All Categories — All Formats  

Excellent work from Betty Carter – much more sophisticated than some of her 60s work! Betty's captured here in her hip trio format that she developed to fantastic heights during the 70s. Betty sings standards and originals with a warmth an imagination that we can hardly describe accurately – bringing emotion into the songs that we'd hardly heard in earlier recordings, and using a trio in ways that we'd never heard before with a vocalist. Incredible stuff all the way through, very much on a par with any of Betty's later work, with "Do Something", "My Shining Hour", "What's New", "Round Midnight" and "I'm Pulling Through".

Mellow magic from Betty – one of her first "comeback" albums for Verve, and an excellent set of tunes that still keeps the same feel as her 80s work on her own label. The group on most tunes is a trio – with Benny Green on piano, Michael Bowie on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – but some tracks feature additional tenor from Don Braden, blowing soulfully next to Betty's incredible voice. Tunes skip around with imagination and a sense of soul in places where you'd never expect it – and titles include "Look What I Got", "The Man I Love", "That Sunday That Summer", "All I Got", and "Just Like The Movies".

An interesting early album from Betty Carter – less jazz than some of her later work, but with a bit more of an edge than some of her ABC recordings. The album's got sort of an arranged sophisticated jazz style – in the mode of 60s work by Esther Phillips or Dinah Washington – and Betty handles some wonderful material with a dark edge, like "Two Cigarettes In The Dark", "Nothing More To Look Forward To", "Round Midnight", "I Wonder", "Who What Why Where When", and "The Good Life", all done in a sorrow-drenched style that's incredibly compelling, and a very different side to Betty's career. An album you'll be hard-pressed to find on vinyl – and nicely repacked for CD with 2 bonus cuts: "One Note Samba" and "Shine On Harvest Moon".

Late work from Miles Davis – his last-ever appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – but a set that still has him sounding great! The performance is a special tribute to Quincy Jones, so instead of playing material from the Doo Bop generation, Miles is going more for a late 50s mode – blowing over backings put together by Quincy Jones and Claude Nobs, intended to recreate the sound of the Gil Evans/Miles collaborations. Titles include "The Duke", "Miles Ahead", "Blues For Pablo", "Summertime", "The Pan Piper", "Maids Of Cadiz", and "Gone Gone Gone". DVD features inerviews with Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Charlie Haden, Monty Alexander, Stanley Clarke, and others.

Two lost smokers from vibes legend Johnny Lytle – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Rebel is lost early 70s set from Lytle – totally funky, but in a way that's very different than his famous 60s work! The album's got a sweet electric groove that comes not only from Johnny's vibes, but also from the sweet Hammond and Fender Rhodes of Billy Nunn, and the smoking guitar of David Spinozza – who really wails away here, and brings in a cutting edge to the tunes that's a lot sharper than some of his later work! Lytle's vibes are wonderful throughout – filled with that sense of space, soul, and timing that's always made him one of the grooviest players ever on the instrument – and this time around, he seems to have an even greater ear for unusual tones – in a way that makes the album sparkle strongly throughout! The rhythms are smoking, too – with Ron Carter on electric bass, Jozell Carter on funky drums, and Ray Barretto on congas – cooking things up righteously on the album's funky tunes. Highlights include the stone smoker "Gunky", a great remake of "The New Village Caller", and a reworking of "Lela" – plus the extended "Soulful Rebel Suite" – mighty nice! People & Love is one of Johnny Lytle's most righteous albums ever – a soaring, spacious set that's almost to Lytle's career what Gears was to Johnny Hammond's! Of course, Lytle's groove here is different – no Mizell production, and a mellower feel overall – but the unbridled space of 70s Milestone is definitely a key influence here – and Johnny stretches out here like never before! The players are all pretty hip – and include Daahoud Hadi (aka Butch Cornell) on electric piano and organ, Marvin Cabell on flute and tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Betty Glamann on harp, and Jozell Carter on drums – all perfect mates here for Johnny's spiritual exploration of sound with his vibes – in ways that are almost more amazing than work from Bobby Hutcherson or Roy Ayers at the time! Titles include an amazing original called "Libra", plus "Tawhid", "Where Is The Love", "Family", and a version of "People Make the World Go Round".

A wonderful pairing of talents – the ever-evolving vocals of Mary Stallings, and the rock-solid piano talents of Eric Reed! Stallings is one of those singers who just sounds better and better as the years go on – working with a depth and individual sense of structure that recalls Betty Carter or Sarah Vaughan in their later days – especially the latter, as Mary's got this way of crafting lyrical lines with a sense of space that's completely her own – as Reed relates in his notes on the session! The group also features a bit of bass from Reuben Rogers and drums from Carl Allen – although about a third of the set, if not more, features just piano and vocals. Titles include "Night Mist Blues", "Soul Eyes", "Key Largo", "Mary's Blues", 'People Time", "Don't Look Back", and "Is That".

A bit blues, a bit soul, and a great document of some under-recorded talents in the Memphis scene at the start of the 70s! The album's got a grittier sound than usual for Hi Records – and shows that at some levels in Memphis, there were still artists carrying the heavier sounds of a decade before – music that's a lot rougher and more unbridled than the sorts of more popular Memphis soul that was fast becoming the stuff of chart hits. The whole thing's a much-needed look at this side of the southern scene – and titles include "Please Don't Leave", "You Better Mind", and "Miss Betty Green" by Big Lucky; "Dog Man", "I'm Gone", and "Going To Vietnam" by Big Amos; and "Please Accept My Love" and "Stormy Monday Blues" by Donald Hines. CD version features nearly twice the music as the original album – with more cuts by each of the above artists – plus addition of cuts by Joe Lee Carter that include "Please Mr Forman", "As The Years Go Passing By", "I Can't Stand It", and "Let Me Know".

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 18 tracks inall, including "The Ghetto" by Donny Hathaway, "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" by Tyrone Davis, "Compared To What" by Les McCann & Eddie Harris, "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" and "Rock Steady" by Aretha Franklin, "Groove Me" by King Floyd, "Patches" by Clarence Carter, "Funky Nassau (parts 1 & 2)" by the Beginning Of The End, "Thin Line Between Love & Hate" by the Persuaders, "You've Got A Friend" and "Where Is The Love?" by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright, "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Mighty Love" and "I'll Be Around" by the Spinners, "Killing Me Softly" and "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack and "Lo9ve Won't Let Me Wait" by Major Harris.

An amazing album that has Art Blakey completely reinventing himself for the 70s! Blakey shifts from straight hardbop to kind of a modal soul jazz groove, touched with some of the electric playing of the younger jazz generation, but not enough to qualify as fusion or funk. Instead, he's working with some great younger players – like Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, and Michael Howell – hitting a groove that reminds us of some of the best underground soul jazz on labels like Muse or Strata East. Includes the amazing long groovers "Mission Eternal" and "Chant For Bu", a famous Tribe Called Quest sample – plus new electric piano versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty", both of which feature vocals by Jon Hendricks.

Raw soul, heavy funk, snotty rock, and raucous R&B – all pulled from the legendary record collection of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy! The sounds here are the sorts that went onto form the blueprint for The Cramps – and the package is overflowing with rare gems that are hand-picked by the pair – the kind of underground, indie singles that have always made record-digging so great – plucked up by Lux and Ivy in the years before most of us even started searching for wax! The cool 10" set features two dozen tunes – and titles include "Drive Daddy Drive" by Little Sylvia, "Stormy Weather" by The Five Sharps, "Rock A Bongo Boogie" by Terry Snyder, "Red Headed Flea" by The Caps, "Chickie Run" by Homer Denison Jr, "99 Chicks" by Ron Haydock & The Boppers, "Baby Brother" by Bill Carter & The Rovin Gamblers, "Service With A Smile" by The Kuf-Linx, "Imagination" by The Quotations, "Tongue Tied" by Betty McQuade, and "The Vulture" by Ronny Ray's Playboys.

The blueprint for a great set of future jazz – 14 original tunes that all got redone in the Verve Remixed 2 set! Verve has done a great job with the set – pulling together some excellent grooves from the 50s and 60s, served up at a price that's almost as cheap as a fancy cup of coffee! The set's stuffed with groovy vocal, Latin, and soul jazz numbers – with titles that include "Mama" by Hugh Masekela, "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis, "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter, "Fried Neck Bones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader, and "Slap That Bass" by Ella Fitzgerald.

A fantastic record – one of the best jazz vocal records of the 80s, and a real bright spot in an often dim decade for jazz! The set is Carmen Lundy's debut – and it's a masterful self-produced effort that immediately put her in the ranks of the ultra-hip, ultra-soulful jazz crowd – singers like Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater, both of whom took a lot longer to sound this good than Carmen! The record is set in a perfect setting – Carmen working closely with musicians headed up by brother Curtis on bass, and including soulful players like Bobby Watson, Rene McLean, Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis, and Harry Whitaker. The whole thing's great – the kind of righteous vocal set that few singer ever seem to make this well – and titles include some great originals like "Good Morning Kiss", "Time is Love", and "Perfect Stranger" – plus excellent versions of "Dindi", "Love For Sale", and "The Lamp Is Low". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes!

Jazzanova did such a great job on Blue Note Trip Vol 4, the label decided to have them back for one more journey – and this time around, they've expanded the range of their groove even more than before! In addition to the classic jazz from Blue Note that Jazzanova spun the last time, this collection also features a fair bit of soul, funk, and more – including some unusual bits from left field, all woven into a wonderful tapestry of music! A few of the tracks are even of recent origin, but they sit very nicely next to the older numbers – all stepping around in a spacious approach to the groove that shows that even when they're not making their own music, Jazzanova have ears to help expand other folks' tunes as well! Titles include "Warning (part 1)" by David Axelrod, "Three Is The Magic Number" by Bob Dorough, "Trying Hard To Look Inside" by The Waters, "Dedicated" by Digable Planets, "It's Just The Way I Feel" by Gene Dunlap, "Dindi" by Janet Lawson, "State Of Mind" by Raul Midon, "Chant" by Robert Glasper, "Sanfona" by Egberto Gismonti, "Hey Hey" by Andrew Hill, "Save The Children" by Marlena Shaw, "Open The Door" by Betty Carter, "Hurt So Bad" by Grant Green, "Montara (Madlib rmx)" by Bobby Hutcherson, "This Is Not America (interlude)" by David Bowie & Pat Metheny, "Secret Rendezvous" by Rene & Angela, "Mt Airy Groove" by Pieces Of A Dream, "Light Of The Universe" by Sun, and "I Love You" by Taste Of Honey.

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!

Great sounds from a very special place – that magical meeting point where country meets soul – a spot that was crossed surprisingly often in the southern soul scene of the 60s and 70s! The set's a great follow-up to the excellent first volume – and really does a wonderful job of showing the way that a country ethos could work equally well in soul music – with results that will definitely have you re-thinking your ideas of cultural separation in the south. Much of the work is from that great late 60s/early 70s point when the country soul genre was really maturing – moving past the earlier moments of Ray Charles or Brook Benton, and using the style to express a new level of lyrical sophistication – especially in songs of love lost. Titles include "Sweet Music Man" by Millie Jackson, "Don't You Ever Get Tired" by Bettye Swann, "I Hate You" by Bobby Bland, "Statue Of A Fool" by David Ruffin, "Tennessee Waltz" by Otis Redding, "Bad News" by Clarence Carter, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "But You Know I Love You" by Sweet Inspirations, "Please Help Me I'm Falling" by William Bell, "Sometimes" by Facts Of Life, "I'll Release You" by Ted Taylor, and "All I Have To Offer" by Eddie James.

A stellar collection of country soul by many of the greatest voices of any strain of soul music – Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips, Al Green, Bettye Swann, Percy Sledge, Little Milton, Candi Stanton and many more! A healthy portion of the material comes from the late 60s and early 70s – recordings that bring a depth of genuine soul to songs written or popularized by artists more often associated with the country charts. That said, it's soul music all the way – showing both the dexterity of these great soul singers and the adaptability of the such great songs. Includes "Detroit City" by Arthur Alexander, "He'll Have To Go" by Solomon Burke, "Take Time To Know Her" by Percy Sledge, "I Saw Me" by Esther Phillips, "Hangin' On" by Ann Peebles, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Al Green, "Behind Closed Doors" by Little Milton, "Set Me Free" by Clarence Carter, "Yours, Love" by Joe Simon, "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" by Brook Benton and more.