A strange little film with a western motif – starring Bill Cosby, Leif Erikson, and Yaphet Kotto! Fortunately, Quincy Jones was the musical supervisor – so the tracks are hip enough in the best parts – a bit rootsy at times, but with a 70s soul approach that keeps things real. The best cuts include the vocal number "Better Days" by Bill Withers – but even better are the instrumental numbers by JJ Johnson, including the oft-sampled groover "Pull, Jubal, Pull". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s LP that compiles Julia's earlier sides for Capitol – a mixture of jump blues, swing, and R&B, recorded with players that include Red Norvo, Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, and Baby Lovett – all killer work from the early years of the labgel! Titles include "Last Call For Alcohol", "After Hours Waltz", "King Size Papa", "Snatch It & Grab It", "You Ain't Got It No More", and "Crazy World". LP, Vinyl record album

French recordings from the group of alto saxophonist Willie Lewis – with players that include Bobby Martin on trumpet, Benny Carter on alto, Herman Chittison on piano, and Frank Big Boy Goodie on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's first film, and a surprisingly groovy batch of tracks! John Sebastian composed the whole score, and unlike most of the other albums by The Lovin Spoonful, this one's got a lot of instrumental numbers, arranged by the great Artie Schroek – short little grooves with a really nice feel, and mixes of percussion, horns, and guitar that come off with a great groovy 60s sound! The vocal numbers are pretty great too – and titles include the sublime "Darling Be Home Soon", plus "Miss Thing's Thing", "Letter To Barbara", "March", "The Finale", "Try & Be Happy", "Wash Her Away", and "Lonely". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest records ever from Shel Silverstein – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given what a weirdo he is! The set was recorded hot on the heels of the big Johnny Cash recording of "Boy Named Sue" – and it features Shel singing that famous tune, plus a host of other original country material – all of which is quite different than the usual songs coming from Nashville in the 60s! Production was done by Chet Atkins – who must have flipped a wig recording this one – and Shel's raspy, nasally voice is surprisingly at home in the professional Nashville backings. The record's a great leftfield country relic from the 60s – and titles include "Boy Named Sue", "Dirty Ol Me", "Alimoney", "Someday's Here", "Time", "Comin After Jinny", and "Daylight Dreamer". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly jazzy score – thanks to orchestrations by Ralph Burns, and musical direction by Elliot Lawrence! And of course, the vocals by Sammy Davis Jr are pretty darn nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Magnificent", "Ken Boogaloo Freestyle", "Crushed Velvet", "Amateurs Get Hung", "Never Underestimate", "The Norm", "The Next Degree", "Dummy", "The Path Is Narrow", "A Changed Man", "Universal", "Daily Intake", "High On Nothing" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Muddy Waters' band meets the vocals and guitar of Luther Snake Johnson – in a sweet little set that's almost a double-header, given the talent on deck! The material's got a gritty feel that's right up there with Muddy's best for Chess – and the group features Mojo Buford on harmonica, Otis Spann on piano, and Waters on guitar (Muddy couldn't sing, due to contractual obligations!) Johnson's got a nice rough approach – almost a touch of soul at times – and the group keeps things nicely in a classic 60s electrified Chicago mode. Titles include "Sad Day Uptown", "I'm So Glad", "Chicken Shack", "Long Distance Call", "Digging My Potatoes", "Coming Home Baby", and "Mud In Your Ear". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Chicago recordings – all from the 40s, and featuring Big Joe Williams on vocals and guitar, and Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonica! Most tracks feature bass and drums, too. LP, Vinyl record album

An album that crossed over for Deniece in a big way – and it's a great one, with crisp, lean pop soul production that's as gratifying as any of the era – with a few ballads that are totally top notch, too! This is definitely the best of her more pop oriented records, with hooks galore – they sink in deeply! Includes the unstoppably catchy title track (but try to not think about Chris Penn dancing to it) plus "I Want You", "Picking Up The Pieces", "Next Love", "Black Butterfly", "Haunting Me", "Wrapped Up" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features Charlie McCoy, Big Bill Broonzy, and Big Joe Williams on guitar – and Walter Davis on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, recorded in Copenhagen in the early 60s – but at a level that's still strongly respectful of all the work he'd done in the US – maybe even more so, given the rootsy feel of the whole record! The group is small, and Sonny's vocals and harmonica are right up front – and you can even hear some foot stomps too, which really emphasizes the presence of performance he brought to the studio! Titles include "Movin Out", "Why Are You Crying", "Girl Friends", "I'm So Glad", "Chicago Bounce", and "On My Way Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection of work that Sonny Boy Williamson recorded for Chess in the 50s and early 60s – presented here as one of the well-done archival packages that Chess was doing in the early 70s, as interest in their classics was coming back again. Most of the numbers here feature Williamson on vocals and harmonica, working with likely Chess associates who include Otis Spann and Lafayette Leake on piano, Muddy Waters and Robert Lockwood on guitars, and Willie Dixon on bass – and the set features the tracks "Born Blind", "I Wonder Why", "This Is My Apartment", "Cool Disposition", "I Know What Love Is All About", "Too Close Together", "Keep It To Yourself", and "Don't Lose Your Eye". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonic and vocals – in a trio with guitar from Matt Murphy and drums from Billie Stepney – plus added piano from Memphis Slim on a few tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

Not as folksy as you might think from the title – thanks to a really powerful presentation by Sonny Boy Williamson! The style here has echoes of Bo Diddley or Jimmy Reed's sense of rhythm – a more upbeat and electrified Chicago approach than Chess was serving up a decade before – obviously influenced by the strength of R&B, but also still presented with a sound that's stripped-down and raw enough to be called blues. Players on the sessions include Matt Murphy and Luther Tucker on guitars, Willie Dixon on bass, Otis Spann on piano, and Lafayette Leake on organ – and titles include "One Way Out", "Too Young To Die", "Trust My Baby", "Peach Tree", "Down Child", "Bring It On Home", "Too Old To Think", and "Got To Move". LP, Vinyl record album

One in a series of double LP compilations Chess put out in the 70s collecting some of the classic blues sides in their catalog. As near as we can tell, these raw folk blues numbers were mostly issued as 45s, featuring Sonny Boy on vocals and harp, with sidemen that include Muddy Waters, Robert Jr Lockwood, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann and others. 28 tracks in all, including "One Way Out", "Don't Lose Your Eye", "Keep It To Yourself", "Sad To Be Alone", "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide", "I Never Do Wrong", "I Don't Know", "Don't Start Me Talkin'", "Bring It On Home", "Key To Your Door", "All My Love In Vain", "Nine Below Zero", "Got To Move", "She Got Next To Me", "Keep Your Hand Out Of My Pocket", "Too Close Together", "Like Wolf" and "Santa Claus". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet collection of early work by Sonny Boy Williamson – lots of Chess Records classics! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of genius from Warren Zevon – the kind of record that really set his talents part from the singer/songwriter generation that came before – and made Zevon a key part of a new era of much darker songsmiths! Zevon manages to weave in all these strange moody elements while still delivering songs that are tuneful – often with studio talent that goes back to an earlier generation of LA polish, but which manages to have a bit more edge here in Warren's company. The lasting highlight of the record is probably the oft-played "Werewolves Of London" – but the whole thig is filled with gems – titles that include "Accidentally Like A Martyr", "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner", "Nighttime In The Switching Yard", "Tenderness On The Block", "Veracruz", and "Lawyers Guns & Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning live prison performance from the Man In Black, recorded in conjunction with a television special. Titles include "Starkville County Jail", "I Walk The Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", an incredible version of "Wanted Man", and what became the single off the LP, "A Boy Named Sue". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime modern jazz from Teddy – right up there with the best mid 50s work of other groundbreakers like Charles Mingus or George Russell, to whom Charles acknowledges more than a bit of inspiration! Charles plays vibes like no one else – especially at this point in his career, when he's moving into offbeat chromatic ranges that wouldn't be duplicated for another decade, in the work of players like Bobby Hutcherson or Gary Burton. His players on this set include Art Farmer, JR Monterose, Gigi Gryce, and Mal Waldron – and the album includes the original tracks "Green Blues", "The Emperor", and "Vibrations", plus a great version of "Nature Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Chemical Brothers still riding high at the end of the 90s! In some ways, Surrender scales back on bigger, more boisterous big beat vibe for slightly hipper dancefloor vibe – but there's really a ton of ambitiousness here. Just a glance at the guest appearances is clue of how wild the ride is – a far reaching lot for sure – including Missy Elliot, Bernard Sumner, Hope Sandoval, Bobby Gillespie, Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev and more. Includes "Music: Response", "Under The Influence", "Out Of Control", "Orange Wedge", "Let Forever Be", "The Sunshine Underground", "Asleep From Day", "Got Glint?", "Hey Boy Hey Girl", "Surrender" and "Dream On". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes a performance from the British TV show "Boy Meets Girl" from 1960, plus an interview with Cochran from 1957. LP, Vinyl record album

Nobody handled a fuzz guitar better than Dennis Coffey back in the early 70s – and this album's one of his masterpieces of funky instrumental work for the Sussex label – cuts that show just how much command Coffey had of the electric strings after a number of years working in both the studios and the clubs of the Detroit scene! Coffey's work here is between the genres in a really great way – heavier than soul instrumental material of a few years before, tighter than electric guitar jazz funk of the time, and with some of the understanding of new phrasing that the psych years brought in – all served up perfectly on a set of wicked cuts co-arranged with longtime musical partner Mike Theodore. Titles include the classics "Ride Sally Ride" and "Taurus" – the latter of which was his similar sounding follow-up to "Scorpio" and other titles include "Can You Feel it", "Midnight Blue", "Toast & Jam", "Man & Boy", "It's Too Late" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the mellower albums on the Nilva label – a session of guitar work from John Collins, a player we don't know that well, but who has a really beautiful sound on the set! The album's Collins' first (only?) album as a leader – and it features him soloing in a pretty spare setting on most numbers – working either with a trio that features Jimmy Woode on bass and Alvin Queen on drums, a duo with bassist John Heard, another trio with Heard and trumpeter Harry Edison, and even solo on one track – always with a tone that's great, and a sound that's clean, clear, and creative. One longer track – a version of "All The Things You Are" – features a quintet with Dolo Coker on piano, plus Edison, Woode, and Queen – and other titles include "Nature Boy", "Dearly Beloved", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare gem that's worth all the attention it's bound to get over the years – never-issued material from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – an instrumental session recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio on the day before his famous record with singer Johnny Hartman – completely fantastic throughout! The material here shows the group really starting to stretch out – Impressions would be their next record to follow, and its spirit is certainly in place here – as Coltrane blows magnificently on tenor and soprano sax, alongside McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's a few tunes that the group would fix on later, but which sound very different in this context – and there's even a few excellent numbers that didn't even receive titles at the time of recording. Tracks include "Untitled Original 11383", "Untitled Original 11386", "Slow Blues", "One Up One Down", "Vilia", "Impressions", and a short version of "Nature Boy". 2LP version features 7 more alternate takes – some very different! LP, Vinyl record album

A 2 LP retrospective of some of the more spiritual exploratory sides 'Trane was cutting in the mid to late '60's for Impulse. A number of cuts feature the classic quartet with Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner & Elvin Jones, but a few feature some of the later lineups with Pharoah Sanders, Reggie Worman & Alice Coltrane. Tracks arte "Dear Lord", "Chasin the Trane", "Up 'Gainst the Wall", "Crescent", "Nature Boy", "Welcome", "Cosmos", "Dedicated to You", "Expression" & "Living Space". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing reissue of this now-legendary album – once a lost psych oddity, but a set that's gone onto make plenty of waves over the years! Song Of A Gypsy may well be one of the best self-issued psych sets from the American underground – a really well-written, well-recorded record that has a very dark personal vision – an approach to the music that's instantly unique, and which shows that digging for rare psych albums can really yield the occasional gem that stands head and shoulders with the bigger names of the time! Damon's voice is darkly spooky, and couched with these cool flanged-out guitar lines on the sides – creating a space that's very personal, and which seems to let the lyrics hit these qualities that go much deeper than usual. The core album's been treasured for years by the few fans who had an original copy, and by a few more who had a previous reissue – but this double-length set is the first to ever tell the true tale of the enigmatic Damon – with a huge 64 page booklet of notes, and a massive amount of rare bonus tracks too. The core album includes "Song Of A Gypsy", "Funky Funky Blues", "Don't You Feel Me", "The Night", "Feel Your Love", "Oh What A Good Boy Am I", and "Birds Fly So High". Bonus tracks include some demo and 45 versions of "Song Of A Gypsy", plus "Don't Cry", "Lonely Surfer", "Bowlin Alley Jane", "Everything Is Alright", "The Little White Cloud That Cried", "I Wonder Why", and "I've Got My Pride". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A dark little groover from the later days of disco – key crossover work from Cory Daye, and a great bridge between a number of different club camps at the time! There's clearly a mainstream diva influence going on here, but the overall quality of the music is a lot more complicated and hipper – with some of the jazzier and retro-tropical flourishes of the Ze Records scene, plus a bit of moodier electrics on the great hit "Green Light" – a chanting, catchy number that crossed over big. Other titles include "Single Again", "Be Bop Betty", "Pow Wow", "Keep The Ball Rollin", and "Rainy Day Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soundtrack work for the Stranger Things series from Netflix – a narrative set in the early 80s, and scored here with a sound that really gets that era right! This isn't schlocky 80s keyboard work, nor some sort of easy retro motif – and instead, the team of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein go for sort of the coolest moods and styles that were being used in film scores during the time – especially the spare keyboards and careful electronics that were just right for a sci-fi or sophisticated horror story! The keyboards all feel very vintage, but not in an "easy" way – and titles on this first volume include "Lay Z Boy", "Nancy & Barb", "Kids", "Hawkins", "The Upside Down", "Lamps", "Fresh Blood", "Photos In The Woods", and "Hanging Lights". LP, Vinyl record album