Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul,... read more

Late Chuck Berry for Chess Records – and two albums that really get past the hits! The package is a bit unusual – in that it brings together two different UK albums that featured early Berry Chess recordings – most of which were from his later years at the label, and have him... read more

An excellent bit of southern funk – very much in the early mode of Little Beaver, but with a sound that's even harder! James Knight is The Black Knight – leading a tight little combo with a raw funky 45 sound, heavy on the horns for backing, but with James' guitar right up front in the... read more

A really well-titled set from the legendary Phil Cohran – as the album's one of his most meditative efforts ever – a beautiful single piece, spun over the course of the entire album, with slow-changing instrumentation that's wonderfully seductive! Phil's in a near solo mode here –... read more

An amazing bit of music – and an incredible document of generations of creative jazz energy as well! The legendary Phil Cohran teams up here with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a collective made up of Cohran's sons, who follow strongly in the rich legacy of his own Artistic Heritage group... read more

A tasty session of west coast Brazilian grooves – cut by the great percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, with a group that includes Claudio Slon, Larry Williams, and Lee Ritenour. The record's got a very nice breezy feel – with a sound that's similar to some of the Fantasy Brazilian LPs of... read more

Two spooky soundtracks – back to back in a 2CD set! First up is the world premiere of the score for A Town Called Hell – music that's never been presented on record or CD before, and which marks a crowning achievement for composer Waldo De Los Rios – music that mixes the best... read more

Great early work from the amazing Vince Guaraldi – an album issued in the 60s on the wave of his rising fame, but which was most likely recorded a few years earlier! The group here is Vince's key early trio with Eddie Duran on guitar – grooving with Vince in drumless splendor that... read more

A genius album from Swedish baritone giant Lars Gullin – and a set that's from a period that was much less documented on our side of the Atlantic! Gullin was one of the undisputed masters of the instrument, and his American recordings on Mercury and Prestige stand as proof to his talent... read more

A treasure trove of rare work by Lee Hazelwood – tracks recorded in the last 25 years of the 20th Century, but unissued until this beautiful compilation! Much of the material has the feel of Hazelwood's albums from the late 60s and early 70s – a sublime mix of country, folk, and Lee's... read more

Seminal southern soul from the great Willie Hightower – a singer we'd rank right up there with Otis Redding, Al Green, and James Carr! Willie's got an incredible voice that grabs you right away – earthy and honest, yet also extremely well controlled – almost a down home take on... read more

Post-Motown magic from the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland – a killer collection of their initial work for the Invictus label, including some of Lamont Dozier's greatest solo material! The set is smoking all the way through – a real high-point in 70s soul, with cuts that have gone onto... read more

Tremendous sounds from Honey Cone – easily one of the most hard-hitting girl groups in soul music – thanks to some funky funky backings on these early 70s tracks! The trio work in a mode that was first forged by female soul groups in the 60s – yet really push things forward with... read more

Wonderful work from Portuguese singer Maria Joao – a vocalist who's worked mostly in Europe, but who's also made some great contributions to the world of Brazilian music over the years! The backings here are more adventurous than some of Joao's straighter jazz sessions – with large... read more

Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the... read more

An amazing version of this one – the core soundtrack really expanded with a lot of extra from the film, not just the record – and presented here as a 2CD set with loads of extra source music, alternate takes, and cues as well! The core version of Happy Ending is a real slice of genius... read more

A brilliant setting for the soulful Frank McComb – a stretched out live performance that unlocks a whole new side of Frank's talents, and makes us love him even more than before! The tunes are very laidback – and McComb accompanies himself on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano with an... read more

The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards –... read more

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and... read more

A smoking selection of work from Memphis giant Willie Mitchell – some of the funkiest tracks he ever recorded, stuffed together in one mighty set! Willie's probably best know for his famous studio work for Ann Peebles and Al Green – but on his own, Mitchell can carve out a cooker like... read more

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and... read more

Some of the freest, most far-reaching work that Sam Rivers ever cut for Blue Note – a set recorded in 1967, but not issued until nearly a decade later by the label! The album's a great precursor of some of the work that Sam would do later in the 70s – still somewhat in a "new... read more

Heavy horror from Italian maestro Carlo Savina – two soundtracks back to back on a single CD! Malenka is amazing – a score that's as groovy as it is spooky – thanks first to a haunting vocal theme, then other instrumentation that uses this wonderful watery organ – almost... read more

Deep soul from deep in Louisiana – a killer collection of work from the great and overlooked Tommie Young! Tommie only cut a handful of singles and one full album for the small Soul Power offshoot of Jewel Records – but those tracks have earned her a place in our hearts for years... read more

Despite the "primitivist" sort of leanings you might expect from the "roots" in the title, this is actually a nice batch of tracks from the catalogs of Blue Note and World Pacific during the 60's – and they're all jazz tracks that have a slight Africanist influence, but... read more

Brazilian grooves old and new – a really surprising selection of work from the Candid and Choice record labels – showing a commitment to bossa that we never expected! Most of the tracks here are recent vintage – recorded in the past decade or so, and mixed with a few older gems... read more

Another nice installment in the Dream Babes series from RPM – celebrating rock, soul, folk and sunshine pop from some under-appreciated Brit girls of the late 60s! Most of these tracks were released as singles from 1967 to 1970, with a couple of previously unreleased nuggets – many... read more

A great collection of early 70s pop on the legendary Harvest Records label – and one that's got a decidedly ELO-oriented bent! The package features work by early ELO and related groups Wizzard and The Move, as well as solo work by Roy Wood – one of the key forces in the group with Jeff... read more

A stellar batch of Afro funk and native groove from Lagos! Strains of western funk and soulful sounds work their way into the material – thanks again to Fela's mighty influence – but there's a lot more to it! Simmering along with the Afro funk and soul are some truly riveting native... read more

A glorious celebration of the Luaka Bop label – the groundbreaking imprint first started by David Byrne as a way to bring older Brazilian music to the American market! Since that initial release – Brazilian Classics 1 – the label's been covering a hell of a lot of ground –... read more

Finders Keepers' own selections for the stellar Make Do & Mend series – in which worthy guests curate a comp of their faves from Finders Keepers/Twisted Nerve/B- Music & affiliated imprints – put together by Andy Votel & Doug Shipton! The series works both as a nice... read more

A jaw-dropping compilation of garage rock singles from the mid 60s Swedish scene – hard driving tunes that stands up with some of the best 60s proto punk compilations we've come across! Searchin' For Shakes is a great listen purely for the visceral thrill of prime, pulpy rock & roll... read more

A great introduction to the amazing hardbop work recorded by Blue Note in the late 50s and 1960s – served up as a massive 2CD set filled with some of the label's most cooking classics! The sound here is always tight, right, and to the point – a key illustration of the care and focus... read more

Here's a pretty groovy set of tunes – and all scored at a thrift store in California by the compilers! The album's filled with tunes pulled from obscure albums of instrumental music from Southeast Asia, circa late 60s/early 70s – mod and swinging instrumentals that are going for a... read more