A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this this second volume include "Daylie Double", "Groovin", "Viscosity", "Coffee Pot", "It's You Or No One", and "Jay". CD

2 of Boogaloo Joe's best and rarest albums on one CD – guitar jazz funk at its best! First up is Boogaloo Joe – a killer session of funky guitar jazz, and the record that gave Ivan "Boogaloo" Joe Jones his nickname! The set's a full-on wailer that really blows away Joe's first two on Prestige – breaking out ouf the box with a killer lineup that includes Rusty Bryant on tenor, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Sonny Phillips on organ – all working with Joe's incredibly tight guitar lines to craft some wicked tunes that take soul jazz firmly into the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Boogaloo Joe", "People Are Talking", "Dream On Little Dreamer", and "Atlantic City Soul". Right On Brother is next – and is Ivan's first truly sublime album – a set that showed the world that he was easily one of the greatest jazz guitarists of his generation – able to spin out single-note jams with a speed and dexterity that few others could match! The groove here is totally great and very righteous – heavy drums from Bernard Purdie, wailing organ from Charles Earland, and saxophone from Rusty Bryant – all cooking together in the best early 70s Prestige jazz funk mode! Titles include "Right On", "Brown Bag", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", and "Poppin". CD

A killer set of searing soulful spiritual material from Oliver Nelson – and one of his best albums of the 70s! There's hardly anything "Swiss" in the music – save for the fact that it was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Fest – as the large ensemble recording has Nelson at the helm of a very hip group of musicians – really stretching out into territory that's more Strata East than any of his other work, especially on the title track! In addition to the tenor from Gato Barberi and alto from Eddie Vinson – both featured on the title – the set also features Charles Tolliver and Harry Beckett on trumpets, Bosko Petrovic on vibes, Na Na on barimbau, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano. Side one features the soaring "Swiss Suite" – an extended number done for the set – and side two has a bit more Nelson touches coming into play with the progressive lineup – on titles that include "Stolen Moments", "Black Brown & Beautiful", and "Blues & The Abstract Truth". CD

A fantastic 70s session from Charlie Palmieri – featuring some of his best keyboard solos of the decade, and some very cool work on organ that almost makes us think Sun Ra is in the group! The style is quite unusual, even for Charlie – with a weird sound from his organ that really gives the record an edge – played alongside straighter piano lines, heavy percussion, and lots of warm horn work overall. Charlie's organ really stands out best on the descarga cut "No Esta En Na" and the groovy midtempo "Estoy Friza'o" – but the whole thing's great, and other cuts include "Comelon Hustle", "King Charles", "Dame Tu Corazon", and "Sobando El Piano Merengue". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Dannie Richmond had a lot more to offer than just his drumming with Charles Mingus! The album's a stunning post-Mingus set that shows Richmond in command of a hip group of Mingus-ites – but working in a style that has much of its own manners and quirks! The album features 2 Mingus tunes – as you'd expect from a Richmond album – but the delivery is quite different than when the tunes were in Charles' hands, and they come off with an offbeat sense of rhythm and timing that almost has the playful feel of some of Jaki Byard's best work. The rest of the group features Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Cameron Brown on bass – and titles include "Hi Jinks", "Dionysius", "Flying Colors", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight". CD

A pretty amazing survey of the Cali art scene of the late 70s – served up here in a book that's half essay, half images – with work from dozens of important artists who include Edward Ruscha, Jim Melchert, Charles Gaines, Joe Goode, Patrick Hogan, The Kipper Kids, Hal Fischer, Judy Chicago, Robert Arneson, Peter D'Agostino, Karen Carson, Robert E Brown, Tony Berland, Terry Fox, Gary Panter, Raymond Pettibon, and even the folks at Survival Research Laboratories! The book offers up large, full-color images of dozens of important art works – and the writing does a great job of contextualizing the material – as part of an exhibition put together by the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. 312 pages, hardcover, and super-heavy! Book

Great live material from Shepp – not out or crazy, but also not spiritual or hippy dippy, either. The record's kind of a perfectly soulful straight ahead set – in a mode that hints at the traditional direction Shepp would take at the time, but with a lot more interesting moments. The group's a quartet with Charles Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and the tracks feature Shepp soloing with a lot of soul, and criss crossing styles from track to track. "U-jamaa" is a strong straight number – and the 3 other titles are "Lush Life", "Crucificado" and "Miss Toni". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last truly outside albums recorded by Archie Shepp in the 70s – a French performance that's very similar to the open-ended, freely-blown recordings he did for the BYG/Actuel label a few years before! The record captures Shepp in territory that's different than some of the more structured recordings and sets of standard material he'd soon be giving the world – and he blows tenor with unbridled energy on long live tracks – working with a very cool group that includes the great Charles Greenlee on trombone, plus Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! The band plays with a perfect style that matches freer soloing with soulful modal rhythms – and as a French-only release, it's one of the more obscure Archie Shepp sessions from the period. Titles include "Hipnosis", "U-Jaama", "African Drum Suite", and the amazing "Blues For Don L Duck". LP, Vinyl record album

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! Tracks include "Lowe Groovin", "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere", & "Applejack" by Joe Morris, "That Old Black Magic", "Annie Laurie", & "Midnight Special" by Tiny Grimes, "Cole Slaw", by Frank Cully, "So Long", "I'll Get Along Somehow", "Daddy Daddy", & "5-10-15 Hours" by Ruth Brown, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" & "Drinkin Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" by Stick Mcghee, "The Chill Is On", "Chains Of Love", & "Sweet Sixteen" by Joe Turner, "Hey Little Girl" & "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" by Professor Longhair, "Fool Fool Fool" & "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, and "The Midnight Hour" by Ray Charles. LP, Vinyl record album

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "I Cried A Tear" by LaVern Baker, "What'd I Say (parts 1 & 2)", 'Let The Good Times Roll" and "Just For A Thrill" by Ray Charles, "There Goes My Baby" and "This Magic Moment" by the Drifters, "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy" by the Coasters, "Spanish Harlem", "Stand By Me" and "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" by Ben E King, "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas, "Just Out Of Reach" by Solomon Burke, "Last Night" by the Mar-Keys, "I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song)" by the Ikettes, "You Don't miss Your Water" by William Bell, "I Found A Love" by the Falcons, and "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MG's. LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks from Jimmy Reed, Charles Brown, Joe Turner, BB King, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Earl Hooker, Otis Spann, Brownie McGhee, and Jimmy Rushing. LP, Vinyl record album

A hip little set that's as groovy as its cover – a whole batch of cat-themed tunes from the 50s and 60s, most of them in a hip jazzy sort of style! Things are never too kitty-creepy – as they are with that lady down the street who owns way too many cats – and instead, most of the numbers here have a clean, lean sort of sound that's more in the mode of a 50s jazz "cat" than that of the four-legged, furry type. About half the numbers here are instrumentals with a really mod feel, and the rest are vocal numbers, of a variety of different genres – all put together in a way that's surprisingly fresh, and plenty darn groovy throughout. Titles include "The Cat" by Eddie & Ernie, "Three Cool Cats" by The Coasters, "Cleo" by Rene Hall, "Kitty Kat" by Paul Ott, "El Pussy Cat" by Mongo Santamaria, "Sneakin Up On You" by Peggy Lee, "Cat Nip" by Dave Baby Cortez, "Cat Hop" by The Dodgers, "Walkin My Cat Named Dog" by Norma Tanega, "The Cat" by Jimmy Smith, "The Cat Came Back" by Sonny James, "That Darned Cat" by Buddy Greco, "The Kitty Kat Song" by Lee Dorsey, "If You Play With Cats" by Charles Brown, "Tom Cat" by The Rooftop Singers, and "Top Cat Theme Song" by Top Cat Orchestra. CD

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown,, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more. CD

A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but tunes that soar and glide on soulful energy – showcasing a few early modern soul elements that were years ahead of their time, and often using just the right sort of production and arrangements to really expand the sound of a singer or harmony vocal group! The whole thing's wonderful – fantastic rare soul listening all the way through – and titles include "Can't Forget About You Baby" by Marian Love, "I Believe In Miracles" by Mark Capanni, "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "The Game Is Over" by Brown Sugar, "Too Late" by Tavares, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Bettye Swann, "How Can I Go On Without You" by Corey Blake, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen Group, "You Had It Made" by Freddie Terrell & Blue Rhythm Band, and "Oh Mama" by CM Lord. CD

For volume 2 of this great series, the folks at BBE got Jasper the Vinyl Junkie to compile a mass of grooves with a hard James Brown drumbreak sound, and a real JB's feel. Some of these are from more recent years – like "Cut Me Loose" by Push, "Tribute to JB Family" by The Last Minister, and "P.O.W.E.R." by Hip Hop Traxx – and some of these are old – like "Zambezi" by Charles Kynard, "Soul Power '74 (remix)" by Maceo & The Macs, and "Got to Get Back to Louisiana" by Elmer & Brenda Parker. They're all stone cold funky, though, and have a hard drum funk groove with a good dancefloor feel. Another nice mix of music that we wouldn't have thought of – from the good folks at BBE! CD

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this first volume include include "Turnpike", "Sketch 1", "Capri", "Lover Man", "Get Happy", and "Coffee Pot". CD features alternate takes, too. CD

On Joyous Lake; Delmar Brown on electric piano, Mark Leonard on bass & Kenwood Dennard on drums & percussion. On Starbright; Gil Goldstein on keyboards, Michael Mainieri & Warren Bernhardt on synetesizers, Will Lee on bass, Charles Collins & Michael Carvin on drums, Alyrio Lima Cova on percussion, Marty Quinn on tablas & Joe D'Onofrio on violin. CD

One of our favorite of Verve's "genius of" collections of Charlie Parker's work – largely because it includes some wonderful and oft-overlooked vocal tunes! 4 of the tracks on the set feature Bird blowing with a vocal chorus arranged by Dave Lambert – in a style that shouldn't work, but does – thanks to Lambert's keen bop sensibilities (heard here before his Lambert Hendricks & Ross years), and to players in the group that include Hal McKusick, Max Roach, and Charles Mingus. Other tracks have Parker either playing in a quartet with Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, and Hank Jones – or in a different group with Kenny Dorham and Tommy Turk. Titles include "Cardboard", "Visa", "Segment", "Passport", "Diverse", "I'm In the Mood For Love", "If I Love Again", and "Star Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Bo Diddley, The Platters, Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon, The Ernie Freeman Combo, The Teen Queens, Howlin' Wolf, Bobby Mitchell, Ray Charles, The Moonglows, Little Richard And His Band, James Brown With The Famous Flames, Fats Domino, Clyde McPhatter, and more - 30 songs in all. CD

Two early 60s albums from the team of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – both recorded in Chicago! Boss Tenors is a head to head classic from Jug & Stitt that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut here in our hometown with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". The second album, Dig Him, is one of those overlooked Argo sessions and features great straight-ahead blowing from Stitt and Jug! The album's a quintet session, with John Houston piano, Buster Williams bass, and George Brown drums providing all the rhythm. But the real focus is on the twin-sax frontline – with Sitt taking up the alto on a few numbers, but mostly blowing tenor head to head with Jug. Recorded in 1961 during Jug's great year of contract-breaking – and issued later in the 60s by Prestige under a different title. Titles include "A Mess", "Water Jug", "New Blues Up & Down", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "A Pair Of Red Pants". CD

The lovely and soulful Hadda Brooks was one of the great talents on the LA scene of the postwar years – a vocalist and pianist with a style that blended blues and jazz, in a manner that was like some of her male counterparts on the scene at the time, such as Nat King Cole or Charles Brown. Brooks' fame in the city was great, and even led to a few famous film appearances – but the sophistication of her work often kept it from cracking the charts as strongly as other R&B stars at the time. This excellent album is really the only one she ever issued – a strong set of tunes recorded for Crown/Modern in the 50s. Titles include "My Ideal", "Take Me", "The Thrill Is Gone", "How Do You Speak To An Angel", "My Romance", and "Dream". CD

Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, but also takes off even further – working in a spiritual ensemble that also features his wife Jean Carn on vocals – sounding way more like a righteous jazz singer than on her later soul sides for Philly International! Other players are great, too – and include Charles Tolliver on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, George Harper on tenor and soprano sax, Buster Williams on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks include "New Moon", "Trance Dance", "My Spirit", "Blue In Green", and "Arise & Shine". CD

Peter Guralnick has written some mighty big, career-defining books on key figures in music – but from the start, we've always loved his shorter pieces the best – the kind of work we first fell in love with in books like Sweet Soul Music and Lost Highway! And if you dig his shorter pieces, there's plenty of those here – really wonderful essays on artists in a variety of genres – penned by one of the few figures who can balance an understanding of their music with a mixture of historical detail and unabashed fandom! Guralnick's writing has gotten better and better over the years – and it's great to have it focused back on his roots – in chapters that focus on artists who include Solomon Burke, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, Howlin Wolf, Tammy Wynette, and even the great country trucker Dick Curless! Hardcover book is 554 pages, with black and white illustrations throughout. Book

Chico Hamilton on drums, Charles Lloyd on tenor saxophone and flute, Gabor Szabo on guitar, Albert Stinson on bass, and Garnett Brown and George Bohanon on trombone. CD

Recordings from 1946 through 1950 – with sidemen that include Charles Brown, Johnny Moore, Eddie Williams, Ernie Royal, Pee Wee Crayton, Tyree Glenn, Russell Procope, Oscar Pettiford, Wendell Marshall, and others! CD

With Bill Hardman, Idris Muhammad, Sonny Phillips, Charles Brown, and Jimmy Ponder. CD

Features Julian Pressley on alto, Bill O'Connell on piano, Charles Fambrough on bass, and Dave Brown on drums! CD

Proof that Dannie Richmond had a lot more to offer than just his drumming with Charles Mingus! The album's a stunning post-Mingus set that shows Richmond in command of a hip group of Mingus-ites – but working in a style that has much of its own manners and quirks! The album features 2 Mingus tunes – as you'd expect from a Richmond album – but the delivery is quite different than when the tunes were in Charles' hands, and they come off with an offbeat sense of rhythm and timing that almost has the playful feel of some of Jaki Byard's best work. The rest of the group features Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Cameron Brown on bass – and titles include "Hi Jinks", "Dionysius", "Flying Colors", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live material from Shepp – not out or crazy, but also not spiritual or hippy dippy, either. The record's kind of a perfectly soulful straight ahead set – in a mode that hints at the traditional direction Shepp would take at the time, but with a lot more interesting moments. The group's a quartet with Charles Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and the tracks feature Shepp soloing with a lot of soul, and criss crossing styles from track to track. "U-jamaa" is a strong straight number – and the 3 other titles are "Lush Life", "Crucificado" and "Miss Toni". CD

A treasure trove of rare postwar blues from the west coast – material cut for Dootsie Williams, best known as the head of the seminal Dootone label in LA! The set offers both tracks from Dootone and Williams' rarer imprint Blue – the latter of which existed from the late 40s into the early 50s, and featured a fair bit of excellent material done in the more laidback bluesy mode of LA after the war – styles popularized by Charles Brown, Cecil Gant, and others – echoed strongly in many of the performances here. As the set rolls on into the later 50s, some of the tracks pick up a bit more of an R&B sound – but the work is still relatively unified here, thanks to a good focus on the more blues-based work on Dootone. 30 tracks in all, plus some really great notes – all at the usual high Ace level! Titles include "Rent Day" by Stormy Herman, "Richmond Blues" by Betty Hall Jones, "West Coast Baby" by Johnny Taylor & His Mellow 5, "I Got A Country Girl" by Bobby Nunn, "Everybody's Jumpin Tonight" by Dootsie Williams & His Rhythm Kings with Joe Turner, "You'd Better Come Home Baby" by Violet Hall, "The Hole In The Wall" by Cleo Brown, "Are You Ready To Go Steady" by Paul Monday, and "Katy Lee" by Fats Gaines. CD

Music from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lillian Glinn, Charles Brown, T Bone Walker, Percy Mayfield, Albert Collins & his Rhythm Rockers, Mance Copeland, Freddy King, and more. CD

Music from Tarheel Slim, Professor Longhair, Ruth Brown, Piano Man Walls, Floyd Dixon, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers, Young Jessie, LaVern Baker, Bobby Charles, Big Maybell, Piano Red, and more – 18 tracks total. CD

Spiritual sounds from the source – a host of incredible tracks from a time when jazz was really opening up into new dimensions – as players stepped forward in a wave of strong post-Coltrane energy to really push the music into the skies! The music here can be seen as a blueprint for generations to come – styles that are now getting new fame in the hands of Kamasi Washington and some of his contemporaries, but which flowered first in recordings like these – pulled from the early 70s vaults of Prestige, Milestone, and Muse Records – and brought together here in a really wonderful collection! Tracks are all nice and long, and the set showcases an older generation of jazz musicians really flowering at the time – balanced perfectly between a sense of freedom and a spiritual soul – on titles that include "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Let Us Go To Higher Heights" by Carlos Garnett, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Brown Eyes" by Charles Earland, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Aftermath" by Oliver Nelson, "Josie Black" by Hampton Hawes, "Let It Take Your Mind" by Bayete Umbra Zindiko, "Fire" by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane, and "The Free Slave" by Roy Brooks. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible deep soul – and a wealth of tracks you've probably never heard before! Sure, the King label's best known for it's work in 50s R&B and 60s James Brown soul – but this 24 tracks set shows that King (and related labels) were still working hard in the late 60s and early 70s to come up with the best of the southern soul underground – a massive batch of lesser-known artists who were burning the soul light bright. The quality of the work here is fantastic – as great as the best on Stax at the time, and then some – as the tunes really glisten with a newness and freshness that keeps us going through the set list again and again. Titles include "Precious Minutes" by Elaine Armstrong, "Beggin Just Ain't My Bag" by Dan Brantley, "Money Can't Buy True Love" by James Duncan, "One Woman" by Pat Lundy, "Darling Darling I Love You" by Johnny Soul, "Everywhere I Go" by Bobby & The Expressions, "Never Let A Love Grow Cold" by Allison, "Lost My Faith In You" by Charles Vickers, "I'm A Fool In Love" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "All Woman" by Dottie Clark, "She Wrote It I Read It" by Junior McCants, and "Counting Teardrops" by James K-Nine. CD

A huge array of soul tracks from the Mainstream label – an imprint that was probably best known for its jazz work of the early 70s, and as the launching pad for a few key rock groups – but one who also cut some killer soul tracks in the best New York and Philly styles of the period! Mainstream only ever issued most of its soul material as singles – 45s issued on their own label, and under the IX Chains, Brown Dog, and New Moon imprints too – spread out in an array of under-circulated, poorly-distributed releases that never fully got their due at the time – partly because much of the music was years ahead of its time! There's a groove here that reminds us of the hippest sounds from bigger labels – including Philly International or All-Platinum – with a similar blend of sweetness, honest vocal performances, and some top-shelf studio work that gives the lyrics a hell of an instrumental push, but all without ever sounding slick or commercial. The package is a much-needed look at this scattered legacy – and brings together 24 rare cuts that include "These Memories" by Almeta Lattimore, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by JG Lewis, "Come Back (part 1)" by The Fantastic Puzzles, "I Can't Give You Up" by Linda Perry, "It Ain't Like It Used To Be" by Randolph Brown & Company, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "You're A Friend Of Mine" by Words Of Wisdom, "Satisfy My Woman" by Calvin Arnold, "Plain Out Of Luck" by Nia Johnson, "We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love" by Jackey Beavers Show, "Let The People Talk" by The Steptones, "To Whom It May Concern" by Ellerine Harding, "It's So Real" by McArthur, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "That's The Way She Is" by Bobby Earl Williams. CD

Music by Jimmy Witherspoon, Lloyd Glenn, Big Joe Turner, Johnny Otis, Lowell Fulson, Charles Brown, Jimmy McCracklin, the Nightengale Jubalaires, and Dusty Brooks – 24 tracks total. CD

A really well-done collection – one that spans key postwar years of R&B, then moves through doo wop into the seminal sounds of 60s soul – almost all from Atlantic Records! Music from Illinois Jacquet, Lionel Hampton, the Ravens, Mabel Scott, Big Jay McNeely, Percy Mayfield, the Five Keys, Lloyd Price, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, the Chords, Johnny Ace, Ray Charles, James Brown & much more. CD

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown,, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more. CD

Music from Wynonie Harris, Dinah Washington, Memphis Slim, Fats Domino, Muddy Waters, Ruth Brown, Johnny Ace, Jesse Belvin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and more – 75 tracks total. CD

Music from Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five, Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers, Roy Milton & His Solid Senders, Nat "King" Cole Trio, Cecil Gant, Charles Brown with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Ivory Hunter* with Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers, T-Bone Walker with Marl Young & His Orchestra, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Julia Lee with Tommy Douglas' Orchestra, Helen Humes with Bill Doggett's Octet, Dinah Washington with Lucky Thompson's All Stars, and more - 36 songs in all. CD

Music from Wynonie Harris, The Dominoes, Louis Jordan, Paul Williams, Jackie Brenston & His Delta Kings, Lloyd Price, Big Mama Thornton, Amos Milburn, The Clovers, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim, Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, Bill Haley & The Comets, The Five Keys, Muddy Waters, Joe Turner, The Robins, Faye Adams, Gene & Eunice, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, and The Orioles. CD

A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but tunes that soar and glide on soulful energy – showcasing a few early modern soul elements that were years ahead of their time, and often using just the right sort of production and arrangements to really expand the sound of a singer or harmony vocal group! The whole thing's wonderful – fantastic rare soul listening all the way through – and titles include "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen Group, "Consider The Source" by Leon Haywood, "Oh Mama" by CM Lord, "Thank You Girl For Loving Me" by Enchantment, "The Game Is Over" by Brown Sugar, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "Too Late"b y Tavares, and "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Bettye Swann. LP, Vinyl record album

Not just soul, but lots of R&B too – work by Betty Wright, Joe Turner, Joe Tex, Sam & Dave, Stick McGhee, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, The Chords, Solomon Burke, and lots of others! LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Mingus work from reedman George Adams and pianist Don Pullen – three albums in a single set! Decisions is one of those key records that has George Adams and Don Pullen reinventing expectations of jazz for the 80s – both musicians with plenty of ear for the outside, but also coming back home with a well-rounded, deeply-rooted approach that's crucial in taking the American jazz legacy another step forward! Like some of their similar contemporaries, who could also be avant at times, and straight at others – Adams and Pullen have no concern with setting themselves in one camp or another – and not only flesh out the spirit of the record with both of those aspects of their playing, but also have some surprisingly bluesy undercurrents at times. The group features George Adams on tenor, Don Pullen on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Decisions", "Triple Over Time", "I Could Really For You", "Message Urgent", and "Trees & Grass & Things". Life Line is a strong outing from this key post-Mingus collaboration – and a record that really shows both Don Pullen and George Adams really coming into their own! Pullen's piano can have plenty of edges, as can Adams' tenor – but there's also some warmer, lyrical moments that really round things out – kind of a balance between righteous energy and deeper quietude that the musicians might have learned during their time with Charles Mingus – taken to a logical small group extension here. Adams also plays a bit of flute, which is especially nice – and the group also includes Cameron Brown on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "The Great Escape Or Run John Henry Run", "Seriously Speaking", "Soft Seas", and "Protection". Live At Montmartre is solidly soaring work from tenorist George Adams – recording live here with pianist Don Pullen, one of his best musical partners during the 80s! The album's got a bit more of a bite than some of the pair's studio sessions – a bit straighter overall, but recorded with a nice degree of energy, and some long tracks that really let both players open up nicely – in a combo that also features John Scofield on guitar, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The inclusion of Scofield's guitar changes up the group's sound in a nice way – adding in some more chromatic elements that really stand out – and titles include "IJ", "Flame Games", "Song Everlasting", and "Forever Lovers". CD

A strong outing from this key post-Mingus collaboration – and a record that really shows both Don Pullen and George Adams really coming into their own! Pullen's piano can have plenty of edges, as can Adams' tenor – but there's also some warmer, lyrical moments that really round things out – kind of a balance between righteous energy and deeper quietude that the musicians might have learned during their time with Charles Mingus – taken to a logical small group extension here. Adams also plays a bit of flute, which is especially nice – and the group also includes Cameron Brown on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "The Great Escape Or Run John Henry Run", "Seriously Speaking", "Soft Seas", and "Protection". LP, Vinyl record album

Two early 60s albums from the team of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – both recorded in Chicago! Boss Tenors is a head to head classic from Jug & Stitt that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut here in our hometown with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". The second album, Dig Him, is one of those overlooked Argo sessions and features great straight-ahead blowing from Stitt and Jug! The album's a quintet session, with John Houston piano, Buster Williams bass, and George Brown drums providing all the rhythm. But the real focus is on the twin-sax frontline – with Sitt taking up the alto on a few numbers, but mostly blowing tenor head to head with Jug. Recorded in 1961 during Jug's great year of contract-breaking – and issued later in the 60s by Prestige under a different title. Titles include "A Mess", "Water Jug", "New Blues Up & Down", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "A Pair Of Red Pants". CD

The funky freaky soundtrack to Ralph Bakshi's animated feature Fritz The Cat – a really messed-up little film based around the original character created by Robert Crumb! Like the movie, the album's got a very skittish kind of feel – leaping from one genre to the next with each different track – but mostly featuring some older numbers from the Fantasy catalog, plus some key newer tracks for the set that are nice and funky! Original tunes include the bad-rapping "Fritz The Cat", by Ed Bogas and The Watson Sisters – plus the instrumentals "Duke's Theme" and "Bertha's Theme" by Ray Shanklin, and "The Riot" and "Winston" by Ed Bogas. Also includes "Love Light Of Mine" by The Watson Sisters, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, and "Mamblues" by Cal Tjader. LP, Vinyl record album

Two slices of work from Terry Callier – a collection that's mostly made up of his sublime early 70s recordings for Chess – but which also features a few tracks from his 1999 comeback for Verve! The Chess recordings are the stuff of legend – a unique blend of jazz, folk, and soul with the soaring, spacious arrangements of the great Charles Stepney! Callier's vocals and guitar work have gone onto influence generations for years – and this collection features most of the tracks that helped make his mark back in the day. Titles include "Dancing Girl", "Ordinary Joe", "What Color Is Love", "Trance On Sedgewick Street", "I'd Rather Be With You", "Satin Doll", "I Don't Want Nobody Else", "Brown-Eyed Lady", "I'd Rather Be With You", "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Sunset Boulevard", and "Love Can Do". CD

Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, but also takes off even further – working in a spiritual ensemble that also features his wife Jean Carn on vocals – sounding way more like a righteous jazz singer than on her later soul sides for Philly International! Other players are great, too – and include Charles Tolliver on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, George Harper on tenor and soprano sax, Buster Williams on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks include "New Moon", "Trance Dance", "My Spirit", "Blue In Green", and "Arise & Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records ever recorded by pianist Stanley Cowell – a leading light on the legendary Strata East label! The album's one of Cowell's most searching, spiritual sets ever – and one of his few to feature a larger ensemble, working with all the righteous currents of the best Strata East years! The group shifts a bit from track to track, giving things a nice sense of variety – and players include Marion Brown on wooden flute, Jimmy Heath on alto and flute, Nadi Quamar on percussion, and Bill Lee on bass – and the set also features some vocals from Charles Fowlkes and Glenda Barnes. Cowell plays some mbira on the classic "Travelin' Man", a beautifully mellow number done with thumb piano and vocals, almost in a Heath Brothers Strata mode – and other tracks include "Lullabye", "Thank You My People", "Trying To Find A Way", and "The Gehmbhre". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic presentation of all that's wonderful with the mighty Daptone label – one of the hippest, funkiest record companies of the past few decades – the company that gave the world Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and other great artists – all of whom are heard here in an extended length live set! The package documents three nights of music at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem – home to famous live shows by James Brown – whose tight way of presenting a variety of singers is replicated here – as Daptone cycle through some of their hippest acts in the lead, offering up a few songs by each – while the mighty Dap Kings provide all the backing! There's a huge amount of songs by both Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley – plus more by Budos Band, Antibalas, Menahan Street Band, Como Mamas, Sugarman 3, Saun & Starr, and Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – then everybody comes together to perform a version of "Family Affair" at the end! Binky Griptite acts as the MC for the evening – and the whole thing has a rock-solid sound that's every bit the best that Daptone can offer. LP, Vinyl record album

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this this second volume include "Daylie Double", "Groovin", "Viscosity", "Coffee Pot", "It's You Or No One", and "Jay". CD

A cool take on the music of Charles Mingus – handled here by his old drummer Dannie Richmond, in a great small combo mode that's quite different than usual! The tunes are all pretty darn dynamic, but have a really different flavor – some very right drums from Richmond, who almost seems to have a bit more presence here than under the guidance of his old boss – and some especially nice horns from Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano sax, and Jack Walrath on trumpet and flugelhorn – both blowing in bold lines that would make Mingus proud, but also feeling plenty of their own selves as well. The remainder of the group features Cameron Brown on bass and Bob Neloms on piano – and titles include "Seven Words", "April Denise", "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion", and "Feel No Evil". CD features a bonus take on "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion". CD

Includes 23 songs from Jimmy Yancey, Little Brother Montgomery, Jack Dupree, Professor Longhair, Vann "Piano Man" Walls, Joe Turner, Jay McShann, Meade Lux Lewis, Ray Charles, Floyd Dixon, Texas Johnny Brown, Doctor John, and Willie Mabon. CD

Music from Tiny Grimes, Joe Morris, Frank Culley, Ruth Brown, Professor Longhair, Harry Van Walls, the Clovers, Joe Turner, the Cardinals, Ray Charles and Willis Jackson. CD

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "Ruby Baby" and "Fools Fall In Love" by the Drifters,"In paradise" by the Cookies, "The Chicken & The Hawk" by Joe Turner, "Devil Or Angel" by the Clovers, "Drown In My Own Tears" and "Lonely Avenue" by Ray Charles, "Jim Dandy" by LaVern Baker, 'Down In Mexico", "Searchin'" and "Yakety Yak" by the Coasters, "Treasure Of Love" by Clyde McPhatter, "Since I Met You Baby" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Lucky Lips" by Ruth Brown, "Midnight Special Train" by Joe Turner, "Cc Rider" and "Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes" by Chuck Willis and "Mr Lee" by the Bobbettes. CD

Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd guess from the title, all the cuts here have had a new life in recent years – thanks to samples by hip hop artists or other producers – but the original grooves are even better than the tracks that used them, and come together here to make one of the most mindblowing collections of Chess material we've ever heard! The package is nicely heavy on sounds from the Cadet/Concept years of the label – with more than a few contributions from producers Charles Stepney and Richard Evans – and the package features 42 wonderful tracks – including "Fonky Thang Diamon Ring" by The Dells, "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Dorothy Ashby, "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Rotary Connection, "Jelly Jam" by Jack McDuff, "The Getaway" by Alvin Cash, "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler, "Cross Country" by Archie Whitewater, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "Go Go Power" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "Bad Moon Rising" by Bo Diddley, "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Be Do Da Day" by Eddie Fisher, "Humpin Bumpin & Thumpin" by Andre Williams, "Who Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Walk On By" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Chocolate Candy" by Soulful Strings, "Got To Get Your Own (7" version)" by Reuben Wilson, "Hanky's Panky (7" version)" by Shirley Scott, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Look Of Love" by Monk Higgins, and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & The Organizers. CD

Features work by Charles Brown, Pee Wee Crayton, Erskin Hawkins, Johnny Otis, Otis Rush, T-Bone Walker, Junior Parker, Albert King, and others! CD

Spiritual sounds from the source – a host of incredible tracks from a time when jazz was really opening up into new dimensions – as players stepped forward in a wave of strong post-Coltrane energy to really push the music into the skies! The music here can be seen as a blueprint for generations to come – styles that are now getting new fame in the hands of Kamasi Washington and some of his contemporaries, but which flowered first in recordings like these – pulled from the early 70s vaults of Prestige, Milestone, and Muse Records – and brought together here in a really wonderful collection! Tracks are all nice and long, and the set showcases an older generation of jazz musicians really flowering at the time – balanced perfectly between a sense of freedom and a spiritual soul – on titles that include "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Let Us Go To Higher Heights" by Carlos Garnett, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Brown Eyes" by Charles Earland, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Aftermath" by Oliver Nelson, "Josie Black" by Hampton Hawes, "Let It Take Your Mind" by Bayete Umbra Zindiko, "Fire" by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane, and "The Free Slave" by Roy Brooks. CD

A pretty deep collection of old school Rhythm & Blues recordings in a 3CD set – one billed as Classics, another as Dance Craze cuts and the third highlighting rarities – excellent stuff from legends such as Big Mama Thornton, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Ruth Brown, Dave Bartholomew, Wynonie Harris, TV Slim, Little Richard, Wilbert Harrison, The Dominoes, Louis Jordan and many more! The antology covers material from the years 1945 to 1959 and features 51 tracks on 3CDs. "I'm Ready" by Fats Domino, "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison, "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" by Ruth Brown, "Ain't I Talking To You Baby" by Sheri Washington, "That's Right Baby" by Piney Brown, "Who Drank My Beer, While I Was In The Rear" by Dave Bartholomew, "Speedoo" by The Cadillacs, "Speedoo" by The Bobbettes and more. CD

Decades of jazz recordings, pulled together in support of the famous documentary series – with a total of 94 tracks in all! Music from Louis Armstrong, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Horace Silver, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Weather Report, Dexter Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, and much more. CD

One of the first-ever Christmas albums in the world of soul and R&B, and a host of vintage Holiday tunes pulled from the 50s LA R&B scene – served up here as a complete album! The set features some of the first great secular soul tracks recorded for the season – tracks that set the scene for all the Motown, James Brown, and other soul music Christmas albums to come! Titles include Charles Brown's classic "Merry Christmas Baby", plus "Lonesome Christmas (parts 1 & 2)" by Lowell Fulsom, "Sleigh Ride" by Lloyd Glenn, "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" by Mable Scott, "Christmas Everyday" and "Christmas Dreams" by Johnny Moore's Blazers, "Love For Christmas" and "Jingle Bell Hop" by Jackson Trio, and "Christmas Blues" by Jimmy Witherspoon. CD

Not just cool jazz – despite what the title might say – and instead a whole host of soulful jazzy styles from the late 50s and early 60s – pulled forth from the kind of singles that once boomed from backroom jukeboxes in taverns on the south side of town! The collection is great – very much in the spirit of some of the Mod Jazz compilations on Ace, but maybe even a bit more farther-reaching too – and the tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal jazz numbers, put together with the same great ear as the soul collections on the Outta Sight label. Titles include "Like Young" by Ann Henry, "I Walk The Streets" by Lyn Avalon, "Scenes In The City (edit)" by Charles Mingus, "Comin Home Baby" by Dave Bailey, "Johnny With The Gentle Hands" by Cootie Williams & Wini Brown, "Baby Do You Ever Think Of Me" by Sonny Stitt, "Goodbye Old Girl" by Art Farmer, "Wayning Moments" by Wayne Shorter, and "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant. CD

3 album set packed with tracks by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Otis Redding, Booker T, Ike & Tina Turner, and so much more. LP, Vinyl record album

Famous tracks from the legendary Miami Soul powerhouse TK Records – famous not because they were hits in the 70s, but because they were used in later years as hip hop samples – dug from the deep well of music that TK recorded back in the day, to lay the blueprint for a whole new generation! The set brings together 15 gems that are not only funky, and which have key elements that you'll know from hip hop songs – but which also stand pretty darn strongly on their own, as a fantastic overview of the care of creation that TK brought to its work in the studio. Titles include "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Dedicate All My Love" by Raw Soul Express, "Sweet Thang" by The 13th Floor, "Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart" by Clarence Reid, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "To Touch You Again/Lady Blue" by John Tropea, "Givin Me Your Love" by Facts Of Life, "Dance With Me" by Peter Brown, "Why Can't We Live Together" by Timmy Thomas, and both versions of "90% Of Me Is You" – one by Gwen McCrae, one by Vanessa Kendrick. Also features some J Rocc mixes – "I Get Lifted (J Rocc edit)" by George McCrae, "Keep It Up (J Rocc edit)" by Milton Wright, "I Love The Way You Love (J Rocc dub)" by Betty Wright, and "Clean Up Woman (J Rocc edit)" by Betty Wright. CD