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Excellent work from Baby Washington – a lot more obscure than her recordings for Sue, and a lot more together too, in a certain kind of way! The set was arranged, conducted, and produced by Henry Glover – who gives Baby a sophisticated uptown soul sort of feel, but still manages to keep some rootsiness in her vocals. There's some nice obscure numbers on the set too – and the record has a unified quality that wasn't always that common for a singer like her during the time. Titles include "All Around The World", "Take Me Like I Am", "This Old World", "Get A Hold Of Yourself", "It's A Hang Up Baby", "I'm calling You Baby", and "It's All Over But The Crying".

Nice Baby Washington package, and waaay better than the cheap CD put out in the U.S. by the Collectables label. 28 tracks in all, and loads of her great singles recorded for the Sue label in the 60's. Includes, of course, "That's How Heartaches Are Made", one of those beautiful ones that still surprises us even though we've heard it a million times. Also with "There He Is", "Your Fool", "No Tears", "You Are What You Are", and lots more.

Great grooves from Aurra – a group with a sound that's rooted in the late 70s funk of Slave, but which is given a whole new life at Salsoul by fearless leader Stephen Washington! The album's tight and right on the money at the very first note – heavy on bass, but not in a way that's ever overdone – and sparkling much more strongly from the vocal contributions of Curt Jones and Starleana Young – two singers who really know how to open up while holding a groove! The whole thing's great – polished and tight, but never slick or commercial – and a perfect summation of the 80s groove at its best. Titles include "Baby Love", "Such A Feeling", "Undercover Lover", "You Can't Keep On Walking", and "One More Time". CD features bonus tracks "Such A Feeling (orig Shep Pettibone 12" mix)", "Such A Feeling (orig Shep Pettibone 12" mix part 2)", "Such A Feeling (orig Shep Pettibone 12" mix part 3)", "Such A Feeling (orig single)", and "Baby Love (orig Shep Pettibone 12" inst)".

The only full album ever cut by Tina Britt – a great female soul singer who really should have scored big with work like this! Tina was a discovery of Juggy Murray – the Sue Records soul powerhouse who'd helped set fire in the careers of Inez Foxx, Baby Washington, and Tina Turner – and who seemed about to do the same thing with his great work producing this excellent little set. For the record, Juggy combines some of the grittier sounds of his work on Sue with the deeper soul touches that were coming from the southern scene of the time – and he sets Tina up with a great batch of material heavy on influences from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. One of the tracks are originals, but Tina sings them as if they were her own – and titles include "Key To the Highway", "Hawg For You", "My Lover's Prayer", "Who Was That", and "You Ain't Nothing But In The Way". CD adds in 8 more bonus tracks – 3 previously unreleased – with titles that include "It's My Thing", "He Put The Hurt On Me", "Look", "You're Absolutely Right", "Teardrops Fell Every Step Of The Way", "I Found A New Love", and "The Real Thing".

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly badass group who sported great lead vocals from Rhonda Washington – a singer who really knew how to stay on the groove and send the whole thing home! The work on this set is a great evolution of the Stax groove – and shows where the label might have gone in terms of 70s funk, had they stayed the course – and although the album's long overdue to get released, we're plenty happy to finally have it out after all these years. Many tracks were issued over the years as singles, and the set also features a few tracks not intended for the album too – titles that include "Stop Dogging Me", "Funny", "Mama's Baby", "I'll Kill A Brick", "Good Woman Turning Bad", "I Can't Let You Go", "Echoes From The Past", and "I Can't Win For Losing".

Fantastic funky soul! The Pama label was a London-based operation in the late 60s – and they cut and licensed some very groovy tracks that mixed funk, soul, and rocksteady by a variety of artists from America, Jamaica, and England! This massive look at the label features both volumes 1 and 2 of the Black Is Soul sets – previously only on vinyl, now brought together into a massive 28 track CD that's overflowing with great grooves you'd have a hard time finding otherwise on this side of the Atlantic! The whole thing's great, and titles include the funky break classic "The Champ" by The Mohawks – plus "Broadway Ain't Funky No More" by Bobby Patterson & The Mustangs, "Jerking The Dog" by The Crowns, "Baby Hold On" by The Mustangs, "Oh Babe" by The Milwaukee Coasters, "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by Roy Docker, "Honey Bee" by The Classics, "Soul Man" by Rico, "History Of Africa" by The Classics, "Feel Good All Over" by Betty Lavette, "Tip Toe" by Norman T Washington, "The Good Ol Days" by Bobby Patterson, "Black Is Soul" by The Imperials, and "Since You've Been Gone" by The Crowns – plus "Sound Of The Witchdoctor", "Pepsi", and "Mony Mony" by The Mohawks,

The sounds of the sixties – but way more than you might expect! There's definitely a few hits here, but most of the tracks are more unusual numbers too – presented here in a unique British twist on the 60s that not only includes some tracks that played big there, but not over here – and a whole host of collectable numbers that have come to represent the decade in some folks' eyes – even if the tunes only hit bigger fame in more recent years! So what does all that mean? It means you get a rich blend of rock, soul, and vocal numbers – both from the US and UK, in styles that run from mod to swinging to soulful to trippy! 46 tracks in all – including "We're In This Thing Together" by The Carrolls, "My Conversation" by The Uniques, "Night Life" by Willie Nelson, "You Can't Do That" by Nilsson, "No Matter What Sign You Are" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "I Close My Eyes & Count To Ten" by Dusty Springfiel, "Sukiyaki" by Kyo Sakamoto, "That Means A Lot" by PJ Proby, "Hole In My Shoe" by Traffic, "Super Girl" by Graham Bonney, "Move In A Little Closer" by Harmony Grass, "Run Baby Run" by The Newbeats, "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby" by Justine Washington, "No Need To Explain" by Flamma Sherman, "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett, "Head Over Heels" by Mike Rabin & The Demons, and "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter" by The Brand.

The title tells the tale on this one – as the session's a studio meeting of players all associated with Count Basie over the years – captured here in a style that's much more laidback and relaxed than the usual Basie set! The album's got the feel of some of Prestige's best work in the Swingville series, but also has an approach that's almost in the blowing session mode – with long tracks on the album that really let each player step out in their own voice. The lineup includes Paul Quinichette on tenor, Buck Clayton and Shad Collins on trumpet, Jack Washington on baritone sax, Nat Pierce on piano, Freddie Greene on guitar, and Jo Jones on drums – and titles include "Blues I Love To Hear", "Love Jumped Out", "John's Idea", and "Baby Don't Tell On Me".

A killer collection of singles from the legendary Cotillion arm of Atlantic Records – all presented as individual 7" records with original labels, served up in a hip limited edition package! The work here would already be great as a CD compilation – but it's extra special when served up in this stunning format – like finding a pile of rare soul singles in the back of a rack in an overlooked record store – still in great shape, and ready to explode anew on your turntable! The music is very well-chosen – and includes cuts by some key artists who only worked briefly for Cotillion, and never cut a full album for the label – such as Baby Washington, Otis Clay, or Walter Jackson. Other artists are ones who really hit their height at Cotillion, but still remain relatively obscure – and the singles here easily represent some of their best work ever. All cuts are right from the hippest tail end of the 60s – and titles include "Do Right Woman" and "That Kind Of Lovin" by Otis Clay, "Keep On Striving" and "Come On Let Me Love You" by Moses Smith, "Night After Night" and "The Love That I Needed" by The Blendells, "The Love Of My Woman" and "I Wanna Go Home" by Darrell Banks, "I've Fallen In Love" and "You Are The Circus" by C & The Shells, "Any Way That You Want Me" and "Life Has Its Ups & Downs" by Walter Jackson, "I Gotta Get Back To Lovin You" and "LA/USA" by Hollywood Spectrum, "I Don't Know" and "I Can't Afford To Lose Him" by Baby Washington, "Don't Play That Song" and "People In Love" by Lou Johnson, and "Ain't No Sun" and "Murder IN The First Degree" by The Dynamics.

Wonderful work from Dinah Washington – most of it cut in New York and Chicago in the early-to-mid 50s – peak stuff that splits a fairly even difference between her rollicking rhythm & blues mode and her jazzier vocal mode! The first half features the sassier r&b while the second half features the grander, jazzier Quincy Jones productions – which feature a who's who of incredible players! 22 tracks in all: "Fat Daddy", "Go Pretty Daddy", "TV Is The Thing","Feel Like I Wanna Cry", "Lean Baby", "Never Never", "Am I Blue", "My Man's An Undertaker", "Short Jon", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "A Foggy Day", "What A Great Sensation", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Darn That Dream", "I Diddle", "Wasn't It" and more.

The set features only 4 duets between Brook & Dinah – "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "I Do", "I Believe", and "A Rockin Good Way (To mess Around & Fall In Love)", which is probably the best track on the LP. Other titles are by Dinah alone – "There Goes My Heart", "Love Walked In", "This I Promise You" – or Brook by himself – "Because Of Everything", "Call me", and "Not One Step Behind".

The music of Otis Redding – sung by some of his hippest contemporaries, and by a whole new generation inspired by his talents! The tunes here are all numbers you'd know from Redding's famous recordings for Stax and Atlantic – yet the versions are nice and fresh – some done with a gritty down-home feel that's rougher than any of Redding's records, others done with an inventive style that pushes the music forward into new modes – possibly those that Otis might have explored on his own, had he not been taken from us so soon! The package is a great testament to the Otis Redding legacy in soul music – and is filled with a whopping 25 tracks, all of them well-chosen – including "Baby Cakes" by Maxine Brown, "Just One More Day" by Clarence Carter, "Give Away None Of My Love" by Buddy Miles, "Wholesale Love" by Arthur Conley, "Hawg For You" by Tina Britt, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Chained & Bound" by Bettye Swann, "I'm Missing You" by Mitty Collier, "Sister Pitiful" by Judy Clay, "These Arms Of Mine" by Albert Washington & The Kings, "Monkey On My BacK" by Jackie Hairston – plus the previously unreleased "Loving By The Pound (part 2)" by Otis Redding himself!

The music of Otis Redding – sung by some of his hippest contemporaries, and by a whole new generation inspired by his talents! The tunes here are all numbers you'd know from Redding's famous recordings for Stax and Atlantic – yet the versions are nice and fresh – some done with a gritty down-home feel that's rougher than any of Redding's records, others done with an inventive style that pushes the music forward into new modes – possibly those that Otis might have explored on his own, had he not been taken from us so soon! The package is a great testament to the Otis Redding legacy in soul music – and is filled with a whopping 25 tracks, all of them well-chosen – including "Baby Cakes" by Maxine Brown, "Just One More Day" by Clarence Carter, "Give Away None Of My Love" by Buddy Miles, "Wholesale Love" by Arthur Conley, "Hawg For You" by Tina Britt, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Chained & Bound" by Bettye Swann, "I'm Missing You" by Mitty Collier, "Sister Pitiful" by Judy Clay, "These Arms Of Mine" by Albert Washington & The Kings, "Monkey On My BacK" by Jackie Hairston – plus the previously unreleased "Loving By The Pound (part 2)" by Otis Redding himself!

Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson more than live up to their title as the Mighty Two just as this heavy compilation more than lives up to the title of nothing but scorchers! Gibbs and ET showcase their mastery of all styles here, veering from hard and heavy roots to sweet lover's numbers and even a few bouncing tracks aimed a the dancehall! Top notch singers and dee jays are all featured over throbbing rhythms at the hands of Gibbs' Professionals crew, with 28 tracks in all, including "Two Sevens Clash" by Culture, "Babylon Too Rough" by Gregory Isaacs, "Cool Out Son" by Junior Murvin, "Boxing Around" and "No Man's Land" by Cornell Campbell, "Just Like A River" by the Mighty Diamonds, Left With A Broken Heart" by George Nooks, "Funeral" by Prince Alla,"Rockers A Nuh Crackers" by Glen Washington, "Jah Bring I Joy In The Morning" by Bobby Melody, "Burn Babylon" by Sylford Walker, "Keep On Knocking" by Jaco Miller, "Virgin Girl" by Eek-A-Mouse, "Hello Carol" by Enos McLeod, and "UptownTop Ranking" by Althea & Donna.