A deep look at a blues scene that doesn't always get its due – music not from Chicago, Memphis, or various points south – but some nicely gritty tracks that were cut in New York during the postwar years! Despite New York's fame as a hub of jazz, soul, and other styles – the city also had a surprisingly strong blues scene in the 50s and 60s, which is when most of these tracks were recorded – music that's both in the electric modes that were showing up in other urban centers at the time, and also in some more traditional modes that were sometimes left behind in other cities – but which got a nice revival in New York, thanks to an interest in folk blues from the underground! Material here was originally recorded by a range of different labels – Old Town, Atlantic, Mercury, Prestige, Fire, Apollo, King, and Chess – and as you'd expect from Ace, there's also some unreleased material on the set, all presented with a great assortment of notes and details on every single track. 26 titles in all – with cuts that include "Bad Blood" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Step It Up & Go" by Blind Boy Fuller, "The Guy With A 45" by Allen Bunn & His Trio, "Stormy Monday Blues" by Bob Gaddy, "Kansas City March" by Wild Jimmy Spruill, "Four Women Blues" by Larry Johnson & Hank Adkins, "Idle Hours" by Lonnie Johnson with Victory Spivey, "Hard Times" by Noble Thin Man Watts, "Believe Me Darling" by June Bateman, "Security" by Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, and "Goodbye Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison. CD

With vintage selections by Bert Mays, Barrel House Welch, Rudy Foster, Jack O'Diamonds, James "Bat" Robinson, Louise Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery, Jabo Williams, and Turner Parrish. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big box set that includes both music and a big book that includes 128 pages of rare photos and other blues artifacts! The whole thing is like discovering a lost side room in the world of postwar field recordings of blues – material from the generation of similar projects by Alan Lomax, Chris Strachwitz, and George Mitchell, but which has never been tapped until now – brought out with a great level of care by the Smithsonian, who currently house McCormick's life's work. The package is almost worth it alone for the book – but you also get 3CDs with 68 tracks in all – music by Bongo Joe Coleman, Lightnin Hopkins, Hop Wilson, Jimmy Womack, Walter Britten, Buster Pickens, Andrew Everett, James Tisdom, Doc Webster, Mance Lipscomb, Leroy Country Johnson, RC Forest, Billy Bizor, and many others CD

Fantastic funky sounds from TK Records – a Miami soul powerhouse that most folks know for some big disco hits in the 70s, but a company that also cut some killer 45s in the years before that time! Much of the work here is from the earlier funky 45 years of the TK empire – including singles issued on the Glades, Alston, and Cat labels – plus a few later tracks that show just how committed the company was to more unusual, more developing styles of funk – even when they were making big cash on their disco hits. The whole thing is fantastic – and filled with plenty of rare funky breaks that you'll recognize from samples – with titles that include "Funky Yolk" by Arnold Albury & The Casuals, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, "Cramp Your Style" by All the People, "Mashed Potato Popcorn" by Freddie & The Kinfolk, "Let's Take A Break" by Milton Wright, "Cutting Room (Hot Pants)" by Oceanliners, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Lay It On Me" by Willie Johnson, "Let Me Be Your Lover" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Cosmic Funk" by Mad Dog Fire Department, and "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington. CD

Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In the case of these tracks, the singers often hit some fairly suggestive material – often hidden in early 50s innuendo, but barely so – with a vibe that's often nastier than even the most hardcore rockabilly sounds to come! The music here has its roots in blues, but is inflected with plenty of jazz, and the presence of the singers often point the way towards soul music – especially the James Brown crowd that would later rise at the same label. Titles on this volume include "Keep On Churnin Till The Butter Comes" by Wynonie Harris, "Drill Daddy Drill" by Dorothy Ellis, "The Coffee Grind" by Hank Ballard, "Silent George" by Lucky Millinder with Myra Johnson, "Rocket 69" by Todd Rhodes with Connie Allen, and "Chocolate Pork Chop Man" by Pete Guitar Lewis. CD

An incredibly cool collection – one that offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful soul music covers of mainstream mellow 70s hits – new versions of the famous tunes that pull them strongly over to the world of R&B, often with results that are better than the original versions! The set is both a great demonstration of how much soul there was lurking in the original AOR productions of the mid 70s, and how strongly those currents could be unlocked even more in the right hands – as you'll hear in these sublime takes on tunes by Hall & Oates, Toto, Seals & Crofts, The Doobie Brothers, and other 70s pop giants. Titles include "Dirty Work" by Pointer Sisters, "Minute By Minute" by Peabo Bryson, "Georgie Porgy" by Side Effect, "He's Gone" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Summer Breeze" by Main Ingredient, "Lazy Nina" by Greg Phillinganes, "In The Way" by Brothers Johnson, "This Is It" by Millie Jackson, "Takin It To The Streets" by Quincy Jones, "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me" by Tavares, "God Only Knows" by Betty Lavette, "Let Em In" by Billy Paul, and "A Love Of Your Own" by The Ebonys. CD

A great collection of work from the underside of the Chicago recording scene of the 60s – tracks from the rougher, bluesier west side scene of the time! The work on the set comes from the Federal/King catalog, and not from Chicago labels – and most of it was produced by Sonny Thompson, in a style that's like his own R&B work, which always played big with Chicago crowds during the period. Most of the tunes date from the early 60s, but follow in modes that have lots of rougher 50s touches – often recorded with some nice echoey production that does a really great job of bringing out the looser spirit of the work. Titles include "I Resign From Your Love" and "Well Oh Well" by Syl Johnson, "Gibble Gobble" and "Got A Feelin" by Willie Wright & The Sparklers, "You're Welcome To The Club" and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams, "Twist Like This" and "I Was Gone" by Eddie Clearwater, "How Long Has It Been" by Jesse Anderson, and "I'm Tired Of Being Tossed Around" by Danny Overbea. CD

Hardly the blues that you might expect from the title – although knowing Muhal Richard Abrams, there's no doubt some sort of blues influence lurking in the background of his complicated orchestrations for the date! The album's a suite of original compositions by Abrams – all numbers played by a largeish group with lots of wonderful horn patterns – complexly woven together with lots of shifting shapes and tones, then sometimes breaking out in bold, free moments of improvisation! It's records like these that show why Abrams was one of the leading lights of the AACM by the early 80s – as much an important composer as a musician – equally skilled at both levels, and very sensitive to the strengths of the players he chose to work with. Muhal plays piano here – and other group members include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Wallace Laroy McMillan on baritone and flute, Jimmy Vass on alto and flute, Eugene Ghee on tenor and clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Jean-Paul Bourelly on guitar, Michael Logan on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Titles include "Cluster For Many Worlds", "Quartet To Quartet", "Ancient & Future Reflections", "Du King", "Chambea", and "Duet For One World". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary early work from trumpeter Miles Davis – late 40s sessions for Capitol Records that are completely different than the bop material he was cutting with Charlie Parker and on his own! Instead, these sides have Miles working with a complex, more arranged style – built up with a young Gil Evans, in a mode that prefaces the later famous recordings the pair would make in the late 50s for Columbia. Here, the tracks are shorter, but beautifully blend bop ideas with fuller arrangements – and Davis blows alongside other key young modernists in a variety of larger groups – with work from Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Al Haig and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke and Max Roach on drums. Mulligan contributed plenty, too – his ideas on an overall sound definitely helped shape these sides – and the record's go on to legendary status – even though it's very different than most other Miles Davis from the time. Titles include "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", "Venus De Milo", "Budo", and "Deception". This "complete" package follows up the core tracks with live material recorded at the Royal Roost, even before the original studio sessions – in a group that features Mike Zwerin on trombone with Konitz, Mulligan, Lewis, and Roach – plus a bit of vocals from Kenny Pacho Hagood. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Moon Dreams", "S'Il Vou Plait", "Move", "Birth Of The Cool Theme", "Godchild", and "Budo". CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Tracks include "Emily", "Two Lonely People", "Knit For Mary F", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Re Person I Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Tracks on this second volume include "Tiffany", "Your Story", "Like Someone In Love", "My Romance", "Turn Out The Stars", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! This album features unreleased tracks not included on the first two Consecration albums – and titles include versions of "MASH", "Re: Person I Knew", "Emily", "Who Can I Turn To", "But Beautiful", "My Foolish Heart", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful pairing – the keyboards of Bill Evans and harmonica of Toots Thielemans – presented here in a space that marks the record as one of the best from both players in the 70s! Some tunes are sad and blue, and very spare – others a bit more upbeat and lyrical, almost taking us back to Bill's more sprightly modes of the early 60s – and the clear, clean sound offers up the best tones from both players in a perfect space. Other musicians include Marc Johnson on bass, Eliot Zigmund on drums, and Larry Schneider on flute, tenor, and soprano sax – and Evans plays a bit of electric piano in addition to acoustic, something we always love! Titles include "I Do It For Your Love", "The Days Of Wine & Roses", "Jesus' Last Ballad", "The Other Side Of Midnight", "Blue & Green", and "Tomato Kiss". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked late 70s work from Ronnie Foster – a rare Columbia outing that's arguably better than his earlier sides for Blue Note! There's more of a soul vibe than before in the music – but in a way that's really foregrounded, and without some of the back/forth wavering that Foster had in his groove during previous sets. Jerry Peters produced the record, and gives it a solid, confident style that's right up there with the best soul/fusion sides on Columbia at the time – and the lineup of players features great contributions from Roy Ayers on vibes, Ndugu Chancler on percussion, Harvey Mason on drums, and Alphonso Johnson on bass. Foster himself did all the arrangements – and both sings and plays a mix of keyboards that come off sounding pretty darn great. Titles include "Midnight Plane", "Happy Song", "Why Don't You Look Inside", "I Want To Bring My Love Home", "Nassau Bay", "Shooting Star", and "Easier Said Than Done". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, John Lewis, Stan Levey, JJ Johnson, Lalo Schifrin, Art Davis, Candido Camero, Chick Lampkin, Paul Gonsalves, Coleman Hawkins, Wynton Kelly, Wendell Marshall and JC Heard. CD

A nice overview of Coleman Hawkins' career in a great 2LP set, containing material recorded between 1939 and 1947, and later work recorded in 1956. Most of the early work is in a wonderful small group format that lets Hawkins' tenor really come to the forefront. Other players on the sessions include Benny Carter, JC Higginbotham, Allen Eager, Peter Brown, and Budd Johnson – and titles include "Half Step Down Please", "Bouncing With Bean", "Meet Doctor Foo", "Spotlite", "Low Flame", and "Jumping For Jane". The later work features the orchestra of Billy Byers, including soloists Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Hank Jones. Coleman's the main blower, though – and the arrangements have a solid base that lets him open up in that exploratory tone he was crafting during the time. And although tracks are short, there's a heck of a lot of soul packed into them – recorded with impeccable quality, much more so than earlier sides. Titles include "I Never Knew", "Bean & The Boys", "The Essence of You", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Dinner For One Please, James", and "I'm Shooting High". LP, Vinyl record album

Howlin Wolf sings the blues, and comes across in a way that influences an entire generation too – with that raw, raspy sound that made the singer a perfect blend of delta roots and contemporary sounds that were bubbling up in the postwar years! These tracks have a spare, simple, stark style that's still a lot more powerful than most of the records that tried to copy Wolf's modes in later years – mindblowing guitar work from Willie Johnson, harmonica lines that weave the whole thing together, and tremendous vocals that would shake the paint off your walls, even without any other instrumentation! Titles include "Crying At Daybreak", "Twisting & Turning", "Brown Skin Woman", "Morning At Midnight", "Backslide Boogie", "House Rockin Boogie", "Keep What You Got", and "Worried About My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Howlin Wolf sings the blues, and comes across in a way that influences an entire generation too – with that raw, raspy sound that made the singer a perfect blend of delta roots and contemporary sounds that were bubbling up in the postwar years! These tracks have a spare, simple, stark style that's still a lot more powerful than most of the records that tried to copy Wolf's modes in later years – mindblowing guitar work from Willie Johnson, harmonica lines that weave the whole thing together, and tremendous vocals that would shake the paint off your walls, even without any other instrumentation! Titles include "Crying At Daybreak", "Twisting & Turning", "Brown Skin Woman", "Morning At Midnight", "Backslide Boogie", "House Rockin Boogie", "Keep What You Got", and "Worried About My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

Caron Wheeler's first album after parting company with Jazzy B & Soul II Soul – still done in a very Soul II Soul-like style, though, with plenty of chunky beats that work well with Caron's deeply soulful vocals. There's a different producer on nearly every track – including Carl Macintosh, Blacksmith, Afrika Baby Bam, Derek Johnson, and Steely & Clive – and titles include "Never Lonely", "UK Blak", "Livin In The Light", "Enchanged", "This Is Mine", "No Regrets", and "Proud". CD

Music from Sam Collins, Gus Cannon, Papa Harvey, Rube Lacy, Bo Carter, Furry Lewis Son House, Geeshie Wiley, Jim Thompkins, Skip James, King Solomon, Otto Virgial, Roberet Johnson, Muddy Waters, and more – 40 tracks in all! CD

A landmark collection of music – the now-famous series of American Folk Music volumes put together by Harry Smith in the 50s! The work here spans the space of a few early decades of recorded music – all in styles expertly chosen by Smith, with countless examples of music that might have fallen beneath the sands of time if not otherwise included in the series! Even back at the original release of the collection, the series was a crucial bit of musical archaeology – and over the ensuing space of decades, has only gone onto become even more important. Styles run the gamut from blues to roots to folk and other styles in between and features tracks by Dick Justice, Coley Jones, Buell Kazee, Kelly Harrell, the Carter Family, the Bently Boys, Henry Thomas, the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers, Blind Willie Johnson, Dock Boggs, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and more! CD

A fantastic introduction to the world of power pop – that tight, fast, catchy style of music that came about at the same time as punk – and which flourished for a few short years as a more tuneful take on the sound of the underground! Some of the artists here hit big in the years before, others were later smothered in the world of 80s chart hits and music videos – but for a brief, wonderful time, the record racks exploded with great singles and album tracks like these – tunes that almost were a back-to-basics approach after the era of AOR and classic rock, but without some of the sneering attitudes of punk. Most of the artists here are American, and there's a few gems here from the early 70s – key tracks that point the way towards the golden era – all captured beautifully by Ace/Big Beat with their usual detailed notes and history on the music. Titles include "Let Go" by Dirty Looks, "Come On Let's Go" by The Paley Brothers with The Ramones, "Baby It's You" by The Boys, "Nothing Comes Close" by Bill Lloyd, "Better Than Anyone Else" by The Toms, "Nuclear Boy" by 20/20, "Rock & Roll Is Dead" by The Rubinos, "One World" by Utopia, "Andy Please" by Van Duren & The Jody Stephens, "The Trains" by Nashville Ramblers, "Shake Some Action (first version)" by The Flamin Groovies, "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "I Need That Record" by The Tweeds, "Looking For The Magic" by Dwight Twilley Band, "Kerri" by Robert Johnson, "Radio Heart" by The Secrets, and "Teen Line" by The Shivvers. CD

The first volume in Sequel's great series of UK eazy groovy tracks! Like the other titles in the series, it has an amazing sense of production missing from some other loungey comps. It features loads and loads of great easy instrumental groups that made Britain one of the best places to go thrift store shopping in the 80's! Classics include "Staccato" by The Eliminators, "Revenge" by The Ray McVay Sound, "The Shake" by Laurie Johnson, "Walk on The Wild Side" by Alan Tew, "Mas Que Nada" by Sounds Orchestral and tons more! CD

Early Atlantic Records work from the great Mose Allison – easily one of the most unique jazz artists of his time! Most started out as a pianist with a nicely bluesy vibe, but soon added in this excellent vocal approach that was maybe part New Orleans, part New York hipster – delivered here with a vibe that follows nicely from his earlier recordings for Columbia and Prestige Records! The sound is nice and stripped-down – none of the larger arrangements that Mose would soon use on Atlantic – and the set features accompaniment from Addison Farmer on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. Titles include the classic "Your Mind Is On Vacation" – plus "I Don't Worry About A Thing", "It Didn't Turn Out That Way", "Stand By", "Meet Me At No Special Place", and "The Song Is Ended". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! CD features 8 more bonus tracks – recorded at the same time, and first issued on the Mosaic set Complete Roulette Live Recordings – titles that include "Easin It", "Corner Pocket", "Discommotion", "Whirly Bird (inst)", "I Needs To Be Bee'd With", and "A Little Tempo Please". CD

A CD that brings together some important early work from altoist Marion Brown – two long tracks from the sessions for his Quartet album on ESP – and a later album issued only overseas! The set begins with the long tracks "Capricorn Moon" and "Mephistopheles" from Marion Brown Quartet – one of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – a rhythmic, soulful, early session by Marion Brown – recorded before his own albums on Impulse, but with a similar feel to the best new thing sessions of that label at the time! The group is superb – with Benny Maupin on sax, Alan Shorter on trumpet, Rashied Ali on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass, often playing in tandem with Reggie Johnson – for a unique double-pulsing feel that makes for a nice rhythmic thrust. Next are the tracks "Juba Lee" and "Iditus", from the album Juba Lee – brilliant work from Marion Brown – one of his first albums, and a great set of tracks that have a fragile New York avant style – almost ESP, but not as raw, and with the kind of soulful emotion that's always made Brown's work stand out from the rest of his crowd. The group on the album is a septet, with Beaver Harris on drums, Dave Burrell on piano, Bennie Maupin on tenor, Alan Shorter on trumpet, and Grachan Moncour III on trombone. CD

A really great collection – one that offers up the earliest work by Nat King Cole – before he even recorded for Decca or Capitol! The music here was all recorded in Hollywood, when Nat was fresh on the scene – and a number of titles were never issued at all! The group features Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Prince on bass – and some tracks have extra vocals from Maxine Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary early work from trumpeter Miles Davis – late 40s sessions for Capitol Records that are completely different than the bop material he was cutting with Charlie Parker and on his own! Instead, these sides have Miles working with a complex, more arranged style – built up with a young Gil Evans, in a mode that prefaces the later famous recordings the pair would make in the late 50s for Columbia. Here, the tracks are shorter, but beautifully blend bop ideas with fuller arrangements – and Davis blows alongside other key young modernists in a variety of larger groups – with work from Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Al Haig and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke and Max Roach on drums. Mulligan contributed plenty, too – his ideas on an overall sound definitely helped shape these sides – and the record's go on to legendary status – even though it's very different than most other Miles Davis from the time. Titles include "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", "Venus De Milo", "Budo", and "Deception". CD

Lots of classic early material – including "If I Were A Bell" recorded with John Coltrane on tenor and Red Garland on piano, "Conception" with Sonny Rollins on tenor and Jackie McLean on alto, "Bag's Groove" with Milt Jackson on vibes, "Solar" with Horace Silver on piano, and "Walkin" with JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Lucky Thompson on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Gil Coggins on piano, and either Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums – on titles that include "Tempus Fugit", "Kelo", "Enigma", "Ray's Ida", and "CTA". CD

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Gil Coggins on piano, and either Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums – on titles that include "Tempus Fugit", "Kelo", "Enigma", "Ray's Ida", and "CTA". LP, Vinyl record album

As classic an early album by Miles Davis as you can find – truly filled with the "all star" players billed in the title, and a session that has the sharpness of Davis' bop work for Blue Note, yet also lets him stretch out in a slightly more relaxed format! The album features Miles trumpet with 2 different groups – one a sextet with Horace Silver, JJ Johnson, and Lucky Thompson; the other a quintet with Silver and the obscure altoist Davey Schildkraut! Tracks are long, with lots of solo room – and titles include his classic takes on "Walkin", "Blue N Boogie", and "Solar" – plus versions of "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Love Me Or Leave Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the early years from Billy Eckstine – including one track with Billy on trumpet! Band members include Fats Navarro on trumpet, Gene Ammons and Budd Johnson on tenors, Leo Parker on baritone, and Art Blakey on drums! The set also features some vocals from Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan too! CD

50 early Ellington recordings for the famous Okeh label! Songs feature Jabbo Smith and Cootie Williams on trumpet, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton on trombone, Johnny Hodges on clarinet and alto sax, Barney Bigard on clarinet and tenor sax, Fred Guy on banjo, Lonnie Johnson on guitar, and Sonny Greer on drums. CD

The excellent, underappreciated mid 80s compilation of rare and unreleased Roky Erickson live recordings and studio material – recorded from the mid 70s to early 80s – with his backing bands The Explosives, The Aliens and Blieb Alien, plus a couple of sparely haunting beauties backed by guitarist Jack Johnson. It's great stuff – with some eccentric lyrics and some raucous instrumentation, but still finely crafted – as were Roky's proper studio albums from the period. Way more than an odds-and-ends compilation – this is just as vital as any Roky Erickson albums during this amazing period! Includes "Night Of The Vampire", "The Interpreter", "Song To Abe Lincoln", "Sweet Honey Pie", "I Am", his amazing, oddly uplifting cover of the Velvets' "Heroin" (recorded live at the Hollywood Whisky-A-Go-Go), the astonishingly beautiful "I Have Always Been Here Before", "Anthem (I Promise)", "Bermuda", "Burn The Flames", "I'm A Demon" and "The Beast". CD

Work Of Art is a great batch of material that Art Farmer recorded for Prestige in the early fifties. This is way before he got hyper-lyrical, and his playing is raw and hard on a bunch of Quincy Jones arrangements, including the savage cut "Mau-Mau", which features a very early use of the electric bass, driving drumming by Sonny Johnson, and a savage Afro groove. This cut alone is worth the price of the album, and deserves to be a club classic. Warm Valley is a wonderfully-titled set for Art Farmer – working here in a warm valley of sound, and blowing in that open, spacious tone that marked so much of his best later work! The group's a quartet – with Fred Hersh on piano, Ray Drummund on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – all sort of nicely sticking in the back and letting Art take center stage on his round, well-crafted fluegelhorn solos. Titles include "Eclypso", "And Now There's You", "Three Little Words", "Warm Valley", and "Sad To Say". CD

A great small combo set from Ella Fitzgerald – and a record that maybe has a bit more bite than some of her Songbook sessions from the time! The combo's a great one – with excellent piano from Lou Levy, balanced with guitar work from Herb Ellis – a pair whose chromatic contributions really resonate wonderfully with the vocal range of Ella – especially as the singer is hitting that 60s stretch when she seemed to find an even more expressive tone than in earlier years! Other players include Joe Mondragon on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – no other players at all, a nice lean set – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Cry Me A River", "This Year's Kisses", "Music Goes Round & Round", "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", "My Reverie", and "You're My Thrill". LP, Vinyl record album

These guys never miss! For years, we'd always passed up the later work of Jackie & Roy – thinking, in our elitist minds, that only their early work was worth merit. But this session from 1982 proves how wrong we were – as it's a stellar batch of small group tracks – sung in the same sweet mode as their best 50s work! The group's a nice one – with some great vibes by Paul Johnson – and the style has Jackie singing some songs in the lead, others in duet with Roy, and still others in a wonderful wordless mode that we really love. Titles include "Loving You", "I Watch You Sleep", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Am I Blue", "Bidin My Time", "Mine", and "Joy Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy glide from the mighty Bill Jennings – making a key transition here from earlier R&B into hipper soul jazz – thanks to the help of organist Jack McDuff! Bill was Jack's guitarist on a few of his key early Prestige dates, but the roles are reversed here – with Jennings as the leader, and McDuff as the sideman – playing some incredible Hammond in a variety of tones and timings that really help keep things cool throughout! Bill's lean guitar lines are out front on all tunes, but Jack's organ follows strongly in second place – alongside other instrumentation that includes vibes from Al Jennings, bass from Wendell Marshall, and drums from Alvin Johnson. Titles include "Azur-Te", "Hey Mrs Jones", "Cole Slaw", "Glide On", "Billin & Burnin", and "Fiddlin". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine Etta Jones being lonely and blue – especially when she sounds as great as this! The album's one of Jones' early classics from Prestige – a date that really has her classing things up a lot, and drawing on bits of Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington's styles, to mix in with the bluesier tones of her roots – put together with a great deal of charm, and a new sophistication that made Etta one of the hippest jazz singers of the 60s! Backing is by a cool small combo – with Patti Brown on piano, Wally Richardson on guitar, and a bit of tenor from Budd Johnson – and titles include "I'll Be There", "In the Dark", "Gentlemen Friend", "I Wonder", and "Miss You So". LP, Vinyl record album

The last record we've ever seen by this funky vocal combo – and every bit as tasty as their early work for Fantasy Records! Part of the reason for that is because the group's getting production here from Augie Johnson – who picked up plenty of funky jazz touches through his work with Wayne Henderson, and had a long relationship with the group that clearly shows them in their best light. The vocals are great – harmonic and floating, without being hokey – and the tracks groove along with the same sort of gentle bounce you'd expect from late 70s Fantasy sides by the Boppers, Side Effect, and others. Tracks include "Dog House", "Perfect Love", "If You Go", "Wrap You Up", "Christy", and "Well Deserved Rest". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great records by Charles Mingus – a set of extremely compelling original compositions, played by a fresh group of younger players, plus a few older masters! The record's got a fire and sense of emotion that's missing from a number of other 70s Mingus sessions – and it's one of the few later albums we'd easily rank right up there with his late 50s and early 60s classics! Orchestrations were partially arranged and conducdted with help from Sy Johnson – and soloists include James Moody and Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Snookie Young and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, and Roland Hanna on piano. Titles include "The Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers", "Adagio Ma Non Troppo", "The Chill of Death", and "The I Of Hurricane Sue". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius Gerry Mulligan from the 60s – 2 albums back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features the Gerry Mulligan Quartet album for Verve from 1962 – an understated gem that's one of Gerry's first in a run of extremely charming sessions from the early 60s! The album has Mulligan blowing in a format that's similar to 50s sides – a quartet with Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Bill Crow on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – but the overall sound is somehow a bit looser and more relaxed than the Mulligan of old – a more gently playful feel that seems to stem from some of Brookmeyer's own experiments of the time, and which has Gerry blowing with a tightness and punch we really like. Titles include "Piano Train", "Lost In The Stars", "I Know, Don't Know How", and "I Believe In You". Next up is material from the even-better Spring Is Sprung – a great little session hidden amidst Mulligan's 60s work, and a no-nonsense, gimmick-free album with some really great playing overall! The group on the set includes Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone as well as piano, which he even plays in duet with Gerry on one track – and the quartet's approach is nicely relaxed, but still firmly exploratory, as they make their way through a number of strong original tunes that include "Subterranean Blues", "Spring Is Sprung", "Open Country", and "Four For Three". Lastly, the CD adds in 2 tracks from a quartet with Mulligan and Chet Baker, recorded in 1957 – on "People Will Say We're In Love" and "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You". CD

Quite possibly the funkiest record ever made by guitarist Joe Pass – a real surprise from an artist we mostly know for his mellower and straight ahead work! The style here is tight electric funk, almost in a Groove Merchant sort of way – and given Joe's heavy use of hollow-body guitar on the record, and the warm chromatic hues in his tone, the style's a fair bit like O'Donel Levy on his 70s classics from the same era. Bassist Carol Kaye had a hand in putting together the record, and there's a similar feel here to her own best grooves – tight, studio-oriented work – but never slick or too commercial! Other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Paul Humphrey on drums, Tom Scott on sax and flute, and JJ Johnson on trombone – and despite the presence of these heavyweights, the record has a nicely soulful sound that's more indie grit than major label funk! CD adds some bonus tracks to the original record – and features 18 titles that include "Free Sample", "Better Days", "Head Start", "It's Too Late", "Gotcha", "Alison", "The Preacher", "Bass Blues", "Burning Spear", "Slick Cat", "Flying Down To Baja", and "Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

Pucho and the gang hit the seventies, and lay down some hard Latin funk in a very blacksploitation mode! The centerpiece of the album is a 15 minute medley of three tunes from Superfly – "Superfly", "Pusherman", and "Freddie's Dead" – all sewn together with a soulful electric groove that's a nice extension from the band's earlier style on Prestige. The Pazant Brothers are still in full force on the horns, and the album features other great work on electric piano, congas, flute, electric guitar, and vibes. The track "S'cusa S'cuas (Why)" features vocals by Marilyn Johnson – and other nice ones include "Judy's Moods", "One More Day", and "Oak Hursts Art". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy, soul-baring lyricism delivered with spiritual resonance and wise authority by Gil Scott-Heron – his first album shot in far too many years, and a direct hit – essential listening for longtime listeners and neophytes alike and a well worthy entry in a legendary career! Scott-Heron is documenting his world as profoundly and poetically as ever here, and the production is built with spare, haunting beats and atmospheric bits of strings, guitar, keys, loose atmospherics and hazy electronics – loosely framing his voice and giving it all the room in needs to carry the mood. Gil sings and speaks with equal authority throughout, and you can hear the years in his voice like never before, giving him the worn edges of the old soul he always evoked. This is a record we're proud to put among his treasured recordings of the 70s and early 80s. Titles include "On Coming From A Broken Home" (Parts 1 & 2), "Your Soul And Mine", "I'll Take Care Of You", "Where Did The Night Go", "Running", "The Crutch" and more, including several interludes that are pretty amazing – captures of conversation that show Gil nearly as charismatic and poetic in "off" moments as he is recording a song. Also includes 2 covers, "Me And The Devil" (the Robert Johnson song) and the title track, Smog/Bill Callahan's "I'm New Here", given a whole new life. Expanded anniversary version also features some great material recorded at the same time – the titles "Handsome Johnny", "My Cloud", "Piano Player", "King Henry IV", "Jazz", and 2010 live studio takes of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Is That Jazz", and "Winter In America". CD

Johnny Shines isn't standing at the crossroads at the same time as Robert Johnson, but he's still sounding pretty darn great here – recording this stripped-down set in Cali in 1970, with just his own guitar alongside his vocals! Shines is maybe best known for his Chicago recordings of the postwar years – but the sound here is in a style that actually goes back farther than that, and recalls the modes that Johnny first used when picking up the guitar in the early 30s – a time in which he also crossed paths with Johnson, given a tribute here in the approach of the record. Titles include "Standing At The Crossroads", "My Rat", "Don't Take A Country Woman", "Kind Hearted Woman", "Baby Sister Blues", and "Drunken Man's Prayer". CD

The groundbreaking first album from The Time – a set that very firmly put the Minneapolis soul scene on the map, served up by a lineup that was maybe even more of a supergroup than Prince's band at the time! And while most folks credit Prince with helping The Time get their start, these guys already have plenty of fantastic power of their own – no surprise, given that this early version of the group still featured Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, before they went off to become production giants on their own – plus wicked guitar from Jesse Johnson, and beautifully dynamic vocals from the great Morris Day! Titles include "Get It Up", "Girl", After Hi School", "The Stick", "Oh Baby", and the 10 minute jam "Cool", one of our favorite cuts of the early 80s! Great 2LP pressing – with bonus single cuts that include "Cool (parts 1 & 2)", "After Hi School (single edit)", "The Stick (single edit)", and "Get It Up (single edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Tata Vega – her first album for Motown, and a sparkling soul effort – recorded after an early career stretch with some headier crossover groups! Vega's got a positive, upbeat feel on the record that's mighty nice – a sort of energy that really draws from her roots, but points things in a sparkling new direction – still mostly sticking in mature soul modes, and avoiding any of the easier disco pitfalls that might have been taken at the time! Al Johnson handles the arrangements – with the same sort of balance of smooth and mature styles he brought to his own great records – a balance that works perfectly for Tata, as it allows her to work the full, wide range of her vocals, yet without ever going too far to end up as a cliche. Titles include "Try Love From The Inside", "Full Speed Ahead", "Keep It Coming", "Just As Long As There Is You", "Just When Things Are Getting Good", and "Music In My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A really sweet late effort from bluesy soul singer and sax player Eddie Cleanhead Vinson – his dawn of the 70s comeback! Cleanhead covered a whole lot of stylistic range in earlier years, from big band vocalist, to R&B shouter, to bebop era alto sax player – and he comfortably displays that range here, albeit in a loose, easygoing soul mode – backed by a great group of session players that includes Joe Pass, Artie Butler, Arthur Wright and Plas Johnson. Bob Thiele produced, and the titles include "Cleanhead Blues", "Pass Out", "Alimony Blues", "Cleanhead Is Back", "Juice Head Baby", "Old Maid Boogie", "One O'Clock Humph" and "I Needs To Be Be'd Wid". This great Ace CD version includes 3 bonus tracks: live versions of "Cleanhead Blues", "I Had A Dream" and "Person To Person". CD

The complete Columbia Records studio sessions from pianist Denny Zeitlin – and a package that features a fair bit of unreleased material too – not just alternate takes, but loads of fresh new tunes recorded at the time – appearing here for the first time ever! Zeitlin's a hell of a pianist, especially during these years – a really fresh 60s talent who works with a sound that's both warmly lyrical and somewhat modern – stylistically rooted in Bill Evans' inspiration, but clearly his own man by the time of these recordings! Denny's never fully gotten his due, and reissues over the years have been spare – so this package is not only a much-needed look as his mighty talents, but also a key discovery of 12 previously unreleased numbers. Players include Charlie Haden, Cecil McBee, and Joe Halpin on bass – and Freddie Waits, Oliver Johnson, and Jerry Granelli on drums. Titles include "Blue Phoenix", "Spring Is Here", "Western Thing", "Slipstream", "Later", "Labyrinth", "The Journey Home", "Carole's Garden", "Skippying", "Carnival", "Dormammu", "Living Alone", "Night & Day", "Maiden Voyage", "Nica's Tempo", "Cathexis", and "Repeat". CD

Hard soul galore – a killer batch of upbeat vintage soul tunes – all pulled together from the wide range of many projects the Numero Group has handled over the years! This is the label's way of answering back to some of those overseas collections of American soul from the 60s – showing that Numero is every bit as well-tuned to the needs of Northern Soul clubbers and collectors as imprints like Ace/Kent, Outta Sight, and some of the other British labels! The package features a whopping 20 tracks in all – sock-soul groovers that you might have missed between the overstuffed track listings of other Numero compilations – sounding really great here together in the company of each other. Titles include "Wait A Minute" by Eddie Ray, "You Are My Sunshine" by Jerry Townes, "I'm Ready For Love" by Otis Brown, "Little Girl Blue" by The Webs, "Demanding Man" by The Sensations, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jessie Fisher, "Do You Know What Love Is" by Syl Johnson, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Stubborn Heart" by Earnest Mosley, "Look Around" by Two Plus Two, "Just Fun" by Brown Bombers & Soul Partners, and "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by Matta Baby. CD

With selections by Sidney Bechet, Lil Johnson, Bessie Smith, Oscar's Chicago Swingers, Johnny Temple, Merline Johnson, Coot Grant & Kid Wesley Wilson, Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Lucille Bogan, Bessie Jackson, and Georgia White. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent set released by the CMF, and featuring a wealth of rare rockabilly tracks by the likes of Joe Clay, Ric Cartey, Pee Wee King, Tommy Blake, Jimmy Dell, Hoyt Johnson, and others. Loads of great stuff, and ripping all the way through! CD

A great look at the huge influence on 60s soul from Burt Bacharach – a rich legacy that goes way beyond the big hits from Dionne Warwick, to include a wealth of work from artists you might not expect! Back in the early days, Burt was the tall white guy running around the Brill Building – where he made key connections to a range of different artists, and was able to already hit the ground running – with a huge legacy that would go onto inform soul singers for years to come! In fact, we'd almost say that Bacharach's music sounds even better in the hands of these singers than in more mainstream pop artists – and although a few of these cuts are well-known hits, you'll find plenty more great ones here to discover. Titles include "Alfie" by The Delfonics, "Reach Out For Me" by Willie Tee, "Message To Martha" by Jerry Butler, "Long After Tonight Is All Over" by Irma Thomas, "Another Tear Falls" by Marv Johnson, "Walk On By" by Gloria Gaynor, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by The Orlons, "The Look Of Love" by Nina Simone, "Forgotten Man" by Gene McDaniels, "A House is Not A Home" by Mavis Staples, "Don't Make Me Over" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "This Empty Place" by Cissy Houston, and "My Little Red Book" by Tony Middleton with Bacharach himself! CD

Killer contemporary club from the Lumberjacks In Hell label – a European imprint, but one that owes plenty to the raw sound of the early years of American house! There's a very underground vibe going on here, and most cuts are stark, spare, and straight to the point – the best kind of club tracks that make just a little bit go a long way – thanks to thoughtful placement of key instrumental elements, and the occasional vocal flourish! 2CD version features one mixed CD, one unmixed – and titles include "Everyday" by Joanna, "Be Good To Me" by Frawl, "Over" by Krewcial, "Get To Know Me" by Seven Davis Jr, "Check The Flow" by Funk Butcher with Trim, "Goddess" by Ant La Rock, "Rabbit's Foot" by Beam Me Up, "Even The Stones" by Giovanni Damico, "Lord I'm Trying" by Tom Noble, "Jazz A Nova" by Boogie Nite, and "Neyt Life" by Reece Johnson. CD

Features Dinah Washington, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Roy Byrd, Buddy & Ella Johnson, Louis Jordan, and Clyde McPhatter. CD

Some folks might associate Philadelphia soul with the famous Gamble & Huff productions of the 70s disco years – but the city was already overflowing with great music in the years before Philadelphia International – as you'll hear in this totally groovy set! Philly was making as much great soul music in the 60s as Detroit, Chicago, and New York – thanks to an earlier musical framework that was set up by the city's big pop hits of the late 50s – which provided plenty of labels, studios, and other facilities for Philly's ever-growing array of soul talents, too – so much so that by the end of the 60s, the city was turning into a destination for singers outside of town – almost as much of a musical magnet as studios in Memphis or Muscle Shoals! This set does a great job of bringing together both aspects of that scene – wonderful homegrown talent, mixed with outsiders to really took off in the new Philly sound of the 60s – a joyous, positive, upbeat approach that worked wonderfully well for a variety of artists. Titles include "Your Fool Still Loves You" by Oscar Weathers, "It's All Over But The Shouting" by George Tindley, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" by The Show Stoppers, "Peace To You Brother" by Lou Johnson, "Christine" by Executive Suite, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "You Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott, "Rainmaker" by The Moods, "Keep On Striving" by Moses Smith, "That's The Price You Have To Pay" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "What You Gave Up" by The Continental 4, "Every Day Is A Holiday" by The Intruders, "Standing In The Darkness" by The Ethics, and "Girl You're Too Young" by Len Barry. CD

A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big box set that includes both music and a big book that includes 128 pages of rare photos and other blues artifacts! The whole thing is like discovering a lost side room in the world of postwar field recordings of blues – material from the generation of similar projects by Alan Lomax, Chris Strachwitz, and George Mitchell, but which has never been tapped until now – brought out with a great level of care by the Smithsonian, who currently house McCormick's life's work. The package is almost worth it alone for the book – but you also get 6LPs with 68 tracks in all – music by Bongo Joe Coleman, Lightnin Hopkins, Hop Wilson, Jimmy Womack, Walter Britten, Buster Pickens, Andrew Everett, James Tisdom, Doc Webster, Mance Lipscomb, Leroy Country Johnson, RC Forest, Billy Bizor, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The Bar Kays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! CD

Features music from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Rose Royce, the Brothers Johnson, Curtis Mayfield, the Spinners, the Jackson 5, the Emotions, Lou Rawls, Labelle, Isaac Hayes, Chic, Al Green, the O Jays, Kool & the Gang & more. CD

Theo Parrish takes on the music of Black Jazz Records – yet somehow manages to make the whole thing come across with a cosmic groove that's all his own! By that, we don't mean that Theo's messing with the cuts – just that his mix here really highlights the more expansively electric and rhythmically angular elements of the label's classic catalog – sounds that are clearly an inspiration for a huge number of 21st Century musicians and producer – not just Parrish himself! There's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole set – and the collection is easily one of the best presentations of the Black Jazz label we've ever heard – stunning from start to finish. Cuts include "My Favorite Things" by Gene Russell, "Those Who Chant" by Walter Bishop, "Jupiter" and "Convulsions" by The Awakening, "Trance Dance" by Doug Carn, "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Criss Cross" and "BE" by Calvin Keys, and "Blue Bossa" by Walter Bishop Jr. CD

A very cool little package – filled with excellent loungey tunes pulled from Capitol's Ultra Lounge series! The cover alone is worth the price of admission – faux leopard fur, topped off with a shiny embossed Ultra-Lounge logo – but inside, the CD features 24 very groovy tunes, mostly late 50s and early 60s numbers, recorded in the glory days of mood music and bachelor pad albums! Titles include "Teach Me Tiger" by April Stevens, "Tanya" by Plas Johnson, "Swamp Fire" by Martin Denny, "Cha Cha Cha D'Amour" by Dean Martin, "So Nice" by Billy May, "More" by Bobby Darin, "Route 66" by Nelson Riddle, and "Lonesome Road" by Dean Elliott. CD

One of the rare few records recorded by a young Andy Bey and his sisters! The group was an obscure jazz harmony trio formed by Andy in his earlier years – and it features him on piano, joining with the vocals of his two sisters Salome and Geradine Bey – in a soulful, moody style that's unlike anything else we can think of! Their three heavenly voices are backed by Kenny Burrell's guitar, Milt Hinton's bass, and Osie Johnson's drums, and there's lots of room around the arrangments for the Beys to stretch out and sing beautifully. Includes a haunting arrangment of "Round Midnight", plus "God Bless The Child", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Solitude", and the "Love Medley". CD

Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

The first full album from the great Ray Bryant – recorded shortly after his famous Epic Records session with Betty Carter! The album's got Ray grooving in a hard early soul jazz mode – working in a trio with either Kenny Clarke or Osie Johnson on drums, and Wyatt Reuther on bass – at a level that still shows some influence from other pianists, but already with that unique hard-left style that would make Bryant a big favorite in short years to come. Candido joins in on congas on 2 of the album's best tracks – a hard grooving take on "Night In Tunisia", plus Ray's classic "Cubano Chant", a dancing Latin groover that went onto become an oft-recorded Latin Jazz standard – and other titles include "Pawn Ticket", "Philadelphia Bound", and "Off Shore". CD

One of the nicer things about the global centralization of culture into the hands of a few giant companies is that you can at least get a "greatest hits" comp like this which spans the artists career on a number of different labels! As proof, you'll find killer stuff from Jean's best years, on Buddah, Philly Intl, and Columbia – with tracks like "Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors, "Free Love", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Was That All It Was", "When I Find You Love", and "Closer than Close". 16 cuts in all, and way better than we expected from a US major! CD

A rare moment in the major label spotlight for George Coleman – an early 90s session for Verve, and one that should have gotten him the same sort of ongoing recognition as contemporary sessions at the label by JJ Johnson, Randy Weston, and Joe Henderson! The format here is spare, but nicely varied – with Coleman on a tenor, soprano, and alto saxes alongside a trio of Harold Mabern on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. With a rhythm section that strong, you could almost throw just about any player up against them and get something great – but Coleman's also really pushing to the forefront of the tunes on most numbers, blowing with a deep voice and strong sound that almost recalls some of the work that Eric Alexander did in later years with Mabern. Titles include "Old Folks", "Lush Life", "Conrad", "My Romance", "You Mean So Much To Me", and "The Sheik Of Araby". CD

Mad messed-up funk from the cool Bay Area scene of the early 70s – a set that features all these great offbeat arrangements from Clifford Coulter, who plays piano, guitars, melodica, and even Varitone guitar – and also sings a bit – in a hip lineup that features more guitar from Mel Brown, trumpet from Harry Edison and John TUrk, tenor from Plas Johnson and Bill Perkins, and drums and conga from Ron Beck – all in a style that's very different than more mainstream work on Impulse Records, and different than its spiritual modes too! "VJC", plus "Do It Now", "Yodelin' In The Whatchamaname Thang", "Ridin On Empty", and "Worry About It Later". LP, Vinyl record album

Tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis always had a hell of a tone – and although his best-remembered dates are maybe from the 50s and 60s, the saxophonist still kept on making great records for many years to come! This album's definitely one of those – a European live recording, done in Munich, with Eddie stretching out with the sort of raspy tone that always made his early duets with Johnny Griffin such a delight – getting the sort of sensitive accompaniment here that Griff had on some of his later European dates too. The wonderful Horace Parlan is on piano, with Reggie Johnson on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums – and although it's clear that the Davis tenor solos are the main attraction, the album's a very sold group effort too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Jaw's Blues", "I'll Remember April", "Young Man With A Horn", and "But Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary early work from trumpeter Miles Davis – late 40s sessions for Capitol Records that are completely different than the bop material he was cutting with Charlie Parker and on his own! Instead, these sides have Miles working with a complex, more arranged style – built up with a young Gil Evans, in a mode that prefaces the later famous recordings the pair would make in the late 50s for Columbia. Here, the tracks are shorter, but beautifully blend bop ideas with fuller arrangements – and Davis blows alongside other key young modernists in a variety of larger groups – with work from Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Al Haig and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke and Max Roach on drums. Mulligan contributed plenty, too – his ideas on an overall sound definitely helped shape these sides – and the record's go on to legendary status – even though it's very different than most other Miles Davis from the time. Titles include "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", "Venus De Milo", "Budo", and "Deception". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". CD

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". CD

As classic an early album by Miles Davis as you can find – truly filled with the "all star" players billed in the title, and a session that has the sharpness of Davis' bop work for Blue Note, yet also lets him stretch out in a slightly more relaxed format! The album features Miles trumpet with 2 different groups – one a sextet with Horace Silver, JJ Johnson, and Lucky Thompson; the other a quintet with Silver and the obscure altoist Davey Schildkraut! Tracks are long, with lots of solo room – and titles include his classic takes on "Walkin", "Blue N Boogie", and "Solar" – plus versions of "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Love Me Or Leave Me". CD

As classic an early album by Miles Davis as you can find – truly filled with the "all star" players billed in the title, and a session that has the sharpness of Davis' bop work for Blue Note, yet also lets him stretch out in a slightly more relaxed format! The album features Miles trumpet with 2 different groups – one a sextet with Horace Silver, JJ Johnson, and Lucky Thompson; the other a quintet with Silver and the obscure altoist Davey Schildkraut! Tracks are long, with lots of solo room – and titles include his classic takes on "Walkin", "Blue N Boogie", and "Solar" – plus versions of "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Love Me Or Leave Me". CD