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Cybil Shepherd sings Cole Porter tunes as they were originally written – meaning that all the double meanings and "blue" lyrics are intact without the editing that was later done for the general listening public. Her singing is not bad, very much in the style of a Broadway musical singer or that of the Las Vegas showroom. Tracks include "Let's Do It", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Kate The Great", "Anything Goes", "Give Him The Oo-la-la", "Let's Misbehave", and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare". The music was arranged and conducted by Artie Butler and the album was directed and produced by film maker Peter Bogdanovich.

Quite possibly the most beautiful record we've ever seen from the folks at The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the quality of all their top-shelf releases! This beautiful edition features a hardcover book of vintage black and white photographs taken on Chicago's south side in the mid 70s – images of patrons and proprietors from long-lost nite spots that include Perv's House, Pepper's Hideout, The High Chaparral, and The Showcase Lounge – all the kind of clubs that were likely to feature the sort of Chicago funk and soul that Numero's been reissuing for the past few years! The images are amazing – a really rare look into the community that supported this sort of music – caught far far from the mainstream, in placed that were almost even private, compared to more well-travelled entertainment outlets. Photographs come from the collection of Michael Abramson – and are beautifully reproduced on LP-sized pages, in a book that also features some vintage flyers, posters, and business cards from the clubs! And if that's not enough, Numero also throws in some great notes of their own, and a bonus 2LP set with music that includes "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown, "No Better Time Than Now" by Ricky Allen, "The Same One" by Malcolm Simmons, "You Made Me Suffer" by Andrew Brown, "This Is My Prayer" by Lady Margo, "It's A Dream" by Little Ed & The Soundmasters Band, "I Sayed That" by Slim Willis Band, "Bring It Down Front" by Hugh Hawkins, "Womans Lib" by Lucille Spann, "Gimmie Some Of Yours" by Artie White, "Baby" by Walter Butterball Davis, "Is It Because I'm Black (inst)" by Syl Johnson, "Goose Walk" by Little Mack, "Young Blood" by Detroit Jr, "California Lady" by James Kinds & Stack, and "I Learned My Lesson" by Willie Davis. The albums are packaged in their own Numero-like cover – then nestled in a slipcover with the book – a hell of a sweet set at this price, and it also comes with an introduction by Nick Hornby!

The rootsier side of the Chicago steppers scene – and a collection that shows the strong cultural ties between the Windy City and the south! There's plenty of bluesy currents going on here – even if all the music isn't blues – and the set's a great mix of soulful styles and modern modes that really shows the way that Northern scenes like Chicago helped take sounds from back home, and tighten them up for an urban audience. And by that, we hardly mean the kids in the north side blues clubs – we mean the folks down at places like Mr G's Supper Club or East Of The Ryan – both favorite haunts of ours, back in the day. Titles include "How Can I Say Goodbye" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "I Truly Love You" by Tony Troutman, "Good Lovin" by Otis Clay, "Tell Em I Heard It" by Sandra Feva, "Sugar" by Kenny Doss, "Leanin Tree" by Artie White, "Baby You're Ready" by Willie Clayton, and "My Money Ain't Long Enough" by Al King.

The rare early 70s record from Lagger Blues Machine – a Belgian combo with some hazy, psychedelic blues in the guitars – but the group's actually more of a psych-prog machine! There's a heavy atmosphere on par with some of the much more internationally-revered groups of the era – from Soft Machine to King Crimson – but Lagger Blues Machine stands up pretty strongly with the best of them! They deal in both fuzzed-out riffs and nimble guitar solos, some eerily melodic flute, organ and lumbering rhythms – with slow-building grooves and unpredictable changes. Great stuff! Includes "Symphonie 1 Ere Partie", "Darknessly", "Tanit", "Symphonie 2 Eme Partie" and "Born To Be Alone On A White Desert Island".

A wild set of early 70s leftfield folk from Caroline Peyton – a freewheeling batch of tunes that's a little bit more out there than the warmer, sunshine folk soul of the later Intuition album – but a unique gem that's a great showcase for Caroline's stunning voice, and the songwriting of partner Mark Bingham. The duo's creative origins trace back to a hippie commune outside of Bloomington, Indiana – and the tunes often feel like an unselfconscious, artier riff on the Cali folk scene of the time. The arrangements are built around the voice, and piano on many of the tracks. Unconventional, but warm and true – well worth a late discovery. Original album tracks include "The Sky In Japan Is Always Close To You", "Pull", "Don Beggs", "Tuna", "Engram", "Sweet Misery", "Hook", "Gone For A Day" and more. The Numero/Asterisk reissue goes the extra mile with liner notes by Edd Hurt, lots of photos, and bonus tracks including "Breathe (Live)", "Alll This Waiting", "Paths Of Light", "White Teeth" and enhanced video footage – "Call Of The Wild" and "Fishing Blues" live at the Hummingbird Café, in Bloomington, Indiana.

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties".

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". 2CD versions features 9 tracks from Scepter Studios sessions from 1966, 6 tracks from Factory Rehearsals in 1966, the stereo version of the album, and 5 alternate versions that include "All Tomorrow's Parties (alt single voice version)", "Heroin (alt version)", "European Son (alt version)", "I'll Be Your Mirror (alt mix)", and "All Tomorrow's Parties (alt inst mix)".

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties".

It's no secret that some of the greatest jazz soundtracks ever were recorded in Paris – and this CD contains 2 of them! First up is the landmark Un Temoin Dans La Ville – recorded under the leadership of tenor sax player Barney Wilen, who had made such a huge contribution to Miles Davis' famous score for Acenseur Pour L'Echafaud. Wilen's score features 12 incredible tracks that are just dripping with black and white cinematic mood – played by a group that includes Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan, and Kenny Clarke. Titles on that set include "La Pendaison", "Sur L'Antenne", "SOS Radio Taxis", "La Vie N'est Qu'Une Lutte", and "Ambiance Pourpre". The remaining 6 tracks on the CD are from the very rare soundtrack to J'Irai Cracher Sur Vos Tombes – written and arranged by pianist Alain Goraguer, with a group that includes trumpeter Roger Guerin, vibist Michel Hausser, and bassist Pierre Michelet. The soundtrack recalls a lot of Davis and Wilen's work together – and tracks include "Theme De Liz", "Blues De Memphis", and "Surprise Partie Au Bord De L'Eau".

The 2 rare early 70s records from Lagger Blues Machine – Tanit and earlier Tanit Live together on CD! The group is a Belgian combo with some hazy, psychedelic blues in the guitars – but they're actually more of a psych-prog machine! There's a heavy atmosphere on par with some of the much more internationally-revered groups of the era – from Soft Machine to King Crimson – but Lagger Blues Machine stands up pretty strongly with the best of them! They deal in both fuzzed-out riffs and nimble guitar solos, some eerily melodic flute, organ and lumbering rhythms – with slow-building grooves and unpredictable changes. Great stuff! Includes "Symphonie 1 Ere Partie", "Darknessly", "Tanit", "Symphonie 2 Eme Partie" and "Born To Be Alone On A White Desert Island". The live album was actually recorded a couple years before the release of their studio album Tanit – and they're all the more raucous in a concert setting! There's a raw intensity and some fast playing here that's invigorating – the frenetic drums and manic guitars are incredible – but it doesn't overshadow the creative spirit or musical dexterity of the later studio album. 4 long-ish songs that show a heavier side of the group in a formative period! "Test About A Rehabilitating Personality", "Ode", "Mistake" and "Firedance".