All Categories — All Formats  

A great album recorded in 1963 for Atlantic – one of our favorite ever! Jack Wilson's one of our favorite piano players, and we rave about him all the time on these pages – and one of the reasons why we love him so much is that he was often accompanied by Roy Ayers, who started out his career playing vibes in his group! The pair together are a dream, and this album is arguably their best effort – filled with moody modal cuts, and lots of lyrical interplay that hits these beautiful high points, then dives into pits of darkness. Titles include "Harbor Freeway", "De Critifeux", "Corcovado", "Jackleg", and "Nirvana & Dana".

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune".

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer".

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer".

A seminal session of LA hardbop – featuring a great group that includes Gerald Wilson, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Frank Butler, and pianist Carl Perkins, the unique talent who had a strange way of playing the keys (sideways!), and who died shortly after the recording of this set. As the title might imply, the album's dedicated to Perkins – and titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pink Lady","Carl's Blues", and "Larue".

An album led by pianist Aaron Diehl – but a set that also features some especially great vibes from Warren Wolf – one of our favorite players on the instrument in the past decade or so! Wolf's tones ring out beautifully – with that richness he really brings to his own albums, and hasn't spared a bit with Diehl – a style that really has great ways of expanding out Aaron's initial impulses on piano, and giving the record a lyrical quality that almost takes us back to 60s collaborations between Jack Wilson and Roy Ayers! Other quartet members include David Wong on bass and Rodney Green on drums – and titles include "Generation Y", "The Cylinder", "Stop & Go", "Single Petal Of A Rose", and "Blue Nude".

A rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe!

There's no knocking Wilson Pickett here – as his funky groove is still right on the money, set up in some sweet Muscle Shoals arrangements, at a level that's right up there with his first recordings for Atlantic Records! Production is by Brad Shapiro and Dave Crawford, who bring in a few slight 70s southern soul touches – but overall, the whole thing's got all the raw, heavy-grooving energy you'd expect from The Wicked Pickett on Atlantic. Some cuts slide into each other nicely – which makes for an album that's really unified – and Dennis Coffey plays some great guitar on the set, alongside keyboards from Crawford and Barry Beckett, drums from Roger Hawkins, and percussion from Jack Ashford. Titles include "Don't Knock My Love (parts 1 & 2)", "Fire & Water", "Call My Name I'll Be There", "Hot Love", "A Mighty Long Way", and "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover".

Better than you might think – thanks to piano and organ from Jack Wilson!

An excellent idea for a bossa nova compilation – one that pulls tunes from groovy soundtracks of the 60s! The work on the set is of both American and European origin – and focuses on the kinds of tunes that often showed up in some of the best soundtrack work by our favorite 60s composers – light, jazzy numbers that were clearly inspired by the bossa, but which also felt free to expand a lot on the style – using interesting instrumentation, rhythm changes, and even a bit of vocals to highlight the tune in really great ways. Some tracks are straight off of soundtrack albums, and others are soundtrack tunes, lifted from jazz albums – but altogether, they make for a wonderful collection of work – with titles that include "Silvia" by Lalo Schifrin, "Mutiny On The Bounty" by Bob Brookmeyer, "The Bobo" by Francis Lai, "Bossa Nova In The Restaurant" by Ken Thorne, "Bossa Des Teurs" by Vladimir Cosma, "I Like The Look" by Henry Mancini, "Mr Lucky" by Jack Wilson, "Deiter's First Mistake" by Quincy Jones, "Naked City" by Laurindo Almeida, and Dax Rides" by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

A wonderful batch of tunes from the RCA catalog – funky jazz, heavy soul, and some killer groovers that really step out with a nice little vibe! The package does a great job of bringing together tracks from the far corners of the RCA empire in the late 60s and early 70s – and includes 14 tracks with an ultra hip sound and a really radical approach to the groove. Titles include "Messiah" by David Axelrod, "Night Thing" by Spontaneous Combustion, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "I Can't Keep From Crying" by Dierdre Wilson Tabac, "Hit The Road Jack" by Wild Bill Davis, "Yeh Yeh" by Lambert Hendricks & Bavan, "Skull Session" by Oliver Nelson, "Afrique" by Count Basie & Oliver Nelson, "Baby That's What I Need (Walk Tall)" by Esther Marrow, and "Head Start" by Tom Scott.

A great introduction to the amazing hardbop work recorded by Blue Note in the late 50s and 1960s – served up as a massive 2CD set filled with some of the label's most cooking classics! The sound here is always tight, right, and to the point – a key illustration of the care and focus that Blue Note brought to the studio when recording jazz work of this nature, which always helped them get the best work out of all players on the session. The 19 track collection is beautifully packaged with full notes and album cover images for each track – and a set of music that goes way past the hits, to feature real gems that include "The African Queen" by Horace Silver, "After The Rain" by Duke Pearson, "No Room For Squares" by Hank Mobley, "Mosaic" by Art Blakey, "Nite Flite" by Lee Morgan, "Footprints" by Wayne Shorter, "Easterly Winds" by Jack Wilson, "A Little Busy" by Art Blakey, "The Black Disciple" by Donald Byrd, "Una Muy Bonita" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Hootnan" by Jackie McLean, and "Hobo Joe" by Johhny Coles.

A stellar set from one of the most underrated reed players of all time – a brilliant bit of searching soul jazz, cut at a time when Curtis Amy was leaving behind his Texas roots for the new sounds of the Coltrane generation! The album's quite different than the organ and tenor dates that Amy had previously cut with Paul Bryant – and instead, is put together with a nascent spiritualism that's really wonderful – a sound that definitely lives up to the bold title and cover image, with lots of modal moments in the rhythms! The group features some equally under-acknowledge geniuses – including trumpeter Dupree Bolton, pianist Jack Wilson, and guitarist Ray Crawford – all coming together perfectly with Amy's work on tenor and soprano sax. The best tunes here are originals by the group members – including "Lonely Woman" (not by Ornette), "Katanga", "Native Land", and "Amyable".

Wonderful work from both Buddy Collette and Irene Kral – initially recorded for the Navy Swings radio show in the early 60s, and finally presented here to the public on CD! The tracks all feature Buddy's early 60s quintet with Al Viola on guitar and Jack Wilson on piano – and Buddy himself is very strongly the lead soloist in the set, stepping away from some of the more tightly arranged modes of his albums of the 50s, and hitting some wonderfully spontaneous moments on flute, clarinet, tenor, and alto sax. Wilson's piano is as lovely and lyrical as on his best albums as a leader from the time, and provides perfect accompaniment to Kral on the album's vocal tracks – which comprised 6 of the CD's total 14 numbers. Kral tunes include "The Meaning Of The Blues", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Detour Ahead", and "It's A Wonderful World" – and instrumental tunes include "A Taste Of Fresh Air", "Hunt & Peck", "Emaline's Theme", "Road Trip", and "Soft Touch".

Hard grooving with Willis – recorded during his incredible mid 60s years, when he had a great tone, a crack band, and an approach to the grooves that blew away most of his other work! Willis at this point is like Jack McDuff with his classic quartet – totally capable, working with all pros, and hitting on burners that other players didn't even know existed! Pat Azzara's on guitar, Carl Wilson is on organ, and Frank Robinson is on trumpet. Tracks include "All Soul", "The Man I Love", "Thunderbird", and "Flamingo".

A key moment in the career of Esther Phillips – and a record that really has her shaking off the rougher bluesy styles of the earlier years, and pointing the way towards strong jazz success in the 70s! The album's definitely burnin, but with a sophisticated vibe too – as Esther works with backing from a small combo that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – a lineup that almost hits the same vibe as her later work on CTI/Kudu – and which brings out a new depth in Esther's vocals that's simply amazing! There's a heartbreaking quality to most of the numbers – a mix of roots and class, depth and poise – all served up in a style that's unlike any other singer before or since. Titles include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", "I'm Getting Long Alright", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love".

Crisply-tailored, yet soulful and groovy mod jazz from the 60s – a slew of great numbers by Byrdie Green, Johnny Lytle, Mark Murphy, Reuben Wilson, The Nightbeats, The Cals, Billy Larkin, Johnny Hammond Smith, Byrdie Smith and more! Lots of great stuff here, from names synonymous to moddish jazz and others that nicely fit that mold for a bit – cats like Buddy Guy, for instance. A sweet, sweet set from the passionate compilers at Kent UK! Includes "The Real Thing" by Troy Dodds, "Finders Keepers" by Floyd White, "Rod Run" by The Reuben Wilson Quartet, "Talkin' About Love" by Tobi Lark, "Screamin'" by Jack McDuff, "Double Love" by The Cals, "Tricky Too" by Gus Jenkins, "Fever" by Buddy Guy, "Work Song" by Clint Stacy, "My Beat" by George Stone, " It's Like Love" by Mark Murphy, "The Village Caller" by The Johnny Lytle Trio and more.

Damn! The first volume in this series of rarities cut by George Jackson for Fame Studios really blew our minds around here – and Kent has gone and somehow topped it with Volume 2! Let The Best Man Win features 2 dozen songs, most of which are originals by Fame staff writer Jackson – and not one of these was officially released back in the day. A bunch were cut to demo the songs for prospective artists, but it's truly hard to imagine anyone bettering these versions – not even Candi Staton or Wilson Pickett! The backing is top notch, too – with that unshakable Fame southern soul rhythm that's just raw enough – and each track feels fully-formed – not at all like a demo! As essential a trip into the Fame archives as any we've had to date! Includes "Mini Skirt Mini", "Get It When I Want It", "Forbidden Love", "Save Me", "Let The Best Man Win", "Soul Lovin'", "I'm Livin' Good", "Your Love Lifted Me", "You Got A Lot To Like", "Ain't That Some Good Lovin'L, "The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn" and many more.

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child".

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child".

Stellar soul singles on Brunswick – nearly all of which come from the prime mid-to-late 60s period at the legendary Chicago label – with Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler, Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Erma Franklin, Lavern Baker and many more! There's a tight focus here on mid-to-late 60s Brunswick – all of them great – and many are quite rare. There are some modest or regional hits in the set, but most might have been forgotten if not for the devotion of the Northern Soul scenes to come. It's got a number of uptempo stormers, midtempo groovers and some sweet surprises. Soul galore, indeed! Includes "Soul Galore" by Jackie Wilson, "Have More Time" by Marvin Smith, "Oh Linda" by Leroy Taylor, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "There Was A Time" by Gene Chandler, "Sweet, Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "I'm The Only One To Do It" by Lavern Baker, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and many more.

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard.

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard.

A great little compilation – with exclusive material! This looks like a Pacific Jazz best of – but it's actually a special collection that features some tunes that never appeared on other records, played by some of the label's hippest soul jazz artists. Titles include "One More Hamhock Please" by a group that includes Les McCann, Curtis Amy, and Bobby Hutcherson; "Blowin The Blues" by Harold Land, Jackie Davis, and Gerald Wilson; Red Shirt" by Teddy Edwards, Hampton Hawes, and Jimmy Allen; and "Oatmeal" by Bobby Hutcherson, Les McCann, and Ron Jefferson.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

The title's almost redundant – as the words "Westbound" and "Funk" mean virtually the same thing! From the late 60s through the mid 70s, Westbound was one of the key record labels in the sound of raw heavy funk – working with hit groups like Funkadelic and the Ohio Players to craft a sound that laid the blueprint for countless other groups of the time, and also featuring a wealth of obscurer artists with an even harder-hitting sound! The key styles of Westbound and related jazz label Eastbound were heavy and fuzzy ones – picking up off the heady and trippy styles of the late 60s Detroit scene, mixing things up with MC5 guitars, Norman Whitfield bass, and deep underground Tribe-styled jazz touches. This 20 track masterpiece is a brilliant summation of the important Westbound sound – and includes a few hits, some funky 45 classics, and an even bigger number of tracks we might not have heard otherwise! The notes are great, the tunes are super-funky, and the whole thing's one of the best funky collections you could ever hope to purchase. Titles include "You're Messing Up My Mind" by Albert Washington, "Back To Funk" by Robert Lowe, "You Caught Me Smilin" by The 19th Whole, "Conga Man" by King Errison, "Shake Your Head" by Spanky Wilson, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Mighty Elegant, "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, "Stone Thing (part 1)" by Alvin Cash, "RPM" by Boots, "Funky World (part 1)" by Silky Vincent, "Get Funky Sweet A Little Bit" by Jackie Harris & The Exciters, "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts.

Killer Chicago soul from Jackie Wilson – with stone cold Brunswick production by Carl Davis, and lots of arrangements by Willie Henderson. The title cut "Beautiful Day" is a soaring original tune that's really great – and other tracks include "It's All Over", "What'cha Gonna Do About Me", "I Get Lonely Sometimes", and "Go Away".

A wonderful little album from Jackie Wilson – one that helped him redefine his sound and save his career! Jackie's earlier work for Brunswick was a mish-mash of styles that ranged from raw R&B to smooth supper-club jazz to silly novelty numbers, all of which had gotten pretty stale by the mid 60s. Elsewhere at Brunswick, though, things were really popping during the time – as Carl Davis was turning the label's Chicago offices into a hotbed of soul, forged in the newer hipper styles of the Chisoul scene. Davis got Wilson into the Chicago scene for this album – had him working with arranger Sonny Sanders and director Gerald Sims – to create a wonderful batch of strident soul tunes that perfectly embody the loping Chisoul groove that was Davis' real legacy in soul music during the 60s. The prime example of this is the title cut "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" – which became a runaway hit that put Wilson back on the map I the soul business. The rest of the album's just as great, though, and includes loads of solid numbers like "Soulville", "I've Lost You", "Those Heartaches", and "I'm The One To Do It".

A wild batch of soul novelty tracks – recorded by the HDM label in the late 70s, and issued here for the first time as a full album! The work grew out of a side project for the group Black Ice, and features a fair bit of vocal and songwriting help from labelmate Eddie Horan – who sings lead on some tracks here, alongside Ray Jackson, Hadley Murrell, and others! The standout cut is the classic "Larry Move Your Hand" – based on Flip Wilson's character Geraldine – and a few other numbers follow that vibe, while others take on more of an 80s boogie sort of approach – still with a good sense of wit in the lyrics. Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Larry Move Your Hand" – plus "You Got The Makings Of A Real Freak", "Everybody Get Ugly", "Take It Home & Squeeze It", and "Music Freak".

Whatever you may think of Milt Jackson's later work, this stuff from the early 50s, recorded in his pre-MJQ years, shows the vibist as a lively talent, playing head to head with boppers that he'd never dare face in later years. Players include Lou Donaldson, John Lewis, Thelonious Monk, and Shadow Wilson – and Kenny "Pancho" Hagood sings vocals on 2 tracks. Tracks include "On The Scene", "Tahiti", "Lillie", "Epistrophy", and "Misterioso". 17 tracks in all – with some alternate takes, and great remastering!

Funky cuts that have gotten plenty of spins in recent years – the kind of great grooves that were first dug up by the sampling crowd, but which have also gone onto have a rich new life in the hands of DJs around the globe! Some of the tracks here were hits back in the day, then fell into obscurity – others were almost-rans that have probably gotten even more attention in the past decade or two than they did back in the 70s – and together, all the work here sounds totally great – an overflowing bounty of rare funky numbers, all served up at one mighty nice price! Titles include "Seeing You Through The Eyes Of A Blindman" by Satisfaction Unlimited, "Ain't No Time Fa Nothing" by The Futures, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Jean Carn, "Work To Do" by Average White Band, "Ali Shuffle" by Alvin Cash, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Sittin On A Time Bomb" by Honey cone, "You Can't Have My Love" by The Jones Girls, "Picnic In The Park" by MFSB, "Don't Leave Me (inst)" by Holland Dozier Holland, and "That's All A Part Of Loving" by Strutt.

Includes tracks by Viola Bartlette with Blythe's Sinful Five, Austin & His Musical Ambassadors, the Hotentots, Elzadie Robinson with Preston Jackson's Uptown Band, DC Nelson's Serenaders, Wilson's TOBA Band, Beverly Syncopators, and Jeanette's Synco Jazzers.

A brilliant testament to the righteous power of soul music in the civil rights era – and key proof that even a subtle message could do a lot back in the day! The package presents the work in roughly chronological order – starting from a time when politics had to be peddled softly, and moving towards a time when things could be a bit more explicit – showing a great evolution of themes of pride and power, offered up in tunes both familiar and obscure. The collection is way more than a "hip hits of the 60s" sort of set – and acts almost as a mini-documentary of the contributions of soul music to civil rights – supported by a great set of notes and photos in the booklet. We're especially happy to see the track "Have You Ever Seen The Blues" by Yaphet Kotto – alongside 22 more titles that include "Blues For Mr Charlie" by Lou Gosset & Joe Lee Wilson, "The Ghetto" by Homer Banks, "We're A Winner" by The Impressions, "When Will We Be Paid" by The Staple Singers, "Oh Lord Why Lord" by Parliament, "Message From A Black Man" by The Spinners, "Run Charlie Run" by The Temptations, "Cryin In The Streets (parts 1 & 2)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "Free At Last" by Jackie Day, "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway, and "The Prayer" by Ray Scott.

An amazing look at the music of Leon Ware – one of our favorite soul artists of the 70s! Leon's got a warmly mellow style that's totally great – heard most famously in collaboration with Marvin Gaye on the classic I Want You album, but equally noteworthy on Leon's own records – and on a host of other projects he's done with top-shelf soul artists over the years! A good number of those projects are collected here – the cream of the crop of Ware-associated cuts from the 70s and early 80s – tunes penned, produced, arranged, or even featuring Leon himself – all brought together here in a really wonderful little collection. Each track is a treasure, and the whole thing is a sublime mellow soul masterpiece – filled with musical moments that sound even better in the company of each other – pulled from other records, and rewoven here in a new tapestry that stands as a rich tribute to Ware's mighty talents. Titles include "Everywhere Inside Me" by Norman Connors, "I Don't Know" by Syreeta, "You Do The Right Things" by Al Wilson, "Point Of View" by Rockie Robbins, "No Tricks" by Chuck Jackson, "I Can't Keep Holding Back" by Shadow, "Trust Your Heart (ext 12" mix)" by Bobby Womack, "Just Don't Make It Hurt" by Krystol, "I Came To Love You" by Booker T, "I Can Dream" by Themal Jones, "You Make Me Wanna Love Again" by Vesta Williams, "I Know It's You" by Donny Hathaway, "Can You Feel What I'm Saying" by Minnie Riperton, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Thank You Early Bird" by Jerry Butler, and the tracks "What's Your World" and "Girl Girl Girl" by Leon Ware himself!

Another chapter in the Studio One story, as told by the top notch selectors at Soul Jazz, and as with the earlier editions in their Studio One series, this one's another mighty batch of Jamaican rhythm and blues. Like so many other Coxsone Dodd productions, you can hear the foundations of many future generations of Jamaican music running through these titles, 17 jaunty ska numbers laced with jazz inflected solos laid down by Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Jackie Mittoo and the Skatalites, or harmonized vocals courtesy the Ethiopians, Maytals and others. As you've come to expect, this is an ace package with excellent notes and archival photos, loaded down with classic performances and hard to get nuggets, too! With Jackie Mittoo's "El Bang Bang", Ken Boothe & Stranger Cole "Arte Bella", The Wailers "Put It On", The Skatalites "Addis Ababa" and "Exodus", Joe Higgs "I'm The Song My Enemies Sing", Delroy Wilson "I Want Justice", Tommy McCook "Sampson" and "Freedom Sounds", The Maytals "Marching On", Don Drummond "Don Cosmic", Andy & Joey "You're Wondering Now" and more!

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

The title's almost redundant – as the words "Westbound" and "Funk" mean virtually the same thing! From the late 60s through the mid 70s, Westbound was one of the key record labels in the sound of raw heavy funk – working with hit groups like Funkadelic and the Ohio Players to craft a sound that laid the blueprint for countless other groups of the time, and also featuring a wealth of obscurer artists with an even harder-hitting sound! The key styles of Westbound and related jazz label Eastbound were heavy and fuzzy ones – picking up off the heady and trippy styles of the late 60s Detroit scene, mixing things up with MC5 guitars, Norman Whitfield bass, and deep underground Tribe-styled jazz touches. This 20 track masterpiece is a brilliant summation of the important Westbound sound – and includes a few hits, some funky 45 classics, and an even bigger number of tracks we might not have heard otherwise! The notes are great, the tunes are super-funky, and the whole thing's one of the best funky collections you could ever hope to purchase. Titles include "You're Messing Up My Mind" by Albert Washington, "Back To Funk" by Robert Lowe, "You Caught Me Smilin" by The 19th Whole, "Conga Man" by King Errison, "Shake Your Head" by Spanky Wilson, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Mighty Elegant, "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, "Stone Thing (part 1)" by Alvin Cash, "RPM" by Boots, "Funky World (part 1)" by Silky Vincent, "Get Funky Sweet A Little Bit" by Jackie Harris & The Exciters, "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts.

A wonderful testament to songwriting mastery of Don Covay – one of greatest singing and songwriting double threats ever – and if you didn't already know that, this excellent compilation will set you straight! No tribute to Covay the songwriter would be complete without Aretha Franklin's "Chain Of Fools" – but the set actually goes a lot deeper, with straight-up classic soul treasures, raucous R&B, stirring vocal tunes, some funk and funky rock. The reach is impressive, with the aforementioned Aretha hit, plus songs recorded by Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Joe Tex, The Staple Singers, Wanda Jackson, The Wailers, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Dee Clark, Connie Francis and more! 26 tracks in all, completed by a great set of notes: with "Three Time Loser" by Wilson Pickett, "You’re Good For Me" by Lena Horne, "Don't Drive Me Away" by Ben E King, the funky gem "Sookie Sookie" by Tina Britt, "She Said Yeah" by Joe Tex, "Watch The One Who Brings You The News" by Millie Jackson, "Long Tall Shorty" by The Graham Bond Originization, "Mon Cherie Au Revoir" by Arlene Smith and more.

A heady batch of soul from the Nashville scene – music from a place normally associated with country and western, but a surprisingly great source for funky sounds in the late 60s! Most of the cuts here appear to come from the Sound Stage Seven family of labels – music that still holds its southern roots, but which also has a feel that's a bit more upbeat, and sometimes more northern than other work of the time – especially given that the set's heavy on groovers for the dancefloor! Titles include "That One" by Fantastics, "Just Another Heartache" by Little Richie, "Breakaway" by Valentines, "Me & You" by The Fantastics, "Lover Come Back" by Jackie Beavers, "Suzy's Serenade" by Bob Wilson, "You're Gonna Need Me" by Ted Ford, "I Still Love You" by Ann Sexton, "Til I Get It Right" by Willie Hobbs, "If You Really Need A Friend" by Bobby Foster, and "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups.