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The keys are coral, and the sound is sublime – one of the greatest albums ever from pianist Walter Bishop Jr, and proof that he can really stretch out, given the right setting! The piano here is all acoustic, but there's an almost-electric vibe to the date – long, open tracks that sway and swell with some great spiritual energy – made even more wonderful by work from reedman Harold Vick, who plays tenor, flute, and soprano sax on the record – and makes it one of his best recordings ever! The reedwork alone is worth the price of admission – but the rhythms are also great too – a mix of soulful, modal, and some slight funky bits – handled by Reggie Johnson on bass, and either Idris Muhammad or Alan Benger on drums. Woody Shaw plays trumpet on some cuts, too – and titles include "Coral Keys", "Soul Turn Around", "Freedom Suite", "Track Down", "Waltz For Zweetie", and "Three Loves".

Ah, the genius of 70s stardom! This one may not play that well for today's kids, but we're floored by the sheer magnitude of the record's stars – a huge list that includes Don Rickles, Alan King, Rich Little, Suzanne Pleshette, Burt Reynolds, Karen Valentine, McLean Stevenson, Charo, Vincent Price, Ed Asner, Mel Brooks, and Paul Lynde. The record is basically a string of questions put to the various stars, all with joke-heavy responses. The real feedback from the contestants has been edited out – so it's kind of like hearing a stripped-down 40 minute version of the game.

Way before his recent soundtrack fame, Randy Newman was one heck of a great songwriter – and at the start of his career he penned some of his best songs ever – most of which are featured here in this sweet little set! Back in the 60s, Newman had an ear for unusual themes and topics – and wrote these great little songs that got real personal, really fast – moving past the fluffier themes of mainstream pop, and into more honest, earnest territory that really set the stage for the growth of the singer/songwriter at the end of the decade. Most of the recordings here pre-date Newman's own versions of the tunes during his classic years at Reprise – and they're a great illustration of the way his words already had a big impact on the world of 60s pop. CD features 26 tracks in all, by a surprising array of artists – and titles include "Love Story" by Rick Nelson, "Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear" by Alan Price, "Have You Seen My Baby" by Fats Domino, "Old Kentucky Home" by The Beau Brummels, "So Long Dad" by Nilsson, "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" by Dusty Springfield, "Big Brother" by Calvin Grayson, "Friday Night" by The O'Jays, "Happy New Year" by Beverley, "I Can't Remember Ever Loving You" by Tammy Grimes, "Looking For Me" by Vic Dana, "They Tell Me It's Summer" by The Fleetwoods, "Love Is Blind" by Erma Franklin, "Somebody's Waiting" by Gene McDaniels, and "Just One Smile" by The Tokens.

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way".

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way".

The rare 3rd album by Gilberto Gil, and a key piece of the Tropicalia puzzle – one of the most wildly experimental albums from those years, and Gil's last before going into exile! The sound is much more electric than his other albums from the late 60's – and the production, songwriting, and instrumentation get very crazy at times – but never too crazy to cover up Gilberto's excellent singing, which is still as filled with feeling as ever. Arrangements are by the mighty Rogerio Duprat, who does as great a job here of balancing Gil's sensitivities as he does on Gal Costa's sublime efforts from 1969 – and the instrumentation is a weird and wonderful mix of Bahian rhythms, fuzzy guitar, and crazy electronics – all heartfelt one minute, freaked out the next. Tracks include "Cerebro Eletronico", "Volks Volkswagen Blue", "Futurivel", and "2001", which was written by Tom Ze and Rita Lee – plus the wild cut "Objecto Semi-Identificado", which is sort of a John Cage-esque track of found radio and electronics, with vocals by Gil!

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". 2CD version is filled with great bonus material – a huge amount of tracks that include "Free", "Song Groove", "I'm So Blue", "Don't Be Messin Round", "Streetwalker", "Fly Away", "Price Of Fame", "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu", "Je Ne Vieux Pas La Fin De Nous", "Bad (Afrojack rmx)", "Speed Demon (Nero rmx)", and "Bad (Afrojack club)".

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". Second CD is filled with great bonus material – a huge amount of tracks that include "Free", "Song Groove", "I'm So Blue", "Don't Be Messin Round", "Streetwalker", "Fly Away", "Price Of Fame", "Toto Mi Amor Eres Tu", "Je Ne Vieux Pas La Fin De Nous", "Bad (Afrojack rmx)", "Speed Demon (Nero rmx)", and "Bad Afrojack club)". Also features the CD and DVD of Michael Jackson's massive performance at Wembley Stadium in 1988 – part of the Bad world tour,a nd filled with great performances!

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". 3LP version is filled with great bonus material – a huge amount of tracks that include "Free", "Song Groove", "I'm So Blue", "Don't Be Messin Round", "Streetwalker", "Fly Away", "Price Of Fame", "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu", "Je Ne Vieux Pas La Fin De Nous", "Bad (Afrojack rmx)", "Speed Demon (Nero rmx)", and "Bad (Afrojack club)".

One of the hippest Stan Kenton albums of the 60s – a set of original compositions by Dee Barton – Stan's drummer at the time, and a composer to rival the great ones who contributed to the Kenton group of the 40s and 50s! Barton's work here is totally great – modern, but never too academically so – that perfect balance of swinging and thinking that marks some of the best Kenton albums over the years. All numbers are awash in those great Kenton tones and colors we love so much – and the group here features Mike Price on trumpet, Dick Shearer on trombone, Ray Reed on alto & flute, Mike Altschul on tenor, and Don Bagley on bass – as well as Kenton on piano and Barton on drums. Titles include "Man", "Lonely Boy", "Singing Oyster", "Dilemma", "Three Thoughts", "A New Day", and "Woman".

Two sets of piano solos from Per Henrik Wallin – recorded over two decades apart, yet together showing a tremendous legacy in music! The 1982 tracks are amazingly dynamic – at times bursting forth with almost Cecil Taylor-like runs on the piano, at other times moving with a more careful modernism that you might expect from a player like Paul Bley or Steve Kuhn – yet always managing to come across with a sense of soul in the process – a warm that really makes the tracks resonate strongly with our ears. The 2003 recordings have even more of this sensibility – a balance between modernism and swing that's not unlike the sounds of Herbie Nichols or Elmo Hope in the 50s – although with a slightly freer vibe overall. In these sides, Wallin's got a great command of the keyboard – yet still always manages to find the "heart" of the piano, even when running free – a quality that many others would do well to follow. Titles include "Lullaby For Harry", "Southern Exit", "Rats Of Wisdom", "One Knife Is Enough", "Vattern", "Receptet", "People", "Fanerier Nr 8", "My Pearl Just Left", and "You Once".

One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 60s – featured here in a great mix of soul, rock, and vocal numbers from the time – including a fair number of unusual versions of hits from the team of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil! Weil's got a style that's sometimes a bit deeper than her contemporaries – and when mixed with Barry's strong sense of punch in a tune, has a way of bringing some surprising sophistication to pop music – little emotive moments that peek out from more hook-heavy numbers – but all without ever sounding lachrymose or overblown. As part of that quality, lots of these tunes have some great New York-styled production – that uptown balance of emotion and class – and as with other titles in Ace's excellent songwriter series, the notes alone are almost worth the price of admission – given all the historical detail, cultural commentary, and cool images. Titles include "New World Coming" by Mama Cass, "Love Is Only Sleeping" by The Monkees, "Angelica" by Scott Walker, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" by Gene Pitney, "Love Him" by Doris Day, "Good Good Lovin" by Bobby Hebb, "You Baby" by Len Barry, "Born To Be Together" by The Ronettes, "This Is A Love Song" by Bill Medley, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by The Happenings, "Shape Of Things To Come" by Slade, and "Proud" by Johnny Crawford.

Brilliant music from one of our favorite artists ever – a set that features the mighty Michel Legrand in a host of different settings – all of them great! CD 1 features 20 vocal numbers by Legrand – a great reminder that although best know for his soundtracks, Michel is a hell of a singer – one with this warm, raspy voice that's as at home in scatting jazz as it is in a more lyrical interlude – beautifully displayed here on tunes from the 60s through the 21st Century – vocal numbers that include "Attendre", "Quand Ca Balance", "Elle A Elle A Pas", "Rupture", "Le Cinema", "Trombone Guitare Et Compagnie", "Edith", "La Partie De Tennis", "Les Enfants Qui Pleurent", and "Mon Dernier Concert". CD 2 features jazz tunes by Legrand and others – almost all of which are versions of Legrand's great compositions – and a few others based around his sublime arrangements! Titles include "Flight" by Stan Getz, "De Delphine A Lancien" by Bud Shank, "Vida Real" by Arturo Sandoval, "Images" by Phil Woods, "Once You've Been In Love" by Sarah Vaughan, "My Funny Valentine" by Toots Thielmans, and "I Will Wait For You" by Lena Horn. CD 3 features soundtrack material – perhaps Legrand's most famous area of expression, and for good reason too – as you'll hear on titles from films like La Piscine, Le Sauvage, Cinq Jours En Juin, La Buche, Ice Station Zebra, Cleo De 5 A 7, Dingo, The Picasso Summer, Les Demoiselles De Rochefort, and Robin & Marian. CD 4 is a rare treat – music we've never heard before, and a set of recent duets that feature Michel Legrand on piano and Cetherine Michel on harp – running through some wonderful takes on classic Legrand compositions, including "His Eyes Her Eyes", "Orson's Theme", "Au Concert", "Nobody Knows", "How Do You Keep The Music Playing", and "I Will Say Goodbye". Amazing music throughout – and a hell of a great set at this price!

One of the best records ever by Mandrill – and a perfect balance between the looser jazzy spirituality of earlier albums, and the tighter (sometimes too tight) style of later ones. The band is incredibly tight on the funk tip – with lots of hard drums and guitars, and other sweet instruments floating in and out of the mix. Includes the great cut "Fat City Strut", with a nice intro that's been sampled by Schooly D, plus the cuts "Mango Meat", "Afrikus Retrospectus", and "Aspiration Flame". Great reissue, and at a much lower price than the original!

Amazing sounds from The Stark Reality – an obscure group from the early 70s, but one who've really risen to fame over the years – thanks to their groundbreaking ear for new music, and their freewheeling way with a funky groove! This package brings together all the incredible work recorded by the group in the late 60s and early 70s – a mindblowing assortment of funky and fuzzy jazz tracks – almost all of which are graced by the offbeat vibes work of Monty Stark! Stark often adds a bit of distortion into his instrument, which makes for a very tripped-out approach to vibes – one that blends perfectly with the heavy funk of some of the rhythms, and the freaky guitar lines added to most tracks by a young John Abercrombie. Yet at other times, things are very laidback and chilled-out – balanced beautifully from track to track, in a way that illustrates the larger picture the group were always going for in their music. This massive package brings together everything Stark Reality ever recorded – their famous Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album, the Acting Thinking Feeling live performance, the Roller Coaster Ride/1969 album, and lots of rare singles too – more than enough music to please any fan of the group, and blow the minds of anyone who's just getting a first taste. Titles include "Roller Coaster Ride", "On Being Black", "New World Generation", "Theme To Say Brother", "Dreams", "Clouds", "All You Need To Make Music", "Rocket Ship", "Cooking", "The Old Prospector", and "Junkman's Song". 6LPs, in a massive box, with a bonus 7" single, a download card, and 16 page book!

The one and only album from Plush – an early 80s groover that features vocals from a young Siedah Garrett, and lots of help from Rene & Angela too! The group's a trio, mixing Siedah's voice with male singers Tony Phillips and Ambroce Price – a really full, focused vocal approach that works great for the tight grooves from Rene & Angela – who not only produce with Bobby Watson, but also contribute a good number of their own tunes to the set – giving the record a great blend of groovers that are totally catchy, yet never in ways that are too commercial or chart-heavy at all! The balance is a hard one to define, but a crucial one when it comes to 80s soul – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Free & Easy", "We've Got The Love", "Livin For Your Love", "Gonna Get Ya", "Strangers Again", "I Don't Know Where Love Comes From", and "Coast To Coast".