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A soaring collection of dancefloor classicsw from the late 70s and early 80s – true gems from the years when disco was really going strong – with many tracks presented on full length album or 12" versions! We'll be honest and say that the cover and title don't look like much on the front – but the CD's very well put-together, and features a detailed book of notes, with a fair bit on each tune included in the set! The collection's pulled from a variety of different labels – and titles include "With Your Love" by Donna Summer, "Dance Disco Heat" by Sylvester, "Star Love" by Cheryl Lynn, "Haven't Stopped Dancin' Yet" by Gonzalez, "Heaven Must Have Sent You" by Bonnie Pointer, "Wear It Out" by Stargard, "Everybody Get Up" by Ren Woods, "#1 Dee Jay" by Goody Goody, "Saturday" by Norma Jean, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, and "I Got the Feeling" by Two Tons O Fun.

Dizzy Gillespie meets the Phil Woods Quintet – a group that already has a great trumpeter in the form of Tom Harrell – which makes the album here a double-horn delight! Dizzy's on trumpet throughout, and Harrell plays both trumpet and flugelhorn – and the pair work well with Woods' alto in the front line, sharing back and forth, and creating a lively interplay between the different voices of their instruments. Dizzy is impeccable – as he always is at this point in his career – and rhythms are nice and tight, thanks to piano from Hal Galper, bass from Steve Gilmore, and drums from Bill Goodwin. Titles include a great reading of Galper's Loose Change" – plus "Terrestris", "Love For Sale", "Oon Ga Wa", and "Whasidishean".

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".

Billy Preston right in the middle of a classic 70s run – hitting a trademark blend of soul, jazz, and other groovy influences – all with a sound that's very much his own, and which puts him in the same company as Sly Stone or Stevie Wonder! Preston's market was a bit more mainstream than those two, but at this point in his career he's very much on top of his game – really pulling together all the experience of woodshedding in the 60s, and bursting forth with a sense of pop power and pride that's totally great! Billy plays a fair bit of different keyboards on the set – and rhythms run from the respected Preston romping modes, to others that are a bit more laidback and soulful. Titles include the hit "Nothing From Nothing", plus "St Elmo", "Sometimes I Love You", "You Are So Beautiful", "Creature Feature", "Tell Me You Need My Loving", "Sad Sad Song", and "Sister Sugar".

A rare solo effort from Danny Woods – a record cut away from Chairmen Of The Board during a stretch when the group had temporarily disbanded – and an excellent showcase for Danny's strength on his own! Woods is really wonderful here – with a proud, righteous quality that really soars out away from General Johnson and Harrison Kennedy – perfect for the righteous backings arranged by HB Barnum and McKinley Jackson – whose spirits really fit some of the more progressive modes of the music. There's plenty of upbeat, positive moments throughout – and titles include "Two Can Be As Lonely As One", "Let Me Ride", "It Didn't Take Long", "Everybody's Got A Song To Sing", "Working On A Building Of Love", and "Roller Coaster". CD also features the bonus track "Everybody's Tippin".

A rich tribute to one of the greatest indies of the south – especially back in the 50s – Jackson's mighty Ace Records – home to a rich array of R&B, early rockers, and rootsy music too – all served up here in a mightily overstuffed compilation! The set brings together a few unreleased tracks alongside Ace singles and other obscurities – a rich testament to the strength of the label back in the day – and their great ear for sounds from surrounding scenes as well – as the music here has plenty of echoes of Memphis and New Orleans too! The package is heavy on obscure gems – and titles include "Baby Say You Will" by Jesse Allen, "Hey Hey Baby Come Home" by Albert Scott, "Well I Never Get Tired" by Johnny Fairchild, "Educated Fool" by Huey Piano Smith, "Roll On Train" by Elton Anderson, "Doing The Rock & Roll" by Calvin Spears, "Classy Lassie" by Alvin Red Tyler & The Gyros, "I'm Packing Up" by Earl King, "Love's Like A River" by Charles Brown, "Roll Em Back" by Eddie Bo, and "Love Is My Business" by Bobby Woods. CD features 9 more bonus tracks from the original album – with titles that include "Shed So Many Tears" by Elton Anderson, "You Aim To Please" by Jimmy Clanton, "Sea Cruise" by Huey & Jerry, "Baby It's Love" by Johnny Angel, and "Rock" by Lee Dorsey.

Groovy jazz from 2 very cool labels – the related Skye and Gryphon companies of the late 60s and mid 70s, respectively – home to some very very cool bits! Skye's best known as the home of Cal Tjader and Gary McFarland in their post-Verve years – and the label's got a feel that's very much in the spirit of both artists – often blending together jazz, Latin, and easy grooves with a dreamy floating sort of quality. Gryphon recordings came a few years later – and had a warm and mellow 70s jazz sort of feel – using richer production to deeply color work by a variety of well-known artists who got a chance to stretch out in their albums for the label. Despite the difference of a few years between them, the work from both labels sits very nicely together here – thanks to an expert job of compilation by Toru Hashimoto, the force behind the Café Apres Midi and Free Soul series! Titles include "Mixing" by Airto, "What's Going On" and "My Favorite Things" by Louis Hayes, "Tandoori" by Barry Miles, "Flea Market" and "Suburbia" by Gary McFarland, "Theme From Peter Gunn" by Chuck Rainey, "Don't Fence Me In" by Grady Tate, "Viva Peraza" by Armando Peraza, "La Pasionaria" by Michel Legrand, "You'll Never Get To Heaven" and "Armando's Bossa" by Cal Tjader, "Bluesette" by Mel Torme & Buddy Rich, and "Change Partners" by Phil Woods.

Soul Jazz takes an open-eyed and open-minded look at swampy, funky, freewheeling southern rock – southern-by-nature or southern-by-inspiration grooves from the end of the 60s and well into the 70s! What we love most about the set, besides that it features one great song after another, is the Soul Jazz perspective. They don't simply put together Delta Swamp Rock from a purist's standpoint regionally, or as a sound – it's loosely-defined, which you could complain about if you want, but we love all of this stuff so it works for us! There's early phase southern rock, blue-eyed soul, soulful country and homey, swaggering pop. Tracks include "The Seasons" by Lynryd Skynryd, "Smokies" by Barefoot Jerry", "Papa, Won't You Let Me Go To Town With You" by Bobbie Gentrie, "Stone Fox Chase" by Area Code 615, "Be What You Want To" by Link Wray", "I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "God Rest His Soul" by Duane And Gregg Allman"Out In The Woods" by Leon Russell, "Polk Salad Annie" by Tony Joe White, "Come To Me Tonight" by Barefoot Jerry, "I Won't Be Hangin' Round" by Linda Rondstadt, "Big D" by Waylon Jennings, "Mississippi Delta" by Bobbie Gentry", "If I Were A Carpenter" by Johnny Cash" and more. 25 tracks on 2CDs.

A really great setting for Pepper Adams – a rare European live date that has his baritone sax matched with the mighty talents of the George Arvanitas trio! Arvanitas' piano is always great, but we especially love the rhythm work here by bassist Jacky Samson and drummer Charles Saudrais – two amazing players who help Pepper find a groove on the record that's quite different than usual. The set begins with the 11 minute "Bossa Noveau" – a Brazilian-styled groover that reminds us a lot of the Samson/Saudrais work with Marco Di Marco and Chris Woods – and the same sort of vibe follows on the 17 minute "Min & Maj Blues" too. "Ephemera" and "Body & Soul" are a bit straighter, but totally great – and the CD also features the bonus track "Dear Old Stockholm".

One of the few early albums as a leader cut by trumpeter Benny Bailey – a tremendous talent, finally getting his due! Bailey is one of the great unsung talents of jazz, and he's always made top-shelf work – from his early days with Quincy Jones, to his later years as an American expatriot, recording for European labels like Ego and MPS. This rare early session is one of the few recorded for the super-hip Candid label – and it features Bailey's trumpet at the head of a tight combo that includes Phil Woods on alto sax and bass clarinet, Julius Watkins on French Horn, Les Spann on flute and guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and rhythm from Buddy Catlett on bass and Art Taylor on drums. Despite the "big brass" title, there's no horn section here – and instead, most of the numbers have that sharp-edged modern sound we associate with Candid – with Watkins horn being the only other brass instrument, alongside the lighter lines of Woods and Spann. Titles include "Hard Sock Dance", "Tipsy", "Please Say Yes", and "Maud's Mood".

Excellent vocal jazz from postwar Paris! The Blue Stars were a legendary combo that were led by Blossom Dearie, and which featured a host of great vocal talents that would later go onto form groups like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers, including Mimi Perrin and Christine Legrand, as well as instrumental jazz artists like Fats Sadi and Roger Guerin, who are doing some rare vocalization here. The first 4 tracks on the set are pulled from a 1956 ep – and it features the group on the tracks "Jumpin At The Woodside", "C'est La Vie", "Broadway At Basin Street", and "Grapevine". The next 12 tracks are from the Pardon My English LP – which has the group down to a sextet, working without Dearie, in a groovy accented English vocal style that's a direct precursor of the vocalese grooving of Les Double Six. Titles on that set include "Small Talk", "Move", "Did You Close Your Eyes?", and "Promises & Lies". The last 3 tracks on the set are a bit different – featuring vocals and guitar by Henri Salvador, with backing on bass and drums. The style of Salvador's work is still similar, though – way more vocalese than the "blues" in the title would make you expect – and the tracks are lifted from a rare Fontana ep-only release that was recorded in the same year. Titles include "Don't Blame Me", "Salvador Plays The Blues", and "Stompin At The Savoy".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

Brilliant music from one of our favorite artists ever – a set that features the mighty Michel Legrand in a host of different settings – all of them great! CD 1 features 20 vocal numbers by Legrand – a great reminder that although best know for his soundtracks, Michel is a hell of a singer – one with this warm, raspy voice that's as at home in scatting jazz as it is in a more lyrical interlude – beautifully displayed here on tunes from the 60s through the 21st Century – vocal numbers that include "Attendre", "Quand Ca Balance", "Elle A Elle A Pas", "Rupture", "Le Cinema", "Trombone Guitare Et Compagnie", "Edith", "La Partie De Tennis", "Les Enfants Qui Pleurent", and "Mon Dernier Concert". CD 2 features jazz tunes by Legrand and others – almost all of which are versions of Legrand's great compositions – and a few others based around his sublime arrangements! Titles include "Flight" by Stan Getz, "De Delphine A Lancien" by Bud Shank, "Vida Real" by Arturo Sandoval, "Images" by Phil Woods, "Once You've Been In Love" by Sarah Vaughan, "My Funny Valentine" by Toots Thielmans, and "I Will Wait For You" by Lena Horn. CD 3 features soundtrack material – perhaps Legrand's most famous area of expression, and for good reason too – as you'll hear on titles from films like La Piscine, Le Sauvage, Cinq Jours En Juin, La Buche, Ice Station Zebra, Cleo De 5 A 7, Dingo, The Picasso Summer, Les Demoiselles De Rochefort, and Robin & Marian. CD 4 is a rare treat – music we've never heard before, and a set of recent duets that feature Michel Legrand on piano and Cetherine Michel on harp – running through some wonderful takes on classic Legrand compositions, including "His Eyes Her Eyes", "Orson's Theme", "Au Concert", "Nobody Knows", "How Do You Keep The Music Playing", and "I Will Say Goodbye". Amazing music throughout – and a hell of a great set at this price!

Incredible work from a singer we'd never heard before – but who should have been huge, given the quality of these tunes! Pearl's got an amazing sound that's right out of the "birth of soul" era in which she recorded – a hard soul approach that's steeped in influences from earlier R&B years, but which comes across with a straightforward power that echoes later classics by 60s divas like Aretha Franklin or Fontella Bass. The set's one of the best we've ever seen from the Tuff City soul archives – wonderfully annotated, in a way that tells the full story of Pearl's lost years – and which really gets at the strength and quality of this amazingly soulful work. The set features 19 tracks in all – and titles include "Be My Baby", "My Love Is Your Love", "Sippin Sorrow", "I'll Be A Crybaby From Now On", "Sloppin", "One More Time", "Don't Tell It All", "Stickum Up Baby", "Fool Like Me", and "The Last Mile".

Amazing work from the legendary Vince Guaraldi – some of his funkiest tunes ever recorded, all issued here commercially for the first time ever! These sides are studio recordings that Vince did for the Charlie Brown cartoons during the hippest years of the series – and the music here is often a fair bit more soulful than Guaraldi's Peanuts recordings from the previous decade – which is saying a lot, considering how great most of that already was! Most numbers here feature Vince on electric piano, working in trio format – all with a beautiful sound that's as crystal-clear, open, and laidback as some of the best keyboard work on CTI at the time. The main difference here, though, is that many of these tunes are quite short – just a couple of minutes, as the music was used as cues in the cartoons – often cut down even more to accompany a short scene. The brevity hardly gets in the way of the tunes, though – as Vince packs more ideas into a few short minutes than most players can get into a single album side – and the set also features one slightly longer track from another 70s recording session apart from the cartoons. Titles include "Cops & Robbers", "Sally's Blues", "It's A Mystery Charlie Brown", "Snoopy & Woodstock", "Woodstock's Dream", "Bus Me", "Little Birdie (inst)", "Joe Cool (inst)", "Linus & Lucy", "Nobody Else", and "Is It James Or Charlie".

A really compelling large group project from Lee Konitz – quite rare at this point in his career, and a beautiful demonstration of his many talents! Many of the numbers here are older jazz classics, but reworked by Konitz in fresh new arrangements – handled with a solid swing, yet some echoes of modern styles as well – and played by a lineup that includes Lee on alto, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Burt Collins on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Ben Aranov on piano, Knobby Totah on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. This mix of players from different generations really helps flesh out the feel of the set – with results that are almost like some of the Phil Woods projects of this nature. Titles include "Fourth Dimension", "Chi Chi", "Giant Steps", "April/April Too", "Who You", and "Struttin With Some Barbecue".