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

Includes the albums "At Budokan: The Complete Concert (expanded 2-CD version)", "Found All the Parts EP", authorized version of "Next Position Please", expanded versions of "Cheap Trick", "In Color", "Heaven Tonight", "Dream Police", and "All Shook Up", newly mastered versions of "One on One", "Standing on the Edge", "The Doctor", "Lap of Luxury" and "Busted", CD

... CD

Classic recordings by Jamal's early trio – with Israel Crosby on bass and Ray Crawford on guitar. Tracks include "Squeeze Me", "Perfida", "Love For Sale", "Rico Pulpa", "Autumn Leaves", "Don't Blame Me", and "Black Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album

The long-overdue reissue of some of Ahmad Jamal's first recordings – early sides for the Okeh and Columbia labels, all tunes that would go on to have a huge influence on the use of the piano in jazz! All tracks on the set were recorded in the early 50s with Jamal's great drumless trio that featured Ray Crawford on guitar and either Eddie Calhoun or Israel Crosby on bass – the latter of whom is tremendous here, working as a player who really helped set his instrument free from its traditional role in jazz. The trio's blend of guitar, bass, and piano is completely unique – extremely inventive at both a rhythmic and melodic level, as each instrument often fills both roles equally well – dancing around with an internal groove that emerges outwardly as an especially fluid approach to the tune. If you've never heard Jamal at his early best like this, the CD's gotta be one of the best places we can think of to start – as it features 21 titles in all, all beautifully remastered with impeccable sound that goes far beyond even our original albums! Titles include "Poinciana", "Black Beauty", "Something To Remember You By", "Pavanne", "Perfida", "Rica Pulpa", "Old Devil Moon", "Autumn Leaves", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Aki & Ukthay". CD

A mind-blowing collection of work from Kaleidoscope – the ultra-hip psych combo who recorded some great work for Epic Records at the end of the 60s! This package not only features all the group's important albums, but also includes a wealth of rare singles too – including some surprising gems recorded for Epic in unusual situations, proof that the label really expected the band to break big at the time! The 3CD package features 45 tracks in all – with titles that include "Egyptian Gardens", "I Found Out", "Little Orphan Nannie", "Please", "Rampe Rampe", "Love Games", "Egyptian Candy", "Lie To Me", "Let The Good Love Flow", "Cuckoo", "Seven-Ate Sweet", "Banjo", "Why Try", "New Blue Ooze", "Lie & Hide", "Sefan", "Chocolate Whale", "Another Lover", "Sneakin In The Ghetto", and "Ballad Of Tommy Udo". CD

Melba Moore gets some great help here from the Philly soul duo of McFadden & Whitehead – whose soaring styles proves to be a perfect fit for her amazing voice! Melba had cut some great work before this set, but here things really seem to come together – her amazing range, her ability to be expressive without going over the top, and her maturing role as a soul singer – which would take her to great territory in years to come! There's almost an indie soul vibe to the record at times – never too overtly commercial, and sophisticated but not hitting you over the head either – on titles that include "You Stepped Into My Life", "Happy", "Pick Me Up I'll Dance", "There's No Other Like You", "Together Forever", and "It's Hard Not To Like You". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A modern day spiritual jazz treasure – completely wonderful all the way through, and a set you might well file proudly next to your classics from John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders! The record's as epic as it promises in the title – a three volume journey in jazz, headed by tenorist Kamai Washington, who emerges here as a tremendous leader, a hell of a writer, and a rich jazz talent in every sense of the word – carefully steering a group of musicians through work that's searing, searching, and driven with a very cosmic vibe! Tunes are often modal, and never step too far outside, but always push the boundaries – and the instrumentation is a shifting mix of keyboards, piano, trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion – plus some vocal performances from Dwight Trible and Patrice Quinn. You might know Kamasi from his work with Flying Lotus and Thundercat – the latter of whom plays bass on this set – but the album's very much his own, and very much jazz all the way through. The kind of record we're mighty proud to be offering – with tracks that include "Askim", "The Next Step", "Rhythm Changes", "Miss Understanding", "Leroy & Lanisha", "Re Run", "Seven Prayers", "Malcolm's Theme", and "The Message". CD

Music from Williamson Brothers And Curry, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Lydia Mendoza, Carolina Tar Heels, Hattie Hart & The Memphis Jug Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Frank Hutchison, Jimmie Rodgers, and more. CD

Includes music by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Kokomo Arnold, Mamie Smith, Jimmie Rodgers, Chet Atkins, Carson Robison, Ernest Tubb, Blind Willie Johnson, Leadbelly, Sons Of The Pioneers, Uncle Dave Macon, and more CD

The DVD side includes the album in superior sound and the 30 minute documentary The Story Of Back In Black. CD

... CD

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Bossa with a great American twist! Nancy Ames was an American pop singer of the 60s – one who did mostly folksy tunes with a light California feel, and who here is coming up with some great bossa nova numbers, set to arrangements by Stu Phillips! The package has all the sunniness of a summer LA afternoon at the beach – with the driving groove of a pop bossa session from Rio. The album's perennial favorite is Nancy's remake of "Mas Que Nada" (done here as "Pow Pow Pow") – but there's loads of other wonderful numbers, and the whole album's great! Titles include "Laia La Daia", "Love's Like Wine", "So Nice", and "A Man & A Woman". As the song says – Pow Pow Pow! Her greatest LP by a mile, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A great set in the short run of classics that Carl Anderson cut for Columbia Records in the 1980s – albums that never cracked the charts that strongly at the time, but which have gone on to be remembered well over the years! On this record, Anderson nicely balances a tight groove with some looser, more personal vocals – in the process avoiding some of the stiffer cliches of the Columbia hitmaking crowd of the time – and reminding us that the label could still come up with classy, well-rounded soul efforts like this! Titles include "Let's Talk", "Can't Stop This Feeling", "Love On Ice", "Girl I Won't Take No", "Saving My Love For You", "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and "What Will Happen Now". Bonus cuts include "Let's Talk (UK rmx)", "Light Me", and "Can't Stop This Feeling (12" ext version)". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Kind of hard to put a finger on the style of Jho Archer – which is probably why they used the phrase "many talents" in the title of this one! Jho's got a bit of Caribbean in his vocals – traces of calypso and Haitian soul, inflected with a hipper French approach to the backings, which are handled by H Rostaing, in a manner that reminds us of some of those used on the recordings of Henri Salvador. Jho sings in English and French – and the best cuts are nicely swinging. Titles include "Work Song", "Le Condamne", "The Peanut Vendor", "Cousin", "Ibo Lele", and "Sky Boat Song". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the standout moments in the career of Rod Argent – a record that gave his self-named group one of their biggest hits ever, yet a set that still kept all the depth and diversity of their other records too! The album starts out with the group's famous "Hold Your Head Up" – the anthemic strutter that crossed over big, and which burns here with plenty of great organ lines from Rod. Other numbers really mix things up – rocking harder than Rod's Zombies work, but also showing some complicated sensibilities too – brought out nicely by co-producer Chris White, who also wrote most of the songs on the date with Argent. Titles include "Pure Love", "He's A Dynamo", "Hold Your Head Up", "Be My Lover Be My Friend", "Keep On Rolling", and "I Am The Dances Of Ages". LP, Vinyl record album

Rod Argent's project immediately after the breakup of the Zombies! There's plenty of Zombie-like ideas here – particularly those floating around the Odyssey and Oracle album, but they're also done without the dreamy pop style of Colin Blunstone's vocals, which makes for a much harder sound overall. Added into that the guitar of Russ Ballard, which really kicks into the tunes nicely, and you've got some great rock and roll work – written with a pop sensibility, but played with a razor-sharp edge that's pretty hard hitting. Titles include "Like Honey", "Liar", "Schoolgirl", "Bring You Joy", "Stepping Stone", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album