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Incredible home studio recordings by guitar genius Chet Atkins – all previously unissued versions from RCA Victor archives – and released here for the first time ever.

A legendary bit of funk, from one of the most overlooked guitarists ever! George Freeman's got a sound and a style unlike any other player we can think of – an approach to funky guitar that's often got a really hard touch on the strings, and which gets nice and noisy at the best funky moments. Freeman's probably best known for the few obscure records he cut with Groove Holmes, but this album's his out and out masterpiece – a rare one-off session cut in the funky Philly scene and supervised by DJ Sonny Hopson – and featuring a rare mix of players that includes Cesar Frazier on organ and Charles Earland on Arp! The mix of organ and Arp is really incredible – especially on the side-long jammer "Franticdiagnosis", which runs for nearly 20 minutes, and is one of the most messed-up funky jazz jams of the 70s! Other players include Von Freeman on tenor sax and Dave Hubbard on alto flute – and the album features the legendary jazz dance track "The Bump", plus the cuts "Free-Man" and "God Bless The Child".

Fast, frenetic funk – a romping 60s take on "James Brown's Boogaloo" – done at a level that's even rawer than the original from The Godfather himself! The guitar moves super-fast – cutting the tune with a razor-sharp rhythm that's then peppered with burning organ lines – plus a bit of heavy tenor on one of the versions here!

One of the best versions of "Funky Four Corners" we've ever heard! The bass is rattling along at a level so loud and heavy that it's bound to pop the top off your speaker – while Jerry screams and shouts his way through the lyrics in a way that would make James Brown proud, a fact that he even acknowledges when he shouts "Sorry JB!" at one point in the cut! "Soul Lover" is fantastic too – a funky answer song to "Tramp", with a similar hard sock beat, and a hard break at the intro, which is augmented here by conga work! Both cuts are great – and one of the best singles ever by Jerry O!

Wow! This is one of Sonny Sharrock's rare early recordings, recorded in France shortly after he had been playing with Herbie Mann. The groove's kind of crazy, and it's amazing that Sonny jumped out so soon after leaving the sort of pop-jazz environs he was in with Herbie – but hey, lots of players got to France in the 60s, and completely let their bag open up – so why not Sonny? Wife Linda's on vocals on the session, and they're backed up by Beb Guerin on bass and Jacques Thollot on drums. Titles include "27th Day", "Soon", and "Monkey Pockie Boo".

Pure brilliance from The Nubian Crackers – a New York party groove from the early 90s, and one that's overflowing with classic samples from the old school! The cut mixes together a host of wicked funky tracks – with only a bit of a sampled vocal refrain over the top – and some great "Hard To Handle" beats on the chorus, which really send home the whole tune and give it a strong sort of focus! "Test Da Rocket Launcha" is another rare cut from back in the day – not a straight hip hop track, but the kind of 45 King-styled groove that plays strongly with older records – and shows that even in the 90s, the live spirit of mixing funky tracks was still alive and well!

A masterful set of recordings from Chicago soul chanteuse Ruby Andrews – tunes she cut for Zodiac Records between 1967 and 1973! Ruby could handle any soul style her producers threw her way, be it driving dancefloor stompers or pure torch balladry, but she had a way of infusing everything she did with a great sense of emotion. It's the same kind of emotive, deep soul sweep that was buried so heavily in Curtis Mayfield's recordings – perhaps it's the Chicago factor! Whatever the case, this is wonderful stuff – essential to anyone interested in the best late 60s/early 70s female soul! 28 tracks in all: "Uh! Uh! Boy, That's A No No", "Help Yourself (Lover)", "Whatever It Takes To Please You", "Tit For Tat", "Good N' Plenty", "Can You Get Away", "Let's Get A Groove Going On", "Just Loving You", "The Love I Need", "Come To Me", "Wonderful Night", "Away From The Crowd", "Didn't I Fool You", "You Ole Boo Boo You", "All The Way" and lots more.

Female rap group featuring Finesse, formerly of Finesse & Synquis, N-Tyce & Champ MC (with J-Boo). Sort of styling themselves as a female Wu Tang, and loosely associated with them.

12 remixes: "No,No, No Part 2 (Wyclef Jean extended version)", "Emotion (Neptunes rmx)", "Bootylicious (Rockwilder rmx)", "Say My Name (Timbaland rmx)", "Bug A Boo (refugee Camp rmx)", "Dot (E-Poppi mix)", "Survivor (rmx feat. Da Brat)", "Independent Women Pt II", "Nasty Girl (Azza's nu soul mix)", "Jumpin Jumpin (rmx ext)", "Bills, Bills, Bills (Maurice's xclusive livegig mix)" and "So Good (Maurice's soul mix)".

Ed OG's nice debut, with a slightly jazzy touch on the production and literate, intelligent lyrics. We really couldn't get with "Bug A Boo", but besides that, this first LP's solid from start to finish, from the days when that wasn't so uncommon. Drop the needle on this and head back in time to a day when backpacker wasn't necessarily a derogatory term, a beat wasn't a straight loop of a common sample, and rhyme skills included being able to follow the beat, which was typically at least a little bit funky. With the now classic "Be A Father To Your Child", plus standout tracks like "I'm Different", "Speak Upon It", "I Got To Have It" and "Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto". 12 tracks in all, also includes "Gotta Have Money", "Feel Like A Nut", "She Said It Was Great", "Dedicated To The Right Wingers", 'Let ME Tickle Your Fancy" and "Stop (Think For A Moment)".

A split 70s LP – with two earlier classics! First up is How I Feel About Jazz – an important early album from Quincy Jones! Q's working here in some of his hippest settings of the 50s – scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Art Farmer on trumpet, Phil Woods and Gene Quill on alto sax, Hank Jones on piano, and even Charles Mingus on bass! As with most Jones albums of the time, Quincy has a way of making a bigger group sound nice and lean – hitting some especially nice edges along with the rhythms, and really showing the way towards a new soulful sound for a bigger band. Titles include a sublime 10 minute version of "Walkin" that kicks off the album with a great soulful groove – plus original tunes "Evening In Paris", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Boo's Blues", as well as a version of Cannonball Adderley's "Sermonette". Next is Quintessence – a very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

Some of the best material ever recorded by pianist Less McCann – lifted from his groovy mid 60s recordings for the Limelight and Mercury labels – including many gems that were buried on albums that had otherwise weaker material. Lots of these tracks have added instrumentation over Les' usual trio format, which makes for a swinging soulful larger sound that really grooves nicely, and which romps between 60s mod, boogaloo, and straighter soul jazz! The set includes great groovers like "Boo Go Loo", "La Brea", "Red Top", "Little Freak", "Watermelon Man", "Great City", and a tasty 2 part version of "Sunny"!

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what the world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)".

Rare raw funk from the late 60s & early 70s – singles dug from the regional US scenes for the most part (plus a stellar number from funky funky Trinidad) – incredible numbers from Guitar Ray, Don Ray & Hobbit, James Polk & The Brothers, The Herculoids, TD & Jimmy James 3, Soul Dukes and more! Feeling Nice was compiled by deep digging collectors and DJs Tobias Kirmayer and Daniel Wanders – and it's outstanding stuff that we're being introduced to for the first time in many cases. Classic level funky soul from acts that didn't get over nearly as big as they should have. Includes "Funky Pete Pts 1 & 2" by Guitar Ray, "James Brown Boo-Ga-Loo" by James In The Incredible Showmen, "Feeling Nice" by Clarence Curvan (the title honor goes to our man from Trinidad), "Back Door Jeannye" by James Polk & The Brothers, "Get Back" by The Herculoids, "Jalapeno Pep" by TD & Jimmy James 3, "Wine For The Party" by Sonrize, "Dance Party Pts 1 & 2" by JC & The Soul Angels and more 12 in all.

A host of wonderful work produced by James Brown – most of it by a range of different singers, and one by The Godfather himself! The collection brings together some of the earliest James Brown productions – mid 60s tracks recorded for King and Smash Records, most of which aren't nearly as well known as later JB productions for the People and Polydor labels! As with that later work, all the grooves here are right in the same territory that James was hitting himself – upbeat, funky, and stone out of sight soul – all with plenty of rough edges, and backings from the same tight core of musicians that were helping out Brown on his recordings. The package is a real treasure – and is a great complement to the James Brown Singles collections from the Hip-O Select label – proof that even in these early days, James was clearly the hardest working man in show business – given all his time in the studio with other artists! 22 tracks in all – including "I Found Out" and "I'll Keep Pressing On" by Bobby Byrd, "That's When I Cry" and "If You Don't Think" by Anna King, "I Don't Care" and "Unexplainable" by Dizzy Jones, "Got No Excuse" and "If You Don't Work You Can't Eat" by James Crawford, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "Lookie Lookie Lookie" by The Jewells, "Wide Awake In A Dream" and "Nobody Cares" by Vicki Anderson, "Devil's Den" by The Poets, "It Hurts To Be In Love" by Yvonne Fair, "That's The Spirit" by Rev Willingham, "Faith" by The Five Royales, "I Cried" by Tammy Montgomery, "Soul Food (parts 1 & 2)" by Al Brisco Clark, and "New Breed (The Boo Ga Loo) (part 1)" by James Brown.

A soulful testament to the towering talents of songwriter, bandleader, producer and singer Richard Popcorn Wylie – a killer collection of singles that Richard had a hand in by Tommy Neal, Mighty Lovers, Luther Ingram, Betty Boo, Tony Hester, Mighty Lovers, Detroit Executives, Jimmy Soul Clark and Popcorn himself! A somewhat grittier, but still sweet as can be side of Motor City soul of the mid-to-late 60s. Includes "Goin' To A Happening" by Tommy Neal, "Get It Babe" by Stanley Mitchell, "Stop That Boy" and "Spellbound" by Betty Boo, "Hanky Panky" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "Spaceland" by Tony Hestor, "Savin' My Love For You" by People's Choice, "Quit Twistin' My Arm" by Stanley Mitchell "Cool Off" by Detroit Executives and more. 25 tracks in all.

Mighty recordings from the funk years of King Records – amazing grooves that follow the initial inspiration that James Brown gave to the label – but take things into wild new territory too! The late 60s & early 70s were kind of a strange and tumultuous time at the longtime Cincinnati operation – which was adapting to the changes in funk, soul and R&B music that James Brown almost single-handedly ushered in – at King and throughout the entire culture! What's most impressive here, beyond the exceptional quality of each song and performer, is the diversity – as the set's not all front-to-back JB-style funk – and also features some funked up bluesy soul, strains of gospel, the convincing move towards funk from veterans such as Hank Ballard & Bill Doggett – all topped off with righteous storytelling, sweet female soul leads, and some amazing grooves down at the bottom! Titles include "Getting Down (With Hoss)" by Kastle, "Love's Sweet Water" by Barbara Burton And The Messengers, "Baby Don't You Know" by The Brownettes, "Clay Tyson (Man On The Moon)" by Clay Tyson, "Cool Jerk" by The Coasters, "The Boo Boo Song" by King Coleman, "Unwind Yourself" by Hank Ballard, "Steal Away" by Leon Austin, "Peter Rabbit" by The Presidents, "Lookin For A Woman" by Robert Moore, "Push & Shove" by Willy Wiley, "Ball Of Fire" by Connie Austin, "Sad But True" by Elaine Armstrong, and "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila.

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan.

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan.

Tropical funk, hazy rhythms, and simmering Afro funk & soul from the Caribbean – a killer collection put together by Hugo Mendez– fantastic stuff from Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent and beyond! Tropical Funk Experience does a great job of pulling together the a diverse set of funky sounds – with lots of funk that carries both JBs and Afro funk styles, harder grooving and more tripped out sounds, and reggae – with tropical versions of funky standards, and even more numbers that are totally fresh to our ears. Titles include "Spouge Explosion", "Let Me Get Stoned" by Boo & The Tru Tones, "Take The Funky Feeling" by Blue Rhythm Combo, "Cissy Strut" De Boys En Dem, "Fugitive Dub" by Skatalites, "Basa Bongo" by Yoruba Singers, "Smokey Feeling" by The Organization"," New Bag" by The Exciters, "Jive Samba" by Llans Thelwell And The Celestials and more.

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts – and we can't wait to see where they take it all next! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)".

Searing early work from tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis – and a record that really shows the way that Lock was crucial in helping bring the Hammond organ into jazz! The sides were all cut in the mid 50s, right around the time of Jimmy Smith's rise at Blue Note – and feature Hammond from either Shirley Scott or Doc Bagby – both players with just the right sort of rough edge and bluesy tones to work perfectly with Davis' mighty horn – lines on the keyboard that push harder than any piano ever could! The tracks are all nice and short – probably mostly cut for the 45 market – and pack even more punch than any of the later work from the Davis/Scott team. Ray Barretto swings in some hip congas on a few cuts – and titles include "Eddie's Function", "People Will Say We're In Love", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Satin Doll", "You Are Too Beautiful", "Lady Bird", "Scotty Boo", "Ebb Tide", "Tiajuana", "Out Of Nowhere", "All Of You", and "All The Things You Are".

Rare US issue of this amazing album by the legendary French vocal group Les Double Six. The group included a core of the early Swingle Singers, and featured members Ward Swingle and Christine Legrand, two of France's best jazz vocalists at the time. On this LP, the group runs through a tightly swinging set of vocalese versions of Quincy Jones compositions and arrangements – including classics like "Doodlin", "Meet Benny Bailey", "French Rat Race", and "Boo's Bloos". The whole thing never stops swinging, and the harmony vocals are amazing!

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw, Lamont Johnson, Scott Holt, and Jack DeJohnette – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind".

An excellent double-length set – one of Woody Shaw's greatest albums, and a majestic batch of spiritual soul jazz numbers – recorded with an all-star lineup that includes Gary Bartz, Benny Maupin, George Cables, Ron Carter, and Lenny White. Shaw is in top form, and the set is tight, hard, and very much in the pocket – yet still also has an free-flowing introspective side to it, in the mode of some of the best work on Strata East from the same time. If you dig the early work of Gary Bartz, or some of Shaw's more soul jazz outings of the early 70s – you'll definitely dig this one – and the double-length nature of the record gives all players plenty of room to do their thing! All the tracks are long, and the set list includes "Deed For Dolphy", "Boo Ann's Grand", and "New World".

One of the few albums ever recorded by Vladimir Vassilieff – an obscure late 60s piano player who's best known for his groovy album The Aquarians! The record's a really wonderful set that really lives up to its title – a haunting set of Latin jazz numbers played with a hip group that includes Many Duran, Bobby Rodriguez, and the great Bobby Porcelli on alto. The groove is light and free – a blend of 60s Latin, hardbop, bossa, and more – handled with the kind of modern touches that few other Latin leaders were using at the time, save for the great Bobby Vince Paunetto. Leo Morris makes a surprising guest appearance on the groover "Baby Boo Boogaloo", and other cuts include "Suzy's Bossa Nova", "Mambito", "Camelot Cha Cha", "Mambo at the Cave", and "Mombo Moderno".

A great overseas meeting of two American traditionalists – a mid 60s date that has trumpeter Buck Clayton working in a relaxed studio setting with tenorist Hal Singer! Buck and Hal both come from an earlier period in jazz, but find some great appreciation for their enduring talents in Paris – and the session's the kind of respectful, open-ended date that either of them would hardly have gotten a chance to cut back in the US at the time! Other players on the date include Joe Turner on piano, Mickey Baker on guitar, Wallace Bishop on drums, and Roland Lobliegois on bass. Titles include "Boo Boo", "Groovy Sunday", "I Can't Think", "Juggi Buggi", "Just You Just Me", "One For Bonnie", "Pat's Party", and "Blue Boy". CD also features 2 previously unreleased titles – "Rosetta" and "These Foolish Things".

Pure wonderfulness from Dave Mackay & Vicky Hamilton – one of the hippest duos ever to record a jazz record! The duo are a bit like Jackie & Roy at their best – in that Dave plays piano (including a bit of Fender Rhodes) and sings duet vocals with Vicky Hamilton in a sweetly swinging way that sounds very very groovy. Yet the overall sound is even groovier than Jackie & Roy – touched with influences from Sunshine Pop and the hipper side of the jazz spectrum – in a style that's extremely inventive, and unlike anything else we can think of! Tunes are mostly originals penned by the pair, and instrumentation on the record includes flute and saxes from Ira Schulman and guitar from Joe Pass – alongside keyboards from Dave, plus bass and drums. There's a beautifully breezy feel to the whole record – really the blueprint for countless 70s jazz vocal efforts to come from others – and titles include "Happying", "If I Ask You", "4 Ira", "See My Rainbow", "Peek A Boo", "Free", "Silent", and "Reach Out".

Lee Scratch Perry's funky reggae party, put together at the Black Ark, with Boris Gardner, Mickey Boo, Sly Dunbar & Winston Wright. A nice batch of skanking Jamaica funk, with the requisite Black Ark smoke blowing throughout. Includes a bunch of classic Perry-isms, with Scratch dropping verses with his own unique perspective, like "Yu Squeeze My Panhandle", "Roast Fish & Cornbread", "Soul Fire" & "Free Up The Weed"

A fantastic funky follow-up to the first Mr Thing compilation from BBE – and a set that's equally filled with rare and soulful grooves! If we didn't know better, we'd swear he went into our crates and pilfered our own record collections – because the package contains plenty of overlooked cuts that we've loved for years, but which have never gotten their due – and not even all of them are from totally obscure pressings or small indie labels – just the kind of records that people pass over sometimes, because they don't know how great they sound! There's lots and lots and lots of deeply funky numbers on the collection – and the package really takes us back to the glory days when BBE compilations were always turning us onto something new – especially during the Keb Darge glory days. 2CD set features one mixed disc, one unmixed – with titles that include "Back Ground Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Searching For Soul" by Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, "ABC" by Hot Butter & Soul, "Spooky Do" by Dick Walter, "The Horse" by Val Merral's Orchestra, "It's Just Begun" by Hot City Bump Band, "Sally" by Frank Pleyer Big Band, "Love Is Just A Word" by Johnny Griffith Inc, "Can't Stop Talkin" by Art & Ron, "Family Affair" by The Generation Gap, "Gacek" by Jerzy Milian, "Rockin Chair" by John L Watson with White Mouse, "Pink Panther" by Alan Tew, "Twinkle Stars Boo Galoo (live)" by Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, "The Message" by Tinga Stewart, and "Pru Urebu" by The Rias Orchestra.

A sharp early 60s session from the Duke Ellington group – one that seems to draw strongly on the best late 50s work for Columbia Records, but which also seems to add in an extra crackle too! The tunes are relatively short, but the group pack plenty of punch in the small space – especially on the more rhythmic numbers, which almost seem to borrow a bit from Basie's bag – yet with more of the sophistication you'd expect on the Ellington horns. The work of Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums is especially strong on this session – but there's loads of great interplay from reedmen who include Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Russel Procope, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – plus trumpet from Bill Berry, Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, and Harold Baker. Titles include "Taffy Twist", "Flirtbird", "Smada", "What Am I Here For", "Boo Dah", "Black & Tan Fantasy", and "I'm Gonna Go Fishin".

The grooviest work so far from the Hi-Fly Orchestra – a set that moves even farther past the sublime territory of their debut, into a really classic blend of soul jazz and Latin rhythms – produced to perfection with a wonderfully solid feel! Instrumentation here is all live – a blend of sax, flute, trombone, Fender Rhodes, piano, and plenty of percussion – all handled with a feel that takes us back to some of our favorite territory on Verve Records from the 60s, those wonderful records that blended elements from the Latin underground with some of the harder jazz leanings of the period – a legacy these guys are happy to add to with their wonderful grooves. Miriam Aida guests on vocals on two cuts, but most titles are instrumental – and tunes include "Afro Boo", "Carioquinha", "Polonesa", "Mrs Shing A Ling", "Hi Fly Stomp", "Mambo Atomico", and a surprisingly groovy cover of "Crosstown Traffic".

Rare raw funk from the late 60s & early 70s – singles dug from the regional US scenes for the most part (plus a stellar number from funky funky Trinidad) – incredible numbers from Guitar Ray, Don Ray & Hobbit, James Polk & The Brothers, The Herculoids, TD & Jimmy James 3, Soul Dukes and more! Feeling Nice was compiled by deep digging collectors and DJs Tobias Kirmayer and Daniel Wanders – and it's outstanding stuff that we're being introduced to for the first time in many cases. Classic level funky soul from acts that didn't get over nearly as big as they should have. Includes "Funky Pete Pts 1 & 2" by Guitar Ray, "James Brown Boo-Ga-Loo" by James In The Incredible Showmen, "Feeling Nice" by Clarence Curvan (the title honor goes to our man from Trinidad), "Back Door Jeannye" by James Polk & The Brothers, "Get Back" by The Herculoids, "Jalapeno Pep" by TD & Jimmy James 3, "Wine For The Party" by Sonrize, "Dance Party Pts 1 & 2" by JC & The Soul Angels and more 12 in all.

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information!

An anthology of hip hop art & graphics compiled by designer Cey Adams – from street art, to snapshots of the NYC underground from the end of the 60s through the 80s, pivotal album cover art, hip hop in the worlds of advertising and film, fashion and more! Loads of classic hip hop imagery, iconography, art and design! Includes a forward by Russell Simmons and an intro by Bill Adler. Paperback, 187 pages.

A totally great set by Cannonball Adderley – one of his funkiest albums ever, recorded live at Operation Breadbasket under the supervision of Jesse Jackson, and a session in which the band is cooking a lot more than on some of their other albums from the time! The set grooves hard with some tight electric piano from Joe Zawinul – amazing snakey lines that not only set the tone for the whole record, but which really make for a strong evolution from the Mercy Mercy Mercy era of the group a few years before. Cannon's alto and soprano work are beautiful – a masterpiece of soul jazz expression – as is the cornet from brother Nat – and the group's completed by bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy. The album's a bucketful of great jazzy sample tunes – and tracks include "Walk Tall", "Country Preacher", "Hummin", and the extended "Afro-Spanish Omlet".

A totally great set by Cannonball Adderley – one of his funkiest albums ever, recorded live at Operation Breadbasket under the supervision of Jesse Jackson, and a session in which the band is cooking a lot more than on some of their other albums from the time! The set grooves hard with some tight electric piano from Joe Zawinul – amazing snakey lines that not only set the tone for the whole record, but which really make for a strong evolution from the Mercy Mercy Mercy era of the group a few years before. Cannon's alto and soprano work are beautiful – a masterpiece of soul jazz expression – as is the cornet from brother Nat – and the group's completed by bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy. The album's a bucketful of great jazzy sample tunes – and tracks include "Walk Tall", "Country Preacher", "Hummin", and the extended "Afro-Spanish Omlet".

A great overview of exotic music in all its forms – not just the familiar American variant of the postwar years, but also a strong look at Italian exotica too! The book was originally penned in Italian, and has a good ear for the kind of unusual soundtrack and sound library material that always get us going – but also brings those recordings into context with larger strands of exotica, both vocal and instrumental. There's plenty here to please soundtrack, jazz, and vocal fans too – and the book even features some listening suggestions at the end. 361 pages, softcover.

One man rockabilly firebrand and Chicken Walkin' madman Hasil Adkins – done justice once more by his longtime champions at Norton Records! The title is as cheeky nod to the Velvets, but Hasil ain't no NYC art scenester, nope – he might be the true king of rock and roll, stumping out raggedly brilliant rockabilly wierdness all by his lonesome (for the most part...a fella named Sanford Stovers sings some on "Turn My Coat Tails Loose") at his home in West Virginia from the late 50s to mid 60s. Includes "Roll Roll Train", "Woke Up This Morning", "Donnio Boogie", "Donnio Shuffle", "Lonely Graveyard", "Somebody Help Me" and more.

Aerosmith at their most classic! At their peak, Aerosmith brought a hard rock edge to the more groove oriented boogie and blues rock influences. Toys In the Attic is most certainly one of their peaks, if not THE peak. Includes the all time greats "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion", plus "Big Ten Inch Record", "Uncle Salty", "Round And Round", "You See Me Crying", "Adam's Apple" and "No More No More".

The All Music Guide Required Listening collection of essential classic rock – featuring 1000 album reviews from the excellent All Music Guide reviewers – from the uber-legendary likes of Dylan, Springsteen, The Beatles, Hendrix and the like – to just as important and less mainstream celebrated greats like The Move, The Pretty Things, Grin, Tommy Bolin and so many more! Paperback, 271 pages.

A guide to essential Old School Rap & Hip Hop from team at the indespensible All Music Guide – featuring more than 500 music reviews of important records by Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, NWA, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and so much more – plus reviews on soul and funk LPs that were instrumental in the creation of hip hop, from ESG, The Emotions, Gil Scott-Heron, Marva Whitney and many more! The book is divided into 2 parts, The Roots Of Rap and Digging In The Crates, and organized alphabetically. Paperback, 166 pages, with several reviews per page.

The massive All Music Guide To Rock – The Definitive Guide To Rock, Pop And Soul (3rd Edition) – featuring reviews of thousands and thousands albums as rated and reviewed by the exceptional All Music Guide writers! The book is an encyclopedia of pop music from the 50s to the early 00s – and an very, very good one – we find the All Music Guide an indispensable reference around here, and this is a great one to have on the shelf! 14,000 reviews of albums by more than 2000 artists. Amazing! Paperback, 1399 pages.

Amazing work from the 78rpm days of Blue Note!

A nice little album – featuring some of the sides that Gene Ammons cut "off contract" for Chess/Argo during the early 60s, and ones that feature him paired with Sonny Stitt, his longtime partner in legendary tenor battles from the 50s. The two horns aren't really locked in combat here, but they do complement each other nicely on the album's mellow groovers and ballad tracks. Titles include "Cha Bootie", "Tenor Eleven", "The Last Mile", and "Full Moon".

The major label debut of Amuzement Park – almost more obscure than the indie set that preceded it, and kind of in a different mode altogether! There's still a boogie groove to most of the set, but the group are also funking things up a bit more – possibly following a Minneapolis influence, and bringing some new wave basslines and sharper-edged keyboards into the tunes. Tracks are catchy, and often a bit poppy – and titles include "Gotta Dance", "Music Makers", "This Love", "APB", "Didn't You Know", and "Squeeze Me".

A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

Underground hip hop from a focused duo – ascendant Detroit producer Apollo Brown and east coast underground heavyweight rhymer OC – a straight up effort that more than lives up to its potential! The beats are straight forward, classic styled boom bap and OC is in full command on the mic. No guest rhymers here – strong, consistent, rewarding stuff! Includes "Trophies", "The Pursuit", "Prove Me Wrong", "Nautica", "Anotha One", "Disclaimer", "We The People", "Signs", "First 48", "Angels Sing", "Just Walk", "The Formula", "Options", "Caught Up", "Fantastic" and more. 16 trophies in all.

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too!

Groundbreaking Italian prog from Area – the Arbeit Macht Frei, Cautio Radiation Area, Crac!, Area(A)zione, Maledetti and Event '76 albums – all from the crucial early-to-mid 70s years – in a 6CD box set on Cramps! The debut Arbeit Macht Frei features a tripped out blend of lingering 60s psychedelia with jazzier prog and folkish melodies, all done as uniquely as any combo of the time. Includes "Luglio, Agosto Stettembre (Nero)", "Consapevolezza", "240 Chilometri" and more. Cautio Radiation Area is even more impressive – a mad mix of out jazz, hard jamming, and even more experimental touches that include quite a bit of noise. Titles include "Cometa Rossa", "Lobotomia", "Brujo", and "ZYG". Crac! continues on this path, with even more far out vocals and a strangely joyous take on far-reaching 70s prog. Tracks include "Magalopoli", "Nervi Scoperti", "Area 5", "Implosion" and more. Are(A)azone is the group's 4th album – a collection of alternate versions of songs from previous records plus a 15 minute hard jamming tune called "Are(A)zione", and a free jazz interpretation of "The International". Maledetti goes further with the out jazz – and features guest soprano sax work from Steve Lacy. Includes "Evaporazione", "Gerontocrazia", "Scum", "Caos (Parte Seconda)" and more. Event '76 closes with "Caos II Parte (1)", "Caos II Parte (2)" and "Event '76". Comes in a great oversized package with a nice booklet – notes in Italian.

Billed as "some of the most important jazz recordings ever made" – and for good reason, too! The set brings together all the crucial early Louis Armstrong recordings from the 78rpm era – late 20s/early 30s sides for Okey, Parlophone, RCA, and Odeon – all presented with better sound and notes than any of the cheapo, knockoff packages you'll find on the market! This 10 CD collection is overflowing with key moments in jazz – great small group recordings by Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven groups, some orchestra performances, and many other important sides that went onto shape the sound of jazz for decades to come. A beautiful package, with a booklet that includes new essays, and great remastering of these crucial recordings!

A classic live date from Satchmo – and expanded to include the complete performances on that legendary night at Boston's Symphony Hall – for the first time ever! Recorded in November of 1947 and originally released in '51, it's never before been issued with both the first and second sets that night. There's also a number of great tunes here that were released before in edited versions, but fully presented here. It's such wonderful stuff – both as a top-shelf document of this period of American jazz – and as a brilliant example of Satcho's charming stage presence. His trumpet and solo vocals are well captured, and you can here up humming along on the instrumentals, too. The players at this point who are All Stars, indeed, include Jack Teagarden on vocals and trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Dick Cary on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums – plus some great vocals by Velma Middleton. 29 songs on 2CDs – in a hardback package with a great booklet – and featuring "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Body And Soul", "Steak Face", "Back O'Town Blues", "St James Infirmary", "Mop Mop", "Jack Armstrong Blues", "That's My Desire", "C Jam Blues", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Mahogany Hall Stomp" and more – many previously unreleased!

One of the last live appearances by Louis Armstrong – presented here in a really charming little album, issued in a small pressing by The National Press Club! The album's a great document of all the Armstrong charms in one package – as Louis talks as much as he plays – telling stories and speaking about the music on the first half of the set. The second half then features material recorded after Armstrong's passing – with Tyree Glenn and Tommy Gwaltney keeping up the vibe, especially on some of the spoken passages where Glenn talks about Louis! The sound quality is a bit "broadcast"-styled at the start – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Royal Garden Blues", "Love For Sale", "Crazy Rhythm", and "It's Alright With Me".

An incredible package – and one that features three of the most important records ever cut by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! All three albums were recorded at the Saravah Studios in the summer of 1969 – during a time when the Art Ensemble of Chicago were making big waves on the Parisian scene (including their work in the film Les Stances A Sophie) – and finding a way to refine their new Chicago sound in the world away from the Windy City! These were the albums that really put the Art Ensemble on the map – letting them find new freedoms, and reach new heights in expression – in a mode that even surpassed previous recordings by individual members back home. The lineup is very heavy on reeds – with a variety played by Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman – and features bold trumpet from Lester Bowie, warm basslines from Malachi Favors, and a range of percussion and other instruments by all members of the group! The set comes in a nice book-like cover, with a booklet inside – and titles include "Reese & The Smooth Ones (parts 1 & 2)", "Rock Out", "Brain For The Seine", "Dexterity", "Jackson In Your House", "The Waltz", and "Song For Charles".

Why these guys never got over bigger is beyond us! Between A Rock And A Hard Place is filled with dope rhymes, timeless beats, and a mellow, tuneful vibe that's as strong as just about anything we can think of from that fertile early-to-mid 80s scene. Titles include "Lower Da Boom", "Cummin' Thru Ya F**kin Block" feat Redman, "Drama", "Dynamite Soul", "C'Mon Wit Da Git Down" (plus the remix feat Busta Rhymes), "What Goes On?", and "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks". A couple of bonus tracks on this 2013 CD version: "Dynamic Soul II (Lip Service Remix)" feat Mad Skillz and "It's Gettin Hot (Remix)".

Fantastic sounds from the Australian scene of the early 80s – spare electronic work from Ash Wednesday and related projects – all a surprisingly great entry in the lost world of minimal wave! Most numbers here are stark and spare, but undeniably tuneful – the core charm we love at the point when groups like Human League or Cabaret Voltaire started getting a bit more focus, yet were still light years from being commercial. Like the music of both of those groups, the styles here lean heavily on the best analogue sounds forged in the decade before, filtered down to a basic essence, and redirected with tuneful lines and some moody vocals. Given that most of what we know from Australia at the time is guitar-heavy rock and noise, the set's a real revelation – and features 20 tracks that include "Psychotic Reaction", "A Circuit Like Me", "Bad Timing", "Sex I", and "A Living Person" by The Metronomes; "Boom Boom Baby", "Eighteen Creature", and "The Galvanized Garden Of Inner Peace" by Modern Jazz; "Useless Information" and "Radiation Injection" by Thealonian Music; and "Love By Numbers" and "Boring Instrumental" by Ash Wednesday.

A pretty well-done look at the effect of recording technology on music in the 20th century – with an especially strong focus on the way that classical has been shaped by the evolution in sound! Author Arved Ashby definitely writes here from an academic perspective, but has a way of making the information really come alive – even if, like us, you don't have a great understanding of the artists and works involved – but have an ear that's been trained on a lifetime's worth of records! There's plenty of pop reference points too – crucial to an understanding of the way that technical shifts impacted all sorts of music – and the book features a huge section of notes at the back as well. 316 pages, softcover.

Great stuff! From Motown songwriters to world-class superstars, the trip was a well-deserved one for Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford – and this album's perhaps their crowning achievement in sophisticated club soul! The record's got a great groove that offers a more soulful version of disco than most of the competing albums on major labels at the time – a perfect summation of the care and craft that Ashford & Simpson had always put into their music right from the start! The pair handle all production on the record, and also contributed all the songs too – and the whole thing's so wonderfully tight, right, and on the money, the album soars to the top even before the vocals come into the mix. Titles include more than a few club classics, like "Found A Cure", "Stay Free", and "Nobody Knows" – plus the cuts "Dance Forever", "Crazy", "Follow Your Heart", and "Finally Got To Me".

Mindblowing music from The Association – a heady double-length package that features every single the group ever cut for the Valiant and Warner Brothers label – which together make for an amazing evolution in sound! Although best remembered for their few soft rock hits, The Association were a hell of a group who never stopped growing back in the 60s – from sublime folksy harmonies at the start, to more complicated baroque pop as years went on, to some psych elements, and even a return to rootsier sounds they never had in the first place – always delivered with qualities that were head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – and perfectly put together in the best LA studio styles, with help from giants like Curt Boettcher, Gary Paxton, Bones Howe, and others. The group also became quite skilled in the studio themselves – as you'll hear in the book's copious notes and comments from members themselves – all a perfect package for a set that features 37 mighty tunes that include "Six Man Band", "Goodbye Columbus", "Like Always", "No Fair At All", "Standing Still", "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies", "Looking Glass", "Birthday Morning", "Makes Me Cry", "PF Sloan", "Just About The Same", "Traveler's Guide", "I Am Up For Europe", "Hear In Here",a nd "Forty Times" – not to mention some bigger hits!

One of the greatest and most historically important compilations ever put together by our friends at Light In The Attic – the first ever (!!!) anthology devoted to Stax sax great Charles "Packy" Axton! Packy was a founding member of the Mar-Keys and a cat who played with the best of them – Steve Cropper, Booker T, Teenie Hodges, Donald "Duck" Dunn and many more – all of whom can be heard on this mindblowing set of benchmark vocal and instrumental singles from the mid 60s – truly the blueprint material for the great Stax and all around Memphis soul to come! It features singles cut for labels such as USA, Bar, Hollywood and Pure Soul – soul/R&B vocal numbers and proto-funky instrumentals. Amazing, amazing stuff recorded at Royal and Ardent Studios with some of the greatest soul music players to ever come together – so highly recommended! Includes "Holiday Cheer", "Bullseye", "Hung Over", "I'll Always Love" and "Late Late Party" by The Martinis, "No Ending" and "No Love Have I" by Stacy Lane, "House Full Of Rooms", "Out Of Control" and "I'm A Fool (In Love)" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "Stone Fox", "Hip Pocket" and "Greasy Pumpkin" by The Pac-Keys, and "Hole In The Wall" by The Packers. 17 tracks in all – treated beautifully by team LITA – with a thick booklet of notes (by Andria Lisle) and full of vintage photos of the players, shots of the inner labels of the original singles, details for each track and more.

An incredible album by Roy Ayers – but one that's often overlooked because it was a rare indie effort issued between Roy's years at Polydor and Columbia! The session's Roy's only full album for Uno Melodic – the label he formed to showcase the talents of Sylvia Striplin, Ladies Of The Eighties, and others – and it's done in a snapping, boogie-styled groove that's very similar to the work by other Uno acts at the time. There's still plenty of the late Polydor Roy in the mix too – especially on the album's mellower numbers, which glide along nicely with all the right jazzy touches we love in a classic Ayers groove! Highlights include the excellent "Chicago", a really dark funk track with a mad descending groove; the Fela-styled "Black Family"; the warmly jazzy "Lots Of Love", an instrumental with vibes along strings; and the bass bumping "Everybody", a wicked later funk number! Other tracks include "And Then We Were One", "DC City", "Drive", and "Fast Money" – all great too!

The third album from Aztec Camera – and the one that showed the world they were way more than just an 80s Brit pop fluke! This one's got a great balance between the sweetness of their earlier work and some more chart-bound modes that really helped put the group on the map – a balance that's a bit like the sound that Style Council was hitting at the same point – yet less soul-based overall. Titles include "One & One", "Killermont Street", "More Than A Law", "How Men Are", "Everybody Is A Number One", and "Somewhere In My Heart". 2CD version features a cool book-style cover, great notes, and a full CD of bonus tracks that includes "Bad Education", "The Red Flag", and live versions of "I Threw It All Away", "Pillar To Post", and "Killermont Street" – as well as some mixes from singles!

The Beach Boys – day by day, year by year, presented in a very compelling diary format that really gets past some of the overblown mythos about the group! Author Badman goes for a "just the facts" sort of approach – and lists key days in the group's career from the 60s onward – with most of the details given to important stretches before 1970, but some key information from later decades too. Each entry is dated, with specific information on what the Beach Boys were involved in on that day – recording, rehearsing, touring, etc – with a surprising amount of vintage photos and other bits to support the text. Perhaps most compelling is the book's frequent use of Musicians Union sheets for recording sessions – listing session players and their details (including, oddly, social security numbers!) – which really helps illuminate the way that the records were being made. 399 pages, softcover, with black and white images.

A wonderful collection of work from Balla Et Ses Balladins – one of the leading group on the Guinean scene during its "authenticite" years of the 60s and 70s – presented here in a massive 2CD package of their work for the Syliphone label! The group have a really wide-ranging approach to their grooves – a sound with space for both modern and traditional elements of African music, as well as some of the Cuban touches that were showing up in the scene during the 60s. The rhythms here are always pretty lively, crafted out of heavy percussion and guitar lines – and most numbers have vocals in French. As with others in the Syliphone Years series, this collection is beautifully done – with a 44 page booklet that features extensive notes in both French and English, as well as color images of the group and it's orignal records. 2CD set features 28 tracks in all – including "Toure", "JRDA", "Belebele", "N'Na Soba", "Kaira", "Sakhodougou", "Tara", "Sara 70", "Nyo", "Ancien Combatant", "Sankaran Ka", and "Yadhai Gere".

A great step forward for The Bamboos – still as funky as ever, but in a much greater range of styles than before! The core deep funk sound we've always loved is still burning away at the bottom – thanks to the ever-trusty grooves of Lance Ferguson and crew – but this time around, there's also a host of guests who really seem to shape the overall feel of the record – Aloe Blacc, Megan Washington, Klye Auldist, Daniel Merriweather, Bobby Flynn, and Ella Thompson – each bringing in their own great flavors, and creating a depth of sound that's mighty nice! Most of these guests are vocalists, but their shifting styles seems to spur the instrumentation onto new heights too – adapting to suit the mood, yet never in a way that's too frenetic to keep the album from being unified overall. Titles include "Where Does The Time Go", "What I Know", "I Got Burned", "Cut Me Down", "Midnight", "Medicine Man", "Window", and "Hello Stranger".

One of the best instrumental records to come out of Memphis, and a real kicker by the funky band that went down with Otis Redding in the tragic plane crash in 1968! The leadoff track is the group's amazing hit "Soul Finger", a stormin' instrumental with a wailing brassy sound that influenced a generation with its "charge" kind of groove. Lots of other nice ones, too – like "Bar-Kays Boogaloo", "Knucklehead", "Theme From Hell's Angels", and "Pearl High". The best of the best of Stax helped out, too!

A monster! If you buy one Latin record this year – make it this one – because it's one of the greatest ever recorded! Ray's late 60s Acid album is a landmark recording – a sublime mixture of Latin jazz, percussion, and soul – grooving hard in a variety of styles, and always hitting the money on every single track. The title cut "Acid" is one of those tunes you'll be playing until you're locked up in a nursing home – and the rest of the record is equally great – with cuts like the bouncy groover "Soul Drummers", the tasty boogaloo "El Nuevo Barretto", and the extended "Espiritu Libre", a great Latin jazz track, with very "out" piano!

A treasure trove of 50s romance comics – brought together in a great-looking package, with helpful framing from author Michael Barson! The core material is great – way more than the soppy romance stories you might think – and instead some really compelling work that really gets at the worries and anxieties of America in the post-war years. Sure, there's certainly tales of gals looking for love in all the wrong places – but you'd also be amazed at how much of this stuff offers up a larger comment on society as well – penned with surprisingly thoughtful prose, and illustrated with relatively mature images too. If we had one complaint, it would be that Barson doesn't give us enough detail about the artists and writers of the material – but that's only because the whole thing's so beautiful, we want to know more! 208 pages, softcover, in full color.

A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – a studio genius who could focus on the best talent of a jazz artist, then expand it using additional keyboards, percussion, and often a sweet bank of chorus vocals to give the tracks an extra soulful sound! By the time of this album, Larry had already worked to great fame with Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, and Johnny Hammond – and the record has him turning his talents towards Gary Bartz to unlock a whole hidden side of soulful expression that would never be matched again! The title cut – "Music Is My Sanctuary" – is a jazz fusion classic in anyone's book, and it features characteristic Mizell keyboards alongside Gary's soulful sax, augmented by a deep vocal chorus that's simply fantastic. Other highlights include "Carnaval De L'Esprit" and "Macaroni" – and the whole album's nice!

A really wonderful back to basics session for Basie – featuring arrangements by longtime band members Frank Foster, Erick Dixon, Bobby Plater, and Thad Jones! The set also features vocals on 2 tracks by bluesy vocalist Richard Boone – a singer with a really great scatting approach – but overall, the real strength is the horn section, particularly Al Aarons, Dixon, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis – who all get in some very nice solo work. Tracks are mostly older numbers, Basie-ized – and played with a laidback tone that's a real contrast from the higher energy early 60s recordings. Titles include "Squeeze Me", "Frankie & Johnny", "Boone's Blues", "I Got Rhythm", and "Hey Jim".

A very handsome collection of Count Basie material for Roulette – easily some of our favorite Basie recordings ever!

Silly stuff – but it works! Ashwin Batish was born 10 years too late – because if this album was recorded in the 70s, it would have a strong Bollywood groove, with Ashwin's sitar funking over heavy wah-wah guitar. As it is, though, Ashwin recorded this one in 1986 – so the groove's a mix of electro and 80s funk, most of which still works nicely as a base, while Ashwin grooves away on the sitar, like an 80s version of Ananda Shankar. Titles include "Bombay Boogie", "Raga Rock", "Sitar Magic", "Indian Beat", and "New Delhi Vice".

My God – they finally did it! After all these years of hearing about the legendary Smile album from The Beach Boys – hearing snippets on other albums, studio bonus tracks, re-recordings, and all the other sources they've dangled in front of us for decades – Capitol's finally gone and done what they never did back in the 60s – released the whole legendary set together, as one package – and in formats that even exceed anything that might have been issued back in the day! You've probably heard a good number of the songs here before – some as they were chopped up and included on Smiley Smile, 20/20, and other post-Pet Sounds albums by the group – and in some recent re-recordings by Brian Wilson. But trust us, they all sound amazing here together – in the original recordings, with sublime 60s studio production, and godlike arrangements by the young Brian Wilson. Titles include "Our Prayer", "Gee", "My Only Sunshine/You Are", "Cabin Essence", "Wonderful", "Surf's Up", "Holidays", "Vege-Tables", "Good Vibrations", "Love To Say Dada", "Do You Like Worms", "Barnyard", and "I'm In Great Shape". Plus, this hip box set has loads of cool bits – 2CDs that include the original album with 8 bonus tracks on the first disc – then a full bonus CD of "finished" work from the project – alternate takes, expanded versions, and more – including "Our Prayer Dialogue", "Surf's Up 1st Movement", "Vege-Tables (fade)", "Cool Cool Water (version 2)", "Heroes & Villains (children were raised)", and more. Box also comes with a poster, a 36 page booklet, and a button!

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes".

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man".

A greatest hits package with ""World Famous", "Watch Out Now", "No Escapin'", "Off The Books", "However Whenever", "We Got The Funk", "Reign Of The Tec", "Props Over Here", "Beatnuts', "Get Funky" and more.

"Skillz in 98", features Mad Skillz commenting on the then current state of underground hip hop. Hype vocals, mellow production by the Bedroom Wizard. The b-side features Booda Man, Don Caban and Bilal with more atmospheric production and stronger vocals.

A great look at the never-ending genius of the legendary Steve Ditko – one of the greatest comic book artists of all time, and someone who's given us decades of enjoyment! This beautiful oversized book is a great companion to all the vintage Ditko material that's been reissued in recent years – and features a brilliantly-illustrated bio of Steve – with loads of images from his work at Marvel, Charlton, DC, Warren, and on his own – plus a key look at the influence of Ayn Rand on Ditko's images and ideas. A very hefty book, filled with color images – hardcover, and oversized!

A cool little book that's partly an introduction to jazz – but more like a cool collection of sidebars from longer articles – offering up interesting slices that really help you understand the music! The book is roughly chronological, but served up with lots of images and smaller text pieces – sometimes a focus on a specific artist, sometimes a smaller genre – often with additional notes off to the side that help illuminate things! The volume is unusual, but surprisingly helpful too – and even offers up some recommendations for CD listening as well. 276 pages, with color and black and white images.

Late Chuck Berry for Chess Records – and two albums that really get past the hits! The package is a bit unusual – in that it brings together two different UK albums that featured early Berry Chess recordings – most of which were from his later years at the label, and have him really opening up on guitar! There's still plenty of catchy tunes, and Chuck's guitar is definitely the stuff of legend – but, like Bo Diddley as his more obscure, there's also a compelling freshness to this music that may well have you appreciating Berry even more than before. 26 tracks in all – with titles that include "Big Ben", "You Never Can Tell", "Diploma For Two", "Liverpool Drive", "Don't You Lie To Me", "Guitar Boogie", "Fraulein", "Deep Feeling", and "Come On".