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Joe blows it strong and mellow – in this spare swinging group that includes Frank Wess on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Tracks are warm and unpressured, more in a Verve mode than a Prestige one – and titles include "Wednesday's Blues", "Jive At Five", "Taps Miller", and "Cuein The Blues".

Funky club with jazzy touches – all served up in a stripped-down mode that takes us back to some of our favorite dancefloor experiments of the 90s! The groove here is somewhere in the house-y side of the Acid Jazz scene of early 90s London, or mid-decade work from the Tokyo club jazz crowd, or even a bit like "Hot Music" from Soho – a tune that would be a great comparison for the sound of this sweet little set! Rhythms are built from lots of sampled live jazz passages – so there's an acoustic warmth throughout, even when things are processed – and there's enough live jazz instrumentation to keep a spontaneous feel in the music as well. Titles include "Karabine", "Get A Wiggle On", "Voodoo Juju", "Black Milk", "Hip To The Jive", and "Solitaire".

A very cool collection of work from the South African scene – and almost all of it from the start of the 60s, despite the way the title is listed! Apart from one 1940 track, most of the music here comes from 1960 – a pivotal year when South African music was really growing up – pulling together rootsy elements and inflecting them with some of the key changes happening in the scene in the wake of rich developments in jazz – including big influences from the modernists who would move onto work in Europe and the UK just a few years later. Many numbers here have a leaping, joyous sort of groove – often with a key instrument in the lead voice – such as a tenor, flute, whistle, or trumpet – often upfront in the mix even more than the vocals. Titles include "7 Up Swing" by Abafana Flute Jive, "Nanku" by Doris Mkhize & The Cement Mixers, "Inhliziyo Yam" by Cowboy Superman & His Cowboy Sisters, "Tholi Bare" by Lulu Sibeko & Sedgewick Brothers, "Sophtown Special" by Sophtown Cool Seven, "Kwela Rich" by Richard Nombali, and "Saya Vuma" by Sample Siroqo.

An excellent collection of funky tracks from South Africa – most of them with a slightly different feel than work you'd get on other Afro Funk compilations – and we mean that in a good way, too! Some of the artists are names you'd recognize from later recordings of the big South African crossover years of the 80s and 90s – but they're represented here by harder, edgier cuts from the early days – and mixed up with some more obscure acts, too – which really helps bring a freshness to the set, especially given the interweaving of genres that goes on – as you might guess from the extended sub-title of the CD! Titles include "Sangoma" by Malombo, "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves, "Intombi Ibhinca Isidwaba" by Phuzushukela, "Kikzelani" by Nelcy Sedibe, "Hula Hoop Jive" by Kataki, "Andromeda" by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, "Malume" by Abafakasi, "Baloyi" by Dudu Pukwana & Spear, "Lily's Express" by Gwigwi Mrwebi, "Wozan Mahipi" by Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, and "Bayeza" by Soul Brothers.

Damn great work from Raheem DeVaughn – the full promise of his soulful sojourn in the underground mixtape scene! Raheem first got his start laying down vocals over beats and other folks' tracks on self-crafted CDs that changed hands covertly in the east coast scene – and that experience gave him plenty of time to grow and mature, quietly developing his sound to a point where he can really burst forth with power on a record like this! There's still a bit of the old mixtape feel going on here – a range of older musical influences that inform Raheem's tunes – and a personal, almost casual approach that has DeVaughn speaking intros to some tracks, almost as if he's spinning them out with a personal, conversational style. Yet the production is also much better than before too – quite warm, with some great beats and keys in the mix – proof that stepping out of the underground can often be a good thing for a soul artist. Titles include "Customer", "Hello Love", "Woman", "Love Drug", "Friday", "Can We Try Again", "Empty", "Four Letter Word", and "Woman I Desire". Includes guest appearances from Floetry, Big Boi, and Malik Yusef.

An infectious batch of soul tunes from Raheem DeVaughn – his long overdue debut for Jive Records! Raheem stands apart from many in the mainstream soul and neo soul, not because he wears his influences so proudly on his sleeve, but in the way he wears them. Raheem's soul style is born of love for singers from Marvin Gaye, to Prince, to D'Angelo, to the Isleys and beyond – but his approach to songcraft and recording is born of hip hop and mixtapes – in which he can appropriate a given groove into his own tunes. The album's full of peaks and valleys, and the peaks are worth the the climb! Tracks include "The Love Experience", the Kenny Dope-produced "Guess Who Loves You More", "Who", "Where I Stand", "Breathe", "You", "Sweet Tooth", "Ask Yourself", "Believe", "Is It Possible", "Catch 22", "You", "Cadillac", "Green Leaves" and more!

29 tracks in all, with quite a few guest appearances by rappers such as Keith Murray, Jay Z, Nas and others. Includes "Home Alone", "Did You Ever Think", "Ghetto Queen", "We Ride", "OnlyThe Loot Can Make Me Happy", "If I'm Wit You", "Half On A Baby", "What I Feel/Issues", "Reality", "Don't Put Me Out" and "I Believe I Can Fly".

19 tracks in all, including "TP-2", "R&B Thug", "The Greatest Sex", "Like A Real Freak", "Fiesta", "I Wish", "I Wish (rmx – To The Homies That We Lost)" and"Feelin' On Yo Booty".

Pac's breakout LP, if you ask us. Just before he got too hot for Jive and jumped to Death Row, this is the album where Pac moves above the Thug Life image he worked so hard to craft and delivered the lyrical goods with both his street stories and more introspective rhymes. Includes "If I Die 2 Nite", "Me Against The World", "So Many Tears", "Temptations", "Heavy In The Game", "Dear Mama", "Old School", "F*ck The World", "Death Around The Corner" and "Outlaw".

Includes "Holler If Ya Hear Me", "Keep Ya Head Up", "I Get Around", "Strictly 4 My NIGGAZ", "Point The Finga", "Last Wordz", "Souljah's Revenge", "Peep Game", "Strugglin", "Guess Who's Back", "Representin' 93", "The Streetz Are Deathrow", "Papa'z Song" and "5 Deadly Venomz".

The last Tribe Called Quest LP – one of those "end of an era" type experiences for sure – and record that was fairly slept on it the time given the dizzying heights of their earlier record – and holds up today as an essential! The tracks are all produced by The Ummah featuring J Dilla, and just a solid bed of production that's a reminder of how this excellent style of hip hop production excels so sweetly at both looking forward and making 70s soul jazz beats sound forever fresh – with tracks including "Pen & Pad", "Find A Way", "Like It Like That", "Steppin' It Up" (featuring Busta Rhymes & Redman), "Rock Rock Y'all" (featuring Mos Def, Jane Doe, Punchline & Wordsworth.) As an added bonus, the CD includes six rare classic Tribe Called Quest alternate tracks and remixes that this point only ever appeared on 12-inches – including the classic "Scenario" remix, "Oh My God" remix, "Hot Sex", "One, Two Sh*t", and "Jazz (We Got)" re-recorded version.

Super hard to get import pressing of R Kelly's second LP, the one that really broke him out of the box and catapulted him to super-stardom. Some of the commercial radio ready R&B slow jams and modern soul numbers here have become so ubiquitous it's easy to forget that this LP set a benchmark that's not really been matched by too many contemporary male soul vocalists since. With huge hits like "Bump N' Grind" and "Your Body's Callin'", plus "Sex Me", "Back To The Hood Of things", "Summer Bunnies", "I Like The Crotch On You", "Homie Lover Friend", "Freak Dat Body" and more.

Jive pressing with 18 tracks.

A love letter from R Kelly – and one that feels warmer, deeper, and more sincere than most of his work from the past decade or so! We always love Kelly – we have to, given our hometown affiliation – but this set's a great reminder of what first made him stand out back in the 90s – a deeply soulful approach to mainstream R&B, steeped in classic roots, yet fused into a contemporary spirit that's undeniable. Supposedly, the album's a throwback to older soul styles from the 70s – but we're not ready to call it that, as much as we are the obvious love of those sounds that we first heard in R Kelly's earliest music. And while R may no longer be the future of modern soul, he's still got plenty to offer – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Taxi Cab", "Just Can't Get Enough", "Love Letter", "A Love Letter Christmas", "When A Woman Loves", and "Love Is".

Includes limited edition bonus DVD of the first 5 chapters of "Trapped In The Closet".

CD with three new remixes, and a bonus DVD.

Tracks include "Check The Rhime", "Bonita Applebum", "Award Tour", "Can I Kick It?", "Scenario", "Buggin' Out", "If The Papes Come", "Electric Relaxation", "Jazz (We've Got)", "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo", "Hot Sex", "Oh My God", "Stressed Out", "Luck Of Lucien", "Description Of A Fool", "Keeping It Moving", "Find A Way", "Sucka Ni**a", and "Vivrant Thing".

Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with Jay Dee and the Ummah. Titles include "Jam", the r&b crossover ready "Stressed Out" feat Faith Evans, "Motivators", the great "Phony Rappers", and "Keep It Moving", "Word Play", "The Pressure", "Word Play" and much more.

Tracks include "Young Black Male", "Trapped", "Soulja's Story", "I Don't Give a Fuck", "Violent", "Words Of Wisdom", "Something Wicked...", "Crooked Ass Nigga", "If My Homie Calls", "Brenda's Got A Baby", "Tha Lunatic", "Rebel Of The Underground", and "Part Time Mutha".

Includes limited edition remix bonus disc.

The album that made Billy Ocean a superstar for a little while, one that had a HUGE couple of years on the charts, even longer service as a snapshot of its era, and is now one that we can look at freshly and appreciate for all of the unstoppably catchy pop soul craft that made it so massive in the first place! Billy's earlier Caribbean inflected pop and R&B was good stuff that deserved a bigger audience and boy did it ever find him with the mid 80s hits "Caribbean Queen", the killer ballad "Suddenly" and the crazy fun "Loverboy". Other tracks include "Mystery Lady", "Lucky Man", "Dancefloor" and "If I Should Lose You". This Cherry Pop UK edition has 4 bonus tracks: extended versions of "Caribbean Queen", "Lucky Man", "Mystery Lady" and "Loverboy".

A pair of overlooked gems from Ronnie Dyson – both of which show there's way more to love than just his early hits! On Love In All Flavors, Ronnie's older than during his falsetto soul early years – and he's working here with some impeccably mature Chicago soul arrangements by Gene Barge, Gene Page, and Richard Evans. The album's produced by the always-great modern soul dynamic duo of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey (ex-Independents), and it's got an approach that mixes deeply soulful vocals with smoother backings, kind of in the same mode that The Manhattans were using, but with a bit more of a modern tip that points towards the Capitol work by the Jackson/Yancey team. Tracks include "I Want To Be Where You Are", "Sara Smile", "Don't Be Afraid", "I Just Want To Be There", and "Ain't Nothing Wrong". On More You Do It, Dyson works with the 70s hit soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – the pair who brought great sound to Natalie Cole, and who work some similar magic with Ronnie! The album was recorded in Chicago – partially at Curtom – and has arrangements from Gene Barge, Gene Page, and Richard Evans – all of whom bring a fullness to the record that's a nice change from Dyson's more fragile work of earlier years. Some of the best cuts have a gentle midtempo groove that's almost like Leroy Hutson – warm, and never slick – very personal, and stepping along nicely. Titles include "The More You Do It", "You & Me", "Jive Talkin", "Close To You", "Love Won't Let Me Wait", and "Lovin Feelin".

Classic Quincy Jones from the 60s – a pair of records that really show why his jazz skills were unlike anyone else! Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits is a very groovy record that was done with a feel that's somewhere in between his Big Band Bossa album and his best 60s soundtrack work! The format is simple – Quincy picks a sweet batch of jazz semi-hits from the early 60s, plays them with a nice mix of soul jazz arrangements, and works with a great ensemble filled with wonderful players – including Roland Kirk, Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell, James Moody, and Jerome Richardson on reeds; Lalo Schifrin and Patti Brown on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Melba Liston on trombone – plus lots of great percussion at the bottom, helping bring some Latin energy to the grooves at points. Tunes are familiar, but all given a great Quincy Jones twist – and titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Jive Samba", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Bossa Nova USA", and "Watermelon Man". Golden Boy is a sweet bridge between Quincy's big band recordings and his groovier soundtrack work of the mid 60s – as the record combines straight jazzy grooving with some of the cooler elements of Quincy's soundtrack scores, like stepping strings, wordless voices, and a breathy mellow groove that floats across the disc in a wonderful way! Aiding Quincy in the album are a host of top-line jazz players – including Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Woods on saxes – plus Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, and Jim Hall on guitar! Although titled after the show Golden Boy, only a few cuts here are from that musical – and the rest include Quincy Jones originals and some cool covers, given the Q twist. Titles include "Seaweed", "The Witching Hour", "Hard Day's Night", "The Sidewinder", and "Theme From Golden Boy", done in 2 versions, both great!

A 60s set from Memphis bluesman BB King – but one put together with a very distinct Chicago touch as well! The set's produced by Johnny Pate, and recorded live with a vibe that's similar to King's classic recording at The Regal – but it's almost got even more of a soulful punch, thanks to backing from a cool small combo that includes Bobby Forte on tenor, Kenneth Sands on trumpet, Duke Jethro on Hammond, and Louis Satterfield on bass! BB's vocals are great – in his best early form – and the tunes are bluesy, but also smoke with a nice degree of soul – and almost some jazzy touches at times from the tenor and organ. Titles include "Don't Answer The Door", "Blind Love", "Tired Of Your Jive", "Night Life", "Buzz Me", and "Waitin On You". CD features two bonus tracks – "Goin Down Slow" and "Sweet Sixteen (parts 1 & 2)" – both additional live numbers.

Poppy passion from Krystol – a sweet 80s trio with a definite way with a hook! The set's got a well-balanced mainstream sound – one that helps the vocals find a fullness right away, either on the leads or harmonies – both woven together over the top of the tight, beat-heavy grooves! At points, there's almost a retro vibe – as if an older girl trio mode's being revived for a new 80s scene – but with a definite contemporary spin. There's a decidedly commercial appeal to the sound – but Krystol were also never too overplayed back in the day, which makes the album a nice discovery – and a great surprise when you start digging through all the potential singles on the set. Tracks include "Love Attack", "Passion From A Woman", "He's So Jive", "Baby Make Up Your Mind", "Scared Single", and "Precious Precious". CD features bonus tracks too – "Passion From A Woman (ext)", "Passion From A Woman (acapella)", "Passion From A Woman (radio)", "Passion From A Woman (dub)", "Passion From A Woman (7" version)", and "Precious Precious (7" version)".

A classic set of soul jazz from Chicago – a rare indie date recorded in the early 80s, but with a tight and swinging feel that's more 70s jazz funk than you might think! Corky's on Yamaha keyboards, and he's backed by a hip group of Chicago players that includes Curtis Prince on drums, Artee Duke Payne on saxes, and Stephen Harris on guitars – all working together in a tightly rhythmic sound with some slight spiritual undercurrents – almost in the same territory as James Mason on his legendary record from a few years before! As with that set, there's a bit of polish here, but never too much – a balance that makes the record a wonderfully mature record with a depth that keeps it going for years. Byron Woods sings lead vocals on the album's jazz dance classic "Searching For Soul" – and a few other tracks feature Theresa Davis on lead vocals. Other titles include "Everything Must Change", "Open Wide", "Passion", "Jive Mama T", "Off C", and "Mirror Mirror".

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 conducted 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". CD features the bonus track "Taurus In The Arena Of Life".

Quite possibly THE mother of all funky soundtracks – the legendary score to Rudy Ray Moore's classic first Dolemite film! The record's been referenced for years, and all the hype is totally right – because the whole thing's overflowing with funky tracks both vocal and instrumental – cut with a sound that's as gritty and badass as the movie itself! The Soul Rebellion Orchestra provided the wicked instrumental grooves for the set – and vocalists include Mary Love and Ben Taylor – and the pacing of the whole record almost makes it come across like a mini-movie in sound! You'll find enough samples on here to cut a lifetime's worth of hip hop LPs, and the funky tracks will have you coming back to the record again and again! Tracks include "The Queen", "The Rumble", "Mayor Get Away", "The Jive Jungle", "Creeper", and "Ghetto Expressions". Plus, this CD reissue is even more beautiful than the original vinyl – with a booklet chock full of notes and vintage photos – and 6 bonus tracks that include "Dolemite (with narration)", "Flatland (film version)", "Human Tornado", "Miss Wonderful", "Dolemite Radio Spot (version 1)", "Dolemite Radio Spot (version 2)", and "Human Tornado Radio Spot".

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and all funky! This album may well be the group's best – their last for RCA, and a set that really has them honing their edge incredibly. The drums are amazing, the keyboards great, and the horns have this quality that's both complex, yet right on the money – making for a richness in sound that really sets the group apart from their contemporaries. A few singers from The New Birth provide chorus vocals on a few tracks – but most of the set is instrumental, and the record's one we'd gladly stack next to our Meters albums on Josie or JBs classics on People. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Drumology", "Excuse Me While I Do My Thing", "Serenade for a Jive Turkey", "Happy Hooker", "Craaashing", "Damn", "Pee-Foul", and a sweet cover of "Valdez in the Country" that's been sampled at least once over the years!

A completely unique little set from singer Steve Parks – a set cut in the Bay Area scene of the early 80s – but done with a righteous 70s vibe that mixes jazz, soul, and bits of Latin influences as well! The overall approach is definitely soul, but there's plenty of jazz inflections in the vocals and instrumentation – a vibe that's not unlike the best sound of Jon Lucien on RCA, but which is carried here by Parks with a bit more force – and these undeniably fluid vocals sounds that really blow us away! Instrumentation is right on the money – warm, jazzy, and never hokey at all – with lots of great acoustic percussion at the core. Titles include the massive sample track "Movin In The Right Direction" – plus "All In A Day", "Everything's Gonna Be OK", "Don't Stop Now", "The Golden Key", and "Sadness In My Samba". CD features an insane number of bonus tracks – 9 more numbers that include "Wrong Decision", "Should've Been Wishing", "Wonderful", "Stop Drop Everything", "You Make It Easy For Me", and "Shimmy & Jive".

Just a few of the songs here are from the 60s, and many of the rest are written by Gaetano Partipilo himself – and mixed with a few Brazilian numbers as well – all to round out a wonderfully rich sounding album that really lives up to the best Schema tradition! Instrumentation is mostly live jazz – played by Gaetano on alto sax, as well as Nicola Conte on guitar, Pietro Lusso on Fender Rhodes, Pasquale Bardaro on vibes, and Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet – but maybe best of all are the vocals, which shift a bit over the course of the record, and include raspy soul lines from MR Natural, and warmer female vocals from Alice Ricciardi, Heidi Vogel, and Rosalia De Souza. Half the tracks are instrumentals, and the mix of modes really makes the album great – never settled too far into one comfortable corner, and really taking the listener on a great journey overall! Titles include "Essa Mulher", "Se Voce Pensa", "Beyond The Days", "Jive Samba", "Right Now", "13 Death March", "Wall & Water", "Atras Da Porta", "The Sticks", "Moon Flower", and "Ocean Dance".

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funk – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor.

A pair of lost classics – back to back in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Mary Wells album – non-Motown magic from Wells – a killer 60s album that really lives up to her previous promise! The scope is a bit wider here than before – and Mary's wonderful throughout, sticking closely in that classic blend of class and soul that made her one of the first standout stars of Motown – moving in equally great company here with studio help from Carl Davis, Riley Hampton, and Andre Williams! The tunes have a sweet midtempo groove – almost a bit of early Detroit into Chicago mid 60s soul – and titles include "Never Never Leave Me", "Use Your Head", "My Mind's Made Up", "Why Don't You Let Yourself Go", and "We're Just Two Of A Kind". Love Songs To The Beatles is even more compelling – the best of the 60s genre! Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem! Bonus tracks include "Jive Guy", "I'm Learnin", "I'm Sorry", "Say What You Gotta Say", and "Memories Are Creepin Up On Me".

A very cool batch of tracks that mixes together a wide range of bossa groovers from the 60s! The set features Brazilian-based classics, plus other groovy tunes from American albums that fit in just as well with the dreamy mix of tunes. Titles include "Baia" by Bill Perkins, "Jive Samba" by Jon Hendricks, "Amazonas" by Som Tres, "E Bom Assim" by Os Cobras, "The Man From THRUSH" by Lalo Schifrin, "Mestico" by Wilson Simonal, "Vou Te Contar" by Quarteto 004, "O Pato" by Lennie Dale, "Sambo Do Carioca" by Silvio Cezar et Meirelles, "Boranda" by Edu Lobo, and "Samba De Verao" by Sergio Mendes & Wanda De Sah.

Stunning sounds from the farther reaches of the El Paso scene – amazing music that really gets at the rich array of underground acts working in the shadow of bigger local hero Bobby Fuller! The cuts here are very heavy on guitars, and often recorded with an echoey approach that makes each twang as resonant as thunder – a perfect way to make a heck of a lot out of a little, and really bring the best out of some of these groups! Our favorite cuts here are by Bob Taylor & The Counts – a combo that sports some really wicked guitar right up front, and raw vocals and tumultuous drums that almost recall the sound of early work by Johnny Burnette. Bob Taylor titles include "Taylor's Rock", "Child Fortune", "Thunder", and "Jill" – and other cuts include "You're Wrong" and "The Shadows Dance" by Johnny Garmon & The Shadows, "Be Mine" and "Jim's Jive" by Jerry Bright & The Embers, "Runaway" by Rock Kings, "Party" by Al Sims & The Alpine Two, "Little Rome" by Max Alexander & The Hi Fi Combo, and "Finders Keepers" by Don Guess & The Rock Kings.

A weird sort of title – until you realize it's a play on the name of the city of Manchester, where most of this work originates – and where the testosterone must have been running high during the 70s, when most of these tunes were cut! The music here represents a world hardly heard from before – a British underground in the years after Deep Purple – rich in fuzz, and heavy on drums – making music that easily rivals the badass power of most of the bigger British groups of the time – and which often has an undercurrent of funk at the bottom too! That funky element is definitely at play on the track selection here, too – as you might expect with Finders Keepers at the helm – the folks who've given us fuzzy funky nuggets from around the globe, and have turned back towards home to dig up these mostly unreleased gems! Titles include "Windy Day" by Greasy Bear, "Hunt The Stag" by Stack Waddy, "Ten Days Gone" by Urbane Gorilla, "Crocadilla" by Spider Jive, "Come On In" by Slipped Disc, "Seven Stars" by Plasma, "Johnny" by Socrates, and "Is This Really Me" by JC Heavy.

The only compilation of 60s female soul trio The Apollas we've ever seen – beautiful tunes with sweet and soulful vocals, big emotions and excellent arrangements – fantastic stuff from the trio, earlier material recorded as The Lovejoys and solo numbers by singer Leola Jiles! We'd love to say we've been fortunate enough to have heard more than a handful of the great Loma and Warner 45s, but that isn't the case – so this compilation from Kent as rewarding for us as just about anything they've put together in recent years – which is really saying something! A number of the tracks are should-be anthems that really allow the girls to sing big – backed by brass and tight arrangements to suit. That said, they're diverse talents, and there's some sweeter girl group styled tunes here that come across just as strongly. Glorious! Titles include "You're Absolutely Right", "Who Would Want Me Now", "Jive Cat", "See The Silver Moon", "Pretty Red Balloons", "I'm Under The Influence Of Love", "Baby I'll Come", "My Soul Concerto" and more from The Apollas proper, plus "He Ain't No Angel" and "Wait 'Round The Corner" by The Lovejoys, "I've Got So Used To Loving You" and "Why I Was Born" by Leola Jiles and more. 25 tracks in all.

Some of the most soulful jazz recorded in Europe during the 1960s – and the complete Philips recordings of German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger! Doldinger's probably best remembered for the more dynamic fusion he cut with the Passport group in the 70s, but back in his early years he was full on soul jazz player, steeped in the tradition of Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, and others before him – all players that we'd easily rank Doldinger with during these years, given the ultra-high level of his work for Philips! But given his German orientation, Doldinger also picked up on some of the freer influences that were running around the European scene of the 60s – and the tracks here don't just sparkle with American soul jazz sounds, but also show a bit of Brazilian and more progressive jazz influences as well. And alongside Doldinger's tremendous tenor and soprano sax, the recordings here are equally noteworthy for the organ lines of Ingrfried Hoffmann – an ultra-cool player on the Hammond, with the mixture of rhythmic energy and playfulness you might find in the work of Jack McDuff for Prestige at the same time! Doldinger and Hoffmann cook tremendously throughout – so much so, you can easily forget their country of origin, and just put these sides on equally next to your favorites from Prestige or Cadet. 4CD package features material from 4 full albums, plus rare singles – and also includes a full CD of other rare Doldinger recordings from the same time! Tremendous stuff throughout, and easily one of the greatest discoveries in jazz you may make this year. 51 tracks in all – with titles that include "Delilah", "Signal", "Blues For George", "Solar", "Viva Brasilia", "Waltz Of The Jive Cats", "Blue Note Samba", "Negra Sin Sandalia", "Shakin The Blues", "Just A Little Bit Of Soul", "Run Baby Run", "Quartenwalzer", "Praeludium No 3", "That Bluesy Sound", "Watch It", "Pavana The Earl Of Salisbury", "Midnight Session", and "Joe's Blues".

An unusual package of Quincy Jones albums – featuring variations on two American records, presented here in offbeat German versions of the 60s! First up is Songs For Pussycats, kind of a mix of Quincy Jones' Pussycat album for Mercury with some tracks from other records too – all done in that wicked mix of jazz, soundtrack, and popular themes that Quincy virtually helped invent back in the 60s! The album's got plenty of great groovers that take a popular tune and kind of turn it on its ear – takes on tracks like "What's New Pussycat", "Take Five", "Mack The Knife", "Sermonette", "Mr Lucky", and "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" – all of which are souped-up by Quincy, and done in a rhythmic style that takes them past familiar versions you might know. Quincy In Rio is a set that seems to be the famous Big Band Bossa Nova album at the start, but which also features tracks from other 60s albums too – showing a whole new fresh side to Quincy's genius in a jazz bossa mode! Arrangements are very lively, with lots of great percussion underneath the soaring big band charts – and titles include "Bossa Nova USA", "Desafinado", "Jive Samba", "Baia", "The Gentle Rain", "Non-Stop To Brazil", "Samba De Una Nota So", and "I Love You & Don't Forget It".

Searing guitars and stomping rhythms from The Routers – early 60s recordings for Warner – rare singles, standout album tracks and unreleased gems from the rockin' instrumental groovers! The Routers could do it all – chugging surf and drag strip rockers, sax-led rhythm & blues, proto garage jams and more. The rugged rhythms really standout with these guys, as does the percussion – post-"Hand Jive" handclaps, weird vocal chants and other groovy touches! A killer compilation from Ace – with 27 tracks in all: "Let's Go (Pony)", "A-Ooga", "Make It Snappy", "Stamp And Shake", "Crack Up", "Amoeba", "Pipeline", "Let's La La La", "Silver Finger", "Grandstand Stomp", "Boom Ti Boom", "Big Band", "Pep Rally", "Too Much Monkey Business" and many more.

Some of the earliest South African jazz we've ever heard – and almost more unique than the better-known material from the exodus years of the 1960s! The recordings here were all made in the early 50s, and are done in a style referred to as Bulawayo jazz – a highly rhythmic mode that often uses a stringed instrument as part of the rhythm section, vamping along in ways that aren't that different than later South African jazz, but slightly rootsier overall. Saxophone tops off the groove, and much of it is played here by tenorist August Musarurwa – who has a raspy tone that really cuts nicely through the tracks! The sound is wonderful – very earthy, but still plenty jazzy – and the CD features material by a few different groups that feature Musarurwa. Titles include "Ndakurakura Mai", "Mafambira E Wai", "Skokiaan", "Rhumba", "Tsuku Kunema", and "Hondo Chivutsi" by The Cold Storage Band; "Icharlie Jive", "Ungityela Manga", and "Hamba Hamba Madala" by Los Angeles Orchestra; "Kuenda Namwendo" and "Machipisa Watere Muchikunda" by Umtali Chipisa Band; and "N'ga Ngile Ntombi Yami" by Dick Nuebe Trio.

A massive fourth volume to this totally great series – and quite honestly, maybe the funkiest so far! Compiler Tobias Kirmayer really knows his stuff – after years of recording and reissuing great music on his own Tramp label – and if anything, his time in the funky underground has only given him a sharper ear for rare singles and lost soulful nuggets – as you'll hear in this wonderful compilation! The set's overflowing with killers from the late 60s and early 70s – and most of them are numbers we've never seen reissued before – quite a feat, given how many funk collections have shown up over the years. Snowboy bills the set as a "high-quality collection of obscenely rare" funk and soul 45s – and he's totally right about all of that – although we'll also add that musically, it's pretty darn great too! Titles include "Sticks & Stones" by Dino & The Dell-Tones, "Shakers & Movers (parts 1 & 2)" by Carl Westmoreland, "Talk About Soul" by Rudy Tee & The Reno-Bops, "Discotheque Soul (edit)" by Ricky Williams, "Hey Rugh Nut" by Zodiacs, "Hipster" by C Forture & J Brinson, "I Don't Think We Are Going Back Again" by Soul Brothers Inc, "Machine Gun" by Odyssey Group, "Night Club" by The Dave Harris Trio, "Honky Games" by Iris Bell with the Jive-Ettes, and "Booty Whip (unreleased acetate version)" by Bro Byron.

Tropical funk, hazy rhythms, and simmering Afro funk & soul from the Caribbean – a killer collection put together by Hugo Mendez– fantastic stuff from Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent and beyond! Tropical Funk Experience does a great job of pulling together the a diverse set of funky sounds – with lots of funk that carries both JBs and Afro funk styles, harder grooving and more tripped out sounds, and reggae – with tropical versions of funky standards, and even more numbers that are totally fresh to our ears. Titles include "Spouge Explosion", "Let Me Get Stoned" by Boo & The Tru Tones, "Take The Funky Feeling" by Blue Rhythm Combo, "Cissy Strut" De Boys En Dem, "Fugitive Dub" by Skatalites, "Basa Bongo" by Yoruba Singers, "Smokey Feeling" by The Organization"," New Bag" by The Exciters, "Jive Samba" by Llans Thelwell And The Celestials and more.

Classic funky soul jazz playing by Cannonball and one of his great groups, caught live in San Francisco, with a nice hard groove that you don't always get in their studio recordings. The record includes a stellar 11 minute version of "The Jive Samba", one of Cannonball's greatest track, plus "Primitivo", "Lillie", and "Mellow Buno". Nat Adderley's on trumpet, Joe Zawinul's on piano, and Yusef Lateef is on tenor! CD includes the bonus track "Unit 7"!

The first-ever album as a leader from Finnish saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – an amazing debut that's filled with sharp notes and soaring rhythms! The style here is slightly modern, but also filled with a tremendous sense of soul – a deeply creative vibe that takes off from the hippest side of Blue Note in the mid 60s, and really moves into it's own kind of space. Most numbers have a strong sort of pulse – sometimes modal, sometimes more tightly snapping, and almost in a hardbop vein – providing a perfect platform for the bold solo work from Eero on tenor, soprano, and alto sax – and Bertil Lovgren on trumpet, whose instrument dances with Eero's on the leads, then blasts off with some beautifully crafted lines of its own! Titles include "For Fun", "Traneology", "Sleeping", "So Nice", "Country Jive", and "Odysseus".

Great work from the Ohio Players – and proof that moving to a big label could be a good thing for a funky group! This was the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years, the move also taught the band to sharpen up their act, and get out of the repetitive sloppy groove into which they'd been lapsing during the past few years. The album's a lot smoother than earlier work – with a polished funky sound that would soon push the band right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at the top of the soul charts. And although there's familiar funky numbers like "Skin Tight", "Jive Turkey", and "Streakin Cheek To Cheek" – the best moment on the entire album is the wonderful spacey soul number "Heaven Must be Like This", a seven minute mellow groover that's got a sophisticated jazzy soul style, with voices and piano soaring into the heavens, in a way that always still sends chills down our spine! That cut shows the band's tremendous growth – and it's one of their best-ever!

Pure vocal magic – featuring the lovely Flora Purim at the height of her California powers – working in a sublime mix of jazz, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms – a sound that she virtually invented! The group on the set is one of her greatest of the time – with players that include Joe Henderson, George Duke, and Stanley Clarke – coming together with some great Brazilian percussion from husband Airto. The tracks are tight and jazzy – and include "Light As A Feather", "Dr. Jive (parts 1 & 2)", "Butterfly Dreams", "Moon Dreams", and "Dindi". This is the stuff that virtually defined the Brazilian/American groove of the 70s – and it's still light years ahead of any of Flora's many imitators!

West coast jazz and New York hipness from late 50s – Googie Rene's Romesville and the Babs Gonzales classic Tales Of Manhattan – 2 LPs back-to-back on a single CD! Romesville features great work from the small combo king of the LA scene – the great Googie Rene, one of the heaviest piano talents on the west coast at the time! The album's got Googie working in kind of a beat jazz approach – bringing in a larger group of players than usual, but presenting the instruments in a spaced-out setting that still makes for a lean feel overall. The album's stuffed with great guest work by players that include Plas Johnson, Jack Costanzo, Howard Roberts, and Milt Holland – and overall, the album crackles like some of Costanzo's best for Liberty, mixed with a bit of a jazz soundtrack approach. Titles include "Romesville", "Flippin The Pizza", "Cherry Ferrari", "Caesar's Pad", and "Cafe Roman Candle". Tales Of Manhattan is one of the greatest albums ever by the consummate jazz hipster – Babs Gonzales! Babs was part singer, part poet, and part philosophy – working in a jive-heavy style that was filled with inside jokes on the New York jazz scene of the postwar years – and peopled with odd characters from that scene, including musicians, hustlers, hookers, and small-time crooks. Babs speaks and sings on the set, backed by arrangements from Melba Liston, played by a small combo that includes Kenny Burrell, Peck Morrison, and Roy Haynes. The whole thing's great – one of the best blends of hipster jive and jazz ever – and titles include "Dem Resolution Liars", "The Hat Box Chicks", "Dem Jive New Yorkers", "The Squares", and "The Cool Cat's Philosophy".

A great mix of jazz, bossa, and other European grooves from the 60s and 70s – a smashing compilation of rare tracks, very much like others in this series! There's not much of a structure to the collection, but the cuts are all mighty nice – a really well-selected batch of numbers that includes "Conversations" by Silhouettes, "Sombre Guitar" by Danser's Inferno, "Claudia" by Panema Leblon, "Autumn Leaves" by Milt Jackson, "Jive Samba" by Jon Hendricks, "Here We Are Falling In Love" by Meta Roos, "Le Coeur Qui Jazze" by France Gall, "Exotica" by Walter Kubiczec, "Uela Uela" by Charly Antonlini, and "Sunshine Superman" by Big Jim Sullivan.

Beautiful set of some of the gems to come out of the New York uptown soul sessions from the mid and late 60's – including "My Neighborhood" by Billy Byers, "Sugar" by The Jive Five, "The Hurt" by Freddie North", "Welcome to Dreamsville" by Sammy Ambrose, "In My Tenement" by Roosevelt Grier, and loads of other great tracks by Jimmy Radcliffe, Brooks O'Dell, Lonnie Satin, and other artists slaving away in the uptown studios to create these little gems of lost soul! The sound is crystal-perfect – and the interplay between vocals and arrangements show the counterpoint of the uptown genre working 100%!

BB King at his late 60s best – working here in the company of producers Johnny Pate and Quincy Jones, and serving up a great blend of blues and soul in the process! The set's less a "best of", than a collection of ABC work that doesn't seem to be on the other full albums of the time – mostly produced by Johnny Pate, with those great Chicago soul touches that helped his work with King really cross new boundaries – and finally give BB the kind of full, forceful approach that Bobby Blue Bland had been getting for years. The Quincy Jones cuts are two from the soundtrack to For Love Of Ivy – both pretty groovy, with a socking soul punch – and titles on the full album include "Tired Of Your Jive", "Don't Answer The Door", "The BB Jones", "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss", "All Over Again", "I Don't Want You Cutting Off Your Hair", "Sweet Sixteen", "Meet My Happiness", and "You Put It On Me". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Waitin On You", "Messy But Good", "Stop Leading Me On (single)", "Never Trust A Woman (single)", "Sloppy Drunk (single)", "Rockin Awhile", "Night Life", "Help The Poor (single)", and "How Blue Can You Get (single)".

One of the stellar earlier albums from Tom Waits – with lots of slower, piano-led bluesy and jazzy ballads – on top of the jivey, gravelly charisma of his voice and songwriting. The mix of that gruff voice and the fairly pretty instrumentation is prime Waits, from this period. This is the 40s, 50s and 60s-inspired Waits at his near-finest. Includes "Cinny's Waltz", "Muriel", "I Never Talk To Strangers", "A Sight For Sore Eyes", "Barber Shop", Foreign Affair" and more.