RARE RECORDS CATALOGUE
W-X
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

2826. WAILER, BUNNY: “Blackheart Man” (Island Records – ILS-80750) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very scarce Japanese first press original that saw the light of day in 1976. This one is in pristine nick and comes all complete with rare first issue obi and 4 paged insert. “After leaving the Wailers behind, Bunny Wailer wasted no time establishing himself as a highly original and visionary singer and songwriter on his own. His solo debut remains one of the most extraordinary albums of the roots period, a complex but instantly attractive and occasionally heartbreaking record that never rises above a whisper in tone but packs as much political and spiritual wallop as the best of Bob Marley’s work. Critics have been praising this album for more than 25 years, and they generally (and quite rightly) focus on the quality of such songs as the quietly ferocious "Fighting Against Conviction" (aka "Battering Down Sentence"), the classic repatriation anthem "Dreamland," and the apocalyptic "Amagideon," but the song that pulls you into Bunny Wailer’s magical web of mystical Rastafarianism is the first one, in which Wailer recalls being warned by his mother to avoid Rastas ("even the lions fear him") and then describes his eventual conversion, all in a tone of infinite gentleness and sadness at the hardhearted blindness of Babylon. Are there missteps? Maybe one or two: The bluesy "Oppressed Song" never quite gets off the ground, for example. But taken as a whole, Blackheart Man is an astounding achievement by an artist who was, at the time, only at the beginning of what would be a distinguished career.” (All Music) Top shape rare Japan 1st press original. Price: 175 Euro
2827. WAKAMATSU WAKATAYU: “Sekkyo Bushi – Kuzu No Ha” (Teichiku – PP-645) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Triple Gatefold Insert: Mint). Now this is the shit, the stuff of legends!!! Finally, after all these years of fruitless digging, I was able to unearth an LP (one of 4 he recorded) by the most legendary rough-necked shamisen string slashers/ bottom-of-the-well vocal howlers ever to have roamed the archipelago. Without a doubt he was the roughest bachi slammer of them all, surpassing Yamada Chisato and others through his sheer lust for raw sounds that feels like burning oil on your legs. Like the pre-war Mississippi blues men, Wakamatsu also breaths out aspirational surges of an intuitive approach, emanating out of the concealed depths of the deep rural north, flying aloft and with an impetuous roar pursues the foaming surges of waves braking on rocks. His voice is filled with haunting echoes that in a way scratch the same itch that sprawled the VU’s urbanized take on rock. He howls and claws at his shamisen like a wild beast in heat that reveals a Spartan, almost skeleton approach of an underdog operation of a poetically superstitious soul. Just awesome. Wakamatsu passed away decades ago but the few records he left behind are just bone-chilling great. Has been ages since I last saw a copy in all these years just until now….a truly arresting listening experience but sadly enough next-to-impossible to get your hands on. Price: 250 Euro
2828. WAKHEVITCH, IGOR: “Logos” (EMI Pathe – C064-10934) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Top Copy, original 1970 pressing. “With such a background, and a concept based on Greek legend, Logos (Rituel Sonore) amounted to a revolutionary creation for a 1970 release. Even if you know works like Pierre Henry’s The Green Queen, which was weirdly comprised of rock and avant-garde musics fused together, you’ll still be in for a surprise. Here we have a soprano singer, strange orchestral textures and percussives (drums, cymbals, gongs, etc.) blended with effects and processing. As the ominous percussion sets off with drum-rolls and ritualistic tension, the mood is of a looming anticipation of what is to come. Here we go through phases of weird swirling effects, vivid reverb and atmosphere. The tension becomes overpowering; yet we are led on. Here we have the key to Igor Wakhévitch’s sound, in a tension that becomes awe-inspiring. The climax of the whole opus comes with “Danse Sacrale”, an extraordinary psychedelic instrumental performed by Triangle (one of the earliest French psychedelic bands) that has to be heard to be believed. A great band in their early days, this goes to prove that Triangle were not just Pink Floyd cum Traffic copyists. This all amounts to a unique fusing of psychedelia and the avant-garde, and an awesome experience!” (J. Coulthart). Another indispensable entry in the Wakhevitch saga and just as the rest as indispensable. Highest recommendation. Bloody rare in a condition like this one here. Price: 250 Euro
2829. WAKHEVITCH, IGOR: “Hathor” (Atlantic – 40.533) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Embossed Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1973 French first pressing. Formed in classical music and ancient member of the French "group of musical research" (GRM), Igor Wakhevitch explored various musical genres but with a constant fascination for opera, visual art and choreographies. His way of using analog synth and electronic modules enable him to make a name among the great figures of the 70's kosmische-psychedelic gallery. "Hathor" is what I would like to call a "space opera", built around moody/damaged/ massive spaced-out synthesizers and eerie, operatic, majestic atmospheres. The album concept is about the "creation", "death" and "resurrection"...consequently narratives in French, speaking about old Latin religion, punctuate a few compositions. The opening track is a gorgeously dark, creepy electronic hymn with deep synth strings, classical choirs, and narratives. without transition it directly carries on circular electronic motifs & various combinations of sounds, always terrific and haunting. A lugubrious, powerful organic church like drone sequence progressively appears. A fantastic drone-based composition, delivering an atmosphere of pure madness. "Rituel de guerre des esprits de la terre" is a tribal electronic, fantasist piece with drums and bizarre noises. "Cris pour les sabbats infernaux" is full of incantations, crying, and claustrophobic, plaintive voices. "Office de la levée des corps" is a funereal, religious chant, including narratives in Latin. "Amenthi" carries on the same cavernous droney chant but features electronic oscillations. Totally unique and attached to the musical personality of Igor Wakhevitch. A marvelous, enigmatic, and ritualistic voyage. A masterpiece highly recommended for fans of Art Zoyd, Pierre Henry, Philippe Besombes...” (progarchives) Just a classic recording that balances between progressive rock, avant-garde, electronic music, musique concrete, Zheul and plain psychedelic. Everything he released was awesome. Great copy, original press. Highest recommendation. Price: 250 Euro
2830. WAKEVITCH IGOR: “Docteur Faust” (Pathe EMI – 2C 072-11.537) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint - on back upper side faintest trace of minimal wear, hardly worth mentioning). TOP COPY!! Original French pressing and easily the best record out of the whole Wakevitch discography. Has been literally ages since I have encountered an original copy of this beast and this one here is in the best condition imaginable!!! Docteur Faust was created for a festival in Avignon, and was later choreographed. Though, the mind boggles as to how anyone could dance to this. “Full of fury and energy” to quote a reviewer at the Avignon festival, it certainly is! On one hand this is a more balanced blending of classical and dramatic music, yet also it is much more extreme. There’s a wealth of sonic collage, dense musique concrète, and bizarre music that collide and fragment against rock structures. There’s also moments of pure classical avant-garde moving into ensemble pieces feeling like Henze meets Ligeti or Xenakis. The use of electronics is really vivid too. There are no rules or boundaries in what makes up a Wakevitch composition! The rock elements return throughout this album and, although not credited, I would guess that again Triangle members are featured. The guitar reminds of Alain Renaud, and percussion is quite distinctive, backed-up with weirdly treated organ. Although a short album, it is so engrossing and weird that it would be too-much if it were much longer." (Alan Freeman) Docteur Faust from 1971, which again presents adept pairings of potentially disparate elements. Sounding like a strict soundtrack for a staging of the Faust story, the music is a highly theatrical, event-driven collage of electronic and tape manipulations, dramatic narration, rockist interludes, musique concrete and passages of classical orchestration and vocals. It's a fascinating work that takes the skills he cultivated during his time with Schaeffer’s GRM and expands them into a more macroscopic view. Price: 450 Euro
2831. WALDRON, MAL: “Bethlehem Left Alone – A Dedication To Billie Holiday” (Polydor – MP-2150) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very rare Japan 1st original pressing that came out in April 1971. Recorded in February 24, 1959, this set records a great line-up with altoist Jackie McLean sitting in with pianist Mal Waldron’s trio (which includes bassist Julian Euell and drummer Al Dreares) on the title cut, a number co-written by Waldron and Billie Holiday. Although Waldron dedicated the album to Lady Day and talks about her a bit on the last track in a short interview with vibraphonist Teddy Charles (which was recorded a bit later), he actually only performs one song from her repertoire: "You Don't Know What Love Is." Otherwise this recording session has the title cut, two other typically brooding Waldron originals plus Sonny Rollins’ "Airegin." McLean’s emotional alto is such a strong asset on the title cut that one wishes he were on the rest of this worthwhile set. Top condition and seldom seen Japanese 1st press original. Price: 50 Euro
2832. The MAL WALDRON TRIO: “Impressions” (Prestige New Jazz/ Victor Records – MJ-7017) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Very first original Japanese press issue – Deep Groove pressing and comes housed in fragile flip back sleeve. A lesser-known Mal Waldron session from the 1950's. Teamed up in a trio with bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Al “Tootie” Heath, Waldron performs three originals from what he called his "Overseas Suite" along with a fine song by his wife ("All About Us") and three standards. Waldron’s brooding Monk-influenced style is heard in its early prime on this excellent release. Price: 100 Euro

2833. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal-1” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7430) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan very first pressing, deep groove and with first issue obi present. Never seen before WHITE label PROMO issue. Top condition! “Mal Waldron’s recording debut as a leader presents the pianist with his many gifts already well developed. For the 1956 quartet date, he takes charge to strike a balance between the sound of a blowing session and the refinement of a more polished date. The spontaneity is there, but the set also benefits from Waldron’s thoughtful charts. At this stage of his development, Waldron was a distinctive bop pianist whose occasional sputtering, knotty phrasing revealed the acknowledged influence of Monk as well as similarities with contemporaries Al Haig and Bud Powell. For this set, though, the focus is not on Waldron’s playing, but on his ability to lead from the piano bench. The horn players -- top-flight boppers Idrees Sulieman on trumpet and Gigi Gryce on alto sax -- contribute hot solos played with class and authority, and disciplined ensemble work supports the overall structure of Waldron’s charts. Some of the arrangements seem written with a larger ensemble in mind, but they also work in the quartet setting, with Waldron’s effective use of staggered horn entries, dynamics, interesting harmonies, and occasional countermelodies adding color and variety to the performances. The tracks comprise a bright, focused performance of Benny Golson’s "Stablemates," a sparse, bluesy take of the standard "Yesterdays," a pair of good Waldron originals and one from Sulieman, along with Lee Sears’ "Transfiguration." Bassist Julian Euell and drummer Arthur Edgehill supply a strong and reliable bop pulse.” (All Music Guide). I am a sucker for all Waldron did, but his early stuff really gets under my skin. Never had this rare 1st Japanese pressing before, hard to track down on these shores, just about never ever surfaces and this clean, I must be loosing the last bit of sanity I still had. Price: 250 Euro

2834. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal-1” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7430) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan very first pressing, deep groove and with first issue obi present. Top condition stock copy – impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 150 Euro
2835. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal/2 with Jackie McLean; John Coltrane; Idrees Sulieman; Sahib Shihab and Bill Hardman” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7442) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan first press original all complete with gold colored obi. Signed by Mal himself on the back of the sleeve with a personal dedication to one of his Japanese girlfriends he fooled around with while on tour. It reads “Anata Wa watashi No Koibito Desu” meaning as much as “You are my lover” signed Mal Waldron. “Before becoming an expatriate in 1965 and eventually settling in Munich, pianist Mal Waldron cut several stateside hard bop albums full of his idiosyncratic and Monk-ish piano work, and featuring choice contributions by some of the music's finest. For this 1957 date, Waldron worked with a stellar sextet interchangeably manned by John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Idrees Sulieman, Art Taylor and others. Bookended by the pianist's ebullient "Potpourri" and the avant-noir blues "One by One," the set also includes a fetching cover of Cole Poter’s "From This Moment On" and a beautifully complex arrangement of Billie Holyday’s "Don't Explain." Solo highlights include McLean’s keenly constructed solo on Waldron’s "J.M.'s Dream Doll" (dedicated to the alto saxophonist and his wife) and Sulieman’s incredibly rich and supple trumpet work on "One by One." For his part, Coltrane is in good form throughout, save for a few sour notes and some faltering solos; at this time Coltrane was still coming into his own and a few years shy of the masterful hard bop sides he would record for Atlantic. Waldron here leads a potent crew on an engaging and original set of arrangements. A cut above many of the relatively straightforward and blues-based hard bop dates of the time.” (All Music Guide) Top condition very first press issue. Signed with personal dedication from Mal to his girlfriend. Unique! Price: 150 Euro
2836. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal 3 – Sounds” (Prestige – Victor World Group – SMJ-7448) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1st original pressing all complete with rare blue colored Victor World Group obi. This is an unusual set by pianist Mal Waldron. He utilizes a sextet with trumpeter Art Farmer, flutist Eric Dixon, cellist Calo Scott, bassist Julian Euell and drummer Elvin Jones on three of his picturesque originals and his wife Elaine Waldron contributes vocals to the wordless "Portrait of a Young Mother" and Harold Arlen’s "For Every Man There's a Woman." Price: 150 Euro
2837. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal 3/ Sounds” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-6511) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – little browning stain on right hand side/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1976 pressing of fantastic Mal Waldron slide. A really wonderful album from Mal Waldron that is quite different than most of his other records from the 50s, and done with a righteous undercurrent that almost points the way towards the Strata East generation of the 70s! The set's one of Mal's few 50s albums as a leader to feature horns strongly, used in a very focused way, and quite different than Waldron's appearances on blowing sessions at the time. Art Farmer sparkles wonderfully in the lead, alongside Eric Dixon on flute, both players exhibiting a really rich sense of imagination, tone, and colour. The small group also features some unique cello from Calo Scott and Elaine Waldron also sings a bit, giving the record a deeply soulful undercurrent. The whole thing's wonderful! A must and dead cheap. Price: 30 Euro
2838. WALDRON, MAL: “The Quest” (Prestige – NJLP-8269) (Record: Excellent ~ Excellent++ - has a few faint sleeve/ hairlines that do not affect the play. No defects at all. Has small catalogue seal on one side of label/ Textured Jacket: Excellent ~ Excellent++) Top condition US first original MONO pressing on the purple-colored Prestige New Jazz label. Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking modernists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in several different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Top shape and a dash away from perfect condition. Price: Offers!!!!

2839. WALDRON, MAL: “The Quest” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7077) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original 1st press all complete with rare obi. Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking modernists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in several different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Price: 350 Euro

2840. WALDRON, MAL: “The Quest” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7077) (Record: Excellent ~ near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint with faintest trace of foxing on back/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japanese pressing of killer Mal slide all complete with obi. Price: 50 Euro

2841. WALDRON, MAL: “All Alone” (Victor Records/ Globe – MJ-7114) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan 1st original pressing all complete with obi. Originally released in Italy on GTA in 1966, this is the first Japanese pressing of that post-Bop face slasher. Austere, minimal, stark and highly atmospheric solo piano album, All Alone. The brooding title track is one of the most haunting explorations of solitude. It was also influenced by Billie Holiday, with whom he worked during the last years of her life, and who inspired many of Waldron’s compositions. While playing this late at night, goose bumps pop up all over your skin and you just hope it ain’t no Covid-19 come down that makes you reach out for that quick fix of bleach to pop into your veins. Desolation rules!! Damned a hard one to track down with obi there. Price: 75 Euro

2842. WALDRON, MAL: “Black Glory” (Trio Records – PA-7003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japanese pressing all complete with obi of a trio outing for pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Pierre Favre. Waldron has continued to evolve through the decades while keeping his basic sound. A master at using repetition and brooding chords, Waldron is in excellent form on five of his originals plus Woode’s brief "M.C," playing with a knowledge of the avant-garde but still connected to the hard bop tradition. Top condition! Price: 50 Euro
2843. WALDRON, MAL: “Les Nuits De La Negritude” (Powertree – AP-1003) (Record: Near Mint – with the occasional hair-sleeve line/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Damned rare original 1965 US original pressing (but recorded in 1963!). Rare original pressing in overall nice EX+~NM condition. Best condition of this LP I have ever had…. This LP has always been a shy bird that rarely sticks out his head, let alone in acceptable condition. When this deep and staggering session was recorded, Mal Waldron was already a seasoned and accomplished pianist. A veteran in the game who had played with about every heavyweight roaming the scene including Mingus, Dolphy, Booker Little, Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to only name a few. Next to that he was one of the centre players/ composers/ arrangers and ivory key-pounders for Prestige Records, where he pops up on legendary dates by the likes of Gene Ammons, Jackie McLean and John Coltrane. And of course, he flanked Billie Holiday during the last two years of her career before her untimely death in 1959. Fast By 1963 – the year this LP was recorded – Mal was in lamentable shape to say the least. When on tour with Roach and Lincoln one day, Mal took the stage, his veins popping and loaded on heroin and he just … froze. Exit Mal, a wake-up call that put him in the hospital for the following six months where he was subjected to shock therapy and other life-adjusting therapies. He could barely remember his own name, let alone play the piano. When released from Florence Nightingale’s clutches, he had to slowly relearn how to use his digits and get acquainted again with the piano. This recording here sees him at this pivotal time in his career. A stripped down and intimate sounds oozes out of it, yet structurally complex, injected with unusual time signatures and sonically quelling the darker side, it was a sparse affair to say the least that gets under your skin and then slowly oozes out again like slow escape of liquids from blood vessels through the pores or breaks in the cell membranes. This slow exudation became Waldron’s increasingly unique way of improvising. The end result materialized on this magnificent slide here 'Les Nuits De La Negritude', though scandalously obscure due to the scarcity of the original LP, which was but a micro pressing put out by the tiny New York Powertree imprint. But stands steadily as one of Waldron’s finest works as a leader. A sparse and intimate trio date, the album bears an almost soothing quality, floating on a deep subterranean & civilizing force. This eager malice creates an arresting listening experience that almost bring out the inner struggle of Waldron during this period of time, recorded only shortly before his collapse nearly ended his career. Mal’s tiniest of gestures trigger a stripped-down-to-the-bare-minimum high-tension music, resulting in a lethal, yet almost dissecting & fractious pieces that quell his darker side. A thing of pure beauty, one keeps on getting back to time and time again, begging for more of the same sonic poison. Great EX+ condition with no explicit splits, damages and scratches, then this original pressing will definitely soothe your ears and give the satisfaction… Price: Offers!!!!

2844. WALDRON, MAL: “Les Nuits De La Negritude” (Freedom/ Trio Records – PA-7117) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce all complete 1975 Japan original pressing, all complete and in perfect shape. Impossible to find better and more economically viable as opposed the bloody rare original. Still, this one is not that easy to catch ouy there in the wild, so do not kind yourself. Highest recommendation. Damn, love the obi on this one! Price: 100 Euro


2845. WALDRON, MAL: “Tokyo Reverie” (Victor Records – SMJX-10103) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – some aging spots but no damages at all). Rare Japan only issue – WHITE label PROMO. In early 1970 American pianist, already residing in Europe for some time, on the basis of his released album has been invited to visit Japan (by local Swing Journal company). On his first ever Japanese tour Mal spent two days (February 7 & 12) in studio in Tokyo where recorded some material. Four songs, recorded by trio with domestic double bassist and drummer were soon after released as "Tokyo Bound" album. Eight compositions, recorded solo, has been released later same year as "Tokyo Reverie". Both albums didn't attract lot of attention but opened for Mal Japanese scene. He returned for next Japanese tour already next year and very soon became well-known and popular pianist on Japanese mainstream scene. Original 1970 Japanese pressing, released only in Japan and one of Waldron’s more difficult to hunt down records. Price: 85 Euro
2846. WALDRON, MAL with GARY PEACOCK & HIROSHI MURAKAMI: “First Encounter” (Victor Records – SMJX-10122) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Rare Japan only issue, all complete with rarely seen silver-colored OBI. Hardly ever offered WHITE label PROMO. Japan only release of subliminal Waldron date in Tokyo, March 8, 1971 where he teams up with other seasoned players Gary Peacock and Murakami Hiroshi for a first encounter. The end result is a gem of a record where the trio creates 4 long tracks in a spiritual jazz inclined manner, made up out of spun-out improvisations on the four originals (three by Waldron and one from Peacock) that are melancholic in nature with an introverted and subtle undertone. The interplay between Waldron and Peacock on the inside/outside music is the main asset to this obscure but generally rewarding session. Japan only issue. With OBI white label promo issue. Price: 200 Euro
2847. WALDRON, MAL: “Spanish Bitch” (Globe – SMJX-10113) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Japan ONLY issue of 1971, scheduled to appear on early ECM label but never happened and instead came out on Globe, a subsidiary of Victor Records. Without a doubt the toughest to track down Waldron recording to date. “Recorded and produced by Manfred Eicher this is only the second recording for ECM (the first being Waldron's Free At Last). Recorded prior to Eicher setting up his own label both albums were picked up and issued only for the Japanese market by Victor Records’ Globe subsidiary. Despite it's historic importance "Spanish Bitch" has never seen a reissue in either cd or vinyl format thus making it extremely hard to track down. So here it is - 3 long Waldron compositions plus a comprehensive shredding of "Eleanor Rigby" through Mal's mangle. Waldron's wall of sound soloing is in full effect throughout the LP complete with his banging keys in the lower registers and usual dissonant chords-"Black Chant" and "All That Funk" are just immense! Fred Braceful's intricate drumming drives the music forward sounding like a proto-breakbeat blueprint with it's meticulously placed accents and beats while Isla Eckinger anchors the whole thing down before it spirals off the planet! All Killer No Filler ....” (Orgy In Rhythm). Top copy, complete with obi…and in stunning Mint condition. First time ever I have such an immaculate a copy of this one. price: 500 Euro

2848. WALDRON, MAL: “Spanish Bitch” (Globe – SMJX-10113) (Record: Excellent – has one small fingernail type of scuff on opening of side one that causes a few clicks, apart from that NM all the way/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint). Japan ONLY issue of 1971, scheduled to appear on early ECM label but never happened and instead came out on Globe, a subsidiary of Victor Records. Without a doubt the toughest to track down Waldron recording to date. Obi is missing so a cheap deal here for an always elusive brooding Waldron slide. Price: 175 Euro

 

2849. WALDRON, MAL & STEVE LACY: “Journey Without End” (Victor – SMJX-10134) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Cap Obi: Mint). Japan only release of 1972. First ever all complete copy I encounter with OBI!!! The whole affair was recorded in Paris in 1971 and released on the Japanese RCA Victor label. The album was the first of many recorded collaborations between the two musicians. The line-up consists out of Mal Waldron: piano; Steve Lacy: soprano; Kent Carter: bass; Noel McGhee: drums. So far, this recording remains quite rare since it was never reissued, hence this Japanese pressing is the sole version available of one of the finest Lacy – Waldron joint ventures. Just beautiful, this is a TOP copy. No defects. Obi is so damned rare, it hurts my eyes just looking at it! Price: 175 Euro

2850. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal: Live 4 To 1” (Philips – FX-8513~4) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Box Set Jacket: Near Mint/ 12-Paged Booklet: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Damned rare Japan 1971 very first original press issue that was released as a box set. Later issues were housed in a gatefold sleeve, only very first pressing came out as a beautiful box set with booklet. Japan ONLY issue. What a fabulous Mal slide, seeing him live in action in Tokyo and recorded over two nights (March 2nd and 3rd, 1971) both in solo setting, duo setting with Masabumi Kikuchi and in group settings with Isao Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Nakamura, Kohsuke Mine and Yoshiyuki Nakamura. Such a beautiful recording, both intimate and bustling with vibrancy, Mal with Japanese jazz heads is always a feast for your ears to indulge in and this one is no different. Comes complete with obi as well. Top shape and ear-bleedingly beautiful, what more can a mortal soul possibly ask more for? Price: 375 Euro

2851. WALDRON, MAL: “Free At Last” (Globe – SMJX-10098) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Annotated Booklet: Near Mint/ Gold Colored First Issue Obi: Mint). Japan 1st original pressing all complete with booklet and obi, this is only the 2nd time in all my years of dealing rare records that I can lay my hands on an all-complete first press Japanese copy in mint condition. The German ECM pressing is an easy score, but this one lives in a different parallel universe altogether. Recorded in Ludwigsburg in November 1969, featuring the great American pianist Mal Waldron, whose resume included work with Coltrane, Mingus, Dolphy and Billie Holiday. As Mal wrote: “This album represents my meeting with free jazz. Free jazz for me does not mean complete anarchy… You will hear me playing rhythmically instead of soloing on chord changes.” As Jazz Journal noted, “tough, two-handed modal blues” predominates, and the music sounds as fresh now as the day it was recorded. Indeed, the tersely-grooving “Boo” and “Rock My Soul” could be club hits half a century later. "The title's no mistake, as the album was really one of Mal Waldron's first really outside sessions – a real embrace of the free jazz modes coming out of the European scene of the 60s, but in a way that's slightly different than most! As Waldron states in the liner notes, his vision here is free, but not total chaos – an approach to music that's much more unfettered than before, yet still somewhat rhythmically structured – so that the tunes themselves roll out with a great deal of drive and energy, almost modal at points, but a bit fuller overall. The rhythm section here is a great part of the success of the album – with Clarence Becton on drums and the amazing Isla Eckinger on bass – a player whose pulsating approach is a perfect foil for Waldron's bold work on piano. There's actually a surprising amount of groove-driven numbers here – hardly the free jazz of the FMP scene, and more in the mode of some of the most unfettered expressions going down at MPS at the time" (Dustygroove). This for fucks sake is good beyond believe…a cornerstone recording and the rarest version out there…salivatingly awesome both sonically as visually, take no substitutes! Price: 100 Euro
2852. WALDRON, MAL AND TERUMASA HINO: “Reminicent Suite” (Victor Records – SMJX-10155) (Record: Excellent – long scuff on opening side 2 / Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1972 pressing only released in Japan and one of the hardest to track down Mal slides & all complete with OBI. The obscure "Reminicent Suite" is a rarely seen or heard gem! It was recorded in Japan during Mal's regular Japanese tour and finds him working with the leading Japanese trumpeter and his group, the Terumasa Hino Quintet, with Mal Waldron taking the piano chair. Terumasa's Quintet was one of the leading Japanese advanced post-bop collectives of that time, including such sound members as bass legend Isao Suzuki and drummer Motohiko Hino. Improved with Mal's piano perfectly communicating the band's sound as a small orchestra. "Reminicent Suite" is a Waldron composition with strong tunes, well organized and it ranks amongst his strongest works floating on a deep spiritual jazz vibe. Terumasa's trumpet is fast, strong and almost steals the show, but Mal's piano fits perfectly here, it sounds like he was a Quintet member for months or years. Each musician has enough space for improvisation, a great example of really collective work. Side B's "Black Forest" is a shorter and more percussive composition with stronger Japanese music influence. Repetitive rhythmic structure is used as a basic line for soloists changing each other. Less orchestrated, but melodic, and of the same high intensity level, it perfectly completes side A's "Suite..". Never released outside of Japan, this album is too obscure to be better known and more popular. It's a real pity - this work is a true Mal Waldron and Japanese jazz masterpiece. Price: 350 Euro
2853. WALDRON, MAL: “Meditations – Live at Dug” (Victor – SMJX-10147) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still in shrink/ Obi: Mint – still in shrink/ Insert: Mint). Scarce Japan only Waldron slide that is nothing short of jaw-dropping amazing. Amazing solo outing that as far as song selection and introvert atmosphere does come close to his “Les Nuits de la Negritude” slide. Intimate, dark and brooding, an embryonic sense of disintegration, performed before a small audience. Mal Waldron at his best and maybe his darkest. Just makes the hairs on your neck stand up and have you suppress silent screams down your throat. Bone-chilling stuff. Does not surface that often all complete with obi and in this condition. Price: 150 Euro
2854. WALDRON, MAL: “Mal Waldron Plays Eric Satie” (Baybridge Records – FEX-27-B) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Rarely seen 1984 Japan original pressing all complete with obi. One of Mal’s later recordings and it is a chilling one! Recorded live on December 8th, 1983 and only released in Japan, it sees Mal Waldron flanked by Reggie Workman (bass) and Ed Blackwell (drums), venturing into the bleak and dark waters of Eric Satie’s more sinister compositions. The playing is stripped down, detached of all frivolous attachments, stark and ascetic in its execution, creating a rather bewitching atmosphere blessed with an unvarnished and desolate beauty. Just one of Waldron’s more thrilling and venomous outings! Awesome! Top shape. Price: 150 Euro
2855. WALDRON, MAL: “Left Alone” (Philips – FS-6503) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Top condition 1977 Japan high quality pressing all complete with obi. Another stellar Japan only Waldron slide, set in a minimalist setting where he gets flanked by Japanese jazz core players Mine Kohsuke, Isao Suzuki and Nakamura Yoshimura at times. Essential as usual!!! Price: 30 Euro
2856. WALDRON, MAL with MIYAZAWA AKIRA; SUZUKI ISAO & FUZISAWA HIRONORI: “In Retrospect” (Baybridge Records – KUX-172-B) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan only issue of sadly largely overlooked but absolutely fantastic Mal slide. For this introspective side recorded in 1982, Mal gets flanked by stellar veteran Japanese jazz scenesters, Miyazawa on tenor sax and flute, Suzuki on bass and Fuzisawa on drums. As the title suggests, it's a look back, celebrating one of Waldron's key influences, Thelonious Monk. "Blue Monk" is given a relaxed and regal treatment, as Waldron's bedrock chording supports the higher register melody played in tandem on piano and sax. The set as a whole has a bluesy feel to it, with "I Can't Get Started" gliding along as gracefully as a solitary ice skater in a light snowfall. Waldron's varied discography has found him recording for numerous labels, especially in the '70s and '80s, and this date didn't find a U.S. release until eight years after it was recorded; however, it's well worth adding to any Waldron collection. So good and still so damned cheap. Don’t think twice… Price: 40 Euro
2857. The WALKER BROTHERS: “Images” (Philips – SFX-7081) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Die-Cut Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 8 Paged Photo & Lyrics Booklet: Mint). Japan only Walker Brothers release all complete with scarce obi and in immaculate condition. Price: 50 Euro
2858. The WALKER BROTHERS: “Old And New” (Philips – SFX-7090) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Die-Cut Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 6 Paged Photo & Lyrics Booklet: Mint). Japan only Walker Brothers release all complete with scarce obi and in immaculate condition. Price: 50 Euro
2859. GARY WALKER And The RAIN: “Spooky b/w I Can’t Stand To Lose You” (Philips – SFL-1150) (Two Track Single Record: near Mint with center piece still attached/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Imprinted Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Pristine condition Japan 1st original press issue of killer Gary Walker & The Rain slide. Comes housed in Japan only picture sleeve. Price: 75 Euro
2860. WALKER, SCOTT ~ SCOTT ENGEL: “The Seventh Seal b/w The Old man’s Back Again” (Philips/ SFL-1248) (Single EP Records: Near Mint ~ with center piece still attached/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Scarce Scott walker single, only released in Japan and under his Scott Engel alter ego. Price: 75 Euro
2861. WALKER, SCOTT: “Scott” (Philips – SFX-7094) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1st original Japanese pressing, complete with obi and attached insert. Top condition – next to impossible to improve upon. Price: 65 Euro
2862. WALKER, SCOTT: “Scott 2” (Philips – SFX-7114) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Beautiful and scarce 1st original Japanese pressing, complete with obi and attached insert. Comes in Japan only jacket art. Top condition. Price: 65 Euro
2863. WALKER, SCOTT: “Scott 3” (Philips Japan – SFX-7160) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Attached 6-paged inner booklet: Near Mint/ Big Poster: Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Rare Japan issue of this subliminal Scott Walker album. First time ever I can offer an all-complete copy with obi + with the always-missing poster present! Top condition! I believe this one needs no introduction. All I can say is that Scott Walker still rocks my world as no other. Stuff of legends. Top-notch copy. Price: 150 Euro
2864. WALKER, SCOTT: “Stretch” (Epic – ECPM-40) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Poster: Mint). Original 1973 Japanese pressing complete with booklet and obi. Comes all complete with the always-missing big poster. Perfect condition!!!! Price: 75 Euro
2865. WALKER, SCOTT: “Super Custom Deluxe” (Philips – FD-9049~50) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Cardboard Textured Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Attached Imprinted Lyrics Inner Sleeves: Mint/ Attached 4 page Booklet: Near Mint/ Custom Deluxe Sticker: Mint). Original 1st Japanese pressing, the rarest Japan only Scott Walker release. Rare Japan only issue in amazing cover art of this subliminal Scott Walker album. I believe this one needs no introduction. All I can say is that Scott Walker still rocks my world as no other. Stuff of legends. Top-notch copy. Top copy. Price: 75 Euro
2866. WALKER, SCOTT: “Sings Songs From His TV Series” (Philips Japan – SFX-7174) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japanese pressing in gatefold sleeve all complete with Obi & Insert. To an extent, Walker's first three albums balanced his contrasting identities: alongside Brel and dark melodrama, Walker included some lighter fare that would satisfy old fans. However, he rejected standard practices relating to singles: he selected his interpretation of Brel's bawdy "Jackie" as his first 45 and released it after his debut album, with "The Plague," a bluesy Camus-inspired number, on the B-side. It made the British Top 20. Nevertheless, his label had him cater to past fans with the second single, the insipid "Joanna." Then, on the Billy Cotton Band television show, Walker famously treated his easy-listening audience to Brel's "My Death" — at the time, quite radical. There were other compromises: in early 1969, the BBC gave Walker a television series on which he crooned schmaltzy covers, Brel numbers and a few of his own songs; this spawned the album here in question. With the success of his first three LP's, Philips had a cash cow on their hands, and as they usually do, rushed out this feat. Like any of Scott’s albums, this one is according to my humble opinion also indispensable although many out there seem to find time to slag this one off. For me, there are no bad and only great Scott Walker albums and this one is no exception to that rule. Again greatness in disguise. Essential…. Price: 75 Euro
2867. WALLINGTON, GEORGE AND HIS BAND: “Showcase” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – BN-5045) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japanese pressing all complete with obi and insert. Recorded in 1954 and one of those glorious early Blue Note slides that sadly gets overlooked by many jazz heads. “The name Wallington, selected more or less at random by its owner, hides a colorful cosmopolitan background, for George Figlia, as they called him when he made his bow in Palermo, Sicily in 1923, was the son of an Italian opera singer and grew up in a classical setting, but grew out of it into the jazz world when he first listened to Basie and Lester Young. George was only 15 when he quit high school to work in Brooklyn and Greenwich village, playing with small bands for "pocket money and hot dogs" as he recalls. A chance meeting with Max Roach led to his participation in the birth rites of the bop movement. With Max, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford and Don Byas, he became one fifth of the first real bop combo ever to play on 52nd Street, in 1944. Later, working with Charlie Parker, Georgie Auld, Red Rodney et al. he became a constant protagonist of the new jazz school. [...] The collaboration with Quincy [Jones] on three Wallington originals, and on the other material in this set, was a prime factor in the success of the session.” (Leonard Feather). Price: 40 Euro
2868. The GEORGE WALLINGTON QUINTET: “Jazz At Hotchkiss” (CBS Sony – SOPL-58-SY) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink/ Obi: Mint – still housed in shrink/ Insert: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original all complete. This set features pianist George Wallington and his 1957 quintet (which consists of trumpeter Donald Byrd, altoist Phil Woods, bassist Knobby Totah and drummer Nick Stabulas) stretching out on five numbers. The repertoire is highlighted by Bud Powell’s "Dance of the Infidels" and Dizzy Gillespie’s "Ow." Both Woods and Byrd are in excellent form, making this an essential outing for bop fans.Perfect condition original! Price: 40 Euro

2869. WALT DICKERSON: “This Is Walt Dickerson!” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7313) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Freakingly rare Japan 1st press original from 1962 all complete with never offered before 1st issue obi. “Walt Dickerson never got quite the credit he deserved for pioneering a modernist approach to the vibes during the early '60s, aligning himself with the emerging "new thing" scene and expanding the instrument's vocabulary beyond Milt Jackson’s blues and bop influences. Dickerson’s groundbreaking sessions for Prestige all predated the rise of Bobby Hutcherson as the hot new "out" vibes player at Blue Note, and while Hutcherson was a bit freer early on, Dickerson’s work still sounded adventurous and forward-looking. This Is Walt Dickerson!, his opening salvo, is every bit the statement of purpose the exclamatory title suggests. Each of the six selections is a Dickerson original, and he proves to be a marvelously evocative composer. Witness the cool, film-noir ambience of the mildly dissonant opener, "Time"; the haunting atmospherics of "Elizabeth," a tribute to his wife; the way the repeated riff of "Death and Taxes" imparts the sense of drudgery and inevitability suggested by the title; or the way Dickerson and pianist Austin Crowe keep twisting the rhythmic emphasis and cadences over the repetitive beat of "The Cry." Dickerson’s harmonically advanced playing is just as distinctive, too. He keeps the use of vibrato to a bare minimum, so much so that it's almost a shock when he lets some shimmering chords ring out on "Infinite You"; moreover, his use of rubber mallets instead of the customary felt-tipped augments his soft, controlled tone. In addition to Crowe, Dickerson is backed by bassist Bob Lewis and future Cecil Taylor drummer Andrew Cyrille. A striking debut, This Is Walt Dickerson! sets the stage for continued excellence, but also proves that Dickerson’s talent was already fully formed.” (All Music Guide). Top shape, and with damned rare 1st issue obi…one off chance, never seen it until now. Price: 250 Euro

2870. WALT DICKERSON: “To My Queen” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7223) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Sleeve: Excellent – with languette still attached onto the sleeve/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare and seldom seen Japan original pressing in outstanding condition, and the first time ever I see a copy all complete with damned rare first issue obi. Comes with Japan only sleeve art. “To My Queen is Walt Dickerson’s crowning achievement, a perfect balance between his intellectually advanced concepts and deeply felt passion. Dickerson had always displayed a fertile imagination, but there hadn't been much indication that his vision could be as expansive as it was on To My Queen. Never before had he attempted such extended, freely structured performances, which makes the album's consistency and focus all the more impressive. Like the foreground of a canvas, the listener's attention naturally falls on the title cut, a side-long, 17-and-a-half-minute opus (written in tribute to his wife, Elizabeth) that became Dickerson’s signature piece. It's deliberate, spare, and tender, with the soloists accompanied by either a gentle swing or the barest hints of support Dickerson’s shimmering opening statements are followed by thoughtful explorations from pianist Andrew Hill and bassist George Tucker. while drummer Andrew Cyrille offers subtle, whisper-quiet shadings, save for occasional drum rolls that come off like momentarily swelling passions amidst all the introspection. The second half of the album maintains the mood set by the first, featuring an 11-minute version of "How Deep Is the Ocean" and a vibes/bass duet on "God Bless the Child" that trumps Dickerson’s earlier effort in the same vein. This is arguably the finest quartet Dickerson ever led, not just because of the advanced musicianship and sympathetic interplay, but also because each member serves the material with taste and care. The whole album is swathed in a gauzy glow that speaks even more eloquently than its creator's conceptual ambition; this is music from the heart as well as the mind.” (All Music Guide). A bewitchingly beautiful and austere recording. Makes your ears glowing like fireflies during a rainstorm. Damn that obi is so scarce it just hurts my eyes by looking at it. Price: 175 Euro

2871. WALT DICKERSON: “Vibes In Motion” (Columbia – YS-2127-AF) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – no defects but foxing on back of the sleeve). Japan original press issue – WHITE label PROMO issue. A strange little album -- one that repackages Walt's Lawrence Of Arabia album in the late 60s, ostensibly because the big Arabia buzz had died down! This LP is as great as any of Walt Dickerson's other records from the time, and it's got the same band that graced his Prestige recordings -- Andrew Cyrille on drums, Henry Grimes on bass, and Austin Crow on piano. The music's a beautiful blend of piano and vibes, played with Dickerson's usual dark edge -- and even though the compositions are from a familiar soundtrack of the time, Dickerson makes them into moody bases for improvisation over some exotic jazz changes. Beautiful all the way through and a damned rarely seen Japan press original. Price: 50 Euro

2872. WALT DICKERSON: “Vibes In Motion” (Columbia – YS-2127-AF) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Japan original press issue – complete with rare first issue OBI. A strange little album, a LP that is as great as any of Walt Dickerson's other records from the time, and it's got the same band that graced his Prestige rescordings -- Andrew Cyrille on drums, Henry Grimes on bass, and Austin Crow on piano. The music's a beautiful blend of piano and vibes, played with Dickerson's usual dark edge -- and even though the compositions are from a familiar soundtrack of the time, Dickerson makes them into moody bases for improvisation over some exotic jazz changes. Beautiful all the way through and a damned rarely seen Japan press original with obi. Price: 150 Euro

 

2873. The WANTED: “In The Midnight Hour b/w Here To Stay” (A&M Records/ King Records – TOP-1149) (Seven Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve:Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Insanely rare US garage killer that was only released in Japan with a picture sleeve in 1967. Top condition original – impossible to find in any shape – let alone in such pristine nick as this beauty here!!! Needless to say, this sold next to nothing at the time it came out in Japan, making that only a very few copies have surfaced since then. Classic teenage garage ball buster that has often been comped with great gritty guitar, twilight teenage vocals, anthropoid rhythm section – all the right ingredients to make it a timeless piece of early sixties garage punk. Super rare Japan original with picture sleeve – very few has surfaced and this one here is in TOP shape – impossible to ever upgrade upon but sadly enough XXX rare in such shape so…better go down for this one. Price: Offers!!!!
2874. MILT WARD And VIRGO SPECTRUM Featuring Carlos Garnett and Cecil McBee: “S/T” (Twin Quest – No Number) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – Discoloration on upper seam and lower left corner). Original US 1st press no LP with Milt Ward as leader and featuring Carlos Garnett on tenor sax and Cecil McBee on bass. Released in 1977 on the utterly obscure Ward’s own Twin Quest records label. This is a superb and quite unique set, played by a prominent cast of players. Ward himself can be heard on trumpet & flügelhorn while being accompanied by a mighty devotional bunch of scenesters including heavyweights Carlos Garnett on tenor and Cecil McBee on acoustic bass. The ensemble is completed by Bill Pierce on soprano & tenor, Eddie Alex on alto & flute, Glenn Barbour on bari sax, Delmar Brown on electric & acoustic piano and synth, Coucho Martinez on Fender, Ignacio Mena on percussion as well as Hugh Peterson laying down his drums, delivering a mighty strong set of soaring, contemplative spiritual jazz with a slight leaning towards the freer side of things, just enough to keep it interesting without going totally overboard. The overall sound gets underscored by a tight but loosely-lipped groove, sprinkling some funk vibrations into the overall sound whenever things tend to get a little too lose. This is some lovely and highly rewarding stuff, in parts quite reminiscent of the Pharoah Sanders material from around the same time, and totally worth filling it in your so-called spiritual jazz collection. Original press copy in nice shape. Price: Offers!!!!
2875. GUY WARREN OF GHANA: “Afro-Jazz” (Columbia – SX-6340) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Laminated Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – top shape, no defects faint discoloration on back sleeve due to storage & age/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top shape UK 1969 first original pressing that was issued on Columbia’s renowned Lansdowne Series with sleeve printed by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. A completely wonderful album from percussionist Guy Warren, who was a talented percussionist, recording this hybrid gem that came out of the late 60s UK jazz scene! The set was done as part of the legendary Landsdowne Series for Columbia UK and features Warren's percussion alongside some key Brit jazz talents - including Don Rendell on tenor and soprano saxes, Ian Carr on trumpet, Amancio D'Silva on guitar, and Michael Garrick on piano! Warren composed and arranged the whole thing, bringing in an array of percussion. The album really gets its depth from the presence of these aforementioned Brit jazz giants, all of whom really shape the sound with wonderful contributions and some very strong solos. Hard to find UK original in top shape. Price: 500 Euro
2876. WARTTS, ANDREW AND THE GOSPEL STORYTELLERS: “There Is A God Somewhere” (Champ Records – LP-1962) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still housed in original shrink). Original US first press issue in absolutely top condition. Andrew Wartts, based in Bloomington, Illinois, recorded his landmark gospel album There Is A God Somewhere album in the early 1980s and released it on the small Champ imprint based in Nashville, Tennessee. It took funk archivists years to discover this gem, but it’s a timely resurface. Wartts sound – a mixture of soulful, funky, melancholic yet celebratory exhortations to the Lord – belies the music’s age. In a time when most contemporary-leaning Gospel acts were moving towards the “boogie” sounds of then-pop stars such as Prince and Rick James, Wartts stood firm in his commitment to James Brown style funk. As an example, check out “Peter And John,” a quirky riff on “Give It Up, Turn It Loose.” Turning around neatly in 4/4, the rhythm section chooses to skirt, rather than emphasize, “the one.” The result is a slightly off putting, but wholly original entry into the Gospel-Funk archives. Just an awesome slide. Price: 475 Euro
2877. WATANABE KAZUMI: “Infinite – Kazumi Watanabe First” (Express – ETP-9038) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – no defects of blemishes, faintest trace of light foxing due to age but very minimal). Damned rare 1971 WHITE label PROMO issue in top shape. What a killer slide, total head-spin of a disc. The Kazumi Watanabe Quintet consisted out of Watanabe Kazumi on guitar, Uematsu Takao tenor sax, Ichikawa Hideo on piano, Suzuki Yoshio on bass and Hino Motohiko on drums – quite a stellar all-star lineup. Beyond any doubt, this is another Japanese Jazz masterpiece recording by Watanabe Kazumi, his first LP recorded when he was only 17 years old and still a high school student. However, when listening it is impossible to detect a 17-year-old at helm of this session with seasoned players since his technique and sensibility he attributes to the music is as mature as the recordings of his peers. His guitar playing is fluent and warm, brimming over with lyrical detail and balancing on the tightrope between spiritual jazz and free improvisation. Kaleidoscopic fingerpicking hurtling in and out of focus, creating and exploratory sound floating somewhere between the boundless fury of haunting freeform echoes and the warm, controlled burn of an unexpected impact dispersing a poetic resonance. It is all here, free form interplay, modal hard bop, spiritual inclined excursions, Bossa-induced alterations, etc. but all are spiced up by Watanabe’s infectious guitar lines veering off the excellent band’s interchange. A debut could not possibly cause a bigger splash of disbelief than this baby here, every track is a winner and sitting through this one is being immersed in one long arresting experience of consummate art. Rare first press original in top shape & white label promo issue to boot! Highest recommendation! Price: 500 Euro
2878. WATAZUMIDO: “Sokuinranchou” (Philips - PH-7503) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). PROMO issue with OBI. Extremely beautiful copy of this austere rough-textured shakuhachi woodwind disc by the grand master Watazumido. Disc by Watazumido are extremely hard to come by, especially in good condition and are recently – here in Japan as far as domestic pressings are concerned – topping the 250-dollar mark. Watazumido has become a hot item, sought after by collector scum and DJ weirdoes alike. But the music is stunning, resembling in atmosphere and grandeur the Sacred Flute Music of New Guinea discs on the Quartz label. The music however is some of the most beautiful woodwind music ever to be put down on wax. Clive Bell said the following about Watazumido in his Oriental Winds primer: "Watazumi was the maverick wild man of the shakuhachi, establishing his own sect of Zen Buddhism and rising at 3am every morning to practice his personal discipline of stretching and self-pounding with a long hardwood pole. Barely regarding himself as a musician, Watazumi stressed that music was not the point, the goal was something far deeper. What makes his playing so compelling is the blend of wild abandon with feather-light delicacy, plus the impression that, far from interpreting an ancient piece, he has made the whole thing up this minute. In Watazumi's world you make your own flute, maybe from a laundry pole, split the bamboo through the sheer intensity of your playing and throw the thing away afterwards." Spot on description for a glimpse at Watazumi's outward-bound sonic excursions. Some of the most beautiful sounds ever to be put down on wax. Mint condition. Highest recommendation. Rock Bottom! Price. Price: 100 Euro
2879. WATERS, MUDDY: “The Best Of Muddy Waters Vol. 2” (Victor Records – SJET-8343) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint) Rare Japan only issue – Japan 1st original pressing all complete with rare green colored SJET obi. White label PROMO issue. Price: 75 Euro
2880. WATERS, PATTY: “Patty Waters Sings” (ESP Disk/ Nippon Phonogram - ESP-1025/ SFX-10720) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). First original Japanese PROMO pressing from 1978 of this all-time classic beast. Top condition and complete with rare OBI! “This legendary 1965 debut of Patty Waters, simply entitled Sings, is everything that it became famous for. Today, it's also clear how a recording such as this would have come to stand for the angst and anguish of a generation of musicians who were in the forefront of the avant-garde movement in jazz music. Using an organic combination of the human voice, its ability to reflect a myriad of human emotions and breathy spare lyricism, Waters is able to communicate and emote from the very depths of the soul. To that extent, she is truly an innovator whose contribution to music extends well beyond the free jazz idiom that she came to lead, by using the instrument of her voice. Sings captures with nuanced precision, the explosive nature of Waters' vocal brilliance. The record is so exquisitely crafted and sequenced it's as if she deliberately and deftly manipulated her audience by mesmerizing and dulling the senses, first with romanticism as on "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight," but which soon lays bare the real emotion behind the song. It seems that Waters is setting her audience up, causing them to believe that all is well. Then, as the dynamic tension builds with tracks such as "Why Can't I Come To You," "You Thrill Me," and "Sad Am I, Glad Am I," Waters springs back with "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair." This is when the tension is palpable, and in the darkest, most nourished fashion, Waters appears to rip the heart out of a comfortable existence. This song ought to be held as the flag of the heartless and hollow 1960s, typified by a singular lack of anything to hold on to as being hopeful.” (Raul d'Gama Rose – All About Jazz). So essential that it makes the rest of your record collection shrivel up and dry, losing all its essentiality. Price: 125 Euro
2881. WAYNE SHORTER with Herbie Hancock; Reginald Workman & Joe Chambers: “Adam’s Apple” (Blue Note/ EMI Music Japan – BLP-4232) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Capsule Obi: Near Mint). Immediately Out Of Print in the flash of an eyelid when they were released 6 years ago in an edition of only 500 copies…. 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. Price: 200 Euro
2882. WAYNE SHORTER: “Night Dreamer” (Blue Note/ EMI Music Japan – BLP-4173) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Capsule Obi: Near Mint). Immediately Out Of Print in the flash of an eyelid when they were released 6 years ago in an edition of only 500 copies…. 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 of, 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. Price: 200 Euro
2883. WAYNE SHORTER: “Super Nova” (Blue Note – BST-84332) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). US original pressing – Export to Japan – complete with direct import obi and insert. Top condition US original of seminal deep space/psych jazz recording that blows me away every time I slab it on. It was the summer of 1969, flower power was in the air, conventional hard bop was in serious trouble, and Wayne Shorter wrought the hipfest Super Nova in the company of a gaggle of guitarists and percussionists. Typical in many ways of jazz in 1969, is by no means the average Blue Note session or the average Wayne Shorter album. Recorded just 8 days after the Bitches Brew session, many of the same artists from there appear here: saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist John McLaughlin, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and pianist Chick Corea (playing drums and vibes on this!). Other Miles Davis alums appear: Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and acoustic bass player Miroslav Vitous (both later would become members of Wayne Shorter's Weather Report). The band plays new versions of 3 Shorter tracks previously recorded with Miles Davis and are performed much better in this context here. Though this is post-bop with some strains of free jazz thrown into the mix... it's far more melodic than much of Bitches Brew. Highly recommended. Stunning copy all complete with OBI. All killer with absolutely no filler! Price: 125 Euro
2884. WAYNE SHORTER: “Odyssey of Iska” (Blue Note – BST-84363) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in SHRINK/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). US original pressing – Export to Japan – complete with direct import obi and insert. A very unusual album for Wayne Shorter -- recorded right around that 1970 point when Duke Pearson was exploring formats for Blue Note artists that included larger, often electric arrangements, pointing the way towards some of the later 70s soul jazz work on labels like Kudu or CTI! This set, produced by Pearson, features Shorter as the main soloist on tenor and soprano sax -- in a very hip group that includes Dave Friedman on vibes, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on bass, and both Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks are long and complicated, with searching soulful arrangements that are part post-Miles fusion, part early 70s indie soul jazz -- but balanced nicely without any sense of overindulgence at all. Shorter's soprano work is very nice, and much more angular than his playing on tenor. Damned rare with direct import obi! Price: 175 Euro
2885. WAYNE SHORTER: “Odyssey Of Iska” (Blue Note/ King Records – BST-84363) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japanese pressing all complete with first issue obi. The present album can be seen as the missing Shorter link between Miles’ Bitches Brew and Wayne’s first album with Weather Report, and to be honest, it would heartily gain a spot next to or between those two. Produced by Duke Pearson (a Don Byrd acolyte), OOI is quite a departure on his previous solo works, Opening on the Wind track, Wayne directly puts a hypnotizing imprint with his slow sax, while the two bassists (McBee and Carter) and three drummers (Mouzon mainly, Cuomo and Hart) and two percussionists (Friedman and again Cuomo) lay an amazing bed on which to expand on. Of course the improvs often veer slightly-dissonant, but it is nothing to be afraid of either. The following Storm track is in the cacophonic continuation of Wind, but Bertoncini’s guitar is much more present, but don’t expect to hear the complete mayhem that the title inaptly induces, unlike the following Calm track’s name is infinitely more accurate a description, but also the A-side’s most accessible track. The flipside opens on the almost-12mins Brazilian bossa number De Pois Do Amor, which takes a few minutes to develop its charms, once Shorter’s superb sax parts takes us in its lovely meanders, helped by Friedman’s marimba playing. Emptiness is definitely not an accurate name for the second part of De Pois, even if three drummers and two bassists, but it ends in a no-tune’s land. The closing 9-mins Joy track opens erratically, but once the bass riff is settled (somewhat reminiscent of Trane’s ALS), it first hovers around, before diving head first in improvised vibes and sax solos and gradually speeds up.” (Sean Trane) Amazing album from start to finish, if Bitches Brew is up your alley, this one is also obligatory. Comes with OBI. Price: 75 Euro
2886. WEIR, BOB: “Ace” (Warner Bros. Records – BS-2627) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in SHRINK/ Promo Insert: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). US 1st original pressing all complete with promo insert + WHITE label PROMO issue + promo sticker on front. Bob Weir's Ace was ostensibly a solo album, with massive contributions from his bandmates, songs the Dead had been playing live or would soon incorporate into their repertoire. Overall, it is blessed with a mellow Americana sound not too far removed from the tones on breakthrough albums like American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. So, Ace was basically a Dead album released under Weir's name with "Playing in the Band," in particular, becoming a vehicle for exploration at concerts, with the seven-and-a-half-minute studio version presented here feeling tidy and conservative when compared to the sprawling jams the song the band would later get into. Other highlights are the greasy rock & roll tune "One More Saturday Night," the lurching, twangy grooves of country-funk rover "Black Throated Wind," and "Mexicali Blues," one of Weir's many cowboy tunes (here complete with pseudo mariachi horns) all became regular inclusions in the Dead’s set lists. Closer "Cassidy," somehow upbeat and melancholy at once, predicts college rock on the whole, with Weir's signature unconventional chord voicings and abstract songwriting materializing in full grandeur. Killer slide, indispensable and rare pristine US first pressing, white label promo. Price: 200 Euro
2887. WEIR, BOB: “Ace” (Warner Pioneer – P-8270W) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1st original pressing all complete with scarce obi + WHITE label PROMO issue. Bob Weir's Ace was ostensibly a solo album, with massive contributions from his bandmates, songs the Dead had been playing live or would soon incorporate into their repertoire. Overall, it is blessed with a mellow Americana sound not too far removed from the tones on breakthrough albums like American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. So, Ace was basically a Dead album released under Weir's name with "Playing in the Band," in particular, becoming a vehicle for exploration at concerts, with the seven-and-a-half-minute studio version presented here feeling tidy and conservative when compared to the sprawling jams the song the band would later get into. Other highlights are the greasy rock & roll tune "One More Saturday Night," the lurching, twangy grooves of country-funk rover "Black Throated Wind," and "Mexicali Blues," one of Weir's many cowboy tunes (here complete with pseudo mariachi horns) all became regular inclusions in the Dead’s set lists. Closer "Cassidy," somehow upbeat and melancholy at once, predicts college rock on the whole, with Weir's signature unconventional chord voicings and abstract songwriting materializing in full grandeur. Killer slide, indispensable and rare with obi. Price: 250 Euro
2888. WENDELL HARRISON: “An Evening With The Devil” (Tribe – PRSD-2212) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in shrink). Original 1975 pressing – 2nd sleeve variation and on red colored Tribe label - on the highly collectable Tribe records. Classic spiritual jazz/ free jazz/ black power political groove monster. "The compositions we play are reflective of the music of our times whereby we play Jazz, Funk and African music with its poly or many rhythms. I wrote all the tunes in this particular L.P. and it is written as a suite of 5 movements, which means that the music can be performed along with poetry and dancers. On our last L.P. 'Message From The Tribe', we featured the compositions of our very talented composer, arranger and trombonist Phil Ranelin. On one side of the LP he wrote all the compositions and on the flipside I wrote all the tunes. This album was produced by us on the Tribe record label. As far as the music in 'Evening With The Devil' is concerned it really speaks for itself. In addition to the music, it features some relevant poetry by two very talented young poets named Oba and Vajava who are also members of a very excellent theater group in Detroit called the Black Messengers." (Wendell Harrison). One of the rare early albums on the Detroit based Tribe label. Tenor player Wendell Harrison leads a group that includes heavyweights such as Marcus Belgrave, Charles Eubanks, and Phil Ranelin, and which features occasional poetry by the "Black Messengers". The groove is laidback and spacey, spiced up with some groovy electric piano, and good mellow solos that have a nice soulful vibe to them. Other parts of the album are a little bit more free jazz intoned and have a sharp edge to them. Just a killer album and getting a tough one to pull in nice shape. This beauty here is the best you can get. Price: Offers!!!
2889. WERTMAN, DAVID: “Kara Suite” (Mustevic Sound Inc. – MS-3001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Obscure release on drummer Steve Reid's Mustevic Sound label, with Reid on drums, Charles Tyler on alto, and bassist Wertman leading up the groove, plus reedsman Ken Simon and French horn player Richard Schatzburg rounding out the group. Wertman's only solo album combined frenetic bow work, intricate spiritual exchanges and raucous rock solid cyclic riffage to underpin his own compositional complexities.  The inclusion of worldly free jazz luminary Charles Tyler on alto sax and the naturalistic back-beat of Steve Reid himself give this recording its extra edge! The tracks are mostly pretty long and have that slightly off-centre modal feel that was a hallmark of Reid's work from this time.  Kara Suite perhaps remains the best kept secret for aficionados who actively choose to blur the lines between spiritual jazz and free jazz. Highest recommendation!  Price: 375 Euro
2890. WES MONTGOMERY: “Montgomeryland” (Liberty – LLJ-80062) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very first Japanese press issue with very first obi!!! WHITE label PROMO issue. Wes Montgomery (1925-1968) is widely recognized as one of the most revered guitarists in jazz history. Recorded a year after his debut album The Montgomery Brothers And 5 Others, Montgomeryland features Wes with his brothers Buddy on piano and Monk on bass, plus saxophonists Pony Poindexter and Harold Land. Price: 50 Euro
2891. WESS, FRANK with JOHN COLTRANE, MAL WALDRON, DOUG WATKINS, etc.: “Wheelin’ & Dealin’” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-6549) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Clean Japanese pressing – WHITE label PROMO issue in top shape and complete with obi. A classic all-star set from Prestige Records, cut during that late 50s stretch when they took key players to Rudy Van Gelder's, and really let them open up in the studio! The set features three great talents on tenor – John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, and Frank Wess – the last of whom also blows a bit of flute – and the super rhythm section features Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! All tracks are nice and long. Price: 65 Euro
2892. WEST COAST NATURAL GAS: “Go Run And Play b/w A Favor” (San Francisco Sound – EU-2048) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Generic Paper Sleeve: Near Mint). Killer West Coast psychedelic monster that is a damned hard one to unearth in acceptable condition but here it finally is!!! West Coast Natural Gas started out in 1965 in Seattle but by early 1967 they moved towards San Francisco, hooking up with local music manager named Matthew Katz, famed for being the original manager for Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and later It’s a Beautiful Day and also added West Coast Natural Gas to his stable of acts to be exploited. However, they managed to venture into the studio and recorded some original tunes: A Favor, Go Run and Play, The Jumping Frog, Hashish, Water or Wine, Beyond This Place, and Two’s A Pair.  But by early 1968 the band broke up, disintegrated with its members rotating back towards Seattle. Katz eventually released a single – Go Run and Play / A Favor on his S.F. Sound label under the name West Coast Natural Gas. Later he put out a compilation album - the first San Francisco Sound sampler - called “Fifth Pipe Dream”, containing the four songs mentioned before, Water or Wine, Hashish, Beyond This Place and Two’s A Pair but relabeled by Katz as Indian Puddin’ and Pipe. Still, the two tracks on this sole single are pure uncut and crystalline West Coast acid rock of the highest order, blessed with an edgy, unpolished garage touch and injected with enough lysergic dementia to keep you on the tip of your toes. Pure brilliance!!! Top condition! Price: 450 Euro
2893. WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: “Part One” (Reprise – RS-6247) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still housed in shrink). Top condition first press US original with sleeve still housed in shrink. Very first press issue with matrix numbers ending in A-1/ B-1 respectively. Absolutely TOP condition and next to impossible to ever find a better one. Price: 300 Euro
2894. WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: “Part One” (Reprise – R-6247) (SEALED original). Extremely rare US first original pressing – stereo sleeve but spine indicates MONO issue numbering. Also comes with the first numbering on sleeve’s spine is R-6247 for the MONO as opposed to RS-6247 for the stereo issue. Next to impossible to find these beauties in SEALED condition, making this copy is as perfect as they come, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Rare first original pressing. Top original 1st press copy of this all-time psych classic. Best copy and condition imaginable!!! Never seen a sealed copy being offered anywhere before so…. Price: Offers!!!!!
2895. The WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: “Vol. 2” (Reprise – R-6270) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Beautiful condition copy of rare WHITE LABEL PROMO & MONO issue of West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band’s 2nd LP. Comes also housed in Mono sleeve complete with “Promotion – Not For Sale” sticker on lower right hand corner. Rarely seen clean PROMO & MONO issue. Price: 525 Euro
2896. WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: “Vol. II” (Reprise – RS-6270) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ MINT) 1st original US pressing on the tri-color steamboat label. TOP COPY in absolutely perfect condition, record has no signs of being played a lot, the jacket has NO ring wear at all and looks like it was printed only yesterday! With their soaring psychedelia, achingly pure folk-rock and Zappa/Beefheart strangeness, these seminal underground gems from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Part One, Vol. 2 and A Child's Guide To Good & Evil - can be seen as encyclopedic primers of the late-'60s Los Angeles musical experience. Never seen a copy as clean and perfect as this one, jacket is always prone to ring wear but this one looks like new. Impossible to ever upgrade upon! Price: 250 Euro
2897. WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMANTAL BAND: “A Child’s Guide To Good & Evil” (Reprise – R-6298) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Freakingly rare WHITE label PROMO ONLY MONO issue. Probably the strongest and most representative of the band’s recordings, Child’s Guide is a surreal set of beautiful lysergic folk rock and off-the-wall psychedelic excursions from the mind of notorious west-coast playboy Bob Markley. The band’s legendary weirdness is omnipresent here and the opening track already says it all. Damned, a record that opens with as stunning a pop-psych song as “Eighteen Is Over the Hill” should deserve a place in your collection, if not….stop chasing psych records all together. Multi-tracked finger-picked acoustic guitars and wide-open sun-tanned beach-breezy harmonies help drive this piece into one of the catchiest choruses this band has ever put to tape. Just envision a hipper, uncanny, cockamamie, dopped out Simon and Garfunkel and you’re maybe halfway there. And if you ever thought Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was just way too tame and predictable, then this record might do you good to check out! All of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band’s output released during their short lifetime are worth chasing down, from the garage-band mishmash that is “Volume 1” to the unmitigated Freudian crackpotism that is the band’s official swan song, “Where’s My Daddy”. But “A Child’s Play To Good & Evil” takes home the price! Hardly ever seen White label PROMO ONLY MONO issue. Price: Offers!!!!
2898. WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: “Where’s My Daddy?” (Amos Records – AAS.7004) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original US pressing, just a top copy, a shy away from Near Mint. “1969's Where's My Daddy?, surely must qualify as one of the creepier musical efforts of its year. Even without prior knowledge of bandleader and lyricist Bob Markley’s later descent into severe mental problems, not to mention a string of arrests involving underage girls, the lyrics of this album are disturbing; with that background, some of them are downright horrifying. A concept album of sorts, Where's My Daddy? charts the odyssey of "Poor Patty" (possibly the barefoot ten-year-old street kid pictured on the album's sleeve) through the post-Summer of Love bad trips of the Los Angeles street scene. From the Lolita-like innuendoes of "Everyone's Innocent Daughter" to the climactic "Two People," which ends up with a beaten and raped Patty pleading her case to a disinterested judge, side two of Where's My Daddy? is like one of those cautionary morality films of the '40s and '50s as reinterpreted by Dennis Hopper’s character from Blue Velvet. The music seems almost secondary, with most of the brief tracks consisting of little more than one- or two-chord vamps under Markley's increasingly fragmented and freaky story.” (From All Music Guide). To these ears a fantastic album with “Help I Am A Rock” standing out amogst a bunch of oddly normal but highly weird tunes. A classic. Price: 150 Euro
2899. The MIKE WESTBROOK CONCERT BAND: “Marching Song Vol. 1” (Deram/ King Records – DL-3002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan 1970 pressing in outstanding condition. Comes complete with hardly ever seen red Deram OBI. Originally released on Deram in 1969 and followed by a Japanese pressing the following year, at a time of escalating world conflicts, this was pianist/ bandleader Mike Westbrook’s aural depiction of man’s inhumanity to man. Assembling some two-dozen key session players, he delivered obliquely orchestrated music that represented the light and shade, peaks and troughs of conflict. Mostly brass- and reeds-led, the pieces are in turn profoundly disturbing, relaxing, jubilatory and saddening. It makes at times for a most challenging listen, though always demands reflection and raises questions. Fantastic recording and so rare all complete with obi – especially in a condition as this baby here, virginal all way round. Price: 400 Euro
2900. The MIKE WESTBROOK CONCERT BAND: “Marching Song Vol. 1” (Deram/ King Records – DL-3002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – some faint spine wear/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan original pressing of classic UK jazz slide. Obi is missing so a cheap smash ‘n grab deal here. Price: 85 Euro
2901. THE MIKE WESTBROOK CONCERT BAND: “Marching Songs Vol. 2” (Deram/ King Records – DL-3003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan 1970 pressing in outstanding condition. Comes complete with hardly ever seen red Deram OBI. “The second volume of Mike Westbrook’s Marching Song work was issued simultaneously with the first volume at the end of 1969. Since the first and second sides of Marching Songs Vol. 2 are labeled "side three" and "side four," it's fair to deduce that it's meant to be listened to in combination with the first volume, even if the volumes happened to have originally been issued on separate LPs. Marching Songs Vol. 2 is, like its predecessor, a mix of progressive big band and avant-garde jazz that has often been interpreted as a statement on the nature of war, and sometimes as a specifically anti-war statement. However, it's not only devoted to angrily implied protest, though it has its share of cacophonous passages. There are also lightly swinging, rather accessible pieces (like "Home") that reflect non-combat wartime scenarios, as well as subdued compositions with horn soloing that act somewhat as lulls in the fighting, like the opening "Transition" and the more dramatic "Ballad." "Prelude," meanwhile, has something of a post-modern sitting-around-the-campfire feel, and "Tension" expands its cinematic implications with dynamic interplay that would sit well on the soundtrack of a thriller. "Conflict," however, has all of the large-scale dissonance both avant-garde jazzers and anti-war protesters might be thirsting for, a bent that becomes more pronounced as the record storms toward its conclusion. There's no shortage of quite out-there sections, however, with the several-dozen-strong cast of players -- including such standout names as Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flügelhorn, Barre Philips on bass, and John Marshall on drums -- guaranteeing depth and richness to the arrangements. If it's consciously studied as a concept work, it's not so much an antiwar protest as a reflection of war's many moods and stages, from gung-ho patriotism to between-battle ennui and post-conflict exhaustion.” (All Music Guide). Fantastic recording and so rare all complete with obi – especially in a condition as this baby here, virginal all way round. Price: 400 Euro
2902. The MIKE WESTBROOK CONCERT BAND: “Marching Song Vol. 2” (Deram/ King Records – DL-3003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan original pressing of classic UK jazz slide. Obi is missing so a cheap smash ‘n grab deal here. Price: 85 Euro
2903. WESTBROOK, MIKE: “Metropolis” (RCA Records/ Victor Records – RCA-6060) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan 1st original pressing that saw the light of day in 1972 and which comes all complete with rare OBI. Metropolis can be regarded as his best works, precisely because they stray the farthest away from the Ellington aural realm. Composed in parts as early as late 68, Metropolis had seen many different versions and line-ups until it received its final studio form in the summer of 71, recorded over three days in the famous Lansdowne studios. Graced with an outstanding and atypical (for jazz circles) gatefold empty-highway artwork, the 9-movement Metropolis sees a big part of the who’s who in the London Jazz scene as partakers, including stalwarts like Wheeler, Beckett, Lowther, Rutherford, Osborne, Warleigh, Skidmore, Warren, Khan, Taylor, Boyle, Miller, Laurence, Jackson, Marshall and the delicious but discrete Norma Winstone… just to mention those. Yes, we’re in a big-band mode, but we’re definitely not treading the traditional type, but more of a JR/F mode. Don’t be afraid by the relatively improvised and dissonant intro, because it’s really one of the only two times Metropolis will stray across the un-melodic boundary. Indeed, the second movement opens of wild trumpets to feature an up-tempo JR/F, while Miller’s bass paves the way for Warleigh’s flute and Winstone’s strange vocalising on the third movement. The album will keep on alternating between wild and enthralling fusion moments to more-improvised collective meanderings, and some (but not many) inescapable Ellington-influenced passages. The album reaches some awesome and unsuspected climaxes around the end of the 6th movement, soon enhanced by slow Westbrook-piano and Boyle-guitar, but the 8th movement is also worth the detour and wait. The closing movement is an emotional exchange between Beckett’s trumpet and Westbrook’s piano (and later Taylor’s Rhodes), quite a fitting outro for such an amazing concept suite. With this album, Westbrook arrives on the same level as Graham Collier, Michael Garrick, Neil Ardley and Ian Carr in achieving a very British mix of jazz and rock, one that’s fairly different and emancipated of the Atlantic cousin. As far as I am concerned this album is a no-brainer. Price: 250 Euro
2904. WESTON, RANDY: “African Cookbook” (Atlantic – P-8259A) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first press issue all complete with rarely seen first issue obi present. A killer album of African-tinged jazz – recorded privately by Randy Weston in the mid 60s, and not issued formally until 1972 by Atlantic Records! The session shows Weston at the height of his modernist experiments – and at a time when his work was going largely undocumented, probably because of its progressive nature – but really flowing out with a rich Africanist inspiration, and served up with even sharper modern edges than before! His group here includes Big Black on congas, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Ray Copeland on trumpet – and Copeland also arranged all the tracks, transforming a few older numbers with the bolder spirit of the session. Price: 75 Euro
2905. WHITE HEAVEN: “Levitation” (The Now Sound) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint). Early times White Heaven slide that sees the band live in action way back in during their “Electric Cool Acid” period – which by many is considered their best incarnation ever. Recorded before “Out” saw the light of day, the line-up here was You Ishihara (vocals/ guitar), Michio Kurihara (guitar), Soichiro Nakamura (bass) and Ken Ishihara (drums). They rip through classics such as Cold Hour, Dull Hands, Out of My Window and Snow on the Table. Delirious acid drenched and amphetamine soaked basement psych live in Tokyo in 1988. This is the 1st original pressing and not the common bootleg that is floating around of this one. Killer with absolutely no filler. Been ages since I saw a copy of this one. Price: 100 Euro
2906. JOE WHITE: “Jah Jah Dub” (Roosevelt – Harry J Recording Studio) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Silk Scree Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint has a small dent near lower side of spine but no splits and damages. Small catalogue seal near upper side of spine) Top condition original Jamaica pressing from 1975 of killer dub slide. Joe White has worked on all facets of Jamaican music throughout his unfortunately underrated career. In the late 60s he was issuing singles in the vein of ska and rocksteady, and then picked up the melodica due to the influence of Augustus Pablo to record Jah Jah Dub. Throughout the years he gained an association with Harry J studios, an important label/production studio that any dub/ reggae enthusiast is bound to know of. His association with the studios led to many recordings and collaborations (even one with King Tubby himself), letting his melodica skill largely guide his rise in popularity during the 1970s. This record is blessed with original Jamaican grooves, and it has everything you could ever ask for in a dub recording. The flow is hypnotic and deep, and the production is both primitively rustic and focused. White’s melodica contrasts the rhythm excellently, as epitomized by the highlight title track. It's both the best and most ambitious example of dub music of that era you can hope for, it allows you to sink into time itself and float off into a dreamy lethargic state of bliss. The B-Side is excellent as well, there's some hidden trumpet and organ work that enhance the album's sonic color. That aside, the rarity of Joe White's first recording cannot be understated, either. Original Jamaican pressing with matching silk screen sleeve in good condition are next-to-impossible to unearth and this copy here is probably the best you will ever see. A beauty and a killer!!! Price: Offers!!!
2907. The WHO: “I Can See For Miles b/w Someone’s Coming” (Polydor – DP-1558) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top condition 1968 Japan only first press issue that comes housed in Japan only unique picture sleeve. Hardly surfaces these days, especially in such top shape as this beauty here. Price: 200 Euro
2908. The WHO: “Substitute b/w Waltz for a Pig” (Polydor – DP-1494) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan 1st press original from 1966 that comes housed in Japan only unique sleeve art. Near impossible to find in top shape but here is a top condition copy for your nerdy needs. Price: Offers!!!!!
2909. The WHO: “Exciting the Who” (Polydor – SLPM-1385) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent ~ Near Mint – some faint foxing). Top condition Japan 1st original press issue. Price: Offers!!!!
2910. The WHO: “My Generation” (Brunswick – LAT.8616) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Jacket: Near Mint). Stunning condition, just virginal of the Who’s very first LP. This is the UK very first and earliest MONO pressing with the black & silver colored deep grove Brunswick labels and earliest 1B/ 1B matrix numbers!!! Next to impossible to ever upgrade upon this time machine copy. Price: Offers!!!!
2911. WIEBEL FETZER: “Live” (Bazillus Switzerland – ZILL-111) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Silk Screen Jacket: Near Mint). Original Swiss private pressing that came out in an edition of 250 copies back in 1971. Recorded at the "Weisser Wind" of Zürich, on 27th April 1971. Seven Swiss, three Danes, an American and a Swede – amongst them Krokodil’s drummer & percussionist Dude Durs, John Tchicai, Peter Warren and Irene Schweizer – experimented live in a one-off concert with creating new sounds through intuitive approach and creating a new musical language that balances between free improvisation, derelict funky vibes, tribal hoedowns, asymmetric grooves and mutant variations of electric jazz and rock. The result is just astonishing, brilliant and out of time!!! That session will always remain timeless and you can call it free and experimental jazz / rock but still that will fail to nail it down properly as it embodies elements of it all and molds it into a new intoxicating musical language that will keep you begging for more and more. It is dense, subtle and refined – almost like a cocktail of Bitches Brew era Miles Davis, the tribal stomping grounds of Amon Duul II and Stravinsky’s pagan sacrifice vibes in The Rite of Spring all sprinkled over by a lethal dose of raw breakdowns of huffing brass and droning psychedelic moods and once the group is firing on all cylinders it is just impossible to resist, mainlining free jazz, electric boogie and psyched out hoedowns all in one. An addictive cocktail for sure and one killer of a rare 2 LP set. Bloody rare privately released 2 LP set in TOP condition, this is beyond awesome!!!! Price: 350 Euro
2912. WILDFLOWERS: “The New York Loft Jazz Sessions 2” (Douglas Records/ Nippon Phonogram – RJ-7307) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Second installment in indispensable series, this one here busts heads with an incredible line-up consisting out of Harold Smith, Byard Lancaster, Art Bennett, Olu Dara, Sonelius Smith, Benny Wilson, Don Moye, Ken McIntyre, Richard Harper, Andy Vega, Andrei Strobert, Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, Barry Altschul, Philip Wilson, Marion Brown, Jumma Santos, Leo Smith, Oliver Lake and whole lot of other luminaries that dwelled the Loft scene in NY during those fertile days. Beautiful long spun out spiritual free floating jazz fumes that will intoxicate any person with an open mind and wax down earlobes. Amazing stuff!!! Price: 50 Euro
2913. WILDFLOWERS: “The New York Loft Jazz Sessions 5” (Douglas Records/ Nippon Phonogram – RJ-7310) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original pressing of amazing series, the final and closing issue. “The fifth and final LP released by Casablanca in their Wildflower series (which documents the New York loft scene of the mid-'70s) differs from the others in that it is comprised of two lengthy performances. Drummer Sonny Murray and his quintet (with David Murray on tenor, altoist Byard Lancaster, vibraphonist Khan Jamal and bassist Fred Hopkins) are heard on one side while altoist Roscoe Mitchell (accompanied by drummer Don Moye and percussionist Jerome Cooper) stretches out for over 25 minutes. This historic series is primarily for open-eared listeners who are interested in explorative music.” (All Music Guide). Amazing stuff and so indispensable. Price: 50 Euro

2914. WILEN, BARNEY: “Tilt” (Vogue/ Wing – BVJJ-2937) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Top condition long deleted high-quality Japanese issue of cornerstone French jazz slide. Amazing debut as leader for French tenor sax superhero Barney Wilen who was not even 20 at the time! Recorded in Paris in January 1957 with Maurice Vander (piano), Bibi Rovère (bass) and Al Levitt (drums) on the first side and Jack Cnudde (piano), Bibi Rovère (bass) and Charles Saudrais (drums) on the side two. Classic slide and Japan high quality pressing of always elusive French masterpiece de jazz! Price: 50 Euro

2915. WILEN, BARNEY: “Barney” (RCA Records – RCA-6018) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first press issue from 1972 all complete with obi of killer hard bop slide by Wilen. Originally only released in France in 1960, this Japanese press is one that hardly turns up as sales back then were depressingly low. An elite front line of Dorham and Wilen with Duke Jordan, supported by the best of Paris’s sidemen, recorded live at the Club Saint-Germain, Paris. Wilen’s fluid and melodic swing is a delight, having found for himself a distinctive voice, perhaps tenor saxophone with a French accent. Barney was recorded in Paris around the same time as the film score – Un Temoin Dans La Ville, a film noir on the theme of murder, vengeance, and taxis. Three months later, Wilen recorded in New York, with Art Blakey Jazz Messengers, the film sound track to Les Liaisons Dangereuses – a morality tale of seduction, revenge and human malice. The year previously Miles Davis recorded the soundtrack with Wilen for Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud a story of  love and betrayal, murder, and fate. A great time for black and white French art-house flicks about enduring human themes with cool American jazz scores. The French original is impossibly rare and expensive. Not that the Japanese is that easy to come by either. Pressings of this provenance are in the fortunate position where the technology of vinyl production in Japan was well advanced and not degraded by and original tapes are not yet effectively deteriorated. The result is sweet. Comes complete with rare OBI as well. Price: 100 Euro
2916. WILEN, BAREY: “Auto Jazz – Tragic Destiny of Lorenzo Bandini” (MPS Records Japan – YS-2203-MP) (Record: Mint/ Heavy Laminated Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Rare WHITE LABEL PROMO copy – all complete with seriously rare OBI. “French tenorist and racing enthusiast Barney Wilen's arrived at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix with his Nagra sound recording system in hand, planning nothing more than to tape the race for private use. But when famed Italian Formula One racer Lorenzo Bandini lost control of his car and crashed, suffering horrific burns that claimed his life three days later,, Wilen et to work on integrating the tape into a new composition celebrating the driver's life and career. The resulting Auto Jazz – Tragic Destiny of Lorenzo Bandini remains one of the most adventurous and potent recordings in Wilen’s catalog, its careening, visceral music brilliantly paralleling the exhilaration of its subject matter. Bandini's Ferrari speeds in and out of the musical narrative, jockeying for position amid Wilen's soaring tenor and Eddy Gaumont’s crashing drums while uniting driver and musicians in their reckless abandon and addiction to adrenaline.” (Jason Ankeny – AllMusic) 1969 Japanese 5-track LP featuring the soundtrack of the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix incorporated into the five-movement 'Musique Concrete' suite in which the unfortunate Lorenzo Bandini lost his life after a crash on the 87th lap. Against a crashing free jazz setting with incorporated musique concrete sounds of vintage race cars speeding around, motors humming, race announcements, Wilen churns out an incendiary set fueled with gut wrenching moves, twists and turns. The race sound s mix perfectly with the burning fire music, a match made in heavens that ended in disaster for Bandini. The whole affair comes housed in a great front laminated gatefold picture sleeve. Top copy original Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl. Comes complete with OBI -which makes it much scarcer than the common German pressing. A feast for your ears and eyes, jacket comes in thick laminated gatefold jacket with OBI. Price: 250 Euro
2917. WILEN, BARNEY & his AMAZING FREE ROCK BAND: “Dear Dr. Leary” (MPS Records – YS-2301-MP) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ OBI: Near Mint) ORIGINAL FIRST JAPANESE PRESSING FROM 1970 with heavy foldout cover. WHITE LABEL PROMO & best copy I have seen so far, impossible to upgrade!!!! Also the first time I can lay my mittens on an all complete copy with rare OBI! This is stellar oddball free jazz meets psychedelic pop record, the most perfect hybrid configuration between these two worlds. The result is a galvanizing mercurial mixture that rips through free hardcore jazz while touching elaborately at the lysergic colored mind drops scattered all over the 1968 music scene by the Beatles and other pioneering mind benders. Exotic, weird, out of place and totally in tune, while dropping out of fixed musical straight jackets, Barney and his free rock band artificially fertilize a new musical species and this before sheep Dolly and her test tube babies caused havoc amongst the straight people. They certainly have the ability to turn you on. Great stuff ignited by a defused atomic line-up. Personnel: Barney Wilen (tenor & soprano-saxophone), Joachim Kuhn (piano, organ), Mimi Lorenzini (guitar), Gunter Lenz (bass, electr. bass), Aldo Romano (drums) & Wolfgang Paap (drums). A rarity, first Japanese pressing on the MPS label and pressed on high quality vinyl. With obi – a small miracle! Price: 250 Euro
2918. WILKERSON, DON: “Elder Don” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – BN-4121) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition high-quality Japanese press issue. “Don Wilkerson's first Blue Note session, Elder Don is a highly enjoyable set of hard-swinging, bluesy soul-jazz and hard bop. It's hardly a one-note collection -- "Senorita Eula" swings with a Latin lilt, "Scrappy" is a hard-hitting R&B number, the lightly Cuban recasting of Bob Wills' Western swing classic "San Antonio Rose" is fluid and infectious, "Lone Star Shuffle" and "Drawin' a Tip" are wonderful blues shuffles, and the ballad "Poor Butterfly" has a graceful, lyrical quality -- which is part of the reason why it's so impressive. Still, all of the credit for Elder Don’s success has to go to Wilkerson, whose vibrant, robust tone dominates the session, and since he's playing with exceptional guitarist Grant Green and excellent drummer Willie Bobo, as well as pianist Johnny Acean and bassist Lloyd Trotman, that's no small accomplishment. In fact, records like this go a long way in proving that Wilkerson was one of the great underrated saxophonists of his time.” (All Music Guide) Price: 50 Euro
2919. WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: “Call Me Burroughs” (ESP Disk – ESP-1050) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent, middle lower split seam of 1 cm, apart from that top condition). Burroughs reads selections from Naked Lunch and Nova Express. Call Me Burroughs was recorded in a basement apartment in London that Paul McCartney had outfitted with some tape recorders and which Burroughs had access to. Naked Lunch had started life as a series of "routines", little spoken word scenarios that Burroughs would entertain his pals with. To hear him read "Dr. Benway" or "Bradley The Buyer", in his dry, flat, timeless voice, is like having a private performance of Burroughs doing routines right in your own home. An all time classic in awesome condition. 1st original pressing. Price: 150 Euro
2920. WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: “Nothing Here Now but the Recordings” (Industrial – IR0016) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1981 press as released on Throbbing Gristle’s own Industrial Records imprint. Definitely the greatest Burroughs recording to have ever seen the light of day on wax. The LP collects tracks recorded from 1959 up until 1978 but the largest bulk of the material was recorded in the early 1960s. It is a magnificent collection of Burroughs tape, radio and TV cut-up experiments. His nasal clinical voice interlocks neatly with rasping blurring slur of the tape hissing away, spiced up with radio buzzing statics, street noises and cut-up juxtapositions. Reverb and echo bouncing off against the hotel walls where it all was recorded before being sliced to pieces, re-connected and dismembered, this sonic travelogue into the working mode of one of the 20th century’s greatest ever writers is a truly alchemical voyage, a chilling trip through rasping reverb drenched spoken weird executed in the clipped clinical monotones typical of speeded up and slowing down voices of an analytical mind at play. Aural experimentation through recorded sub-vocal speech and manhandling throat held microphones and inching the recorded tape manually across the recording heads of the machine, it takes you on a voyage few artists have ever undertaken. Just sheer brilliance!! Price: 150 Euro
2921. WILLIAMS, ANTHONY: “Life Time” (Blue Note – BLP-4180) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) original US first MONO pressing – NY address on label and Deep Groove on both sides. Has “ear” in the dead wax imprinted. Big lettering on back of cover and “43 West 61st St., NY address” – so first issue sleeve. The pinnacle of Blue Note's "new thing" era! Totally amazing album led by drummer Tony Williams in a roundtable session that features equal contributions by some of Blue Note's best avant-garde players from the time, all of them young fiery geniuses like Williams. The configurations of the players change drastically from track to track and some feature Sam Rivers, Richard Davis, and Gary Peacock playing in a 2-bass and tenor lineup with Williams; others feature Bobby Hutcherson and Herbie Hancock playing heavily percussive vibes and piano solos next to Williams' assorted percussion playing; and one track doesn't even feature Williams at all, but has Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter in a beautifully moody bass and piano duet! The record is a treasure and a landmark recording that ranks probably amongst one of the greatest Blue Note releases. Amazing condition – hard to improve upon. Price: Offers!!!!

2922. WILLIAMS, ANTHONY: “Spring” (Blue Note – BST-84216) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Insert: Near Mint). Liberty US press issue fully signed by all members in the band being Wayne Shorter; Gary Peacock; Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock and Sam Rivers, making this a quite unique item, a piece of history. “Spring is his second Blue Note as leader. Williams is the perfect host, serving up probably one of Sam River’s best albums, as well as one of Hancock’s best and a great Gary Peacock record. There is a solo Williams track too, for those who like their percussion neat. It feels very 1965. Jazz is freeing up nicely, with new players charting course for new lands, much looser in structure and direction. The musical purpose is expressive rather than narrative; the beat offers continuous propulsion in place of formal time signature. The “rhythm section” steps forward as an equal to the front line, everyone is a soloist, instruments freed from their traditional roles, Hancock’s piano is percussive, the bass no longer walks but adds texture and shades of color. Interesting decision by Williams to run with two tenor saxophone players, Shorter and Rivers, both leading lights of the post-bop scene. This often gives rise to a little friendly competition for pole position. Seems to me a beneficial decision, as I think Shorter is pushed to up his game. The music was progressing towards its destiny, the inevitable rendezvous between modern jazz and modern art.” (London-Jazz-Collector). Great copy fully signed by the whole band…. Price: 150 Euro

2923. THE TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME: “(Turn It Over)” (Polydor – 2425-019) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint). First original UK pressing – comes housed in fragile laminated jacket complete with lamination perfectly intact!!!! UK pressing of this album is quite rare and superior. Top copy. Price: 150 Euro
2924. WILLIAMS, TONY: “The Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency” (Polydor – 25-3001) (2 LP Set: Excellent~ Near Mint – little fading near spine/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original US pressing in top condition. Gatefold jacket is free from ring wear, next to impossible to upgrade upon. “Williams's group Lifetime, which looked on paper like an organ jazz-funk trio, produced in 1969 this headlong hybrid from jazz complexity and rock immediacy. Williams, fresh from edging Davis towards his jazz-rock-soul period, concocts a driving, high-volume fusion that has more conviction and flare than anyone else's would until the advent of the great Mahavishnu Orchestra a couple of years later. That band was led by Williams's collaborator here, John McLaughlin, as blistering and savvy a guitarist as any jazz-rock saw. Larry Young's organ is a skirmishing juggernaut, clearing and blasting into space above, behind, beneath, and between the drummer's crashing, jittering rhythms. A cautionary note: To be sure, Williams's singing on Emergency! is brave, at best, but it is blessedly limited.” (Peter Monaghan). Spot on, a true classic and in pristine shape. Price: 100 Euro
2925. WILLIS, BUTCH & THE ROCKS: “Forthcomings” (Love Records – BW-1002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – Still In shrink). To these ears one of the greatest but sadly overlooked totally wacked out outsiders LP’s to seep out of Middle slime USA. Released in 1986, “Forthcomings” is a brain numbing blast and the song “drugs” which opens up side two is one of the greatest and wasted songs ever recorded and which has kept on haunting me for over almost two decades. “In the mind of Butch Willis, he and his group The Rocks are the entry-level equivalent of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band, or even the latter-day Rolling Stones. They play straight-arrow AOR hard rock, with a lot of sheen and just a little tiny bit of gristle. By Butch's way of seeing things, the only reason he and his band don't have a major-label record contract is due to clerical oversight. To the rest of the world, however, he and The Rocks belong much more to the realm of such outsider musical artists as The Twinkeyz, Electric Eels, Shuggie Rodelle & His Imbiblio Band or the singing flea market cowboy Buddy Max, than they do to the world of arena rock. As evidenced by the two albums he released on his own Love label in the mid-1980s, Of and Forthcomings, Willis and his revolving-door band of D.C.-area musicians are anything but pedestrian. Would Bob Seger have a full-time band member whose sole duty is to stand there and chop at his throat while warbling vocal tones? While much of Willis' material centers on banal topics given humorous slants ("Kitty Cat," "TVs From Outer Space," "Pizza On My Jeans"), he is equally capable of a sublime treatment of classical themes ("The Girl's On My Mind," "Everything's Alright," "The Garden's Outside"). At their best, his Rocks are capable of generating a surging undertow of rhythmic noise, over which Butch can pour out his heart and "throat guitarist" Al Breon can uvulate like there's no tomorrow, contributing a warp factor reminiscent of Tommy Hall's electric jug playing with the 13th Floor Elevators. Willis's songs are exciting, his lyrics entrancing, and his quavering voice and unsteady physical presence are like watching a hobbled old lady trying to cross a busy intersection against the light. Add to that a Maryland twang ready-made for a John Waters Dreamland production or the cast of Heavy Metal Parking Lot and Butch's obvious sartorial splendor, and you've got the makings of a true star.” (Phil Milstein). Spot on, Butch Willis and the Rocks are nothing but phenomenal, and Forthcomings is an absolute masterpiece in my book. Highest possible recommendation!!!! Price: 150 Euro
2926. WINSTONE, NORMA: “Edge Of Time” (Argo – ZDA.148) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition UK original pressing. British jazz vocalist Norma Winstone’s solo debut is an entrancing meld of creative composition, improvisation, and arrangement. Winstone is no ordinary jazz singer. Her grasp of the entire tradition is as complete as her improvising chops are sharp. Winstone surrounds herself with the cream of the crop of Britain's brilliant jazz wunderkind here: Kenny Wheeler, Paul Rutherford, Art Themen, Chris Pyne, Chris Laurence and John Taylor, just to name a few. She embraces the vocal tradition in order to stretch it on the album's centerpiece, "Enjoy This Day," with glorious interplay between Winstone and Wheeler (whose solo is one of the best of his early career) led by John Taylor’s two-handed harmonic extrapolations -- the tune was composed by Winstone and Taylor and he arranged it. As she shimmers through "Enjoy This Day," the vanguard tonalities of John Surman’s  "Erebus (Son of Chaos)," and the elegant balladic traditionalism of "Songs for a Child," Winstone’s commitment to offering new vistas for voice is total, matched only by her astounding ability to erect new vocal architectures in phrasing, breath control, and pure emotional transcendence. Of the seven selections here, each is a new chapter, a new way of hearing and engaging a vocalist at her most restless, yet who remains in absolute control.” (All Music Guide). One of the UK’s cornerstone jazz slides. Does not turn up often in decent condition and this copy here certainly will satisfy all your nerdy condition needs. Highly essential!!! Price: 500 Euro
2927. WIRE: “Document And Eyewitness – Electric Ballroom LP” (Japan Record – RTL-3501) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Japan 1982 original first pressing all complete with insert and rare OBI. Great live recording of their 1980 show at London’s The Electric Ballroom, the band’s last before a five-year hiatus. Conceived as a multimedia event that would feature absurdist “actions and interventions,” experimental performances by Wire members and their associates, and, of course, very little of the band’s then-released music, the show was meant to expand on the ideas the group had showcased in their divisive-but-accomplished residence at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre late in 1979. So, an audience already nonplussed by the lack of Pink Flag vehemence in the band’s recent music was treated to Colin Newman singing while wearing an oversized beekeeper’s veil, DAF joining in for a chorus sporting headdresses made out of newspaper, an inflatable jet, a huge white sheet paraded across the stage through the whole evening, Angela Conway dragging two tied-up men, and a life-sized goose lamp. Getting tough to dig up with OBI in pristine condition. Price: 125 Euro
2928. WIRE: “The Ideal Copy” (Mute/ Warner Pioneer Japan – ALI-28049) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – some faint foxing spots/ 4 Page Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Japan 1st press original all complete with obi – PROMO issue. Wire's first new full-length effort in eight years, The Ideal Copy is a stunning comeback picking up where 154 left off while also reflecting the strides made by the members' solo work. Finding its footing in dark, edgy dance rhythms and ominous digital textures, The Ideal Copy is experimental and forward-thinking, spanning from the buzzing melodies of "Ahead" and "Ambitious" to the taut minimalism of "Feed Me"; the record has its flaws, but its restless creative spirit and refusal to rest on past glories make it one of the few reunion efforts that actually matters.” (All Music). Price: 85 Euro

2929. WISHBONE ASH: “Vas Dis b/w Jail Bait” (MCA Records – D-1145) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Scarce Japan only picture sleeve issue, WHITE label PROMO issue. Top condition. Price: 150 Euro

2930. WISHBONE ASH: “Argus” (MCA Records/ Victor Musical Industries – MCA-6066) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Original 1st original Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl and in exquisite condition. Classic slide that needs no introduction I guess. Personally I ride hard for the 3 first Wishbone Ash albums. Essential!!! Price: 50 Euro

2931. WITCH: “Lazy Bones” (Shadoks) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint). “The Witch was a Tuff sounding lo-fi band From Zambia. Witch released just one album, Lazy Bones, in 1975. It is a work of sheer genius. Witch played a sort of wah-wah psych but with a bit more darkness. Check out the opening track, "Black Tears." It starts out rather melancholy and builds into a chugging, almost Sabbath-inspired shuffle before finishing with a doomy end. Lazy Bones!! sounds as if it was recorded live to 2-track with the vocals and some acoustic guitar added later. The spartan production only makes the album more Tuff. The drum fills and vocals at times overload the mics. You can almost hear the suffocating heat of whatever slap dash Zambian studio they were in.” (Tuff Rock). A stunning blast out of Zambia in 1975. A soul-shouting edge combines with hard driving punk/garage guitars, tons of wah-wah, mesmeric melodic constructs, heavy African rhythms and powering blues testifying that sounds like a more militant/low-down take on South American psych. Price: 50 Euro
2932. WIZARD: “Rock N’ Roll Winter b/w Dream of Unwin” (Warner Bros – P-1343W) (Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint Japan only and seldom offered picture sleeve 1974 original press issue. Top shape! Price: 125 Euro

2933. The WIZARDS FROM KANSAS: “S/T” (Mercury – SR-61309) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in original shrink). Top condition, US first original press issue of superb West Coast/ Airplane-like guitar psych. Hard to find a better copy, still housed in original shrink with shop sticker on shrink. Actually, hailing from Kansas, The Wizards From Kansas were an obscure country-influenced outfit whose debut album featured some fine versions of classics from the period, including Buffy St. Marie's "Codeine," as well as some excellent originals such as "Misty Mountainside," "Country Dawn" and "She Rides With Witches." The original five-piece band enjoyed considerable local success, eventually finding themselves playing the Fillmore East, a gig which led to a number of offers of record deals which the group turned down. However, towards the end of 1969, Mercury Records finally wore them down, and the band signed to the label, with their eponymous first (and only album) appearing in the summer of 1970. During the album's recording, several of the band members decided they preferred playing jazz and duly departed to pursue their interests, leaving Mercury with a new album, but no band to promote it. Predictably, the label lost interest and the record sunk without trace. There is a lot of fine stuff on this album, which is both extremely collectable and highly recommended. Price: 450 Euro

2934. JIMMY WOODS SEXTET featuring ELVIN JONES: “Conflict” (Contemporary/ King Records – SH-3051) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1965 first press issue all complete with never seen before OBI. “Jimmy Woods was a talented musician who made few recorded appearances before vanishing into obscurity. Conflictis the second of two '60s solo records on Contemporary. It’s tempting to judge Woods solely on the company he keeps—certainly the likes of Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones, and Harold Land don’t have to be bothered with middling talent. However, Woods proves he can more than handle the responsibilities on a program consisting entirely of forward-thinking, advanced hard bop originals, which also utilize inventive call-and-response riffs. “Conflict” is a lopsided blues with an edgy vamp from Hill which allows the front line to indulge in some grand exploratory work. On the other hand, “Apart Together” features a complicated head and the type of restless chord progressions that serious musicians love to dig in to. Woods demonstrates his ability to handle the changes and aptly deserves the company he keeps. Elvin Jones fits in his usual thunderous moments, and the rest of the sidemen, Hill and Carmell Jones in particular, are models of creative expression. Contemporary signed Woods after Ornette Coleman’s departure to Atlantic. While not quite an equal replacement, Woods proved that he was a talented musician whose time in the spotlight, for whatever reason, was brief.” (All About Jazz). Damned rare Japan 1st original pressing in top shape. Never have I seen a Japan original before all complete with obi – let alone in such pristine shape as this baby here. Price: 150 Euro
2935. WOODY SHAW: “Blackstone Legacy” (Contemporary Records/ King Records – SR-3125~6) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare japan very first original press issue with rare very first issue obi (2nd issue was black). Trumpeter Woody Shaw was 26 in 1970 when he recorded this, his official solo debut as a double LP, comprised out of six longish originals. Floating on cross-breeding of bop structures, Bitches Brew -inspired eclecticism, Afro-centric titles and nearly free-form soloing, Shaw pulled off a strong recording which never fails to amaze. He fits himself into a rather unusual, but entirely complimentary septet featuring two reedmen (Gary Bartz, Bennie Maupin), two bassists (Ron Carter, Clint Houston), the wondrous Cables on acoustic and electric piano and White on drums. Shaw's "A Deed For Dolphy" is first explored here, to particular advantage and Cables's Shaw-like "Think on Me' and "New World" make the proceedings especially worthwhile. The remaining tunes offer plenty of interesting exploratory listening, making Blackstone Legacy a slide that extracts dense, energetic, meaty collective sounds based in pure improvisation with a skeleton of a rhythmic framework to expound upon and making for some of the most kinetic jazz heard in that period of early fusion. All tunes are quite lengthy, no shorter than nine, no longer than seventeen minutes. This allows the band to develop their ideas and interact in a manner more akin to a concert setting. A beast! Rare first Japan press original with matching obi! Price: 550 Euro
2936. WOODY SHAW: “Blackstone Legacy” (Contemporary Records – S7627/8) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Very first US pressing on the Yellow Coloured label!!! Trumpeter Woody Shaw was 26 in 1970 when he recorded this, his official solo debut as a double LP, comprised out of six longish originals. Floating on cross-breeding of bop structures, Bitches Brew -inspired eclecticism, Afro-centric titles and nearly free-form soloing, Shaw pulled off a strong recording which never fails to amaze. He fits himself into a rather unusual, but entirely complimentary septet featuring two reedmen (Gary Bartz, Bennie Maupin), two bassists (Ron Carter, Clint Houston), the wondrous Cables on acoustic and electric piano and White on drums. Shaw's "A Deed For Dolphy" is first explored here, to particular advantage and Cables' Shaw-like "Think on Me' and "New World" make the proceedings especially worthwhile. The remaining tunes offer plenty of interesting exploratory listening, making Blackstone Legacy a slide that extracts dense, energetic, meaty collective sounds based in pure improvisation with a skeleton of a rhythmic framework to expound upon and making for some of the most kinetic jazz heard in that period of early fusion. All tunes are quite lengthy, no shorter than nine, no longer than seventeen minutes. This allows the band to develop their ideas and interact in a manner more akin to a concert setting. A beast! Top shape! Price: 450 Euro
2937. The WORD OF LIFE: “Further Ahead” (Xotic Mind Productions – XMLP-2) (Record: Near Mind/ Paste on jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare 1993 release, numbered edition, this one being 156/500. Legendary Swedish psychedelia! Trance-petaled Mushroom-Jams with flute 'n fuzz, plenty of athmo-soother perco rafting in early 70's German Kraut-boiler-manner. Quite a trippy venture and the spelling of "further" is most notable! Psychedelic and totally home-made.. from Sweden with love! Rare artifact that seems to have vanished completely. Great all way through and filled with totally wicked psyched out moves that will certainly enhance your hallucinatory impulses. Price: 100 Euro
2938. WOOTEN, BILLY: “Lost Tapes” (P-Vine Records – PLP-6895) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Japan only original pressing of unreleased material. Long gone issue that saw the light of day back in 2007. As good and as essential as his sole relese, so you know you need this if you are a serious funky jazz head. Price: 75 Euro
2939. WORKSHOP: “S/T” (Finlayson – FTV-001) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint). Totally obscure German outfit that recorded in the late 1980s and released two records, this one their first which was released privately in 1990. Sonicwise, the Workshop sounds totally out of tune with the decade they were active in since they could have easily have been flanking Can during the early seventies since they bring forth similar intoxicating krautrock vibes. Really an astonishing album that will set any doped up party on fire and breathing out a cloud of lysergic intensity, bringing out the voodoo craze. Just fantastic. Price: 100 Euro
2940. WORKSHOP OF LYON: “La Chasse De Shirah Sharibad” (Un Deux Trois – 123 N. 8) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – Side B has a small hairline scuff at opening of the disc/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). This was the Workshop de Lyon’s second album, a frenzy of politically-derived creativity, paying homage to Art Ensemble Of Chicago and Albert Ayler with exciting high-energy jazz improvisations. Inventive recording that is brimming over with a narrative dimension between the individual layers, exhibiting both subtle textures in sound and frantic collective improvisational interplay. Freak outs rub shoulders with ever-inventive melodicism, creating a feverish mix bringing together the jazz avant-garde and the traditional, collective playing – brought to fruition with panache, sonic complexity and an inspired urgency embodied by each of the soloists. In short a European free jazz classic. Originals are getting scarce so …. Price: 200 Euro
2941. WRIGHT FRANK TRIO: “Frank Wright Trio” (ESP Disk – 1023) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still in original shrink). US original pressing still housed in shrink. All of tenor saxophonist Frank Wright recordings can be considered a bit of a blowout. For his debut as a leader, Wright, who is joined by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Tom Price, rips into three of his originals: "The Earth," "The Moon" and "Jerry." Highly recommended to open-eared listeners who enjoy hearing fiery sound explorations. Especially love the gold-colored sticker on the shrink that wars you: “Caution: This Modern Jazz Record is imported and there is a fear of injuring your health and making you mad in case you usually hear this record too much loudly”. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. Blast the shit out of it and drive your neighbors up into the curtains. Price: 150 Euro
942. WRIGHT, FRANK: “Your Prayer” (ESP – ESP-1053) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original label ESP first press issue, original press. Here you have another delirious free jazz blast straight from the past, ready to jack up and inject your life with enough thrill and joy to last a lifetime. Frank Wright Quintet’s “Your Prayer” was his first disc to come out with him as a leader. The quartet here reads like a dream-team of free blowing spirits- Frank Wright on tenor, Arthur Jones on alto, Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Steve Tintweiss on bass and longtime collaborator Muhammad Ali on the skins. Together they unleash a tsunami of vicious interplay, full frontal collision interaction and uncompromising improvisational mayhem. In other words, a free jazz classic that rips through all the registers known to man. This baby burns and will leave core-melting tire-tracks all over your sorry ass. You won't regret a single second wasted while emerging yourself into this sonic whiplash of sound. Hell, you will even condemn yourself for not having obtained this baby much earlier. Get it now, highest recommendation. Price: 150 Euro
2943. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Church Number Nine” (Odeon Records – OP-88019) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Bloody rare and never seen before 1st original Japanese press complete with OBI. White label PROMO issue. Very first press issue from 1971 – came out TWO years before the French issue on Calumet and as a bonus the music on side B is 5 minutes longer than the French pressing! This is the free jazz record everyone seems to be after. No wonder, hideously rare, released in a tine private run of only 300 copies back in 1971 and ominously freaking heavy. “Church Number Nine” was originally released in 1973 (though recorded on March 7th 1970) on the Calumet label, a venture that instantly evaporated into thin air after its initial release. This here is the even rarer Japanese pressing with always missing OBI! Only 300 copies of the album made it into circulation, the rest were apparently destroyed. The two sides of the disc are entitled “Parts One” and “Two”, although that each was recorded as an individual piece in its own right. The line-up on the other hand is mouth wateringly great, similar to Wright’s BYG Actuel outing "One For John": Wright on tenor, Noah Howard on alto, Bobby Few on piano and Mohamed Ali on drums. The opening track is a monumental twenty-six-minute slab of holy rolling free gospel. Heavily indebted to Ayler, Wrights take on the spiritual is spiced up by adding additional percussion. This is when not blowing their horns to smithereens since both Wright and Howard unleash an all-incinerating racket, an ominously heavy whirlwind of feverish sonic infernal blowing. Bobby few can stay impassive and exerts explosive, alternating churchy licks and furious clusters until the whole comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho under the blasts of the horns. The second piece is comprised out of tight bursts of energy, ripping notes to pieces like a there is no tomorrow. Heavy, mind bendingly great and without a single doubt one of the greatest free blowing jazz discs ever to be put down on wax. This is a top copy; I do not believe they come any better than this one. Act now and hold your peace forever. Best copy around!! Price: Offers!!!!
2944. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Church Number Nine” (Odeon Records – OP-88019) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Bloody rare and never seen before 1st original Japanese press complete with OBI. White label PROMO issue. Killer slide obi is missing so comes cheap. Very first press issue from 1971 – came out TWO years before the French issue on Calumet and as a bonus the music on side B is 5 minutes longer than the French pressing. A luxury that only comes with the original pressing. Price: 400 Euro
2945. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Church Number Nine” (Calumet – C-3674) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). TOP COPY!!! Red label version. This is the free jazz record everyone seems to be after. No wonder, hideously rare, released in a tine private run of only 300 copies back in 1971 and ominously freaking heavy. “Church Number Nine” was originally released in 1973 (though recorded on March 7th 1970) on the Calumet label, a venture that instantly evaporated into thin air after its initial release. Only 300 copies of the album made it into circulation, the rest were apparently destroyed. The two sides of the disc are entitled “Parts One” and “Two”, although that each was recorded as an individual piece in its own right. The line-up on the other hand is mouth wateringly great, similar to Wright’s BYG Actuel outing "One For John": Wright on tenor, Noah Howard on alto, Bobby Few on piano and Mohamed Ali on drums. The opening track is a monumental twenty-six-minute slab of holy rolling free gospel. Heavily indebted to Ayler, Wrights take on the spiritual is spiced up by adding additional percussion. This is when not blowing their horns to smithereens since both Wright and Howard unleash an all-incinerating racket, an ominously heavy whirlwind of feverish sonic infernal blowing. Bobby few can stay impassive and exerts explosive, alternating churchy licks and furious clusters until the whole comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho under the blasts of the horns. The second piece is comprised out of tight bursts of energy, ripping notes to pieces like a there is no tomorrow. Heavy, mind bendingly great and without a single doubt one of the greatest free blowing jazz discs ever to be put down on wax. This is a top copy; I do not believe they come any better than this one. Act now and hold your peace forever. Price: 400 Euro
2946. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Church Number Nine” (Calumet – C-3674) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). TOP COPY!!! Rainbow Calumet label version. This is the free jazz record everyone seems to be after. No wonder, hideously rare, released in a tine private run of only 300 copies (red label and rainbow label combined – both are original 1st press issues) back in 1971 and ominously freaking heavy. “Church Number Nine” was originally released in 1973 (though recorded on March 7th 1970) on the Calumet label, a venture that instantly evaporated into thin air after its initial release. Only 300 copies of the album made it into circulation, the rest were apparently destroyed. The two sides of the disc are entitled “Parts One” and “Two”, although that each was recorded as an individual piece, in its own right. The line-up on the other hand is mouth wateringly great, similar to Wright’s BYG Actuel outing "One For John": Wright on tenor, Noah Howard on alto, Bobby Few on piano and Mohamed Ali on drums. The opening track is a monumental twenty-six-minute slab of holy rolling free gospel. Heavily indebted to Ayler, Wrights take on the spiritual is spiced up by adding additional percussion. This is when not blowing their horns to smithereens since both Wright and Howard unleash an all-incinerating racket, an ominously heavy whirlwind of feverish sonic infernal blowing. Bobby few can stay impassive and exerts explosive, alternating churchy licks and furious clusters until the whole comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho under the blasts of the horns. The second piece is comprised out of tight bursts of energy, ripping notes to pieces like a there is no tomorrow. Heavy, mind bendingly great and without a single doubt one of the greatest free blowing jazz discs ever to be put down on wax. This is a top copy; I do not believe they come any better than this one. Act now and hold your peace forever. Price: 350 Euro
2947. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Center of the World” (Center of the World - CW-001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). First original French only pressing of killer Wright action. Here you have another delirious free jazz blast straight from the past, ready to jack up and inject your life with enough thrill and joy to last a lifetime. Center of the World Records was Frank Wright's own imprint and this disc was the first to come out on the label. The quartet here reads like a dream-team of free blowing spirits- Rev. Frank Wright on tenor, Muhammad Ali on the skins, Alan Silva on contrabass and Bobby Few on the keys. Together they unleash a tsunami of vicious interplay, full frontal collision interaction and uncompromising improvisational mayhem. In other words a free jazz classic that rips through all the registers known to man. This baby burns and will leave core-melting tire-tracks all over your sorry ass. You won't regret a single second wasted while emerging yourself into this sonic whiplash of sound. Hell, you will even condemn yourself for not having obtained this baby much earlier. Get it now, great price seen the scarcity of this disc. Highest recommendation. Price: 150 Euro

2948. WRIGHT, Frank QUARTET: “Center of the World” (Center of the World - CW-001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Second sleeve variation – one that does not pop up so often. Here you have another delirious free jazz blast straight from the past, ready to jack up and inject your life with enough thrill and joy to last a lifetime. Center of the World Records was Frank Wright's own imprint and this disc was the first to come out on the label. The quartet here reads like a dream-team of free blowing spirits- Rev. Frank Wright on tenor, Muhammad Ali on the skins, Alan Silva on contrabass and Bobby Few on the keys. Together they unleash a tsunami of vicious interplay, full frontal collision interaction and uncompromising improvisational mayhem. In other words a free jazz classic that rips through all the registers known to man. This baby burns and will leave core-melting tire-tracks all over your sorry ass. You won't regret a single second wasted while emerging yourself into this sonic whiplash of sound. Hell, you will even condemn yourself for not having obtained this baby much earlier. Price: 75 Euro

2949. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Live – Last Polka In Nancy?” (Center of the World - CW-002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1973 pressing. Here you have another delirious free jazz blast straight from the past, ready to jack up and inject your life with enough thrill and joy to last a lifetime. Center of the World Records was Frank Wright's own imprint and this disc was the first to come out on the label. The quartet here reads like a dream-team of free blowing spirits- Rev. Frank Wright on tenor, Muhammad Ali on the skins, Alan Silva on contrabass and Bobby Few on the keys. Together they unleash a tsunami of vicious interplay, full frontal collision interaction and uncompromising improvisational mayhem. In other words a free jazz classic that rips through all the registers known to man. This baby burns and will leave core-melting tire-tracks all over your sorry ass. You won't regret a single second wasted while emerging yourself into this sonic whiplash of sound. Hell, you will even condemn yourself for not having obtained this baby much earlier. Get it now, great price seen the scarcity of this disc. Highest recommendation. Price: 150 Euro
2950. WRIGHT, FRANK: “One For John” (BYG RECORDS JAPAN - Actuel – Actuel 35) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Japan ONLY Insert: Mint/ OBI: Mint) Bloody rare real time Japan Original press complete with mega rare obi – comes on super high quality Japanese virgin vinyl, sounding light-years superior to the crappy French original pressing. First time ever I can offer a copy with obi. Frank Wright's ensembles tended to tear the roof off with this recording. Recorded in Paris, Studio Saravah on May 12th, 1969,the all-star line-up consisted out of Frank Wright (ts), Noah Howard (as), Bobby Few (p) and Muhammad Ali (d). Ayler-esque melodies quickly blast off to the stratosphere. Wright's gruff tenor contrasts nicely with Howard's sweeter tone, which is not really less intense, just less ferocious. Few's playing is nothing short of elegant even when the rest of the band is whipping up a storm and Ali loud percussive crash, urgent staccato rolls across his toms and his tribal rattle and shakes locks all the players together. The music is dense and speedy, frantically chaotic, coloring the space that destroys the listener’s perception of time, catapulting him into the void of free form. A rare combination of freedom and intensity with lyrical, spiritual beauty that's found on most late 1960s and ealy’70s Wright recordings. This record is a beast and indispensable in any free jazz and fire breathing musical collection. TOP condition & rare Japanese original pressing from 1971!!!! One of the rarest BYG titles next to Gong to seep out of Japan all complete with obi. Price: 450 Euro

2951. WRIGHT, FRANK: “One For John” (BYG RECORDS JAPAN - Actuel – Actuel 35) (Record: Near Mint / Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint / Japan ONLY Insert: Mint/ OBI: Mint) Bloody rare real time Japan Original press PROMO issue. Frank Wright's ensembles tended to tear the roof off with this recording. Recorded in Paris, Studio Saravah on May 12th, 1969, the all-star line-up consisted out of Frank Wright (ts), Noah Howard (as), Bobby Few (p) and Muhammad Ali (d). Ayler-esque melodies quickly blast off to the stratosphere. Wright's gruff tenor contrasts nicely with Howard's sweeter tone, which is not really less intense, just less ferocious. Few's playing is nothing short of elegant even when the rest of the band is whipping up a storm and Ali loud percussive crash, urgent staccato rolls across his toms and his tribal rattle and shakes locks all the players together. The music is dense and speedy, frantically chaotic, coloring the space that destroys the listener’s perception of time, catapulting him into the void of free form. A rare combination of freedom and intensity with lyrical, spiritual beauty that's found on most late 1960s and ealy’70s Wright recordings. This record is a beast and indispensable in any free jazz and fire breathing musical collection. TOP condition & rare Japanese original pressing from 1971!!!! One of the rarest BYG titles to seep out of Japan. Price: 100 Euro

2952. WRIGHT, FRANK: “One For John” (BYG Actuel – actuel 36/ 529.336) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition French first original pressing one of the finest spiritual free jazz howlers out there. Killer!!! Price: 75 Euro
2953. WRIGHT, FRANK QUARTET: “Uhuru Na Umoja” (America – AM-6104) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint, has some minor lower spine rubbing). Top notch virginal MINT copy!! This is the free jazz record everyone seems to be after or at least should be after. No wonder, the music is brain meltingly great, the disc is quite rare and ominously freaking heavy. “Uhuru Na Umoja” was originally released in 1972~3 on the French America label. The line-up on the other hand is mouth wateringly great, similar to Wright’s BYG Actuel outing "One For John": Wright on tenor, Noah Howard on alto, Bobby Few on piano and Art Taylor filling the on drums for Ali. The opening track is a monumental nine minutes and half slab of holy rolling free gospel. Heavily indebted to Ayler, Wrights take on the spiritual is spiced up by adding additional percussion. This is when not blowing their horns to smithereens since both Wright and Howard unleash an all-incinerating racket, an ominously heavy whirlwind of feverish sonic infernal blowing. Bobby few can stay impassive and exerts explosive, alternating churchy licks and furious clusters until the whole comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho under the blasts of the horns. The following piece is comprised out of tight bursts of energy, ripping notes to pieces like a there is no tomorrow. This is what Thurston Moore had to say about this monolith recordings when he included it in his top ten of free jazz slammers: “Tenor saxist Frank Wright may be (previous to Charles Gayle's current reign) the heir apparent to both Trane and Ayler. Unfortunately he had a heart attack a few years back while rockin' the bandstand. All his recordings are more than worthwhile especially his BYG outing "One For John" (529.336/Actuel Vol. 36), his two ESP sessions (on CD from Forced Exposure) and his Center-of-the-World series of trio recordings with Alan Silva (bass) and Muhammed Ali (drums - Rashied's brother, not the pugilist) on the French label Sun. This LP "Uhuru.." is nothing short of killer with the great Noah Howard (alto), Bobby Few (pianist of Steve Lacy fame) and Art Taylor (heavy old-school drummer in free mode) going OUT and AT IT in stunning reverie.” Heavy, mind bendingly great and without a single doubt one of the greatest free blowing jazz discs ever to be put down on wax. This is a top copy; I do not believe they come any better than this one, apart from the little lower split seam. Act now and hold your peace forever. Price: 150 Euro
2954. WRIGHT, FRANK & MUHAMMAD ALI DUO: “Adieu Little Man” (Center of the World – CW-004) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). First copy in a long time and one of the hardest to track down Frank Wright releases, even tougher to pull than his legendary “Church Number Nine” LP. OK I can be extremely short here; this slab of music is a brutal monster, one of the greatest free jazz hard blowing free roaming slides ever to have been put down on wax. One track spread wide open over two sides, “Adieu Little Man “ is the most difficult to track down title on Frank Wright’s own Center of the World/ Sun Records. It is brutal, violent and ear shattering, it almost sounds like Wright and Ali are engaged in a 4 year long exhausting trench warfare, ravaging in its execution yet like a maniac fury leaping over into a violent fit of madness and excreting a deep subterranean civilizing force that creates a totally arresting listening experience. This is high-tension music resulting in high voltage reactions. Here the tiniest gestures by Wright and Ali trigger apocalyptic waves of sound, the drums and sax hurtle in and out of focus and create a panoramic sound that floats somewhere in between the controlled burn of a jet engine and the boundless fury of Attila the Hun. Yet admits all of this tornado-ing dusty noise of shrieks and shronks, an aural landscape gets carved out that is brimful with poetic resonance, breathing out a shamanistic sense of beauty that nevertheless melts into a corrosive never-ending blast of white light. Wright locks his horns with Ali’s avalanche like drum rolls, waltzing around each other like sharks in a feeding frenzy. This bolsters a tidal accumulation of energy, shredding skins and lings as they go along. This is true hardcore free blowing soul music. Definitely one of the defining moments in free jazz and ranks up there with “Church Number Nine”, “Black Ark”, “Chi Conga”, “Independence”, “Action Direct” and “Amalgamation” as one of the key releases in free spiritual music. This is the stuff that creates legends. Impossible to get and this copy is as mint as can be. 1st time ever I have a spare. Go ballistic as I know you will upon spinning this one, it will ravage your grey cells, the equivalent of 20 years of snorting high-quality dope, all encapsulated into one listening session. It will crack open your skull like a ripe overdue melon. Price: 250 Euro
2955. WRIGHT, FRANK with Bobby Few & Alan Silva: “Solos – Duets” (Center Of The World – SR-102) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1975 French first press issue in top shape. Every record that features Frank Wright is highly essential and this one is no different. Like the title already suggests he ventures in salivating solo and duet settings with his long standing collaborators Few and Silva. A genuine thing of uncut and unspoiled beauty. Top copy. Price: 75 Euro
2956. WRIGHT, FRANK with Bobby Few & Alan Silva: “Solos – Duets” (Center Of The World – SR-103) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – minimal lower seam rubbing of 1 cm). Original 1975 French first press issue in top shape. Another indispensable Frank Wright delight. The follow-up to the above one and also released on his own Center Of The World imprint. Features Bobby Few on piano and a bit of voice, Alan Silva on bass and piano, and Frank Wright on tenor and bass clarinet! Titles include "Echo Send", "Sound Of A", "Song For Cyrille Children Of Joy", and "El Torro". High tension music from start to finish! Price: 75 Euro

2957. WRIGHT, LEO: “Suddenly The Blues” (Atlantic/ Nippon Victor – SMJ-7109) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first original press issue from 1963 and complete with never seen before first issue obi. A record of incredible beauty from the great Leo Wright – and a record that stays glued in my personal collection for all eternity! Wright's one of those excellent players from the 60s who never really gets his due – largely because he was always hiding behind larger groups, and because he left the US in the decade for an extended stint in Europe. Still he cut some fantastic early work with both Dizzy Gillespie and Lalo Schifrin – and this album captures him right during the peak of that early period! The record features light lively backing from a quartet that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and some tracks have a beautifully groovy sound that's slightly bossa, slightly soul jazz. One of the best of these is Wright's great cover of "A Felicidade", but the record contains many other great moments, like "The Wiggler", "Tali", "Sassy Lady", and "Dionysis". Price: 100 Euro

2958. WYNTON KELLY: “Blue Kelly” (Riverside/ Nippon Victor – R-5025) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very first Japan original press issue all complete with damned rare obi. MONO issue to make things a bit more insane here. A great little session from Wynton Kelly – one that has him breaking out of the lyrical roots of his trio work, and hitting some harder notes as a leader of a larger hardbop group! The album features Kelly working in both trio and sextet format – the latter with players who include Nat Adderley, Bobby Jaspar, and Benny Golson; and the former with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb (who also play with the sextet). The sextet tracks are the ones that we really love here – as they tend to feature 2 long original numbers by Kelly – much more open than usual, and in a mode that was rarely captured as well on Wynton's albums as a leader. Price: 300 Euro

2959. WYATT, ROBERT: “Rock Bottom” (Nippon Columbia – YQ-7017-VR) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Additional set of 4 PROMO Pictures from Virgin Records sized 2 x 16,5 – 12cm & 2 x 7,8 ~ 9,6cm: Near Mint). Rare Japan original PROMO copy that comes with rarely seen set of 4 PROMO PICTURES handed down by Virgin Records Japan back in the day. Totally vanished original 1st Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl and complete with eye-popping obi of Robert Wyatt’s first ever solo release (not counting The End of an Ear) following his stint with Matching Mole and his accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. “Rock Bottom” is simply one of the most beautiful sounding introvert discs ever made, makes me cry each time I spin it and after all these years it still sounds as fresh as the day I first discovered it. The most beautiful record ever-recorded, final. First time I come across a copy with a set of 4 PROMO pictures, making this one quite unique. TOP condition original promo issue with obi. Price: 350 Euro

2960. ROBERT WYATT: “Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard” (Nippon Columbia – YX-7050-VR) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Excellent 〜 Near Mint/ OBI: Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). The rarest of Wyatt’s released solo albums as Japan 1st original pressing with obi. There was no way that Wyatt’s follow-up to Rock Bottom could be as personal and searching, but this album that came barely a year later instead collects some earlier material to be revamped for this release. "Soup Song," for instance, is a rewrite of "Slow Walkin' Talk," written before the forming of Soft Machine. "Team Spirit," written with Phil Manzanera and Bill MacCormick of Quiet Sun would turn up the same year as "Frontera" on Manzanera's Diamond Head. While some of the songs tend to plod along, the dirge-like "Five Black Notes and One White Notes," a lethargic cover of Offenbach's "Baccarole," Charlie Haden’s "Song for Che," and Fred Frith’s piano team-up with Wyatt on "Muddy Mouth" are magical. As usual, the assembled band, including the underrated Gary Windo on sax and Mongezi Feza on trumpet, never disappoint.” (All Music Guide) First time in all these years I actually can lay my hands on the 1st Japanese pressing. Price: 300 Euro
2961. WYATT, ROBERT: “Dondestan” (Rough Trade – R2741) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Scarce 1991 UK first original pressing of subliminal Wyatt recording. Price: 50 Euro
2962. X-RAY SPEX: “Identity b/w Let’s Submerge” (EMI Records – EMR-20589) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Insanely rare Japan 1978 original – WHITE label PROMO issue in top condition + comes housed in Japan only sleeve art. Impossible to get punk cornerstone piece. Price: Offers!!!
2963. X-RAY SPEX: The Day The World Turned Day-Glo b/w I am A Poseur” (Art-I-Ficial – INT-553) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint – with Center Piece still attached/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1978 UK 1st original press issue of totally essential punk slyde. I hope your collecting habit is all about creating a line-up of great music and not just rare shitty records. If the latter is the case, these pages are not for you….ever! People just cashing collectible slides to impress their virtual friends on Instagram just give me acute gonorrhea! No ears, no style, just next level snobbery by middle class white trash who never sniffed glue or dropped acid but collect music that floats on the fumes of these great substances. So yeah, you are a poseur but if not and amazing music is your trip regardless value or scarcity, you better tune in and strap on! This one is obligatory mind food. Price: 25 Euro
2964. X-RAY SPEX: “Germ Free Adolescents” (EMI Records – INS-3023) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original UK 1978 pressing of classic punk slide. Top condition – first pressing with matching matrix numbers 1/1 ending – this being the rare PROMO issue with Gold Stamp on coated back sleeve. Classic punk slide, fronted and forged by Poly Styrene, Germfree Adolescents by X-Ray Spex stands as a bit of an oddity. Never as blatantly discordant as Crass, and musically much more muscular than The Slits, the Spex carved one near-perfect album of artful revolt, a rough and turbulent lament of social inequity in Thatcher’s Britain. Vexed, stylishly raw and supremely agile, there isn’t a record like it out there. Germfree Adolescents erupts like a moralistic maelstrom, a fiery distillation of stranded youth and socioeconomic politics colliding hear first at full speed. Class warfare, sexism, ethical vacancy, a chronically-declining industry and the ensuing joblessness and ‘brain drain,’ and just about every other deficit that plagued urbanized living as Britain transitioned from the discontented Heath administration into the first Thatcher era, all get carbonized and spat out in the record’s every vitriolic line. What a record!!! Poly’s frantic claustrophobia rules throughout as she rails with her quavering yowl against the alienation and the establishment. Brimming over with kick-out-the-jams up-tempo thrashers and injected at strategical vital places with the raw, wailing signature saxophone sound of Rudi Thomson gives this beast its true sonic signature. Just indispensable. TOP condition very first press promo issue. Price: 200 Euro
2965. XENAKIS, IANNIS: “Persephasa” (Philips – 6521.020) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1st press issue. Historical and rare record by this fantastic composer, here performed by the Percussions de Strasbourg. Superb avant-garde and experimental music of the highest echelon. Needs no further introduction I guess. Extremely beautiful copy in top-notch condition. Price: 75 Euro
2966. XENAKIS, IANNIS: “Persephassa” (Philips – SFX-8570) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce japan original 1st pressing all-complete with nice obi and housed in Japan only sleeve art. Persephassa is a piece for six percussionists composed by Iannis Xenakis in 1969. The piece was commissioned for the first-ever Shiraz Festival (organized by the Empress of Iran), held at the historic desert site of Persepolis. The title refers to the goddess Persephone, "the personification of telluric forces and of transmutations of life." Persephassa gains much of its effect from having the six percussionists distributed around the audience. The treatment of space as a musical parameter is one of the most important preoccupations of Xenakis' music, particularly in his works of the mid-to-late 1960s. The dramatic impact of utilizing the performance space in this manner is evident many passages throughout the piece in which accents or imitative rhythms are passed around the ensemble. The percussionists use a wide range of instruments and sound effects during the piece, including sirens, maracas, and pebbles, along with an arsenal of drums, wood blocks, cymbals, and gongs. Price: 60 Euro
2967. XENAKIS, IANNIS: “Persepolis” (Philips Japan – SFX-8683) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Hideously rare Japanese 1st pressing – WHITE LABEL PROMOTIONAL COPY with OBI - that comes with different cover art than the French pressing of the album. What makes this copy so bloody sought after is the presence of the rarely seen obi attached to the jacket. The music needs hardly any introduction to the readers of these pages but just in cage you are wondering who this funny fellow was, a quick rundown. To punt it bluntly, Xenakis is a tank and “Persepolis” adequately proves this point. The monolithic mass of the composition has more connection to the hypothetical first bludgeoning forays into noise as practiced by an angry snot-nosed teenager than it has to anything made by those who consider it authoritative. “Persepolis” floods the pathetic streets of civility with layer after layer of undulating moans, grotesque annihilative washes of unrelenting sonic mayhem and convultional sibilating shrieks. The multitude of tape pieces emerging from this time (1971) have some amount of nimbly spliced twists and tasty dollops of academic masturbation coming out to the foreground. Xenakis’ music on the other hand is especially on this groundbreaking composition far removed from it and is as human or inhuman as our atomic makeup. Persepolis is a demanding piece and an all obliterating in its path type of listening experience; it’s not one to use for ambient mood-music! But, like many of Xenakis’ best works, it provides opportunity for intense and a transformative experience; you won’t be the same at the end of this pieces as you were when you started listening (you may even hate it). To these ears, it is one of the greatest compositions ever, life will never ever be the same after sitting through it. Massive! Price: 200 Euro
2968. XENAKIS, IANNIS: “Oresteia” (Erato/ Nippon Columbia – OS-2916-RE) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Rare Japan original pressing with rarely seen obi. Comes housed in Japan only silver foil jacket art. Written for an orchestra of 12 instrumentalists and a choir of children who play on a variety of instruments, Oresteia is one sonic ride that makes you beg for more and more. What gives this music its strange fascination is the combination of generally tonal, chant-like vocal elements with primitive sounding (but actually very technically sophisticated) instrumental interludes. In this respect it is not so far removed from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring or the vocal works of Varèse. You can hear this very clearly in the second movement, with its delirious writing for percussion and high baritone, as well as in the chanting of the chorus in Les Choephores. The stylized instrumental writing, often monophonic and permeated with strange percussion sounds and extremes of pitch (both high and low), adds to the impression of primal starkness, and how well it suits the drama! One of the most compelling works of Xenakis, it never fails to astound you. Top condition!!! Price: 75 Euro
2969. XENAKIS IANNIS 5 LP BOX SET: “Xenakis” (Erato/ Nippon Columbia – OS-2363~7-RE) (5 LP's: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Outer Box: Near Mint ~ MINT/ 12 paged Illustrated Japanese Booklet: Near Mint ~ MINT/ 36-Paged Illustrated French Booklet: Near Mint/ OBI: MINT). Totally TOP NM copy complete with never seen OBI – Japanese pressing sounds so much better than the French one – a world of difference if you would like to enjoy Xenakis to its fullest effect. Rare Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl of this legendary but rare 5 LP box documenting the many sides of the greatest composer ever, Iannis Xenakis. Ranging from orchestral works over to orchestra and magnetic tape compositions up to pure electronic works, this box sheds great clarity upon some of his works such as the highlight of the set the early electronic works that concern themselves with the human expression as poured into a cloud of pointillistic noise. With the total control that electronic and magnetic tools allowed, Xenakis could fully explore his concepts of sonic architecture. Massive stuff and hard to get in such a nice nick as this copy here. Totally indispensable!!! Original 1970 Japanese pressing!!!! Price: 300 Euro