Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of 70s crossover deep soul – recorded in the mode of similar work by Betty Wright or Laura Lee, and done with a similar mix of raw southern vocals and tighter production! About half the work was handled by the team of Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro – working in the Criteria Studios in Miami to give Jackie a sound that's similar to Shapiro's work with Millie Jackson. The other half was produced in Philly, by the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Tony Bell, and Phil Hurt – who give Jackie a warm, gliding, sweet 70s Philly groove! And although you might think that this Philly/Miami split would make for a mixed bag of tunes, the album's surprisingly unified – and in a way, does plenty to link together the growing dancefloor scenes in both cities. Titles include "Willpower", "Both Ends Against The Middle", "Time", "Something In A Look", "Clean Up Your Own Yard", "If", and "Darling Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A dark and extremely avant garde soundtrack from the great Ennio Morricone – one that's done in collaboration with his own Gruppo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – an ensemble with roots in film scoring, but expressions that are more in the mode of 20th century avant! The music is a blend of free improvisation and more straight ahead jazz – with electric guitar, trumpet, violin, and percussion mixed with lots of weird effects and electronics – much more experimental than some of Morricone's more famous soundtracks of the time, and given a nice sense of direction from conductor Bruno Nicolai. The whole thing's incredibly spooky – one of the most turgid scores we've ever heard from the pen of Morricone – and the titles include "Sequita", "Evaporazione", "Dal Sogno E Ritorno", "Folle Folle", and "Notte E Misteri". Expanded version – with 21 tracks in all! CD

A dark and extremely avant garde soundtrack from the great Ennio Morricone – one that's done in collaboration with his own Gruppo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – an ensemble with roots in film scoring, but expressions that are more in the mode of 20th century avant! The music is a blend of free improvisation and more straight ahead jazz – with electric guitar, trumpet, violin, and percussion mixed with lots of weird effects and electronics – much more experimental than some of Morricone's more famous soundtracks of the time, and given a nice sense of direction from conductor Bruno Nicolai. The whole thing's incredibly spooky – one of the most turgid scores we've ever heard from the pen of Morricone – and the titles include "Sequita", "Evaporazione", "Dal Sogno E Ritorno", "Folle Folle", and "Notte E Misteri". LP, Vinyl record album

US issue of some of Gerry's classic Vogue recordings, done in Paris in 1954 with a quartet that featured Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums. This is Gerry at the height of his powers, and playing classic piano-less material with supberb accompaniment by Brookmeyer. Tracks include a number of originals, including "Utter Chaos", "Five Brothers", and "Walkin' Shoes", plus others like "Bernies Tune", "Come Out Wherever You Are", and "Laura". LP, Vinyl record album

US issue of some of Gerry's classic Vogue recordings, done in Paris in 1954 with a quartet that featured Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums. This is Gerry at the height of his powers, and playing classic piano-less material with supberb accompaniment by Brookmeyer. Tracks include a number of originals, including "Utter Chaos", "Five Brothers", and "Walkin' Shoes", plus others like "Bernies Tune", "Come Out Wherever You Are", and "Laura". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Mulligan on baritone sax, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums. Tracks include "Lady Is A Tramp", "Five Brothers", "Limelight", "Laura", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Makin Whoopee", and "Bark For Barksdale". CD

One of the greatest albums of European jazz from the early 60s – a tremendous effort from pianist Michael Naura, working here with lots of vibes and a fair bit of grooves – in a style that sounds a lot like some of the best early recordings made by the team of Roy Ayers and Jack Wilson! The groove here is definitely modern, but also plenty darn soulful too – and thanks to some alto sax in the mix, the tracks have a cutting quality that really gives them an edge – a kind of rasp that predates some of the late 60s soulfulness of the Saba/MPS scene, of which this album is a definite precursor! Alongside Naura's piano, the group also features vibes by Wolfgang Schluter, alto sax by Peter Reinke, bass by Wolfgang Luschert, and drums by the great Joe Nay – soaring together on tunes that includes Tubby Hayes' "Down In The Village", Oliver Nelson's "Three Seconds", Jackie McLean's "Dr Jekyll", and the originals "Night Flower", "Stratosphere", and "Grunga Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Produced and arranged by Arif Mardin – with titles that include "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp", "Map To The Treasure", "Up On The Roof", "Been On A Train", and "Blackpatch". CD

Produced and arranged by Arif Mardin – with titles that include "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp", "Map To The Treasure", "Up On The Roof", "Been On A Train", and "Blackpatch". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking work from Laura Nyro – exactly the kind of record that sums up the unique genius in her music! The record's not folk, not pop, not soul, nor jazz vocals – but a new sort of style that draws a bit from all those genres, and comes up with a bold new approach that opened the door for countless other female singers in years to come. Despite the fame of the record, and many attempts to copy its genius over the years, Nyro is completely without cliche here – unique in her approach and presentation of the material, and as personally possessed as she is fragile and introspective. Arrangements are by Charlie Calello, and really get the spirit of the tunes right – and titles include "Luckie", "Lonely Women", "Emmie", "Timer", "Eli's Comin", "December's Boudouir", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Woman's Blues", and "Once It Was Alright Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Laura Nyro's first album ever – originally issued by Verve/Forecast in the mid 60s, but brought back out on the market by Columbia, during the height of Nyro's early 70s fame for the label! Even at this early point, Nyro sounds wonderful – a fair bit more soulful than most other female pop singers of her time – with a fully-fleshed out approach to the vocals that's mature and sensitive, and almost a bit more confident at times than in later years. Arrangements are by Herb Bernstein, and almost have the same sort of sunny feel as The 5th Dimension in their famous covers of Nyro's tunes – again with more soul than we might have expected for the time. Titles include "Lazy Susan", "Stoney End", "Flim Flam Man", "Buy & Sell", "He's A Runner", "Billy's Blues", and "Wedding Bell Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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Laura Nyro's second album in her legendary early run for Columbia Records – and an effort that's a bit more dramatic than the first! Laura's handling all arrangements herself this time, and they're conducted by Jimmy Haskell – but the overall sound is almost as spare as if Nyro were working alone in a studio with just her piano, singing the lyrics of her tunes with a style that's almost tentative at times – and which further deepens the humanity of her music. Laura's slightly more fragile than before – not really shaky, but just more emotionally open – and that certainly brings a lot to her interpretation of the songs, especially when compared to other folks' versions. Titles include "You Don't Love Me When I Cry", "Time & Love", "Save The Country", "Mercy On Broadway", "Gibsom Street", "New York Tendaberry", and "Captain Saint Lucifer". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "The Confession", "And When I Die", "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp", "The Cat Song", "Timer", and "Money". LP, Vinyl record album

Band includes Randy and Michael Brecker, Joe Farrell, Joe Beck, and Richard Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

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A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's an incredibly hip blend of her own great songwriting and some of the more righteous strands of American soul music at the time. Most of the tracks are older soul numbers – some done relatively straight, others done with the more personal, contemplative style you'd expect from Nyro during these years. And decades before Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone started hitting territory like this, Nyro proved that a set of soul tracks like this could come off well, if handled with the right talent! Titles include "The Bells", "I Met Him On A Sunday", "Spanish Harlem", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Desiree", "The Wind", "Nowhere To Run", and "It's Gonna Take A Miracle". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "A Natural Woman", "Ooh Child", "Up On The Roof", and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing". CD

A groovy set from singer & songwriter Peter Gallway and his group Ohio Knox – with sort of oddball, yet totally catchy post psychedelic folk rock tunes taken to a deeper level thanks to impeccable musicianship! Guest players contribute vibes, congas, horns and chorus vocals on some tunes, one of whom is John Sebastian – whom Gallway feels like a kindred spirit to. Includes "Taking It Easy", "Land Of Music", "That Lady", "Calamity Jane", "There Comes A Time", "Baby Sox Knox", "No Sleep For The Wicked", "Abigail Archer", "North Country Laura" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Given the coolness of the Swedish jazz scene in the postwar years, we can imagine that the arrival of Charlie Parker on the scene must have set things on fire quite a bit! The album's a great example of the Bird magic even in the most unusual of circumstances – as the settings are less than key, the recording quality a bit muted, and the players all fine, but sometimes not as well matched as they might be – yet none of that matters to Charlie, because he soars out here with the kind of hard-burning solo work that's all-Parker, all the way – pure jazz magic that's still strongly inspiring, even after all these years. The set features live recordings done at Folkets Park and an unknown restaurant, with players that include Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Gosta Theselius on piano, and Rowland Greenberg on trumpet – and titles include "Body & Soul", "Strike Up The Band", "Star Eyes", "Cool Blues", "Fine & Dandy", and "How High The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 50s collection of Verve material by Charlie Parker – and one of those records that will definitely help you understand his genius right from the start! The lineup here is slightly large – wonderful arrangements by Joe Lipman that are a bit orchestral, with strings as well – but never used in styles that get in the way of Charlie Parker's solidly smoking alto sax! In fact, the music is a key example of just what makes Bird so different – as he's right out front, taking off in all his own directions – showing that although part of a group, a musician of his caliber can also take flight in ways that few jazz musicians would have imagined a few years before. The set features incredible readings of the tunes "Temptation", "Lover", "Stella By Starlight", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Laura". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the tribute to Charlie Parker you might guess from the title – but only because the sound of Joe Pass here is so unique! Unlike other, more bop-heavy Bird tributes – this one takes a batch of tunes from Parker's "with strings" sessions – then recasts them into gentle solo guitar numbers played by Pass with a very warm, open tone – quite different than the sharper alto reedwork of Bird – but almost equally wonderful in its own way – especially as Pass has almost a bossa guitar sensibility at times! Titles include "Just Friends", "Laura", "Out Of Nowhere", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

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An amazing set – the complete early Oscar Peterson recordings for Norman Granz – packaged in a format that's as lovely as the music itself! The work here is the stuff of legend – the tracks that first pushed Peterson into the limelight of American music, and which opened up a whole new side of jazz improvisation! Although Oscar's made many great records over the years, we're really partial to these initial tracks – as they offer up the Peterson genius at its purest, most basic – often presented with only bass for accompaniment, played by Ray Brown or Major Holley – so that you get plenty of space to hear Oscar open up on the keys! The 3CDs come wrapped inside a hardcover book, which itself is in a beautiful slipcover – filled with full notes on the music, and color reproductions of the album covers that originally contained the music – Oscar Peterson At Carnegie Hall, Tenderly, Keyboard, and An Evening With Oscar Peterson – not to mention a wealth of smaller 7" and 10" releases that are also featured here. There's a total of 50 tracks in all – including two previously unissued numbers, and great bonus tracks as well – a true treasure for fans not only of Peterson, but of jazz piano in general! Titles include "Gai", "Padovani", "Fine & Dandy", "Deep Purple", "Squatty Roo", "Little White Lies", "Debut", "Oscar's Blues", "Tico Tico", "What Is It", "Minor Blues", "The Nearness Of You", "Dark Eyes", "Laura", "There's A Small Hotel", "Fancy Free", and "On The Alamo". CD

We love Oscar Peterson with strings – a setting he never got to use that often, given the popularity of his famous trio recordings! When Oscar gets set up with strings, he seems to play even more freely than with a combo – let loose from rhythm a bit more than before, and instead focusing strongly on melody – which often comes off with a warmly lyrical feel. This album's a rare entry into the Peterson strings category – a great 50s date with Russ Garcia backing Oscar up – giving the album just the right mix of mellow and modern to match Peterson's magical work on the keys! In a way, the album's a link between two different styles of 50s jazz – some of the warmer string-laden work of the piano mainstream, and some of the sharper sounds of the Verve modern approach to the style – served up here by Oscar in ways that bring both modes together perfectly, with just the right dash of both. Titles include "Laura" and "Tenderly" – both tracks you'd have to have on an album like this – plus "Black Coffee", "Ruby", "Stella By Starlight", "A Sunday Kind Of Love", and "I Thought About You". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collaboration between vibist Gary Burton and the legendary Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla – a key US release for Astor in the 80s, and a record that helped bring his talents to a whole new audience! The record's actually one of the most sensitive sides that Piazzolla ever recorded – and the presence of Burton's vibes really helps shape a whole new sound for the record – one that still holds onto some of Astor's "new tango" modes, but which also opens up with a freer sense of exploration on both instruments. The group appears to be Astor's own – with piano, guitar, violin, and bass alongside the two main players – and titles include "Vibraphonissimo", "Nuevo Tango", "Laura's Dream", "Operation Tango", and "Milonga Is Coming". CD

Hard driving early 70s psych rock from Argentinean combo Piel De Pueblo – with searing guitar grooving and a heavily rhythmic bottom end of bass and drums! The guitars here are really as driving as can be, but it's service of the thundering overall feel. The is equally extroverted, and since it's not sung in English we can't comment on the topical nature – but it's impassioned stuff from an aural standpoint. Nice stuff – with a sounds that range from garage fuzziness to post Hendrix heaviness. Titles include "Silencio Para Un Pueblo", "A Tierra En 998 Pedazos", "Jugando A Las Palabras", "Para Tener Un Poco Mas", "La Palida De Nacho", "Veni Amigo A La Zapada", "El Rockito De La Bufonada" – and it's about time we stocked an album with a song called "Sexo Galactico"!!! CD

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! LP, Vinyl record album

Gregory Porter live at London's Royal Albert Hall – backed not only by his excellent core band, but also the 60+ piece London Studio Orchestra – really pulling off a masterstroke in the way he can bring out all the lush promise of the orchestral setting while staying rooted in intimate soul! Credit conductor and arranger Vince Mendoza for the subtle finesse of the orchestra – never getting too big and lush for the sake of bigness – but it's the warmth of Gregory Porter's voice at the center that gives this such a real vibe, steering free of nostalgia on songs from his Nat King Cole & Me project while bringing grander instrumentation, but no less intimate of a vibe to songs from Porter's own songbook. Includes "Mona Lisa", "Don't Lose Your Steam", "Hey Laura", "Smile", "In Heaven", "The Lonely One", "Ballerina", "Miss Otis Regrets", "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas", "Nature Boy", "But Beautiful", "Ballerina", "For All We Know", "When Love Was King", "I Wonder Who My Daddy Is" and more. and more. 19 tracks on the CD – and it comes with the DVD of the performance, too! CD

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A burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Ray Barretto's on congas – and other players include Vincent Frisaura and Frank LoPinto on trumpets, Gerry Sanfino and Rafael Tata Palau on saxes, Ray Conception on piano, and Robert Rodriguez on bass. A few cuts have lead vocals – sung by Santos Colon – and titles include "3-D Mambo", "Hong Kong Mambo", "Mambo Gozon", "Saca Tu Mujer", "Varsity Drag", and "El Cayuco". LP, Vinyl record album

A burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Ray Barretto's on congas – and other players include Vincent Frisaura and Frank LoPinto on trumpets, Gerry Sanfino and Rafael Tata Palau on saxes, Ray Conception on piano, and Robert Rodriguez on bass. A few cuts have lead vocals – sung by Santos Colon – and titles include "3-D Mambo", "Hong Kong Mambo", "Mambo Gozon", "Saca Tu Mujer", "Varsity Drag", and "El Cayuco". Amazing 2CD edition – with the full bonus Dance Mania 2 album, plus rare bonus tracks from both sessions too – a massive 45 tracks in all! CD

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Includes the sublime theme for Laura – plus music from Bad & The Beautiful and Forever Amber – all rerecorded with great sound in the 70s, with Raksin directing the orchestra! CD

A great package of work that features material from some of the famous 40s films directed by Otto Preminger for 20th Century Fox – served up on two CDs' worth of hard-to-find soundtrack recordings! Fallen Angel is from 1945, and features a lovely main theme by David Raksin with a few jazzier and mellower variations – plus the vocal number "Slowly", sung in two versions – one by Alice Faye and one by Dick Haymes! Where The Sidewalk Ends is a gem from 1950 – and has a city-styled score by Cyril Mockridge that's mighty nice – complete with Alfred Newman's theme "Street Scene", and mixed with dramatic numbers that paint a nicely gritty urban scene! Laura is represented by the longer "Laura Suite" by David Raksin – featuring the main theme with some great orchestra variations. Daisy Kenyon is from 1947, and is represented by two longer Raksin numbers – "Daisy Kenyon" and "Love On The Cape". Last is the thrilling Whirlpool from 1949 – done with a heady Raksin score that has lots of differing mood and instrumental changes – a total of 17 tracks that almost work like a sonic movie themselves! CD

Without a doubt, one of the most famous scores to come out of Hollywood in the 40s – David Raksin's enduring soundtrack for Laura – and it's as beautiful now as ever! The theme was recorded time and time again over the next few decades – in vocal and instrumental versions, by hundreds of artists. The entire score is wonderful though – and mighty influential, too! It's lush and lovely, with noirish touches – seemingly serving as a template for so many dramatic scores to come! This version includes "The Laura Suite – Theme & Variations" conducted by Alfred Newman, plus Bernard Herrmann's score to Jane Eyre – conducted by the composer himself! CD

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Doug Richards arranging songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim for a large jazz orchestra – with vocals from Laura Ann Singh. CD

We've always loved the music of Logan Richardson, but here he's onto something completely new and groundbreaking – as you might begin to guess from the cover and title! Logan still blows alto sax, but he also handles piano and keyboards, and works in this swirling mix of sound that really lives up to what you might expect – really far-seeing future jazz – with rhythms that shift and soar, instrumentation that shimmers and glows, and a sound that's very cosmic and righteous throughout! The set also features vibes and keyboards from Peter Schlamb, guitars from Igor Osypov, bass from Dominique Sanders, and drums from Ryan Lee and Corey Fonville – set to some occasional vocals from Laura Taglialatela, and light use of strings to really give the music a sense of majesty. Titles include "Say My Nhame", "Awaken", "The Birth Of Us", "Black Wallstreet", "Farewell Goodbye", "For Alto", "According To You", "Praise Song", and "Photo Copy". LP, Vinyl record album

We've always loved the music of Logan Richardson, but here he's onto something completely new and groundbreaking – as you might begin to guess from the cover and title! Logan still blows alto sax, but he also handles piano and keyboards, and works in this swirling mix of sound that really lives up to what you might expect – really far-seeing future jazz – with rhythms that shift and soar, instrumentation that shimmers and glows, and a sound that's very cosmic and righteous throughout! The set also features vibes and keyboards from Peter Schlamb, guitars from Igor Osypov, bass from Dominique Sanders, and drums from Ryan Lee and Corey Fonville – set to some occasional vocals from Laura Taglialatela, and light use of strings to really give the music a sense of majesty. Titles include "Say My Nhame", "Awaken", "The Birth Of Us", "Black Wallstreet", "Farewell Goodbye", "For Alto", "According To You", "Praise Song", and "Photo Copy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best records ever by this unique bop trumpeter – and one that catches him with a strong comeback group that includes Chicagoans Ira Sullivan on trumpet and tenor, Vic Sproles on bass, and Norman Simmons on piano. Roy Haynes rounds out the group on drums – giving the proceedings a warm soulful feel. Titles include "Swingin With Daddy-O", "Hale To Dale", "Laura", and "Trumpet Juice". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of remixes – material from the already-clubby album Body & Soul, taken to even further dancefloor territory by maestro Stefano Tirone! The core album already had a really upbeat vibe – with nicely varied vocals from Toco, Afra Kane, and Laura Fedele – and the remixes here balance things out in an equally great way – on titles that include extended remixes of "Pra Voce", "In The Name Of Love", and "Rosa Da Ribeira" – plus remixes of "Midnight Sun", "No Meio Do Samba", "Move On", and "Body & Soul" – and an Invisible Session remix of "Odoya". LP, Vinyl record album

Freddie sings it nice and easy with his deep round baritone, amidst polished arrangements by Garry Sherman, and nice production by Clyde Otis. The record's indicative of some of the excellent uptown soul that Columbia was releasing during the late 60s, with kind of a classy jazzy touch that makes it differ a lot from Freddie's other work. The set list includes a lot of standards and film tracks, given a soulful edge, in sort of a Nancy Wilson way. Tracks include "Again", "Laura", "Secret Love", "There Goes My Heart", and "I'm In The Mood For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet Hammond grooving from the legendary Shirley Scott – a set that brings together two of her earliest albums for the Moodsville label at Prestige, both of which are in a soulful, mellow, late nite mode! The first album in the set is The Shirley Scott Trio – a date done for the Moodsville subsidiary of Prestige, with the laidback and mellow groove that was typical for the imprint at the time. Shirley actually plays a bit of piano on the record next to her Hammond – tinkling the ivories with a sound that's almost more lyrical than her work on organ. Bass is by either George Tucker or George Duvivier, and Arthur Edgehill is on drums – and tracks include "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You", "Sweet Lorraine", "I Thought I'd Let You Know", "Spring Is Here", "I Should Care", and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along". Like Cozy is a very well titled little album – as the sound is nice and cozy – just Shirley Scott's organ with a bit of bass and drums, all stepping along in a mellow and soulful mood! The style is what you'd expect from the Moodsville label at the time – a more laidback, more intimate presentation of the talents of Scott – at least in comparison to some of her other work on the main Prestige label. The group here is a familiar one – with George Duviver on bass and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and titles include "My Heart Stood Still", "Once In Awhile", "Laura", "Like Cozy", "Little Girl Blue", and "More Than You Know". CD

Apes, fight like apes! This great CD pairs the soundtracks for the last two Planet Of The Apes films – Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes and Battle For The Planet Of The Apes both of which were much more low-budget and a bit more unbridled than the original movies. Conquest features 14 tracks written by funky jazzer Tom Scott – done in a mix of orchestral suspense and military themes, often handled with some nice touches of 70s electric instrumentation that's similar to that used by Scott in his TV show work. Battle features 17 tracks written by Leonard Rosenmann, who'd scored the earlier Beneath The Planet Of The Apes film, and who here returns to the moody feel of that score. A great package, with a wonderful booklet and nice images – limited to 3000 copies, with titles that include "Ape Servitude", "1991 Restaurant", "Teacher Teacher", "Caesar Departs", "Ricky's Theme", "Electrocution", "The King Is Dead", and "Subjugation Soul". CD

A classic full length collection of early Frank Sinatra recordings for Columbia Records – and maybe the definitive album of his mid 40s material originally issued on 78s! The quality of Sinatra's vocals here definitely live up to "The Voice" promised on the cover – as the singer's really finding himself away from the big bands of his youth, and singing with amazing clarity from both a position of musicality and expression. Titles include incredible readings of "Laura" and "Try A Little Tenderness" – plus "Paradise", "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Fools Rush In", "Lover", "She's Funny That Way", and "I Don't Know Why". LP, Vinyl record album

A sad little album that has Frank still in the throes of the emotional loss expressed on The Wee Small Hours album – working here with Gordon Jenkins arrangements that use a fair bit of strings to well up the darkness that lurks in the songs on the set. The album kicks off with the sublime "Where Are You?", one of the greatest songs of loss we could ever recommend – and then moves into some incredible readings of standards like "Where Is The One", "I'm A Fool To Want You", "I Cover the Waterfront", "Laura", and "Lonely Town" – all done in a style that's emotive, yet never overwrought, perfect sad Sinatra all the way! CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Don't Worry Bout Me", "Rain (Falling From The Skies)", "It Worries Me", and "I Can Read Between The Lines". CD

Jimmy Smith live was a killer – especially in the early days, when this one was recorded! Back in the late 50s, when Jimmy was shocking the world with his fantastically creative approach to the organ, Blue Note cut some of the first strong-selling live albums by following Jimmy to the clubs – where he would really let loose with some incredible work on the Hammond B-3. The albums recorded that time shine far brighter than Jimmy's studio work – as you'll hear in this great 2CD set that brings back the rare Groovin At Smalls vols 1 & 2, plus a whole bunch of unreleased material! There's a total of 13 tracks in all – many of them very very long – and all of them featuring Jimmy on organ, Eddie McFadden on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. A whopping batch of nice tracks – and titles include "After Hours", "Walkin", "My Funny Valentine", "Laura", "Slightly Monkish", and "The Champ". CD

Soaring piano work from the great Paul Smith – a player who's working here with a much more vibrant sound than on some of his Capitol sides of the 50s! Smith's got a much harder approach to the keys than during his "liquid sounds" years – one that's possibly a bit influenced by some of Oscar Peterson's most successful trio sides for Verve in the early 60s, but which still retains most of Smith's sense of lyricism and flowing energy. The trio features Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Frank Capp on drums – and titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "That's All", "How About You", "Laura", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "Satin Doll", and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic record from reedman Jim Snidero – one that hints at its sound with the "strings" in the title – even though that's just a really tiny part of the overall picture! There's lots more going on here than just a saxophonist with strings – this isn't a laidback ballad session, with Jim blowing familiar tunes in a late nite mode – and instead, his work on alto (and a bit of flute) is very firmly ingrained in the larger charts on the set – strings handled by Laura Seaton, but set to tunes that are almost all originals by Jim himself – and given this great core energy from a quartet that includes Renee Rosnes on piano, Paul Gill on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. Titles include "Slipping Away", "Theme For Ernie", "Forever Gone", "Ventura", and the three-part "River Suite". CD

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A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". CD

A beautiful set of work from this legendary pianist – material that's issued here for the very first time, but which may well top some of the most important albums in Art Tatum's catalog! As with his classic 20th Century material, the setting here is a live one – the Blue Note club in Chicago, where Art is working with a trio that features Slam Stewart on bass and Everett Barksdale on guitar – a really cool group in that it features no drums at all, which is maybe no surprise, given the inherently rhythmic pulse that Art brings to the material! The whole thing is great – crisp, clear, and full of imagination – and the expanded package also features great notes that really benefit the recordings – a huge amount of tracks that include "Air Mail Special", "What Does It Take", "Crazy Rhythm", "Tea For Two", "The Man I Love", "Where Or When", "Night & Day", "Body & Soul", "Laura", "Humoresque", "Dark Eyes", "Judy", "Tabu", and "Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

A later session by Toots Thielemans – but also one of his greatest albums ever, thanks to a super-hip rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums! The format here is spare and simple – Toots on harmonica, guitar, and a bit of whistling – in front of the core trio, who really help set the tone for the album. There's a warm and fluid grace here that recalls Miller's own excellent recordings of the 80s – yet also a gentleness that allows the aging Toots more than enough space to do his thing. And honestly, given the tricks, gimmicks, and overly-sentimental qualities of so many other of Thielemans' recordings, this set may well be one of his best straight jazz outings on record. Titles include "Footprints", "Blues On Time", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "Laura", "The Windmills Of Your Mind", and "Sultry Serenade". CD

Over 50 years in jazz, and Toots Thielemans is still one of the most distinctive players around – one of the few who could actually make us like the sound of harmonica in modern music, and an artist who's lent his style to countless great albums over the years! For this set, Toots explores the music of Harold Arlen – set to arrangements by Jurren Haanstra that follow strongly in the mode of some of Thieleman's albums with larger orchestrations from the 70s and 80s – warm and lush, but never too overwhelming. And noteworthy here are a number of vocalists who are sure to push Toots talents into the consciousness of younger audiences who may recognize his sound, but not know the man behind it – singers who include Jamie Cullum, Laura Fygi, Beth Hart, Till Bronner, Oleta Adams, Silje Nergaard, Madeleine Peyroux, and Lizz Wright. Tunes include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Ill Wind", "Last Night When We Were Young", "Stormy Weather", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", and "That Old Black Magic". CD

Wonderfully wild funky jazz from the 70s – played by an obscure group in Germany, and originally only issued as a small-pressing sound library set! The music's way more than you might expect – a tremendous mix of electric and acoustic reeds with some sweet Fender Rhodes lines – all spun out in a style that's hipper than CTI at its best, and maybe even hipper than most 70s electric work on European labels too! The style is never too jamming at all – and instead has this great sense of space that really makes the grooves great, especially the Fender Rhodes lines from keyboardist Rob Van Den Broeck – which are balanced nicely with reed solos from the legendary Wilton Bogey Gaynair and fusion whiz Gerd Dudek. The music is quite far from the usual fusion style, and has this openness that's really wonderful – not what you'd expect from a sound library label, given that the tracks all push near the ten minute mark, with lots of room for solos. The group also features Frank Kollges on drums, Ali Haurand on bass, and Steve Boston on congas – and titles include "The Healer", "Maroon Dance", "Landings", and "Ogetnom". CD

Bop, ballads, and lots more too – played by reedman Lucky Thompson at a time when he was really picking up some new ideas on the European scene! As with contemporaries like Sonny Criss or Benny Bailey, Thompson was great before he hit the continent – but then came back from Europe a completely changed man – a musician whose sense of expression had evolved strongly in a very short time – to a point where the music on these recordings from 1959 and 1960 is quite different than his American records from a few short years before! Part of the change might come from pianist Michael Naura – who's on all these sides, and is one of the hippest cats working in Germany at the time – but you can already hear Lucky opening up his tone and his inflections, especially on the numbers that feature soprano sax. Other players include Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Hans Koller on tenor, and the great Wolfgang Schulter on vibes – on titles that include "The World Awakes", "Brother Bob", "Yesterdays", "Deep Passion", "Thin Ice", and "Summertime". CD

Well, in our opinion, Cal went Latin right from the start, practically. Still, this "Goes Latin" LP is one of his best of the genre from the old days, and features a host of great players like Lonnie Hewitt, Chombo Silva, Mongo Santamaria, Paul Horn, and Willie Bobo. The album includes Cal's semi-hit "Black Orchid", plus "Mi China", "Bonita", "Contigo", and "Mambo At The M". Very nice, with a sound that would become Cal's trademark in the years right after this album. Cal Tjader Quintet is a great little Latin session from Cal – recorded with extra percussion from Benny Velarde and Luis Miranda, plus rhythm from the Duran brothers, Manuel (piano) and Carlos (bass). The groove's nice and heavy, pretty driving on most cuts, a perfect foil for Cal's jazzy vibes. Titles include "A Minor Goof", "Laura", "Lullaby In Birdland", "Undecided", and Cal's classic reading of Tito Puente's "Philadelphia Mambo". CD

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material, but less of an overtly jazzy reference in their sound. Phife and Tip are still on point lyrically, and honestly, this is pretty much the last LP that Tribe dropped that's got nearly all hits and no misses on it. With the cuts "Award Tour", "Midnight", "Electric Relaxation", "Clap Your Hands", "Oh My God", "The Chase, Part II", and "Keep It Rollin". CD

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material, but less of an overtly jazzy reference in their sound. Phife and Tip are still on point lyrically, and honestly, this is pretty much the last LP that Tribe dropped that's got nearly all hits and no misses on it. With the cuts "Award Tour", "Midnight", "Electric Relaxation", "Clap Your Hands", "Oh My God", "The Chase, Part II", and "Keep It Rollin". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material, but less of an overtly jazzy reference in their sound. Phife and Tip are still on point lyrically, and honestly, this is pretty much the last LP that Tribe dropped that's got nearly all hits and no misses on it. With the cuts "Award Tour", "Midnight", "Electric Relaxation", "Clap Your Hands", "Oh My God", "The Chase, Part II", and "Keep It Rollin". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from Lennie Tristano's greatest years – a 2LP set of unreleased material, performed by a quintet that features Lee Konitz! Given how often the Konitz/Tristano pair are mentioned together, but often not heard on records, the album's a real treasure – and repeats the brilliance of the first Tristano album on Atlantic, especially the numbers with Konitz. The rest of the group features Gene Ramey on bass and Art Taylor on drums, and tracks are longish, with nice solo room. Recorded at the Sing Song Room of Confucius Restaurant in New York, and with tracks that include "April", "Confucius Blues", "Lennie-Bird", "Pennies In Minor", "317 East 32nd", "Donna Lee", and "Whispering". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice! There's been a couple of different versions of the seminal Blackboard Jungle dub LP floating around, now the fine folks at Auralux have unearthed and reissued the original version, with the wild stereo mix and original track order! This is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era, and though he's uncredited on the sleeve, we've read that King Tubby was responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. Essential! 18 tracks: "Black Panta", "V/S Black Panta", "Khasha Macka", "Elephant Rock", "African Skank", "Dreamland Skank", "Jungle Jim", "Drum Rock", "Dub Organizer", "Lover's Skank", "Moving Skank", "Apeman Skank", "Jungle Skank", "Kaya Skank", "Upsetting Rhythm 1", "Upsetting Rhythm 2", "Upsetting Rhythm 3" and "Happy Roots" CD

Amazing music from Laurance Vanay – actually a recording name for Jacqueline Thibault, a hell of a great keyboardist but an artist the label thought would be better off billed as a man! The sound here is halfway between the spacey experiments of Brian Eno and Cluster, and some of the more ambitious sound library work of the time – particularly those rare moments when prog artist got to do some studio work! Thibault's keyboards are wonderful – lots of Fender Rhodes mixed with Hammond and early synth – usually spun out at an instrumental level that has the tunes building slowly in these really great layers of sound – almost like a Popol Vuh soundtrack, but a lot more tuneful too. There's a fragile complexity that really makes the music special – and unlike anything we've ever heard from the European scene of the time – and titles include "Alone In The Rain", "Evening Colours", "Forgotten Moments", "Twin Cities", "Eyes Closed On The Way", "Sunshine In My Heart", and "Underwater Light Reflection". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – includign "Mamie"," Mop", and "Fausse Fn" – plus alternate takes of songs on the album. CD

Another wonderful CD from Chicago's premier purveyors of creative improvised music. Ken Vandermark and crew cover a lot of ground here, from his angular compositions, to more pastoral pieces and full frontal aural assault. Kent Kessler's muscular bass playing and Tim Daisy's elastic rhythms provide the perfect platform for Vandermark, Jeb Bishop and Dave Rempis to trade lines over. 9 pieces in all: "Cruz Campo", "Staircase", "Plus 5", "Money Down", "Both Sides", "Initials", "Other Cuts", "Long Term Fool" and "Confluence". CD

This is the kind of killer bop piano stuff that made Wallington a legend early on – collecting classic trios originally recorded for release as 10" LP in the early days of Prestige! The material features Wallington in three different groups, featuring Max Roach on drums, and either Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford or Curley Russell on bass. 15 titles in all including "Love Beat", "Escalating", "Laura", "Summer Rain", "Red, White & Blue", "Arriverderci", "Tenderly", "Squeezer's Breezer", "Among Friends", "Variations", "My Nephew & I", "Cuckoo Around The Clock" and "When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New". CD

This is the kind of killer bop piano stuff that made Wallington a legend early on – collecting classic trios originally recorded for release as 10" LP in the early days of Prestige! The material features Wallington in three different groups, featuring Max Roach on drums, and either Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford or Curley Russell on bass. 15 titles in all including "Love Beat", "Escalating", "Laura", "Summer Rain", "Red, White & Blue", "Arriverderci", "Tenderly", "Squeezer's Breezer", "Among Friends", "Variations", "My Nephew & I", "Cuckoo Around The Clock" and "When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete Monument recordings of southern soul-tinged swamp rock trailblazer Tony Joe White – in a wonderful box set from the deep catalog explorers at Rhino Handmade! Swamp Rock contains everything from the Black & White, Continued and Tony Joe LPs – with dozens of previously unreleased work from the era. Unlike the most famous dude we can think of who wears the swamp rock genre tag, Tony Joe White really was reared in the swamp country of Louisiana – and genuineness shows on these fine recordings! His vocals here have a bit of that laconic storyteller vibe of a Bobby Bare type character – but the production and arrangements have a real feel for the Stax and Muscle Shoals sounds. It's a blend of styles that's quite unique – and well worth rediscovery! Includes all the tracks from Tony Joe's 3 LPs for Monument plus a swampful of great bonus numbers from those sessions and more – a whopping 81 tracks on four CDs! Disc one includes the Black & White LP and much more: "Willie And Laura Mae Jones", "Soul Francisco", "Whompt Out On You", "Wichita Lineman" and more. Disc 2 features the Continued LP and more: "Elements And Things", "Woodpecker", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul" and much more. Disc 3 includes the Tony Joe LP tracks and more: "Stud-Spider", "Widow Wimberly", "Save Your Sugar For Me", "Hard To Handle" and more. Disc 4 includes a slew of previously unreleased material cut at Barclay Studios in Paris, plus live work from Tony Joe at the Isle Of Wight: titles include "Mississippi Delta", "Chain Of Blues", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and more from the Barclay sessions, plus "Boom Boom", "I Want You", "Groupy Girl" and more from Isle Of Wight. CD

A funky soul double-header – one that features live material both by Osaka Monaurail and the legendary Marva Whitney! The set starts out with a few tracks by OM – playing in that razor-sharp, James Brown-inspired groove that we love so much – easily the greatest contemporary JB-driven funk we can think of! Singer Ryo Nakata throws in a bit of vocals over the group's instrumental grooves – but then steps aside so that Marva Whitney can take center stage for the remaining three-fourths of the album – singing with the same raw fury as on her recent studio set with Osaka Monaurail! The sound here is incredible – easily some of the best funk-revival work we can think of, and the sort of record that should make Marva plenty proud after all these years. Titles include "New New Type Thing", "Evil", "I Made A Mistake", "It's My Thing", "Your Love Was Good For Me", "Things Got To Get Better", "What Do I Have To Do", and "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear". CD

Quite possibly the greatest Larry Young album of the post-Blue Note years – and a massive bit of funk that totally redefines his sound! Larry's working here with his hip group Fuel – an ensemble that features Laura Logan on lead vocals, giving the tunes a real focus through her lyrics – and letting them pack a bit more punch too, since her voice sounds a lot like Betty Davis at the time! Larry's keyboards are forceful, but never too over the top – and he's notched things down a bit to focus on the overall groove of the set – still keeping things adventurous on the keys, but also working in a mode that's much more heavily jazz funk! The album's one of THE essential electric jazz sets of the 70s – and features the classic break cut "Turn Out the Lights" – plus other great tracks that include "Floating", "Fuel for the Fire", "I Ching", "H+J=B (Hustle + Jam = Bread)" and "New York Electric Street Music". CD

A mighty new effort from the amazing Tom Ze – a wild, heaving stylistic sprawl that's as dense and wonderful as his other recent efforts for Trama – but far more ambitious than anything he's done in many years! If you know anything about Tom Ze, you know that the man's aural art is quite difficult to describe, from the post-Tropicalia heyday to today! This set is a 16 song operatic suite that seems to be a stylistic sibling to his great (and quite rare) Estudando O Samba album from the mid 70s. Tom is taking on Greek mythology and age-old issues of gender oppression here – on an album produced with a sly, sinister groove by Jair Olivera. Incredible stuff – with all of the jerky, pulsating avant funk and leftfield grooves of Tom Ze at his recent best! The tracks are divided into 3 sections (Primero Ato, Segundo Ato and Terciero Ato) and include "Ave Dor Maria", "Estupido Rapaz", "O Amor E Um Rock", "Elaeu", "Para La Do Para", "Prazer Carnal", "Teatro (Dom Quixote)", "A Volta Do Trem Das Onze" and more! CD

Music from Sugar Pie DeSanto, the Contours, the Velvelettes, Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure, Jimmy Castor, Junior Walker, Shorty Long, Charlie Rich, Dean & Jean, James Brown, Laura Lee, and more. CD

Selections from Moby Grape, Spirit, Leonard Cohen, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Electric Flag, Tim Rose, Grace Slick, The Flock, It's A Beautiful Day, Dino Valente, Laura Nyro, and others – 20 tracks total. CD

The Detroit soul scene at the start of the 60s – music from a time before Motown was dominating the city's reputation, and a whole host of other great labels brought the motor city sound to the masses! The work here is quite a surprise if you're only thinking in terms of Northern Soul and some of the more uptempo Detroit groovers – as the work here burns on so many different levels – often with a style that reflects some of the nascent soul coming out of Chicago on labels like Chess and Vee Jay, the latter of whom is featured here amidst a range of other imprints that include Wand, Atlantic, Scepter, Time, Old Town, and Brent – all of whom released some of these early Detroit soul tracks as singles back in the day. In true Ace/Kent fashion, the set also features a few unreleased gems, plus a wonderful set of notes on the city's soul scene – alongside tracks that include "Nosey Folk" by The Del-Phis, "Answer Me" by Vivian Collins, "Can't We Get Together" by Harry Reid, "Here I Am" by Betty Lavette, "Shakin Fit" by The Pyramids, "That's No Way To Spend My Time" by The Pen Ettes, "Wedding Bells" by Melvin Davis, "You Lied" by Marva Josie, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "Just One More Time" by JJ Barnes, "My Letter" by Priscilla Page, "I Know How It Feels" by Laura Johnson, "I'm A Lonely Guy" by Timmy Shaw & The Sternphones, "Come Back To Me" by La Wanda William, "I Cried For My Last Time" by The Sonnettes, and "Tears Running & Falling From My Eyes" by James Lately. CD

Hard and heavy female soul from the mighty Chess Records – and a selection of tracks that features plenty of funk in the mix too! The sisters on this set are not of the sobbing kind – as the package goes for a proud-stepping approach to soul that puts the ladies in charge right from the very first note – backing their deeply soulful vocals with a righteous set of backings, and really upping the power of tunes with some sock-solid production all the way through! Most of the tunes are from the late 60s, when Chess was bringing a good deal of funk into the mix – and plenty are from rare singles that haven't been reissued for years! 20 tracks in all, and part of this great Mojo Chess series – with titles that include "Dirty Man" by Laura Lee, "Git Out" by Mitty Collier, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Take Me For A Little While" by Jackie Ross, "Don't Mess With The Messer" by Koko Taylor, "In Orbit" by Joy Lovejoy, "Cheater Man" by Irma Thomas, "Sally Go Round The Roses" by The Jaynettes, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, "My Babe" by Mitty Collier, "I Surrender" by Fontella Bass, and "I Don't Wanna Fuss" by Sugar Pie Desanto. CD

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! CD set comes with a 40 page set of notes – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler. CD

Southern soul galore – a wonderful range of tracks that are done in that best deep soul mode that borrowed heavily from country music – but also really transformed things to fit their own righteous needs! Make no mistake, the collection is all soul music all the way through – but the songs also echo some of the more heartbreaking themes and local needs you'd find in country music – and also use some isolated elements in the instrumentation and production too! The best way to think of the package is as a collection of southern soul, but one that shows a surprising lack of color barrier when it comes to musical styles – and as always with Ace/Kent, the notes and overall conception of the whole thing is really wonderful. 24 tracks in all – including "Easy Loving" by Bo Kirkland & Ruth Davis, "Big Blue Diamonds" by Little Johnny Taylor, "I Hang My Head & Cry" by Arthur Alexander, "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road" by Percy Sledge, "Touch Your Woman" by Margie Joseph, "Who Will The Next Fool Be" by Bobby Bland, "Stand By Your Man" by The Mirettes, "Till I Get It Right" by Bettye Swann, "Another Man's Woman Another Woman's Man" by Laura Lee, and "Jambalaya" by Ralph Soul Jackson. CD

With selections by Soft Machine, Elvin Bishop, Spirit, Miles Davis, Big Brother & The Holding Company, It's A Beautiful Day, Chambers Brothers, Laura Nyro, Hollies, Redbone, Spirit, and others. LP, Vinyl record album