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". LP, Vinyl record album

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". CD

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Jack Wilson is one of our favorite underdiscovered talents of the 60's – and we treasure all of the albums we can find by him. His lyrical writing and playing are extremely refreshing, and he manages to spin out long free lines on the piano, while also still keeping a very soulful groove. This mid 60's recording for Atlantic features Wilson in a trio with Philly Joe Jones and Leroy Vinnegar, and the record is divided up into "2 sides" – one fast, and one slow. The fast side has Wilson playing a bit more boppishly than usual – on tracks like his own "Kinta" and "Good Time Joe", and Bud Powell's "Glass Enclosure". The slow side is more of our favorite, and features some very nice reditions of material like "The Good Life" and "Once Upon A Summertime". CD

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! CD

A wonderful combination of talents – and a great idea for an album! The great LA pianist Jack Wilson is working here with his group that includes Roy Ayers on vibes – and they've got some extra backing from Brazilian players Chico Batera and Sebastiao Neto on percussion, plus "Tony Brazil" on guitar – a name that we're guessing might stand in for a much more famous player! The tunes have that wonderful lyrical vibe that Wilson and Ayers created together – but set to the magic of Henry Mancini – whose tunes are not just a perfect fit for Wilson's ideas on the keys, but which also really take off here in some very different ways. The set's got a completely sublime version of "Sally's Tomato" – and other titles include "Dear Heart", "Blue Satin", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Night Flower", "Lujon", "Mr Lucky", and "Softly". CD

A real treasure through and through – one of the most unusual Blue Note albums you'll ever hear, and a set that's one of the best-remembered from the team of pianist Jack Wilson and vibist Roy Ayers! Long before Roy struck out on his own in the world of funky soul, he worked often in the 60s with Wilson – and the pair have this unique way of blending vibes and piano that's completely fresh, and still unmatched all these many years later! Wilson's natural lyrical style blends with Roy's modal approach to a groove – and the pair soar out in space with these long-flowing lines that make the whole album a treasure. There's no horn players at all – as with Wilson's other small combo Blue Note date – and rhythm is from Varney Barlow on drums, and either Roy Brown or Buster Williams on bass. Titles include a wonderful version of "Sernata", an unusual take on Ornette Coleman's "The Sphinx", and the wonderful Wilson originals "CFD", "Most Unsoulful Woman", and "Harbor Freeway 5pm". CD

A real treasure through and through – one of the most unusual Blue Note albums you'll ever hear, and a set that's one of the best-remembered from the team of pianist Jack Wilson and vibist Roy Ayers! Long before Roy struck out on his own in the world of funky soul, he worked often in the 60s with Wilson – and the pair have this unique way of blending vibes and piano that's completely fresh, and still unmatched all these many years later! Wilson's natural lyrical style blends with Roy's modal approach to a groove – and the pair soar out in space with these long-flowing lines that make the whole album a treasure. There's no horn players at all – as with Wilson's other small combo Blue Note date – and rhythm is from Varney Barlow on drums, and either Roy Brown or Buster Williams on bass. Titles include a wonderful version of "Sernata", an unusual take on Ornette Coleman's "The Sphinx", and the wonderful Wilson originals "CFD", "Most Unsoulful Woman", and "Harbor Freeway 5pm". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Jack Wilson is one of our favorite underdiscovered talents of the 60's – and we treasure all of the albums we can find by him. His lyrical writing and playing are extremely refreshing, and he manages to spin out long free lines on the piano, while also still keeping a very soulful groove. This mid 60's recording for Atlantic features Wilson in a trio with Philly Joe Jones and Leroy Vinnegar, and the record is divided up into "2 sides" – one fast, and one slow. The fast side has Wilson playing a bit more boppishly than usual – on tracks like his own "Kinta" and "Good Time Joe", and Bud Powell's "Glass Enclosure". The slow side is more of our favorite, and features some very nice reditions of material like "The Good Life" and "Once Upon A Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of our favorite jazz duos of all time – pianist Jack Wilson and the young vibes genius Roy Ayers – working here back before his soul/funk fame of the 70s, in a completely different style! Ayers and Wilson only made a handful of records together back in the day – including important dates for Atlantic and Blue Note – and this set of unreleased live material from 1966 provides a much-needed addition to their short catalog of sides together – sublime modal jazz that we'd put right up there with anything else they ever did! Wilson is already a hell of a pianist on his own – one of the unsung greats of his generation, with a fantastic sense of flow and this mixture of lyricism and soulfulness that leads to all these very vivid moments and tonal explosions. Add Ayers to the mix, and you've really got something special – a vibes/piano pairing that sounds like nobody else – and which shows that even back before he worked with Herbie Mann, Roy was a tremendously unique player, destined for greatness. The group has a rock-solid rhythm duo – Buddy Woodson on bass and Von Barlow on drums – and titles include "Serenata", "Harbor Freeway 5pm", "Here's That Rainy Day", "CFD", "Pensativa", "Stolen Moments", "Nirvana", and "Call Me". CD

An overlooked gem from pianist Jack Wilson – a set that really showcases his magnificent sense of sound and space – while mixing in some larger ideas as well! The record features full arrangements from Billy Byers – who creates this seductive blend of jazz and strings that still retains those modal elements and sly grooves of Wilson's small combo material – but gives the whole thing a very different twist! Many numbers feature vibes in the mix – either by Tommy Vig, Stan Levey, or Victor Feldman – echoing some of Wilson's previous sounds with Roy Ayers – and the rhythmic elements are really sharp, in a way that balances beautifully with the strings. Titles include "Song For My Daughter", "Imagine", "Herman's Helmet", "Scarborough Fair", "Night Creature", and "Eighty One". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful recent work from one of our favorite pianists ever – the lovely, lyrical Jack Wilson – an artist we first came to love for his classic 60s work with Roy Ayers on the LA scene, and a player who's continued to grow tremendously over the years! The setting here is a relatively traditional one – in the mode of some of the other DIW trio albums from the time – but Jack's free and open approach to the keys makes for an inventive approach to even familiar numbers – touched with that classic Wilson style that's openly emotive, yet never overdone or saccharine. There's a sense of years passed here that gives the record a wonderful depth – like catching up with Wilson in the time since we'd last heard him record (was it for Discovery Records, at the start of the 80s?) – and letting him tell us the story of those intervening years through his magic at the keys. The group's a quartet with Leon Maleson on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and James Chirillo on guitar – but the production by Mickey Bass makes sure that Wilson's work on the keys is very much at the forefront of the set! Titles include "Sandie My Love", "This Heart Of Mine", "That Sunday That Summer", "How Soon", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Moon Mist", and "If She Walked Into My Life". CD

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". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the hippest of Gerald Wilson's recordings for Pacific Jazz in the 60s – an excellent live session with a very groovy edge! Wilson's studio work for the label at the time was great enough, but somehow, hearing his group working live, we get a new appreciation of his genius – as the tunes unfold with a soulful depth that goes farther than the studio versions, really grooving with great solo work by Harold Land and Hadley Caliman on saxes, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Jack Wilson on organ, and Phil Moore on piano! Titles include a great version of Tolliver's "Paper Man" – really showing the growing soulful sound of the group – plus the tracks "Viva Tirado", "Blues For A Scorpio", "Lil Darlin", and "The It's Where It's At". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal moment on the west coast scene of the 60s – a record that has the great Gerald Wilson pulling together some of the best elements that were going on at the time, and also pointing the way towards changes to come in the future! The set's not the first effort by Wilson on record, but it's maybe one of his most classic – and begins with superb selection of members for the ensemble – a lineup that includes Carmell Jones on trumpet, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenors, Joe Pass on guitar, and the great Jack Wilson on piano! But key to the set are the rhythms – with the wonderful bassist Jimmy Bond setting up a groove that seems to pull out the best from drummer Mel Lewis – as the pair help ground the larger group with a rock-solid groove that keeps things soulful throughout! Nearly every track's an original, and the album includes Wilson's killer track "Viva Tirado" – a tight jazzy stepper that was covered by many artists over the years, most famously El Chicano – with a Latin-tinged groove that really opens up a new sound in Los Angeles jazz! There's lots of other great cuts too – including "Moment of Truth", "Latino", "Josefina", and "Patterns". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums ever from singer Joe Lee Wilson – a righteous vocalist with a style we'd rank right up there with Leon Thomas or Andy Bey in the 70s! The album's got an easygoing vibe that's a nice change from some of Joe's other records – a quality that's never too forced, and which has Wilson sliding into the tunes wonderfully without any sort of gimmicks or tricks. His voice often has a nice crackle, which further underscores his instrument-inspired approach – and also makes the lyrics sound that much more wonderful too. The set was produced by Noah Howard, possibly in Paris – and it features a quartet with Bobby Few on piano, Steve Sax on saxes and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Al Levitt on drums. Includes the lovely originals "Dedicated To My Father", "Come & See", and "Secrets From The Sun" – plus a great take on Billy Gault's "Mode For Trane". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal moment on the west coast scene of the 60s – a record that has the great Gerald Wilson pulling together some of the best elements that were going on at the time, and also pointing the way towards changes to come in the future! The set's not the first effort by Wilson on record, but it's maybe one of his most classic – and begins with superb selection of members for the ensemble – a lineup that includes Carmell Jones on trumpet, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenors, Joe Pass on guitar, and the great Jack Wilson on piano! But key to the set are the rhythms – with the wonderful bassist Jimmy Bond setting up a groove that seems to pull out the best from drummer Mel Lewis – as the pair help ground the larger group with a rock-solid groove that keeps things soulful throughout! Nearly every track's an original, and the album includes Wilson's killer track "Viva Tirado" – a tight jazzy stepper that was covered by many artists over the years, most famously El Chicano – with a Latin-tinged groove that really opens up a new sound in Los Angeles jazz! There's lots of other great cuts too – including "Moment of Truth", "Latino", "Josefina", and "Patterns". LP, Vinyl record album

With John Stephens & Randall Willis on alto saxophone, Jack Nimitz on barritone saxophone, Trey Henry on bass, Maurice Spears on bass trombone, Mel Lee on drums, Anthony Wilson on guitar, and Brian O'Rourke on piano. CD

A seminal moment on the west coast scene of the 60s – a record that has the great Gerald Wilson pulling together some of the best elements that were going on at the time, and also pointing the way towards changes to come in the future! The set's not the first effort by Wilson on record, but it's maybe one of his most classic – and begins with superb selection of members for the ensemble – a lineup that includes Carmell Jones on trumpet, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenors, Joe Pass on guitar, and the great Jack Wilson on piano! But key to the set are the rhythms – with the wonderful bassist Jimmy Bond setting up a groove that seems to pull out the best from drummer Mel Lewis – as the pair help ground the larger group with a rock-solid groove that keeps things soulful throughout! Nearly every track's an original, and the album includes Wilson's killer track "Viva Tirado" – a tight jazzy stepper that was covered by many artists over the years, most famously El Chicano – with a Latin-tinged groove that really opens up a new sound in Los Angeles jazz! There's lots of other great cuts too – including "Moment of Truth", "Latino", "Josefina", and "Patterns". CD

The title's a weird one, because the album was recorded in the studio and not on stage – but we're hardly going to complain, because the record's so great! Wilson is really cooking for this one – leading an all-great group that includes Curtis Amy, Roy Ayers, Jack Wilson, Joe Pass, Bobby Bryant, Anthony Ortega, and other 60s LA soul jazz luminaries – all coming together in a style that's certainly big band, but which allows plenty of space for breakout solos – and which really grooves a lot more like a small combo session than you might expect! Titles include "Los Moros De Espana", "In The Limelight", "Musette", "Lighthouse Blues", and "El Viti". LP, Vinyl record album

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-acknowledged 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". Plus, this CD reissue also includes some great bonus cuts that were not on the original album! CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from the 60s years of tenorist Willis Jackson – a time when the older R&B player was really rising to the top – thanks to the sort of smoking soul jazz setting that a record like this could provide! The whole thing's great – very much in the Groove Holmes or Jack McDuff vibe of the time – familiar tunes taken in all sorts of new, groovy directions – with help from the young Pat Azzarra on guitar and Carl Wilson on Hammond – plus trumpet from the lesser-known Joseph Hadrick! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Tangerine", "Ebb Tide", "Blue Gator", and "Secret Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great albums from Chicago's Argo label brough together on one great CD! Norman Simmons is a wonderfully soulful piano player, of the rare kind who always seems to bring something "extra to the table"! The set's more than the usual piano trio side of the time, as Simmons contributes a number of original tunes, and works with bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Vernel Fournier to craft some lean tunes that have a nice dose of modernism from time to time. Titles include "Peppe", "Capacity In Blues", "Jan", "Chili Bowl", and "Tranquility". Richard's Almanac is 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! CD

A really unique take on the music of jazz legend Tadd Dameron – a set that focuses entirely on vocal versions of his compositions – a side of Dameron's legacy that's sometimes overlooked! Tadd wasn't that much of a lyricist himself – although he did do two of the songs here – while others are written by Irving Reid, Bernie Hanighen, and Jack Reynolds – all with a mix of lyrics that really fit the famous modern idiom in Dameron's music – delivered instrumentally by a core combo that features Gary Smulyan on plenty of strong baritone sax solos, with Pete Malinverni on piano, David Wong on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. Anais Reno handles all the vocals – and titles include "Sweet Life", "Never Been In Love", "Whatever Possessed Med", "Weekend", "Lovely One In The Window", and "You're A Joy". CD

Sarah Vaughn hit a very groovy new style on her handful of records for the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a new approach that offered her amazing voice a way to stretch out with some of the new sophistication of the time! The arrangements are still jazz, but they've taken a direction that other younger singers, like Nancy Wilson, were following as the decade began – maybe more adult themes in the lyrics, and a way of balancing out the larger charts without ever getting in the way of the singer – which is especially important here, in the way that the album demonstrates that phrasing that not only made Sarah so unique at the start, but which got even more amazing as the years moved on. The arrangers are a hip lot who are definitely up to the job – and include Michel Legrand, Peter Matz, and Jack Elliott – on titles that include "Run To Me", "And The Feeling's Good", "Just A Little Lovin", "Deep In The Night", "When You Think Of It", and a nice take on "Easy Evil". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the Drifters, Jack Scott, the Pentagons, Jackie Wilson, Fats Domino, the Jive Five, the Impalas, the Cadillacs, the Del Vikings, the Channels, the Harptones, and more – 24 tracks in all. CD

Narrated by Jack Brickhouse, Bert Wilson, Charlie Grimm, Hal Totten, Lew Fonseca and others. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

With Charlie Barnet, Bunny Berigan, Chu Berry, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Herbie Maymer, Jack Jenney, Artie Shaw, and Teddy Wilson. CD

2 albums recorded by Esther in the years before she broke into big fame on the Kudu label. Burnin is a stunning live set that marked Esther's move from being a loud young R&B singer into an older, more mature interpreter of material in a more jazzy style. She's backed here by a good group that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and she moves through a heartbreaking set of material that heralds her later 70's recordings for Kudu. Tracks include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Confessin points back at Esther's earlier career in R&B, but has a nice jazzy finish – thanks to players like Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, and Herb Ellis – and the record also features a few more sides from the Burnin sessions at Freddie Jett's Nightclub in LA. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Wonder", "I'm Getting Long Alright", "In The Evenin", and "I Love Paris". Due to time limit restrictions, the CD excludes the cuts "I'm Getting Long Alright" and "It Could Happen To You" from the LPs. CD

A lost treasure from the glory days of the LA soul jazz bop scene of the early 60s! Alto player Earl Anderza has this crazy tone that's unlike anything we've ever heard – and he plays with a calculated approach to atonality that hints at later work by Ayler and others – but which comes across here a lot more straight ahead. Unlike Ayler, Anderza is backed by a tight soul jazz combo that includes stunning work by pianist Jack Wilson, one of our all-time favorite players – working here on both straight piano and electric harpsichord – which has a very crazy sound! Other players include George Morrow and Jimmy Bond on bass, plus Donald Dean on drums – and titles include "Blues Baroque", "Freeway", "Benign", and a great version of Wilson's modal classic "Outa Sight"! LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

The Jackie Wilson style soars into the 70s – in a mode that's definitely different than Wilson's Brunswick work of a decade before – but which also show's a really bold evolution in style! Jackie's in the higher end of his range here – and really grooves greatly on some great Chicago soul arrangements from Willie Henderson – those upbeat, joyous sort of charts he seemed to save only for the best Brunswick artists – and which make the album a soaring gem that really lives up to its title! The mighty Carl Davis is at the production helm – keeping things right and tight throughout – and the level of expression in Jackie's voice hits a new sort of maturity and sophistication that really make the record a standout from his later years at the label. The title cut "Beautiful Day" is an especial gem that's really great – but the whole thing's wonderful too, and other tracks include "It's All Over", "What'cha Gonna Do About Me", "I Get Lonely Sometimes", and "Go Away". CD features three bonus tracks – "Sing A Little Song", "No More Goodbyes", and "Shake A Leg". CD

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". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Jackie Wilson really takes off here – leading the set with his landmark title track, then moving into a range of tracks that really display his tremendous vocal talents! The setting is a formative one in early soul – not entirely free from pop, but directed by the singer into really rich territory of his own – a blend of R&B roots, more sophisticated soul styles, and some more mainstream orchestrations that helped put Jackie over with a very large audience at the time. There's never been another singer like Wilson – and this album really gets at the core of his early genius – with tracks that include "Lonely Teardrops", "The Joke Is Not On Me", "Each Time I Love You More", "Love Is All", "You Better Know It", "Hush-A-Bye", "We Have Love", and "Someone To Need Me". CD features the bonus track "You Don't Know What It Means". CD

72 tracks by one of the greatest figures in 60s soul music! CD

Classic soul from Jackie! The record's an original Brunswick collection of some of his best singles – including quite a few that were penned by Berry Gordy back in Jackie's early soul days. Titles include "Lonely Teardrops", "I'm Wanderin", "Reet Petite", "To Be Loved", "I'll Be Satisfied", "That Is Why (I Love You So)", and "We Have Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great albums that Jackie Wilson ever recorded – a sublime set of 70s soul that has some very different backings than before, all a perfect fit for those amazing Wilson vocals! David Van DePitte handled the arrangements – and wonderfully blends together strings and soul with a very classy feel – one that's nicely mature for the 70s, without any of the too-sappy modes that Wilson sometimes wandered into the decade before. Instead, there's a sense of soul and sensuality that matches some of the best Motown work of the period – allowing Jackie to ascend to a greatness that might well rival that of Marvin Gaye – on killer cuts that include "You're The Song", "Nobody But You", "Satisfy My Soul", "Where Is Love", "Just As Soon As The Feelings Over", and "Just Call My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Ace Records collection of early work by this formative singer in soul music – titles that include "Doggin Around", "Come Back To Me", "It's So Fine", "Shake Shake Shake", "Reet Petite", "If I Can't Have You", and "So Much – plus duets with Linda Hopkins on "Do Lord" and "Shake A Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

Every track on here is an original written by Jackie and Alonzo Tucker, and the album includes tracks like "Big Boss Line", "Take One Step", "Squeeze Her", and "Baby". Classic Brunswick soul! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

You certainly ain't heard nothin, not until you hear this very strangely conceived set of Jackie doing a tribute to Al Jolson! We could condemn this, but we actually find it pretty fascinating, as it confirms the strange black following that Jolson had, even though you would've expected him to only offend that audience. As a soul album, this maybe isn't the tip top of Wilson's catalog – but it's still a pretty unusual record, with titles that include "My Yiddishe Momme", "Sonny Boy", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie Goodbye", and "Swanee". LP, Vinyl record album

Jackie's teamed with a young Linda Hopkins here on this album of soul-oriented gospel tracks, recorded in that all-over-the map sort of way that describes his early years at Brunswick. The tracks feature arrangements by Alan Lorber and Dick Jacobs – and titles include "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands", "Do Lord", "Dry Bones", "Down By The Riverside", and "Shake A Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collaboration between two very unlikely partners – and a great album that really stands out as some of the best work from both artists in the 60s! Count Basie's group gets hard and soulful on the record – and even a little funky on the best cuts – and Jackie Wilson is in a raw bluesy vocal style that recalls the best moments of his earlier Brunswick singles – a great edge that makes the whole Basie groove sound even more hard-hitting than ever. Benny Carter arranged, but the groove is more a hard-edged Count Basie mode mixed with Brunswick soul styles – and Jackie blows it out over the top on great versions of "Funky Broadway", "Ode To Billie Joe", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Even When You Cry", and "Respect". Also features a version of "For Your Precious Love" that was a bit of a hit for the pair! LP, Vinyl record album

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... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A lesser-known Brunswick album from the great Jackie Wilson – a set that features the singer running through a set of mostly standards – doing them in a jazzier style than usual, but all with the soulful vocals that you'd expect. Titles include "Tenderly", "Mood Indigo", "One More Time", "I'm Comin On Back To You", "Lonely Life", "The Way I Am", and "Try A Little Tenderness", done as a soul tune years before Otis Redding's version! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD