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One of the best instrumental records to come out of Memphis, and a real kicker by the funky band that went down with Otis Redding in the tragic plane crash in 1968! The leadoff track is the group's amazing hit "Soul Finger", a stormin' instrumental with a wailing brassy sound that influenced a generation with its "charge" kind of groove. Lots of other nice ones, too – like "Bar-Kays Boogaloo", "Knucklehead", "Theme From Hell's Angels", and "Pearl High". The best of the best of Stax helped out, too!

A lost bit of funky vibes and Fender Rhodes – one of those few records that's as sublime as it is rare – like work by Billy Wooten or Lyman Woodard! The Bobby Hamilton Quintet were an obscure combo from upstate New York – but they've lived on in our hearts (and ears!) with this rare gem from the 70s – a killer set that features Bobby on Rhodes, vocals, and percussion; Mike Gipson (aka Brother Fundi) on vibes, percussion, and electronics; and additional trumpet, tenor, and percussion – used to just the right effect in these totally great arrangements. Most of the tunes on the album are instrumentals – with a very cool, ultra-hip soul jazz approach that's somewhere between the very early Polydor work of Roy Ayers, and the funky electric grooves of the Nineteenth Whole – and the tracks are long, and have a really deep, soulful feel! Titles include "Pearl", "Priscilla", "In The Mouth Of The Beast", "Roll Your Own", and "Dream Queen".

A smoking selection of work from Memphis giant Willie Mitchell – some of the funkiest tracks he ever recorded, stuffed together in one mighty set! Willie's probably best know for his famous studio work for Ann Peebles and Al Green – but on his own, Mitchell can carve out a cooker like nobody's business – in this case with a great ear for the kind of harder instrumental soul sounds you might hear from Stax or Atlantic Records at the start of the 70s! These tunes have a way harder edge than the compressed, smooth sound of Willie's work with singers – and often feature a sharp solo instrument in the lead – such as tenor sax, riffing guitar, or soulful trumpet. Titles include "Breaking Point", "Six To Go", "Poppin", "Pearl Time", "20-75", "Leo's Mood", "The Champion", "Mercy", "That Driving Beat", "30 60 90", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "Big Power House".

A rich document of the talents of Huey Piano Smith – a set that not only features some of his classic work for Ace Records in the US, but which also includes some key performances on other folks' records too! Huey's piano is at the forefront of most of the tracks here, even when the vocals aren't his own – and the set's awash in hard-grooving early New Orleans soul – very heavy on the sort of triplet piano lines that drove that city's sound! Titles include "She's Coming Home" by Curley Moore, "It Was A Thrill" by Pearl Edwards, "Somehwere" by Benny Spellman & Gerri Hall, "Ending Of Love" by Norman Williams, "Chittlins" by Jesse Thomas, "Blow Wind Blow" by Junior Gordon", "Walking Down The Street" by The Bobbetts, "Barbara" by The Clowns, and "Rockin Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu" and "Don't You Just Know It" by Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns.

The start of a legendary label – laid out here in chronological order! The Modern label was a key force in R&B, blues, and jazz in the postwar years – an important indie with an ear for the best underground styles, and an uncanny talent for not only picking some of the best artists of the time – but also finding a way to let their best music come through on record! This wonderful collection brings together all the early Modern Records 78rpm recordings from 1945 – all with brilliant remastering, and the usual Ace Records high level of notes that offers up way more information than you'd find on the original copies. There's strongly jazzy vibe running through the mix here – and titles include "Swinging The Boogie", "Rocking The Boogie", "The Man I Love", "Rehearsin The Boogie", and "Blue Mood" by Hadda Brooks; "Deep Meditation" and "11:45 Swing" by Howard McGhee, "Lovin Lover" and "Jesse Boogie" by Jesse Perry, "Daddy Somebody's Got To Go" by Pearl Taylor, "Air Mail Special" and "B Splat" by Happy Johnson Sextette, and "That's The Boogie" by Three Bits Of Rhythm.

A sweet Mercury Records package for radio DJs – with music by Jon Thomas, Rolf Ericson, Cannonball Adderley, Patti Page, Manny Albam, Sarah Vaughan, Pearl Bailey, and others.

A killer little soundtrack – and one that's quite different than the usual blacksploitation set, but still pretty funky overall! The film Black Girl was a surprisingly sensitive movie directed by Ossie Davis in the early 70s – not as much about action as it was about the everyday life, and the hopes and dreams of the lead characters – all of which made for some really well-rounded music, of the sort you'd find on some of the other great Fantasy Records soundtracks of the time, especially the classic Cornbread Earl & Me score. Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin put together the whole thing, and the album's a mix of hip instrumental tracks with some other vocal ones – a really nice range that draws from singers like Betty Everett, Rodger Collins, and JJ Malone – and jazz players like Sonny Stitt and John Hunt (plus organ from Merl Saunders on one cut.) Titles include "BJ's Step", "Black Girl", "Sister", "Earl (Still A Pearl)", "Mothers Day Song", "Power", "Get Me To The Bridge", "Chock-lite Puddin", and "Black Girl Cue".

An overlooked gem from Dexter Wansel – a mid 80s set recorded after his famous albums for Philly International, and a record that offers a nice transition of his earlier groove! The set's got a keyboard-heavy vibe – similar to the mode that Wansel brought to the studio in the late 70s, but with a different 80s spin overall – especially given the use of drum programs in most of the rhythms, and a mix of other instruments from electric sources as well. Yet given Dexter's ear for a tune, the whole thing comes together with a nice degree of warmth, and a sense of soul that's deeper than you'd expect – especially given that Virgin Records were clearly trying for a crossover hit on this one. There's some great vocals on the leadoff track by The Jones Girls – and other vocals are by Meeta Gajjar, Dr Pearl Williams Jones, and Cynthia Biggs El – who co-wrote most of the record with Wansel. Titles include "Captured", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Nam", "In The Wind", "East Meets West", "Heart On The Line", "Conversations", "Turn Me On", and "Year Of Living Dangerously". CD also features a bonus 12" mix of "Captured".

2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and which is awash in dreamy soundscapes penned by Les himself! The orchestrations are large and bold throughout – mixing strings and woodwinds almost in a soundtrack-y mode – but always with the light sense of interplay that makes Baxter's work so great. Titles include "Monkey Dance Of Bali", "Pearls Of Ceylon", "Tahiti A Summer Night At Sea", "Hong Kong Cable Car", "Tramp Steamer To Singapore", "Harem Silks From Bombay", and "Sidewalk Cafes Of Saigon". The Sacred Idol is a real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes".

A 70s album, but one that features very early sides from Atlantic Records – raw acoustic blues from Willie McTell, recorded on a 12 string guitar down in Atlanta! The album's not just a great example of McTell at his best – witty vocals, and really sharp lines on the acoustic guitar – but also a key illustration of the Atlantic approach right at the start – an ability to find the best setting for the best talents – and really let them open up in a spontaneous, soul-drenched style! Titles include "You Got To Die", "Kill It Kid", "The Razor Ball", "Broke Down Engine Blues", "Dying Crapshooter's Blues", "Blues Around Midnight", "Pearly Gates", and "Soon This Morning".

A second turn in the Movements series on the Perfect Toy label – some of the most blazingly funky 45s you'll hear – put together by the Tobias Kirmayer of Tramp Records! Once again we're floored by how great all of this stuff sounds – some of the deepest, tightest funk material we've ever heard – with snapping drums, perfectly timed horn blasts – and some hard psychedelic soul touches of organ and wailing vocals – while never falling short of unfailingly funky! 15 great tracks: "If It Feels Good" by Phil Flowers, "There's A Wrinkle In Our Time" by 1984, "Don't Chain My Soul" by Carlton Basco, "My Mind Set Me Free Pt 1" by House Guests, "Now Is The Time" by Sisters Love, "Southern Fried Chicken Pts 1 & 2" by Bill Thomas & The Fendells, "Warm Daddy's Choice" by River Front Band, "Bring Out Yourself" by Emperors Soul 69, "Bahama Soul Stew" by Funky Nassau, "Motherless Child" by Harmonica Paul, "Arabian Funk" by Ray Anthony and more!

Van Hunt started out strong as a solo artist in the mid 00s – with a couple of records with great songs with some leftfield elements on the outer edges, suggesting a creative spirit somewhat reigned in by commercial necessity – a few albums later, he's in the indie realm doing just whatever the heck he wants to, and it's invigorating, unpredictable stuff! Following his muse works really well! There's a bit of a stripped down, almost low fi vibe, though it's steeped in real soul. The mood runs from hazy beats and stratchy-sounding vox, to sweet keys and soaring soul vocals, to Afro punk guitars and beyond. Van Hunt does a lot work by himself – songwriting, producing and arranging, plus most of the singing, guitar, synth bass and drum programming – with additional accompaniment on live drums, keys, upright bass, percussion and more when the mood calls for more. includes "North Hollywood", "Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane", "Designer Jeans", "Plum", "Fall (Violet)", "Moving Targets", "Eyes Like Pearls", "A Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend", What Were You Hoping For?", "It's A Mysterious Hustle" and more. One song begins with the line, "Fractured, but not broken", which is a brilliant way to describe Van Hunt's music at this point. There's no one else doing it like him right now!

Sade's last LP from the early 90s before she went into her brief recording and performing hiatus. Like the preceding records, the approach is heavy on the jazz side of things, with a crisp, spare touch on the production and a wonderfully soulful feel to the songwriting. At this point she no longer had to work to break into the charts, but that didn't stop her and her band from coming up with a great batch of material that managed to be easily accessible without losing any of the sublime grace that set her apart. Includes "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Feel No Pain", "I Couldn't Love You More", "Like A Tattoo", "Kiss Of Life", "Pearls", "Bullet Proof Soul" and "Mermaid".