A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A nice set from the recent comeback years of Solomon Burke – a record that has him taking on tunes from Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison – plus other bits from more soul-based sources! The material's recorded with a heavy emphasis on roots, but produced with a partly mainstream finish by Don Was – a sound that's very respectful of Solomon's vocals, which are great, but which has a bit of a crossover approach at times too. Titles include "What Good Am I", "At The Crossroads", "I Got The Blues", "Wealth Won't Save Your Soul", "Make Do With What You Got", "After All These Years", and "Fading Footsteps". CD

Features duets with Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Patty Loveless. CD

A whole new level of genius for Herb Alpert – a record that's light years away from his earlier work with the Tijuana Brass, and which has the trumpeter stepping strongly into the world of smooth jazzy fusion! The title track here went platinum the minute it was released – and became an end-of-the 70s instrumental anthem that seemed to drift out of speakers around the country. The rest of the album's pretty great too – built on the modes explored by Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and other soulful fusion players of the 70s – but cast out with a bit more drama overall. Titles include the seminal jazz dance classic "Rotation" – plus "Rise", "Street Life", "Aranjuez (Mon Amour)", "1980", "Angelina", and "Love Is". Expanded CD version has been re-sequenced by Herb himself – and features the bonus tracks "Rotation (alternate version)", and "Aranjuez (2007 dance mix)". CD

Classic Chicago blues issued on Vee Jay – recorded by John Lee Hooker in a handful of sessions over the second half of the 50s – an incredible document of Hooker's lonely roots as well as a benchmark for the band based live blues scenes in the years to come! I'm John Lee Hooker was released at the end of the 50s by Vee-Jay – and in features some tunes with Hooker stamping it out solo, and others with rollicking group setting. Wonderful, legendary work! All the songs are Hooker originals and they include his classic crossover track "Boogie Chillun", plus "Dimples", "Baby Lee", "Crawlin King Snake", "I'm So Excited", "Everynight", "Time Is Marching", "I Love You Honey" and more! (Blues, Soul) CD

(Blues, Soul) CD

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. CD features 17 tracks that include "Swing Low", "Uncloudy Day", "I Know I Got Religion", "Low Is The Way", "I'm Coming Home (parts 1 & 2)", "The Day Is Passed & Gone", "This May Be The Last Time", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Too Close", "Let's Go Home", and "Sit Down Servant". CD

Way more than just the Doo Wop promised in the title – as the set starts with raw harmony work of the 50s, then moves up to include a whole bunch of 60s soul too! The set's a great overview of the evolution of vocal group modes during these crucial years in American music – and some familiar hits are mixed up nicely with lesser-known gems – showing that the compilers really used their heads to put the package together. There's a total of 60 tracks in all, plus a nice booklet too – and titles include "I Believe" by The Earls, "For Sentimental Reasons" by The Cleftones, "The Girl I Love" by The Cadillacs, "I Count The Tears" by The Drifters, "A Casual Look" by The Six Teens, "Down On My Knees" by The Heartbeats, "Out Of Sight" by The Five Keys, "Come Back My Love" by The Cardinals, "Bad Boy" by The Jive Bombers, "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes, "Little Darlin" by The Diamonds, "Lonely Way" by The Skyliners, "The Angels Listened In" by The Crests, "A Wonderful Dream" by The Majors, "Let Me In" by The Sensations, "Smoky Places" by The Corsairs, and "Wish You Were Mine" by The Fireflies. CD