestige – and also present is the rhythm trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – impeccably recorded here with a wonderful sense of space, and almost a bridge between older Miles modes, and the genius to come. Rare very first Japan press issue with obi. Price: 275 Euro
1727. MILES DAVIS: “Golden Disk” (Prestige/ Nippon Victor – SMJ-7247) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan only release that comes housed in Japan only gatefold jacket art, all complete with first issue obi. All is in great shape and the record is virtually untouched. But the admission price is the sleeve and the obi, hard to improve upon all complete with obi Japan only issue… Price: 50 Euro
1728. MILES DAVIS: “Miles Davis Story Vol. 1” (Prestige/ Nippon Victor – MJ-7044) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very rare early 1960s Japan ONLY Miles release all complete with rare first issue obi. Price: 75 Euro
1729. MILES DAVIS: “Miles Davis Versus Art Blakey” (Philips/ Victor Records – SFL-7232) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint) Very rare 1965 Japan only issue all complete with rarely seen first issue obi. All is in amazing condition. Price: 150 Euro

1730. MILES DAVIS QUINTET: “The Original Quintet (First Recording)” (Prestige – Victor Records – SMJ-7102) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition original first pressing housed in first issue fragile flip back sleeve and all complete with rare obi. Miles Davis’ quintet was formed in 1955 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest combos in jazz history. Each of its members were individual creative forces that could have easily been leaders. Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, tenor sax; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers, bass & Philly Joe Jones, drums. Rarely seen all complete first pressing. Price: 175 Euro
1731. MILES DAVIS QUINTET: “The Original Quintet (First Recording)” (Prestige – Victor Records – SMJX-10076(M) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition original press 2nd issue issue all complete with rare obi. Miles Davis’ quintet was formed in 1955 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest combos in jazz history. Each of its members were individual creative forces that could have easily been leaders. Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, tenor sax; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers, bass & Philly Joe Jones, drums. Price: 75 Euro
1732. MILES DAVIS: “Bags’ Groove” (TOP RANK – RANK-5012) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare Japan first original TOP RANK pressing with rare 1st issue obi in TOP condition. “There are a multitude of reasons why Bags’ Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session – featuring Thelonius Monk -- which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis’ practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins. Or Horace Silver’s uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis’ choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of "Airegin" flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis’ Sketches Of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned "Oleo" features one of Heath’s most impressive displays on Bags’ Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags’ Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections. Likewise, the neophyte as well as the seasoned jazz enthusiast will find much to discover and rediscover throughout the disc.” (All Music Guide). Pristine and virginal condition – damned rare with obi! Price: 275 Euro
1733. MILES DAVIS: “Bags’ Groove” (Prestige/ Nippon Victor – SMJ-7137) (Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan first original pressing with rare 1st issue obi in TOP condition. Very 1st issue housed in fragile flip-back sleeve. “There are a multitude of reasons why Bags’ Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session – featuring Thelonius Monk -- which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis’ practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins. Or Horace Silver’s uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis’ choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of "Airegin" flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis’ Sketches Of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned "Oleo" features one of Heath’s most impressive displays on Bags’ Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags’ Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections. Likewise, the neophyte as well as the seasoned jazz enthusiast will find much to discover and rediscover throughout the disc.” (All Music Guide). Damned rare, 1st time ever I see a copy with obi. Later pressings followed on Top Rank and then the late 1960s equalyy rare gatefold sleeve version, but this baby here was that very first press issue. Eat your heart out! Price: 250 Euro
1734. MILES DAVIS: “Bags’ Groove” (Prestige – SMJX-10044) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare Japan first original pressing with rare 1st issue obi in TOP condition. “There are a multitude of reasons why Bags’ Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session – featuring Thelonius Monk -- which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis’ practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins. Or Horace Silver’s uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis’ choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of "Airegin" flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis’ Sketches Of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned "Oleo" features one of Heath’s most impressive displays on Bags’ Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags’ Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections. Likewise, the neophyte as well as the seasoned jazz enthusiast will find much to discover and rediscover throughout the disc.” (All Music Guide). Price: 75 Euro
1735. MILES DAVIS ALL STARS: “Walkin’” (Prestige – SMJ-7161) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint /OBI: Near Mint). First original Japanese pressing, that comes housed in the first press flip back sleeve and complete with first issue OBI. “The undeniable strength and conviction present in Miles Davis performance on Walkin’, underscores the urgency and passion with which he would rightfully reclaim his status as a primary architect of bop. Davis is supported by his all-stars, consisting of his primary rhythm unit: Horace Silver (piano) Percy Heath (bass), and Kenny Clarke (drums). The sextet featured on the title track, as well as "Blue 'n' Boogie," adds the talents of J.J. Johnson (trombone) and Lucky Thompson (tenor sax). Davis’ quintet includes the primary trio and Dave Schildkraut (alto sax). Walkin’ commences with the extended title track, which follows a standard 12-bar blues theme. While the solos from Johnson and Thomson are unique, Miles retains a palpable sense of extrication from the music -- as if the song was an extension of his solo instead of the other way around. The lethargic rhythms reiterate the subtle adornments of the horn section to the basic trio. In direct contrast to "Walkin'" is a full-tilt jumper, "Blue 'n' Boogie." The improvisation yields some truly memorable solos and exchanges between Davis and Johnson -- who can be heard clearly quoting from Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning." "Solar" maintains a healthy tempo while drawing the listener in to the delicate interplay where the solos often dictate the melody. Horace Silver's piano solo is Ellington-esque in it's subdued elegance. The final track, "Love Me or Leave Me," gives the most solid indication of the direction Miles’ impending breakthrough would take. So swift and certain is each note of his solo, it reflects the accuracy of someone thinking several notes ahead of what he is playing. Walking is a thoroughly solid effort.” (All Music). First time I can encounter a first press issue with obi, TOP condition and rare with obi present. Price: 275 Euro
1736. MILES DAVIS: “Workin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” (Top Rank/ Nippon Victor – RANK-5035) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – small hairline on end side 2/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Bloody rare WHITE label TEST PRESSING with OBI. “Workin’ is the third in a series of four featuring the classic Mils Davis 5tet: Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Like its predecessors Cookin’ and Relaxin’, Workin’ is the product of not one -- as mythology would claim -- but two massively productive recording sessions in May and October of 1956, respectively. Contradicting the standard methodology of preparing fresh material for upcoming albums, Davis and company used their far more intimate knowledge of the tunes the quintet was performing live to inform their studio recordings. As was often the case with Davis, the antithesis of the norm is the rule. Armed with some staggering original compositions, pop standards, show tunes, and the occasional jazz cover, Workin’ is the quintessence of group participation. Davis, as well as Coltrane, actually contributes compositions as well as mesmerizing performances to the album. The band's interaction on "Four" extends the assertion that suggests this quintet plays with the consistency of a single, albeit ten-armed, musician. One needs listen no further than the stream of solos from Davis, Coltrane, garland and Jones with Paul Chambers chasing along with his rhythmic metronome. Beneath the smoldering bop of "Trane's Blues" are some challenging chord progressions that are tossed from musician to musician with deceptive ease. Chambers’ solo stands as one of his defining contributions to this band. In sly acknowledgement to the live shows from which these studio recording sessions were inspired, Davis concludes both sets (read: album sides) with "The Theme" -- a brief and mostly improvised tune -- indicating to patrons that the tab must be settled. In this case, settling the tab might include checking out Steamin’, the final Miles Davis 5tet recording to have been culled from these historic sessions.” (All Music). Rare Japan original WHITE label TEST press issue complete with rare OBI with one side stamped label and other white label. Unique and damned rare item. Price: 350 Euro
1737. MILES DAVIS: “Workin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” (Prestige/ Nippon Victor – SMJ-7162) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Bloody rare 1st original Japanese pressing complete with OBI. “Workin’ is the third in a series of four featuring the classic Mils Davis 5tet: Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Like its predecessors Cookin’ and Relaxin’, Workin’ is the product of not one -- as mythology would claim -- but two massively productive recording sessions in May and October of 1956, respectively. Contradicting the standard methodology of preparing fresh material for upcoming albums, Davis and company used their far more intimate knowledge of the tunes the quintet was performing live to inform their studio recordings. As was often the case with Davis, the antithesis of the norm is the rule. Armed with some staggering original compositions, pop standards, show tunes, and the occasional jazz cover, Workin’ is the quintessence of group participation. Davis, as well as Coltrane, actually contributes compositions as well as mesmerizing performances to the album. The band's interaction on "Four" extends the assertion that suggests this quintet plays with the consistency of a single, albeit ten-armed, musician. One needs listen no further than the stream of solos from Davis, Coltrane, garland and Jones with Paul Chambers chasing along with his rhythmic metronome. Beneath the smoldering bop of "Trane's Blues" are some challenging chord progressions that are tossed from musician to musician with deceptive ease. Chambers’ solo stands as one of his defining contributions to this band. In sly acknowledgement to the live shows from which these studio recording sessions were inspired, Davis concludes both sets (read: album sides) with "The Theme" -- a brief and mostly improvised tune -- indicating to patrons that the tab must be settled. In this case, settling the tab might include checking out Steamin’, the final Miles Davis 5tet recording to have been culled from these historic sessions.” (All Music). Rare 1st original Japanese press issue complete with rare OBI in MINT condition. Price: 275 Euro
1738. MILES DAVIS: “Workin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” (Prestige/ Victor – SMJX-10048(M)) (Record: Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint). Bloody rare 1st original Japanese pressing - 2nd issue - complete with OBI. MONO issue. “Workin’ is the third in a series of four featuring the classic Mils Davis 5tet: Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Like its predecessors Cookin’ and Relaxin’, Workin’ is the product of not one -- as mythology would claim -- but two massively productive recording sessions in May and October of 1956, respectively. Contradicting the standard methodology of preparing fresh material for upcoming albums, Davis and company used their far more intimate knowledge of the tunes the quintet was performing live to inform their studio recordings. As was often the case with Davis, the antithesis of the norm is the rule. Armed with some staggering original compositions, pop standards, show tunes, and the occasional jazz cover, Workin’ is the quintessence of group participation. Davis, as well as Coltrane, actually contributes compositions as well as mesmerizing performances to the album. The band's interaction on "Four" extends the assertion that suggests this quintet plays with the consistency of a single, albeit ten-armed, musician. One needs listen no further than the stream of solos from Davis, Coltrane, garland and Jones with Paul Chambers chasing along with his rhythmic metronome. Beneath the smoldering bop of "Trane's Blues" are some challenging chord progressions that are tossed from musician to musician with deceptive ease. Chambers’ solo stands as one of his defining contributions to this band. In sly acknowledgement to the live shows from which these studio recording sessions were inspired, Davis concludes both sets (read: album sides) with "The Theme" -- a brief and mostly improvised tune -- indicating to patrons that the tab must be settled. In this case, settling the tab might include checking out Steamin’, the final Miles Davis 5tet recording to have been culled from these historic sessions.” (All Music). Rare 1st original Japanese MONO press issue complete with rare OBI in MINT condition. Price: 75 Euro
1739. MILES DAVIS: “Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” (Prestige/ Victor – SMJ-7371) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare very first Japan original pressing all complete with rarely seen very first issue obi. Comes housed in fragile flip back sleeve with black and monochrome gold colored sleeve that only the first issue has. “Relaxin’ features the Miles Davis Quintet in a pair of legendary recording dates -- from May and October of 1956 -- which would generate enough music to produce four separate long-players: Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’ and Steamin’. Each of these is considered not only to be among the pinnacle of Davis’ work, but of the entire bop subgenre as well. As with the other titles, Relaxin’ contains a variety of material which the band had concurrently been performing in their concert appearances. In a brilliant stroke of time conservation, the scheme was hatched for the quintet -- who includes: Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Philly Joe Jones (drums) and Red Garland (piano) -- to perform the equivalent of their live repertoire in the studio for eventual release. The results are consistently superior both in terms of song selection as well as performance. The solid nature of the unit as a singular musical force is immediately apparent. "If I Were a Bell" -- from the play Guys and Dolls -- includes some remarkable soloing via Coltrane and Garland. Davis’ solos are additionally impressive, as they're derived from the same four-note motive as the melody. Hearing the many variations that he comes up with throughout the song conveys how intrigued Davis must have been by the tune, as it stayed in his performance repertoire for decades. Tracks such as "You're My Everything" and "Oleo" highlight the synchronic nature of Davis and Coltrane as they carry each other's melodies while trading off solos. The steady syncopation of Philly Joe Jones keeps the rhythms tight and the delicate interplay all the more conspicuous. Relaxin’ offers something for every degree of jazz enthusiast.” (All Music Guide). Price: 275 Euro
1740. MILES DAVIS QUINTET: “Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJX-10059(M) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition 2nd press issue all complete with rare obi. “Relaxin’ features the Miles Davis Quintet in a pair of legendary recording dates. It contains a variety of material which the band had concurrently been performing in their concert appearances. In a brilliant stroke of time conservation, the scheme was hatched for the quintet -- who includes: Davis trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Philly Joe Jones (drums), and Red Garland (piano) -- to perform the equivalent of their live repertoire in the studio for eventual release. The results are consistently superior both in terms of song selection as well as performance. The solid nature of the unit as a singular musical force is immediately apparent. "If I Were a Bell" -- from the play Guys and Dolls -- includes some remarkable soloing via Coltrane and Garland. Davis’ solos are additionally impressive, as they're derived from the same four-note motive as the melody. Hearing the many variations that he comes up with throughout the song conveys how intrigued Davis must have been by the tune, as it stayed in his performance repertoire for decades. Tracks such as "You're My Everything" and "Oleo" highlight the synchronic nature of Davis and Coltrane as they carry each other's melodies while trading off solos. The steady syncopation of Philly Joe Jones keeps the rhythms tight and the delicate interplay all the more conspicuous. Relaxin’ offers something for every degree of jazz enthusiast.” (All Music Guide). Price: 100 Euro
25 1741. The MILES DAVIS & MILT JACKSON QUINTET/ SEXTET: “S/T” (Top Rank/ Victor Japan – RANK-5030) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Another next-to-impossible to find Japan very first press issue in top condition. All complete with damned rare obi. First time ever I see an all complete original of this essential Miles slide!!! Price: 275 Euro
1742. MILES DAVIS: “Miles” (Top Rank/ Victor Japan – RANK-5066) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: MINT/ Obi: Mint). Bloody rare 1st original pressing complete with 1st issue obi and housed in very first issue fragile flip back sleeve. Hardly ever turns up. Best condition imaginable!!! Price: 250 Euro
1743. MILES DAVIS: “Seven Steps To Heaven” (CBS Columbia – YS-292) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan original that comes housed in Japan only sleeve art. Comes all complete with impossibly rare first issue obi. TOP condition! “Seven Steps To Heaven finds Miles Davis standing yet again on the fault line between stylistic epochs. In early 1963, pianist Wynton Kelly,, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb left to form their own trio, and Davis was forced to form a new band, which included Memphis tenor player George Coleman and bassist Ron Carter.. When Davis next entered the studio in Hollywood, he added local drummer Frank Butler and British studio ace Victor Feldman, who ultimately decided not to go on the road with Davis. It's easy to see why Davis liked Feldman, who contributed the dancing title tune and "Joshua" to the session. On three mellifluous standards -- particularly a cerebral "Basin Street Blues" and a broken-hearted "I Fall in Love Too Easily" -- the pianist plays with an elegant, refined touch, and the kind of rarefied voicings that suggest Ahmad Jamal. Davis responds with some of his most introspective, romantic ballad playing. When Davis returned to New York he finally succeeded in spiriting away a brilliantly gifted 17-year-old drummer from Jackie McLean: Tony Williams. On the title tune you can already hear the difference, as his crisp, driving cymbal beat and jittery, aggressive syncopations propel Davis into the upper reaches of his horn. On "So Near, So Far" the drummer combines with Carter and new pianist Herbie Hancock to expand on a light Afro-Cuban beat with a series of telepathic changes in tempo, texture, and dynamics. Meanwhile, Feldman’s "Joshua" (with its overtones of "So What" and "All Blues") portends the kind of expressive variations on the basic 4/4 pulse that would become the band's trademark, as Davis and Coleman ascend into bebop heaven.” (All Music Guide). Rare 1st original Japan pressing from 1963 in stunning condition. Comes housed in great Japan only design jacket art & with OBI present and flashing its colors. Never seen a complete 1963 first pressing with obi before. Price: 250 Euro
1744. MILES DAVIS: “Porgy And Bess” (Columbia – YS-303) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan very first original press issue all complete with rarely seen very first issue obi. Comes housed in Japan only sleeve art that was only used for the first press issue. Way more than just a simple version of work from Porgy & Bess – and instead, a key collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans – done with a sound that really transforms the tunes! True, the work here is all based on George Gershwin's original compositions – but through his inventively modern arrangements, Gil Evans really pushes the familiar numbers to a whole new place – and Miles glides over the top with some especially shimmering solos! Damned rare Japan original pressing – housed in fragile flip back sleeve and complete with obi. Price: 400 Euro
1745. MILES DAVIS: “Miles Ahead – Orchestra Under the Direction of Gil Evans – Miles Davis + 19” (Columbia – YS-304) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Japan very 1st original press issue that comes in Japan only alternate sleeve art. Top shape 1st press original & comes with rare OBI. “This album is perhaps most significant for the process it set in motion -- the collaboration between Gil Evans and Miles Davis. This album is a miracle in itself, the result of a big gamble on the part of Columbia Records, who put together Evans and Davis, who hadn't worked together since recording the critically admired but commercially unsuccessful sides that would later be issued as The Birth of the Cool. Columbia also allowed Evans to assemble a 19-piece band for the recordings, at a time when big bands were far out of fashion and also at a time when the resulting recordings could not be released until two years in the future. Davis was also expected to carry the album as its only soloist, and manage not to get lost among a cast of supporting musicians that included a huge horn section. To a large extent, he succeeds. Evans’ arrangements in particular are well-suited to the format, and he and Davis formed a deep and close partnership where ideas were swapped back and forth, nurtured, and developed long before they were expressed in the studio. Davis gets off to a great start, with the hyper-kinetic "Springsville," which seems to almost perfectly embody Evans’ and Davis’ partnership with its light, flexible exchanges between soloist and orchestra. He is strongest on the ballads, though, where his subdued and wistful tone rises high above the hushed accompaniment, especially on "Miles Ahead" and "Blues for Pablo". The upbeat "I Don't Want to Be Kissed (By Anyone but You)" is another strong song, but shows the weakness of the format as Davis intersperses a charming, bright, technically challenging solo with a blasting horn section that occasionally buries him. It is a fine end, however, to an album that gave a hint of the greatness that would come as Evans and Davis fine-tuned their partnership over the course of the next several years.” (All Music Guide) rarely seen 1st press original all complete with OBI!!! Top shape. Price: 250 Euro
1746. MILES DAVIS: “Four & More – Recorded Live In Concert” (CBS Records – YS-612-C) (Record: Excellent/ Fragile Flip Back Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent 360 OBI: Near Mint). Scarce Japan 1st original press issue from 1966 complete with rare obi. “In an odd bit of programming, Columbia placed the ballads from Miles Davis’ February 12, 1964, concert on My Funny Valentine and the up-tempo romps on this LP. Davis, probably a bit bored by some of his repertoire and energized by the teenage Tony Williams’ drumming, performed many of his standards at an increasingly faster pace as time went on. These versions of "So What," "Walkin'," "Four," "Joshua," "Seven Steps to Heaven," and even "There Is No Greater Love" are remarkably rapid, with the themes quickly thrown out before Davis, George Coleman and Herbie Hancock take their solos. Highly recommended and rather exciting music, it's one of the last times Davis would be documented playing a full set of standards. Price: 150 Euro
1747. The MILES DAVIS SEXTET & The THELONIUS MONK QUARTET: “Miles & Monk At Newport” (CBS/ NIPPON COLUMBIA – YS-392-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent/ OBI: Near Mint). Original Japan 1st press issue that came out in 1965, housed in a fragile flip back sleeve and all complete with rare first issue obi. Featuring the Miles Davis Sextet and the Thelonious Monk Quartet recorded in 1958 and 1963, respectively, this classic album features two of jazz music's most famous groups at the peak of their powers. This 1958 recording from Miles Davis is, in fact, one of the finest live documents of the classic Kind Of Blue-era group featuring John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, along with the great Bill Evans on piano. Monk's group as usual featured tenor-man Charlie Rouse, with help from Pee Wee Russell on clarinet, and they really stretch out on two ten+ minute tracks. Top condition and gloriously sounding Japan 1st original press, just about never ever surfaces with all complete and in a condition like this beauty here. Price: 150 Euro
1748. MILES DAVIS: “Quiet Nights Arranged and Conducted by Gil Evans” (Nippon Columbia – YS-420-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Damned rare very first original press issue, housed in fragile flip back sleeve and complete with first issue obi. Miles Davis’ final official collaboration with arranger Gil Evans resulted in the original Quiet Nights LP, and six minutes were taken up by a quintet performance of "Summer Night." The six remaining tracks are enjoyable enough (highlighted by "Once Upon a Summertime" and "Corcovado"), but rather brief. Price: 250 Euro
1749. MILES DAVIS: “Mode Study – Milestones/ Kind Of Blue” (Nippon Columbia/ CBS – SL-1223~4-C) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 4 Paged Booklet: Near Mint/ First issue OBI: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1966 Japan only Miles Davis issue. Just never surfaces, first copy I encounter in over 15 years time. Top condition in near perfect condition, impossible to lay your mittens on a better copy of this beast. Killer artwork!!! Price: 250 Euro

1750. MILES DAVIS: “In Person At the Blackhawk, San Francisco Vol. 2” (Columbia – SL-1090) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint, has one tiny scuff mark on side 2/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare 1962 first Japanese press issue. Never seen before White label PROMO issue with hand-stamped catalogue number. The second volume from Miles Davis’ legendary two-night stand at the Blackhawk in 1961 with his new quintet -- which featured Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb - is as stunning as the first. Price: 200 Euro
1751. MILES DAVIS: “In Person Vol. 1 – Friday & Saturday Nights At The Blackhawk, San Francisco” (Columbia – PSS-89-C) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip-back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1964 press issue. Price: 150 Euro
1752. MILES DAVIS: “In Person Vol. 2 – Friday & Saturday Nights At The Blackhawk, San Francisco” (Columbia – PSS-90-C) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip-back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1964 press issue. Price: 150 Euro
1753. MILES DAVIS: “Birth Of Cool” (Capitol – CR-8035) (TEST PRESS Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has 3 hairlines marks on side B that are inaudible/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Beautiful Japanese original pressing with obi – rarely if hardly ever offered TEST PRESS issue. “So dubbed because these three sessions -- two from early 1949, one from March 1950 -- are where the sound known as cool jazz essentially formed, Birth of the Cool remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. This is where the elasticity of bop was married with skillful, big-band arrangements and a relaxed, subdued mood that made it all seem easy, even at its most intricate. After all, there's a reason why this music was called cool; it has a hip, detached elegance, never getting too hot, even as the rhythms skip and jump. Indeed, the most remarkable thing about these sessions -- arranged by Gil Evans and featuring such heavy-hitters as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Max Roach -- is that they sound intimate, as the nonet never pushes too hard, never sounds like the work of nine musicians. Furthermore, the group keeps things short and concise (probably the result of the running time of singles, but the results are the same), which keeps the focus on the tones and tunes. The virtuosity led to relaxing, stylish mood music as the end result -- the very thing that came to define West Coast or "cool" jazz -- but this music is so inventive, it remains alluring even after its influence has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream” (All Music Guide) Totally essential and ear blisteringly beautiful. Price: 200 Euro
1754. MILES DAVIS: “Birth Of Cool” (Capitol – CR-8035) (Red Wax Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Beautiful Japanese original pressing with obi and the record pressed on red wax. “So dubbed because these three sessions -- two from early 1949, one from March 1950 -- are where the sound known as cool jazz essentially formed, Birth of the Cool remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. This is where the elasticity of bop was married with skillful, big-band arrangements and a relaxed, subdued mood that made it all seem easy, even at its most intricate. After all, there's a reason why this music was called cool; it has a hip, detached elegance, never getting too hot, even as the rhythms skip and jump. Indeed, the most remarkable thing about these sessions -- arranged by Gil Evans and featuring such heavy-hitters as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Max Roach -- is that they sound intimate, as the nonet never pushes too hard, never sounds like the work of nine musicians. Furthermore, the group keeps things short and concise (probably the result of the running time of singles, but the results are the same), which keeps the focus on the tones and tunes. The virtuosity led to relaxing, stylish mood music as the end result -- the very thing that came to define West Coast or "cool" jazz -- but this music is so inventive, it remains alluring even after its influence has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream” (All Music Guide) Totally essential and ear blisteringly beautiful. Price: 150 Euro
1755. MILES DAVIS: “Blue Moods” (Liberty – LR-8814) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1st press original complete with rare obi. This is the rare WHITE LABEL PROMO issue that comes on RED WAX!!!! Promo ONLY red wax pressing. Comes housed in Japan ONLY jacket art. “In the '50s, the party line among New York jazz critics was that hard bop was the "true faith" and that cool jazz was lightweight and unemotional. But Miles Davis knew better. The trumpeter (whose Birth Of Cool sessions of 1949-1950 proved to be incredibly influential) was smart enough to realize that cool jazz and hard bop were equally valid parts of the house that Charlie Parker built, and he had no problem working with cool jazzmen one minute and hard boppers the next. Recorded for Charles Mingus’ Debut label in 1955, Blue Moods is an excellent example of cool jazz. However, not all of the musicians who join Davis on this album were full-time members of jazz's cool school. Although vibist Teddy Charles was cool-oriented, Mingus (upright bass) and Elvin Jones (drums) were never considered cool players -- and the lyrical trombonist Britt Woodman was, in the '50s, best known for his association with Duke Ellington. Nonetheless, the things that characterized cool jazz -- subtlety, restraint, and understatement – characterize Blue Moods. Mingus and Jones were certainly capable of being forceful and aggressive, but you won't hear them being intense on this disc; a very laid-back, gently introspective approach prevails on interpretations of "Easy Living," "Alone Together," "Nature Boy," and "There's No You."(All Music Guide). Impossibly clean top condition. Price: 150 Euro
1756. MILES DAVIS with SONNY ROLLINS: “DIG” (Prestige – SMJ-7571) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). “One of the great draws of jazz music is how its greatest players all tended to collaborate with each other, and the combination of Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins on Dig is no exception. These sessions, recorded in 1951 for the Prestige label, feel like a playful and inventive introduction between Davis and Rollins. Dig, though, is also an album haunted. 1951 found Davis—along with Rollins and drummer Art Blakey—dealing with drug addiction. He had been loved in Paris in the late ‘40s, and the perceived ambivalence that met him when he returned to New York sent him reeling. Davis turned to heroin, and would spend the first half of the ‘50s trying to shake the habit. These sessions have a sound about them that seems to reflect, intentionally or not, that emptiness Davis felt. There’s a cavernous feel to these recording. You can sense a huge space between the different instruments, and you can almost feel the size of the studio itself. The recording itself also does this hefty atmosphere no favors. The title track itself was a heavily played jazz number, but here it feels fresh and expansive. Rollins and Davis trade solos back and forth, growing in intensity as they do, until the two rise as high as they can go and converge for the explosive last minute of the track. It’s a version based in a seemingly uncontrolled inertia. The playing just takes them over and they charge forward with a youthful exuberance. “Denial” too shows them as musicians on fire. Davis in particular blasts the song open with his quick-fire solos, and Rollins drifts in on his wake and keeps the sound churning.” (Matthew Fiander) Mint condition!!!! Price: 150 Euro
1757. MILES DAVIS: “Blue Haze” (Prestige – SMJ-7573-M) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). “Blue Haze documents two Prestige sessions from May 1953 and March 1954 (plus "I'll Remember April," with altoist Davey Schildkraut from the April 3, 1954 session that yielded half of Walkin’) During this time, a resurgent Miles Davis began to zero in on his own style and sound, taking significant steps away from the rhythmic and harmonic devices of his mentor Dizzy Gillespie. Paralleling his recorded work for Blue Note, Davis was also working with some of the greatest rhythm players in the history of jazz. Blue Haze finds Davis the lone featured horn. "When Lights Are Low" is one of Benny Carter’s most famous melodies, and the song-like cadences suit the ripe, chipper tone of Davis’ horn. John Lewis’ Monk-ish chords signal the sprightly head to "Tune Up," as Percy Heath and Max Roach groove manfully along. "Miles Ahead" is derived from Davis’ earlier "Milestones”. Davis’ loping solo illustrates his leisurely ease in constructing a melody, but his dancing eights with Roach illuminate what fires simmer beneath the surface. Cut by cut, this set documents the trumpeter's search for his ideal rhythm mates. Thanks to Heath, Art Blakey and especially Horace Silver, Davis here sounds far more relaxed, swinging, and rhythmically complex on his famous melody "Four." Their interplay on "Old Devil Moon" is a study in give and take, tension and release. And aroused as he is by Heath’s booming blues beat, Blakey’s ghostly sizzle cymbal, and Silver’s taut accompaniment, Davis turns the title tune into as expressive a film noir blues as you're likely to hear this side of Raymond Chandler” (All Music Guide) Top condition!!!! Price: 150 Euro
1758. MILES DAVIS: “Ascenseur Pour l’Echafaud” (Philips – SFX-7170) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Rare Japan original pressing of stunning Miles slide – all complete with scarce OBI. Comes housed in heavy Japan only gatefold sleeve. “Jazz and film noir are perfect bedfellows, as evidenced by the soundtrack of Louis Malle's Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold). This dark and seductive tale is wonderfully accentuated by the late-'50s cool or bop music of Miles Davis, played with French jazzmen -- bassist Pierre Michelot, pianist René Urtreger, and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen -- and American expatriate drummer Kenny Clarke. This recording evokes the sensual nature of a mysterious chanteuse and the contrasting scurrying rat race lifestyle of the times, when the popularity of the automobile, cigarettes, and the late-night bar scene were central figures. Davis had seen a screening of the movie prior to his making of this music, and knew exactly how to portray the smoky hazed or frantic scenes though sonic imagery, dictated by the trumpeter mainly in D-minor and C-seventh chords. Michelot is as important a figure as the trumpeter because he sets the tone, as on the stalking "Visite du Vigile." While the mood of the soundtrack is generally dour and somber, the group collectively picks up the pace exponentially on "Diner au Motel." At times the distinctive Davis trumpet style is echoed into dire straits or death wish motifs, as on "Generique" or "L'Assassinat de Carala," respectively. Clarke is his usual marvelous self, and listeners should pay close attention to the able Urtreger, by no means a virtuoso but a capable and flexible accompanist. This recording can stand proudly alongside Duke Ellington's music from Anatomy of a Murder and the soundtrack of Play Misty for Me as great achievements of artistic excellence in fusing dramatic scenes with equally compelling modern jazz music.” (All Music Guide) Top condition, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 100 Euro
1759. MILES DAVIS: “Volume 1” (Blue Note/ Toshiba – NR-8830) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Super clean 1970 Japan original Blue Note pressing all complete with obi. Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name, recorded with players that include Jimmy Heath, JJ Johnson, Gil Coggins, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Jackie McLean, and Oscar Pettiford. Tunes are shorter, and perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. Price: 50 Euro
1760. MILES DAVIS: “Volume 2” (Blue Note/ Toshiba – NR-8831) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Super clean 1970 Japan original Blue Note pressing all complete with obi. "An ambitious showcase for modern jazz's greatest composers (J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Bud Powell, Jimmy Heath, Walter Fuller, and Dizzy Gillespie), and a remarkable rhythm section (drummer Art Blakey, bassist Percy Heath, and the obscure pianist Gil Coggins). A dynamic front line of Davis, trombonist J.J. Johnson, and the bassist's brother Jimmy Heath on tenor saxophone, gives each tune big-band weight and texture. J.J. Johnson's lilting "Kelo" and tragic "Enigma" proceed from the orchestral tradition of Birth of the Cool, and his taut, velvety, tenor trombone counterpoint contrasts nicely with Davis' burnished mid-range and brassy cry." (Allmusic). Price: 50 Euro
1761. MILES DAVIS: “Quiet Nights” – Arranged and Conducted By Gil Evans” (CBS Sony – SONP-50163) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink/ Cap Obi: Mint still housed in shrink). Japanese high-quality pressing – 2nd press issue in top shape. Price: 50 Euro
1762. MILES DAVIS: “Round About Midnight” (CBS Sony – SOPC-57139) (Record: Mint/ Capsule Obi: Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still in shrink). Rare 1st original Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl in impeccable condition. Price: 75 Euro
1763. MILES DAVIS: “Kind Of Blue” (CBS Sony – SONP-50027) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japanese high quality pressing of seminal Miles davis slide. Top condition and all complete with obi. Price: 75 Euro
1764. MILES DAVIS: “Sorcerer” (CBS – YS-952-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has some foxing on back/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned scarce WHITE label PROMO issue all complete with very first issue 360 OBI. “Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colourings. Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles -- this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock’s "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory. The emphasis is as much on complex, interweaving chords and a coolly relaxed sound as it is on sheer improvisation, though each member tears off thoroughly compelling solos. Still, the individual flights aren't placed at the forefront the way they were on the two predecessors -- it all merges together, pointing toward the dense soundscapes of Miles’ later '60s work. It's such a layered, intriguing work that the final cut, recorded in 1962 with Bob Dorough on vocals, is an utterly jarring, inappropriate way to end the record, even if it's intended as a tribute to Miles’ then-girlfriend (later, his wife), Cicely Tyson (whose image graces the cover).” (All Music Guide) Price: 175 Euro
1765. MILES DAVIS: “Sorcerer” (CBS – YS-952-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Same title as the one listed above but a pristine and virginal condition Japan 1st original pressing - stock copy and all complete with first issue OBI. Top shape and dirt cheap!!! Price: 100 Euro
1766. MILES DAVIS: “Sketches of Spain” (Columbia – CL-1480) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent with promotional stamp on back of sleeve) Top condition US first original pressing – pretty scarce PROMO MONO issue with earliest matrix numbers being 1B/1F. MNever issued as a white label promo – instead this one came out with the “Demonstration Record – Not For Sale” imprinted over the 6 Eye Columbia labels on both sides. Hard to find a promo mono in such exquisite shape. Price: 400 Euro
1767. MILES DAVIS: “Bitches Brew” (CBS Sony – SOPJ-58~59) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – no defects at all but has some ageing mildew spots visible/ 2 Inserts: Near Mint/ Cap Obi: Near Mint). Nice condition QUADRAPHONIC version of the always stellar Bitches Brew. Has been a while since I last had a Quad copy to offer. Price: 75 Euro
1768. MILES DAVIS: “Bitches Brew” (CBS Sony – SOPL-24~25) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 2 separate Inserts: Near Mint). Scarce SQ Quadraphonic Japanese pressing. Obi is missing so this one comes dead cheap. Top condition and killer sonics. Price: 50 Euro
1769. MILES DAVIS: “Black Beauty Miles Davis At Fillmore West” (Sony CBS – SOPJ-39~40) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Coated Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japanese press – all complete with OBI. WHITE label PROMO issue! Recorded on April 10, 1970, Miles Davis and his band lit up the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco. The core-melting line-up consisted out of Dave Holland on electric bass, Jack DeJohnette pounding away on the drums, and not least of all Chick Corea. Corea has quite amassed some air-pollution like music that defies good taste and such but on this record the man seems to be gifted with fire-breathing fingertips, coming over like almost a totally deranged sonic terrorist, coaxing sapphire bullets of pure hedonist distortion out of his Fender Rhodes and coating the overall sonic assault into a veil of auditory hallucination caused by ring modulator madness. Fronting all this mayhem is of course Miles Davis who begins to flirt with funk rhythms and tossing out more structured song forms in favor of theme-based improvisation. same strong opening theme before veering in different directions; just jaw-dropping great. Original Japanese pressing housed in coated heavy gatefold jacket. Top shape PROMO with obi. Price: 150 Euro
1770. MILES DAVIS: “Black Beauty Miles Davis At Fillmore West” (Sony CBS – 28AP-2156) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink/ 2 Inserts: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). 2nd issue Japanese press – all complete with OBI and housed in shrink. Recorded on April 10, 1970, Miles Davis and his band lit up the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco. The core-melting line-up consisted out of Dave Holland on electric bass, Jack DeJohnette pounding away on the drums, and not least of all Chick Corea. Corea has quite amassed some air-pollution like music that defies good taste and such but on this record the man seems to be gifted with fire-breathing fingertips, coming over like almost a totally deranged sonic terrorist, coaxing sapphire bullets of pure hedonist distortion out of his Fender Rhodes and coating the overall sonic assault into a veil of auditory hallucination caused by ring modulator madness. Fronting all this mayhem is of course Miles Davis who begins to flirt with funk rhythms and tossing out more structured song forms in favor of theme-based improvisation. same strong opening theme before veering in different directions; just jaw-dropping great. Japanese pressing with obi. Top shape. Price: 75 Euro
1771. MILES DAVIS: “Live - Evil” (CBS SONY – 28AP-2153‾4) (2 LP Record & Gatefold Jacket & Capsule Obi: Mint & SEALED Condition). Japanese original pressing – green capsule obi version in sealed condition. Live Evil is one of Miles’ most confusing and illuminating documents. As a double album, it features very different settings of his band (actually two very different bands) that featured Michael Henderson, Jack DeJohnette, John McLaughlin, Gary Bartz, Keith Jarret & Airto. The result with these members in a live setting showed compositions that grooved hard and fast, touching on the great funkiness that would come on later. Other members on a different studio recording included Ron Carter, Dave Holland and Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock and Hermeto Pascal. The live material is wonderfully immediate and fiery all cream with enthusiasm, brimming over with a winding, whirring kind of dynamic that seems to turn them back in on themselves, as if the band was really pushing in a free direction that Miles was trying to rein in. It's an awesome record. This is the sound of transition and complexity, and somehow it still grooves wonderfully. Sealed Japan press with obi…Price: 100 Euro
1772. MILES DAVIS: “At Fillmore” (CBS SONY – 28AP-2157-8) (2 LP Record & Gatefold Jacket & Capsule Obi: Mint & SEALED Condition). Japanese original pressing – green capsule obi version in sealed condition. Top copy Japan high quality first original pressing. With the reviews for Bitches Brew in full swing and Steve Grossman firmly established in the saxophone chair recently vacated by Wayne Shorter, Miles threw the band a curveball -- he added Keith Jarrett on organ to a band that already included bassist Dave Holland, electric pianist Chick Corea, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Miles was playing a four-night stand at the Fillmore East. This double-LP puts together selections from each night, without regard for repetition. But no matter how familiar you are with this-period Miles, It's About That Time is still shocking - it has the same incredibly raw electricity that, say, Dylan's Albert Hall concert has; far edgier than Bitches Brew turned out to be. It's sometimes as if the band are impatiently and angrily re-inventing the material every few seconds. That over-used cliché about 'telepathic interplay' was surely never more appropriate. The sheer rush of ideas is astonishing. Impossible to find better as this one here. Price: 100 Euro

1773. MILES DAVIS: “At The Fillmore” (CBS Sony – 28AP-2157~8) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 2 Inserts: Near Mint/ Capsule Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original. Price: 75 Euro

 
1774. MILES DAVIS: “In Concert” (Columbia – KG-32092) (2 LP Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Virginal US very first original pressing – total MINT condition, time machine-like condition copy. Pristine condition that is just perfect for your nerdy archival needs….Price: 75 Euro
1775. MILES DAVIS: “Dark Magus” (CBS Sony – 40AP-741~2) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top shape and all complete first press issue. “Dark Magus is a live recording of a very specific 1974 Carnegie Hall date that included most, but not all, of the members who recorded the classics Agharta and Pangaea. While drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas were all present, the key element of Sonny Fortune was not yet in the band. Saxophonists David Liebman and Azar Lawrence were doubling in the saxophone chairs, while Dominique Gaumont with his Jimi Hendrix-styled effects and riffs, was the band's third guitarist. The deep voodoo funk that gelled on the aforementioned recordings hadn't yet come together on this night at Carnegie, near the end of a tour. Featuring four titles, all of them Swahili names for the numbers one through four, Dark Magus is a jam record. By this point, Miles was no longer really rehearsing his bands; they showed up and caught a whiff of what he wanted and went with it. Rhythms, colors, keys -- all of them would shift and change at Davis' whim. There were no melodies outside of a three-note vamp on "Wili" and a few riff-oriented melodics on "Tatu" -- the rest is all deep rhythm-based funk and dark groove. Greasy, mysterious, and full of menacing energy, Dark Magus shows a band at the end of its rope, desperate to change because the story has torn itself out of the book, but not knowing where to go and turning in on itself instead. These dynamics have the feel of unresolved, boiling tension. Gaumont’s effects-laden guitar playing overshadows the real guitarists in the band: Cosey and his partner, the rhythmically inventive Lucas. Gaumont doesn't fit naturally, so he tries to dazzle his way in -- check the way Miles cuts his solos off so abruptly while letting the others dovetail and segue. Ultimately, Dark Magus is an over-the-top ride into the fragmented mind of Miles and his 1974 band; its rhythm section is the most compelling of any jazz-rock band in history, but the front lines, while captivating, are too loose and uneven to sustain the listener for the entire ride.” (All Music Guide) Top condition! Price: 125 Euro
1776. MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE: “Live In Stockholm 1960” (DIW Records – DIW-25006‾25007) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi with attached 2 sided insert: Near Mint). This awesome 2 LP set features John Coltrane with the Miles Davis Quintet just a short time before Trane went out on his own. Davis sounds inspired by his star tenor and although Coltrane was reportedly bored with the repertoire ("On Green Dolphin Street," "All Blues," "Fran-Dance," "Walkin'" and two versions of "So What"), he is at his most explorative throughout this often-stunning music. In addition, the rhythm section (pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb) had been together for two years and is really tight. This highly recommended set also includes a brief interview with Coltrane from this period. Comes housed in a thick shiny gatefold jacket art, all complete with a 2 sided insert unto which the obi is attached. The pressing quality and sound is marvelous. Does not turn up too often. Price: 50 Euro
1777. MILES DAVIS: “The Artistry Of Miles Davis” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-9022~3) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 4 Paged Booklet inside gatefold: Near Mint/ Big Poster: Near Mint with NO pinholes/ OBI: Near Mint). Scarce Japan only issue – MONO of Miles Davis Prestige recordings. This copy comes all complete with obi, booklet and the always-missing poster. A must for Miles completists! Top condition. Price: 100 Euro
1778. MILES DAVIS: “Miles Davis Story” (Prestige – SMJ-7575~7M) ( 3 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Individual Imprinted Inner Sleeves: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Slip Case Gold Foil Box Set: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan only 3 LP set that came out in 1972 and comes housed in cool slip case box set. Price: 50 Euro
1779. MILK FROM CHELTENHAM: “Triptych of Poisoners” (It’s war Boys) (Blue Wax Record: Near Mint/ Handmade Silkscreen Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1983 UK press of 300 copies. Amos of the Homosexuals released this gem on his own It's War Boys label in 1983. All the material was recorded between 1979 and 1981 and released in an edition of 300. “Triptych of Poisoners” is an outstanding and truly eccentric record, packaged in a striking collage design that seems to owe a bit more to the medium’s Dada pioneers than that of most late 70’s groups employing it for shock effect. Occupying a space somewhere between the darkest L.A Free Music Society recordings, New York No Wave and early Public Image Ltd, it offers a handful of miniature explorations of free-rock, primitive tape collage and rough song-forms. Nothing on this record behaves in any way like the average post-punk record, least of all the sound quality since the material was recorded, mostly on a cassette recorder and although band leader Lepke claims to have wanted Milk from Cheltenham to sound like the Beach Boys, Triptych of Poisoners is a barrage of twisted avant pop, art rock, sound collages, and experimental noise that bears some semblance to This Heat, Residents, and Henry Cow, but primarily explores uncharted musical waters. This record seems less like a rock record and more like a documentation of some seriously underground, possibly illegal, avant-garde activity. This is a truly exceptional record, visionary in the most unpretentious way and both wonderfully intuitive and hugely ambitious. Rare as expected but here is an original copy for you to drool over. Price: 200 Euro
1780. The MILLENIUM: “Begin” (Columbia – CS-9663) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: VG++ ~ Excellent – some faint spine wear and signs of storage wear on back/ Insert: Near Mint). Original US first press issue in outstanding nick. Promotional copy with “Demonstration Record – Not For Sale” stamp on back of cover. Comes with always-missing and ridiculously rare insert present. The insert has the “flap” still attached and not taken off!! A dreamy little rock treat! The Millennium fit nicely on the bookshelf between The Free Design, Sagittarius and the Beach Boys – and this debut album is the group's reigning masterpiece! The tracks are beautifully produced – with a landmark pop-sike sound that's loaded with Sunshine touches – floating in slightly experimental LA late 60s production, and topped with honest simple lyrics that should be cloying, but somehow manage to work fantastically! The album's the crowning masterpiece of the legendary Curt Boettcher – and still stands as his greatest triumph! Price: 400 Euro
1781. The STEVE MILLER BAND: “Sailor” (Capitol Records – CP-8577) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan 1st original pressing that comes on blood red wax and complete with insert. “Most definitely a part of the late-'60s West Coast psychedelic blues revolution that was becoming hipper than hip, Steve Miller was also always acutely aware of both the British psychedelic movement that was swirling in tandem and of where the future lay, and how that would evolve into something even more remarkable. The result of all those ideas, of course, came together on 1968's magnificent Sailor LP. What was begun on Children Of The Future is more fully realized on Sailor, most notably on the opening "Song for Our Ancestors," which begins with a foghorn and only gets stranger from there. Indeed, the song precognizes Pink Floyd’s 1971 opus "Echoes" to such an extent that one wonders how much the latter enjoyed Miller’s own wild ride. Elsewhere, the beautiful, slow "Dear Mary" positively shimmers in a haze of declared love, while the heavy drumbeats and rock riffing guitar of "Living in the U.S.A." are a powerful reminder that the Steve Miller Band, no matter what other paths they meandered down, could rock out with the best of them. And, of course, this is the LP that introduced many to the Johnny Guitar Watson classic "Gangster of Love," a song that would become almost wholly Miller’s own, giving the fans an alter ego to caress long before "The Joker" arose to show his hand. Rounding out Miller’s love of the blues is an excellent rendering of Jimmy Reed's "You're So Fine." At their blues-loving best, Sailor is a classic Miller recording and a must-have -- especially for the more contemporary fan, where it becomes an initiation into a past of mythic proportion.” (All Music Guide). Sailor was the first Steve Miller to be released in Japan and was followed by Children of the Future, which was the band’s first release. That aside, dead clean red wax Japanese original is a bitch to dig up, top condition – obi is missing in action so comes cheap. Price: 300 Euro

1782. The STEVE MILLER BAND: “Children Of The Future” (Capitol – CP-8685) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). WHITE label PROMO issue. Comes with insanely rare obi present and with finally the Obi also in pristine condition. “A psychedelic blues rock-out, 1968's Children Of The Future marked Steve Miller’s earliest attempt at the ascent that brought him supersonic superstardom. Recorded at Olympic Studios in London with storied producer Glyn Johns at the helm, the set played out as pure West Coast rock inflected with decade-of-love psychedelia but intriguingly cloaked in the misty pathos of the U.K. blues ethic. Though bandmate Boz Scaggs contributed a few songs, the bulk of the material was written by Miller while working as a janitor at a music studio in Texas earlier in the year. The best of his efforts resonate in a side one free-for-all that launches with the keys and swirls of the title track and segues smoothly through "Pushed Me Through It" and "In My First Mind," bound for the epic, hazy, lazy, organ-inflected "The Beauty of Time Is That It's Snowing," which ebbs and flows in ways that are continually surprising. The second half of the LP is cast in a different light -- a clutch of songs that groove together but don't have the same sleepy flow. Though it has since attained classic status – Miller himself was still performing it eight years later – Scaggs’ "Baby's Callin' Me Home" is a sparse, lightly instrumentalized piece of good old '60s San Francisco pop. His "Steppin' Stone," on the other hand, is a raucous, heavy-handed blues freakout with a low-riding bass and guitar breaks that angle out in all directions. And whether the title capitalized at all on the Monkees similarly titled song, released a year earlier, is anybody's guess. Children Of The Future was a brilliant debut. And while it is certainly a product of its era, it's still a vibrant reminder of just how the blues co-opted the mainstream to magnificent success.” (All Music Guide). The first Miller Band LP to see the light of day but only the 2nd one to come out in Japan. This is ant all-complete issue with obi also in top shape and another heavy fave around here. Price: Offers!!!
1783. The STEVE MILLER BAND: “Brave New World” (Capitol Records – CP-8744) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). 1969 Japan 1st original pressing – white label promo issue in top condition. Brave New World was more fully realized, and rocked harder, than Miller’s previous outings. His guitar playing is the star of this album, blazing across the whole affair more prominently than on any other release in his lengthy career; many of the songs have a power trio feel. In addition to the fine guitar work, Miller’s vocals are stronger here, and during this era in general, than they would be in his hit making days in the mid-'70s, when he was much more laid-back and overdubbed. Succumbing to a hippier, dippier breeziness previously obscured by raw blues, Brave New World is Steve Miller's first full-blown plunge into the Technicolor waters of the Summer of Love. The record starts with the sound of an exploding A-bomb and quickly trips into harmonized sha-la-las, boogie-blues bass lines, and other signifiers of late-'60s, California-fried rock. Tim Davis sizzles on drums while the Space Cowboy goes intergalactic, groovier and more nuanced than ever. Listen for hints of "Fly Like an Eagle" in the Paul McCartney-backed "My Dark Hour." A truly gorgeous album. Studiply rare all complete with obi. Top condition! Price: Offers!!!
1784. The STEVE MILLER BAND: “Dear Mary B/w Sittin’ In Circles” (Capitol Records – CR-2274) (Red Wax 7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: excellent). Rare Japan only picture sleeve first original pressing. Comes pressed on Toshiba Records red colored antistatic vinyl. Top condition. Price: 250 Euro
1785. The STEVE MILLER BAND: “Going To The Country b/w Never Kill Another Man” (Capitol – CR-2637) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Damned scare Steve Miller Band Japan only single issue with picture sleeve. WHITE label PROMO issue. Price: 150 Euro

1786. STEVE MILLER BAND: “Living In The U.S.A b/w Quicksilver Girl” (Capitol/ Toshiba – CR-2176) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan only picture sleeve issue in top shape. Price: 150 Euro
1787. MINGUS, CHARLIE: “Tijuana Moods” (RCA Victor – LSP-2533) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). US original 1962 stereo pressing in truly outstanding condition! This record has always condition issues when you see it, trashed sleeve and record with lines and marks etc… but this one here is exceptionally clean. All white sleeve with NO defects and no discoloration, just perfect. The record has no spindle marks, no signs of use, amazingly clean and overall TOP condition…impossible to ever upgrade upon for this amazing slide from 1962. What a killer slide and it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! Recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962, the album's actually a treasure that predates the better-known latter sides -- with a sharpness and intensity that Mingus hardly ever matched again! The group is one of his strongest ever -- with Shafi Hadi on alto, Clarence Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Bill Triglia on piano. There's a slight Latin and Mexican/ Spanish vibe simmering throughout, not unlike Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orhcestra LP -- but it's very slight overall, and most of the tunes are in that sharply angular, fully expressive style that flowered most strongly for Mingus in the late 50s. There's not a wasted moment of music on the whole album -- with tight solos and incredible rhythms that dominate every second of the extended tracks - Damned rare unearthing Tijuana Moods in NM condition, but here you finally have it. Price: 225 Euro
1788. MINGUS, CHARLIE: “Tijuana Moods” (RCA – RGP-1168) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Insanely clean and mean Japanese pressing of this outstanding Mingus slide. All complete with obi and insert, virginal condition and impossible to find a better copy. Deliriously cheap, stupidly amazing music. Price: 30 Euro
1789. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Tonight at Noon” (Atlantic/ Nippon Victor – SMJ-7218) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Excellent – has a perforated corner/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan very first press issue all complete with obi. “Tonight, At Noon is, essentially, a compilation album -- although not in the usual sense. There are two distinct sessions that make up its contents: a 1957 date with Jimmy Knepper on trombone, drummer Dannie Richmond, saxophonist Shafi Hadi and pianist Wade Legge and a 1960 session with Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk on saxes, Knepper, bassist Doug Watkins, Mingus on piano, and Richmond. The feel of the two sets is different to be sure, but this is far from throwaway material; the tunes here are actually studio outtakes from the recordings for the Clown and Oh Yeah. While the former session features Mingus going for the blues via European harmonics and melodic approaches with hard bop tempos (particularly on the title track), the latter session with its nocturnal elegance and spatial irregularities comes off more as some kind of exercise in vanguard Ellington with sophisticated harmonies that give way to languid marches and gospel-tinged blues. Kirk and Ervin and are particularly suited to one another, because they both swing hard and reach for the fences. Mingus’ pianism is deeply rooted in blues, and that sense of pace and easiness informs these tracks, particularly "'Old' Blue for Walt's Torin." Hints of the material Mingus would record for Columbia on Ah Um are in these compositions. The most beautiful piece is from the 1957 session and closes the album: "Passions of a Woman Loved" is a nearly ten-minute workout that feels like an Ellington suite. Even though this is an assembled album, it holds plenty of magic nonetheless.” (All Music Guide). Great copy with obi, does not surface all that often all complete. Price: 100 Euro
1790. MINGUS, CHARLES: “The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady” (Impulse – SH-3011) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very first Japanese press issue on Impulse with record housed in fragile flip back sleeve and with rare obi present. "The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady is without question Charles Mingus' magnum opus. Released in 1963, the album broke new ground in both genre-defying composition and innovative recording techniques. A six-part suite with dramatic shifts in mood and tempo, The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady features the three-way brass dialogue of trumpets, trombone and tuba, swooping reeds and awe-inspiring rhythm section. Balancing delicate Spanish modes and Ellington-ian themes, the ensemble breaks into a divine cacophony of group improvisation on par with free jazz giants Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor. In his essay, "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung," Lester Bangs praises, "the experience of the first few listenings to a record so total, so mind-twisting, that you authentically can say you'll never be quite the same again. Black Saint and The Sinner Lady did that, and a very few others. They're events you remember all your life, like your first real orgasm." Top shape!!! Price: 275 Euro
1791. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Charles Mingus <Bass> With Orchestra” (Nippon Columbia – NCB-7008) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Bloody rare all complete with OBI Japan ONLY issue of Mingus live in Tokyo where he got backed up by Inomata with the New Heard Orchestra. “This is an obscure Charles Mingus session recorded in Japan in 1971, and the second version Denon has released of the same session. The bassist and composer fronted pianist Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd Orchestra. Here, however, Miyama, who only played a bit of piano (he was conducting the rest of the time), was supplanted by Mingus’ own pianist and arranger, Jaki Byard. Other players included the leader's tenor saxophonist Bobby Jones and trumpeter Eddie Preston. The program consists of three Mingus originals, "The Man Who Never Sleeps," "O.P.," and "Portrait" (the first release -- with the same title -- featured three erroneously titled selections and an alternate take). This was Mingus gigging, pure and simple. The music is great but not overly inspiring, as the bassist was about to enter into his last great and controversial period of composing for large groups, but had yet to begin. That said, collectors will want to own this for the sheer excellence of the musicianship and terrific arrangements.” (All Music Guide). Damned hard to find Japan only issue, especially all complete with obi. Frist one I ever see all complete so… eat your heart out, if Mingus says anything to you, this is much needed, if not highly essential! Price: Offers!!!!
1792. MINGUS, CHARLIE With THAD JONES: “S/T” (Nippon Columbia – SL-5005-EV) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Pristine condition Japan only issue from 1970 all complete with rare obi. Also known under the title of “Jazzical Moods”, iut sees Mingus in the company of Thad Jones, John LaPorta, Teo Macero, Jackson Wiley on cello, and drummer Clem DeRosa. What is compelling about these cuts are the tunes including wildly experimental (for the time) readings of "Four Hands" and "What Is This Thing Called Love." The originals, such as "Minor Intrusions," and "Thrice Upon a Theme," must have been considered nuts for the times: Ornette Coleman was branded crazy and he appeared a few years later. The bop heads in these pieces are extrapolated upon with Mingus' percussive piano playing and Macero's wiley tenor playing. Pristine condition, Japan only issue that comes housed in thick gatefold sleeve art and with rare OBI. Price: 75 Euro
1793. MINGUS, CHARLES: “The Great Concert Of Charles Mingus” (Columbia – SL-5027~9-MU) (3 LP Record: Near Mint/ Triple Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Japan 1st original press issue all complete with rare first issue OBI. “This three-LP set is the finest recording by one of Charles Mingus' greatest bands, his sextet with Eric Dolphy (on alto, bass clarinet, and flute), tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, trumpeter Johnny Coles, pianist Jaki Byard and drummer Dannie Richmond. Taken from their somewhat tumultuous but very musical tour of Europe, most of these rather lengthy workouts actually just feature a quintet because Coles took sick (he is only heard on "So Long Eric," which here is mistitled "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), but the playing is at such a high level that the trumpeter is not really missed. "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress" is given definitive treatment, and the nearly 29-minute "Fables of Faubus" and Mingus' relatively brief feature on "Sophisticated Lady" are impressive, but it is the passionate "Meditations on Integration" (an utterly fascinating performance) and "Parkeriana" (a tribute to Charlie Parker that features some stride piano from Byard and what may very well have been Dolphy's greatest alto solo) that make this gem truly essential in all jazz collections.” (All Music Guide) All complete pristine set with first issue OBI. Price: 50 Euro
1794. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Mingus Plays Piano – Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations” (Impulse – A-60) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Virginal US first MONO press issue, impossible to upgrade upon. A surprisingly enchanting album of piano work from Charles Mingus – one of a few he cut on the instrument, and quite different than his regular work on bass! Unlike the bold, angry role that Mingus would take on as a leader, the approach here is very personal and introspective – long "spontaneous compositions" that are improvised over the course of the solo session, but still with a mix of complexity that shows all his previous talents in place, but in a completely different way. The vibe is even different than Charles' previous piano album on Atlantic – Oh Yeah – and the addition of a few evergreens as vehicles for similar sorts of improvisation also ties the record back to older jazz history as well. Wonderful all the way through, even if very different than any other Mingus album you can own. Pristine condition. Price: 300 Euro
1795. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus” (Impulse Records – IMP-88112) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Scarce and clean Japanese pressing with cool Impulse obi. The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back-to-back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Getting a bitch to dig up with obi. Price: 65 Euro
1796. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Mingus” (Candid – CJM-8021) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Insanely clean US MONO first press original – genuine first pressing with M9OP-4970 number imprinted on label underneath the catalogue number. Later pressings do not have this. PROMO issue with promo stamp on label. One of Charles Mingus' classic recordings for the Candid label -- far and away some of the best recordings he ever made, and some of the few studio sessions that really let him stretch out and do his thing! The Candid label didn't last long -- but during their short stretch of recording, they gave musicians like Mingus a chance to do things they weren't able to do at bigger labels -- and this 1960 session is a great change from some of the tighter style that Charles was using just the year before at Columbia. The group is a searing combo -- Eric Dolphy on alto, Booker Ervin on tenor, Ted Curson on tenor, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone -- really taking off on long tracks that are filled with brilliant solo work. Again, a final upgrade copy, MONO comes do not come in better condition as this beauty here. Price: 225 Euro
1797. MINGUS, CHARLIE: “Pithecanthropus Erectus” (Atlantic – SMT-2008) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Clean and mean Japanese pressing of all time classic. Mingus breakthrough recording as a leader where he really begins to take hold of his own personal vision of how jazz music could look. With this recording, he entered into the most productive and creative decade of his career. Just the 10-minute title track, a tone poem about the rise and fall of man which includes one of the earliest free jazz / improvisation segments put to tape is a real brain torcher and fully acknowledges the genius of Mingus. Absolutely essential! Price: 40 Euro
1798. MINGUS, CHARLES: “Mingus at Antibes” (Atlantic – P-5184~5A) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original press issue in virginal condition. “Recorded Wednesday, July 13, 1960, at the Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France, this recording is considered by many as Mingus's most popular. Mingus at Antibes would reach mythic levels well before this humble writer were to pen an epistle about it. Held on France's Cote J'Azur, Mingus biographer Brian Priestly noted, "The fact that Mingus was invited at all to an event that was principally for European Bands [was] a little surprising, but it may not be connected with the role of the French record company Barclay, who not only issued an album of some European participants such as Dusko Goykovic and Albert Mangelsdorff but, as the local liscensee of Atlantic recorded on their behalf both of the American bands involved, [the] Wilbur DeParis 'New' New Orleans Jazz and Mingus." A queer little setup, one might think. But, the music is of another dimension. Sure it is easy to conjure up the obvious— this music is based in the most basic of African- Americ tradtions— African polyrhythm, Americal Black Gospel, The Blues, Big Band. Mingus no more gave a shit about those titles than the man in the moon. He was out to make music. Perhaps a synthesis of all of the above, but his unique voice nevertheless. Mingus At Antibes is an interesting statement in the respect that it has the feel of many other '50s and '60s live jazz recordings— i.e. that it was assembled from several pieces spliced together with no particular theme evident. But this is not the truth. This is the actual program Mingus performed. It was made up of material from basically the same period as the festival appearance. Where this material diverges from the studio versions is in its earthy soul. "Better Get Hit In Your Soul" and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" are charismatic Pentacostal in the extreme. The listener can hear the band shout, "Amen!" at the end of every free-form chorus Mingus plays. "Folk Forms I" is a blues in F and "What Love?" is Mingus's take-off on "What Is This Thing Called Love." The final track is "I'll Remember April" with a fraile but assured Bud Powell on piano. It is heartbreaking in an upbeat sort of way, much like Lady Day's Lady in Satin and Songs for Distingue Lovers. For Bud Powell's part it is genius at twilight (or burn out). This is music as rich as the Red Mississippi Delta dirt and as refined as a Martini served in Greenwich Village's Village Vanguard. That it was performed in France is only a testament to the universality of the music. Mingus did not speak for only himself, but for everyone.” (All About Jazz) Right on!!! Price: 50 Euro
1799. MINGUS, CHARLES: “My Favorite Quintet” (Liberty/ Toshiba Records – LP-8937) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan first press issue complete with Obi. “Mingus shines here in proud fashion with the company of his friends to create the sound of the Charles Mingus Quintet. Sweeping, charming, vibrant, percussive -- these are just a few select adjectives used to paint a meaningful picture of this group. Mingus, an acclaimed master of the walking standup bass in jazz' large family of bass musicians, absorbs the music of his group, giving back the energy and flow of notes he receives to create a compelling and gripping bassline. Some bits and pieces of the music leave the listener just short of breathless -- a record so teaming with life and spontaneity leaves tingles in one's listening soul. In over 40 minutes of quality jazz, not much is sheer brilliance, though the band's sense of adventure and enthusiasm shows throughout when the melody doesn't. Yes, some of the tracks lack a sense of direction or a catchy, shiny, happy melody hook, but that's OK. The quintet, under the lead of Mingus, shows listeners the art of jazz in a more percussive form -- meaning the bass and percussion seem to be the major focus and highlight of this album. These recordings were made in front of a live audience and released under Mingus’ own label in the late-'60s post-bop period.” (All Music Guide). Awesome Japan original with rarely seen obi. Price: 50 Euro

1800. MINGUS, CHARLIE: “Blue Bird” (America/ Nippon Columbia – YW-7575-MU) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert/ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japanese high quality original press issue with obi!!! A great French session by Charles Mingus – with a lineup that includes Charles McPherson on alto, Bobby Jones on tenor, Eddie Preston on trumpet, and Jaki Byard on piano! Three tracks, including the great reading of Bird's "Blue Bird" on side 2, and a lengthy take of his own "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird", plus the standard "I Left My Heart In San Francisco". A nice later side in a small group setting. Totally essential in my universe. Japanese press original does not surface all too often…Price: 50 Euro
1801. MINGUS, CHARLES: “In Amsterdam 1964” (DIW Records – DIW-25023~25) (3 LP Record Set: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Box: Mint/ OBI: Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Mint). Very scarce 3 LP Japan only issue box set. These were released at the tail end of 1989, it got a proper CD issue but the LP version only was pressed in an edition of 500 copies. Absolutely fantastic Mingus sextet live recording, high quality with a mouth-watering line-up that consists out of Charles Mingus on bass; Johnny Coles on trumpet; Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone/ bass clarinet & flute; Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums. All complete and mint copy. Price: 150 Euro
1802. MINOR THREAT: “S/T” (Dischord – DISCHORD-12) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Picture Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint) Quite a limited affair, US pressing but with a Japanese import obi slapped on it in an attempt to get some attention down here. Fast, furious, sharp, and lethal, Minor Thread were Washington DC’s straightedge hardcore unit spewing out rapid sonic bullet fire that often clocked in at just around a minute. Their trademark speed and fury embedded even some catchy melodies, that encapsulated their eagerness to vent rage. A real head cleaner and much anticipated issue. Dried up in the bat of an eyelid. Price: 100 Euro
1803. MIRRORS/ ELECTRIC EELS/ THE STYRENES: “Those Were Different Times – Unreleased Cleveland Recordings 1973~1976” (Jilmar Music) (3 Record Set: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ 22 Paged Booklet: Near Mint/ Die Cut Outer Book Cover Bolted together: Near Mint). Rare three volume 10" vinyl compilation of unreleased Cleveland Proto Punk legends The Mirrors, Electric Eels and The Styrenes recordings from 1973-1976. The three bands were instrumental in the emergence of the Cleveland punk scene and were the forefathers of groups like Rocket For The Tombs, Pere Ubu, Dead Boys and The Pagans. It's a little hard to realize just how important these '70s underground bands really were to today's underground music scene. It sounds like a typically adventurous title for a retrospective, but Those Were Different Times indeed: In the years 1973-1976, the period from which these previously-unreleased recordings date, there was no industry pipeline, no indie label farm teams, no tailor-made marketing plans, no savvy promoters or hustling, power-brokering lawyers. Coming up in the same Cleveland underground scene that spawned the broadly-appreciated Pere Ubu, these three band shared members and made their own little scene. In literal endorsement of the popular alternative rock truisms, almost all of them were present when the Velvet underground played La Cave. There's a little section at the end of the liner notes called "What Happened After 1976" that details what the future held for each major player in these three bands. What they should have included was, "punk rock happened, alternative happened, indie rock happened grunge happened, etc.," because really, everything that's happened since owes some kind of debt to this music. Cardboard sleeves are sandwiched with 22-page booklet detailing the history of the three bands with complete liner notes for each track. Everything is held together with three heavy screws (more like bolts) and nuts - an odd and unique boutique packaging unlike anything you've ever seen and which certainly contributes to the rarity of this set.  This was issued in very limited numbers and is a must for any serious collector of Punk Rock, Proto Punk, or Cleveland music historians. Price: 75 Euro
1804. MISHA MENGELBERG KWARTET Featuring Gary Peacock: “Driekusman Total Loss” (Varajazz/ DIW – DIW-1011) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi with Insert: Near Mint). Long gone and scarce Japanese high quality issue of legendary Holland jazz slide. Price: 75 Euro
1805. MISHA MENGELBERG & ICP Orchestra: “Japan Japon” (International Music Activity & Instant Composers Pool – IMA1/ICP024/ DIW-1014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi with Insert: Near Mint/ PROMO ONLY Single: Near Mint/ Single Sleeve: Near Mint) Japan only release of this free jazz monster. Came out in 1982 and was never distributed outside the archipelago. First time ever I see a PROMO issue that comes with the PROMO ONLY 7 Inch present. The single is awesome, with Brötzmann playing a wild solo on a version of Ellingtons 'caravan'. Absolutely beautiful! Recorded live on May 11th and May 17th of the 1982 ICP Orchestra tour throughout Japan. The line-up is just mouth watering and consists of the finest free blowing spirits of that time. Misha Mengelberg (piano, voice), Han Bennink (drums, percussion), Peter Brotzmann (trumpets, sax, bassoon and voice), Keshavan Maslak (trumpet, sax, voice), Michael Moore (sax, clarinet), Walter Wierbos (trombone), Joep Maassen (trombone), Larry Fishkind (tuba), Maurice Horsthuis (viola) and Toshinori Kondo (trumpet, voice). Great free jazz monster record that will blow you out of your lazy sofa. Also quiet rare since it came out in an edition of a few hundred copies way back in 1982. Price: 75 Euro
1806. The MISJA MENGELBERG QUARTET: “As Featured At The Newport Jazz Festival 1966” (Artone – MGOS-9467) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Damned clean and rare very first Dutch original press issue. PROMO copy – with “Sample Not For Sale” stamp on label. Hardly ever turns up in such outstanding condition as this one here and it sounds astonishing. Brilliant slide where Mengelberg gets flanked by Piet Noordijk, Han Bennink and Rob Langereis. Beautiful with Mengelberg and Bennink playing hard bop and bringing forth a mellow and nice atmosphere that is quite far removed for their later frolics and free roaming jazz aesthetics that they will explore pretty soon on labels such as ICP and FMP. Historically important recording giving exposure to the sonic of the then reigning Dutch jazz scene. Rare Dutch 1st original pressing, super clean for both record and sleeve – gonna be a hard one to ever improve upon. Price: 350 Euro
1807. MISHIMA YUKIO: “Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki” (Columbia Records: CLS-5112) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Booklet Inside Gatefold: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned obscure and rare 1969 Rokyoku/ Noh recordings staged by celebrated novelist and writer Mishima and adorned by the killer artwork by the hand of Yooko Tadanori. A white whale amongst Japanese records and also a quite obscure one to boot. Fantastic Rokyoku/ Noh Gaku inspired masterpiece, Mishima Yukio shines throughout, with his nasal wailing vocal style, backed up by an equally background call-and-response female vocal counter actor while all the time he gets backed up by some minimalistic shamisen strummings, giving the already skeleton performance more undercurrents of depth. Here, Mishima performs a collection of narratives, songs and rites with biwa and shamisen, not unlike embodying a twentieth-century apparition of the medieval biwa/ shamisen hoshi. The recording presented here documents a rare performance and while listening you get a sense of the strength of Mishima’s voice that he retained as well as illustrating the variety of vocal types and delivery styles. The LP is comprised out of two sidelong epical pieces, making this set a valuable addition to your collection if interested in field recordings, sounds from times long gone and extinct. Recordings were made in 1969 and document a hollow-eyed musical legacy that is balancing on the brink of total extinction. This comes with the highest possible recommendation. This is the deep stuff, emanating out of the cultural underbelly of a dying tradition and makes the hairs on my neck stand straight up. Ghostly almost and so stunning…. Original 1st pressing in pristine condition. Comes complete with hideously rare obi present!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1808. MITCHELL, ROSCOE SEXTET: “Sound” (Delmark/ Trio Records – PA-7020) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Triple Gatefold Insert: Near Mint). Scarce first Japanese press of this free burning epic of a disc, complete with insert and obi. Has been ages since I had a copy complete with 1st press obi, these are getting very thin on the ground. “Sound, mainly taken up by the 46-minute Sound, truly set the standard for the rest of Chicago's creative music. The sextet (with trumpeter Lester Bowie, tenor saxophonist Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, trombonist Lester Lashley, bassist Malachi Favors, drummer Alvin Fiedler) challenged the dogmas of jazz improvisation and composition, venturing into dissonance and unusual timbres (even toy instruments). The instruments just did not sound like themselves: they were mere vehicles to produce abstract sounds. These sounds derived from the extended (and mostly dissonant) ranges of the instruments were made to interact and overlap. But the real breakthrough was the very notion of how to play: this was highly intellectual music, meant to be used by a brain, not by a heart, unlike New York's free jazz that was meant to be emphatic and frantic. These musicians were European scientists, not African shamans. They were scientists of the subtle. Thus the effect was that they were more interested in "silence" than in "music". Silence was indeed the "space" in which music happened: silence was a key ingredient in the musical event.” One word: totally essential. Price: 150 Euro
1809. MIYAMA TOSHIYUKI & NEW HERD ORCHESTRA (with SATO MASAHIKO): “Yotsu No Jazz Composition aka Four Jazz Compositions” (Toshiba – TP-9010) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – some faint aging foxing/ 8-Paged Attached Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Complete copy with OBI!!! WHITE label PROMO copy. Only the 2nd time ever I have a copy of this MONSTER!!!! One of the best Japanese free jazz improvisation records ever and all complete!!! Hideously rare 1970 free jazz big band squawk that is these days massively in demand. What a blast, free jazz based upon traditional/ classical Japanese themes, merging ancestral musical motives with modern-day improvisation, four compositions of which one by the hand of master Sato Masahiko but all executed with conviction and fire-breathing power by the Miyama Toshiyuki & the New Herd. The opening track by Sato Masahiko entitled “Mumyouju” balanced delicately on the razor’s edge between oriental almost Zen-like minimalism and volcanic orchestral tension that fuses mercurial interplay with enforced proportionate tension that swirls in and out of focus like a demented dervish. A perfect meltdown that gels a traditional aesthetic with a big band improvisational approach. Just breath-taxingly beautiful and setting the pace for the rest of the album to unfold itself upon. The second track “Shirabyoushi” by composer Takami Hiroshi takes the above-mentioned concept towards another level, more avant-garde in its execution without ever loosing the ever building up tension that spikes the orchestral interplay. It even has an almost early-seventies Miles Davis flavor seeping through at times, injecting a certain swing-like funky touch into it, making it lyrically intoxicating like the soundtrack to the 1st Dirty Harry movie while slowly descending in a spiral of stirringly flagellant Mahdi madness. The other two compositions “Ikisudama” by composer Maeda Norio and “Senshuuraku” by Yamamoto Kozaburo develop in a similar vein, walking the same tightrope bouncing in between classical Japanese themes and almost psychochemical interplay that is carefully executed as if the players were a bunch of ascetic monks injected with a hard bop virus while free-roaming the snowy flanks of Mount Fuji. It is just such an amazing disc that had me holding down my jaws in order from preventing them to hit down to the floor on numeral occasions. This amazing record has been out of print since its first pressing in 1970, its rarity sandblasts its reputation amongst a small circle of people in the know, but once one is actually exposed to it, the inescapable judgment is that is measures up to the hype – if there is one already. Probably not because it is too damned obscure so it is about time to ignite one on the merits of this disc alone. Massive and rrrrraaaaaaarrrre, especially with obi and booklet intact. Price: Offers!!!!
1810. MIYAMA TOSHIYUKI & HIS NEW HERD: “Nio – Pigeon” (Columbia – NCB-7018) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Original 1972 release housed in a heavier than life gatefold sleeve. Without any question, “Nio – Pigeon” is one of the most undeniable powerful slides by Miyama Toshiyuki & His New Herd. Integrating amplified rock instruments and funk riffs into the record’s overall sound, marking a turning point in this combo’s recording history. It is filled with apocalypyic energy, challenging new jazz with a vengeance. Moody hypnotic shadow sketches sprawl into blowouts bordering on the fusion of jazz, traditional Japanese music, funk and rock music, and ready to break new musical grounds. A deep-seated groove breathing out openness and versatility provides a perfect counterpoint to the more free-flowing acidic fusion that flows on an almost telepathic interaction between the combo’s members. The whole affair is feverish, brimming over with a dervish kind of built up, voodoo canes and shaman-bones, asymmetric grooves and exploratory moves, flying aloft and with impetuous roar that pursues the foaming surges of waves breaking on the rocks beneath a well-attended nightclub. Funk-fueled dark lysergic fusion that skirts the edges of psychedelia with varying tonal centers dodging the spaces in between and feeding off the freedom juicing out of the session and its ecstatic shrapnel’s it propelled into orbit are some of the ingredients on which floats this nucleus of sensitivity and rhythmically delivered chord clusters. This record is a king-hell highlife fuck-around from start to finish, a monster disc and listening to it feels like sitting in a jacuzzi bubble bath with coked up high class hookers on your side, above and under you and suddenly feeling your nuts on fire. It is a jam at its most beautiful, spontaneous and unbelievable. This record will detonate expectations and will be poised to become a monster slide. First original pressing in top condition. Massive eargasmatic pleasures await you. Price: Offers!!!
1811. MIYAMA TOSHIYUKI & HIS NEW HERD: “Orchestrane – New Heard Plays John Coltrane” (Denon/ Columbia – YX-7566-ND) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition 1977 Japan original pressing – PROMO issue. Killer album in free fall big band mode where Miyama and his heard rejuvenate Coltrane classics with much conviction and bringing forth great renditions of A Love Supreme; Impressions, Naima and Giant Steps. Amazing stuff and one of his best in my humble opinion. Price: 50 Euro

1812. MIYAZAWA AKIRA: “Iwana – Bull Trout” (Victor – SMJX-10068) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – some foxing visible inside gatefold). Japan first press original in amazing condition. The obi is missing so this one comes at a nice price. Price: 575 Euro

 
1813. MIYAZAWA AKIRA: “Iwana – Bull Trout” (Victor – SMJX-10068) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Original 1969 pressing in pristine condition – comes all-complete with rarely seen first press issue OBI in TOP CONDITION. This is truly a wonderful album, balancing in between AACM inspired spiritual mellow free jazz interplay and intoxicating mellow interplay. “Iwana – Bull Trout” predated the stellar “Kiso” by one year and already it hints at things to come. With a line-up consisting out of the crème of the crème of the Japanese free jazz scene at that day – Miyazawa Akira (ts), Sato Masahiko (p), Arakawa Yasuo (b), Togashi Masahiko (ds) and Seyama Yonosuke (perc) – “Iwana” became one of the few Japanese free improvisation records to come out so early that brimmed over with originality. The trio of Sato Masahiko, Arakawa Yasuo and Togashi Masahiko had prior to this recording just finished the “Live at the Palladium” LP (Express – EP-8004) and by adding them to the line-up, Miyazawa Akira strived for recreating or injecting his own compositions with some of the trio’s fire-breathing interplay that drove on a lyrical economy and meticulous musical detail that is deceptively intense. The quartet explores more spread open improvisational territories, less heavy loaded but nevertheless burdened with the same intensity and urge to spontaneously combust on the spot. More space is created for challenging interplay, demonstrating the greatness of each individual participant in this blood-curdling amazing slab of panoramic sound clusters. Everything I expect a fantastic free jazz disc to have, is embedded within this LP’s grooves, semi-heavy fixes everywhere you look, communal stripped-down interplay, individuality and bliss-like cut in interventions. But it isn’t before long they divert again into percussive shakers and intuitive atmospheres of free interplay that is not bound to be categorized easily. Hideously rare but sadly undetected piece of Japanese Free Jazz History. Highest possible recommendation. Top copy original pressing and essential to anyone trying to get firm grasp on Japanese free jazz. OBI is damned rare!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1814. MIZUKI SHIGERU: “Yôkaigenso” (Victor – KVX-1039/ LP – 1978) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint) Beautiful copy of this all-time electronic music album. Comes with the always missing laminated obi and the 10-page booklet filled with demented illustrations by underground commix artist Mizuki Shigeru, dedicating a page to each creature and the eerie sounds its produces on the record, just stunning works of art. A long-lost gem documenting a forgotten side of Japan’s largely overlooked vintage electronic music landscape. The one-armed Mizuki Shigeru is mainly known as a manga artist whose imaginary worlds are filled with roaming ghostly like creatures, human abnormalities and weird, ghastly-like bunch of half-beast half-human clones. On this disc was attempted to create an accompanying soundscape that would fit some of his odd creations. However, Mizuki himself is not a musician and in order to pull this job of was Morishita Tokihiko called in, a name some of you might be familiar with since he released in 1972 two extremely rare progressive rock albums, being “Toccata” on the Dharma label and “Morishita Tokihiko II 18 Sai Miman no Ballad”, which was released by Polydor. Following closely Mizuki’s direction of where to direct is sonic electronic and totally alienated fragmentation bombs, he succeeded in creating an estranged and disaffected sound palette. The music is dark, strange, at times even a bit comical and certainly not of this world. Made up largely out of bubbling, whirl-like inorganic low tones that evoke a weird incantation. This disc has never been reissued and has since its release in 1978 literally disappeared into the cracks of time. Nevertheless, like most of the overlooked and unexcavated electronic music gems to seep out of Japan, this one calls out for immediate re-appreciation. Getting rarer by the minute, like most of the virtually unearthed electronic music jewels that remain hidden on the island. Highly recommended. Has the always missing obi and booklet. For lovers of avant-garde, electronic music, musique concrete and plain weirdness that falls between the cracks of every possible definition. Price: 150 Euro
1815. MKWAJU: “S/T” (Better Days – YF-7019-ND) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ PROMO Only Insert: Near Mint). Original 1st pressing PROMO issue with additional promo insert. Originally recorded in February and March 1981 and released by fabled Japanese avant-garde label Better Days (home of Ryuichi Sakamato’s debut album, Yasuaki Shimizu’s Kakashi, etc) MKWAJU is the fruit of the collaboration between Takada’s crew and world-famous composer/musical director Joe Hisaishi, the man behind most of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli anime soundtracks and over 100 other films scores, including Takeshi Kitano’s Sonatine, Hana-Bi, and Kikujiro. The ensemble’s transcendental wonder is, in fact, the first-ever Midori Takada album and the first-ever Joe Hisaishi-produced album. Historic. Led by Midori Takada on marimba, gong, vibraphone, and tom tom, MKWAJU is an inventive and riveting take on Eastern and Western minimalist traditions, African rhythms, and early electronica. Drawing from its jazz-rooted polyrhythmic improvisations in the most inventive ways, the album covers a wide spectrum of sounds, from colorful dance floor-ready percussion pieces that stand somewhere between proto-techno and experimental synth-pop, to cinematic ambient landscapes and ethereal drone delicacies. The feverishly sought-after full-length is a stepping-stone in Midori Takada’s career and an all-around pioneering album. Alongside Takada and Hisaishi, personnel on MKWAJU includes famed Japanese musicians Yoji Sadanari and Hideki Matsutake of KI-Motion fame, Junko Arase (heard on Satoshi Ashikawa’s legendary Still Way - Wave Notation 2), and Pecker (whose stacked resume boasts collaborations with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Jun Fukamachi). Top condition original 1st pressing, promo with obi and additional promo only insert. Price: 400 Euro
1816. MOBLEY, HANK: “Jazz Message #2” (Savoy – MG-12092) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition US Savoy issue of rare slide. MONO pressing that comes on the maroon-colored Savoy label with RVG in the dead wax. “Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the 1956 session on this Savoy slide. The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note. Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris and Clarke.” (All Music Guide) Flawless condition all round, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 400 Euro

1817. MOBLEY, HANK: “Hank Mobley Quintet” (Blue Note Records/ Japan – BLP-1550) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near MINT/ Insert: Near Mint/ Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Immediately Out Of Print in the flash of an eyelid…. Japan’s uber-quality super limited deluxe high-quality reissue of some of jazz finest titles. All is done with an extreme eye for details – EXACTLY sleeve reproduction up and down to the original coating, texture, label’s first address, choice of carton and paper used for printing – simulating the perfect real-time artifact etc…exact same labels and micro groove deep groove pressing, 200-gram vinyl. The jackets are all imprinted in Japan – hence the almost neurotic perfection of the whole job that makes the jackets identical in thickness and quality of the materials used as to the fist press originals & also they used the same lettering as the originals, all is just state of the art. The vinyl was pressed in the US using the original pressing machine that was used for the originals in order to create the exact same quality of vinyl and sound!!!! Flat edged press and cut from the original master tapes as well. And to close it all off, reproduction of the original inner sleeves and liner notes as well. This borders on the insane as far as near perfection is concerned. Glorious MONO to boot, sold out on the spot. Best possible project ever to restore this masterpiece to its original form!!! Sold out almost instantly!!! Price: 275 Euro
1818. MOBLEY, HANK: “Roll Call” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – BN-4058) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-Page Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Top shape high-quality Japanese press issue from decades ago all complete with obi and insert. “From the first moment when Art Blakey comes crashing in to establish a kinetic Latin groove on the eponymous opening song, Hank Mobley’s Roll Call explodes with energy. The first horn heard here is actually Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet, foreshadowing the prominent role that he would have in the sound of this album. The quintet all work together flawlessly here, but Hubbard particularly shines as he plays off Mobley’s fluid riffs and carries more than a few lines himself, sounding particularly athletic and effortless on the closing track, "The Breakdown." Mobley’s performance throughout the recording is stylish without being restrained, and the strength of his songwriting shines on five of the album's six songs. A warm, laid-back, sweet version of "The More I See You" is also included, with a muted Hubbard sounding very much like Miles Davis. It is a nice complement to this collection of originals, which has often been overshadowed by Mobley’s other late-'50s and early-'60s work but is definitely deserving of some attention of its own.” (All Music Guide). Top shape Japan high-quality issue – another title that is getting scarcer with every breath you take. Price: 75 Euro
1819. MOBLEY, HANK: “A Slice of the Top” (Blue Note/ King Records -GXK-8177) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Rare Japan only issue of an unreleased Blue Note session that came out in 1981. A lost session by Hank Mobley, originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1981 in Japan! The record has Mobley really reaching out into a new bag, hitting a more soulfully arranged sound than on some of his other straighter Blue Notes. Here, the sound is a full, rich groove that's totally wonderful! Duke Pearson arranged the group, and it's slightly larger than usual with James Spaulding on alto, Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Kiane Zawadi and Howard Johnson providing a very unique tuba/euphonium bass part, blowing out a sort of a rumbling bottom-end sound that's amazing. Top condition and all complete with obi. Price: 150 Euro
1820. MOBLEY, HANK: “Thinking of Home” (Blue Note/ King Records -GXK-8188) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Rare Japan only issue of an unreleased Blue Note session that came out in 1981. A lost session by Hank Mobley, originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1981 in Japan! One of Hank Mobley's last recordings for Blue Note, and a record that really shows him stretching it out, hitting territory hardly imagined on his earlier hardbop sides! The album's still somewhat inside, but the overall feel is much more spacious than before with a sound that has some nice open moments, and which shows Hank not content to simply blow tenor in a deep, gut-buckety mode, even though that was still pretty darn great! The lineup is a sextet with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Eddie Diehl on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, Mickey Bass on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums, a different-than-usual combo for Mobley, and one that furthers the unusual feel of the record. Side one features the extended "Suite", proof that Mobley's writing had grown as much as labelmate Lee Morgan by the end of the 60s. The set was originally recorded in 1970 but was not issued on vinyl until 1981! Top condition and all complete with obi. Price: 150 Euro
1821. MOBY GRAPE: “Set of 4 US Single Issues – Fall On You b/w Changes + Sitting By The Window b/w Indifference + Ohama b/w Someday + hey Grandma b/w Come In The Morning” (Columbia – 4-44170 + 4-44171 + 4-44173 + 4-44174) (4 Single Records: VG++ ~ Excellent/ 4 Picture Sleeve Jackets: VG++ ~ Excellent). Set of 4 US only issued Moby Grape singles – with “Fall On You b/w Changes” and “Sitting By The Window b/w Indifference” are WHITE label PROMO issues. “Ohama b/w Someday” and “hey Grandma b/w Come In The Morning” are stock copies. Price: 250 Euro
1822. MOBY GRAPE: “Ohama b/w 8 : 05” (CBS Records – LL-2085-C) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan only single issue housed in Japan only picture sleeve art, first original press issue from October 1967. One of the more difficult to track down Moby Grape single issues – only 2nd time I have a copy of this West Coast classic!!! Two killer tracks and spinning them at full volume feels like setting up in the calm eye of a hurricane. Awesome & Top condition. Price: 400 Euro
1823. MOBY GRAPE: “Hey Grandma b/w Someday” (CBS – LL-2073-C) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top shape Japan only picture sleeve issue of killer Moby Grape single, with Skip Spence on forefront of the sleeve art. Top shape, haven’t had a better one than this beauty here. Damned scarce one and killer West Coast classic psych gem!!! Price: 400 Euro
1824. MOBY GRAPE: “WOW” (CBS Sony – SONP-50063) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Mint/ CAP OBI: Mint). Top copy 1st original Japanese pressing, all complete with never seen first issue obi. This is just insanely rare, never ever pops up. WOW is the true sophomore release, a great second album although many out there find is appropriate to slag it off without mercy, those nitwit fascist drunks. I for one ride hard for this album, making it one of those key-West Coast releases of that era. Even with the band's widening divisions and track record of consistently bad decisions, all five members of the band contribute to WOW--with some stunning results. The album is filled with great songs that are sympathetically arranged and performed, among them the fragile "He," the bluesy "Murder In My Heart For The Judge," and the soulful "Bitter Wind." Moby Grape ends the album with a new version of "Naked, If I Want To"--a strutting, funky take on an acoustic track from their debut. Also don’t forget to dig into the 78 RPM mastered “Just Like Gene Autry” that ends side one, making it in all an acidic spiked album to sit through. Truly amazing and astonishing to these ears, but then again, I am a West Coast psych nut and not a treacherous hyena that takes any chance to slag off greatness in order to elevates one’s own miserable existence. So, Moby Grape’s “Wow” is a fucking ace record!!! Top copy Japan original pressing with OBI!! Just about never surfaces and in incredible virginal shape. So, go heavy, go deep, no rest for the wicked on this one. Price: Offers!!!!
1825. MOBY GRAPE: “Grape Jam” (CBS SONY – SONP-50110) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint – Still housed in shrink/ Insert: Near Mint/ Capsule OBI: Mint, still housed in shrink). Very rare Japanese 1st press original – all complete with RARE CAPSULE OBI. The jacket & obi are still housed in its original shrink. All is in MINT condition. Moby Grape's self-conscious, but hardly less groovy late 60s excursion into loose, free form and largely instrumental psychedelia – the sweet and therefore appropriately titled Grape Jam! GJ is really a world away from their earlier rock regalia – with superstar special guests Al "How Does It Feel" Cooper and Mike Bloomfield brought in the flesh out the open-ended sounds. The sounds roll from walloping instrumental rock, to bluesier jams, to some driving nearly funky bits! Original Japanese pressing with capsule obi is…bloody rare to say the least. It is the first all complete copy I can lay my hands on in over 15 years!!! The condition is NM~M, impossible to upgrade upon. Just silly rare with OBI Price: 250 Euro
1826. The MODERN LOVERS: “S/T” (Beserkley/ Trio Records – PB-2009) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Excellent). Bloody scarce 1st original Japanese pressing from 1976 complete with rare obi. Genuine Yellow Label 1st press PROMO issue as issued by TRIO Records (2nd press was issued by Teichiku Records with catalogue numbering SUX-182-SE & which came out 4 years later). But this baby here is the damned rare very 1st pressing. “Compiled of demos the band recorded with John Cale in 1973, The Modern Lovers is one of the great proto-punk albums of all time, capturing an angst-ridden adolescent geekiness which is married to a stripped-down, minimalistic rock & roll derived from the art punk of the Velvet Underground. While the sound is in debt to the primal three-chord pounding of early Velvet Underground, the attitude of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers is a million miles away from Lou Reed’s jaded urban nightmares. As he says in the classic two-chord anthem "Roadrunner," Richman is in love with the modern world and rock & roll. He's still a teenager at heart, which means he's not only in love with girls he can't have, but also radios, suburbs, and fast food, and it also means he'll crack jokes like "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole...not like you." "Pablo Picasso" is the classic sneer, but "She Cracked" and "I'm Straight" are just as nasty, made all the more edgy by the Modern Lovers amateurish, minimalist drive. But beneath his adolescent posturing, Richman is also nakedly emotional, pleading for a lover on "Someone I Care About" and "Girl Friend," or romanticizing the future on "Dignified and Old." That combination of musical simplicity, driving rock & roll, and gawky emotional confessions makes The Modern Lovers one of the most startling proto-punk records -- it strips rock & roll to its core and establishes the rock tradition of the geeky, awkward social outcast venting his frustrations. More importantly, the music is just as raw and exciting now as when it was recorded in 1973, or when it was belatedly released in 1976.” (All Music Guide). Fantastic review of their first LP and spot on description, it nails it right down. One of my all-time fave records, if this does not bring tears to your eyes, you must be seriously mentally disturbed or you must be a complete insensitive asshole. Absolute killer with no filler, rock and roll never will get better or more honest than this. Top copy 1st original Japanese pressing with seldom seen obi…what can you possibly ask more for??? Price: Offers!!!
1827. The MODERN LOVERS & JONATHAN RICHMAN: “S/T” (Beserkley/ TRIO Records – PB-2007) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Mint). Bloody scarce 1st original Japanese pressing from 1979 complete with rare obi. First press issue as released by TRIO Records. Second press was released with different catalogue number a year later by Columbia Records. Second Modern Lovers record for which Jonathan Richman’s name was billed over the group and eventually the group’s name would be dropped. A little lighter as far as lyrics are concerned in comparison to the first Modern Lovers record but still the overall vibe is blessed with an amateurish charm for which you keep coming back. Japanese first press is damned rare on these shores and it is the first time I have a copy in with obi. Top condition!!! Price: Offers!!!
1828. MODERN LOVERS & JONATHAN RICHMAN: “Back In Your Life” (Beserkley/ Teichiku – SUX-180-E) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Hard to dig up Japan 1st original pressing from 1980 all complete with obi and in top shape of another subliminal Modern Lovers slide. “Sweet, fun, and honest aptly describe this 1979 long-player by Jonathan Richman. And while some singers badly fumble at being innocently possessed, Richman keeps it all engaging with his unbridled enthusiasm, wit, and crack songs. This was Richman’s first solo venture since forming the Modern Lovers in the early '70s, and the newfound freedom shows on loose doo wop rockers like "Party in the Woods Tonight" and such Sesame Street-issue nature odes as "Buzz Buzz Buzz"; the breezy tone is further plied on surf-toned instrumental "Lover Please" and a harmony and handclapping-rich "Lydia." But it's not all passing fancy, as Richman also waxes sincere and lonely on strong, yet often hushed sides like "Affection," "Emaline," and the title track, his terminally congested vocals and jangly guitar chords perfectly echoing the wistful sentiment. Recent Modern Lovers graduates: start here.” (All Music Guide). Maybe one of the hardest to dig up of all the Modern Lovers slides. Pristine copy with lovely obi flashing its colors with pride!. Price: 275 Euro
1829. MODULO 100: “Nao Fale Com Paredes” (World In Sound – RFR-004) (Record: Near Mint/ Triple Fold Out Jacket: Mint) Long tome since I last had an original copy of this beast, so throwing out this long deleted deluxe reissue of this killer slide. Without a single doubt, this is the best heavy psychedelic disc ever to seep out of Brazil. Like you know, original copies are almost impossible to score and are in most cases beat up. A couple of years ago, World in Sound released a stunning reissue, housed in a heavier/thicker-than-life triple fold out jacket, complete with eye-devouring psyched-out artwork inside. This set was released in an edition of 500 and sold out in no time, again gone for good. The music on the other hand is brain ripper that will lead all of you heavy psych freaks to the best ear-gasm you had in years! Super fuzz wah guitar and organ jamming stoner psych-prog filled with raw, heavy experimental twists and turns, this disc has made all those moves their trademark sound. Non-stop lethal assaults of fuzz guitar and overdriven organ workouts Just a beast of a disc. If you have to make comparisons, well it sounds like early Soft Machine cross breeding with early day Black Sabbath while day-tripping in the South American jungle and chewing away upon those Ibogane leaves. This disc certainly gets you where you wanna go, and fast….so in order to sum it all up this sucker is the Brazilian full-tilt hard psych behemoth. Long tracks, lysergic leads, stoned vocals, organ pumping and comes is a massively heavy triple fold out cover that will also disrupt your vision for days on end……if you can get through the sonic dementia tucked in its grooves…Price: 75 Euro
1830. MOEBIUS & PLANK: “Rastakraut Pasta” (Sky – Sky-039) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). German 1980 original first press issue. A classic in the German Krautrock pantheon although that instead of Krautrock one could switch it for the more appropriate spacehead Krautfunk moniker. This album is total genius, hypnotic motorik and almost industrial impregnated city-sludged monotronic minimal krauttrance electronic offbeat music. With influences even encapsulating references to reggae, the instrumentation on the album includes electronics, voice, guitar, and flute, rendering the general outcome into an hybrid genre crossing and stylings encapsulating album that even till this day remains to sounds fresh and innovative, be it in a primitive way. Languid drum machines frame several interesting exercises in alien pop, from the vocoder experimentation on "News" and "Missi Cacadou" to the title track's hilarious fusion of reggae and Krautrock. Holger Czukay also helps out on three tracks and Conny Plank’s studio provided the place for these at the time revolutionary ideas to germinate. Deep sea intoned industrial carpeted dub infested krautrock funk on Quaaludes is probably the best description I can come up with to pinpoint the atmospherics and sounds the albums steers into. A classic that these days rarely surfaces……top copy. Price: 75 Euro
1831. MOFFETT, CHARLES: “The Gift” (Savoy/ King Records – KIJJ-2049) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint) Pristine condition Japan original pressing. Awesome slice of avant-jazz. This was the first record ever from drummer Charles Moffett! The session was one of the few cut during Savoy's avant-garde period, featuring Wilbur Ware on bass, Paul Jeffrey on tenor, and Dennis O'Toole on trumpet. The tracks are blessed with quite a unique approach that comes over like kind of a New York ESP sound, but also mixed with more of a soul jazz sensibility. The record makes up for any weakness in the technical department with lots energy and a strong sense of effort. Recommended!  Price: 35 Euro
1832. MOGWAI: “Young Team” (Jetset Records – twa07cd) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint, still housed in shrink) Original first US pressing on Jetset Records as released in 1997. “Young Team, Mogwai’s first full-length album fulfills the promise of their early singles and EPs, offering a complex, intertwining set of crawling instrumentals, shimmering soundscapes, and shards of noise. Picking up where Ten Rapid left off, Mogwai use the sheer length of an album to their advantage, recording a series of songs that meld together -- it's easy to forget where one song begins and the other ends. The record itself takes its time to begin, as the sound of chiming processed guitars and murmured sampled vocals floats to the surface. Throughout the album, the sound of the band keeps shifting, and it's not just through explosions of noise -- Mogwai isn't merely jamming, they have a planned vision, subtly texturing their music with small, telling details. When the epic "Mogwai Fears Satan" draws the album to a close, it becomes clear that the band has expanded the horizons of post-rock, creating a record of sonic invention and emotional force that sounds unlike anything their guitar-based contemporaries have created.” (All Music Guide). Original press in top shape. Price: 250 Euro

1833. MOKO BEAVER & OLIVE: “Wasuretai Noni – I Love How You Love Me” (Express – ETP-7723) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Attached insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Bloody fucking rare 1st original press in top condition with ALWAYS missing obi present in MINT condition!! Ok here you have one of my all time favorite female vocal albums of all time. Hideously rare beyond belief 1969 first pressing, housed in gatefold jacket with OBI. Total mint copies with obi are impossible to score and cost you a kidney or a leg in return. This copy is near mint all way through. This album is one of the finest female vocal chorus albums to seep out of Japan. One problem though, apart from a handful of Japanese die-hard collectors, no one is aware of its existence. Why, because it is so bloody rare….but the music sounds like a flock of angels descending from the skies like valkyries ready to pick up slain heroes and conducted them to Valhalla. By tackling songs – in Japanese – such as “I Love How You Love Me”; “Door to Paradise”, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and “Sixteen Reasons”, they elevate you to angelic plains of Candy Mountains and pink fluffy clouds. One of the most delicately fragile but exponentionally great Japanese soft female vocal records around. I can only advise you NOT to buy this because it will hit you with too much beauty for you too handle. You will be devastated. Highest possible recommendation and one of the most beautiful Japanese ethereal female vocal discs ever to have been put down on wax and in this case complete with the hardly ever seen OBI. Delusionally astonishing. The last couple of years this one is soaring in demand and getting next to impossible to unearth. Top condition. Price: Offers!!!!
1834. MOMOYAMA HARUE: “Hikiyomigusa” (Victor – Invitation – VIH-6056) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-paged insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Perfect copy; don’t think they come actually in better shape than this one here. Here is a weird rural rice filed dwelling oddity for you, another gem that evaporated in thin air right straight after its release and which remains undetected and extremely hard to come by till this day. So one word of advice, if you want to detect something new that will stun you and leave you puzzled with a fractured view on traditional Japanese rural music then this one has written you all over it since this baby tends to dwell in some hybrid territories. Momoyama Harue’s music may sound fairly traditional at a first hearing (especially side one) but immediately some connotations to the Goze (or blind female shamisen performers that travel from town to town) pop to mind. That aside, Momoyama is – apart from the musical linkage – still far removed from those Goze. First of all there is her use of the Japanese language in combination with the singing techniques she uses, techniques that generally are applied by jazz vocalists or classically trained singers. Still her roots lie in traditional rurally performed styles of music, especially music out of the high north. Still Momoyama draws a breathe of fresh air into traditionally inclined rural shamisen strummings, making it simultaneously ancestrally rooted and modernistic inclined with a nod towards the avant-garde even. This last aspect becomes especially to the forefront on the 2nd side of the album where she gets flanked by Sakamoto Ryuichi of YMO fame. The addition of Sakamoto to Momoyama’s musical palette works extremely well as he underscores her compositions with some eerie and otherworldly synth induced soundscapes, attributing a kind of electronic music feel to the atavistic and agronomic predisposed sound palette. At times it even resonates out harmonic qualities that are reminiscent to music from the Tibetan high north. In all it is a compelling disc, hard to pinpoint to one single genre and dwelling from traditional shamisen music towards avant-garde inclined indigenous soundscapes. In all this is a disc that left me baffled and puzzled every time I spin it. Too beautiful for words and extremely hard to find. Price: 100 Euro
1835. MONICA LASSEN & THE SOUNDS (aka Kawahara Masami Group featuring Mizutani Kimio): “La Jouissance” (Columbia – YS-2521-AX) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Bloody rare all complete copy with OBI, first time ever a copy with obi crosses my path. To make it even more salivating. Top condition!!! The follow up disc to Kawahara Masami’s & The Exotic Sounds “Ecstasy – Kokotsu” and Monica Lassen & The Sounds “Women” discs, all executed under the direction of Latin percussion mastermind Kawahara Masami. Top copy of this 1970 released erotic rarity that just never turns up but shedding some light on another aspect of the sub-cultural sexual contaminated fumes that intoxicated the late sixties and early seventies underbelly of swinging Tokyo, this time a bit psyched up by acidic psyched out guitar gun slinging touches provided by Mizutani Kimio who was called in to reinforce the ranks on a couple of tracks. Sonic-wise, the disc unleashes a whirlpool cocktail lounge styled mondo -sexploitation sounds that get spiced up with feminine breathing and respiration sounds, moaning and hissing, laughing and giggling and igniting a maelstrom of assorted eroticism. In all, it resembles “Ecstasy-Kokotsu” disc to some extent. And just like that disc, it was again Kawahara Masami that was in charge of it all, just like he was the person responsible for giving Ike Reiko her distinct sound on the record “Kokotsu no Sekai ” for which he provided the musical backbone and arrangements unto which Ike could utter her depraved songs. This album however pick up where “Kokotsu / Ecstasy” left off and is again spiked to bursting with erotic shrieks and cries fluttering across a multitude of erogenous non-verbal modes such as sibilating suffocated whispers of excitement, and grunting and growling of a caged and sexually charged vixen. Still, it goes beyond mere sexploitation of two tracks for which he called in the assistance of Mizutani Kimio and some psychedelic renegades. Together with that bunch of musical lawless gunslingers, Kawahara puts down some of the most wicked and sexually charged acidic brain melters the world has ever seen. New Rock lysergic moves fuse with sexploitation as they rip apart the chords to “Change of the Seasons”, normally a middle of the road mind-numbing dead-beat track but here transformed into a organ frenzied and acid spiked fuzz guitar and wah-wah driven butt shaker that has to meet its rival yet. Mizutani shines throughout, ripping the air to pieces and turning it into waves of hot molten lava. All the time, this nipple bumping deep throat ball crushing depraved and sexually charged vixen in heat keeps on fire-breathing over it all, instigating Mizutani and fellow gang members into even higher scales of doped up wah-wah infected and fuzz deranged mayhem. It all sounds like an acid spiked orgy going overboard with nipple clamps and throat chokers locked and stocked up. Just massive. It just goes to show you that there are still many undetected hybrid psychedelic monster pieces floating around here that just need to get dusted off and dragged out the dungeons of oblivion. This is one of those, hyper rare and once the larger crowd gets a taste of this one, it will skyrocket into the stratosphere, so for now it is still affordable. First time ever I see a copy with obi. Top Condition & Highest recommendation!! Price: Offers!!!!
1836. MONK, THELONIUS: “We See” (Prestige/ Nippon Victor – MJ-7056) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned scarce Japan 1st original deep groove pressing that comes housed in fragile flip back sleeve and all complete with rare obi. “This era of Monk’s recordings is notable as the bridge between his association with Blue Note -- which had concluded in 1952 -- and his most prolific period for Riverside -- commencing in 1955. "Let's Call This" and the second take of "Think of One" are from the November 1953 date and feature Monk (piano) backed by Sonny Rollins  (tenor sax), Julius Watkins (French horn), Percy Heath (bass), and Willie Jones (drums). The remaining tunes present Frank Foster (tenor sax), Ray Copeland (trumpet), Curley Russel (bass), and Art Blakey (drums) from the May 1954 session. Despite some outstanding improvisation between Rollins and Watkins, neither track from 1953 really gains sufficient headway to be primal. That said, they should not be considered as failures either. "Let's Call This" has an easy syncopated rhythm that seemingly fails to inspire the quintet. "Think of One" however, drives a bit harder and includes a few additional off-kilter accents from Monk as well as a somewhat telepathic sense of timing between him and Rollins. What the first pair of selections may have lacked is considerably recouped on the final four pieces. The styles and moods range from the frenetic "Locomotion" and "Hackensack" -- the latter of which is more than just casually reminiscent of "Straight, No Chaser" -- to the sublime and refined cool of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," which is the only cover tune on the disc.” (All Music Guide). Price: 125 Euro

1837. MONK, THELONIUS: “Thelonius Monk In Europe Vol. 1” (Riverside/ Nippon Victor – SR-7113) (Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Languette: Mint). Rare Japan 1st original pressing all complete with rare OBI. In 1961, Monk toured Europe to launch his new line of advanced-bop headwear. Material recorded at these concerts were Monk’s last albums to complete his contractual obligations to Riverside after moving to Columbia in 1962 and were not published by Riverside until 1963. Playing concerts in Essen, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Zurich, Bologna, Rome, Bern, Manchester and Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berlin, the Monk repertoire was duly offered up each evening and gave rise to many recordings, the Riverside being only a small selection. Rarely seen & offered all-complete first original Japanese perssing. Top condition. Price: 250 Euro

1838. THELONIUS MONK QUARTET: “Misterioso” (Riverside/ Nippon Victor – SR-7031). (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Another tough one to unearth in all its glory, very first Japan original pressing housed in flip back sleeve and complete with rare first issue obi. “This is the second long-player to be taken from the same August 1958 Five Spot recordings that had yielded the similarly brilliant Thelonious In Action. The quartet heard on these sets includes Monk (piano), Johnny Griffin (tenor sax), Roy Haynes (drums) and Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass). Their overwhelming and instinctual capacities directly contribute to the powerful swingin' and cohesive sound they could continually reinvent. While these are Monk’s tunes, arrangements, and band, it is Griffin who consistently liberates the performances. During "Nutty," his flurry of activity -- which adeptly incorporates several lines from "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" -- has a maniacal swing that is highlighted by some definitive counterplay from both Hayes and Monk. Additionally, the transition between Hayes and Monk is organic and seemingly psychic. "Blues Five Spot" -- a 12-bar blues homage to their current residence -- features solos from each band member. Griffin and Monk again display the seemingly innate ability to instantly recalculate chord structures as well as transmute melodies. The show-stopping solo vamp from Griffin hurls the rhythm along while simultaneously dropping in quotes from other tunes -- such as the theme for the animated Popeye cinematic shorts. Malik’s brief solo, like his band interaction, is underrated yet precisely executed. The title track is given an exploratory performance. While Griffin aptly seizes the reins to blow his bop onslaught, Haynes’ natural and subdued agility perfectly supports the extended tenor solo, creating some unique passages. Ironically, the one Monk solo performance, "Just a Gigolo," is the only composition not by Monk.” (All Music Guide). Never had the luck to encounter an all complete first pressing until now. Never pops up with obi. Price: 250 Euro
1839. MONK, THELONIUS: “The Unique” (Riverside/ Nippon Victor – R-5039) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1st original press issue complete with rare obi. Glorious MONO issue! “The seven-song Unique Thelonious Monk (1956) platter was the pianist's second during his remarkable five-year tenure on Riverside. His debut for the label was the aptly titled Plays Duke Ellington (1955) and once again, on this disc, Monk's song selection did not feature any original compositions. Rather, the well-chosen standards included exemplify and help further establish the pianist and bandleader within the context of familiar melodies at the head of a trio -- consisting of Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). Regarding the personnel, while Pettiford had also accompanied Monk on the Ellington sides, Blakey replaces Kenny Clarke. The pairing of Monk and Blakey cannot be overstated. Immediately, evidence of their uncanny instrumental interaction is the rhythmic focal point of "Liza, All the Clouds'll Roll Away" as the two-play musical cat-and-mouse. They cajole and wheedle atop Pettiford's undulating undercurrent as it sonically corals their skilled syncopation and otherwise inspired mile-a-minute interjections. This is starkly contrast to the haunting, lyrical piano solo on "Memories of You." Monk infuses the piece with such profound ingenuity and integrity that his re-evaluation and innovative arrangement are singularly and undeniably his own. Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose" reels with a frolicking and ever-so-slightly inebriated gate. It is likewise highlighted by Monk's dreamlike single-note runs up and down the keyboard and the stride piano-style chord progressions that preserves a fluidity within the tune. The advanced score maintains a guise of almost goofy abandon within Monk's highly logical and well-sculpted musical structure. The juxtaposition of "Darn That Dream" is another study in the vacillating moods of The Unique Thelonious Monk. The sophisticated performance is understated, yet remains loose and limber and perfectly in keeping with the album's leitmotif of exploring Monk's skills as an arranger and musician. As if he were testing his audience, the manic and atonal opening to "Tea for Two" -- briefly featuring Pettiford on bowed upright bass -- rollicks with a youthful visage, rather than being a simple reworking of this well-established classic. This LP concludes with one of Monk's most memorable pieces on the fun and freewheeling "Just You, Just Me." The trio struts and glides as Monk's intricate fingering simultaneously displays his physical dexterity as well as his ability to play so deftly in the moment. Both attributes would resurface ten-fold once Monk began to animate his own compositions on the genre-defining Brilliant Corners (1956).” (All Music) Price: 250 Euro
1840. MONK, THELONIOUS: “Solo Monk” (CBS – YS-574-C) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Very first Japan original pressing in outstanding condition of essential slice of Monk. “The mystery and haunting angular beauty of Thelonious Monk’s unadorned keyboard sides are the focus of Solo Monk. As if holding the history of jazz in his hands, Monk’s solo recordings and performances from every phase of his career remain pure. The components of what made Monk such an uncompromising composer, arranger, and especially bandmember are evident in every note he plays. The disc includes both Monk originals as well as several covers of pop music standards. A majority of these sides were cut during a West Coast swing in late October and early November 1964. "Sweet and Lovely" contains several passages that are played with the command and intensity usually demanded of a classical work. The intense yet sophisticated chord progressions that punctuate "Ruby, My Dear" transform what once were simple pop melodies into unaccompanied rhapsodies. Monk transforms the solitude of "Everything Happens to Me" into a minor bop masterpiece replete with his signature disjointed phrasings and variable pacing.” (All Music Guide) Essential! Price: 75 Euro
1841. MONK, THELONIUS: “The Artistry Of Thelonius Monk – Twin Deluxe” (Victor Records - SMJ-9009~10) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition of scarce Japan only 2 LP issue compiling Monk’s music. Just about never-ever shows up, this baby here is pristine. Comes with nice obi and housed in thick as life gatefold jacket. Japan only issue… Price: 100 Euro
1842. MONK, THELONIUS QUARTET: “Monk’s Dream” (CBS Sony – SONP-50103) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Cap Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original pressing. “Monk’s Dream is the Columbia Records debut release featuring the Thelonious Monk Quartet: Monk (piano), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), John Ore (bass), and Frankie Dunlop (drums). Jazz scholars and enthusiasts alike also heralded this combo as the best Monk had been involved with for several years. Although he would perform and record supported by various other musicians, the tight -- almost telepathic -- dimensions that these four shared has rarely been equaled in any genre. By the early '60s, bop had become considered passé by artists as well as fans looking for the next musical trend. This is coupled with the fact that discerning Monk fans would have undoubtedly recognized many of these titles from several live recordings issued at the end of his tenure on Riverside. Not to belabor the point, however, but precious few musicians understood the layer upon layer of complexities and challenges that Monk’s music created. On tracks such as "Five Spot Blues" and "Bolivar Blues," Rouse and Dunlop demonstrate their uncanny abilities by squeezing in well-placed instrumental fills, while never getting hit by the unpredictable rhythmic frisbees being tossed about by Monk. Augmenting the six quartet recordings are two solo sides: "Just a Gigolo" and "Body and Soul." Most notable about Monk’s solo work is how much he retained the same extreme level of intuition throughout the nearly two decades that separate these recordings from his initial renderings in the late '40s. Monk’s Dream is recommended, with something for every degree of Monk enthusiast.” (All Music Guide). Price: 75 Euro
1843. MONK, THELONIUS: “Monk’s Dream” (Columbia Records – CL-1965) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Great condition US first original press issue on the two-eyed Columbia label and with earliest matrix numbers being 1B/1A – WHITE label PROMO MONO issue all complete with timing strip and “Columbia Records Star” sticker! “Monk’s Dream” was the first Thelonious Monk album for Columbia Records and it turned out, in retrospect, also to be one of the best. “Monk’s Dream” is a beautiful illustration of the way that his shift in labels really set some new fire to his music in the early 60s. The group is Monk's sharp-edged quartet with the amazing Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums, a combo that is actually quite understated, but able to do incredible things in the company of the master, hanging back just enough to let Thelonious take center stage one minute, then swinging hard together the next. The set includes great renditions of Monk classics that really illustrate his new energy at Columbia Records. Clean mean MONO PROMO US original! Price: 325 Euro
1844. MONK, THELONIUS: “Monk’s Dream” (Columbia Records – SL-1140) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint) Top condition Japan 1st original MONO pressing from 1963 in outstanding condition – next to impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 60 Euro
1845. MONK, THELONIUS: “Thelonious Himself – Solo Piano by Thelonious Monk” (Riverside – RLP-12-235) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Stupidly clean US first original MONO pressing on the White Riverside label. Deep Groove pressing. Has 553 West 51st Street NY address on jacket – front coated sleeve. Comes with original rice paper inner sleeve as well. A classic and utterly fantastic outing of solo piano by Thelonious Monk and one of his most compelling works ever! Monk in this mode is often different than the bolder leader of a trio or larger group and there's a more introspective quality to the record that makes this record such a standout. It is blessed with a sound that's sometimes tentative, then sometimes pushing forward with strength and rendering it almost more human than on some of his other efforts of the late 50s. To make it all even more salacious, John Coltrane makes a surprising appearance on the last track "Monk's Mood". Absolutely killer slide and without a doubt one of Monk’s finest releases.  Next to impossible to ever upgrade upon. Plays dead quiet which is a rarity for this Riverside pressing. Price: Offers!!!!
1846. MONK, THELONIUS: “Misterioso (Recorded on Tour)” (Columbia – CL-2416) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Unbelievably clean and pristine 1967 US first original MONO pressing on the two-eye red colored Columbia label. Stunning live work from Thelonious Monk with a set of live tracks recorded in New York, Tokyo, and San Francisco and brought together here as a single album from the early Columbia Records years! The group features wonderful tenor from Charlie Rouse throughout -- Monk's key muse during these years -- plus a core group that features Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums -- but work on a few tracks from Butch Warren on bass and Frank Dunlop on drums. Tracks are short, but well executed -- and Rouse, as always, is a delight. Stupidly clean and mean US first original MONO pressing, again, your final upgrade condition copy!!! Price: 200 Euro
1847. MONK, THELONIUS: “Straight No Chaser” (Columbia – CL-2651) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Unbelievably clean and pristine 1967 US first original MONO pressing on the two-eye red colored Columbia label. This is the shit, classic 1960’s work from Thelonious Monk – featuring his incredible quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor, certainly Monk's best-ever musical soulmate! The album features some newer versions of older tunes, and a few written just for the album – but the source of the material is not important, as the Monk/Rouse treatment always transforms whatever is handled, and recreates the work as an angular sculpture of modernist beauty. Other players include Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums! While far from being somber, this unit retained a mature flavor which would likewise place Monk's solos in a completely new context. At times, this adaptation presents itself more subtly than others. For instance, Monk's extended solo in "Locomotive" never reaches beyond itself due in part to the tempo-laden rhythm section. The contrast of styles, however, appreciates the caliber of this particular solo, including an obvious assertion by Monk which leads the band, albeit temporarily, into playing double-time. I do not believe that condition-wise, copies do not come in better shape than this beauty here. Final upgrade copy. Price: 175 Euro
1848. MONK, THELONIUS with JOHN COLTRANE: “S/T” (Fontana/ Nippon Victor – SFON-7084) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Pristine condition all complete with obi. A record that documents a meeting of two giants of modern jazz in the 50s – the angular genius Thelonious Monk, and the younger John Coltrane – a tenor player who was probably better-known for his work with Miles Davis during this period! The recordings are more Monk's than Coltrane's – Monk was signed to Riverside at the time – and the set mixes in three quartet tracks that have the pair working with Wilbur Ware on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums – plus two more from the sessions for the famous Monk's Music record – alternate takes from those sessions, with a larger group that features Gigi Gryce on alto, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, and Ray Copeland on trumpet! Price: 50 Euro
1849. MONK, THELONIOUS with JOHN COLTRANE: “S/T” (Riverside/ Victor Records – SMJ-6149) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint - small sticker on lower right side/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan 2nd press issue all complete with obi. Rare WHITE label PROMO issue of all time classic recording of these two titans of jazz together in 1957. Price: 50 Euro
1850. MONK, THELONIOUS: “Thelonious Monk Quartet Plus Two At The Blackhawk” (Riverside/ Victor Records – SMJ-6198) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint- small sticker on lower right side/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original press issue all complete with obi. Rare WHITE label PROMO issue Thelonious Monk’s 1960 quartet which also includes tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist John Ore and drummer Billy Higgins is augmented on this live session by two guests: trumpeter Joe Gordon and the tenor of Harold Land. The extra horns uplift the date and add some surprising moments to what otherwise might have been a conventional but still spirited live session. Highlights include "Let's Call This," "Four in One" and a swinging version of "I'm Getting Sentimental over You." Again top condition promo with obi Japan original press issue. Price: 50 Euro
1851. MONK, THELONIOUS: “Live at Jazz Expo ‘67” (Seven Seas Records – K18P-6255/6) (2 LP Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint) Clean and top shape Japan original pressing of prime Monk. Come with always missing Obi. Does not surface all that often so… a steal here. Price: 50 Euro
1852. MONK, THELONIUS: “Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960” (Sam Records) (2 LP Record Set Box w/ 48 Paged color booklet/ Set of Picture Cards: Sealed copy). Limited and immediately sold out release, numbered edition, this one being 4576/ 5000. One time only box set issue it seems. Recorded in 1959 but never used, Thelonious Monk’s lost soundtrack to French film Les liaisons dangereuses is finally getting a release. Monk had been offered the opportunity to record in France, the soundtrack to Roger Vadim’s film, Les Liasons Dangereuses. Both Vadim and jazz promoter Marcel Romano were fans of Monk, and wanted him to record new music to complement the avant theme of this movie. Monk’s misfortunes caused him to be unable to fulfill the trip, nor record new compositions. Fortunately, a recording date was set in New York on July 27 at the Nola Studios, and his latest quartet of Charlie Rouse, Sam  Jones, and Art Taylor  entered the studio for a single days session. Romano, at the time was the manager of twenty-two-year-old French tenor sensation, Barney Wilen, who was added to the date as the second horn. Six of Monk’s compositions were recorded as well as the gospel hymn, “We’ll Understand It Better By and By.” Included were the rarely recorded “Light Blue” as well as the solo blues improvisation, “Six in One.” The addition of Barney Wilen on “Rhythm A Ning,” “Crepuscule with Nellie,” and “Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are” provides a counterpart to Rouse’s bop tenor lines, and fleshes out the familiar Monk tunes. There are a few “misses” included such as “Light Blue,” the newest tune which seems centered around a drum pattern that is repeated for way too long, sounding like Art Taylor testing out the tuning of his drums. The rehearsal tape for this composition is included on the second LP and confirms Monk’s interest in this exercise. Though most of this material is well-known already, there still are many treasures, especially Monk’s handling of “Pannonica” in four versions; a much too brief “By and By,” and some tender readings of “Crepuscule with Nellie” Monk’s masterpiece written for his wife. The soundtrack has been pressed to a double LP box set and includes a booklet with essays and never-before-seen photographs. While Monk composed and performed a large chunk of the score, it was the party scene soundtracked by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, that was originally and most famously released in 1960. Price: 175 Euro
1853. The MONOCHROME SET: “Strange Boutique” (Virgin - Dindisk/ Victor – VIP-6959) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Card: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). The first Monochrome Set LP all complete with obi. “Monochorme Set’s debut album for Virgin followed the indie success of their singles "Alphaville," "Eine Symphonie Des Grauens," and "The Monochrome Set." By the time it was scheduled, Andy Warren (ex-Adam & The Ants) had replaced Jeremy Harrington on bass, and the lineup was completed by guitarist Lester Square (also ex-Ants), Indian-born vocalist/guitarist Bid and former Art Attacks drummer J.D. Haney. Although it can't quite match Eligible Bachelors for songwriting, there are a number of superb, non-single album tracks that make this an essential purchase for fans -- especially "Ici les Enfants," "The Puerto Rican Fence Climber," and "The Lighter Side of Dating." Amid the austerity of post-punk England, and before we became awash with irony and archness, we needed a band who could raise their eyebrows and smirk at it all without ever being condescending (or maybe only a little bit condescending).” (All Music Guide) A classic in my book. So damned good! Price: 75 Euro
1854. MONOCHROME SET: “Fin” (Cherry Red Records – ACME3) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). What a killer set. Original 1986 UK pressing. A live album that includes several of the band’s faves: "Eine Symphonie Des Grauens," "He's Frank," and "Alphaville," among others. However, the Monochrome Set were never a band to just run through the hits. In fact, Fin only includes one track, the relatively obscure "I'll Scry Instead,". And truth to tell, they bloody fucking kill it as a live act so do not let anyone convince otherwise. Killer with absolutely NO filler. Price: 35 Euro
1855. MOONDOG: “Moondog On The Streets Of New York” (Mars Records – MREP-A2) (EP Single Record: Near Mint/ Hard Cover Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint – no defects but has foxing spots due to age on back of the sleeve). Top condition US first original press issue from 1953 in top shape. Recorded by Tony Schwartz in the early 1950s and issued on his own Mars label, it documents Moondog’s earliest compositions as they were coming into being right on the spot where he stood. Sometimes these recordings were made right on the street as Moondog busked, at times recorded at Schwartz studio, others on a rooftop but all have that primitive element that makes Moondog’s music so unique, defying easy categorization. Repetitive percussive rattles, spiraling accelerating primitive tempos, ethnic vibes oozing out of the music’s skin, colliding with the sound of cars honking and driving by, creating bewildering big city-dwelling field recordings of eerie-lost in time music graced with Aeolian harmonies and a nervous stuttering groove. On some of the tracks he gets accompanied by his wife Suzuko. 1950s outlaw sounds that are both alien and Stone Age cave dwelling primogenial. A jaw-dropper for sure that you can proudly shelf next to your out-there Sun Ra recordings! Hard to improve upon. Price: 300 Euro  
1856. MOONDOG & HIS FRIENDS: “S/T” (Epic – LG-1002) (10 Inch LP Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Near Mint) 1953 US first original MONO pressing in outstanding condition. Rare early Moondog pieces features the same tribal rhythmic impulse as his famed Prestige recordings. There's an impressive line in chamber music running through these compositions: the B-side is dedicated to two suites for strings, which could easily pass for more traditional works were it not for the heavy bongo presence. Essentially though you can hear a sense of discipline, and a thorough working knowledge of conventional classical composition in Moondog's work, even if he ultimately chooses to subvert it. All this is further destabilized by slightly weirder excursions like 'Tree Frog - Be A Hobo', which fit into some odd percussion-centric take on what might loosely be termed as a 'song'. More idiosyncratic, entirely uncategorizable work from one of 20th century music's true mavericks. The record is in exceptionally amazing condition, a few harmless sleeve lines on one side and for the rest real clean. Hard to find a better copy out there so… Price: 500 Euro
1857. MOONDOG: “S/T” (Prestige – PRLP-7042) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint with one foxing stain on back – for the rest just perfection!) US 1956 first original MONO pressing in outstanding condition. Deep groove issue with RVG in the dead wax and 446 W. 50th St. NYC address on sleeve and labels. One of the best early albums by legendary Moondog. By the standards of the mid-'50s, or indeed or any era, this was so far-out and uncommercial that it's difficult to believe it was even released. Moondog's still at his simple best here, working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and other rootsy instrumentation, all with echoes of Eastern styles, but served in a way that definitely has more of a touch of American exotica! The percussion lines are the backbone for unusual melodies, often Asian- or Japanese-inspired, with a movingly mournful (but not unappealing) quality. Washes of wind-like sounds and animal noises are injected to bolster the pieces. Bits of "Tree Trail" and "Frog Bog" even come close to exotica, but this ain't no Martin Denny; Moondog's music is much less frivolous in intention. All numbers are played by small groups -- or even solo by Moondog -- and any vocalizations take on almost an instrumental feel -- sliding in alongside sound effects, animal noises, and other obscure utterings. The album's almost the art world equivalent of Martin Denny but has a lot more depth than easy kitsch and is still tremendously powerful stuff all these years later! Best condition imaginable, impossible to ever upgrade upon I believe! Price: Offers!!!
1858. MOONDOG: “More Moondog” (Prestige – PRLP-7069) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – stain on back). US first original MONO Deep Groove with RVG in the dead wax pressing in top condition. Incredible work from the enigmatic Moondog, his second Prestige album that solidified his standing as a rare breed. The material on display here is quite different than some of Moondog's later outings, in a mode that's much earthier, personal, and spontaneous. There's a spare, stark modern style here that's almost a small combo version of the Harry Partch sound or a looser, freer take on some of the modes of the Gil Melle camp. Moondog employs a variety of wonderful shaking percussion sounds and rhythms with an oo (a triangular stringed instrument struck with a clave) and even "Ostrich Feathers Played on Drum". The percussion is at times interspersed by sparse, Asian-sounding melodies, and there are also unpredictable interludes of solo piano, street sounds, and an eight-minute "Moondog Monologue." One of the round-like vocal numbers, the minute-long and inexpressibly sad "All Is Loneliness," found an unexpected second life in the 1960s when it was covered by Big Brother & Holding Company. Most tracks are quite short and are built out of primitive flutes and reed instruments, odd percussion, eerie vocalizations, and even some organ and other instruments created by Moondog himself. All killer with no filler. Damned clean original first pressing, hard to find in this condition. Price: Offers!!!!
1859. MOONSTONE: “S/T” (KOTAI - KOT-3003) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in shrink/ Insert: Near Mint). Top copy!! Best condition possible! Original Canada press copy of this dreamy folk group’s eponymous 1973 release. Moonstone could be vaguely labeled as a dreamy folk outfit that privately released one LP on the obscure Kotai label. The album is characterized by predominantly female vocals and crystal-clear male-female harmony singing set against an austere backing of mainly acoustic instrumentation. The band heralded out of Montreal, Canada and maybe because they were located so high up north, their sole LP comes over as a prominently silent atmosphere included folk-rock. Still on an initial listening, the LP can come over as a cold and cerebral affair, but after a few spins it opened some layers unto its true soul and began to blossom seriously, defrosting my icy heart and heating me up for more of the same. So in a way one could imagine - if one has to cross reference this album sonic wise – as a kind of stylistic meeting of U.S. West Coast acoustic songwriting with a whiff of esoteric UK folk dwellings from the early 70s. And just then it all begins to make sense and start being…imaginative. Keywords are then “intimate, compelling and magical”, resulting into austere song writing underscored by some of the more minimal inspired musical backing comprised out of only acoustic guitar strummings spiced up occasionally with some piano and flute. At well balanced times, a gentle electric guitar makes its entry, adding some juvenile excitement to the mix. Still the real thrill is embedded within those intricate, ethereal vocal harmonies that keep on sucking me in, making me beg for more of that same medicine. This obscurity might appeal to those of you who like to get lost and roam around in those late night/early morning listening sessions blessed with that magickal touch of reverie, before you get sucked into that desperate overcrowded nightmare filled with thieves, pimps, losers and hookers again you have to deal with on an everyday basis. Then this jewel will bring you a slice of Valhalla you always longed for. A must!! Price: Offers!!!!

1860. MOPS: “Iijanaika” (Liberty – LTP-9025) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent – small folding crease upper right corner). Top condition 1st press original all complete with rare OBI. Together with their debut album, “Iijanaika” is the hardest – if not almost impossible – to track down Mops album. Together with their debut, it is also their best album ever. Released on may 5th, 1971, “Iijanaika” is a vicious hard rocking psych beast. The Mops were one of the very few groups to successfully crawl out of the swamp that was the GS pool of uniformity by ascending and eventually towering above their illustrious debut and contemporaries the Tigers, Tempters and Spiders by creating a bunch of highly acclaimed albums of which this one was definitely their apex. “Iijanaika” is light-years away from the incense perfumed GS debacle and sees the band in a mature hard rocking psyched out and at times heavy priggish mood, vicious, high on kerosene fumes, armed with battered down instrument and totally bewildered and sounding dangerous. All songs on this album were penned down by Suzuki Hiromitsu. The opening and title track sets the tone for the whole album to unfold in, long hard rock injected psych bliss that could rival with any of their foreign contemporaries. Together with their debut album “Psychedelic Sounds In Japan” this is the ultimate Mops album, tearing shreds in your speaker cabinets. Also, the cover is something to drool over, with the naked picture of Flower Meg imposed over the band, setting the visual tone for the sounds enclosed in the wax. Highest possible recommendation and a tough one to score these days, especially with obi present. Price: Offers!!!
1861. MORGAN, LEE: “Here’s Lee Morgan” (Top Rank/ Victor Records – RANK-5061) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent – has a neatly repaired upper seam split). Freakingly rare Japan very first original press issue that comes with hardly ever seen very first issue obi present!!! An excellent early session from a young Lee Morgan – a set flanking his best Blue Note material of the time! Recorded at a time when Lee's trumpet was a key force in the Jazz Messengers – and there's definitely a Messengers vibe going on here, thanks to drums from Art Blakey – who works in a quintet alongside Clifford Jordan on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass. Jordan's tenor has a nice sharp edge – and like some of the Wayne Shorter sessions for Vee Jay, there's a nice sense of darkness here that's a bit different than some of Morgan's usual moments. Awesome condition copy with damned rare obi present. Price: 275 Euro
1862. MORGAN, LEE: “The Cooker” (Blue Note – GXK-8132) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan iswsue with first issue obi. The trumpeter, then just 19, teams up with baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones for a particularly strong set that is highlighted by a lengthy and fiery "Night in Tunisia," "Lover Man" and a rapid rendition of "Just One of Those Things." Morgan plays remarkably well for his age (already ranking just below Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis) making this an essential acquisition. Top copy!!! Price: 75 Euro
1863. MORGAN, LEE: “Lee Morgan Vol. 2” (Blue Note Records/ Japan – BLP-1541) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near MINT/ Insert: Near Mint/ Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Immediately Out of Print in the flash of an eyelid…. Japan’s uber-quality super limited deluxe high-quality reissue of some of jazz finest titles. All is done with an extreme eye for details – EXACTLY sleeve reproduction up and down to the original coating, texture, label’s first address, choice of carton and paper used for printing – simulating the perfect real-time artifact etc…exact same labels and micro groove deep groove pressing, 200-gram vinyl. The jackets are all imprinted in Japan – hence the almost neurotic perfection of the whole job that makes the jackets identical in thickness and quality of the materials used as to the fist press originals & also they used the same lettering as the originals, all is just state of the art. The vinyl was pressed in the US using the original pressing machine that was used for the originals in order to create the exact same quality of vinyl and sound!!!! Flat edged press and cut from the original master tapes as well. And to close it all off, reproduction of the original inner sleeves and liner notes as well. This borders on the insane as far as near perfection is concerned. Glorious MONO to boot, sold out on the spot. Best possible project ever to restore this masterpiece to its original form!!! Sold out almost instantly!!! Price: 275 Euro
1864. MORGAN, LEE: “Candy” (Blue Note Records/ Japan – BLP-1590) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near MINT/ Insert: Near Mint/ Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Immediately Out Of Print in the flash of an eyelid…. Japan’s uber-quality super limited deluxe high-quality reissue of some of jazz finest titles. All is done with an extreme eye for details – EXACTLY sleeve reproduction up and down to the original coating, texture, label’s first address, choice of carton and paper used for printing – simulating the perfect real-time artifact etc…exact same labels and micro groove deep groove pressing, 200-gram vinyl. The jackets are all imprinted in Japan – hence the almost neurotic perfection of the whole job that makes the jackets identical in thickness and quality of the materials used as to the fist press originals & also they used the same lettering as the originals, all is just state of the art. The vinyl was pressed in the US using the original pressing machine that was used for the originals in order to create the exact same quality of vinyl and sound!!!! Flat edged press and cut from the original master tapes as well. And to close it all off, reproduction of the original inner sleeves and liner notes as well. This borders on the insane as far as near perfection is concerned. Glorious MONO to boot, sold out on the spot. Best possible project ever to restore this masterpiece to its original form!!! Sold out almost instantly!!! Price: 250 Euro
1865. MORGAN, LEE: “Indeed!” (Blue Note - BLP-1538) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: MINT/ Insert: Mint/ Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Immediately Out Of Print in the flash of an eyelid…. Japan’s uber-quality super limited deluxe high-quality reissue of some of jazz finest titles. All is done with an extreme eye for details – EXACTLY sleeve reproduction up and down to the original coating, texture, label’s first address, choice of carton and paper used for printing – simulating the perfect real-time artifact etc…exact same labels and micro groove deep groove pressing, 200-gram vinyl. The jackets are all imprinted in Japan – hence the almost neurotic perfection of the whole job that makes the jackets identical in thickness and quality of the materials used as to the fist press originals & also they used the same lettering as the originals, all is just state of the art. The vinyl was pressed in the US using the original pressing machine that was used for the originals in order to create the exact same quality of vinyl and sound!!!! Flat edged press and cut from the original master tapes as well. And to close it all off, reproduction of the original inner sleeves and liner notes as well. This borders on the insane as far as near perfection is concerned. Glorious MONO to boot, sold out on the spot. Best possible project ever to restore this masterpiece to its original form!!! Sold out almost instantly!!! Price: 350 Euro
1866. MORGAN, LEE: “The Sidewinder” (Blue Note – BST-84157) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ‾ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan iswsue with first issue obi. “Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan’s compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.” (All Music Guide). Top copy!!! Price: 75 Euro
1867. MORGAN, LEE: “Charisma” (Blue Note – BST-84312) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ MINT – still housed in SHRINK/ Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Near Mint). Scarce US original all complete with Japan only insert and rarely seen Direct Import Obi. Pristine copy, impossible to ever upgrade upon with sleeve still firmly housed in shrink. Record also is top. One of latter but also most sublime albums from Lee Morgan – a searingly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. The three horns, all of whom sound quite individual, each have their exciting moments, and the results are quintessential mid-'60s hard bop with a whiff of spiritual undertones even. Just brilliant. Quite difficult to locate with Japan only Direct Import Obi present – let alone with gatefold sleeve still housed in shrink and record resembling a time machine condition copy. So…. Price: 450 Euro
1868. MORGAN, LEE: “The Sixth Sense” (Blue Note – BST-84335) (Record: Excellent – has a few sleeve lines/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in original shrink/ Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Excellent). Scarce US original all complete with Japan only insert and rarely seen Direct Import Obi. Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! The appropriately title The Sixth Sense presents a transition between one of the most intriguing sextets during the last years of post-bop and Morgan’s final ensembles that saw him reaching higher and higher before, like Icarus, falling from grace. Price: 175 Euro
1869. MORGAN, LEE: “Lee Morgan Live At The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California” (Blue Note – BST-89906) (2LP Set: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Blue Note Obi: Near Mint). Top condition US first original press issue – for import to Japan and which comes with Japan only insert and damned rare Direct Import Obi. Not the rarest Blue Note out there but a tough one to find in decent nick without any ring-wear or any other damages and with OBI present. This one is pristine. An incredible album from Lee Morgan – one of his last records ever, and a set that shows a whole new promise in his music – one that was sadly unfulfilled as a result of his tragic early death. The songs hare are all quite long – stretched out live numbers, but never in a way that's overindulgent (especially in comparison to some of Lee's Blue Note contemporaries) – and put together with a level of creativity and imagination that's simply stunning! Lee's in a beautifully searching mode here – stretching out on his solos, and hitting spaces we never would have imagined in his work even a few short years before. The rest of the group's great too – and include Bennie Maupin on flute, tenor, and bass clarinet, Harold Mabern on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. Just an amazing slide, extremely affordable although the music itself should be up for offers and heavy bids because it is just that good. Largely overlooked but definitely his best one! First time ever I see a copy complete with OBI!! Price: 375 Euro
1870. MORGAN, LEE: “City Lights” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – BLP-1575) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Card: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Pristine and virginal condition Japanese high quality and superior sounding issue. One of Lee Morgan's most sparkling sessions from the early years -- a record displaying a sense of depth and imagination that would take Lee way beyond simple hardbop solo work! There's a sensitivity here that owes something of a debt to Clifford Brown, yet which is much more modernist overall -- touched, no doubt, by a set list that features tunes by Gigi Gryce and Benny Golson, and played in a spirit that's similar to the blend of soul jazz and modernism that both of those players were carving out at the time. Morgan's bandmates for the record include George Coleman on tenor and alto, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums -- all in tight formation, but with a sense of relaxed and easy flow that's rare, even in a Blue Note of this vintage! Awesome. Price: 85 Euro
1871. MORGAN, LEE: “Lee Morgan All Star Sextet” (Blue Note – GXF-3023) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan only issue that came out in 1978. Surely one of Morgan’s finest sessions, with a dream team of Hancock, Shorter, Carter, Hutcherson and Higgins, and the compositions are enormously strong. It was recorded around the same time as Miles was recording Nefertiti, so those tunes must have been going through the minds of Carter, Hancock and Shorter as they ran with The Procrastinator, must have given their playing some edge, and rubbed off on Morgan. This LP is swinging, bluesy, cool, adventurous and unstoppable listening, every track is a delight. It may well be one Morgan’s best albums, his compositions got more confident and original. It is surprising that it was not released when it was recorded in 1967 for the sextet lives up to their potential on a well-rounded set of originals by Morgan and Shorter. The music ranges from the funky "Party Time" to more explorative pieces. No duds, everyone deserves repeated play, repeatedly. The idea that this session had to wait to 1978 to be released is simply outrageous. Price: 125 Euro
1872. MORGAN, LEE: “Tom Cat” (Blue Note/ King Records – GXK-8181) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan only issue of an unreleased Blue Note session that came out in 1981. This one is easily one of my all-time fave top 5 favourite Blue Note records of all time! Tom Cat is a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before it was eventually released. Recorded around the same time as Morgan's The Sidewinder, Tom Cat got that soaring, searching energy of later Morgan work on records like Sixth Sense or Charisma, displaying a whole new groove at the time, one that's explored perfectly by a group including Jackie McLean on alto sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. Modal lines come into play with older hardbop and soul jazz modes, resulting in an explosive batch of tunes that resonate with bewitching power throughout! Nearly all tunes are incredible originals by Lee Morgan, a treasure, and one not to pass up! Top condition first press original all complete with Obi. Price: 175 Euro
1873. MORIYAMA TAKEO: “East Plants” (VAP – 3012-25) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Damned rare and pristine condition Japan 1st original pressing all complete with OBI and Insert. Really amazing sounds from Japanese drummer Takeo Moriyama – a record that's sometimes spiritual and organic, sometimes very unusually put-together – and which makes as much use of inventive percussion as it does the leaders drums! The group's got this very cool twin-sax approach – both tenor and soprano, each played by Toshihiko Inoue and Shuichi Enomoto – alternating between the instruments, and creating these textures that are sometimes sharp-edged, but always very striking – especially when the album's percussion from Yoji Sadanari really takes off! The whole thing almost feels a bit out of time, especially for its early 80s recording date – almost like one of those unusual Japanese spiritual sessions from a decade before, which also might not be what you're expecting from the 80s cover image too. Getting next-to-impossible to find these days as demand for this album is high, especially all complete with insert and obi. Not surprising as the music is stellar, making it one of the finest spiritual jazz high flyers to seep out of Japan. Killer LP from start to finish!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1874. MORIYAMA TAKEO QUARTET: “Flush Up – Live Moriyama Takeo Quartet” (Teichiku – GM-5008) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Top shape Japan 1st original pressing all complete with first issue OBI. "Flush Up" is a masterpiece of Japanese spiritual jazz and comes highly recommended for any Coltrane and Pharaoh lovers out there. Driven by Hideaki Mochizuki’s continuously undulating bass, Fumio Itabashi, who is said to be Japan’s answer to McCoy Tyner and Tomomi Takahashi, who was touted as a post-Coltrane player at the time, are all screaming, and your soul will bleed when being subjected to their sound. It all reaches its apex of utter cool when the group all kick in and rush out in full force after Moriyama's long drum solo. A fulfilling live recording published in the "Jazz Next Standard" vibe of that day. Just awesome. Price: 165 Euro
1875. MORIYAMA TAKEO PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE: “Full Load” (Frasco – FS-7005) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint / Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). 1975 Japan 1st original pressing of all out killer slide and complete with first issue OBI. A fierce recording by Moriyama on drums and backed by fellow experimentalists Momose Kazunori and Yamaguchi Yasunori, both heavy rotation on marimba, cylophone and assorted percussive instruments. The trio creates havoc, a free for all recording that is not unlike any Milford Graves rumble in the jungle affair or an assorted maniac fury leaping into a soundscape as if engaged in trench warfare. Killer free jazz percussive blast that will clear out the cobwebs clogging up the empty dungeons of your retarded mind and jumpstart it again for juvenile animated high-tension reactions where the tiniest gestures trigger apocalyptic waves of sound. Killer from start to finish!!! Awesome!!! Price: 150 Euro
1876. MORNING PHASE: (Shadoks) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint) Ltd to 350 hand-numbered copies. Anothertour de force of the always-exquisite Shadoks label. This time they unearthed arare demo pressing of a1971 UK acid folk side that is just awe-inspiring. Maleand female vocals intertwine with totally out of nowhere dark lyrics, hauntingsphere settings and gloomy – yet freaky – takes on the overall songwriting and composition of the songs. This one ranks up there high in the skiesof the UK acid folk pantheon together with Comus and even Mellow Candle, DoctorStrangely Strange and Mushroom. One of the hidden gems within the Shadokscatalogue, this one comes with the highest possible recommendation. Price: 75 Euro
1877. MOROI MAKOTO: “Music for Shakuhachi” (Victor – VX-64) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). TOP COPY complete with OBI!!! Bloody damned rare, overlooked and totally vanished (since the day it was released) Japanese avant-garde masterpiece!! Original 1971 pressing that quickly sunk into complete obscurity following its release. First time I have a copy with obi of this Japanese avant-garde milestone! Moroi attempted here to fuse traditional instruments with an avant-garde and experimental mindset, in which he succeeded brilliantly. He aimed at trying to amalgamate the traditional techniques with a progressive musical syntax of contemporary music, add new meanings of expression and to pursue newer tone qualities through performing techniques unseen in a traditional method. So does he apply the principle of “probability” to some of the compositions and the player’s movements, to whom a number of musical fragments are presented and which they are free to play at their own choice and interpretation. Strings often imitate the musical patterns characteristic of the Shakuhachi playing. Through his unique instrumentation, Moroi succeeds wonderfully well in producing astonishing sonic effects. At times when a performance reaches its climax, sounds get amplified several times as loud as the actual volume through a special tape operation/ manipulation peculiar to multi-channel recordings. Following some climaxes a chaotic mass of sounds rapidly subsides into clear melodic lines played by the Shakuhachi. Stunning tour de force and rarely if ever seen original pressing. Bloody damned rare. Cheap price due to catalogue seals attached to label. Highest recommendation if you are interested into either Japanese avant-garde or traditional free-blowing aesthetics like Watazumido… My jaw drops to the floor each time I spin this one…too much beauty for one to handle without obtaining some sort of nerve damage.. Price: 150 Euro
1878. MOTHER TUCKERS YELLOW DUCK: “S/T” (Capitol – ST-6304) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – as always drill hole in upper right corner) Top shape 1969 Canadian original pressing of acclaimed psych masterpiece. A stunning debut album by this Canadian psychedelic folk rocker floating on a smooth blend of folk, country rock, west coast vibes impregnated with cool psychedelic moments. A classic and one that is essential!! Price: 225 Euro
1879. THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION & FRANK ZAPPA (JAPAN ONLY GATEFOLD JACKET ART): “Freak Out” (Verve/ Nippon Grammophon – SMV-9045/46) (2 LP Set: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Heavy Duty Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Attached 4-Paged full color Booklet: Mint/ OBI: Near Mint ~ Mint). This is it! The rarest of the rare Japan released originals with OBI…. Zappa’s Freak Out – Just impossible to lay your hands upon, let alone in such pristine and virginal shape as this beauty here. Bloody freakingly, insanely and hideously rare Japanese original pressing with never offered original OBI present. Comes with totally different inner gatefold pictures and attached booklet than the regular US version, fold out booklet depicts a wide-screen amazing live shot of the band in action, only present with the 1st original Japanese pressing. Top copy, all is just Mint as can be. If you know your obi rarity poison, you will know the deal and how rare these babies are. Eclipses Tangerine Zoo and The Trip with obi by far and wide as far as rarity status is concerned. These 1st edition Japanese pressings do never surface, especially “Freak Out” is impossible to lay your hands on, let alone score a virginal copy as this one. Mega collectible and graced with Japan only gatefold and booklet cover art. Another totally dried up issue that only once in a blue moon surfaces. Obi is present with tag on the back not cut out so all is pristine and complete as can be. Impossible to ever upgrade upon so… you know the deal… heavy-duty all-round action here. Price: Offers!!!
1880. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “We’re Only In It For The Money – Okashi Na Sekai” (Verve Records Japan – SMV-1115) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ OBI: Excellent – has on upper left side on top a 2mm small cut out). One of the rarest Mothers of Invention and Zappa related artifacts out there! First press issue all complete with OBI!!! OK, here you have it, the rarest of the rare Japanese original pressings is this LP by the Mothers released in September 1969 and next to Freak Out the rarest of all Mothers/ Zappa records. Impossibly scarce Japanese 1st original pressing that NEVER turns up, last copy on sale in Japan was like 20 years ago. COMPLETE WITH OBI!!!! A must for every Mothers’ fan. Complete copy with obi in this condition is bound to surface never again once. One off chance here. This baby comes cheaper than my previous copy due to the small miniscule yellow on yellow cut out on upper left side of the obi of about 2~3 millimeters. Hardly stands out but …. A deal to be had here! Price: Offers!!!!!!
1881. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Absolutely Free – JIYUU NA SEKAI” (Verve Records Japan – MV-1120) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Attached Japan only Insert: Near Mint ~ Mint/ OBI: MINT). ABSOLUTELY PERFECT COPY - impossible to ever upgrade upon!!! WHITE LABEL PROMO ISSUE!!! OK, here you have it, the rarest of the rare Japanese original pressings is this LP by the Mothers released in January 1970. Impossibly scarce Japanese 1st original pressing that NEVER turns up – especially the promo version with all complete, last copy on sale in Japan was like 20 years ago. This is the ultimate copy in virginal Near MINT condition. COMPLETE WITH OBI!!!! Comes with totally different inner gatefold picture and attached booklet than the regular US version, only present with the 1st original Japanese pressing. A must for every Mothers fan. Complete copy with obi in this condition is bound to surface never again once. One off chance here – especially for a white label promo issue all complete with killer obi!!! Price: Offers!!!
1882. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Absolutely Free” (Verve – 2317-035) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1967 first UK pressing. Comes on the silver & black Verve label with serial number 2317 035 and matrix numbers ending in A//1 - B//1. Price: 100 Euro

1883. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Absolutely Free” (Verve Records – V/5013) (Record: Excellent ++~Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Impossibly scarce deep groove pressing WHITE label promo copy. Most promotional copies you see are yellow label ones, east coast pressings. This one here is the West Coast white label press one. West coast pressings were fewer in those days than East Coast pressings. Only the second time ever I could lay my eyes and hands on a white label copy. A must for every Mothers’ fan. Amazing condition, record has a few superficial sleeve lines that are totally harmless so EX++~NM…. gatefold sleeve is spotless. Price: 400 Euro
1884. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Burnt Weeny Sandwich” (Bizarre/ Reprise Records – RS-6370) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Big Poster: Near Mint). Original US 1st pressing in outstanding condition – blue/ turquoise Bizarre label first press issue and complete with always-missing poster. Jacket is also ring wear free which is almost impossible with this one, so in all NM condition. Hard to upgrade upon. Price: 250 Euro
1885. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Uncle Meat” (Bizarre – 2MS-2014) (2 LP Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ 2 Imprinted Inner Sleeves: Near Mint) WHITE label PROMO issue – TRUE very first original pressing. This is the very first press issue – all copies I see (promo or otherwise) are later issues but this copy here is the real deal and it has some clear differences as opposed to later pressings. First of all the record has on side one 3rd track the title “400 Days Of The Year” – which was later altered into the title “9 Types of Industrial Pollution”. Secondly the inner sleeves are black and cream colored imprinted as opposed to later issues that has the inner sleeves in black and white color. Thirdly, the gatefold sleeve has the “Mothers of Invention” sticker on the front + inside the gatefold on the lower right corner the “2024” number imprinted in a little square that was on later pressings removed. Top condition with the booklet also present. Top condition and next to impossible to ever upgrade upon! Price: 400 Euro
1886. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Cruising with Ruben & The Jets” (Verve– V&-5055x) (Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent). ScarceYELLOW LABEL promotional pressing out of 1968. Frank Zappa, more a parodist than anything else,looks back at the euphony and euphemism of early rock and roll. Some of this is funny; some could pass for the real thing. One of the highpoints of the rockand roll revival. A classic and one of my favorite ever Zappa/ Mothers slides. Price: 300 Euro
1887. MOTHERS OF INVENTION & ZAPPA, FRANK: “Weasels Ripped My Flesh” (Reprise Japan – P-8003R) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Bloody rare 1st time Japanese pressing with cool obi. Rarely surfaces these days, this one is a top-notch copy. The obi is what this one is all about, just lovely. The music is of course also fingerlickingly great!! Price: 350 Euro
1888. MOTHERS OF INVENTION: “Just Another Band From L.A.” (Reprise/ Warner Bros. Japan – P-8245R) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Rare Japan 1st press all complete with insert and OBI. Hardly ever seen or offered BLUE LABEL PROMO issue. Top copy. Price: 450 Euro
1889. MOTHERS OF INVENTION & ZAPPA, FRANK: “Mothers – Fillmore East – June 1971” (Warner reprise – P-8151R) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Near MINT/ Obi: Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Mint). Rare Japanese 1st pressing of this all time Frank Zappa and the Mother of Invention disc complete with obi and Japan only 4 paged insert. Truly stunning vinyl quality that sounds much better than the US press of this disc. Rarely surfaces. A classic from start to finish. Rare and super clean…. The music on the other hand is all killer without a single second of mediocre filler.. Price: 150 Euro
1890. MOTORHEAD: “S/T” (Chiswick/ Warner Pioneer Japan – P-11216) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 2 Inserts: Mint/ Obi: Mint). First Motorhead head fucker of a LP, Japan 2nd pressing with obi in immaculate condition. Even the 2nd press issue is getting hard to find. After being kicked out of Hawkwind following a bust for drug possession, Lemmy went out and formed Motorhead, named after the last song he recorded with the Hawks. After friend Mick Farren (The Deviants) introduced him to Lucas Fox and ex-Pink Fairies Larry Wallis, Lemmy birthed out Motorhead, an American slang for “Speed Freak”, in order to commemorate to the reason for him getting busted in Canada and eventually getting sacked by Hawkwind. The band was a ramshackle outfit and after some line-up changes Motorhead went in the studio to record their first LP. This album opened with the all-incinerating Ace of Spades followed by Motorhead, differing a lot from the Hawkwind original. One can also easily detect echoes of Lemmy’s psychedelic past in The Watcher and Lost Johnny — two songs were written during the Hawkwind days. Iron Horse/Born To Lose is one of the best early Motorhead tunes containing a whiff of psychedelic influences and Motorhead’s rude and dirty rock'n'roll began to conquer its first fans. What a disc. Killer all way through. Clean as a virgin’s pulsating as to clench your “White Line Fever” upon 2nd press issue all complete with Obi and inserts. Getting so tough to dig up as of late. Price: 300 Euro
1891. MOTORHEAD: “Ace of Spades” (Bronze – VIP-6751) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Excellent – has some foxing/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan very first original pressing from 1981 all complete with OBI – scarce WHITE label PROMO issue. Full frontal killer landmark British metal from the mighty Motorhead and inarguably one of the greatest albums ever in the genre! If there's a flaw to Ace Of Spades, it's that Lemmy & Co.'s signature song – the title track, of course – is so damned amazing, you want to drop the needle on it 10 times in a row every time you pull the record out of the sleeve before going on to the rest of the record. If only more rock & roll albums had this "problem". Rarely offered promo issue with obi…. This is the shit…Price: 400 Euro
1892. MOTORHEAD: “Bomber” (Bronze – WBS-81289) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original press all complete with obi. “Recorded in late summer 1979 and released by the end of the year, Bomber quickly followed up Overkill, Motorhead's landmark breakthrough album from earlier in the year. Bomber bears a lot in common with its fan-favorite predecessor. For starters, it features the classic Motorhead lineup: Lemmy (bass and vocals), "Fast" Eddie Clarke (guitar), and "Philthy Animal" Taylor (drums). The music here on Bomber explodes on song after song, thanks to the crazed performances of the aforementioned bandmembers as well as the well-overdriven, ear-rattling production perfection of Miller. Actually, there's only one marked difference between Overkill and Bomber that's worth noting: the songs. There are a couple killers here, namely "Dead Men Tell No Tales," "Stone Dead Forever," and "Bomber," but overall, the songs of Bomber aren't as strong as those of Overkill were. Granted, this is somewhat of a moot point to raise, as Bomber is still a top-shelf Motorhead album, one of their all-time best, without question. But it does fall just a notch or two below Overkill and Ace of Spades, the latter of which would follow a year later and catapult the band to further acclaim. Bomber kicks ass, in any event, and its best moments are as superlative as any Motorhead would ever record. The band was really on fire during this point in time and could seemingly do no wrong.” (Jason Birchmeier). Top condition! Price: 150 Euro
1893. MOUNT EVEREST TRIO: “Waves from Albert Ayler” (Levande Improviserad Musik – LIM-75-3) (Record: Excellent, disc has a few superficial paper scuff marks/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Hyper rare Swedish hardcore free jazz blow out, original press from 1975. The first thing that struck me was the jacket depicting what looked like as three runaway derelict Hell Angels, chewing on inner tubes and high on petrol fumes. Hell the guy standing on the right could be Lemmy's twin brother! Yes!!! The Mount Everest Trio, viciously rare Swedish free jazz and improve blowout. It all starts of with the Ornette Coleman tune “Ramblin” and right from the start you get sucked in by the hypnotic bass playing of Kjell Jansson. This is the shit, starting of mellow but free as well. Man I am grooving my head off. By the time they steer into Ayler territory with “Spirits”, all gets heated up and Holmstrom tenor is veering left and right, up and down, leaving hardly any room for breathing, a tidal wave of gushing furious notes while the rhythm section tries to hold it within bounds without much avail. No wonder these guys get kicked out of their local Angels' branch because they were just too far out. Roaming freedom is however not all these cats could muster, more ballad intoned excursions also pass the revue and form the perfect counterbalance to keep the whole affair beautifully afloat.. These guys were just built for speed and handcrafted for action. Anyway, as you can see, they waxed this unknown monster LP in '75 for the tiny collective Levande Improviserad Musik label, covering some tunes as well as blowing out some original compositions and ear-shattering free pieces. No record collection will be complete without their explosive "No Hip Shit" in it. Man that is probably one of the best titles ever!! It is just one amazing record. A review: “Waves From Albert Ayler gives good indication by its title of this absolutely invigorating outing by alto and tenor player Gilbert Holmström, bassist Kjell Jansson and drummer Conny Sjökvist. Without a doubt, this album wails from the first seconds of Ayler's "Spirits," which opens the album. But this is not wholly an energy record; there are beautiful down times as well, including the deep ballad "Bananas Oas" and their swinging rendition of Coleman's "Ramblin'," which features some great highlights of Jansson. After starting the album by covering Ayler and Coleman (two American musicians who certainly had a great influence upon them), the Mount Everest Trio kicks into the first original of the session," Orinoco." This piece has a driving urgency that pushes the musicians, who work it into a sweat, and eventually an earthquake whose full-blown force continues to peak right up to the unfortunate fade-out that will leave the listener yearning to hear what was cut so long ago. The trio also whips the energy up into a frenzy during "No Hip Shit," a decidedly un-prettified tough take. Yet following this is another nice wind-down, the more sparse and careful "Elf."” (Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide). Just a killer disc depicting another facet of European free interplay. Hardly if ever surfaces, original 1975 Swedish pressing and like one of their compositions already says “No Hip Shit”, these guys were the real bloody thing! Price: 300 Euro
1894. MOUNTAIN BUS: “Sundance” (Good Records – G101) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare US 1971 original private press LP. Great Dead/ Mighty Baby/ Quicksilver influenced melting-away meandering psych moves. Mountain Bus is the kind of band you get into after you’ve exhausted all your major label heroes. They were one of Chicago’s great underground bands that were dealt a bad deck of cards. Mountain Bus were frequently cited as Chicago’s answer to the Grateful Dead, and indeed some of their songs on the above album sound like San Fransisco’s most cherished sons. They formed in 1967 and immediately began a series of extremely low-paying gigs around Chicago. One member worked at a record shop whose owner, dismayed by the major labels' ability to charge whatever they wanted for LPs, decided to start up his own label – Good Records – which would sell records direct to shops for a discount price. But luck was not on their side. First of all Windfall Music (which represented Leslie West's band Mountain) put a restraining order on this barely-known outfit who were earning precisely nothing for their endeavors. Then a lawsuit followed, which, in a nutshell, destroyed Good Records and killed Mountain Bus outright. One quarter-page advert from Billboard in September 1971 trumpets how the band (and their label) are "on our way to the top!" but the sad fact is, they were going nowhere, which is a crying shame as Sun Dance is stuffed full of clear-eyed, post-hippy joyfulness. Opening track Sing a New Song and I Don't Worry About Tomorrow are pitched somewhere between the Byrds and the Grateful Dead, while Rosalie is a funky blues piece which stretches out into a glorious, sun-streaked, barefoot jam with dueling guitar solos, but it's what would have once been side two where things get really interesting. I Know You Rider is an utterly beautiful 10-minute-plus epic that laces a mass of harmonies across a wonderfully motorik rhythm section, Apache Canyon is an dream-sequence instrumental lit by tiny bells, while the closing track, Hexahedron, is precisely the tongue-lolling, hair-thrown-back instrumental that even The Man at his most venal and short-sighted couldn't repress forever. Just so good….Hard to dig up in acceptable condition so very pleased to be able to offer a nice and utterly clean original one. Price: 500 Euro
1895. The MOVE: “The Girl Outside b/w Cherry Blossom Clinic” (Polydor – DP-1594) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Rare Japan only picture sleeve issue from November 1968. Killer British pop-psych gem that combines two nuggets of playful psych-touched pop, The Move’s Japan single issue will have anyone grinning from ear to ear. Disarmingly child-like at times, deliciously tongue in cheek at others, The Move inhabited a space where pop, folk, hard rock and prog hadn't quite separated themselves into their own little turfs and were all swirling through leader Roy Wood's head in equal measure. The lyrics are so witty and inventive, paired to a rush of irrepressible light-headed melody far above the standard psych fare. They could rival Syd's Pink Floyd for the mixture of whimsicality with an undercurrent of madness and darkness. Stupidly rare Japan original single that seldomly turns up and this one here is in perfect shape. A genuine beauty, both sonically and as an artefact. Price: 500 Euro
1896. MTUME UMOJA ENSEMBLE: “Alkebu-Lan – Land Of The Blacks – Live at the East” (Trio Records - Strata-East – PA-3034/35) (2 LP set: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ OBI: MINT). Top Copy!! Original 1974 Japanese pressing – complete with never seen OBI. One of the rarest – if not the rarest – disc on the Strata East roster. Recorded August 29, 1971 at The East, New York. Pretty damn wild...and it sound like renegades from the AACM camp crossing the oceans again and venturing towards Africa. Or maybe it resembles the Egyptian Pharoahs going to Saturn. The whole affair starts off with a four-minute speech describing the role of “these jams” in the service of Black Nationalism and then they start freaking out and jamming the roof of the club. It’s a fascinating glimpse of the marriage of early 1970s Afro-centric music, politics and spirituality, plus it really grooves. The music itself fits in very nicely with the music from The Black Artists Group as well as cats such as Human Arts Ensemble, early 1970s Art Ensemble of Chicago, and early Juju. Since this is a live album, the tunes and jams have a very free feel to them, with plenty of percussion, chanting, spoken word, and intense jamming throughout. The music holds up well nearly three and a half decades later, and just reading the credits it's easy to understand why - these cats were for the most part well-known and well-respected performers. The extent to which the spoken sentiments are "dated" I suspect will depend on who you're talking to. Amazing disc and a classic in my book. Top-notch copy and I guess they do not come better than this baby here. Price: 650 Euro
1897. MU: “S/T” (RTV – RTV-300) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in original shrink/ Insert: Mint). Original US 1st pressing with silver foiled rear cover. This is the hardly ever-offered WHITE label PROMO issue that comes with the always-missing insert + sleeve is still housed in shrink! “The band and LP that propelled Merrell Fankhauser to international stardom, at least on the rare psych LP collector circuit. Rated highly for decades and less hippie-ish than his later MU work. This mix of Bluesy urban LA exhaust fume vibes and tribal dessert mystique is as archetypal as early 1970s SoCal trip as you can find. Strong songwriting, a pro-sounding recording all around, given a clear-cut identity from the excellent slide guitar, harmony vocals, and occasional sax. Too bad not more bands followed this musical path. “Eternal Thirst” with spooky percussion and chanting goes deep into the ancient regions of your cranium. From a mainstream classic rock perspective, this is Merrell’s most significant work, though even better things were to follow for us hallucinogenic explorers.” (PL – Acid Archives). Top copy and next to impossible to ever upgrade upon – final upgrade condition copy. That aside the music is a real dust-blowing, slow-burning, desert-twang psychedelic skull driller, fantastic brain-meltingly awesome LP. Completely dried up as of late and demand is on the rise so… Price: Offers!!!!
1898. MULLIGAN, GERRY with SHELLY MANNE: “I Want To Live” (United Artists/ King Records – SR-3091) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ 2 OBI’s: Mint). 1971 Japan original high quality pressing of West Coast Jazz classic. “Baritonist Gerry Mulligan and a group of West Coast all-stars were heard throughout the soundtrack of the Susan Hayward movie I Want To Live. Although not a soundtrack, this LP features six themes from the movie performed by the same musicians, who this time around get an opportunity to really stretch out. Since the band is comprised of Mulligan, trumpeter Art Farmer, altoist Bud Shank, trombonist Frank Rossolino, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Shelly Manne, virtually all of the music is quite interesting with plenty of fine solos and hard-swinging. Top condition Japan original pressing all complete with 2 obis! Price: 50 Euro
1899. MULLIGAN, GERRY: “Mulligan Meets Monk” (Riverside/ Victor Records – SMJ-6107) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – has some foxing/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japanese pressing all complete with obi and signed on the front by Gerry Mulligan himself. An unlikely pair, but a great one here. The record is one of those few magical moments where bringing together unusual partners actually works! Mulligan's cool hardly seems a match for Monk's angular modernism, but together the players seem to strike a middle ground that resonates with the strength of both – a sound that cuts a bit more edge on Gerry's normally smooth baritone, and which still lets Monk's keys flow into wonderful twists and turns. Rhythm is by the great bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson Rare with signature but cheap. Price: 50 Euro
1900. MUNDELL, HUGH: “Africa Must Be Free by 1983” (Message) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top condition Jamaican original 1st pressing from 1978. “The teenaged Hugh Mundell cut Africa Must Be Free By 1983 under the tutelage of the legendary producer Augustus Pablo in the mid-'70s, and had a Jamaican hit with the title track. Mundell’s artlessly fervent singing is attractive far out of proportion to his technical skill. It's the sincerity and devotion in his voice that make successes of songs like "Let's All Unite" and "My Mind" -- that and the rock-solid instrumental backing of Pablo’s studio band, which at this time included bassist and trombonist Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace and guitarists Earl “Chinna” Smith and Jeffrey Chung. Like too many of Jamaica's best reggae musicians, Mundell died young -- in an almost creepy irony (given the title of his hit song), he was shot and killed in 1983 at the age of 21.” (All Music Guide) Classic roots reggae album written by Hugh Mundell when he was only 16, with signature floating falsetto set to production by the legendary Augustus Pablo. Amazing slide, close to perfection! Top copy. Price: 150 Euro
1901. MUNOZ: “Rendezvous With Now” (India Navigation/ Paddle Wheel Records – GP-3197) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan original 1st press issue all-complete with seldom seen OBI – WHITE label PROMO issue. One of the overlooked gems on the India Navigation imprint but wrongly so. Price: 150 Euro
1902. The MUNSTERS: “Munster Creep b/w T.V. Monster Show” (Decca – DS-407) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rare 1965 Japan original press issue in top shape. If a copy surfaces it is always in bad shape so very pleased to offer a top condition one of this rarity. Here Herman, Grandpa, Lily, Marilyn and Eddie Munster doubled as a rock and roll band! Although Decca records marketed it as 'The Newest Teen-Age Singing Group,' it didn't stop the label execs from trying to cash in on the new CBS hit TV show. Veteran producers Joe Hooven and Hal Winn had the good sense to hire the Wrecking Crew (most notably Glen Campbell and Leon Russell) to play this surf-tinged set of songs. The tracks are surf/ trash garage swingers and a highly collectible since original copies of this single are scarce and far in between. Top condition one here with cool picture sleeve. Price: 250 Euro 
1903. MURAHACHIBU: “Live” (Elec Records– ELW-3003) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Booklet Insert Inside Gatefold: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent – has folding crease in middle) Damned rare 1st original pressing all complete with rarely seen OBI. 2LP-set, fold out jacket with inner 4 paged booklet with pictures. Here you have the chance to lay your hands upon one of Japan’s most legendary and sought after recorded artifacts. One of the holy grails of Japan’s psyched-out eternal bliss. Recorded at May 5th 1973 and released that following June, this record was Mura Hachibu’s sole recorded and released disc during their life time. Heralding out of the city of Kyoto, Mura Hachibu were one nasty bunch of vicious doped out rockers that smeared some heavenly acidic guitar wails (courtesy of Yamaguchi Fujio) and back beat out unto the wailing and sneering doped out vocals of their lead singer Chabo. They were obviously heavily Stones influenced but unlike their role models, Mura Hachibu was way, way out there. They were punk rockers avant-la-lettre and sounded quite heavy with their amped-up acidic bliss plastered against the concert hall’s walls. Lysergic, greasy, heavy, and utterly demented acid rock that doesn’t get any better than this. Unlike all the copy-like bands that came out of Japan during that period, Mura Hachibu was the real thing, no bullshit. Their sound should appeal to anyone heavily into Rallizes-like psych blizz and Japanese avant-rock geeks. Highest recommendation and very rare to say the least with obi present. Hardly turns up with obi present. One of Japan’s hidden psyched out acid mind bender gems. Demented, wicked, acidic and doped up, this is the stuff you have been looking for, this is the real thing! Price: 400 Euro
1904. MURAOKA MINORU with New Dimension Group & The New Emotions: “Bamboo” (King Records/ United Artists – SKK(U)-3001) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – no damages – black on black edgewear retouched visible under bright light/ Obi: VG++ ~ Excellent with repaired tear on bottom). Another hybrid masterpiece concocted out of the highly influential King Records’ New Emotional Work Series, released in 1970. “New Emotional Work Series” also birthed out the Love Live Life + 1 beast, the sole Kirikyogen album and other elusive great records such as the Singers 3 and Richard Payne albums. This LP is as great as the rest of the LP’s that came out in that highly influential series. The piece de resistance in Muraoka’s whole oeuvre and hunted down – together with his “Osorezan” – by droves of hip cats and swinging highlife DJs for its wicked breaks and beats that are buried within the grooves. Sadly enough, it is an elusive one, especially complete with obi and in mint condition. Musically speaking, it is a jawbreaker that will keep you perplexed and, on your toes, the whole time. Taking up from where the “Osorezan” LP left off, “Bamboo” is a killer. It begins with again a version of “Take Five”, but this time it goes a bit in overdrive, driven my Muraoka’s shakuhachi, biwa, wadaiko and a swirling koto melting out in the background, making the whole experience and rendition of the track totally mind-boggling lysergic jazz rock. The whole disc is just blessed with a thrilling groove, swarming bass pressure points rolls in and out, making it sonic so much stronger than any shakuhachi record or jazz record out there. The rhythm is infectious, luring you into a blind alley of secret pleasures, flashes of spirituality drift through the mix and a plaintive siren call of graceful muscular sonic poetry will caress your ears and gets your limbs moving out of their sockets. Suzuki Atsushi’s piston pumping gloopy bass lines and Kashida Tetsumitsu’s wadaiko drum set-up create a tight-as-a-virgin’s ass kind a groove against which Muraoka is let loose to roam freely, creating in unison an irresistible beat that crystallizes the essential tensions of the sound on display, sparse yet almost claustrophobically lysergic blessed with a depth and generous warmth. The whole affair breathes out a spiritually inclined stoned music filled with often agile and slippery tracks suitable for dance floor wreckage. The glory of the music aside the sound production is filled with depth that breathes out space, leaving plenty of air for the tonal clusters to spread out their ample colors. In short, this is in my book a totally essential disc, one of the best records to have dropped on my turntable all year. Getting freakingly rare out here, mint copies with obi virtually impossible to score. Record is clean as can be, gatefold sleeve is EX and comes with obi. Highest recommendation and dirt-cheap 1st original pressing housed in first issue gatefold sleeve with obi. Price: 600 Euro
1905. MURAOKA MINORU with NEW DIMENSION GROUP: “Osorezan” (Daiei Records – G-4003) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare all-complete copy with mega rare OBI. White Label Promo/ test press issue, never seen before. Together with his “Bamboo” LP, the rarest disc to seep out Muraoka’s creative genius. So what is this one all about? “Osorezan” was released on October 1970 and is a vertiginous dust-devil swirler of a disc, offering you the best Muraoka has to offer and at the same time transgressing most recordings ever to have paraded in front of your ears. Yes, it is that good. Of course this is partly to blame to the ace musicians he has surrounded him with such as Ishikawa Akira (drums), Kawasaki Ryo (guitar), amongst others. The whole affair was recorded live in one take in the studio and brings forth a soulful spaciousness that converts jazz & Japanese traditional music aesthetics detached from their antiquity into one grooving rigorous and clear-eyed pleasure. You just sense that all of the participating musicians having a lot of fun, creating music that is episodic and stylistically varied. The opening track “Osorezan” is driven by Muraoka’s shakuhachi tones, Ishikawa Akira delivers surreal ethnic groove percussion licks and the erupting horns, ethereal female whispering vocals, wadaiko, koto, wicked organ licks and vibraphone career wildly in and out of the hypnotic groove. The whole of the record spins off in a similar deeply spellbinding avant-funk, combining elements of traditional Japanese music with fierce grooving funk moves and cool abstraction, even rethinking Brubeck’s “Take Five” by tackling it in an amazing Nipponized version. The loose and fresh energy spilling from its grooves – ignited by the live on the spot recording – link up with various aspects of mini-crescendos that will ignite a sustained euphoria that occasionally will erupt in whooping butt-shaking moves in front of your stereo. In all, it is a wicked ass-kicking disc that will have you begging for more. Insanely in demand these past years but then again once you have played this beast it is easy to understand why. It is a floor burner that will leave you breathless, howling and clawing at your partner like wild beasts in heat. Highest ever-possible recommendation. Price: Offers!!!
1906. MURAOKA MINORU & NEW DIMENSION GROUP: “So” (Victor Records – SPX-1028) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Mint). Freakingly rare 1971 Japanese spiritual jazz masterpiece that just never turns up, WHITE label PROMO issue. First time in all these years I can offer a copy of this fender bender. Now here ya have one of Muraoka’s best kept secret records, without a doubt his rarest and all-time best. Forget Bamboo, this one here is the real shit with originality dripping out in heavy liquid honey-like flows out of its grooves!!! But this is jazzy spirituality crossing over into previously untapped Japanese territory and sucking out the marrow out of the bone imbedded into the realms of Noh, Gagaku music and assorted ancient fringe sonic realities that exist here in the far orient, making it one of a kind, a unique listening experience. Right from the when the first note oozes out of the initial grove, you already know you are in for a trip into the realms of jazzy vibes impregnated with a shamanistic sense of poetry. Skeletal music enhanced with vibrating undercurrents of depth; Muraoka unleashed a deep spiritual beast like no other. Monks praying in reciting & catatonic voices, drifting into the mix and out of the haze of time, the sound of sparse wooden percussive accents suck you instantly into the austere intimacy that offers direct access into the pulsating brain of Japan’s sonic but vibrant past. Muraoka’s bamboo flute accents evoke aspirational surges out of its concealed depths and instigate a resonant cadenced flow that puts its hooks into your flesh right away, sucking you into the stripped-down swinging vibe like no other. He takes the definition of spiritual jazz towards the next level, a truly unique and bewitching one, augmented with zithers, bashi-slashed shamisen strummings, bells and chimes, delicate finger-picking koto whiffs, percussive rattles, droned out monk voices, making you feel like attending a esoteric rite that sets your butt on fire and makes you swirl like a drunken dervish on acid. Killer stuff, best spiritual jazz slide to seep out of Japan, sadly a bitch to unearth, especially all complete with obi and in nice nick. So eat your heart out, drool all over your shoes and hit me up, it ain’t gonna get any better than this one here. First complete copy ever to cross my path…. Listening to this makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland smacked out on valium and high grade sake, I guess you catch my drift, it makes you move in demented body-spasm-like weird contortions you have no control over but hell, you feel damned goooooood because you know salvation is right around the next corner, if you only can make it that far.…..Price: Offers!!!!
1907. MURAOKA MINORU & NEW DIMENSION GROUP: “Jigen” (MCA Records – JMC-5049) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ OBI: Mint). One of his best recordings but unfortunately also one of his hardest to track down. Freakingly rare 1972 Japanese spiritual jazz masterpiece that just never turns up. First time in all these years I can offer a copy of this fender bender – all complete with the incredibly rare silver toned OBI. Now here ya have one of Muraoka’s best kept secret records, without a doubt his rarest and all-time best. Forget Bamboo, this one here is the real shit with originality dripping out in heavy liquid honey-like flows out of its grooves!!! But this is jazzy spirituality crossing over into previously untapped Japanese territory and sucking out the marrow out of the bone imbedded into the realms of Noh, Gagaku music and assorted ancient fringe sonic realities that exist here in the far orient, making it one of a kind, a unique listening experience. Right from the when the first note oozes out of the initial grove, you already know you are in for a trip into the realms of jazzy vibes impregnated with a shamanistic sense of poetry. Skeletal music enhanced with vibrating undercurrents of depth, Muraoka unleashed a deep spiritual beast like no other. Monks praying in reciting & catatonic voices, drifting into the mix and out of the haze of time, the sound of sparse wooden percussive accents suck you instantly into the austere intimacy that offers direct access into the pulsating brain of Japan’s sonic but vibrant past. Muraoka’s bamboo flute accents evoke aspirational surges out of its concealed depths and instigate a resonant cadenced flow that puts its hooks into your flesh right away, sucking you into the stripped-down swinging vibe like no other. He takes the definition of spiritual jazz towards the next level, a truly unique and bewitching one, augmented with zithers, bashi-slashed shamisen strummings, bells and chimes, delicate finger-picking koto whiffs, percussive rattles, droned out monk voices, making you feel like attending an esoteric rite that sets your butt on fire and makes you swirl like a drunken dervish on acid. Killer stuff, best spiritual jazz slide to seep out of Japan, sadly a bitch to unearth. Listening to this makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland smacked out on valium and high grade sake, I guess you catch my drift, it makes you move in demented body-spasm-like weird contortions you have no control over but hell, you feel damned goooooood because you know salvation is right around the next corner, if you only can make it that far.….. Top notch original 1st pressing with OBI!!! Price: Offers!!!!

1908. MURAOKA MINORU & NEW DIMENSION GROUP: “Yuri Furi Suri” (Victor – SPX-1027) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan 1st original press issue all complete with OBI. First pressing that comes housed in heavy gatefold sleeve. Another classic Muraoka slide, and another one that does not disappoint one inch. Released in 1972, Muraoka and the band are putting to use an instrumental lineup of traditional Japanese instruments such as Shakuhachi, Shamisen, Matsuri festival emotional charges, Noh Gaku styled vocalizations and Shinobu and successfully fuse it with with percussion, electric bass and organ. While the overall tone is heavily drenched in the traditional musical past, the sound gets combined with splashes of contemporary elements, touching on improvisational modes, jazz rock vibes and such, without ever losing its initial esoteric feel. This album takes this mixture and combination and stretches any preconceived notion of how these alliances would sound. It only comes to showcase that this album is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of Muraoka and his group and the intoxicating aural pleasure they evoke. Top condition original first pressing that comes housed in first press only gatefold sleeve with obi. Highest possible recommendation for any Japanese jazz buff. This one will wax your ears towards infinity and beyond, just beautifully painful! Price: 500 Euro
1909. MURAOKA MINORU & NEW DIMENSION GROUP: “Naruto” (King Records – SKD-135) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1972 first pressing all complete with obi. A totally lethal live recording from April 25th, 1972, recorded in Tokyo. Muraoka and his New Dimensions Group bring forth a deceptively intense and panoramic sound that is drenched in the past, yet so of the moment. Muraoka’s music is unique and a difficult-to-compare sound that gets file as "jazz" only by default. This live recording was not yet another medley of folkloric shakuhachi pieces as crowd pleasers, as it is comprised out of Muraoka’s own idiosyncratic compositions that makes this a really stand out recording. The centerpiece arguably the title track “Naruto” a spiraling 15 minutes tune that combines so many different stylistic elements drawing in contradictive exploratory sounds that span epochs, it would be hard to confine it to one genre. Muraoka’s shakuhachi is at the forefront, creating a hauntingly beautiful, yet very traditional texture that is both steeped in a deep Japanese musical tradition as well as standing firmly with one foot into the urbanized take on the island’s domestic jazz scene. But as soon as the Matsuri percussion and strings kick in, laying down a big, fat joyous foundation that should even make the wallflower into a teeth-grinding frenzy, that loose polyrhythmic grooves become the drug of choice. The cascading koto and the adlib flute soloing add to the whole free-for-all vibe with spiraling accelerating tempos. Hard to categorize and even harder to describe, but the closest thing would be "Improvisational Shakuhachi Jazz" at its best! Absolutely a jaw dropper and ear waxer from start to finish! Price: 500 Euro
1910. MURAOKA MINORU: “Shakuhachi & Koto – Otoko No Sekai – Mandom” (Union Records – ULP-1010) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has one diagonal crease). Top copy – all complete with rare obi – 1971 Japan first original press issue. Versatile shakuhachi blower Muraoka Minoru’s excursion into otherworldly Japanized sonic excursions that drift on clouds of Bossa Nova and easy listening induced fumes. For this effort here, he gets flanked by other seasoned player, Tadao Sawai on Koto and the Union All Stars band. This holy matrimony of players casual and proficiently filter through a string of cover tunes like “A Girl From Ipanema”; “Mandom”; “A Man and A Woman”; “Fool on the Hill” and others and inject them with a Bossa-infused flavor that in its turn gets seasoned with a poignant but highly intoxicating traditional Nipponized umami aroma. Like no other, these Japanese scenesters manage to pull off and successfully get away with this hybrid sonic mixture that never gets stale. A largely overlooked and undiscovered gem out of Muraoka’s vast discography. Top shape with rare obi. Price: 350 Euro
1911. MURAOKA TAKERU: “Takeru” (Philips – FX-8502) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top shape 1970 original pressing all complete with freezingly rare obi and insert. One of the best Japanese spiritual jazz slides ever? Yes, but sadly overlooked since the day it came out and as of recently deliriously high in demand and fetching some decent prices – but that is understandable once you sucked your teeth into these addictive sounds. What a mouth-watering line-up with George Otsuka (drums), Takeru Muraoka (tenor sax), Masabumi Kikuchi (electronic piano) and Yoshio Ikeda (bass), recorded at the Victor Recording Studio on February 23rd, 1970. First of all, the spacious sounds of the electric piano on Takeru are almost hypnotic in its nature, emitting a groovy, bubbling vibe underscored with a rain forest-kind of stripped-down percussion, creamy electric bass, wah-wah licks and punctuating horn lines. A transcendent approach to the sounds that blows towards the heavens with a throaty sax sound and razor-sharp rhythmical breaks. Otsuka conjures a whole world of rigid tribal-esque rhythms, and the liquid sounds seem to flow effortlessly from Kikuchi’s electric piano, towards Ikeda’s bass lines and the omnipresent eloquent and cosmic phrasing of Takeru Muraoka’s sax. These dynamic percussion workouts propel Muraoka’s sax along with the band at full pelt. The whole affair goes from epic modal compositions towards heavy, churning all-incinerating grooves, Muraoka’s saxophone scorching above the volcanic rhythm section, exhorting its mesmerizing quality. This is poetically superstitious music to my ears, beautifully painful and a civilizing force that inhabits an animated strive creating an arresting experience. Upon blasting this one, I always do find my new religion, the one where suicidal novelists rule and acupuncture darts aimed at the pleasure points provide viable escape routes from today’s music’s formulaic gridlock. You thought you had a grip on obscure spiritual jazz and thought your collection was “state of the art” but never had this one? Well go fuck yourself, once you play this magickal slide all evaporates into Australian post-bush-fire ash, confirming the nullification of your musical preconceptions. ‘Nuff said, this one rules, one of the greatest! Best condition imaginable with obi present!!! Clean copy with no defects, so do go HEAVY!!! The music demands it!! Price: Offers!!!!
1912. MURRAY, DAVID: “Let The Music Take You” (Marge – Marge-04) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI with Attached Liner Notes: Mint). French original pressing in top condition & comes complete with rare Import OBI with attached liners!!!. Released on Marge, which was basically the follow-up of the Futura label. A wonderful live date from David Murray – recorded in late 70s Paris, but with all the fire of his best work from the US! The group is an extremely hip one – Murray's tenor matched with Butch Morris on cornet, Johnny Dyani on bass, and George Brown on drums – all players that can open up and get a bit free, yet never lose their groove – kind of that perfect balance that made Murray such a standout in the loft jazz years of the New York scene. Even at this point, Murray's got a very open approach to his work that makes him stand out from other players of the era – at one minute going full steam and free, at another laying back and getting a bit more soulful, and another playing in a choppier, more rhythmic style. Price: 50 Euro
1913. MUSEO ROSENBACH: “Zarathustra” (King Records/ Seven Seas – K22P-280) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Japanese pressing in top condition of this Italian prog monster. Released in April 1973, the sole album of this Italian band is nothing short of being the cornerstone of the Italian rock music from the early 70's. Released in 1973, it blends perfectly heavy progressive rock, injecting it with the tension of King Crimson, flashes early sounds of Deep Purple and  the folk influences of Jethro Tull with some parts of Premiata Forneria Marconi and elements of classical Italian music. It all gets waxed down with massive use of Mellotron and Hammond organ, some synthesizers with aggressive guitar work. In short, a whirlwind ripping through the empty canyons of your mind. Essential. Price: 75 Euro

1914. MUSHROOM CEREMONY OF THE MAZATEC INDIANS OF MEXICO: “S/T” (Folkways – FR-8975) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint). Very first original 1956 Folkways issue with blue cover. Later issues have blue cover art. Amazing condition with booklet present. This recording, made by Gordon Wasson in 1956, attempts to chronicle a religious ceremony involving the ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms by Indians who are attempting to communicate with the Divine Spirit. “This field recording is of substantial historical interest, both as the earliest known vinyl document of people under the influence of hallucinogens, and as part of the Wasson couples legendary forays into remote Mexican mountains on the trail of an obscure mushroom cult. Wasson’s exploits became the subject of a Life magazine article which is a watershed event in the history of psychedelics, and the psilocybin shrooms would attract interest from the whole academic/literary/ethno-botanic hallucinogen set in the late 1950s. Although the Mazatec mushroom culture has been well documented over the years, this particular LP has drawn less attention than Wasson’s works and the many subsequent essays and books published, but is obviously worth attention. The actual contents feature curandera Maria Sabina (who would later become famous, as part of the Wasson effect) eating the mushrooms and setting out on a transcendental journey to invoke the mushroom spirit, reporting with a steady flow of words her experiences. The reports are spoken in her native Mazatec dialect, but an ambitious translation/transcription attempt by a linguistic expert can be found on the accompanying booklet. The mushroom cult is eclectic, combining elements of Catholicism with a pantheistic strain, in a way typical for many surviving plant cults around the world. Her voice is an old woman’s, often tired, sometimes venturing into sing-songy nursery rhyme structures, and during the beginning of side 2 (where she’s peaking, bro) moving into a very rapid, unbroken flow of words. Rather remarkable, and according to those who have tripped with it, an efficient guide despite not being a successful invocation of the mushroom spirit (see booklet scans for explanation). Sounds of nature, night birds, barking dogs, and frequent mutterings from Sabina’s fellow Mazatec traveler are also audible.” (Acid Archives). Stunning document and a record that rarely surfaces. Amazing condition and psychedelic as hell. Price: 350 Euro
1915. The MUSIC EXPLOSION: “Little Bit O’Soul b/w I See The Light” (Stateside Records/ Toshiba – SR-1756) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Scarce Japan original that comes housed in a unique Japan picture sleeve. The Music Explosion’s “Little Bit O’ Soul” is a smile-inducing piece of garage rock-flavored pop, but they weren’t the first group to record and release it. That honor goes to the Coventry-based band The Little Darlings, who recorded the tune in 1965. Their take on the song has a slightly rougher edge to it than the later version. But the Ohio based group The Music Explosion took the song all the way to number two on the US charts in 1967. Powered by a catchy bass riff played by Burton Stahl, the song was a huge hit when it was released in 1967. And it still reverberates now when blasted at full throttle. Twisted pop garage rock with a bit of soul and bubblegum, though Jamie Lyons was an above-average singer for bands of this type, with a grittier and more soul-influenced style than the norm. Rarely offered Japan original with cool picture sleeve – a nice slice of sixties garage history that does not turn up all that often. Price: 100 Euro
1916. MUSIC INC.: “S/T” (Strata-East – SES-1971) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Beautiful condition US very first original press issue. The first LP by Charles Tolliver's legendary group on Strata East. Rarely, if ever, has a big band exhibited so much freedom or finesse, while at the same time never overwhelming the virtuoso soloists on whom the performances pivot. This forward-thinking group built around the core of Tolliver’s environment at the time with pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Jimmy Hopps, boasts the kind of music of give-and-take born equally of talent and telepathy where each player seems to communicate with his colleagues on a higher plane, delivering performances to rival any in their careers while navigating hard-hitting, harmonically advanced and sophisticated arrangements. Price: 200 Euro
1017. MUSIC MACHINE: “Turn On” (Original Sound – OSR-LPS-8875) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint, still in shrink). Original 1966 US MONO pressing. Top copy, hard to upgrade on this one. Classic trashy garage psych classic filled with tons of deranged fuzz mayhem and teenage angst. The band would hereafter fold into the Bonniwell Music Machine. Fronted by Sean Bonniwell, the Music Machine was one of the most gritty and serious sounding bands of the exploding "60's garage punk" scene. High octane loaded, their debut LP came out on the tiny Original Sounds label in 1966. It featured a rougher sound than most bands active on the scene during that period. Bonniwell's voice is what holds the whole album together and makes it such a bewildering listening experience as his vocal chords are remarkably versatile, ranging from a thuggish almost Neanderthal bark to a seductive croon that gets all the girls wild and horny. Their self-penned material are the songs that stand out on this album as they are delivered with raging intensity and tracks like their only hit "Talk Talk", "Trouble", "The People in Me", "Masculine Intuition" and "Wrong" are nothing short of being mesmerizingly awesome, all spiked up with highly charged blasts of intellectual teenage angst. Like many other bands during that day, the Music Machine sleepwalks through the obligatory covers such as "Hey Joe", but even then they derail it into a fuzz-drenched, slowed down treatment. Bonniwell still had a mass of stellar compositions up his sleeve, so it must have been galling to see listless renditions of the likes "96 Tears" compromising what should have been a 100% killer album. Still, even with those present, this album still knocks the living daylights out the vast majority of releases. Wicked album from start to finish with absolutely hardly any filler, all is killer to these ears. Top copy original 1st pressing. Price: 175 Euro
1918. MUSICA ELETTONICA VIVA: “Friday” (Polydor – 583769) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint with lamination fully intact). Original 1969 issue. First and only UK original pressing and one of the rarest releases in the UK as far as jazz and improvised music is concerned. First time ever I come across such a virginal copy. “For the realization of "Friday", recorded in London in May 1969, MEV were Frederic Rzewski (piano, electronics, etc.), Alvin Curran (flugelhorn, etc.), Richard Teitelbaum (moog synthesizer), Franco Cataldi (trombone, etc.), Gunther Carius (saxophone, etc.). The main theme around this MEV piece is communication. Communication by means of music can be a very efficient means of reaching quick agreement among large numbers of people, because when you call something music, you have tacitly accepted a convention by which it is understood that the sounds that you make have no particular meaning, they are just sounds and therefore free to serve the general purpose of pure communication. Music can bring people together where language divides them. When this happens, the "concert" will come to resemble other liberated forms such as the party or the day-off, themselves secular remnants or earlier ceremonies. MEV music is not meant to impress people, but to liberate them.” (Soundohm). Virginal original copy of the rarest MEV disc and UK released jazz slides. Indispensable. Most – if not all - copies that surface have condition issues, which is a shame as the music on display is utterly fragile in nature. Vinyl seems hardly if ever been played, jacket hardly touched. Best copy around. Impossible to upgrade upon, Top copy. Price: Offers!!
1919. MUSICA ELETTRONICA VIVA: “Leave the City” (BYG/Actuel – Actuel-31) (Record: Near Mint/ Fold Out Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent) Original WHITE Promotional Label copy, 1971 original 1st Japanese pressing on superb sounding vinyl. First time ever I have an all complete copy adorned with the rarely seen OBI!!! “Musica Elettronica Viva or MEV was founded by Ivan Coaquette (pre-Spacecraft). The line-up included his wife, Patricia and Birgit Knabe, and a string of other collaborators. The music is an extremely experimental form of electronic jazz entangled with free form improvisation, avant-garde, cosmic freak-outs and other space oddities. This is the original 1970 Japanese press that came out simultaneously with the French pressings. One difference, the Japanese vinyl is far more superior than the often lamentable state of the Actuel French pressings. This was the second of 2 MEV albums to released by BYG in 1970, following The Sound Pool (which featured Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum & Frederic Rzewski amongst others). Dynamite stuff, original Japan press, hard to come by, especially the white label promo ones and with obi all there in its full glory. Took me only 13 tears to locale a copy all complete with obi so… . Price: 300 Euro
1920. MUSICA ELETTRONICA VIVA: “The Sound Pool” (Actuel Original Japan Press – Actuel-15) (Record: Near Mint/ Fold Out Jacket: Excellent/ Insert: Mint/ OBI: MINT). Rare white label promotional white label press with ALWAYS MISSING OBI of “Musica Elettronica Viva or MEV were founded by Ivan Coaquette (pre-Spacecraft). The line-up included his wife, Patricia and Birgit Knabe, and a string of other collaborators. The music is an extremely experimental form of electronic jazz entangled with free form improvisation, avant-garde, cosmic freakouts and other space oddities. This is the original 1970 Japanese press that came out simultaneously with the French pressings. One difference, the Japanese vinyl is far more superior than the often lamentable state of the Actuel French pressings. This was the second of 2 MEV albums to released by BYG in 1970, following The Sound Pool (which featured Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum & Frederic Rzewski amongst others). A note of explanation from Frederic Rzewski about the various incarnations of MEV: “In 1968/69 MEV experimented with audience participation and took on a number of new younger people, many of whom were not musicians. We wanted to see how far we could extend the idea of free improvisation, surrounding the core group with people who happened to be around. The group expanded and spawned separate communities. In the early 70's there were three MEV's: one in Rome, led by Alvin Curran; one in New York, where Richard Teitelbaum & I were based; and one in Paris, which was organized by the Coaquettes. Birgit Nona were members of the Living Theatre, with whom we also hung out a lot, and Stefano was one of the younger acolytes. This record was a kind of hippie child who chose MEV as its identity. Nobody ever found out really who was in MEV. At that time, it was part of a movement, and that part of it that was a part of the movement lived and died with that movement.” Dynamite stuff, original Japanese press with insert, white promotion label copy. Stellar and Japanese press is hard to come by. Price: 300 Euro
1921. MUSIQUE CONCRETE: “S/T – Premier Panorama De Musique Concrete” (Ducretet - Thompson/ Nippon Disuku Kabushikikaisha – LDG1497/ DGC-100) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy!! Hopelessly obscure and rare Japan only jacket art issue of subliminal electronic music slide!!! Best condition I have ever seen and complete with plastic outer cover. Original 1st Japanese pressing of 1958, housed in fragile jacket and adorned with Japan only jacket art. Impossible to get this 1958 1st Japanese pressing. This pressing containing groundbreaking works by Pierre Henry, Pierre Schaeffer and Philippe Arthuys. Impossible to get in such a top condition as this copy here. Historical important and a milestone recording. A total must if experimental music is something you live by. TOP COPY!!!! Price: 400 Euro
1922. MY BLOODY VALENTINE: “Loveless” (Domino – BEWIGLP159X) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ card Insert/ Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Immediately obliterated and sold out in a matter of minutes Japanese ultra-limited issue for RSD 2021 of My Bloody Valentine’s classic slide. “After two painstaking years in the studio and nearly bankrupting their label Creation in the process, the group emerged with their masterpiece, which fulfilled all of the promise of their previous albums. If Isn’t Anything was their sonic blueprint, then Loveless saw those plans fleshed out, in the most literal sense: "Loomer," "What You Want," and "To Here Knows When"'s arrangements are so lush, they're practically tangible. With its voluptuous yet ethereal melodies and arrangements, Loveless intimates sensuality and sexuality instead of stating them explicitly; Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher’s vocals meld perfectly with the trippy sonics around them, suggesting druggy sex or sexy drugs. From the commanding "Only Shallow" and "Come in Alone" to breathy reflections like "Sometimes" and "Blown a Wish," the album balances complexity and immediately memorable pop melodies with remarkable self-assurance, given its difficult creation. But Loveless doesn't just perfect the group's approach, it also hints at their continuing growth: "Soon" fuses the Valentines’ roaring guitars with a dance-inspired beat, while the symphonic interlude "Touched" suggests an updated take on Fripp and Eno’s pioneering guitar/electronics experiments. These glimpses into the band's evolution make Shields’ difficulty in delivering a follow-up to Loveless even more frustrating, but completely understandable -- the album's perfection sounded shoegazing's death-knell and raised expectations for the next My Bloody Valentine album to unreasonably high levels. Though Shields’ collaborations with Yo La tengo, Primal Scream, J Mascis and others were often rewarding, they were no match for Loveless. However, as My Bloody Valentine fans -- and, apparently, Shields himself -- will attest, nothing is.” (All Muisc Guide). This is the sound of what might've happened if Brian Eno had produced daydream Nation. Or perhaps it's the thundering ambience of Sister recorded backwards. Whatever the case, rarely has such a pristine, hypnotic record had such an ungodly amount of sonic tonnage. Price: 175 Euro
1923. MYSTIC TIDE: “S/T” (Distortions – DB-1006) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still in shrink) Long gone issue of classic garage psych artifact that came out in 1991. Formed on Long Island in early 1965, The Mystic Tide barely made a mark in their time, but are nevertheless one of the most original and enduring garage-psych bands of all time. Led by the snarling Joe Docko on lead guitar and vocals, the band quickly transitioned from cover band to authentic combo. Establishing a unique sound and vibe as singular as any in the crowded field of regional mid-’60s four-man rock n’ roll outfits, like many garage bands who released unrecognized and obscure singles in the mid-'60s, the Mystic Tide were one of the very best. The Long Island group put out four singles on their own label in 1966 and 1967, mostly for distribution at their own gigs. Their 1966 debut, “Stay Away” b/w “Why,” clearly demonstrates Docko’s ability to transform the surf sound into something considerably darker and heavier. While the production on these was fairly raw, the group possessed a genuine original talent, emanating a dark, psychedelic sound heavy with overloaded distorted guitar riffs. Their tunes combined the minor-key melodies of British Invasion groups like the Zombies with the raunch of acts like Them. Unlike most other American groups following this path, they added a weird and at times vaguely Middle Eastern elements that gave them their own signature sound. Too foreboding for even local success, the group disbanded in 1967, ironically finding a much greater audience when their singles were reissued for psych/garage collectors in the '80s. This first release that threw together all of their recordings demonstrates the genuinity and heaviosity of the Tide. Price: 100 Euro
1924. MYTHOS: “S/T” (OHR – OMM.556019) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint, has small perforated hole on right side). FIRST PRESS housed in LAMINATED gatefold jacket. Second issue came out in a non-laminated sleeve. The first Mythos LP was released in 1972; on the legendary 'Deutschrock' label Ohr. On 'Mythos' the band realized a mixture of art rock and psychedelic with oriental influences in lengthy pieces. Stephan Kaske played the melody from Händel's 'Fireworks Music' on the flute in a rock meets-classic version. 'Oriental Journey-Hero's Death' creates a psychedelic mood with sitar and mellotron sounds. 'Encyclopedia Terrae', which takes up the entire second side, is the highlight of the album and features powerful drums meeting up with peaceful sequences, sounds of warfare such as detonating bombs and marching soldiers meeting up with hard guitar riffs. The band already succeeded in creating a classic of the 'Deutschrock' genre with their debut album. This debut album is a pure unadulterated classic space-prog album draped over 5 lush tracks. There are truly many cosmic charms to this space bracelet with some wild nebulas’, space vibes and jams. Vocals are slightly distorted when used and somewhat modulated giving the listen a real outer worldly space feel. Mythos is clearly lost somewhere in the Cosmic Jokers/Ash Ra Temple camp with dreamy psych/folk/prog landscapes. A classic. Price: 400 Euro
1925. 999 (Nine Nine Nine): “Separates” (United Artists/ King Records – GP-649) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan original first press issue of 999’s second LP. Right from the get-go with “Homicide” the tone is set, snarling vox, razor sharp guitar hooks and a primitively pounding rhythm section provide the backbone for a string of catchy & snotty tunes. Balancing between punk and power pop, 999 were the odd bunch amidst the UK punk wave of that late 1970s period. In a y case lots of folks seem to pass this band by without caring or even listening, missing out on a stone-dead punk classic that begs to be evaluated at the same level as the Buzzcocks, Crash, Stiff Little Fingers and so forth. Damn it feels great drifting over the line into cheap thrills occasionally, makes me foam at the mouth and chase my tale in impotent anger with the 999’s providing the perfect soundtrack! Awesome! Price: 175 Euro
1926. NAKAMURA TERUO: “Unicorn” (Three Blind Mice – TBM-18) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Card: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint – faintest minimal trace of faint foxing). Top condition Japan first original pressing complete with always missing booklet and the MEGA rare OBI present. A landmark album from the Japanese fusion scene of the 70s – a killer set of tracks recorded by bassist Teruo Nakamura, with help from a host of American soul jazz luminaries! The album's easily one of Nakamura's most sought-after sets – and for good reason too, as the cuts are long and jamming, but also have a soulful component too – a bit of the post-Coltrane spiritualism of some of Gary Bartz's early albums, and some of the open-ended styles you might hear on a label like Strata East! Nakamura's a bassist from the Japanese scene – but the record was cut in New York with a great lineup of American heavyweights – including Hubert Eaves and George Cables on keyboards, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, and Steve Grossman on tenor – plus Alphonse Mouzon and Lenny White on drums. Singer Sandy Hewitt sings on 2 tracks – including the funky "Umma Be Me", which almost feels like an Andy Bey groover from the same time – and the cut "Understanding". Impossibly rare all complete copy with obi and booklet and card and in TOP condition, so… Price: Offers!!!!
1927. NAKANO AKIRA: “Meditation” (Takt – JAZZ-11) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – lower middle seam split). J-Jazz classic slide! Muted trumpet and some very groovy grooves by Japanese trumpeter Akira Nakano, the latter from a hip combo that includes vibes, guitar, piano, bass, and drums! The whole affair is blessed with that great 60s approach, one that features short tracks with a bit of an influence from bossa and soundtracks of the time, but which also still swings heavily in a jazz-based approach and offers up plenty of trumpet and trombone solos from Nakano. The guitar and vibes are used nicely to underscore some of the best rhythmic elements in the tunes, and a few moments feature just a bit of strings. Highly recommended and still very much affordable! Price: 150 Euro
1928. NAKED CITY: “Torture Garden” (Earache – Mosh28) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original UK 1st pressing from 1989, housed in eye-popping gatefold sleeve art that exhibits inside amazing work by Suehiro Maruo. From the exciting cover pic to the artwork of Ero-Giro artists Maruo Suehiro inside the album, at first glance one might mistake Torture Garden for a fetishist soundtrack, which it actually could be. However, it was a mindfuck ignited by John Zorn and Boredoms front man Yamatsuka Eye. They assembled a group of adventurous fellow travelers to carry and give shape to their vision of grindcore meeting speedcore free jazz, fronted by a madman vocalist belching out his guts. Distinguished musicians include Wayne Horovitz and Bill Frisell to help out Zorn and Eye. Songs blur together but never get boring, no lyrics are actually sung and few songs last longer than a minute. It also never takes itself seriously, but nevertheless it is one hell of a ride in the fast lane….and this sucker takes no prisoners. Fucking awesome! Price: 100 Euro
1929. NAKED CITY: “Torture Garden” (Shimmy Disk - 00000000000000000039) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve). Original US 1st pressing from 1989 – comes in a single sleeve and with different artwork as opposed to the UK version. Imprinted inner sleeve contains the artwork of Maruo Suehiro. Price: 100 Euro

1930. NANA MAKI: “Anchikichou No Blues b/w Neon Machi Blues” (Columbia – SAS-1415) (Record: Excellent/ Picture Sleeve Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Released in May 1970. Original press and damned bloody rare! Bloody rare and undetected bottom of the well enka weirdness disc. Nana Maki was one of these odd chicks that tried to cut it in the enka business but failed to even attract a single admirer due to the totally uncommercial nature of her wailing and the strange attitude she personalized toward the music. And wailing is exactly what she did here, just hard enough to strip the paint of your walls and summon the stray dogs to the dinner table at the same time. In a way she reminds me of Sairaiji Hiromi’s first album but Nana Maki is even several decibels more disenchanted than Sairaiji ever was. She just had zero commercial potential and even being able to cut this one single baffles me with disbelief because who on earth thought to be able to shift copies of this misfit enka bomb? I guess economic prosperity and money to burn had something to do with clouding the judgment of major record companies at the time. And thank god for that because it surely brought us one of these still undetected jewels. In all it is odd, weird, strange and comforting uneasing all at the same time. Sake drenched and smoke-stained backing suits perfectly her voice that resembles a beached wailed after a night swimming through sake and downers infested waters. Even at times Nana tried to be sexy and hushes and shrieks loose cries into the dead cold lonely air, all in an attempt to be seductive but she fails with grandeur and misplaced glamour, making this disc even all the more appealing and revealing what a great talent she was a talent or the uncanny, weird and failed erotic. So if there is such a thing as bottom of the well deep enka, then this disc certainly fist this term like no other. Amazing stuff and totally recommended if you could be charmed by such dislocated sonic nymphs like Sairaiji Hiromi. A rare breed indeed and bloody rare. One of Nana Maki’s greatest admirers is also PSF’s Hideo Ikeezumi. Sadly enough this is the sole thing she ever recorded and it only leaves to the imagination what damage she could have done if only she could have cut a whole album filled with this disenchanted approach to enka…… Highest possible recommendation!! Price: 100 Euro

1931. NARA LEAO: “Nara’s Bossa – Vento De Maio” (Philips Japan – SFX-7213) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Excellent, some slight H2O vamping on bottom of obi). Rare Japanese high quality original pressing housed in a gatefold jacket from 1971 and all complete with rare OBI!!! RED LABEL PROMO ISSUE. Nara Leao was one of the greatest Brazilian singers of the bossa nova era in the early '60s she became one of Brazil's biggest stars, lending her gorgeous, delicate voice to the early songs of Chico Buarque, Sidney Miller, and other up-and-coming songwriters. The tracks on this magisterial album have a wonderful feel -- with moments that are rootsier than your average bossa record, and others that are baroque enough to hint at the direction Nara would take a year later with Rogerio Duprat. Despite the bland cover art, this is one of Nara's best albums. Maestro Gaya's arrangements are sleek and sensuous, and Leao's vocals seem increasingly relaxed and serene. Nara flexes her muscle as a song stylist, promoting several up-and-coming songwriters covers several early Chico Buarque songs (he had just recorded his first few albums), including "Noite Dos Mascarados," a duet sung with the then-unknown Gilberto Gil. She also sings one of Gil's early songs, the title track "Vento Do Maio," and a couple more by Sidney Miller. This is stuff of angels that will haunt you. Original Japanese pressing, RED Philips promotional copy label. First time I encounter a Japanese original of this slide, amazing condition!! Price: 150 Euro

1932. NARA LEAO: “Os Meus Amigos Sao Um Barato” (Philips – FDX-353) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint) Very rare Japan 1st original copy from 1977, complete with rarely seen original obi. Top condition. A wonderful album from Nara Leao – and one that features her singing duets with some of the greatest talents of the bossa era and beyond – an amazing lineup that includes Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo, Joao Donato, Carlos Lyra, and others! The sound is wonderful – done with an intimate quality that brings a slightly modern variation of older bossa modes – but with some of the cool, dark inflections that Nara always has in her music. Instrumentation includes a fair bit of acoustic elements, and titles include "Repente", "Amazonas", "Cara Bonita", "Nono", "Joao E Maria", and "Sarara Miolo". Great stuff – and one of her best albums from the later years! Price: 100 Euro
1933. NAZZ: “S/T aka First Album” (Atlantic – SMT-1053) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Japan very first original press issue. Stock copy in top shape but the mega rare obi …. Is missing so you have steal here. Comes housed in Japan only heavy gatefold laminated sleeve. Price: 250 Euro
1934. NAZZ: “Second Album” (Atlantic – SMT-1079) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has some very faint foxing on back/ Obi: Excellent – has a few light creases but nothing serious). Damned rare Japan 1st press original – WHITE label PROMO copy. Initially baaptised as Fungo Bat, their sophomore album was later retitled Nazz Nazz, testifying to be just as fantastic – if not better – than the debut effort. The band’s adoration of British luminaries such as the Beatles, the Yardbirds and the Who remain guideposts, but an exploration of new possibilities additionally defined the material. Nazz Nazz gets the gig going in a highly exhilarating manner with “Forget All About It,” which zips and zooms with storming harmonies and melodies as sharp as glass. Both inject commercial pop sensibilities into a hard-rocking disposition. “Not Wrong Long” then snaps, crackles and flashes with like-minded movements. Greased with volume and power, the absolutely shattering “Under the Ice” cops cues from the heavy-handed doodlings of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Blue Cheer, and then there’s “Meridian Leeward,” a curious slice of psychedelic whimsy. Tooting horns intersect accordingly with driving fretwork on the blues rock-oriented “Kiddie Boy,” and “Gonna Cry Today” registers as an alluring ballad built around poignant lyrics and buttery vocal exercises. Nazz Nazz closes on grand footing with “A Beautiful Song,” which clocks in at more than 11 minutes in length and dispenses a diversified layout of imaginative curves and contours. Mixing standard pop and rock practices with experimental sprinklings, Nazz Nazz pushed all the right buttons and should have sent the band into superstar stratosphere. Perhaps if they had the support of a bigger record company, things would have been different but it was not to be. Although Nazz coughed up one more album, titled Nazz III, they had called it quits by the time it was issued in 1971.Price: Offers!!!!!

1935. NEIGHB’RHOOD CHILDR’N: “S/T” (Atca – A-38005) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still housed in original shrink - sticker residue on shrink). Top copy, next to impossible to upgrade upon. Amazing original US pressing of killer Oregon acid psych complete with high soaring female vocals and sounding not unlike Jefferson Airplane if one has to throw a comparison around. Marinated in such diverse influences as the mind-splintering mushroom folk-rock blast of the Jefferson Airplane and the feel-good pristine pop of the Turtles, Neighb’rhood Childr’n hailed from the tiny town of Phoenix, Oregon and made deep inroads into the early San Francisco scene. Marked by singer-organist Dyan Hoffman’s wailing vocals and guitarist Rick Bolz’s stinging fuzz leads, the Neighb’rhood Childr’n are one of the most criminally overlooked acts of that era. Their sole recorded album turned out to be an amazingly groovy one, coming from four kids from a rural background. Dyan's voice has the earnest zeal of a young Grace Slick, and the complex arrangements run the table from acid-soaked tripsichord to fiery anthems. Not surprisingly, Dyan reveals that she was inspired by seeing Quicksilver Messenger Service for the first time. From the opening fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ riffs of "Feeling Zero," the band enters a kaleidoscopic and exploratory sound that reigns throughout the whole LP – churning out vibes that feel like an lysergic asymmetric groove that combines propulsion, eloquent ornamentation and cosmic phrasing that comes over like acupuncture darts aimed at your pleasure points. Songs like "Changes Brought to Me," the pure British pop vibe of "Please Leave Me Alone," "Happy World of Captain K" and "Hobbit's Dream," are all earmarks of an isolated time in rock history that, although often replicated, can never be truly duplicated. But the minor-key riffing on "Patterns," and tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top version of "Over the Rainbow" show that the band could rip through the system and tear it apart like a pile of cheap hay. In all, listening to this record acknowledges it as a killer slide and it whips up dreams of daisy-chained sex, amyl nitrates and double-ended Greek dildos hand-painted with flowery designs. This is the good stuff, top copy, impossible to upgrade upon, still housed in original shrink. Price: 400 Euro
1936. NEIGHB’RHOOD CHILDR’N: “S/T” (Atca – A-38005) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy, next to impossible to upgrade upon. But unlike the copy listed above this one is not housed in shrink so a firm cut in the price. That aside from the shrink not being there, this is a next-to-impossible to ever upgrade upon copy so…. highest recommendation. Price: 300 Euro
1937. NEU: “Neu III” (Brain/ Teichiku Records – UXP-734-EB) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Totally vanished original Japan 1st press issue all complete with obi. It has been over a decade since I last had a copy of this beast. Rare 1st Japanese pressing of this all-time classic Teutonic electronic spacer. The critical status quo qualifies “Neu! 75” or “III” as it was called in Japan when it was released there in 1977 as the best of three albums, simply because it is the most musically adept and holds the most studio polish. The opening “Hallogallo” is the classic Neu! sound in a nutshell - Dinger's crisp, insistent tribal drums underpin Rother's yearning guitar figures and the whole thing spends 10 minutes going nowhere beautifully. This leads into “Sonderangebot” and “Weissensee”, trance elements are all still in place and performing their numbing effect on your senses, but the tempo is about half as quick. If the first track was the initial hit, the following ones are the buzz on the way down. Elsewhere, on “Negativland” the duo gets more aggressive, even grating. Here, the band keeps up the pulse but adds some seriously processed guitar/noise and even some Suicide-before-Suicide synth screams. Krautrock's oddest legacy may have been that more than any other progressive music from the 70s; it was a major influence on punk (or more accurately post-punk). “Negativland” wasn’t necessarily Neu's finest moment, perhaps because it was so atypically aggressive, but its sheer breadth of influence is another testament to Neu! and Krautrock. Their sound echoes the monotone rhythmic pulse of the conveyor-belt grooves, the elemental sweep and soars of the neon-bright autobahn and the sound of the future when it was still shiny and clean. Price: 400 Euro
1938. NEW AGE STEPPERS: “Action Battlefield” (On U-Sound/ EMI Japan – EMS-81452) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Original 1981 Japan pressing, white label promo. The second LP from New Age Steppers, Action Battlefield slightly pares down the line-up found on its predecessor and hones in on vocal-heavy, extended version-like renditions of songs originally written by the likes of Horace Andy ("Problems"), Black Uhuru's Michael Rose ("Observe Life"), B.B. Seaton ("My Love"), and the Heptones' Leroy Sibbles ("Guiding Star"). Features a vocal from a teenage Neneh Cherry, step-daughter of jazz firebrand Don, who had been singing back-ups in the touring line-up of The Slits and would shortly form Rip, Rig & Panic with former members of The Pop Group. Price: 75 Euro
1939. The NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA: “Le Dejeuner Sur l’Herbe with The New Jazz Orchestra” (Verve – SVLP.9236) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint, has exactly one lamination faint crease in upper right corner). UK original first pressing from 1969 in top condition. “The brainchild of composer, arranger and musician Neil Ardley, this magnificent piece of modern jazz orchestration takes a leaf out of the work of both Gil Evans and Duke Ellington, who are clearly major influences upon the mind-set of Ardley, while from a classical perspective the sounds of Debussy and Ravel and early Stravinsky have otherwise exerted their influence upon the arranger. Assembling an all-star cast of British jazz musicians in their prime and these include the late Jack Bruce, Ian Carr, Michael Gibbs, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Henry Lowther among many others, the album is brimming with luscious interpretation of both standards and then new compositions. Of the former, the take on Miles’ ‘Nardis’ takes on something of a late 1950s feel with the use of vibes, a restrained trumpet solo from Carr and an extended bass solo. More than anywhere else, the Davis-Evans collaboration hovers over the title track and this includes the precise clarity of tone of Carr, the Spanish tinge in the use of castanets and some glorious soprano saxophone playing. Gentle in tone, but with a slightly darker and even underlying brooding nature is a version of Coltrane’s ‘Naima’ which features a delicate flute solo and even briefly a freer direction on saxophone. Of the new compositions on offer from British jazz musicians, pride of place goes to the modal number ‘Dusk Fire’ with fine ensemble work and some delicious soprano saxophone. A ballad, same titled, by pianist Mike Taylor is a reflective number with sensitive accompaniment and some subtle shading.” (Tim Stenhouse). Totally indispensable cornerstone of Brit jazz…top copy! Price: 575 Euro
1940. NEW JAZZ SYNDICATE: “In The Beginning – New Jazz Syndicate 1” (Private Press – OT-0056) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – no defects but has some mild foxing due to age visible/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Totally overlooked and largely unknown Japanese private press free jazz jiver that was released in 1978. Founded in the early summer of 1974 by several creative individuals and members of the Hosei University Student Union, the New Jazz Syndicate’s aim was to provide creative music through unrestricted interactions by its forward-thinking members, whose main participants include such luminaries as Toyozumi Yoshisaburo, Hara Ryo, Ukaji Shoji, Shimizu Hiroshi and a string of other boundless fluctuating players. Big band styled free jazz outings that border both on the dramatically lyrical approach and intuitive furious interplay that switches in the blink of an eye from group excursions into delicate free form improvisations. Dissonant, melodious, adventurous, and abstract, this collective had it all, chisling out an exploratory sound of panoramic maneuvering and engulfing the aural landscape with the gift of unexpected impact. One of the underground free jazz scene’s defining moments that occurred when no one was listening, shelving the New Syndicate’s sonic adventures into the dusted archives of forgotten sonic warlords. This needs massive reappraisal, killer free jazz that gave shelter to some of Japan’s big name improvisors. Lethal from start to finish and damned rare but still – for the time being – a very affordable private press beast! Highest recommendation. Way out EAST!!!! Price: 350 Euro
1941. NEW JAZZ SYNDICATE: “Forward Suspense” (Private Press – OT-0058) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – no defects but has some mild foxing due to age/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). The 3rd outing of 4 by the New Jazz Syndicate and all were released under their own privately owned umbrella label of no name. Recorded live in concert at the Hosei University Student Hall, Tokyo on November 29; December 10th and 13th and released shortly thereafter simultaneously with the other releases, this is again an ear blistering free for all affair of the highest echelon. Fast and furious forward thinking and a playing modus that did not allow to take any prisoners, this is once again a leap into an oncoming tsunami of maniac fury, a deep subterranean civilizing force that moves along as if engaged in trench warfare. Hurtling in and out of focus, with the tiniest gestures triggering apocalyptic waves of sound, the New Jazz Syndicate again redraw the boundaries microcosmic free improvisation. Another free jazz beast that has fallen in between the cracks of time while no one was paying any notice, a gem of endemic improvisational warfare that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best records and players of that golden era. Once people start listening to these babies, you will see Instagram snobs flogging this and prices will start to creep up towards the ceiling …. So believe it, these early sightings of a rekindled interest will not last long so better move on it before you are outpriced of the market. Lethal slide from beginning to end. Price: 350 Euro

1942. NEW PHONIC ART: “S/T” (Wergo Japan – PA-1079) (Record: Near Mint/ Insert Booklet: Near Mint/ Silk Screen Sleeve: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Extremely rare Japan only release of New Phonic Art, comes in silk screened jacket and extensive booklet. First time I have an all complete copy with rare OBI present. The New Phonic Art group was formed in April 1966 by Globokar in Berlin and consisted out of C.R. Alsina, J-P. Drouet, V. Globokar and M. Portal as key players in order to join and churn into being a thrilling improvisational masterpiece for which they put to use clavier, electronic organ, percussion, flutes, oboe, alphorn, clarinet and saxophones. Their output was scarce and consisted solely out of an LP released for Wergo, a Japan only LP (this one here) and their contribution to the mythical Wired 3LP set on Deutsche Gramophone. Challenging and highly adventurous listening experience by one of the most thrilling avant-improvisational ensembles to ever walk the face of the earth. Bone chillingly beautiful, addictive like a giant leech crawling upwards on your spine ready to invade your cerebral cortex and affecting your body movement and muscle coordination. Stunning and transfixing listening experience. Bloody rare Japanese press housed in silk-screened cover art. Has been ages since I last had a copy of this one – the rarest to come by in the series and this one comes with the OBI, no small feat! Price: 150 Euro

 

1943. NEW PHONIC ART/ ISKRA 1903/ WIRED: “Free Improvisation” (Deutsche Grammophon 3 LP Box). (3 LP Set: Near Mint/ Outer Box: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mind) Legendary three LP box set. “Deutsche Grammophon was prepared in 1974 to allot three Improv groups an album each on an absorbing three LP set. Guitarist Derek Bailey, trombonist Paul Rutherford and bassist Barry Guy move together like facets of a turning mobile sculpture in the superbly integrated trio Iskra 1903, recorded during a concert series in Berlin in 1973. New Phonic Art provide French clarinetist Michel Portal, trombonist Vinko Globokar and percussionist Jean-Pierre Drouet with an alternative improvising context to their thorny involvement with Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Intuitive music”. They make vivid, dramatic music with Argentinean pianist Carlos Roque Alsina. The real surprise in the box is Wired, recorded in 1970. Canadian Mike Lewis plays sustained Hammond organ, Karl-Heinz Bottner interjects guitar and ocarina voicings, American Michael Ranta adds sparse, clangorous percussion and homemade plucked instruments. Supervisor Conny Plank contributed live electronics. Trimmed from two hours 20 minutes, it’s a spellbinding meditation, a long hidden adjunct to Krautrock’s finest atmospheres and evocations” (Julian Cowely – The Wire). Hugely influential box, top condition. A MUST!! Price: 250 Euro
1944. NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE: “Louisiana Lady b/w Last Lonely Eagle” (CBS Sony – CBSA-82127) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). White label promotional copy. Rare Japanese picture sleeve issue of this Dead related country jammer. First released single in Japan. Top condition. Price: 50 Euro
1945. NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE: “S/T” (CBS SONY – SOPL-271) (Record + Jacket + Capsule Obi + Insert: Mint – still SEALED). Original Japan 1storiginal pressing complete with rarely seen first issue cap obi. SEALED condition!!! New Riders of the Purple Sage first ever release in 1971 was an exceptionally strong debut. Possibly partly erected as an answer in lysergic West Coast inspired country-style to the Crosby, Stills Nash & Young’s affecting harmonies, it was notable not only for the involvement of Jerry Garcia as pedal steel guitarist, but also for the great singing from John Dawson, the strong harmonies, David Nelson’s pickin’, and, perhaps most importantly, the catchy strong writing — there wasn’t a weak song in the bunch on their debut. Especially “Dirty Business” floors me time and time again, a brooding epic about a mining disaster and the poor folks caught up in the tragedy that through its melody, singing and mood throws me into a jangled mix of defiance and despair. Not surprisingly, the song was the centerpiece of the group’s sets during the era when Garcia was the Riders’ steel guitarist, famous for his snarling and crackling fuzzed steel line, creating a psychic maze of country induced dementia that seats out heavy psychedelics. How glorious!!!! And addictive!!!! Just never can get enough of the records sonic acupuncture darts aimed at the pleasure spots of my mind. Rarely seen original 1971 Japanese SEALED original pressing with capsule obi best condition imaginable!!! Price: 150 Euro
1946. NEW YORK ART QUARTET: “S/T” (ESP Disk – 1004) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare 1st original ESP pressing, housed in thicker than life paste on jacket. First 1965 pressing on red label with machine-stamped matrix numbers and ear in trail off. Very first pressing with 180 Riverside Dr., New York address on back of past on sleeve. “This adventurous, short-lived quartet only made three albums in its two-year heyday. The best and most easily obtained (although that's relative) is the classic 1964 self-titled free jazz excursion on the ESP label. The unique front-line horn arrangement of trombonist Roswell Rudd and Danish alto saxophonist John Tchicai weaves rapid intricate lines around Lewis Worrell’s bass and the frenzied drums of Milford Graves. Poet Leroi Jones is added to the quartet for his revolutionary/militant spoken word diatribe "Black Dada Nihilismus." While it may sound like an intrusion to some listeners, it must be kept in mind that Jones was an active participant in the early avant-garde scene of New York, making his contribution to this disc vital in capturing the radical surroundings in which the music thrived.” (Al Campbell - All Music Guide). One of the finest titles to emerge out of the stellar ESP stable and one of the finest free jazz recordings to date. 1st original press in TOP condition. True first pressings in top shape are getting tough to unearth these days. Price: 250 Euro

1947. NEW YORK ART QUARTET: “S/T” (ESP Disk/ Victor Records – ESP-1004/ SMJ-7421) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare 1st original ESP pressing for Japan, never encountered before very first pressing on Victor Records and all complete with insanely rare first issue obi. White label PROMO issue to boot…. “This adventurous, short-lived quartet only made three albums in its two-year heyday. The best and most easily obtained (although that's relative) is the classic 1964 self-titled free jazz excursion on the ESP label. The unique front-line horn arrangement of trombonist Roswell Rudd and Danish alto saxophonist John Tchicai weaves rapid intricate lines around Lewis Worrell’s bass and the frenzied drums of Milford Graves. Poet Leroi Jones is added to the quartet for his revolutionary/militant spoken word diatribe "Black Dada Nihilismus." While it may sound like an intrusion to some listeners, it must be kept in mind that Jones was an active participant in the early avant-garde scene of New York, making his contribution to this disc vital in capturing the radical surroundings in which the music thrived.” (Al Campbell - All Music Guide). One of the finest titles to emerge out of the stellar ESP stable and one of the finest free jazz recordings to date. 1st original Japanese press in TOP condition with first press obi present. First time ever I see a copy with obi in over 20 years’ time, it eclipses the US pressing as far as rarity and sound quality is concerned. Price: Offers!!!!

 
1948. NEW YORK ART QUARTET: “Mohawk” (Fontana – 195J.21) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan original with obi present. One of the three albums the New York Art Quartet cut during their all too brief lifetime and its most difficult one to track down. Price: 75 Euro
1949. The NEW YORK BASS VIOLIN CHOIR: “S/T” (Strata-East/ Teichiku Records – ULS-1676-AF) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original pressing with obi of classic Strata-East spiritual jazz slide. This disc is first and foremost a splendid celebration of the artistry of the bass; and glorifying the instrument is seven of its finest practitioners. Moreover, the bassists are supported by a tenor saxophonist, pianist and percussionist in what its creators called a “narrative folk, jazz opera”. This might easily be Bill Lee’s greatest epiphany. It also celebrates the artistic partnership that Bill Lee shares with the six other bassists on the album. The seven movements run the gamut of musical measures that are a delight from first to last. They also bring out the special qualities of the bass violin quite masterfully. The musicians of the bass violin choir constitute a constellation of stellar virtuosos who weave the most magical tapestry of sound. There is a sense of sharing the sheer physical thrill of the acoustic bass and because the instrument is a lead voice throughout—performed at any given time by a multiplicity of bassists—there is a sense of fierce and brilliant movements at every twist and turn in the music. The deep sonorous drone of the basses contrasts delightfully when, with tripping lines some break away from the business of roar and rumble to soar in the upper atmosphere of the bass. Comes with rare OBI!! Price: 75 Euro
1950. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Consequences” (Fontana – SFON-7077) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Japan 1st original pressing in top condition. Historically significant recording by The New York Contemporary Five was recorded on November 11, 1963. The short-lived group, which consists of cornetist Don Cherry, altoist John Tchicai, Archie Shepp on tenor, bassist Don Moore and drummer J.C. Moses, was avant-garde for the period, influenced most by Ornette’s Coleman’s Quartet. Together they were a highly interesting operation unit, oozing out garrulous music that foreshadows a more aggressive version of free jazz to come. The tracks are comprised of herky-jerky free-bop melodies that lead into solo sections at a very quick tempo. Cherry starts off with an energetic, rhythmically active spot highlighting his utterly free approach. He plays specific pitches, but one would be hard-pressed to nail down exactly which specific pitches he plays at any given moment - he plays between the cracks. On tenor, Shepp alternates between engaging the tempo and breaking free entirely. His tone is sandpaper-rough, his phrasing loose to the point of being almost unhinged. The rhythm section is fine; drummer J.C. Moses plays very strong without overwhelming his band mates. Hardly surfaces on these shores or anywhere else for that matter. Utterly clean 1st original Japanese pressing blessed with a crystal clear sound. Stunning. Price: 75 Euro
1951. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Consequences” (Fontana – SFON-7077) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Japan 1st original pressing in top condition and all complete with stupidly rare 1st issue OBI! Historically significant recording by The New York Contemporary Five was recorded on November 11, 1963. The short-lived group, which consists of cornetist Don Cherry, altoist John Tchicai, Archie Shepp on tenor, bassist Don Moore and drummer J.C. Moses, was avant-garde for the period, influenced most by Ornette’s Coleman’s Quartet. Together they were a highly interesting operation unit, oozing out garrulous music that foreshadows a more aggressive version of free jazz to come. The tracks are comprised of herky-jerky free-bop melodies that lead into solo sections at a very quick tempo. Cherry starts off with an energetic, rhythmically active spot highlighting his utterly free approach. He plays specific pitches, but one would be hard-pressed to nail down exactly which specific pitches he plays at any given moment - he plays between the cracks. On tenor, Shepp alternates between engaging the tempo and breaking free entirely. His tone is sandpaper-rough, his phrasing loose to the point of being almost unhinged. The rhythm section is fine; drummer J.C. Moses plays very strong without overwhelming his band mates. Hardly surfaces on these shores or anywhere else for that matter. Utterly clean 1storiginal Japanese pressing blessed with a crystal clear sound. Stunning and first time I see a copy with obi offered. Price: 250 Euro
1952. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Vol. 1” (Sonet Records/ Teichiku Records Japan – UPS-2022-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first original pressing all complete with first obi. Top condition of this awesome jazz slide. Killer line-up consisting out of Don Cherry; John Tchicai; Artie Shepp (sic – Japanese misprint on sleeve); Don Moore and J.C. Moses. Top condition!!! Price: 150 Euro
1953. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Modern Jazz Spirit Vol. 2” (Union Records/ SONET – UPS-2023N) (Record: Near Mint/ Thick Jacket: Near Mint/ First Issue Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan first original pressing that comes adorned with Japan ONLY sleeve art and again different Japanese jacket art. Comes with RARE obi present as well which is nothing but a small miracle. Archie Shepp, John Tchicai and Don Cherry formed three-fifths of perhaps the most important, prolific, and seminal band of the early-'60 free jazz movement in the New York Contemporary Five. They were the first real improvising super group, with powerful harmelodic and free bop music influenced directly by Ornette Coleman. It's a recording both historic and smartly played, a must-have item for any serious lover of early modern creative jazz. Price: 100 Euro
1954. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Modern Jazz Spirit Vol. 2” (Union Records – UPS-5150) (Record: Near Mint/ Thick Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Rare Japan original pressing that comes adorned with Japan ONLY sleeve art. Rarely surfaces, only 2nd time I have a copy of this beauty. Price: 100 Euro
1955. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE: “Modern Jazz Spirit” (Union Records – UPS-5123) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan only sleeve art issue from 1965 all complete with obi. Just beautiful jacket art with unique shot of Don Cherry! The six tunes on display here were recorded live at the famous Montmartre jazz club in Copenhagen on November 15th, 1963. For that pocket in time it is one of the best and most important avant-garde jazz albums put down on wax, its importance enhanced by the fact that the quintet was formed specifically to come and play in Copenhagen and was disbanded when the musicians returned to New York. The band is led by three of the absolute best of the avant-garde headz at the time: Don Cherry on cornet, Archie Shepp on tenor sax and John Tchicai on alto sax. Listening to this album is a little like poking around a dark, musty room abandoned for years. Here the Quintet (being the first ‘New Thing’ act to bring 3 horns to the foreground) chisels through a heroic scissure. It feels like a shoving match against the established forces with Don Cherry's "Cisum," (music backwards) opening up with a fanfare. A kind of organized chaos follows, the squawking and blipping interlaced with blessed moments of coherence. Coleman's influence hangs heavily over the proceedings. The group dives into two of his compositions, "O.C." and "When Will The Blues Leave?", the latter from his 1958 album Something Else!!!!. Damned rare Japan only issue with obi!. Price: 300 Euro
1956. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY 5: “Vol. 1 Recorded Live at Jazzhus Montmartre” (Storyville/ Teichiku – UPS-2250-R) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Virginally clean Japanese original pressing of all time classic slide. A historic live album that was recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen on November 15, 1963 and featured saxophonists Archie Shepp and John Tchicai, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Don Moore and drummer JC Moses. The distinctive style of contemporary jazz the quintet played was already familiar in New York but welcomed as refreshing and innovative in Europe and Scandinavia. This performance was recorded on the final night before the group split up and its members returned to the US with only Archie Shepp remaining in Denmark. Awesome. Price: 50 Euro
1957. NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY 5: “Vol. 1 Recorded Live at Jazzhus Montmartre” (Sonet -SLP-36) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Clean Danish pressing on Sonet of all time classic slide. A historic live album that was recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen on November 15, 1963 and featured saxophonists Archie Shepp and John Tchicai, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Don Moore and drummer JC Moses. The distinctive style of contemporary jazz the quintet played was already familiar in New York but welcomed as refreshing and innovative in Europe and Scandinavia. This performance was recorded on the final night before the group split up and its members returned to the US with only Archie Shepp remaining in Denmark. Awesome. Top shape. Price: 175 Euro

1958. NEW YORK DOLLS: “Stranded In The Jungle b/w Who Are The Mystery Girls” (Mercury – SFL-1855) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rare New York Dolls Japan only single issue, rarely seen or offered WHITE label PROMO copy issue. These white label issues also turn up almost never – has been ages since I last had a copy. Easily the most perfect copy and best condition one I have ever seen, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Killer Japan only cool picture sleeve. Top shape. Price: 500 Euro

 
1959. NEW YORK DOLLS: “S/T” (Mercury/ Nippon Phonogram – RJ-5103) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – tiny hairline on side 2/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japan original 1st press issue – all complete with insert and in perfect shape. Just impossible. The ultimate proto-punk band, perfectly jamming together elements of glitter and a crude street attitude. Envision a thrift- store dress sense and enough make-up to make your girlfriend jealous, they invented the drag-queen spunk that elevated kitsch to a fully-fledged art form. Mix that all up with their own unique set of toxic twins: the Jagger-esque vocalist David Johansen and a bewildered guitar gun-slinger Johnny Thunders who had more bad attitude oozing from his pores than the whole punk generation that followed here after. Constantly loaded and permanently wasted, Thunders mirrored his Keith Richards lookalike-tribute as junkie icon to a newly born blank generation. Todd Rundgren produced their debut LP and laid it down in just eight days, making it an instant classic. Reigned by the themes that made up the Dolls everyday lifestyle such as sex, drugs, alienation and dysfunction, they had the balls to pick up where the Stones left off. And whatever they lacked in proficiency and sophistication they made up for it with enough balsy attitude to spice up the bare-to-the-bones rock’n’roll with a rawness. Just listen to the first 15 seconds of opener Personality Crisis. It has it all and literally hands you down a crash course in rock’n’roll urgency: punchy riffage, bawdy-house piano, and a barrage of unintelligible screams that sounded like a subterranean hybrid of the MC5, Little Richard and the Stones all in one. If this does not do it for you, I guess nothing will get you off… One of the best records ever. Price: 100 Euro
1960. NEWBORN, PHINEAS: “This is Phineas” (Atlantic Records – ATL-5033) (Record: Excellent/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: VG++ ~ Excellent – has lower middle seam split/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Modern Jazz masterpiece, damned rare original first pressing with very first issue obi for dead cheap. Comes also with always missing insert. Damned rare very first pressing with OBI!!! Price: 100 Euro
1961. NEWBORN Jr., PHINEAS: “The Newborn Touch” (Contemporary Records/ King Records – SH-3080) (Record: Excellent – has a hairline visible on side 2/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare 1967 Japan 1st original press issue with OBI. “Pianist Phineas Newborn’s only recording of the 1963-1968 period, the trio outing with bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler, finds Newborn’s virtuosic style unchanged from the late '50s. As is usual on his Contemporary recordings, the pianist explores superior jazz compositions, in this case interpreting a song a piece by Benny Carter, Russ Freeman, Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper, Ornette Coleman ("The Blessing"), Carl Perkins, Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Woods and Barney Kessel. Newborn’s remarkable control of the piano was still unimpaired, and he is heard giving Oscar Peterson a run for his money.” (All Music Guide). Rare 1st press issue all complete with obi. Price: 75 Euro
1962. NINA SIMONE: “Forbidden Fruit” (Pye/ Columbia – XS95-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rarest Japan only Simone issue, all complete with rare silver toned Columbia obi. This one came out in June, 1968. Tracks include: “Rags And Old Iron – No Good Man – Gin House Blues – I’ll Look Around – I Love To Love – Work Song – Where Can I Go Without You – Just Say I Love Him – Memphis In June – Forbidden Fruit”. Beautiful Japan only jacket art gatefold issue adorned with silver colored “Columbia” obi. Just about never surfaces. Beautiful!!! Price: 200 Euro
1963. NIPPON NO KOMORI UTA with TERAYAMA SHUJI: “S/T” (Victor Records – SJX-2121~4) (4 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Illustrated & Annotated Booklet: Near Mint/ Cloth Covered Outer Box: Near Mint/ Slip Case Catron Wrap Around Obi: Near Mint). Freakingly rare & obscure set that has haunted me for the past decade until I could finally unearth a copy – all complete with booklet and OBI. Released in 1976, this massive4 LP box set offers the most complete audiophile study into the almost completely extinct and wonderful deep rural world of Japanese Komori Uta or nursery rhymes, a sonic world ruled by old ladies living on the fringes of society, taking care of someone else’s kids and masking a deep sorrow and pain that simmers underneath this now dying song form – it is the first time ever I can offer a copy of this ear bleeding beauty. Stunning collection of raw field recordings put down on tape in various rural places spanning the whole of Japan, from the bleak high north of Aomori and Hokkaido and down to the desolated hamlets of Hokkaido and small and sparsely inhabited little islands dotting the sea and back to the bleak and cold high northern prefecture of Japan’s main island. With insertions and reminiscences by luminaries such as Terayama Shuji, the listener gets guided back towards a long forgotten and largely annihilated musical and cultural tradition of forgotten and long extinct bleak rural traditions. The end result is a snapshot of a decaying world that no longer exists except for buried deep into the memories of Alzheimer patients. The collection is mainly erected around bone-chilling recordings of caretakers singing, old women wailing away in desperation with the cold wind blowing away outside, all set in a sparse setting, sometimes not backed up at all but at all times breathing out a bleakness that is omnipresent throughout the high north. It shows the listener at times through these bare sonic pearls, which seems to be a large influence upon the upbringing of children from previous generations. A stunning aural document that could only have been fruited in the desolated rural places, the last frontier where such aural traditions until not so long ago could withstand the change of the times. Never had a copy of this gem before, here is an all complete copy, all complete with thick slipcase OBI and thick fully illustrated booklet. Absolutely hair-raisingly awesome but sadly insanely rare!!!!! Price: Offers!!!
1964. NIRVANA: “Local Anaesthetic – Nehan” (Vertigo Records – SFX-7381) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Impossibly rare Japanese first original Vertigo Records pressing all complete with OBI!!! This one came out in Japan in 1971 and sold very poorly, resulting that only a very few copies remain in circulation all complete with the Vertigo obi. Comes also on the Vertigo swirl label and sounds absolutely fabulous. First copy I encounter all complete with obi. Price: Offers!!!
1965. NIRVANA: “New Folk Sound” (Metromedia/ Nippon Columbia – YS-2348=MD) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Rare 1971 Japan only issue that comes housed in Japan only jacket art. The final Nirvana LP that got graced in a Japan only sleeve. WHITE LABEL PROMO that comes all complete with never-offered OBI present. Only the 2nd time in my lifetime I could see an original with the obi present. These barely sold when it came out here in 1971, when they surface it is always a promo issue, I wonder if they got actually a regular pressing. This was actually the 3rd Nirvana album, which in the UK was released under the title “Dedicated to Markos III” but for the Japan-only designed sleeve there was opted for an altered sleeve art, a more colorful and brighter artwork as opposed to the original UK sleeve art. Great condition and a real though one with obi. Price: Offers!!!
1966. NIRVANA: “Bleach” (Tupelo Recording Company – TUP LP6) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint) Dead stock virginal condition UK first original pressing that came on WHITE colored vinyl, first pressing of only 300 copies with MPO machine stamped in the dead wax! Very first issue without “Love Buzz”. Together with the US white vinyl press on Sub Pop, the rarest Nirvana release out there of their first LP. Top condition and impossible to ever ipgrade upon. Jacket comes with the original plastic outer sleeve still present. Price: Offers!!!!
1967. NIRVANA: “Bleach” (MCA VICTOR/ Geffen – MVJG-25002) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Getting damned rare very first Japan original press issue that came out in 1992, all complete with first issue obi and pressed on high quality vinyl. Totally essential and damned hard to find clean original Japanese 1st pressings with obi. This one is perfect. Price: 250 Euro
1968. NO NECK BLUES BAND: “Hoichoi” (Sound @ One – S@1#1) (Record: Near Mint/ Silk Screen Gatefold Sleeve: Near Mint/ Silk Screen Obi: Mint). Released in 1996, first release of the band on their own Sound @ One imprint. The catalog number indicates this is the first release on the Sound @ One label, but it was released in 1996, after other releases with a higher catalog number. Maybe this later release date is due to the elaborate (yet fragile) packaging; a small strip with the band name is used to close the cover and some black tar/glue is haphazard spread here and there to hold it together (making it impossible to open this record without damaging something). Hoichoi is not written anywhere on the cover or inside but this seems to be the official title. It's also the noisiest thing they've put out yet! Just playing the first untitled track sounds like pure torture for your speakers! The two other tracks are much more psychedelic; delay effects are used profoundly and the usual unidentifiable noises surface here and there. Their best effort without a doubt and the sole record one needs to keep and play at full volume by this band. Price: 75 Euro
1969. NO NEW YORK: “S/T” (Antilles – ONCOL-002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ gatefold Insert: Near Mint). Japan original press issue – comes on high quality vinyl. A great deal of punk rock is basically art rock in a primitive guise, and in the hands of the avant-gardists who've turned to punk in the wake of New York's underground renaissance, both the artiness and the primitivism have been pushed to their logical extremes. Produced by Brian Eno, this four-band anthology features several bands from New York's experimental no wave scene of the late 1970s. First up are the Contortions, unleashing a hypnotic and addictive slice of dissonant funk-punk. Lydia Lunch lead Teenage Jesus and the Jerks combo is the most out-there band on the LP in a squalling, droning and abrasive way. Mars on the other hand is more accessible, creating music out of chaos; the vocals are blurted out and the guitars, bass and drums sound like they're weaving in and out of the song while going in several different directions at once. The fourth band, D.N.A., features Arto Lindsay’s idiosyncratic vocals and seemingly uncontrolled bursts of guitar, refusing to play conventional chords. Flanked by keyboardist Robin Crutchfield and drummer Ikue Ie, DNA provides another highlight in a compilation only filled to bursting with radiating luminous energy. Price: 75 Euro
1970. NOAH HOWARD QUARTET: “S/T” (ESP Disk – 1031) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original US first original pressing in top condition. Very first 1966 pressing with 156 5th Avenue NY address on both sleeve and labels. Alto saxophonist Noah Howard assembled a quartet of little-known players for his 1965 debut. Like himself, trumpeter Ric Colbeck, bassist Scotty Holt, and drummer Dave Grant were excellent musicians, but somewhat on the fringes of what had already become a "scene" with stars (Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders) and hierarchies. Only ESP-Disk was willing to take a chance on Howard, and they were right to do so. His music, though it owes something to Ornette Coleman in the way the saxophone and trumpet interact, as well as the loose but bluesy structures, has a compelling energy that never erupts into the kind of screaming frenzy that was rapidly becoming the cliché of free jazz. Instead, it makes a far subtler statement. The album's opening cut, "Henry's Street," begins with a bowed melody from Holt, and a slow-paced horn intro, only launching into high-speed (and swinging) interaction after a full minute of table-setting. And it's Colbeck, not Howard, who takes the first solo. Throughout the album, the saxophonist is an equal member of the ensemble, blowing right alongside the trumpeter on the two-part "Apotheosis" and the closing ballad, "And About Love." Howard would record one more album for ESP-Disk, the live At Judson Hall, but wouldn't really make a name for himself until a few years later, when his album The Black Ark introduced tenor madman Arthur Doyle to the world. Price: 150 Euro
1971. NOAH HOWARD: “At Judson Hall” (ESP Disk – 1064) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). US first original press issue with 156 Fifth Avenue address on sleeve. One of the best recordings to emerge on the ESP label is this one by Noah Howard. Biggest surprise is the addition of under recorded British expatriate trumpeter Rick Colbeck to the line-up. Totally essential free jammer that is a MUST if you have even the faintiest interest in fire music from the golden age. Price: 175 Euro
1972. NOAH HOWARD: “The Black Ark” (Freedom – Trio Records – PA-7035) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint) Top Notch Copy, Original 1st issue Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl, complete with never seen before obi & Japan ONLY booklet!!!! This is the stunningly rare original Japanese pressing of Noah Howard’s “The Black Ark” - one of the most legendary/unavailable/whispered-about free jazz sessions, featuring a young Arthur Doyle (his recorded debut!!!), Norris “Sirone” Jones, Mohammed Ali, Leslie Waldron, Earl Cross, and Juma ... The excellent cast of supporting musicians that included Sirone (who was then still going under the name Norris Jones) and (in his recording debut) Arthur Doyle who sounds on fire and viciously deranged throughout. Recorded in 1969 in NYC and later released on the UK’s Freedom label, this was also one of Howard’s earlier releases as a leader. This album features four solid compositions by Howard, who is also excellent on alto throughout, whether crafting soulful themes or pursuing more aggressive solos. The whole disc sounds like a napalm bomb dropped on unsuspected villagers and burns throughout its whole duration. Right from the start the tone is set with the opening track “Domiabra” a fierce shakedown for the group to stretch out their lungs and breaths. It all starts off with enough venom to make a Black Mamba snake blush in shame but when Arthur Doyle steps in; the whole affair really reaches volcanic like eruptions of molten aggressive lava concealed as musical notes. One of the disc’s highlights (heel it are all highlights on this one) is “Ole Negro” is and features the expanded rhythm section (Rashid’s brother, Muhammad Ali, on drums and Juma on conga, along with the piano and bass) laying down an incredible, almost hallucination producing foundation for the soloists. The other real winner is the longest piece “Mount Fuji”, which contains trumpeter Earl Cross and Doyle’s most significant contributions and some fine free all incinerating ensemble playing. But when Doyle steps in, then it really begins to hurt so much it becomes an ecstatic experience, almost religious by ripping your eardrums out of their shells with a saxophone that is insane pre-punk fire breathing primitivism as well as gloriously demented. Nobody ever sounded like Doyle and he is the true highlight of the whole disc. The album’s closing track, the pleasant, but all too brief “Queen Anne”, is highlighted by the solos of Waldron and Howard and makes you touch down to earth again. But by then your life will never ever be the same again. A classic that defies and expands free jazz as you knew it. Original first Japanese pressing complete with obi. All time highest recommendation!!!! Price: 400 Euro
1973. NOAH HOWARD: “Space Dimension” (America - 6108) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). One more back in stock, original 1st press issue in TOP condition, hard to ever improve upon! Just perfect without even a single spindle mark in sight. Killer line-up with Frank Wright, Noah Howard, Bobby Few and Art Taylor. This disc is as forceful as an atomic bomb with all incinerating head on collision tracks such as “Space Dimension” and “Church Number Nine”. Originally released on America, this was the original French pressing. Space Dimension is without a single doubt one of the all time greatest free jazz recordings ever to be put down on wax. At the time of this recording, Noah Howard was living in France and a bunch of fellow free blowing expats joined him over there since Europe was keen on nurturing the hardcore jazz community the States had carelessly spit out. The record was made in the wake of all those great Actual sessions and burns with an unrelenting power, freedom and spirituality. Just lunar crazed stellar hardcore jazz. A must if you consider yourself even remotely interested in adventurous sounds such as free jazz. Best condition imaginable so… Price: 175 Euro

1974. NOAH HOWARD: “Patterns” (Altsax) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Killer line-up with Noah Howard, earl Freeman, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Steve Boston and Jaap Schoonhoven. Released on Howard’s own Altsax label in 1973, “Patterns” is as forceful as an atomic bomb with all incinerating head on collision. “Patterns” is without a single doubt one of the greatest free jazz recordings ever to be put down on wax. At the time of this recording, Noah Howard was living in France and a bunch of fellow free blowing expats and local Dutch free spirits joined him in the Hilversum studios to burn some rubber. The blasted opening sequence, which we seem to enter whilst already in-process, is a space duet for conga and electric guitar unprecedented in the annals of jazz and new music. Jaap Schoonhoven – the later guitarist of the Dutch greasy beat combo the Outsiders is responsible for the frazzled solo he spits all over and under the recording. He is a true revelation and vicious beast all way through. When the rest of the musicians enter there is a heavy attempt to make it a primitivist aerial slugfest that invokes a world of shared improvisation and groups freak out. Patterns is a ferocious, confounding ghost of a disc. The record was made in the wake of all those great Actual sessions and burns with an unrelenting power, freedom and spirituality. Just lunar crazed stellar hardcore jazz. A must if you consider yourself even remotely interested in adventurous sounds such as free jazz. TOP COPY!! Price: 150 Euro

1975. NOAH HOWARD: “Live In Europe Vol.1” (Altsax productions/ Sun Records – SR-105) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Recorded in 1975 live on different European scenes. Classic line-up with Noah Howard blowing his lungs out on alt sax, Takashi Kako pounds the ivory keys of the piano, Kent Carter thugs on the contrabass and all-time favorite skin mangler Muhammad All sets fire to the drums, except for the track Olé, where he is replaced by Oliver Johnson. Again an incendiary set that sets loose some of the finest fire music ever recorded. Noah Howard is in stellar form and Mohamed Ali shreds the dead air to pieces with his drum acrobatics. Truly astonishing. Original press, top condition. Just an amazing disc. Price: 150 Euro
1976. NOAH HOWARD: “Live at The Village Vanguard” (Freedom – 28.488-5U) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Virginal condition – top copy!!! An obscure and excellent set by Noah Howard – cut back in the US at the Village Vanguard, with a hip New York sextet that includes Frank Lowe, Earl Freeman, Rashied Ali, and Jumma Sutan. The record's got a strong free-roaming loft jazz sound – and is a few years ahead of many of the New York recordings that would come out in a similar mode on other small labels. Howard and Lowe are in especially great form, blowing hard and free in a spectacular post-Ayler mode. No surprise, the record features a side-long "Dedication To Albert Ayler". Beautiful original press copy in outstanding condition representing one of Howard’s most stunning recordings. Has been quite a while since I last had a copy, one of Noah Howard’s more difficult to track down recordings as of late. Impossible to ever upgrade upon! Price: 150 Euro
1977. NOAH HOWARD: “Schizophrenic Blues – The Noah Howard Quartet Live in Berlin” (FMP Records – SAJ-13) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). First original press, top copy. Great set of tunes delivered by the Noah Howard quartet live in concert on May 12th and 22nd of 1977 in Berlin. For this occasion, the quartet consisted out of Noah Howard (Alt), Itaru Oki (trumpet), Jean-Jacques Avenell (double bass) and Oliver Johnson (drums). Veering of with the title track “Schizophrenic Blues” the mood is set for the rest of the concert to unfold itself in. Howard’s playing is crisp, melodic, and clear: alternating intense freedom chases with passages of mournful, Coleman-esque alto wailing. Auguring deep into a spiritual vein and extracting an ecstatic ore Howard and company set course for eloquent and elated interaction and reach exalted highs. Taken as a document this disc captures an exemplary performance by the Noah Howard Quartet and it does so faithfully without any fix it in the mix wizardry. It is an unadorned honest recording that delivers a faithful front row seat experience to what must have been a gig that still sticks in the minds of those who were in attendance. Noah Howard is as always stellar. Price: 100 Euro
1978. NOAH HOWARD: “Ole” (Chiarossuro Records/ Teichiku – ULX-109-CH) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Excellent - lower middle seam split/ Insert: Mint/ OBI: Near Mint) 1980 high quality Japan press issue of subliminal Noah Howard slide. Comes complete with always-missing OBI…. Killer line-up that included Noah Howard –alto sax/ Takashi Kako- piano/ Kent Carter- bass/ Oliver Johnson- drums on ole (only)/ Muhammad Ali- drums (on the rest). Howard's explosive playing is never overspilling into the realms of excess; instead he maintains a soulful approach, keeping the rhythmic maelstrom in check. Each of the players performs with a virtuosity largely unencountered in contemporary improvisation, and in truth, there's no single star here. As the musicians one-by-one step forward to take a solo spot they each reveal their own unique musical identities. Stunning recording and amazing music. Top condition. Obi is quite a hard one to dig up…. Top condition. Price: 75 Euro
1979. NOAH HOWARD: “Red Star” (Mercury Records/ Nippon Phonogram – RJ-7431) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Stupidly rare 1978 Japan only sleeve art issue and all complete with obi – just about never turns up with obi present. “Red Star is a noteworthy reissue of a 1977 session, originally released in Europe on the “Phonogram/Mercury” label and simultaneously in Japan with altered sleeve art, as we find the saxophonist aligning his wares with legendary Bop drummer, and co-leader of the “Clarke-Boland Big Band,” Kenny Clarke. With asymmetrical doses of bop, soul and free, this interesting and impeccably recorded outing commences with a buoyantly executed piece titled, “Creole Girl,” featuring Howard and trumpeter, Richard Williams’ softly stated and enjoyably melodic unison choruses. Here the band blazes forth amid a series of samba, funk, and soul grooves, accelerated by master drummer, Kenny Clarke’s alternating rhythms, and up-tempo time signatures. “Lovers” is a ballad, brimming with the soloists’ interweaving sheets of sound atop Clarke’s rolling tom fills, sweeping cymbal swashes and bassist Guy Pederson’s geometrically constructed bass lines. Otherwise, there is an abundance of strong soloing by pianist, Bobby Few as the band zooms into the stratosphere on the lengthy and altogether blistering, free jazz romp, “Red Star.” Conversely, listeners familiar with Clarke’s now historical Bop legacy might be surprised to hear the drummer engage in a bit of genre busting, thanks to his rather spirited approach to free jazz drumming on the title piece.” (All about Jazz) Impossibly rare Japan original with obi! Price: 475 Euro
1980. NOAH HOWARD: “Live At The Swing Club, Torino, Italy” (Altsax – SNIR-05055) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare and obscure 1st original pressing of one of Noah Howards most difficult to track down recordings. First original pressing in TOP condition. It was in April 1974 when he recorded “Live at the Swing Club Torino, Italy”. The session features Howard (alto sax, bells, tambourine) alongside Michael Smith (electric piano, acoustic piano), Bob Raid (bass) and Noel McGhie (drums). The end result is one of the most spiritual sessions Noah Howard ever blew out of his horn – and the group's got a great way of building up a cosmic sense of energy before it takes off – with real burning white-hot magic emanating from the Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano of Michael Smith, the pulsating bass of Bob Reid, and swinging drum vibe of Noel McGhee – a player who really drives the action along when needed – setting the spark that burns to a fire in Howard's bold alto solos. Noah also plays a bit of bells and tambourine – and Smith has a great way of resonating his acoustic keys in these wide waves of sound creating a very introspective atmosphere. Howard shines through as a true Coltrane disciple. From the very first note on the opening track Paris Dreams it is all there: the piano arpeggios, the driving drums and the pulsating bass and Howard’s soulful sound which is firmly rooted in blues and gospel. Howard gives his fellow musicians a lot of space to shine, especially Noel McGhie, who introduces the B-side of the album with a long drum solo before Howard and Michael Smith drop in with a forceful riff that reminds of Joe McPhee’s “Nation Time” phase. One of the highlights of the album is Lecke, a spiritual ballad that reminds of Coltrane’s Alabama with its deeply moving, irresistible melody and Bob Raid’s lamenting bowed bass. Just stunning. Top first press original copy, next to impossible to upgrade upon this one. Price: 300 Euro
1981. NUCLEUS: “We’ll Talk About It Later” (Vertigo Records/ Nippon Phonogram – SFX-7349) (Record: Mint/ Gimmick Die Cut Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). First original Japanese pressing on high quality audiophile vinyl and all complete with damned rare VERTIGO OBI. Absolutely TOP condition! “This is a beast of an album. Of all the Canterbury sounds, on this LP you will hear the most bad ass music EVER! Much more psychedelic than "Elastic Rock", this second album from Nucleus features similar down-and-dirty grooves, exquisite jazz sensibilities, loads of funk-rock riffs, and great group dynamics... Again, Ian Carr, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, heads it. The band consists of future Soft Machinists Karl Jenkins (oboe, baritone sax, electric piano, and piano) and John Marshall on drums; as well as Jeff Clyne on bass and contrabass, Chris Spedding on guitar and bouzouki, and Brian Smith on tenor sax and soprano sax. Plenty of psych guitar, fuzz and wah, bass grooves, horn skronk, and great electric piano sounds. It's definitely jazz-rock, but it's like 70's Miles Davis and Soft Machine reworking the sound established on "Elastic Rock"... in other words, not so laid back. It's mean. And best of all, it's got another die-cut Roger Dean album cover. There is also a reworked version of that song (Easter 1916) from "Elastic Rock" on this LP-- faster, more psych, and with some vocals.” (Nost-Algae). Top copy, looking at it makes my eyes go snow blind and the obi is a tough one to lay your hands one. Pristine! Price: 450 Euro
1982. NUCLEUS: “Elastic Rock” (Record: Near Mint/ Die Cut Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Clean Japanese press issue all complete with obi. A seminal early album from Ian Carr's legendary Nucleus group – playing here in a version that includes Karl Jenkins and Brian Smith on reeds, and Chris Spedding on guitar! The band has a landmark sound that mixes progressive jazz and tight full-on rock fusion into a style that's sometimes funky, sometimes avant, and often pretty darn exciting! This album has lots of nice electric piano lines, and plenty of choppy sax parts that hit a nice groove in the manner that would later be taken up by a lot of European reed players. Top shape with obi. Price: 100 Euro

1983. NUGGETS: “Original Artifacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965 ~ 1968” (Elektra Records – 7E-2006) (2 LP Record Set: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeves: Excellent). First original US pressing – White label PROMO issue. “The brainchild of Elektra Records chief Jac Holzman, Nuggets was a double-album survey of grass roots American garage-rock “one-hit wonders”, originally released in 1972, at the very moment when rock’n’roll was making its first backwards-looking audit. Curated by critic Lenny Kaye whose original liner notes would coin the term punk rock), it documented the widely pervading influence of the so-called British Invasion on young mid-to-late-60s beat combos across the USA. Stuffed with short, sharp, electric guitar and Farfisa organ-soaked essays remain preserved in musical amber, evincing the impact of The Beatles (to an almost preposterous level – faux Scouse accents and all – on The Knickerbockers’ Lies), The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Them et al on an eclectic tranche of musicians. These acts’ recordings would project British Invasion tropes through the prism of 1960s American musical (and, increasingly, counter-) culture. Typically, The Electric Prunes’ I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), The Seeds Pushin’ Too Hard and the 13th Floor Elevators You’re Gonna Miss Me – all of which would enjoy deferred "classic" status courtesy of Nuggets – are products of a ricocheting process of cross-fertilisation. US blues and soul-inspired British styles are bent back into feisty, indigenous variants on garage-rock, brimming with "out there" lyrics and disorientating studio effects which bear testimony to a burgeoning awareness of drug-induced altered states. Count Five’s spiky Psychotic Reaction proffers the missing link between The Yardbirds and early Television, while The Remains’ angsty Don’t Look Back might have been the blueprint for Richard hell & The Voidoids. The Shadows of Knight’s Oh Yeah, meanwhile, is surely the prototype for David Bowie’s The Jean Jeanie. Thus, Nuggets remains a Rosetta Stone among rock compilations and an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the rapid, wild and vivid evolution of 1960s psychedelia.” (David Sheppard – BBC) Much needed white label PROMO first US press issue of totally influential compilation that shaped a whole generation towards good taste. Price: 175 Euro