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The Billy Taylor touch is mighty nice here – on a blend of tracks that were partially recorded during Billy's earliest years as a leader, and partially recorded during his big rise to fame in the late 50s! Taylor's handling of the piano is beautiful throughout – already quite soulful, but showing some of the warmer, more lyrical modes of Billy's early years too! Half the tracks are from 1951 – recorded with a quartet that includes John Collins on guitar, Shadow Wilson on drums, and Al McKibbon on bass – and the other half are from 1958, with Billy's famous trio with Ed Thigpen on drums and Earl May on bass – a lineup similar to his recordings for ABC. Titles include "Good Groove", "Somebody Loves Me", "You Make Me Feel So Young", "Can You Tell By Looking At Me", and "Earl May".

A great change of pace for Billy Taylor – and one of the most striking sessions he made in the 50s! As you'll guess from the title, the record features Taylor's piano along with four flutes – played by Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Bodner – working here both in group formation, and in solo mode – fluttering nicely with a cool jazzy sound that really prefaces lots of use of the instrument in the 60s! Another added bonus on the record is added congas from Chano Pozo on most tracks, making for a groovy Latinesque bounce. Titles include "Blue Shutters", "One For The Woofer", "The Song Is Ended", "Back Home", "No Parking", and "Lady Be Good".

An early classic from pianist Billy Taylor featuring his classic 50s trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

A key album in the sound of piano jazz in the 50s – featuring Billy Taylor, and his trio that included Earl May on bass and Charlie Smith on drums. The album's nothing fancy, but has a nicely soulful undercurrent – and titles include "Man With A Horn", "Hey Lock", "Let's Get Away From It All", "Lover", and "All Too Soon".

This is the second volume that Prestige issued in the 50s of Taylor's work with his trio that consisted of Earl May on bass and Charlie Smith on drums. Tracks include "That's All", "Nice Work", "Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Cool & Caressing", "Tenderly", "Bird Watcher", and "B.T.'s D.T.'s".

An early classic from pianist Billy Taylor featuring his classic 50s trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

A great take on the score to the hit show My Fair Lady – heard here in one of the best jazz interpretations from the time! Billy Taylor really gets a great setting for the music here – one that moves past the more familiar small group takes on the tunes, and features soaring large group backings arranged by a young Quincy Jones! Jones really knows how to keep things groovy, and free from cliche – allowing plenty of space for Taylor to step out in fluid solos in the frontline, but also featuring lots of great horn work from players that include Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Don Elliott on Mellophone, Ernie Royal on trumpet, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, and Anthony Ortega on both alto and tenor! Titles include "Show Me", "Get Me To The Church On Time", "The Rain In Spain", "With A Little Bit Of Luck", and "On The Street Where You Live".

Pianist Billy Taylor, working here in a really unique setting – a broadcast performance that has guitarist Wes Montgomery joining the trio for the whole session – plus vocals from Joe Williams on the second half! The core groove is great enough – given that Ben Tucker is on bass and Grady Tate is on drums – and the use of Wes' guitar next to Taylor's punctuated piano lines makes for a really great sound – a bit different than you'd hear on albums by either player as a leader. Adding in Williams really makes things special – especially since Joe didn't often work with a small group like this – and titles include "Capricious", "A Bientot", "The More I See You", "Freedom", "Paraphrase", "Until I Met You", "I Won't Cry Anymore", "All My Life", and "Alone Together".

A great record – or half-great, as the case may be! One part of this album features Billy with his standard trio of Earl May and Percy Brice, playing mellow piano trio versions of tracks that include "Tune For Tex", "Goodbye", "Biddy's Beat", and "Eddie's Theme". Those cuts are fine, but the real strength of the album lies on the last 4 cuts – all killer Latin jazz numbers cut with a rhythm section that includes Machito, Jose Mangual, Charlie Smith, and Uba Nieto. The added conga, bongos, and timbales really make the tracks groove – and you'll find yourself coming back to "I Love To Mambo", "Mambo Azul", "Early Morning Mambo", and "Candido" more than you will the rest of the record.

A range of essays on the music, influence, and cultural significance of the late John Coltrane – easily one of the key forces to have shaped our taste here at Dusty Groove! The book offers a number of differing perspectives, some with an academic tone, some a bit more political – and overall, the writings definitely live up to the spirit promised in the title! Articles include "A Look At Late John Coltrane" by Salim Washington, "When Bar Walkers Preach" by Tommy Lott, "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle" by Tammy Kernodle, "John Coltrane As The Personification Of Spirituality In Black Music" by Anthony Brown, "In His Own Words – Coltrane's Responses To Critics" by Leonard L Brown, "John Coltrane & The Practice Of Freedom" by Herman Gray, and a few interviews with Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef, and Olly Wilson – and a special coda, "George Russell on John Coltrane". 235 pages, paperback.

An interesting little session from ABC – recorded as sort of an educational record about jazz, directed by Creed Taylor – but also a session that comes off well in the jam session mode of some of the Savoy sets of the same time! Players are a varied lot – and include Donald Byrd, Oscar Pettiford, Gigi Gryce, Mundell Lowe, Tony Scott, Billy Taylor, and Kenny Clarke – all working together in a set of tunes that showcases a different mode of jazz with each track, and which features a different soloist stepping out to take the lead with each new number. Titles include "In A Mellow Tone", "If I Love Again", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Laura", "But Not For Me", "How About You", and "Stella By Starlight".

Coltrane's last live show ever – in case you couldn't guess from the title – recorded in 1967, but never officially released! The set features a group with Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Alice Coltrane, Algie DeWitt, and possibly Jumma Santos on percussion. As you'd guess from the added percussion, there's a pronounced spiritual approach to the set, although the solo work by Trane, Alice, and Pharoah is also quite free. The set features a short introduction by Billy Taylor, and 2 long tracks: "Ogunde" and "My Favorite Things".

Rare lost work by Miles Davis – recordings from 1951 broadcasts from the legendary Birdland nightclub, restored here with surprisingly good fidelity! The recordings are interesting for a number of reasons – first, because the tracks are longer than usual for Miles – certainly longer than some of his shorter LP recordings of the time – and second, because the assortment of players really pushes past the usual suspects! 7 of the tracks feature a sextet that includes Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, JJ Johnson, Tommy Potter, and Art Blakey – and then the remaining 3 tracks feature an even more compelling group that includes Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus, Blakey, and the legendary Big Nick Nicholas on tenor! Titles include "Move", "The Squirrel", "Lady Bird", "Out Of The Blue", "Half Nelson", and "Down".

The second album from Chicago's great raw soul torch carriers JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – their debut for Bloodshot, and a record that's gonna catapult them to the forefront of the live soul scene, in the Chi and everywhere else! The group's proved over the past couple years, via their raw, yet propellant debut album, some great singles, and furious live show schedule, that they're poised to deliver in a bigger way. On Want More they do that and, uh. . .a bit more! JC's a rare singer who can both shout out in a gritty funk mode and coo with charisma on slower soul anthems, and the group delivers on both fronts, too. Producer Jimmy Sutton captures them perfectly. The core group features Billy Bungeroth on guitar, Kevin Marks on drums & percussion and Ben Taylor on bass. Includes "Want More", "Everything Will Be Fine", "I Got High", their great cover of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", "Baaadnews", "I Can See Everything", "Sister Ray Charles", "Awake" and more.

Genius work from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of his most solid sides as a leader from the 60s, and a well-deserved treasure in the Blue Note catalog! The album's quite different than the straight soul jazz of Blue's early days on Riverside – or the more arranged dates of the late 60s – and it features him moving in a soulful, lyrical, modal style – quite similar to Horace Silver in conception, but with a fresh execution that's mighty nice – and which marks Mitchell as one of the fresher trumpet voices of his generation! The whole group's great, too – and the lineup includes Junior Cook on tenor, Blue's old bandmate from Horace Silver's group – plus Harold Mabern on piano, who really helps shape the sound of the record, Gene Taylor on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include gems from Mitchell, Jimmy Heath, and Tom McIntosh – titles that include "Bring It Home To Me", "Blues 3 For 1", "Port Rico Rock", and "Ginger Bread Boy".

Hardly just The Birdland Story – and instead, some incredible work from three key players of the hardbop years – often lost to time because of its appearance in this underwhelming package! The first half features incredible material from both John Coltrane and Lee Morgan – some of their best of the early 60s, and a record that always gets shamefully overlooked! The record features a side apiece of work by Morgan and Coltrane, each acting as the leader for a small group in perfect format. Coltrane is playing with an unusual quartet that includes McCoy Tyner, plus bassist Steven Davis and drummer Billy Higgins. Higgins' gives Coltrane a modal groove that's incredible, and Trane hits these riffs that are almost Nathan Davis-ish on tracks like "Exotica" and "One & Four". The Morgan material is a bit more straight ahead hardbop – but equally excellent – and he's got a tight tight group that features Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Jimmy Rowser, and Art Taylor. Shorter is incredible, and tracks include "Minor Strain", "Bid For Sid", and "Suspended Sentence". Next is some wonderful work from Thad Jones – sprightly cuts that sparkle wonderfully throughout – in ways that show the later Jones talent for arranging a larger ensemble, but played by a smaller combo here! The group features a great Basie-styled lineup – Thad on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Billy Mitchell on tenor, and Frank Wess on tenor, flute, and alto sax – players who really know each others' strengths very well, and who dance around sweet compositions by Jones – including "Subtle Rebuttal", "Tip Toe",and "H & T Blues". Also features bonus tracks – "Friday The 13th", "Subtle Rebuttal (alt)", and "Tip Toe (alt)" from the Thad Jones session – plus "Exotica (alt)" from the Coltrane set.

Killer work from the last years of Stanley Turrentine on Blue Note – tracks that appeared here for the first time ever, as a long-overdue LP release at the end of the 70s! The bulk of the set features some compelling quartet work – with Stan's tenor in the company of McCoy Tyner on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – almost in Easy Walker sort of territory, with a great stepping soulful groove – but a bit more fluid, given the Tyner touch! That quartet plays "Stan's Shuffle", "Watch What Happens", "Intermission Walk", and "Wave". The set ends with the killer title track "Ain't No Way" – a tenor/Hammond cooker based on the Carolyn Franklin soul tune – really given a workout by Stan and a group that features Shirley Scott on organ and Jimmy Ponder on guitar!

One of Sarah's few albums for Columbia – and quite possibly the best, thanks to some great small group backing, heard on 8 of the album's 12 tunes! The group's a really great one – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Benny Green on trombone, Buddy Johnson on tenor, Tony Scott on clarinet, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Billy Taylor on piano – all of whom get some surprising solo space on the album, and make the record one of Sarah's best jazz outings of the 50s. The remaining tracks on the set have a lusher ballad style, but are still quite nice – and titles include "Mean To Me", "Goodnight My Love", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "East Of The Sun", "Pinky", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". 10 bonus tracks too – including unreleased cuts and alternates.

One of the only few albums to ever feature the vocals of Judy Clay – a wonderful deep soul singer who also cut a handful of excellent singles for Stax in the late 60s! Like some of that work – specifically her Stax duets with William Bell – this set really showcases Judy's strength as a partner in song – a really great match for Billy Vera, who sounds way better here than you might expect! Billy and Judy trade lines in this really fantastic way – often blue-tinged and melancholy, a style that is quite different from most of the peppier male/female work of the 60s – although there's also two tracks on which Vera sings solo. Backing is by a small combo with Vera on electric guitar, Chip Taylor on acoustic guitar, and Paul Griffin on piano – and titles include "Storybook Children", "Ever Since", "When Do We Go", "Just Across The Line", "Soul Man", "Good Morning Blues", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "So Good (To Be Together)".

A key record in the evolution of Tony Williams as a drummer – and kind of a powerful summation of all the changes he'd made in the 70s – before a return to straighter jazz in the next decade! Williams' drumming here is incredibly fierce at points – almost at a Billy Cobham level – but he also shows the sensitivity to deeper sounds that he first brought into play during the 60s – and manages to mix an ear for fusion modes with some freer elements too – thanks to help from a lineup of players that includes Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Cecil Taylor on piano, Jan Hammer on Fender Rhodes, Stanley Clarke on bass, Ton Scott on lyricon, and Ronnie Montrose on guitar. Titles include "Tony", "Coming Back Home", "Morgan's Motion", "Eris", "Open Fire", and "Hittin On 6".

The blueprint of a generation – a set that brings together a huge amount of rare singles from the start of the 60s – most of which helped form the groove for years to come! The set's got a great early soul feel – tracks that show a genre still in formation – as bits of R&B, vocal jazz, blues, and other styles are pulled together in the new groove of the time – not yet as upbeat as the Northern Soul you'd know from a few years later – but definitely cooking with a similar sort of energy. There's plenty of numbers here to appeal to a mambo soul crowd – and titles include "You Ain't So Such A Much" by Blanche Thomas, "Feelin Kind A Lonesome" by Willie J Charles, "She Knocks Me Out" by Harold Burrage, "My Heart's On Fire" by Billy Bland, "Good Enough" by Bobby Guy, "He's The One That Rings My Bell" by Sherri Taylor, "I Think I Love You" by Helen Troy, "Little Annie" by Anna Bell Caesar, and "You Don't Have To Go" by Sam Myers.

Uptempo soul from Jewel, Paula and Ronin labels – the Shreveport, LA base of Stan Lewis – record store and label opener, distributor, and all around behind-the-scenes wizard of the 60s & 70s independent soul scene! The singles are wonderful throughout, bridging the mid 60s to the 70s very nicely – with tracks by Billy Joe Young, The Objectives, Cliff Wagner, Peppermint Harris, Montclairs, Barbara West, Jay Jay Taylor and many more. The liner notes have a reprint of a cool vintage feature on Stan's empire from Billboard in 1973 – and the titles include "Got You On My Mind" by Billy Joe Young, "I'm Waiting" by Bill Bush, "Love Went Away" by The Objectives, "Wait Until It Happens To You" by Peppermint Harris, "Not Too Long Ago" by The Uniques feat Joe Stampley, "I'm A Fool For You Baby" by Barbara West, "Fight Fire With Fire" by Shay Holiday, "Hung Up On Your Love" by Montclairs, "Sugar Coated Words" by Miki Honeycutt, "I'm Not Tired Yet" by Jay Jay Taylor and more.

Stellar soul singles on Brunswick – nearly all of which come from the prime mid-to-late 60s period at the legendary Chicago label – with Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler, Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Erma Franklin, Lavern Baker and many more! There's a tight focus here on mid-to-late 60s Brunswick – all of them great – and many are quite rare. There are some modest or regional hits in the set, but most might have been forgotten if not for the devotion of the Northern Soul scenes to come. It's got a number of uptempo stormers, midtempo groovers and some sweet surprises. Soul galore, indeed! Includes "Soul Galore" by Jackie Wilson, "Have More Time" by Marvin Smith, "Oh Linda" by Leroy Taylor, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "There Was A Time" by Gene Chandler, "Sweet, Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "I'm The Only One To Do It" by Lavern Baker, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and many more.

Earl Coleman was a syrupy voiced jazz vocalist – in the tradtion of Billy Eckstine or Johnny Hartman – and when he recorded this album for Atlantic in the late 60's, he'd already been kicking around the jazz scene since the days of bebop. The set is probably the best jazz session he ever cut, and is a nice set of mellow tracks that feature a group led by Billy Taylor, and which sound like some of Johnny Hartman's work from the same time. Titles include "Charade", "When Did You Leave Heaven", "I Wish I Knew", "Day In the Life Of a Fool", and "I Won't Tell A Soul".

One of the most righteous albums of jazz ever recorded – a brilliant blend of soulful and avant garde styles, backed up by a chorus of voices that have a really soulful sound! The album's the second recorded for Blue Note by the Ghetto Music ensemble of trumpeter Eddie Gale – a lesser-known talent who recorded previously with Cecil Taylor, but who made a turn away from modernism at the end of the 60s, in order to express himself at a level that he felt was more clearly grounded in the people. The result of that effort is sheer brilliance – an album that sounds like nothing else you can imagine. Part of the style shares the energy of similar vocal/jazz projects by Max Roach and Billy Harper, but Gale's conception of the music is much more dynamic, and very carefully rooted in song structures – with a sound that's as powerful today as it was when it was recorded! Titles include "Ghetto Love Night", "Song Of Will", "Ghetto Summertime", "Black Rhythm Happening", and "Look At Teyonda".

An excellent collection of early work recorded under Johnny Hodges' name in the early years – sessions from 1938 and 1939, issued here on LP format in the mid 50s under LP format, with a nice cover by William Steig! The tracks are a great assortment of small group numbers that focus on Hodges' tremendous tone on alto sax – recorded with Ellingtonian players that include the Duke himself, as well as Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, and Billy Taylor. Titles include "Empty Ballroom Blues", "Jeep's Blues", "Good Gal Blues", "Skunk Hollow Blues", "Hodge Podge", and "Rent Party Blues".

Easily some of the greatest work ever recorded by Ted Taylor – done as a string of sessions in Chicago, New York, and Nashville for Okeh Records – and finally properly collected here in one great set! Taylor's a singer with a wonderful voice – one that was more famously tuned towards bluesier work later in his career, but which is hear heard coming off an initial run in doo wop – in a mix of modes that includes both Chicago and southern soul styles! Production is by Carl Davis, Billy Sherrill, and others – and no matter what the setting Taylor's vocals are incredible – crackling with a sense of emotion and soul that made him one of the singers to match at the time, even if his Okeh years never yeilded that many hits. CD features 25 tracks in all – with titles that include "So Hard", "I'll Make It Up To You", "Don't Lie", "Pretending Love", "I'll Release You", "Can't Take No More", "Be Ever Wonderful", "Need You Home", "Somebody's Always Trying", "Top Of The World", "Stay Away From My Baby", and "Mercy Have Pity".

One of Sarah's few albums for Columbia – and quite possibly the best, thanks to some great small group backing, heard on 8 of the album's 12 tunes! The group's a really great one – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Benny Green on trombone, Buddy Johnson on tenor, Tony Scott on clarinet, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Billy Taylor on piano – all of whom get some surprising solo space on the album, and make the record one of Sarah's best jazz outings of the 50s. The remaining tracks on the set have a lusher ballad style, but are still quite nice – and titles include "Mean To Me", "Goodnight My Love", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "East Of The Sun", "Pinky", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine".

No need to be a connoisseur to enjoy this set – because the tunes here are all plenty darn groovy – rare soul numbers with an instant appeal to our ears, thanks to their freshness and the quality of the work! The package features rare singles and a bunch of previously unissued tracks from the vaults of the Kent/Modern labels – most recorded at the end of the 60s, in a range of soulful styles! Some numbers have a sweeter feel, but many echo the headier sounds of the times – bringing in some funkier or psychedelic soul influences, even when the themes might be a bit more conventional, or the grooves a bit more mellow. As always with Kent, the package features loads of notes on the music – enough to help even a novice become a connoisseur after a few listenings – and the CD features 24 titles that include "Cut Me Loose" by Gene Taylor, "Beverly" by Billy Watkins, "If I'd Lose You" by Jackie Day, "That Righteous Feeling" by Marvin Phillips & The Spinners, "My Name Is Misery" by Al King, "I've Gotta Get You Back" by Mary Love, "I'm Guilty" by Vernon Garrett, "Can't Count The Days" by Jeb Stuart, "Baby Baby Baby" by Leon Peterson, "The Ta Ta Song" by Little Henry & The Shamrocks, and "It's OK" by Esther Williams.

Charlie Parker takes on the music of Cole Porter – with results that make for some of his most classic moments at Verve! Parker's horn is as hard-bitten as always, but it's also working here in a slightly lyrical vibe – one that brings out the warmth that Charlie could have at just the right moments – that sense of soul that made his contribution to jazz one of the more formative sounds of the century! Porter's music takes on tones that we might never have expected – especially in some of the album's alternate versions, which give key proof that Bird was always working out new ideas with each new solo. The group features Walter Bishop on piano, Billy Bauer or Jerome Darr on guitar, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Roy Haynes or Art Taylor on drums – on titles that include "Just One Of Those Things", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale", and "I Love Paris.

A brilliant little compilation – despite the title – one that showcases some of the best work from the legendary Jackson scene of the 70s! As the Memphis and Muscle Shoals scenes were beginning to slow down after years of great soul records in the 60s, Jackson, Mississippi picked up the slack – thanks to the mighty might Malaco Studios! And while the Malaco name later became more associated with the label of the same name – and put out some great blues and soul albums in the 80s – back in the early years, the studio was more of an overall crossroads for many different styles of southern soul, and opened its gates to loads of excellent talent that wasn't getting recorded elsewhere. The depth of the set will really surprise you, as there's some tracks that have a straighter southern soul, but others with styles that are a bit more modern, sophisticated, and at times, even sound a bit like work coming out from east coast indie labels of the period. The set's got 21 tracks in all – filled with sublime work that represents some of the best of the indie scene of the south at the time, most of which you've probably never heard before, plus a few more modern numbers that are equally great! Titles include "Don't Matter To Me" by Billy Cee, "Calling For Your Love" by The Enticers, "All The Way In Love With You" by Ray Crumley, "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache" by Ted Taylor, "I'm Gonna Love You More" by Richard Caiton, "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" by Carolyn Hudson, "Last Minute Plans" by Chuck Brooks, "Get Some Understanding" by Patrick Green, "When We Touch" by Floyd Taylor, "Kiss & Tell" by Stan Mosley, and "What Do We Have To Lose" by Sam Dees.

An unusual record, with three different groupings of tracks – trio work with Mundell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Jack Greenberg on English horn; vocals from Barbara Lea, with backing by a quintet led by Billy Taylor on piano; and solo piano from Tony Burrello.