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Duets between alto saxophonist Rob Brown and pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded at a time when Shipp was first bursting into public consciousness as one of the stronger figures of the east coast avant garde of the past 25 years. Most tracks are numbered versions of "Sonic Exploration" – and the record also includes takes on "Oleo" and "Blue In Green".

Fantastic lean low funky fusion – and a lost Blue Note 70s gem – a set that's way different than any other work from the team of bassist John Lee and drummer Gerry Brown! The set's nice and spare – almost CTI in style at times, but with some excellent production work from Skip Drinkwater – who brings in some soul undercurrents, and a sense of focus that other Lee/Brown work is sometimes missing. The result is a wonderful little record that avoids any of the excesses the pair had on the European scene – yet still has a really sharp edge in the end. Wah Wah Watson plays guitar, as does Philip Catherine – and the set also features some excellent keyboards – handled by Jasper Van't Hoff, Rob Franken, and Lee himself. Funky nuggets include "Mango Sunrise", "Her Celestial Body", and "The Stop and Go" – all of them filled with jazzy breaks!

The essence of Duke Ellington – but in the hands of William Parker, it's a very different thing than you might expect! The group here is larger than usual for Parker – a great ensemble used in ways that definitely echo some of Ellington's more inventive scoring, especially his mature use of tone and color – yet both the solos and ensemble moments go way way farther than anything the Duke might have imagined – all the bold, righteous brilliance that we've come to love in Parker's own recordings – focused back on one of his greatest inspirations. The lineup is quite impressive – as musicians include Roy Campbell on trumpet, Ras Moshe on tenor and soprano, Rob Brown and Darius Jones on alto, Sabir Mateen on clarinet and tenor, Steve Swell on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, Hamid Drake on drums, and Parker himself on bass – and titles include "Take The Coltrane", "Essence Of Sophisticated Lady/Sophisticated Lady", "Caravan", "Essence Of Ellington", "Take The A Train/Ebony Interlude", and "Portrait Of Louisiana".

An incredible record – far greater than we even expected! The setup is simple: King Britt and his crew remix the tapes from 2001's experimental jazz jam session by a trio of fellow Philadelphians – drummer Ahmir Thompson (The Roots), jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine. Britt's really blown his top here – taking the original album (great in its own right), and turning it into a set of cosmic grooves that bear almost no relation to the initial work, yet still keep its soulful heart. The depth of the project is stunning – way more than just simple remix tricks, and a whole new level of expression that shows why Philly is fast becoming the music capitol of the 21st Century. Includes work by Rob Yancey, Charlie Dark, Phillip Charles, Oba Funke, Vikter Duplaix, The Randy Weston Experience, DJ Ghe, and Britt himself – with titles that include "South Street", "Paul Edwards The Orange Line (lle lfe)", "(Re)Moved (Oba Funke Far Re-Moved dub)", "Diamond Street", "Philadelphia Experiment (rmx)", "Delaware Avenue", "Miles Hit (Rob Life mix)", "Broad & Cecil B Moore", "Brown Street", and "Groover The III (the theme to massagejawn.com)".

With Rob Brown & Lou Grassi.

A really unusual project from bassist William Parker – a great tribute to the legendary Godard film Alphaville, done with music that's a surprisingly great fit! There's almost a jazz soundtrack feel to the record at points – a bit straighter than usual for Parker, but still with plenty of edge – although other tracks sometimes get a bit more outside and improvisational, making for a really nice balance in the record. The core group features Parker on bass, Rob Brown on alto, Lewis Barnes on trumpet, and Hamid Drake on drums – which is then augmented by two cellos, violin, and viola – shading in the sound nicely. Parker really does a great job of capturing the quick shifts, bold moments, and striking qualities that make Godard's film so great – and titles include "Alphaville Main Theme", "Interrogation", "Alph 60", "Doctor Badguy", "Oceanville Evening", and "Civilization Of Light" – plus two versions of the great track "Natasha's Theme", a spiritual soulful number with vocals by Leena Conquest!

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

Beautifully free alto work from Byron Allen – a player who really shines brightly on this rare session for ESP Records – one of the few ever cut under his own name! Allen's got a style that's right up there with the 60s best from Ornette Coleman or Marion Brown – able to move with a fluidity that's breathless, even amidst rhythms that are very loose and open – as the trio here works in a style that almost echoes some of the harmelodic modes of Coleman, but which eventually pushes farther towards the freedoms of other artists on ESP! The set has some wonderful bass from Maceo Gilchrist, whose round, rolling tones really make the album sparkle – as do the punctuated drums of Ted Robinson. Titles include "Today's Blues Tomorrow", "Time Is Past", "Three Steps In The Right Direction", and "Decision For The Cole-Man".

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

Quite obscure later work from Maxine – done in a style that's partly like her classic uptown soul work for Wand, but which also has some more down-home and rootsy moments – in an approach that was clearly intended to make her come across as more of a hard soul singer! Arrangements are by Bert De Coteaux, and all very strong throughout – with a level of quality that matches the Atlantic sort of session of this type, which was probably what Bert was aiming for! Titles include the single "We'll Cry Together", plus "Piece Of My Heart", "See & Don't See", "Reason To Believe", "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", and "Didn't You Know".

Stunning stuff – and one of the best-ever Latin soul albums of all time! Despite the fact that Eddie Cano's earlier albums are more in a Latin easy mode, this late 60's side for Dunhill is totally smoking – and probably his greatest album ever! Forgive the superlatives, but we're totally serious on this one – as the set's a firey batch of Latin instrumentals, with a slammin' boogaloo groove all the way through – filled with mad percussion, jazzy piano riffs, and a non-stop groove that's totally great. The set was recorded live at PJ's nightclub, and it's a non-stop Latin Soul party that includes massive originals like "Slip Slip", "Brown & Blue", "Miro Como Es", and "Don't Ever Change" – plus smoking covers of "El Pito" and "Louie Louie". The set screams with excitement, and is as great as the album is rare!

Another one of the great LPs by a band that was probably one of the best to grace the Muse label – and who have not really ever been reissued. Eddie Green, Odean Pope, Tyrone Brown, and Sherman Ferguson form the core of this funky fusion outfit, and they play in a beautiful way that mixes choppy fusion riffs with more soulful instrumentation. Their sound is really unique, and is an incredibly clear realization of a style that a lot of other groups attempted, but always managed to muddy up. Tracks on this one include "Maze", "Athene", "Mail Order", and "Shorter Street". Nice stuff, and one that we just about never see!

A remarkable collection of a half century of writings on James Brown – from a Variety piece way back in 1959 up to a Rolling Stone profile from 2006 – edited by Nelson George & Alan Leeds and featuring work items from trades, newspaper and magazine profiles, select liner notes and much more! It's an impressive presentation with diverse voices, from cultural watchdogs such as Chuck D and Robert Christgau, and an impressive variety of sources all around and throughout the decades. Paperback, 318 pages.

The official soundtrack to the original CBS television special – with the cover shot of sad sad Charlie Brown standing on the pitching mound that was probably in your mind before you even read this. The cover notes have a lot more to say about the history of Peanuts than composer Vince Guaraldi, but tell me, what do you remember more – the plot of the show or the great music that is featured here? Tracks include "Oh, Good Grief", Pebble Beach", "Schroeder", "Charlie Brown Theme", "Linus And Lucy", and "Blue Charlie Brown".

George Jones in one of his most classic periods – singles he cut with producer Pappy Daily for United Artists from the early-to-mid 60s – and some of the greatest barroom laments and rave up honky tonk treasures ever! Producer Pappy Daily frames the inherent sorrow, boozy slur and sly pug attitude of The Possum's voice with near-perfect backing of solid waltz patterns, laid down by session legends like Pig Robbins, Grady Martin and Billy Strange – along with effective, ghostly choruses by The Jordanaires. Classics and relatively forgotten gems alike – including "The Race Is On", "She Thinks I Still Care", "Magic Valley", "Big Fool Of The Year", "My Tears Are Overdue", "Your Heart Turned Left (And I Was On The Right)", "Brown To Blue", "Wrong Number", "Least Of All", "World's Worst Lover", "A Good Old Fashioned Cry" and many more. 32 in all!

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more.

Singer and harpist Carol Kleyn's Takin' The Time album from 1980 – and a pretty remarkable step up from her Love Has Made Me A Stranger record of a few years earlier! While the preceding album carried more of a late 60s mood – though one that felt right at home on the mid 70s folk fringe – this one has a warm, laidback and somewhat otherworldly West Coast folk rock vibe. Carol's voice leads the way, and her harp is often right out front, too, but there's lot going on! Speaking of fringe-y, Bobby "Enlightening Beam Of Axonda" Brown is the producer here – but the record is actually quite accessible. Another really strong and worthy reissue from Drag City! Includes "Takin' The Time", "Jethro", "She Lost Her Crown", "Sailor Like Me", "Could Be Me", "Tides And Crazy Moons", "Missy Robin", "Intermission", "How Long Till Forever" and "Prayer".

A strange bit of funk from Yusef Lateef! The record was recorded late in the CTI electric years – and it's got Yusef fronting a funky jazz group on 5 tracks that have a decidely R&B-ish fusion twist. Dave Matthews – of James Brown funky fame – arranged the whole album, and the record is similar to some of Dave's funky jazz records from the mid 70s. A few cuts have vocals, and Art Farmer joins Yusef in the frontline on horns – and the two of them blow together in light melodic lines over the top of funky rhythms from Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Alex Blake, and others. Titles include "Robot Man", "YL", "Communication", and "Look On The Right Side".

Teena Marie steps out strongly on her own – really knocking it out of the park on this initial album for CBS – entirely written, arranged, and produced by Lady T! The grooves are as funky as before, but possibly have a leaner quality overall – a tighter 80s groove approach to the music, yet always with the fully fleshed-out soul that we love in Teena's handling of the vocals. Basslines are mighty nice –more than enough to hook us in on just about every tune – but the ballads are pretty sweet, too! Titles include "Robbery", "Playboy", "Ask Your Momma", "Dear Lover", "Stop The World", "Midnight Magnet", and "Cassanova Brown". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "Playboy (US 12" rmx)", "Fix It (US 12" rmx)", "Fix It (US 12" rmx inst)", and "Midnight Magic (US 12" inst)".

A (completely) terrific and (totally) powerful jazz funk trio set from Galactic drummer Stanton Moore – even if we don't know why all the tunes have parenthesis! There's no question that the set is emphatic – with Moore just killing it on the kit – backed just as dexterously Robert Walter on B3, toy piano and clavinet, and Will Bernard on guitar. There's a bottom heavy groove that we just love, with complex, unpredictable changes, but nothing that's too far out there. Jazzy funk & instrumental rock(ish) jams with loads of space for the players to breathe and do their thing without ever wearing out their welcome. This might be Stanton's best to date. Tracks include "(Late Night At The) Maple Leaf", "(Proper) Gander", "Wissons (Of Vu)", "Over (Compensatin')", "(Who Ate The) Layer Cake, "(Here Come) The Brown Police" and more!

There's almost no introduction needed to the New Mastersounds – given how much greatness the group has given us over the years – a perennial favorite here at Dusty Groove, both with customers and our own soundsystems as well! But even if you know these funky stalwarts, there's still plenty here to love – as the collection does a good job of bringing together some harder-to-find cuts – work the group has done with other artists over the past decade or so – and some singles and compilation tracks that are hard to find too – great stuff to track down if you missed the original releases! As usual, the guitar of Eddie Roberts smokes the grooves brilliantly – as does the organ, bass, and drums – and titles include "Kuna Matata", "Make Me Proud", "One Note Brown (original version)", "Can You Get It (rmx)", "I Mean It So", "King Comforter", "Talk The Talk", "Bring It On", "You Got It All", and "Wack".

There's almost no introduction needed to the New Mastersounds – given how much greatness the group has given us over the years – a perennial favorite here at Dusty Groove, both with customers and our own soundsystems as well! But even if you know these funky stalwarts, there's still plenty here to love – as the collection does a good job of bringing together some harder-to-find cuts – work the group has done with other artists over the past decade or so – and some singles and compilation tracks that are hard to find too – great stuff to track down if you missed the original releases! As usual, the guitar of Eddie Roberts smokes the grooves brilliantly – as does the organ, bass, and drums – and titles include "Kuna Matata", "Make Me Proud", "One Note Brown (original version)", "Can You Get It (rmx)", "I Mean It So", "King Comforter", "Talk The Talk", "Bring It On", "You Got It All", and "Wack".

Robot Rock n Roll issue featuring a lavishly illustrated encyclopedia of hundreds of robot records/bands/etc. Interviews with Captured! By Robots, Gilbert and George (The Singing Sculpture), Arthur Lee Maye (1950s R&B/Baseball star), Blowfly, The Troggs, Snoop Dogg, The Syndicate of Sound, Richard and the Young Lions, Rocket From The Crypt, Archer Prewitt, Andy Starr and Junior Brown. Plus Bubblegum, Martin & Lewis, Shrimpenstein (written by Dominic Priore), Crispy Ambulance, Sammy Davis, Jr., Art Fein's 1950s Chicago memories, Bryan Gregory obituary, lots of comics, reviews and more.

A nice little album from the enigmatic Sly Slick & Wicked – a soul trio who recorded for James Brown on the People label, but who are probably best known for this one-off album on Ju-Par! The group's got a great sound that's in the Detroit mid 70s mode – raw vocal touches, ala Stax/Volt, but handled with a smooth and sophisticated production style that really works wonders – very much in the mode of The Dramatics best work of the time. A great little soul album – with equal parts ballads and uptempo numbers – and tunes that include "When You're In Love", "Just Let Me Love You", "Money Back Guarantee", "Nobody's Home", "We Won't Miss It", and "If This Ain't Really Love".

The incredibly rare underground funk of Stone Coal White – whose couple of raw, incendiary psych funk 45s have been furiously sought for years – fleshed out here with newly discovered and previously unissued tracks for this most amazing full length on DJ Shadow's Cali Tex label! Stone Coal White featured a core lineup of bassist Melvin Payne, drummer Joe Roddrick and guitarist Tommy Mundy (or is it Munday?) – busting out a hazy, raucous and fuzzed out groove that's steeped in both funk and psychedelia. It's got more of a raw edge than most of their contemporaries and the later 70s combos to come out of the fertile Dayton scene – really cool stuff that's a joy to see respectfully issued all these years later. Mucho thanks to Dante Carfagna and Josh Davis for seeing it through! There's a revolving cast of vocalists – Dennis Mundy on "You Know" and "Hell Below", King Solomon Prather on "People's", Robert "Dapp" Brown on the gritty cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" and a cat called Cookieman on "Move Your Hand". Also includes "Stone Coal White", "Warm Up" and "Free".

This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70s, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! This is sort of a politically conscious mini-opera, or suite, with 8 tracks of spiritual funk and soul, all strung together in a righteous package that's as perfectly-conceived as you could imagine for an independent soul release from the 70s. You've probably heard at least one sample from this LP – maybe from the cuts "Brown-Baggin", "Food Stamps", or the title cut "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth", a great sample cut – but the whole album's great, and it totally deserves its massive reputation! We've got it here on a reissued CD, in a better mix than on the original LP, which is a little too quiet!

Funky treasures back to back – two Watsonian albums from the late 70s on one CD! Master Funk is a great Johnny Guitar Watson side project – a set not billed directly to his name on the front, but which has all the great hallmarks of the best Watson albums from the 70s! Johnny produced, wrote songs, played, and sung on the record – but there's also an equal focus on his backing group too – which means maybe a bit lead guitar upfront, and more vocals from the whole ensemble – who work together to give the whole thing a mighty great party sound! In fact, some of the best numbers almost have a roller boogie vibe that's not unlike early hip hop – although other numbers get much bassier, and funkier overall. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Virginia's Pretty Funky", "De John's Delight", "Lady Voo Doo", "Master Funk", and "The Funk If I Know". Extra Disco Perception is hardly the disco promised in the title – and more of a club funk album overall – served up with plenty of input from the great Johnny Guitar Watson! The album's a great break from Johnny's usual groove – as he's able to retire his personality a bit, and slide in with the groove of the rest of the band – even though Watson's still at the helm – handling the writing, arrangements, and production of the record! The band handles most of the vocals, though – in a cool catchy style that works great with their tight instrumentation – and the whole thing's mighty groovy throughout. Tracks include "Pretty Brown Doll", "Rock", "Pretty Miss T", and "New York New York".

Wax Poetics goes nearly all hip hop for this issue – covering original game-changers and the best contemporary revisionists alike – with cover features on Nas, Danny Brown, Master P and his No Limit legacy, and Shabazz Palaces! Wax Poetics, tasked with following up their decade milestone issue, pulls that off brilliantly here. It's got one of the best, realest interviews with Nas we've ever read, a great look at Master P's No Limit and the Beats By The Pound production empire, a resurgent El-P, the legendary Kurtis Blow, Killer Mike, Oddisee, THEESatisfaction, Cities Aviv, modern jazz great Robert Glasper and much more!

Wax Poetics goes nearly all hip hop for this issue – covering original game-changers and the best contemporary revisionists alike – with cover features on Nas, Danny Brown, Master P and his No Limit legacy, and Shabazz Palaces! Wax Poetics, tasked with following up their decade milestone issue, pulls that off brilliantly here. It's got one of the best, realest interviews with Nas we've ever read, a great look at Master P's No Limit and the Beats By The Pound production empire, a resurgent El-P, the legendary Kurtis Blow, Killer Mike, Oddisee, THEESatisfaction, Cities Aviv, modern jazz great Robert Glasper and much more!

An under-discovered treasure trove of southern soul – incredible early 70s work from the Sounds Of Memphis label – arguably a hipper imprint than Stax Records at the time! Sounds Of Memphis, and related XL imprint, were a perfect showcase for the growing sophistication in southern soul at the time – the generation of artists who were shaking off the cliches of soul that played big with crossover crowds in the 60s, but which were holding back development of the music in the following decade. The styles here are every bit as rootsy as before, but they offer up new sounds, new styles, new subjects, and new singers – plus some older artists who shine even more brightly in this setting. The package is a great counterpart to the other Sounds Of Memphis set on Kent – that based on Barbara & The Browns – and the production, presentation, and care of this set is every bit as great as that one. Titles include "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Spencer Wiggins, "Last Mile Of The Way" by The Minits, "You're Welcome Back" by Ann Hodge, "Tell Him Tonight" by Rudolph Taylor, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Love" by Lou Roberts, "Talking About The Love I Have For You" by George Jackson, "Hook Like & Sinker" by Dan Greer, "You Can Lead Your Woman To The Altar" by William Bollinger, "Take It From Someone Who Knows" by The Ovations, "California Dreamin" by The Jacksonians, "Let the Movement Last" by Vision, and "Play Thing (alt mix)" by Barbara & The Browns.

One of the best compilations of 70s soul you'll ever buy – a treasure trove of tracks from mid 70s Atlantic and Warner Brothers Records – all recorded in the mighty soul capitol of Philly! The set does a great job of combining hit singles with a load of lesser-known Philly gems – tunes recorded as singles or obscure album tracks by artists who were working in the same Sigma scene as the bigger acts on Atlantic, but who never managed to crack the charts as much. The whole thing's great – a smooth-grooving midtempo batch of tracks that never fails to please – and honestly, if we had to dig through thousands of old records to produce such a set, we're not sure we could do a better job! Titles include "One More Time" by Dianne Steinberg, "Let's Get Together Now" by The Aristocrats, "Love Won't Let Me Wait" and "Loving You Is Mellow" by Major Harris, "Kiss My Love Goodbye" by Bettye Swann, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "That's Where I'm Coming From" by True Reflection, "Save Your Love For Me" by Vivian Reed, "You Call Me Back" by Clyde Brown, ""I Got A Feeling" by First Choice, "Gonna Make You Mine" by Anglo Saxon Brown, "Got To Get You Together Now" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Can We Come Together" by The Trammps, and "Once You Hit The Road" by Dionne Warwick.

A very cool little record – almost the musical equivalent of pulp paperbacks and b-movie crime films – served up on a host of rare tracks from the 50s and early 60s! Crime is the dominant theme here – as you might guess from the title – but the great thing about the music is the way it's handled – often with a slight sense of humor that offers up a nice contrast to more serious crime-based pop culture of the time – reflecting the postwar fascination with the genre, but offering up its own vision of things as well! Instrumentation and production usually play a big part in the tunes – pretty crafty, with lots of cool twists and turns that make things as vivid as pre-code comic book or True Confessions magazine! Titles include "Cops & Robbers" by Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew, "Dick Tracy" by The Chants, "The Prisoner's Song" by Hylo Brown, "21 Days In Jail" by Magic Sam, "Mr Dillon" by The Delcardos, "Life To Go" by George Jones, "Bad Detective" by The Coasters, "Birmingham Jail" by Warren Storm, "Jail Bird" by Sonny Knight, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy, "Dragnet" by Ray Anthony, and "Have You Got The Gumption" by Scatman Crothers.

Late 70s recordings from rural Florida – but a wealth of music that feels like it could come from decades before – all packaged with a 24 page insert booklet that rivals – if not betters some of our favorite records on Folkways and other major players in the field recordings genre! The volume's a wonderful illustration of the continued local nature of American music – sounds that are deeply rooted to a time and place, and only brought to our ears by the hard work of ethnographers willing to spend time in the field with recording technology. Usually, such sounds can be presented in oblique packages, or circulated amongst collectors almost by accident – but a set like this really gives the music a new sort of focus – by offering up not only two LPs' worth of beautiful recordings, but also adding in a huge book's worth of notes on the artists, their local scenes, and the music within. The 2LP package has 26 tracks on 2LPs – with material by Johnny Brown, Richard Williams, Ella Mae Wilson, Willie Gillard, Emmett Murray, Moses Williams, and others.

Early harmonic blues, pulled from vintage 78rpm recordings, and wrapped up in a great Robert Crumb cover – exactly the kind of album that makes the Yazoo label so great! Most tracks here appear on LP for the first time ever – and the set does a wonderful job of digging through some very vivid uses of the instrument in 20s and 30s blues – work that's arguably every bit as complex, if not more so, than any of the harp bluesmen in later years. Titles include "My Driving Wheel" by Lee Brown, "Crazy About You" by State Street Boys, "Railroad Blues" by Freeman Stowers, "Friday Moan Blues" by Alfred Lewis, "Harmonica Rag" by Chuck Darling, "I Want You By My Side" by Jazz Gillum, and "House Snake Blues" by Chicken Wilson & Skeeter Hinton.

Soul & blues performances from Hoss Allen's 1966 Rhythm & Blues Revue program which ran on US television and is purported to be the first syndicated series ever revolving around black singers in the US! The history is incredible, but the compilation is all around the music and it's great stuff – featuring Gatemouth Brown, Rodge Martin, The Beat Boys, Earl Gaines, The Might Hannibal, Robert parker, Cleo Randle and many more. 24 tracks in all: "Have You Ever Been Mistreated" by Gatemouth Brown, "Hitch Hike" by The Beat Boys, "Empty Arms & Bitter Tears" by Gerri Taylor, "Respect" by Rodge Martin, "I Don't Know Why I Love You" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, "24 Hours A Day" by Earl Gaines and much more.

A treasure trove of raw soul and rough-edged R&B – a killer collection of material that originally appeared on the ultra-limited series of Juke Box Jam singles from Jazzman – sweetly collected into one nicely-priced package! The grooves here are totally great – and represent a step backwards in the funk scene – a move back to the 50s and early 60s from the previous focus on later years' soulful sounds – a much-needed dig back into the R&B that first inspired all the soul and funk of the 60s and 70s – but with a very fresh ear, so that the collection's way different than any set of music like this you would have heard a decade ago! The sounds are plenty gritty, and a great illustration that there's still loads to be discovered in these crucial years of music – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Lula" by Mike Robinson, "Country Boy" by Big Tiny Kennedy, "Mr Hound Dog's In Town" by Roy Brown, "I Can't Takit No Longer" by Ben Harper, "Shorty" by Vernon Dilworth, "Geechie Goomie" by Marga Benitez, "Crazy Do" by Jack Tucker, "I Say No No More" by Frances Burr, "Baby You Were Meant For Me" by Ervin Rucker, and "Hot Weather Blues" by Mr Sad Head.

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more. 2 CD bonus tracks: "Invasion Dub" and "A Lonely Dub".

Hard-burning soul from the great stretch of the 60s – that magical latter half of the decade when the genre really exploded – and turned out thousands of amazing tracks on smaller indie labels! This package pulls together some of the best groovers of that generation – all hand-picked by Northern Soul expert Kev Roberts, and served up here with fidelity that's a lot better than most of the beat up 45s we've got in our collection! And with a massive 31 tracks on the set, the whole thing's a heck of a great deal too – with cuts that include "Do You Love Me Baby" by The Masqueraders, "Change Your Ways" by Willie Kendrick, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "I Got My Heart Set On You" by The Toys, "Let's Get Back Together" by The Honeybees, "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" by The Gentlemen Four, "Tightrope" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "In The Long Run" by Curtis Blandon, "I Got What It Takes" by Brooks & Jerry, "One In A Million" by Maxine Brown, "Walk Like A Man" by Johnny Moore, and "I'll Always Need You" by Dean Courtney.

A treasure trove of rare spoken word material, plus a few songs as well – all pulled together with the same Civil Rights vibe as the first volume in the series! The package is an amazing historical document – and features a lot of key parts from 60s speeches, plus earlier political moments, righteous religious messages, and a few songs that help put the whole thing in perspective! The audio presentation works strongly almost as a sound collage – although each passage is very discreet – and titles include "The Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, "Brown V Board Of Education" by Thurgood Marshall, "Sticks & Stones" by Sugarchile Robinson, "Black Pilots Mission To Italy" by William Campbell, "Don't Let Me Be Wrong" by Eloise Wilson, "Address To Congress 1939" by Mary McLeod Bethune, "Father I Stretch Forth My Hands" by Rev CL Franklin, "Blacks Vote In South Carolina 1948", "These New York Neighbors" by Babs Gonzalez, and "The Day Of Registration" by Fannie Lou Hamer.

Heady sounds from one of Harlem's hippest indie labels of the 50s – the Red Robin imprint, home to a rich array of blues, R&B, and vocal group numbers! The company had a relatively small roster, but really helped its artists find the right sort of groove – in some cases to flourish at a level they'd never done before, in others to get a great start before moving onto bigger fame elsewhere – but still always at a level that had them giving their best! This 2CD package features three dozen numbers from the 78rpm era – the kind of heavy platters that kept Harlem moving in the years between swing and soul – on cuts that include "Hard Rock" and "The Hammer" by Red Prysock, "Shake Baby Shake" and "Drunk Again" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Juicy Fruit" by Tiny Grimes, "Can't Do Sixty No More" and "Go Back" by The Du Droppers, "Daisy" and "Don't Dog Your Woman" by Brownie McGhee, "Doggin My Heart Around" by Sonny Terry, "Earthquake" by Charlie Singleton, "Bobby's Boogie" by Morris Lane, "The Man I Crave" by Sadie Birch, "I've Got A Feeling" and "Tippin" by The Topps, and "You Didn't Give Me A Chance" by Sandra Grimes.

Mighty recordings from the funk years of King Records – amazing grooves that follow the initial inspiration that James Brown gave to the label – but take things into wild new territory too! The late 60s & early 70s were kind of a strange and tumultuous time at the longtime Cincinnati operation – which was adapting to the changes in funk, soul and R&B music that James Brown almost single-handedly ushered in – at King and throughout the entire culture! What's most impressive here, beyond the exceptional quality of each song and performer, is the diversity – as the set's not all front-to-back JB-style funk – and also features some funked up bluesy soul, strains of gospel, the convincing move towards funk from veterans such as Hank Ballard & Bill Doggett – all topped off with righteous storytelling, sweet female soul leads, and some amazing grooves down at the bottom! Titles include "Getting Down (With Hoss)" by Kastle, "Love's Sweet Water" by Barbara Burton And The Messengers, "Baby Don't You Know" by The Brownettes, "Clay Tyson (Man On The Moon)" by Clay Tyson, "Cool Jerk" by The Coasters, "The Boo Boo Song" by King Coleman, "Unwind Yourself" by Hank Ballard, "Steal Away" by Leon Austin, "Peter Rabbit" by The Presidents, "Lookin For A Woman" by Robert Moore, "Push & Shove" by Willy Wiley, "Ball Of Fire" by Connie Austin, "Sad But True" by Elaine Armstrong, and "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila.

R&B, gritty blues, and some killer tenor talents – a wicked collection of vintage masters from legendary indie United Records! Musically, the package is very much on a par with Ace/Kent collections of this type – the sort that might feature material from King or Modern/RPM Records from the same vintage – and our hat's off to Delmark for doing such a great job of bringing back these crucially overlooked sounds from Chicago! Titles include "Cool Leo" by Leo Parker", "Cut That Out (alt)" by Junior Wells, "Organ Grinder" by Jimmy Coe, "Walking Home" by JT Brown, "Let's Get High" by Morris Pejoe, "Crazy Walk" by Tab Smith, "In The Dark" by Grant Jones, "Nona" by Paul Bascomb, "Goodbye" by The Pastels, "Tiny's Boogie" by Tiny Grimes, "Sophisticated Lady (alt)" by Jimmy Forrest, and "Come In The Room" by Robert Anderson.

A mighty dip into the legendary vaults of King Records – and one that manages to come up with a motherlode of funky grooves, even though none of them feature James Brown! The package is an essential look at the hinterland of King – artists who mostly just cut singles for the label in the 60s and early 70s, but who managed to match the groove of some of the bigger talents who charted more successfully for the company. There's plenty of gritty, funky cuts on the set – some done as soul numbers with a funky undercurrent on the bottom – others done as heavy funk cuts with a few nice soul touches on the vocals! The set was hand-picked by Mr Finewine – well known for his genius on the Vital Organs collection – and tracks include "Peter Rabbit" and "Which Way" by The Presidents, "Soul Jerk It Baby" by Jeb Stuart, "How Do You Feel" by Peggy & Artie, "Book Of Love" by Clarence Murray, "I Got It Made" by James Duncan, "Football" by The Swinging Seven, "Jo Ann" by Robert Moore, "You've Got To Be Strong" by James Duncan, "Fat Gal" by Mickey Murray, "Your Key Don't Fit Anymore" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Let Me Be A Steppin Soul" by Charles Spurling, "Thunder" by Lord Thunder, and "Chopper 70" by Wayne Cochran.

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

Where do labels like Makasound dig this stuff up? More terrific reggae, saved from mere sidebar status, this time 'round from Leroy Brown. While you may have been lucky enough to come across Leroy's fantastic Color Barrier LP, much of which is included here, the likeliness is that you've heard him supporting other groups before he departed Jamaica for greener pastures. The nice, nice mid 70s material included here will make you wonder why Brown's name isn't at the top of the credits to more work, with fine support from Sly and Robbie, Horsemouth, Leroy Sibbles, Chinna Smith, Ansel Collins, and Augustus Pablo, among others. 15 tracks in all, including "What A Fire", 2 versions of "Color Barrier", "Don't Give Up", "Rulers Of Babylon", 2 versions of "Money Barrier", "Stand Up Strong", "Mind How You Walk", "African Roots", "Time Of Decision", "Gone Gone", "Metro Pigs" and "Prayer Of Peace".

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary Nimbus label – and the only set we've ever seen from pianist Linda Hill as a leader! The set's got the same open-ended, spiritually-expressive sound as Adele Sebastian's record for the label – and Sebastian's also a key part of the group, working here on vocal and flute, to give the album a richly righteous sound! The vocals are great, and often feature help from Jugeger Juan Grey – with more soul than usual for this sort of set, but still plenty of jazz elements too – with an offbeat quality that's almost like Oneness Of Juju – often used just to lead off a tune, before the solos come in strongly. Other musicians include Sabir Matteen on tenor, Roberto Miranda on bass, Everett Brown on drums, and Virjilio Figuera on percussion. Titles include "Lullaby For Linda", "Children", "Leland's Song", and "The Creator's Musician".

Nothing's kaput here – certainly not the creativity of the players involved – as the album's easily one of the most beautiful, most evocative sets we've ever heard from reedman Jonas Kullhammar! The quartet session is definitely a group effort – as all players work together in this really unique musical vision – jazz, but with a sense of spaciousness we might not expect from any of their previous records – almost a poetic, lyrical sort of approach – yet without any of the sleepiness (or sloppiness) such a reference might imply! Instead, there's a great focus on sound – tones, textures, and spaces – cast out carefully by Reine fiske on guitar and bontempi organ, Torbjorn Zetterberg on acoustic and electric bass, Johan Holmegard on drums and percussion, and Jonas Kullhammar on saxes, flute, and Hammond organ. Titles include "Syster Per", "Happy Ending", "Over Surnadal", "Trostlosa Tarar", and "Notskalsmusik 5".

A bit of ballads, but probably a bit more blues too – given that Joe Locke's approach here is mighty darn soulful, and really keeps things moving nicely – even during mellow moments! Locke bills the album as dedicated to folks who've worked a hard day, and need to slow down in the evening – yet the style here is as fresh and complex as most of his other work, and hardly the kind of soporific outing you'd expect. Locke's work on the vibes is as deft as ever – and his trio here has a nice punch, even when moving a bit slowly – thanks to work from Ryan Cohan on piano, Jaimeo Brown on drums, and David Finck on bass. The set features a great version of "Ain't No Sunshine", taken at a funky clip – plus "This New October", "Simone", "I Can't Make You Love Me", "Bittersweet", and "Broken Toy".

A rare Japanese-only album from trombonist Roswell Rudd – one of his few full length statements of genius from the mid 70s! The album's got a very collaborative feel overall – one that takes off from some of Rudd's better-known work of the "new thing" era, but opens things up tremendously with more of a relaxed loft jazz sort of approach. Players shift somewhat throughout the set, and the instrumentation mixes Rudd's work on trombone and percussion with soprano sax from Steve Lacy, trumpet from Enrico Rava, voice from Sheila Jordan, tenor from Tyrone Washington, and electric piano from Patti Brown. There's a deeply personal vibe to the whole record, one that reminds us a bit of the spirit of Rudd's great Flexible Flyer album – and titles include "You Blew It", "Blues For The Planet Earth", "Cement Blues", "Bethesda Fountain", "Street Walking", and "Blown Bone". CD also features one more bonus track – the beautiful "Long Hope", recorded in 1967 with Karl Berger on vibes, Robin Kenyatta on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Horacee Arnold on drums.

The incredibly rare underground funk of Stone Coal White – whose couple of raw, incendiary psych funk 45s have been furiously sought for years – fleshed out here with newly discovered and previously unissued tracks for this most amazing full length on DJ Shadow's Cali Tex label! Stone Coal White featured a core lineup of bassist Melvin Payne, drummer Joe Roddrick and guitarist Tommy Mundy (or is it Munday?) – busting out a hazy, raucous and fuzzed out groove that's steeped in both funk and psychedelia. It's got more of a raw edge than most of their contemporaries and the later 70s combos to come out of the fertile Dayton scene – really cool stuff that's a joy to see respectfully issued all these years later. Mucho thanks to Dante Carfagna and Josh Davis for seeing it through! There's a revolving cast of vocalists – Dennis Mundy on "You Know" and "Hell Below", King Solomon Prather on "People's", Robert "Dapp" Brown on the gritty cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" and a cat called Cookieman on "Move Your Hand". Also includes "Stone Coal White", "Warm Up" and "Free".

A great group recording from pianist Horace Tapscott – recorded in LA in the early 80s, but done with all the righteousness and spirituality of his earlier albums! Tracks are long and exploratory, but also relatively lyrical too – stretching out with a style that's never too "outside", and which has Horace and the group really soaring to the heavens on the best moments! The group here is a sextet – with the great Gary Bias on alto and soprano saxophone, plus Sabir Matteen on tenor, Reggie Bullen on trumpet, Roberto Miguel Miranda on bass, and Everett Brown on drums and percussion – all working with a cohesiveness that reminds us of some of Tapscott's larger group recordings, but with a cleaner, leaner kind of feel. Titles include "Lately's Solo", "Dial B For Barbara", and "Dem Folks".

The mighty Monk Higgins works some amazing magic here with the Three Sounds – taking them way past their standard trio modes of the 60s, into some really funky territory overall! The set's a definite symphony of soul – not just because the first side features a super-extended, suite-like tune – but also because all of the tracks feature fuller backings from Higgins, which really push the piano groove of the group! Drums are mighty heavy at points – thanks to trio member Carl Burnett – and the great Henry Franklin is in the group on bass, already crafting those wicked lines that would show up even more strongly on his albums for Black Jazz. In addition to flute from Buddy Collette, guitar from Freddy Robinson, and Gene Harris' super-heavy piano, there's also a bit of strings, and some slight backing vocals in the symphony from a trio that features Alex Brown, Mamie Galore, and Clydie King. The "Soul Symphony" cut runs for 26 minutes on side one – and other tracks include "Popsicle Pimp", "Repeat After Me", "Black Sugar", and "Upper Four Hundred".

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "A Beggar For Your Kisses" by the Diamonds, "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Wild Wild Young Men" by Ruth Brown, "Mess Around","I Got A Woman", "Greenbacks", "A Fool For You" and "This Little Girl Of Mine" by Ray Charles, "Soul On Fire" and "Tomorrow Night" by LaVern Baker, "Lovey Dovey" by the Clovers, "Honey Love","Money Honey" and "Whatcha Gonna Do?" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Shake Rattle & Roll" and 'Flip Flop & Fly" by Joe Turner, "Jam Up" by Tommy Ridgely, "Sh Boom" by the Chords, "The Door Is Still Open" by the Cardinals and "Smokey Joe's Cafe" by the Robins.

Seductive dancefloor soul from the heart of the 80s – and the 18th volume in the unstoppable Nighttime Lovers series! This one has as great of a lineup of artists as we've seen so far in the series – and a welcome wildcard or two – with tracks by Cherrelle, Melba Moore, Tom Browne, Brick, Omni, Patrice Rushen, Fonzi Thornton and others. There's a pretty nice balance of styles here, too – with some tighter funky soul numbers from earlier in the decade and synthy boogie from the middle point. 13 tracks in all: "Will You Satisfy?" by Cherrelle, "Love Me Right" by Melba Moore", "Spaced Out" by Pure Energy", "Watch Out" by Patrice Rushen, "Brighter Tomorrow" by Tom Browne, "Our Lives" by Robert Brookins, "Just To Be With You" by Oliver Cheatam, "Wide Open" by Brick, "All For The One" by Omni and more.

Singer and harpist Carol Kleyn's Takin' The Time album from 1980 – and a pretty remarkable step up from her Love Has Made Me A Stranger record of a few years earlier! While the preceding album carried more of a late 60s mood – though one that felt right at home on the mid 70s folk fringe – this one has a warm, laidback and somewhat otherworldly West Coast folk rock vibe. Carol's voice leads the way, and her harp is often right out front, too, but there's lot going on! Speaking of fringe-y, Bobby "Enlightening Beam Of Axonda" Brown is the producer here – but the record is actually quite accessible. Another really strong and worthy reissue from Drag City! Includes "Takin' The Time", "Jethro", "She Lost Her Crown", "Sailor Like Me", "Could Be Me", "Tides And Crazy Moons", "Missy Robin", "Intermission", "How Long Till Forever" and "Prayer".

A nice compilation of tracks pulled from Blood & Fire's fantastic reggae reissue series. While this is the sort of collection labels put together to introduce you to their catalog, it plays really well from beginning to end – a wonderful testament to the deep digging the folks at Blood & Fire have done to bring together some sought after roots tracks! 14 tracks: Johnny Clarke "Every Knee Shall Bow", Impact All Stars "S-Corner Dub", U Brown "News to the Nation", Vivian Jackson & the Prophets "Love of Jah", Junior Byles "Pitchy Patchy", Morwell Unlimited "Morwell's Theme", Horace Andy "Don't Let Problems Get You Down", Impact All Stars feat. Tommy McCook "Jaro", Johnny Clarke "Age Is Growing", U Brown "Live As One", the Prophets & Trinity "King Pharoah's Plague (discomix)", Bim Sherman "Mighty Ruler", Morwell Unlimited "Jungle Shuffle" and Horace Andy "Pure Ranking (discomix)".

A DJ mix of Fool's Gold artists, family and friends – courtesy DJs A-Trak & Nick Catchdubs – with tracks by Danny Brown, Freeway, Freddie Gibbs, Flatbush Zombies, Action Bronson, Western Tink, Droop-E, Chuck Inglesh, Casey Veggies, Raoch Gigz, King L, MondreMAN of Main Attrakionz, Problem, Donnis and others. 22 tracks in a continuous mix: "Kelly Green" by GrandeMarshall, "Molly Ringwald" by Danny Brown, "8 Feet Tall" by Problem, "Get Off Me" by Roach Gigz, "Sauna" by Casey Veggies, "Mind Gone" by Droop-E, "Talkin' Foolish" by King L, "Trill Hoe" by Western Tink, "Twin Peugeots" by Action Bronson feat Big Body Des and more.

Blues from the delta, beautifully compiled by the folks at Yazoo – in a classic collection that shows why they've always been one of the most trusted sources for music like this! The package really expands strongly on the sounds of Charlie Patton and Robert Johnson – both of whom are included, but featured with a host of contemporaries who really show the whole spectrum of this fertile scene during these crucial years. Titles include "Special Rider Blues" by Skip James, "Billy Goat Blues" by John Byrd, "Tallahatchie River Blues" by Mattie Delaney, "Delta Blues" by Son House, "Dead Shrimp Blues" by Robert Johnson, "Gang Of Brownskin Women" by Harvey Hull, and "Be True Be True Blues" by Henry Sims.

Blood & Fire dips into their excellent catalog of fine, fine reggae and pulls together an outstanding little compilation of some of the best tracks from the catalog! This nicely priced set focuses on vocal numbers, all voiced by top notch artists, showcasing the breadth of great music cut during the golden era of Jamaican music that makes up the body and soul of Blood & Fire's dynamite releases! 18 tracks in all, including "Fire Fe The Vatican" by Max Romeo, "Storm" by Gregory Isaacs, "Children Of Jah" by the Chantells, "Problems" by Horace Andy, "Rent Man" by Black Uhuru, "Chant Down Babylon" by Sylford Walker, 'Go Down In Silence" by Prince Alla, "Man Next Door" byDennis Brown, "Fight It To The Top" by Michael Prophet, "Every Knee Shal Bow" by Johnny Clarke, "At The Feast" by the Congos, "Yes Yes Yes" by Errol Holt, "Jah Jah The Conqueror" by Linval Thompson, "Give Jah Praise" by WIlli Williams, "Deliver Me From My Enemies" by Yabby You, "Judgement Time" by Junior Ross & The Spear, "Bandulu" by Cornell Campbell and "Remember Me" by Junior Byles & Rupert Reid.

A really great look at Impulse Records – one that gets past the obvious iconic elements of the label, and really shows the true spectrum of amazing music it handled during the 60s and 70s! Unlike other Impulse sets, which often stick close to the big-name recordings of the 60s, this one stretches way up to the mid 70s – to show the really inventive, creative sounds the label put forth in the post-Coltrane years – music inspired by the great one, and moving past him as well – even into some of the more funky territory you might have found over at Blue Note or Columbia! The 2CD package features 30 tracks in all – and cuts include "Once Upon A Time" by Marion Brown, "Didn't I Tell You" by John Handy, "Spirit Dance" by Michael White, "Sita Ram" by Alice Coltrane, "Roadwork" by Howard Roberts, "Flame" by Keith Jarrett, "Water Music" by Albert Ayler, "Mansion Worlds" by Pharoah Sanders, "Jazz N Samba" by Milt Jackson, "Caravan" by Freddie Hubbard, "Blues For We" by Mel Brown, "How Insensitive" by Ahmad Jamal, "Summertime" by Art Blakey, "The Breeze & I" by Curtis Fuller, "Broadwalk Samba" by Hank Jones & Oliver Nelson, and "Evil Eye" by Chico Hamilton.

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".

Rare mid 60s soul from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds! This great little EP on Acid Jazz features material that Jimmy cut in 1967 – and it's seeing release for the first time ever! His Vagabonds on these sessions include Herb Prestige and John Roberts – drummer and bass player for The Ram Jam Band – plus guitarist Dave Tedstone and organ groover Art Regis of The Squires. Includes "She's Looking Good", "Aunt Dora's Soul Shack", "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar" and "Why (Must I)".

This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70's, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! This is sort of a politically conscious mini-opera, or suite, with 8 tracks of spiritual funk and soul, all strung together in a righteous package that's as perfectly-conceived as you could imagine for an independent soul release from the 70s. You've probably heard at least one sample from this LP – maybe from the cuts "Brown-Baggin", "Food Stamps", or the title cut "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth", a great sample cut – but the whole album's great, and it totally deserves its massive reputation!

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more.

Probably the best album Ray, Goodman, and Brown cut after they dissolved The Moments, and moved to Polydor. Despite some more modern soul production than their classic recordings, their harmonies are excellent, and their voices are in totally top form. The LP includes their classic "Happy Anniversary", plus "You", "Sweet Sexy Woman", "Each Time Is Like The First Time", and "Part Of You".