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A wicked set from reedman Azar Lawrence – one of the few albums issued under his own name, and a great example of the waves he was making on the 70s west coast scene! There's a depth here that goes beyond most of the other Fantasy Records sessions of the time – a sound that would be right at home on Strata East, or in some of the more righteous Cobblestone sessions – no surprise, given that the ensemble here is filled with key spiritual jazz players, including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Hadley Caliman on flute, Joe Bonner on piano, Billy Hart on drums, Mtume on congas, and even Jean Carn on a bit of guest vocals! Most tracks are longish, and a perfect setting for Azar's exploratory reed work on soprano sax and tenor – and titles include "Warriors Of Peace", "Forces Of Nature", and "The Beautiful & Omnipresent Love".

Proof that Afro Funk never dies – as long as you know where to look! This set by Ebo Taylor is a contemporary recording, but it's got a damn sharp groove – and hits as hard as any dusty old gem you might find from the 70s – with just the right production to make all the core elements come out right! Comet Records had a hand in the production, and they work the same kind of magic with Taylor that they've used on Tony Allen – really helping an Afro Funk legend come back out on top, and avoid any of the watered-down world music cliches that might otherwise hurt a record like this. Rhythms are super-funky, and produced with some great grit in the grooves – and Taylor's vocals and guitar sound wonderful – if anything, only deepened with the passage of time. Titles include "Ayesama", "Abonsam", "Barrima", "Appia Kwa Bridge", "Assomdwee", and "Yaa Amponsah".

Ta'Raach mixes up a diverse ode to most influential sounds of the Motor City – bridging musical styles and eras – in a mix for Mochilla! Ta'Raach manages to mix bits and pieces of classic and underground Detroit sounds into a unique mold with his own inventive vibe – fusing 60s indie soul to blistering rock, 70s & 80s underground funk to R&B, pop and hop hop. Underground and mainstream sounds share space with otherworldy touches and MC/DJ narration. It's a 55 continuous mix with no tracklist – with recognizable voices and melodies speeding by and colliding with the sounds of the underground!

Proof that Afro Funk never dies – as long as you know where to look! This set by Ebo Taylor is a contemporary recording, but it's got a damn sharp groove – and hits as hard as any dusty old gem you might find from the 70s – with just the right production to make all the core elements come out right! Comet Records had a hand in the production, and they work the same kind of magic with Taylor that they've used on Tony Allen – really helping an Afro Funk legend come back out on top, and avoid any of the watered-down world music cliches that might otherwise hurt a record like this. Rhythms are super-funky, and produced with some great grit in the grooves – and Taylor's vocals and guitar sound wonderful – if anything, only deepened with the passage of time. Titles include "Ayesama", "Abonsam", "Barrima", "Appia Kwa Bridge", "Assomdwee", and "Yaa Amponsah".

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane.

A wicked set from reedman Azar Lawrence – one of the few albums issued under his own name, and a great example of the waves he was making on the 70s west coast scene! There's a depth here that goes beyond most of the other Fantasy Records sessions of the time – a sound that would be right at home on Strata East, or in some of the more righteous Cobblestone sessions – no surprise, given that the ensemble here is filled with key spiritual jazz players, including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Hadley Caliman on flute, Joe Bonner on piano, Billy Hart on drums, Mtume on congas, and even Jean Carn on a bit of guest vocals! Most tracks are longish, and a perfect setting for Azar's exploratory reed work on soprano sax and tenor – and titles include "Warriors Of Peace", "Forces Of Nature", and "The Beautiful & Omnipresent Love".

Excellent work from The Valentine Brothers – and a pretty big album for the group on A&M. The best tracks have a smooth modern soul sound – stepping along nicely at a catchy groove, with the Brothers' sweet harmonies interacting wonderfully, kind of in a late O'Jays mode, with a strong soul presence, despite some more tinny instrumentation. You can hear this to best effect on the stepper "Lonely Nights", but the whole album's pretty nice overall, and other tracks include "I Thank You", "Don't Bother Me", and "When (I Love You)".

The original version of this track that went on to be huge for Simply Red – done here by The Valentine Brothers, who wrote the cut in a sweet 80s groove harmony style that really holds up over the years!

A sweet instrumental tribute to the 70s soul genius of Thom Bell – plus the Delfonics and Stylistics as well – served up with lots of mellow keyboards from the mighty Bob Baldwin! Given that Bob's got a firm lock on soulful sounds of the 21st Century, he's a great choice to revive the music of Bell – helping to bridge the space of decades with his well-crafted lines on piano and keyboards – and with great guest work from artists who include Marion Meadows, Vivian Green, Will Downing, Paul Taylor, Ragan Whiteside, and Russ Freeman! Titles include "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "People Make The World Go Round", "Break Up To Make Up", "I'll Be Around", and "La La Means I Love You".

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a version of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a versoin of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

Socking soul from the 60s – a record with American roots and a very groovy British sound! The set was the second full length album from Madeline Bell – an American singer transplanted to the mod UK scene of the 60s, where she really flourished in a rich career of hit singles, endless session work, and later fame with the group Blue Mink. The tunes on this set are a wonderful bridge between Madeline's two worlds – and have a sound that's a lot like the uptown soul coming out of the US at the time – sweet and smooth arrangements, topped by deeper soul vocals that make for a wonderful juxtaposition. Arrangements are by British talents Arthur Greenslade, Ian Green, and Keith Mansfield – and titles include "Step Inside Love", "Hold It", "Help Yourself", "After All Is Said & Done", "For Your Pleasure", and "It's Up To You". CD features bonus singles too – 6 more tracks that include "Thinkin", "Go Ahead On", "How Much I Do Love You", "What'm I Supposed To Do", and "We're So Much In Love".

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance, courtesy the lyricism and delivery of KRS-One. Importance aside, though, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang".

A selection of late 80s South Bronx Teachings – classic Boogie Down Productions circa Criminal Minded! South Bronx Teachings focuses soundly on the class of '87 – so you get fistful of the Criminal Minded cuts and a few other blasts from KRS-One & Scott La Rock, nicely paced over 13 tracks. Includes "Poetry", "South Bronx", "9MM Goes Blang", "Word From Our Sponsor", "Elementary", "Advance", "D-Nice Rocks The House", "The Bridge Is Over", "Criminal Minded", and "P Is Free (rmx)".

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring".

A bit over the top – and the kind of record that might have bankrupted Curtom in its later years! Linda's very much in full-disco mode, singing to long clubby arrangements by Gil Askey that have more strings and less soul than previous efforts. The one saving grace of the album is the cut "Don't Give It Up", a hip follow-up to "Runaway Love", which has a similar bad talkin' approach, with Linda doing a bit of a monologue in the middle. Other tracks include "Let Me Be Your Woman", "Hold Me Close", "Sweet Melodies" and the pairing of "One Of Those Songs" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which takes up all of the 2nd disc in the 2LP set.

Classic funky groovers from Dennis Coffey – with his hard guitar sound gettin' all fuzzy over some loud drums and funky Sussex production! This one's still very much on the "Scorpio" vibe, when the label was keeping things nice and hard – and before Dennis got a bit hooked into disco. Includes the cuts "Ride Sally Ride" and "Taurus", which was his similar sounding follow-up to "Scorpio". Also includes "Can You Feel it", "Midnight Blue", "Toast & Jam", "Man & Boy", "It's Too Late" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

The group were certainly doing something right – as this album has Joe Cuba's sextet at the top of their game, easily showing why they were one of the best groups on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's a pivotal one in the development of Latin Soul – as it sports the incredible track "El Pito" – one of those Latin jammers that grabbed everyone right away, and which has barely ever been matched since! The album's also got some great use of English language lyrics – crucial to the unique crossover sound that Joe was forging, and a real bridge between Spanish and African American Harlem in the 60s. Titles include "My Wonderful You", "El Pito (I'll Never Go Back To Georgia)", "Pruebalo, OK?", "Bochinchosa", "Incomparable", and "Clave Mambo".

DJ tools from DJ Rectangle. Tracks include "Battle The Bridge Break", "Southpark Shaolin Samples", "Scratch-A-Tonic Zone", "Funky Freaknik Beats", "Apache Attacks", "Dirty Rotten Skills", "Tight-Tacular Beats", "I'm Still Better Scratches", "Yeah Tone", "Instant Death Samples", "Everlasting Freshness" and more!

A real smoker from Lou Donaldson's years at Cadet – and an organ-driven session with Big John Patton on the Hammond! The record's got a slightly lighter groove than the Patton/Donaldson albums for Blue Note – but that's the great thing about the record, as it's kind of a nice bridge between the lyricism of Donaldson's non-organ records, and the harder sound of his Hammond sessions. Ray Crawford plays guitar in the group, and most tracks feature conga from the little-known Cleopas Mopedido Morris – quite possibly a more famous player, working here under a "nom-de-date". Other players include the great Bill Dixon on drums, who gives the record a nicely fluid feel – and Bill Hardman on trumpet, making a really unique appearance here. Titles include "Possum Head", "Midnight Soul", "man With A Horn", and "Persimmon Tree".

One of the best albums we've heard in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a really in the pocket session that's filled with rhythmic intensity, and some of the boldest music we've heard from Dave in years! There's plenty of edges to the set – especially the trumpet of Douglas and tenor of Jon Irabgon – but there's also a groove to many numbers too – a kind of forward-rolling energy that really takes the whole thing to great points throughout the set, and which makes a great progression from the somber tone of Dave's last album – almost a musical rebirth of sorts! Crack rhythms flow from the trio of Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and titles include "Time Travel", "Beware Of Doug", "Little Feet", "Garden State", and "Bridge To Nowhere".

A brilliant 70s session from UK reedman Bob Downes – one of his most compelling records ever, even if it wasn't widely issued at the time! The set's based on Downes' impressions of New York in the 70s – and it's got a really expansive vibe – surprising undercurrents of funk on some numbers, lyrical lines on others, and even some darker aspects that really show Bob trying to push the unique approach he first formed with his Open Music recordings at the start of the decade! Instrumentation is relatively spare throughout – with Bob on a variety of flutes, tenor, and alto sax – and also vocalizing a bit in these really compelling ways – in a group with Paul Rutherford on trombone and effects, Brian Godding on guitar, Paul Bridge on bass, and Denis Smith on drums. Production is nice and raw – very different than some of the over-recorded sessions from the scene at the time – and titles include "The Chase", "Harlem Blues", "Times Square", "Coke", "Skywalkers", and "39th Street".

Sweet group soul from The Dynamic Superiors – one of the few late 70s comers who still held onto that great falsetto lead that was big in the earlier part of the decade! The album does a great job of mixing funky numbers with sweeter, mellower cuts – in ways that also kind of bridge the group soul modes a record like this represents – some of the gentler sounds of the indie generation, and that growing dancefloor concentration of bigger labels in the late 70s. Throughout it all, the Superiors hold their own nicely – and titles include "All In Love Is Fair", "Happy Song", "Give It All Up", "Here Comes That Feeling Again", "Nowhere To Run", "You're What I Need", and "Once Is Just Not Enough". CD features three bonus tracks – parts 1 and 2 of "Nowhere To Run (US single edit)" – and "You're What I Need (US single edit)".

Beautiful – and a record that still sounds pretty darn great today! When Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt first teamed up to produce this tight little jazz pop gem, little did they know that they'd unleash a landmark sound that would forever transform the face of modern music – a great breath of real acoustic energy in an 80s landscape that was way too overcome with synthesizers and programs! The record mixes jazz and Brit pop into a swirling blend of beautiful little tracks – all graced by the incredibly smart early writing of Thorn and Watt, and some spare arrangements that really retain all the charm of their earlier solo projects too – especially that mature songwriting that made them great from the start. Titles include "Another Bridge", "Bittersweet", "Spice Of Life", "Crabwalk", "Fascination", "Frost & Fire", and "Soft Touch". Incredible 2CD version – with tracks from singles, rare demo recordings, and even some BBC tracks too! Singles include "Laugh You Out Of The House", "Easy As Sin", "Native Land", and "Riverbed Dry" – demos include "Frost & Fire", "Soft Touch", and "Bittersweet" – and BBC tracks include "Never Could Have Been Worse" and "Another Bridge".

A beautiful early record from singer Bill Fay – recorded in a baroque brilliance that rivals the late 60s work of Scott Walker! Like Walker, Fay's as much a poet as he is a singer – and he's also got the great fortune here to be working with some excellent arrangements – handled by British jazzman Michael Gibbs, and featuring some excellent guitar work from Ray Russell. That said, Bill Fay has a distinctly artful presence with a style that's all his own! He's slightly folksy at times, with echoes of some of more mysterious aspects of late 60s and early 70s psych folk scenesters – but his overall vision is far more elaborate, and carried off here to perfection in a rare kind of "once in a career" record that still holds up beautifully today! Titles include "Garden Song", "The Sun Is Bored", "Narrow Way", "We Have Laid Here", "Methane River", "Goodnight Stan", "Be Not So Fearful", and "Down To The Bridge".

The hard wailing trumpet of Maynard Ferguson gets a perfect showcase on this obscure MPS session from the 60s – a record that offers up a nice bridge between his earlier albums on Roulette, and his more famous funk sides for Columbia! The sound here is mostly acoustic, but definitely hard-grooving – in ways that are similar to other MPS big band projects of the period, such as records by Gustav Brom, or the Clarke Boland Big Band! Like the latter, there's a great ensemble working with Maynard here – and even though he's the main soloist, the sense of the larger ensemble always helps shape the sound nicely. Deiter Reith plays piano on the date – and arrangements are by Slide Hampton, Don Sebesky, Bill Holman, Willie Maiden, and Mike Abene – on cuts that include a great reading of Slide Hampton's "Got The Spirit", plus the tracks "Knarf", "Ole", "Dancing Nitely", and "Whisper Not".

There's lots of great guitar/tenor interplay in this live set from Joel Frahm – a date that's recorded with a wonderfully warm feel that almost makes it top any of Frahm's studio sessions! Tracks are nice and long, and really balance a lot of Frahm's snaking tenor lines with the guitar of Kurt Rosenwinkel – in a quartet that also features Otis Brown III on piano, and Joe Martin on bass. The set features many originals by Frahm – including "Alert", "Song For Mom", "A Little Extra", and "Short Rack" – plus versions of "Chelsea Bridge" and "Steeplechase".

A great bit of fusion from the start of the 70s – kind of a bridge between the late 60s "groovy" Japanese jazz, and some of the freer-thinking work to come! The group features excellent tenor from Takeru Muraoka, who plays with kind of a sharp edge that almost echoes more of the alto and soprano work of the generation – mixed with keyboards from Hiromasa Suzuki – who's plenty great on electric piano! Hiroshi Suzuki plays trombone, and the set's got some nice funky drums from Akira Ishikawa – who's always a treat. Overall, the set often has some of the same funky characteristics as some of the best late 60s electric jazz sets on Liberty Records in the US – on titles that include "Capricorn", "Something", "On A Sunny Day", "Some Other Night", and "Peaceful Planet".

A great soundtrack to a very strange film – a late Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor vehicle, with a very weird-sounding plot! The album's got some wonderfully groovy numbers that have a real kick to them – bass and drums dancing away on the bottom, with nice use of guitar and organ to soup up the groove! The mellower numbers are also really nice too – with a slinky sexy 70s groove that's got the feel of some of the best Italian work of the time. Sally Stevens sings on the track "For Openers", and other titles include "Cookout Society", "Under The Bridge", "Topless Rock", "Kiddo", "Get Me Out Of Here", "Snake Dance", and "Hammersmith Is Out".

A portrait of Duke, done by Dizzy – and one that's got a whole different feel than you might think! Gillespie's working here with arrangements by a young Clare Fischer – who takes Ellington's themes and recasts them with an even deeper sense of color and tone – one that pushes the already-modern themes of the numbers into a whole new realm of sound, and uses the horn passages to carve things out a lot differently than Duke might have done! The result is a wonderfully striking session – one with familiar melodies that unfold in a whole new way – and which showcases some great phrasing from Dizzy, over rhythms by a combo that features Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Charlie Persip – playing alongside a group of larger horns. Titles include "Perdido", "Caravan", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", and "Chelsea Bridge".

Fab vocal work from the Golddiggers – the female backing singers who would sing in variety numbers with Dean Martin on his weekly TV show! Although the girls were usually in the background on Dean's show, they take center stage here – swinging their way through a mix of 60s mod tracks and a few older-styled numbers. The album's got a great version of "Montage" from How Sweet It Is, a nice take on "59th Street Bridge Song", plus "The Kumquat Tree", "It's Fun To Be Young", and "It Seems Like Yesterday".

A brilliant little album from Harmonia – quite possibly their greatest record ever, and a set that's wonderfully balanced between progressive and electronic modes! There's a live drummer on the set – Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru – and although he still plays with a spare, circular mode that recalls the Harmonia rhythms of before, there's also a slight bit of propulsion here too – one that pushes the keyboards and guitars alongside nicely. There's also some spacey vocals at times, which when coupled with these other elements, gives the record a sound that's a bit like early Neu – although still a bit more electronic overall. A great bridge between two worlds of music in the German scene of the 70s – with tracks that include "Gollum", "Monza", "Notre Dame", "Deluxe", "Walky Talky", and "Kekse".

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". Great reissue too – in a gatefold LP-styled cover, with bonus insert notes, including the artwork from the original 1972 pressing on Hemphill's Mbari label! CD also features a bonus track – "Hard Blues" from Hemphill's Coon Business album!

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The group features Joe Farrell and Charles Tolliver on horns – both of whom open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – and the rest of the combo includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – lighter than earlier years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut.

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Classic Quincy Jones from the 60s – a pair of records that really show why his jazz skills were unlike anyone else! Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits is a very groovy record that was done with a feel that's somewhere in between his Big Band Bossa album and his best 60s soundtrack work! The format is simple – Quincy picks a sweet batch of jazz semi-hits from the early 60s, plays them with a nice mix of soul jazz arrangements, and works with a great ensemble filled with wonderful players – including Roland Kirk, Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell, James Moody, and Jerome Richardson on reeds; Lalo Schifrin and Patti Brown on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Melba Liston on trombone – plus lots of great percussion at the bottom, helping bring some Latin energy to the grooves at points. Tunes are familiar, but all given a great Quincy Jones twist – and titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Jive Samba", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Bossa Nova USA", and "Watermelon Man". Golden Boy is a sweet bridge between Quincy's big band recordings and his groovier soundtrack work of the mid 60s – as the record combines straight jazzy grooving with some of the cooler elements of Quincy's soundtrack scores, like stepping strings, wordless voices, and a breathy mellow groove that floats across the disc in a wonderful way! Aiding Quincy in the album are a host of top-line jazz players – including Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Woods on saxes – plus Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, and Jim Hall on guitar! Although titled after the show Golden Boy, only a few cuts here are from that musical – and the rest include Quincy Jones originals and some cool covers, given the Q twist. Titles include "Seaweed", "The Witching Hour", "Hard Day's Night", "The Sidewinder", and "Theme From Golden Boy", done in 2 versions, both great!

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone". CD features four previously unissued bonus tracks – "Albert's Stomp", "I Need A Love", "Don't Burn Down The Bridge (alt)", and "I'll Play The Blues For You (alt)".

Smoking tenor from one of the greatest reedmen of all time – and one of the few who could easily bridge the worlds of jazz, soul, and R&B! The set's one of King's earliest albums – recorded back in 1959, and really given a tight Atlantic Records focus that takes the music way past some of Curtis' recordings for other labels – a sharp, tight punch in the rhythms that really works perfectly with his horn! Most of the players have a jazz pedigree, but fall nicely in line behind the tenor lead – on a rich range of original titles that include "Midnight Ramble", "The Shake", "Lil Brother", "Jaywalk", "Snake Eyes", "The Groove", and "Chili" – plus a sweet take on "Peter Gunn" too!

Rock-solid Buddah work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – still pretty righteous on the vocal tip, but often a bit fuller and more polished than before! Knight shows a great talent for a mature ballad here – no big hits, but that's part of the charm of the set – as there's a personal, intimate quality to the tunes that also comes from the less-familiar nature of the lyrics. A few more tunes get a bit uptempo – to be expected when Tony Camillo's helping with production and arrangements – and the album features the great sample cut "Don't Burn Down The Bridge", plus the tracks "I Feel A Song", "Seconds", "Love Finds Its Own Way", "Better Go Your Way", "The Goings Up & The Comings Down", "Tenderness Is His Way", and "The Need To Be".

An overstuffed collection of greatness from Latimore – an extended set that's filled with warm soulful classics from the 70s – and a few more gems from later years too! Latimore's always had a really unique approach – steeped in southern soul, yet delivered with some slightly bluesy touches too – and in a way, the tracks on this set have really helped bridge two different worlds in the south over the past few decades – as evidenced by the large and diverse crowds that always show up to a Latimore performance! The package features 15 tracks in all – most with loads of great keyboard bits from Latimore too – and titles include "Big Ol Pretty Girl", "Nanna Puddin", "Around The World", "Let's Straighten It Out", "Keep The Home Fires Burnin", "I Pity The Fool", "Stormy Monday", and "Cat Got My Tongue".

The soul saving, Satan deterring classic by The Louvin Brothers – plus the excellent Handpicked Songs compilation of Louvin tracks lovingly selected by an eclectic group of indebted artists – in this great 2CD set from Light In The Attic! Satan Is Real is a fantastic record of country harmony spirituals, cut by the legendary Ira and Charlie Louvin, during the height of their years at Capitol. The record's a treasure all the way through – from great cuts like "Satan is Real", "The Drunkard's Room", and "Dying From Home, And Lost" – to the groovy cover that has the Louvins standing next to a flaming pile of garbage with a statue of Satan! The real deal! Handpicked Songs is amazing music from the greatest chapter of the legendary Louvin Brothers – the kind of work that's made them a legend for generations! The set features Louvin classics chosen by a reverent group of singers and songwriters that really run the gamut – Dolly Parton, Beck, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Hilman, Emmylou Harris, Will Oldham, Zooey Deschanel, The Black Angels, Mark Lanegan, M Ward, and Jim James – but all artists who have been undeniably influenced by Ira and Charlie Louvin, and their way of melding melancholy harmonies into something that goes way beyond everyday country music! The packaging is great – very much up to the Light In The Attic standard – and titles include "Almost Persuaded", "My Baby's Gone", "I See A Bridge", "Knoxville Girl", "Great Atomic Power", and "Alabama".

A genius group from the glory days of the New York avant scene of the 70s – yet one who haven't been nearly as well-documented as some of their contemporaries! The lineup here is legendary – a quintet with Charles Brackeen on tenor, flute, and soprano sax, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, William Parker on bass, Roger Blank on drums, and Tony Waters on percussion – working in ways that are really a bridge between the starker sounds of the ESP generation, and some of the looser, more collaborative energies of the loft jazz scene that was on the rise! This recording from 1974 is some of the only surviving work by the group – a well-recorded radio performance that has the group working through a number of compositions in sequence, often with very spiritual results. The package features rich recollections on the quintet by Ahmed Abdullah, and some great vintage images as well – and titles include "Face Of The Deep", "Redemption/Consecration", "Above The Cross/My Divine", and "Time & Money".

One of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell".

Killer work from a very unique little group – the short-lived union of bassist Red Mitchell and saxophonist Harold Land – heard here in one of the hippest dates from the LA scene of the early 60s! Mitchell's a well-known name from more straight ahead sides of the 50s, but working here with Land he really hits a great groove – that harder sort of soulbop sound that was coming out of LA for a few brief years in the 60s – played with a sense of tightness and fire that matched the best work of the time in New York! The whole group here is great – and the amazing Carmell Jones is in the group on trumpet, alongside Frank Strazzeri on piano and Leon Pettis on drums. The solos are great, and the writing is too – with some lively lyrical original compositions that include "Comara", "Pari Passu", "Catacomb", and "Triplin Awhile". A great bridge between Land's earlier sessions under his own name, and his later partnership with Bobby Hutcherson!

An ultra-hip set from bassist Tyler Mitchell – a player who doesn't often record as a leader, but really makes his mark with this live performance from Smalls! Mitchell's group here is a great one – a really cohesive quintet with Josh Evans on trumpet, Abraham Burton on tenor, Spike Wilner on piano, and Eric McPherson on drums – all players who come together on the album's original compositions, and who have the inventiveness to keep things spontaneous and flowing on the very long tracks – all tunes that go well past a dozen or more minutes in length. Wilner's especially nice – bold, yet sensitive – and a great bridge between the leader and hornmen. Titles include "A Time Called Now", "La Tendresse", "Caton", "Taking It With Me", and "Taj's Theme".

A real lost gem from Motown – and a whole lot more! Greetings! We're The Monitors is the only full album ever cut by The Monitors – a 3-man, 1-woman vocal group who were in a popular Motown mixed harmonies mode. The quartet had a wonderfully strong vocal presence – blasting away at most tracks with a strength that groups like The Miracles or Gladys Knight & The Pips could never match – and like those groups, they bridge that key period between late doo wop-oriented harmonies, and tighter 60s group soul. The LP brings together singles the Monitors cut for Motown during the previous few years, but it also works extremely well as a unified album – and it's a refreshing change from some of the oft-heard Motown material. Titles include "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)", "Number One In Your Heart", "Bring Back The Love", "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)", and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music". This incredible anthologogy from Kent starts off with that album and includes 12 unissued tracks – a whole album's worth – plus 2 B-Sides. Unissued tracks include "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" , "The Letter", "Poor Side Of Town", "Anything", "Guilty" and more. 26 tracks in all!

One of Jackie Moore's best albums ever – and a tight batch of deep soul tunes produced by 70s maestro Brad Shapiro! Jackie's vocals are wonderful – full of feeling, and delivered with an honest, upfront quality that really ranks with some of the best southern soul singers of the time! Shapiro's touch is great, too – and works the same sort of magic here that he did with Millie Jackson – serving up a blend of rootsy numbers, plus some smoother 70s groovers that really offer up a great way for southern soul to keep on growing. The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals and Criteria, with a great mix of modes – and the mellow cuts have these great bubbling guitars and organ behind the vocals, really making them some of the best numbers on the record. Titles include "At The Top Of The Hill", "Tired Of Hiding", "Hurting Inside Out", "The Bridge That Lies Between Us", "Never Is Forever", and "Heart Be Still".

Pure insanity from the mighty Mulatu – one of his few American albums from the 60s! The record's an incredible blend of New York Latin and some of the more Afro-styled grooves Mulatu explored more freely on his Ethiopian recordings – served up in a jazzy style that has plenty of vibes in the mix, and lots of percussion at the bottom! The record is a treasure throughout – other-worldly, yet still very hip and swinging – a mysterious bridge between Latin America and Africa, suspended on waves of wonderful sound! Titles include "Shagu", "Mascaram Setaba", "Almaz", "Mulatu's Hideaway", "Askum", "Playboy Cha Cha", and "One For Buzayhew".

A vivid early score from Mario Nascimbene – exactly the kind of music that made him a key bridge between two generations of Italian soundtrack composers! Orchestrations are relatively lush, yet full of feeling – lots of these deep blue passages that are really wonderful – and some occasional lighter instrumental elements that include some excellent harmonica from Franco De Gemini! The 2CD set is overflowing with music – more than we might have ever expected – rich in tones and colors throughout, and as vivid a painting in sound as the image on the front!

Classic-level Buck Owens covers of honky tonk standards – recorded at his own Bakersfield studio in the early-to-mid 70s to be ready to use on the Hee Haw show – but never released before this excellent compilation on Omnivore! The show was famous for trotting out both contemporary and classic country tunes for Buck and others to sing – and as both a host and a presenter, Buck prepared a heck of a lot of great stuff, just to be stocked up and prepared. All of the tracks here are previously unreleased, and it's probably as strong as just about anything else Buck was recording at the time! Includes "Honky Tonk Man", "Swinging Doors", "Hey, Good Lookin'", "Stay A Little Longer", "I'm Movin On", "In The Jailhouse Now", "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young", "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", "The Bridge Washed Out" and more.

Titles include "Somebody's Calling My Name", "Said I Wasn't Going To Tell Nobody", "Shine On Me", "Set Me Free", and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters".

Dusty grooves from Alice Russell – a set that's steeped in heavy soul influences all the way through – from her great vocals on the top, to the tight instrumentation in the middle, to all the heavy drums that keep things kicking on the bottom! The album may well be Russell's tightest outing to day – and a set that's done in close collaboration with Alex Cowan – who really helps move Alice's music forward strongly with some new elements that never appeared in previous outings! There's some cool little twists and turns in the music – slight use of contemporary keys and electronics alongside the live funk elements – blended in nicely, without any sense of gimmick at all – and really helping bridge the space between the deep funk underground where Russell's worked strongly for years, and the bigger soul mainstream she could well dominate in the future. Titles include "Twin Peaks", "I Loved You", Citizens", "To Dust", "Hard & Strong", "For A While", "A To Z", and "Let Go". Features bonus track "Different".

Dusty grooves from Alice Russell – a set that's steeped in heavy soul influences all the way through – from her great vocals on the top, to the tight instrumentation in the middle, to all the heavy drums that keep things kicking on the bottom! The album may well be Russell's tightest outing to day – and a set that's done in close collaboration with Alex Cowan – who really helps move Alice's music forward strongly with some new elements that never appeared in previous outings! There's some cool little twists and turns in the music – slight use of contemporary keys and electronics alongside the live funk elements – blended in nicely, without any sense of gimmick at all – and really helping bridge the space between the deep funk underground where Russell's worked strongly for years, and the bigger soul mainstream she could well dominate in the future. Titles include "Twin Peaks", "I Loved You", Citizens", "To Dust", "Hard & Strong", "For A While", "A To Z", and "Let Go". Features bonus track "Different".

Great work by Bunny Sigler – and a perfect bridge between his earlier Philly soul from the late 60s, and his later disco from the end of the 70s! Bunny's in perfect form vocally – and the record is a super-strong batch of tracks that deserves to be well up there in the Gamble/Huff cannon – oft-overlooked for some odd reason, but prime 70s Philly all the way through – and quite different than some of Sigler's later material! The songwriting's great – loads of compelling original cuts – and arrangements are by Bunny, Ronnie Baker, and Norman Harris – ensuring a top-shelf Sigma sound all the way through! Titles include "I Lied", "Picture Us", "Things Are Gonna Get Better", "Your Love Is Good", and a different take on "Love Train". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Love Train (part 1)", and "I Lied (single version)".

A great late 60s gem from pianist Horace Silver – and a great bridge between his earlier soul jazz for Blue Note, and some of his more righteous work to come in the 70s! At one level, the sound here steps off from classics like Serenade To A Soul Sister or The Jody Grind – but at another level, there's a more open approach to the music – one that has Horace sliding into new tones and colors, with a slightly lyrical undercurrent as well. As on some of his later dates, the mellower moments are often the most compelling – showing a newly mature side of Silver's talents, and a new love of space between the notes that really helps to break the mode of previous recordings! The group here features the great Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Williams on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include "Lovely's Daughter", "Risin Sun", "You Gotta Take A Little Love", "Down & Out", and "Brain Wave".

Brilliant work – and one of the rare few albums to feature the genius alto of Sonny Simmons from the 60s! The session has the fierceness of other ESP sessions from the time, but it's also tempered with a bit of spiritualism, too – somewhat more introspective in the heavy moments than other albums on the label, due in part to Simmons' personal style of playing, and the presence of John Hicks on piano and Barbara Donald on trumpet – put together in a way that's almost a bridge between the ESP and Impulse Records scenes of the 60s, with perhaps a nod towards the direction the jazz underground would take in the 70s! Other players include Teddy Smith on bass and Marvin Pattillo on drums – and tracks include "City of David", "Metamorphosis", and "Interplanetary Travelers".

Frankie, Frankie – OW! Take a broken down synth, some crazy vocals, and a rich sense of imagination – and you've got one of the seminal groups of the New York scene of the early punk years. Suicide were a seminal bridge between earlier prog underground sounds and the art-rock punk styles that were coming out of New York in the late 70s. With this one landmark album, the band completely dismantled the cold German prog synth of groups like Kraftwerk, La Dusseldorf, and Tangerine Dream – and created a wild sound of spare anguish that brought a whole new dimension to punk rock. Ok, maybe we're going out on a limb – but this record has got to be one of the top 50 "must have" rock albums of all time. Includes the cuts "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA", "Johnny", "Frankie Teardrop", "Che", and "Cheree" – plus the unreleased remix of "Cheree".

A near-perfect album from the great John Surman – recorded at the crossroads of the British jazz scene as it stepped into the 70s, and done with a fullness and focus that Surman hardly matched again! As with some of the other Deram sessions of the time, the album's overflowing with great players from the cream of the British new wave of jazz – including Barre Phillips on bass, Tony Oxley on drums, Alan Skidmore on tenor, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and John Taylor on piano – but despite strong work from the entire ensemble, Surman's work on baritone, soprano, and bass clarinet are a tremendous highlight here – poised between some of Eric Dolphy's most inventive modes on the instruments, and some of the greater changes to come in the European free scene of the 70s! There's a cohesiveness here that's really wonderful – a sound that's never too free, nor too overindulgent – but also not as tightly arranged as on work by some of Surman's contemporaries. Titles include "Caractacus", "Galata Bridge", "Premonition", and the long suite "Event".

Even more experimental than the first album from The Swell Maps – a set that features some longer songs and a bit more tunes, but also a lot more weird sounds as well! Instrumentation is often slightly more conventional here, but usually taken to some very unusual places – odd tones and phrases that really mark the Maps as a key link between pre and post-punk sides of the British scene – and which give this record a timeless quality that's kept it essential for years! Epic Soundtracks serves up loads of cool instruments along with his drums – including some toys, violin, typewriter, and even a bit of mumbling – and Nikki Sudden drives the whole thing home with his droney guitar and great vocals. Titles include "Let's Buy A Bridge", "Robot Factory", "Big Maz In The Desert From The Trolley", "Mining Villages", "Collision With A Frogman Vs The Mangrove Delta Plan", "Whatever Happens Next", and "The Helicopter Spies".

Even more experimental than the first album from The Swell Maps – a set that features some longer songs and a bit more tunes, but also a lot more weird sounds as well! Instrumentation is often slightly more conventional here, but usually taken to some very unusual places – odd tones and phrases that really mark the Maps as a key link between pre and post-punk sides of the British scene – and which give this record a timeless quality that's kept it essential for years! Epic Soundtracks serves up loads of cool instruments along with his drums – including some toys, violin, typewriter, and even a bit of mumbling – and Nikki Sudden drives the whole thing home with his droney guitar and great vocals. Titles include "Let's Buy A Bridge", "Robot Factory", "Big Maz In The Desert From The Trolley", "Mining Villages", "Collision With A Frogman Vs The Mangrove Delta Plan", "Whatever Happens Next", and "The Helicopter Spies".

A seminal set from The Swell Maps – at one level a record that's completely of its moment, and at another, a completely unique set that's never been matched since! The Swell Maps were part of the UK scene of the punk years, but were already embracing a lot of post-punk energy in their sound – or, in a way, some pre-punk experimentation – as they mixed in some prog-like instrumentation, creative studio production, and a great ear for mixing up modes – in ways that make the record way way different than just the usual full length set from the time! There's lots of odd percussion at times – occasionally quite cacophonous – and a sense of drone that's years ahead of its time – or maybe leftover from the psych years, too – thanks to the presence of Nikki Sudden in the group, who'd explore that side of the music more on his own during the 80s. Epic Soundtracks provides amazing inspiration on drums – and titles include "Vertical Slum", "Spitfire Parade", "Harmony In Your Bathroom", "Don't Throw Ashtrays At Me", "Midget Submarines", and "Bridge Head (part nine)".

A Def Jam classic from Tashan – and a record that really helped bridge the gap between male soul and hip hop in the 80s! The style's still as warm and soulful as most of Tashan's contemporaries, but the record definitely shows a bit of street soul in the rhythms too – often just a bit gentle, but prefacing the changes that would come more strongly in the next decade – an aspect that really made this one stand out from the rest! Tashan's vocals are in a classic romantic mode, but often set to beats that provide a nice contrast and a good sort of punch – a definite Def Jam mode that's famously heard on the title track. Titles include "Ooh We Baby", "So Much In Love", "I Don't Ever", "Love Is", "Read My Mind", "If Words Can Express", "Chasin A Dream", and "Strung Out On You". CD features bonus tracks – "Read My Mind (long version rmx)", "Read My Mind (short version rmx)", "Chasin A Dream (special mix)", and "Chasin A Dream (single)".

Sweet, smooth, and bluesy – perhaps not as hard as some of Johnnie's earlier Stax work, but with an increasing sophistication that really shows his development as a soul singer. The record's a good bridge into Johnnie's modern soul work at Columbia – and it's got arrangements by Wade Marcus and Johnny Allen that fit hand in glove with Taylor's rich voice. Titles include "It's September", "I've Been Born Again", "Just One Moment", "It Don't Pay To Get Up In The Morning", and "Try Me Tonight".

A great solo set from Heidi Vogel – a vocalist you may know from previous work with the Cinematic Orchestra – stepping out here in a bossa-heavy set that's a perfect fit for the Far Out label! Heidi's style is deeper and more expressive than before – not a voice as part of larger instrumental backdrops, but a lyrical presence first and foremost – often supported with lighter instrumentation that echoes an older bossa era – with strong use of acoustic guitar, light percussion, piano, bass, and cello – all with very melancholy shades of sound. There's a light glow to the record that's really beautiful – mellow, yet soulful enough to have some subtle power – and the set also features guest vocals on two tracks by Cleveland Watkiss, and guest piano on two other numbers by Austin Peralta. Titles include a nice version of Joao Donato's "The Frog" – plus "Inutil Paisagem", "Chelsea Bridge", "Love Dance", "Bonita", "Juazeiro", "Black Narcissus", "Copacabana", and "Modinha". CD also fatures three remix numbers – "Black Narcissus (Cinematic Orchestra rmx)", "Black Narcissus (Emanative rmx)", and "Turn Up The Quiet (IG Culture rmx)".

A standout classic of the French disco scene of the 70s – and a record that found a perfect way to bridge the gap between spacier grooves and tighter rhythms for the mainstream! The 70s French scene was often known for plenty of great keyboards – kind of an offshoot of earlier prog, focused towards the dancefloor in the disco generation – and Voyage were one of the greatest groups to put this whole groove together – working here on some nice long tracks that build in a really organic way – often from fast-running drums and basslines, peppered with riffing guitars and keyboards – and often touched with some cool exotic elements as well! There's just a bit of vocals on the set, but most of the focus is instrumental – rolling out beautifully on cuts that include "Latin Odyssey", "Bayou Village", "Scotch Machine", "Orient Express", "Lady America", "Point Zero", and "From East To West".

A standout classic of the French disco scene of the 70s – and a record that found a perfect way to bridge the gap between spacier grooves and tighter rhythms for the mainstream! The 70s French scene was often known for plenty of great keyboards – kind of an offshoot of earlier prog, focused towards the dancefloor in the disco generation – and Voyage were one of the greatest groups to put this whole groove together – working here on some nice long tracks that build in a really organic way – often from fast-running drums and basslines, peppered with riffing guitars and keyboards – and often touched with some cool exotic elements as well! There's just a bit of vocals on the set, but most of the focus is instrumental – rolling out beautifully on cuts that include "Latin Odyssey", "Bayou Village", "Scotch Machine", "Orient Express", "Lady America", "Point Zero", and "From East To West". This amazing 2CD version of the album features an insane 24 bonus tracks – including 12" mixes, club mixes, instrumental, and other mixes of album tracks – and a few numbers by the related group VIP Connection – both 12" and 7" mixes of the tracks "Please Love Me Again" and "West Coast Drive".

An electronic pop masterpiece! YMO's first US release, and their best LP of quirky techno pop, bubbling over with video game noise, synthesized beeps and a stew of futuristic noises all glued together with infectious rhythms. Includes "Computer Game (Theme From The Circus)", "Computer Game (Theme From The Invader)", "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)", "Cosmic Surfin", "Firecracker", "Simoon", "La Femme Chinoise", "Bridge Over Troubled Music" and "Mad Pierrot".

A wonderful collection from the soul treasure hunters at Outta Sight – essential grooves from a pivotal period – late 60s and early 70s soul singles that bridge the raw, driving vibe of the previous era to the more sophisticated arrangements of dancefloor soul to come! It's got some legendary names and comparably obscure ones alike – a great, stylistically varied set of soul tunes by Bobby Womack, The Electrifying Cashmeres, The Carlettes, Philharmonics, Three Shades Of Soul, Johnny Adams, Deniece Chandler, The Identities and more. Superb soul singles all the way – a bunch of which we've never heard before now! 24 tracks in all: "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "Lost Without Your Love" by The Carlettes, "Tried And Convicted" by Bobby Womack, "Mama, I Wish I Stayed Home" by Deniece Chandler, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by Judy Green, "When Love Slips Away" by The Identities, "Crying Time Is Over" by Tony Love, "You're A Bad Habit, Baby" by Johnny Adams, "Patience" by Rokk and more.

Sublime soul all the way through – really tremendous little tracks that are just waiting to be discovered – and none of them the kind of mainstream grooves you might expect from the "crossover" in the title! Instead, these tracks have a power that really helps shift perception of a genre – almost a bridge between upbeat 60s Northern Soul and smoother 70s modern – with a warmth that's undeniable, and a groove that never lets up! The vocals are sublime, and the production is perfect – totally tight, but never slick at all – just perfect for the arrangements that really help these tunes soar! The set features a whopping two dozen tracks in all – and in addition to some real gems by lesser-knowns, there's also some great overlooked tracks by bigger names too – titles that include "I'm Not Ready" by Ujima, "The Common Broken Heart" by Lou Courtney, "Let's Try It Over Again" by Willie Hutch, "Midnight Sunshine" by The Soul Children, "It's Gonna Be Alright" by Maxine Brown, "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin, "Fool's Hall Of Fame" by Ike Lovely, "Wait Till I Give The Signal" by The Shirelles, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rug" by Ann Bailey, "Main Squeeze" by Syl Johnson, "Satisfactorise Your Mind" by Africano, "Trapped In A Love" by Barrino Brothers, and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" by Freddie Hughes.

A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South.

A vital collection of some of the best songs written, or co-written by Otis Blackwell – who's one of the greatest and most adaptable songwriters of the late 50s onward! His songs were perfectly suited to bridge late 50s and early 60s soul, rock and pop – especially for performers who straddled those styles – but his work reaches pretty far, stylistically! If you don't know the name Otis Blackwell, we promise you know his songs – and some of the best of them are on this set – with some hugely famous tunes, some in iconic form, and others in lesser-known versions. There's also some overlooked gems – and the titles include "Make Me Know It" by Elvis, "Don't Be Cruel" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "My Pigeon's Gone" by The Five Keys, "For My Good Fortune" by Mahalia Jackson, "I'll Find You" by Gene Pitney, "Brace Yourself" by Ben E King, "I Told Myself A Lie" by Clyde McPhatter, "Home In Your Heart" by Solomon Burke, "Handy Man" by Del Shannon, Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott's 1962 demo for "One Broken Heart For Sale", "Fever" by Little Willie John and more.

One of the funkiest gospel collections you'll ever hope to own – and an amazing document of the criss-crossing styles going down at the legendary Jewel Records! Jewel didn't just record gospel, but handled a fair bit of soul, funk, blues, and jazz – all of which seems to bubble forth in these amazing recordings – tracks that easily represent some of the hippest, coolest gospel sides of the late 60s and early 70s – the kind of work we've dug for years in its ability to easily cross over to the secular scene, thanks to wicked grooves underneath the vocals! And the vocals are pretty darn great too – work by singers who could have been huge in the mainstream world, had they broken from the spiritual realm – really belting out with the best of the southern soul scene of the time. The package features a whopping 41 tracks in all – with tracks that "Don't Forget The Bridge" by Mighty Songs Of Glory, "There's A Creator" by Roscoe Robinson, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Brotherly Love" by BP's Revolution, "I'm Trying To Be Your Friend" by Soul Stirrers, "Far Away From God" by Armstrong Brothers, "Golden Gate" by Traveling Echoes, "He's A Friend" by Dorothy Norwood, "Watch That Rogue" by Silver Gate Quartet, "You've Got To Serve Somebody" by Bill Moss, and "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires.

Raw tunes from the late 50s and early 60s – a smoking collection of rare rockers, raunchy R&B, and some early soul numbers too – all served up in a totally sweet 10" vinyl package! The set's from the same folks who gave us the excellent Beat From Badsville series – and like those great collections, this one's got a vibe that takes us back to some of the Stompin sets from earlier years, and which also makes us feel like we've discovered some hipster jukebox from many decades back – stocked with vintage wax with a mighty nice edge! Titles on this volume include "Old Man Mose" by Rod Willis, "The Devil Sat Down & Cried" by Savannah Churchill & The Striders, "Action" by Lance Fortune, "St James Infirmary" by Otto Bash, "Shadrack" by Golden Gate Quartet, "Cross Over The Bridge" by The Chords, and "Snake Dance Boogie" by Roy Hogsed.

A really wonderful compilation of rare material from the early days of Cherry Red Records – that great British label who brought some incredibly sweet pop into an otherwise dark post-punk world! The set's especially nice for its wealth of material by Everything But The Girl and solo members Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn – as nearly a third of the set is material by various combinations of the above. Includes "Can't", "Tower Of Silence", and "Aubade" by Ben Watt; "Goodbye Joe" by Tracey Thorn; and "Feeling Dizzy" and "On My Mind" by Everything But The Girl. Also includes "My Brilliant Career", "Son Of God's Mate", and "Inside Out" by The Nightingales; "If She Doesn't Smile" and "Thousand Guitars Of St Dominiques" by Fantastic Something; "4 Countries" and "The Coroner & The Inquest" by The Reflections; "This Is For The Moment", "Think", "Rushes", and "The Trial" by Five Or Six; and "The Bridge" by The Monochrome Set.

A great soundtrack to a very strange film – a late Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor vehicle, with a very weird-sounding plot! The album's got some wonderfully groovy numbers that have a real kick to them – bass and drums dancing away on the bottom, with nice use of guitar and organ to soup up the groove! The mellower numbers are also really nice too – with a slinky sexy 70s groove that's got the feel of some of the best Italian work of the time. Sally Stevens sings on the track "For Openers", and other titles include "Cookout Society", "Under The Bridge", "Topless Rock", "Kiddo", "Get Me Out Of Here", "Snake Dance", and "Hammersmith Is Out".

An early Atlantic set from the Modern Jazz Quartet – and a bit of an odd one, in which the crack MJQ crew recruit a rich slate guests! The first two numbers, "Da Capo" and "Fine" bring in Jimmy Giuffre's trio, nicely stretching out the vibe with expected, but no less sweet results! The remaining tunes, "Exposure", "Sketch", and "Conversation" bring in a crew of classical musicians in an effort bridge the world's of small combo jazz and chamber music! An amibitious set – from much different creative viewpoint than later, staid MJQ work!

While the title may claim that Dionne Warwick is "Just Being Myself", the sound of the set is something completely different – a surprisingly great album that has the lady working with the post-Motown production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! There's a quality here that resonates strongly from the very first note – a bold move away from Bacharach to some of the more adult soul modes explored in the 70s – handled by HDH with full-on backings on some numbers, but with a more gentle Warwick-styled groove on others. The album's got a depth we never would have expected – especially from the slightly-soppy cover – and Dionne's manage to bring in all the strengths from earlier years, yet also recast them a bit with a fuller soul-based groove on the set. The album features the surprisingly funky "I'm Just Being Myself", which has some great sinister flute over skittish drums – plus the tracks "You're Gonna Need Me", "Come Back", "Don't Burn The Bridge", "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You", and "I Think You Need Love".

A stellar solo set from John Edwards – one of the tightest talents of the southern scene in the mid 70s, and a singer who would later break big with The Spinners! This album's got a really unique vibe – with some slight tropical touches hinted at by the cover image – and some deeper production from David Porter down at the Malaco and Ardent Studios – which ensures that the deep soul component of the music still stays strong! The whole thing's unlike anything else we can think of – and is a definite bridge between 70s soul scenes at the time – echoes of folks like Al Green or Sam Dees, but a tighter approach at points too. Titles include "You, Trouble, & Me", "That's That", "The Key To My Life", and "Baby, Hold On To Me".

A beautiful combination of piano and vibes – performed here by a hip German combo from the postwar years! The quartet features piano from Wolfgang Lauth and vibes from Fritz Hartshuh – the latter of whom plays with a nicely hard-edged, chromatic sound – a great link between some of the first jazz players to pick up the instrument and some of the key modernists to emerge later in the 60s. Lauth's piano work is great, and the record is a wonderful early example of his standout skills on the instrument – one that also features bass from Wolfgang Wagner and drums from Joe Hackbarth. The album's recorded with a bit of an echoey tone, which brings out some of the darker elements in the music – and the set includes a few really great original compositions, plus more familiar standards. Titles include "La Cave", "Miniature", "Darn That Dream", "Visions Of Cathy", "London Bridge Is Not Falling Down", "Near You It Was Always So Beautiful", and "Everything Happens To Me". (Note: there appears to be a slight imperfection on track 3 – causing a musical dropout for a brief moment.)

Massive work from Darrell Banks – two tracks from his rare album for Stax Records – both of them a perfect example of his unique talents! Banks was one of the deepest soul talents working on the Detroit scene of the 60s – a singer who could hit a motor city groove like the best of his contemporaries, but with raw vocal power that was much more at home alongside the best singers of the southern scene of the time. Both of these cuts show that balance beautifully – and come from some key Don Davis productions for Stax – almost the first step of that Memphis/Detroit bridge that Davis would forge even more strongly in the 70s.

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance, courtesy the lyricism and delivery of KRS-One. Importance aside, though, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang".

From the transitional period when Chuck and co. were moving from the harder funk style of their Sussex days to the Go Go sound they'd help pioneer in DC, with a style that combines both, with a bottom heavy groove, wiry guitar, horn stabs and percolating percussion. This single features their massive hit in classic funky 45 style, parts 1 & 2, but stretched way out over both sides of a 12", with more than a few breakdowns, call and response choruses and getting taken to the bridge, over and over. . .

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring".

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues".

Two rare ones from the 60s London jazz scene – back to back on a single CD! First up is a tremendous little record – a rare meeting between Ellington tenorist Paul Gonsalves and Brit reed genius Tubby Hayes – a set that's cut very much in the best spirit of some of Hayes' free-thinking classics on Fontana Records! The grooves are open, and beautifully-executed – and both sax players sound sublime – Gonsalves with that raspy tone that you'll know from Ellington dates, but cut loose much more here – and Hayes with that powerful sense of depth that's always made him one of our favorite saxophonists! The rest of the group is quite nice too – and players include Stan Tracey on piano, Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, and Keith Christie on trombone. Titles include "Tupa", "Amber Mood", "Pedro's Walk", "Baby Blue", "Mini Minor", and "Souraya". Johnny Scott takes over the CD on the second half – turning in an EMI Studio 2 classic with London Swings – a date that's done with largeish charts, but a great sense of rhythm throughout! The players in clude Ian Hamer and Ray Davies on trumpets, Ronnie Ross and Duncan Lamont on saxes, John Marson on harp, Don Lusher on trombone, and Alan Branscombe on piano – and the tunes offer up a cascading mix of large charts and individual instrumental voices, occasionally filled in by a bit of strings. Titles include "London By Night", "Greek Street Soho", "Let's All Go Down To The Strand", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Knocked Em In The Old Kent Road".

Amazing work from bop trumpeter Joe Gordon! Gordon was a lost talent who only cut a handful of records before his untimely death in 1963 – but he was a heck of a trumpeter, with a rich talent that we'd rank up there with Lee Morgan and Kenny Dorham. Joe plays here in a group that includes Art Blakey on drums and Charlie Rouse on tenor – and the overall sound is right up there with the best raw bop on Blue Note or Prestige during the same time. Titles include "Toll Bridge", "Lady Bob", "Flash Gordon", "Xochimilco", and "Bus Bier".

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The group features Joe Farrell and Charles Tolliver on horns – both of whom open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – and the rest of the combo includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – lighter than earlier years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice".

Straight trio grooving from Takehiro Honda – but pretty darn great work nonetheless! The album's a nice bridge between the harder, more rhythmic pulse of his early soul jazz sessions, and the later, freer sound of his more lyrical trio sides – and the whole album shows Honda opening up with a new sense of freedom, really taking off on the keys of the piano, while still keeping a nicely understated groove going at the bottom. The rest of the trio includes Yoshio Suzuki on bass and Kan Murakami on drums – and titles include "Sunny", "I Love You", "Autumn Leaves", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Here's That Rainy Day".

A rootsy cover, and some rootsy blues to match – a fairly stripped down session from John Lee Hooker –- and one that mostly just features vocals and guitar, plus some occasional added guitar and piano! Most of the recordings here are from the early 50s, pulled together in a full LP at the end of that decade – and they represent the formative roots of the Chess Records sound – a key bridge between Chicago blues and work from earlier scenes. Titles include "Ramblin By Myself", "Ground Hog Blues", "Women & Money", "High Priced Woman", "Sugar Mama", "Walkin The Boogie", "Love Blues", and "Union Station Blues".

An amazing little record from a trio that features pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Albert Tootie Heath – way more than you'd expect from the outside, and proof again that these Live At Smalls albums are some incredible gems! Iverson's a player with a great sense of history, yet one who also really wants to move his references forward too – and his freely improvisational style of these tunes is just wonderful – beginning with a respect for his elders, yet really going past any obvious direction in its execution! Both Street and Heath are key elements too – but Iverson's playing is what really holds our attention here – and we'll admit that our entry to the record was also guided by his extremely thoughtful notes as well. Expect way more than you'd guess – on titles that include "Little Melonae", "Pound Cake", "Good Bait", "Dance Of The Infidels", "Laura", and "Chelsea Bridge".

At the end of the 60s, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown cut some very groovy records together – teamed up in a great pairing of styles that pushed both of them way past the more standard sounds of earlier years! This album's one of the best of the bunch – as it features pianist Monty Alexander joining the pair, bringing in some warmly soulful elements on piano – in ways that are a great bridge between his work for MGM and MPS! The set also features great tenor from Teddy Edwards – blowing with a deep tone and a sharp edge – and in addition to vibes by Jackson and bass by Brown, the group also features Dick Berk on drums. The set was recorded live at Shelly's Manne-Hole – and titles include Alexander's "That's The Way It Is", plus "Blues In The Basement", "Wheelin & Dealin", and "Tenderly".

A moody set of 70s work from Yusef – proof that he was always trying to push his bag, and a good attempt to bridge his earlier exotic work and his later high concept compositions. Some of this material is spare and thoughtful, while other tracks are trying for sort of a 70's electric funk sound. Funky cuts include "The Hump", "This Old Building", and "Prayer" – and players include Kenny Barron, Cornell Dupree, and Ray Bryant.

The birth of the Memphis instrumental sound – a classic album from The Mar-Keys, who were one of the leading early groups on Stax! The group was a unique assemblage of musicians from both sides of the Memphis tracks – coming together in the studio with a hard-wailing mix of soul, rock, and R&B – a great bridge between Memphis Stax and the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s. Titles are all pretty playful, and feature lots of sax and organ lines – on tunes that include "Night Before", "Morning After", "About Noon", "Hold It", "Last Night", "Sticks & Stones", and "One Degree North".

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone!

Two amazing sets from Harold McNair – a fantastic London 60s flute player with a really sharp edge! The self-titled Harold McNair has the leader working in a tight combo with some nice offbeat sounds – including a lot of breathy, soul-toned notes that remind us a fair bit of Roland Kirk – but which also showcase some of Harold's West Indian roots! (McNair was part of the same great West Indian influx of jazz musicians that also gave England Joe Harriott and Dizzy Reece.) The group features Harold mostly on flute, plus a bit of tenor – alongside Bill LeSage on piano, Spike Heatley on bass, and Tony Carr on drums – and titles include the seminal groover "The Hipster" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "Mento", "Indecision", "The Cottage", and "Mini Blues". Flute & Nut features the flute of Harold McNair alongside some sweet arrangements from John Cameron – with whom Harold worked famously on Donovan sessions in the 60s! Many tunes are McNair originals, and Harold's flute is definitely in the lead – but we also love the grooves that Cameron brings on board – a sweet blend of soulful jazz and sound library styles – all of which gives the album a similar feel to Roland Kirk's work with the Benny Golson group on Mercury. Titles include "Burnt Amber", "Herb Green", "Nomadic Joe", "Barnes Bridge", and "The Umbrella Man".