Never-issued material from the sessions for two classic Magic Sam albums – Black Magic and West Side Soul – not alternate tracks or demos, but really great material that stands strongly here as an album on its own! If you know those records, you'll now the raw power here – that fierce guitar of Sam's, that often has this sinister snakey quality – mixed with his undeniably soulful vocals, which are a perfect bridge between deep soul and Chicago blues! Players on the sessions include Eddie Shaw on tenor, Mighty Joe Young on second guitar, Shakey Jake on on harmonica, and Lafayette Leake on piano – and titles include "Lookin Good", "I Feel So Good", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Keep On Doin What You're Doin", "Blues For Odie Payne", "Keep On Lovin Me Baby", and "That's All I Need". CD

A classic bit of indie blues from the Chicago scene – featuring some great players from the second generation after Chess Records stopped picking up the younger local talents! Magic Sam leads the group on vocals and guitar, and he's working here with Mighty Joe Young on guitar, Odie Payne on drums, and Mack Thompson on bass – all to craft a set of rough and ready blues tunes that would have played well on both sides of the tracks at the time. Titles include "That's All I Need", "All Of Your Love", "I Don't Want No Woman", "Mama Mama Talk To Your Daughter", and "Lookin Good", a nice instrumental! CD

A classic bit of indie blues from the Chicago scene – featuring some great players from the second generation after Chess Records stopped picking up the younger local talents! Magic Sam leads the group on vocals and guitar, and he's working here with Mighty Joe Young on guitar, Odie Payne on drums, and Mack Thompson on bass – all to craft a set of rough and ready blues tunes that would have played well on both sides of the tracks at the time. Titles include "That's All I Need", "All Of Your Love", "I Don't Want No Woman", "Mama Mama Talk To Your Daughter", and "Lookin Good", a nice instrumental! CD features a bonus alternate of "I Don't Want No Woman". CD

Twin-flute magic from the quintet of Herbie Mann and Sam Most – both of whom play the long, thin instrument here – in intertwining lines of sound that are totally great! There's a style here that's often a bit more frenetic than usual for Herbie – one that's possibly picked up from Most, as might be heard on some of his later sides from the 60s. Whatever the case, even when things are gentle, there's some nice little interplay – a lot of action from both flute players, supported by guitar from Joe Puma, bass from Jimmy Gannon, and drums from Lee Kleinman. Arrangements are by Russ Garcia, and titles include "It's Only Sunshine", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Empathy", "Seven Come Eleven", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Flying Home". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great little fusion set from saxophonist Sam Morrison – as slinky, sloping, and seductive as the title – and a record that might have been right at home on CTI! The album features all original tunes by Morrison – played with a very cool group that includes Al Foster on drums, Buster Williams on bass, Mike Wolf on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, and Ryo Kawasaki on guitar. Morrison shifts effortlessly between soprano, flute, and tenor – working in a mode that's choppy, but never too over the top – dancing along in a lyrical, soulful mode! Titles include "Wonder", "Dune", "Song Of Landa", and "I Knew It Right Away". CD

A very cool little record that's exactly what it promises in the title – a killer combination of American jazz and Romanian roots – played here by a group with some especially nice work on reeds! At its best moments, the album's got a sound that takes us back to some of the best jazz-meets-world projects from the European scene of the late 60s and early 70s – as traditional Romanian numbers are reworked into jazzy groovers, with a nice emphasis on groovy rhythms, plus some exotic sounds from the soloists. Sam Newsome plays soprano sax throughout – working with Lucian Ban on piano, Alex Harding on baritone sax and bass clarinet, Sorin Romanescu on guitar, Arthur Balogh on bass, and Willard Dyson on drums. Titles include "Bucharest (parts 1 & 2)", "Colinda", "Home", "Carol", "Transilvanian Dance", and "Danube Stroll". CD

Two great bassists, working here together in a really fantastic setting – not as a spare duo, but also not lost in a too-large group as well – as the lineup features guitar from Philip Catherine and drums from Billy Higgins – both very sensitive players who let Sam Jones and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen take the lead! The basses move nicely between rhythm and melody – almost with a gypsy swing guitar inspiration – which is maybe echoed just a bit by Catherine, who is at his best here – a great straight jazz player without some of the gimmicks of other albums of the period. Higgins is, as always, a delight – and he gets help from Tootie Heath on percussion on two tracks too. Titles include "A Notion", "Giant Steps", "Au Privave", "Yesterdays", "Little Train", and "Miss Morgan". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know these guys in a number of other forms – Sam's the long-running vocalist in Sea & Cake, McEntire is from Tortoise and countless production efforts – but here, the old friends collaborate on new territory that's really wonderful – a set of electronic instrumental tunes that unfold with a great sense of beauty! We're tempted to read the title as a reference to Eno and Bowie working together in Berlin – and while that might be a bit of a stretch, there's definitely the energy of two respectful partners exploring new musical territory here – stepping out on beautiful new sounds that we hope are the start of a new chapter in their careers! Titles include "Ghost At Noon", "Yellow Robe", "Ascending By Night", and "Crossing At The Shallow". CD

One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note – ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set – the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session – held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) – and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note – ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set – the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session – held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) – and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". CD

A nice change from some of Sam Rivers' more extended modes of the time – with tracks that are a bit shorter, with a bit more focus – yet still a relatively loose approach overall! The album features a few differeing trios – with Rivers on flute, tenor, soprano sax, and piano – plus Richard Davis, Cecil McBee, or Avild Andersen on bass – and either Norman Connors, Warren Smith, or Barry Altschul on drums. Titles include "Amber", "Rose", "Mauve", and "Violet". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sam Rivers' most freely expressive albums – a set of extended improvisations that features the leader on tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – really spinning out with some strongly expressive solos! The rest of the lineup is quite free too – with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion – a pair who sometimes hit rhythmic impulses at the best moments, but also often stretch out and do their thing in a relatively free way too – and who work together with Rivers to push forward on that amazing territory that Sam first opened up on some of his classic long improvised performances for Impulse Records at the start of the 70s. Titles include "Judgement", "Hope", "Expectation", and "Vision". CD

An amazing reunion of a legendary group – the 70s free jazz trio of Sam Rivers on reeds, Dave Holland on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! Rivers had already carved out a strong name for himself with earlier work – but his meeting with Holland and Altschul really helped the reedman take off – and together, the three musicians made some of the most creatively unbridled work of Sam's career! And yet the players hadn't worked together for over 25 years – until the time of this special recording, done as part of a Sam Rivers marathon at Columbia University – an amazing moment in jazz that has all three members of the group picking up beautifully, and improvising together in a long session of music that's simply mindblowing! The album's easily one of the best we've heard from Rivers in his later years – and has all the sort of soulful undercurrents that take us back to the 70s loft jazz years of the original group – sounding way more like some lost tapes from the old days than the reunion captured within. Genius – and a great treasure from the late Rivers! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Russell Kranes on pinao, Alex Levine on guitar, Sam Weber on bass, and Jay Sawyer on drums. CD

Slow slinking soul from Sam Salter – a mainstream set, but a pretty nice one too – thanks to a no-apologies approach to the ballads and mellow tracks that keeps the record firmly in check whenever it might falter! Sam's not the kind of singer who's going to change the world, but he does a pretty great job of what he does – and this album's a good reminder that there was some decent soul laying around at the bottom of the mainstream in the pre-Neo Soul years. Titles include "After 12 Before 6", in both regular and Ghetto Fabulous remixes – plus "It's On Tonight", "I Love You Both", "Give Me My Baby", "Thinkin & Trippin", "It Took A Song", "On My Heart", "Show You That I Care", and "Every Time A Car Drives By". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Great work from one of the tightest acts of 60s soul – the always-energetic Sam & Dave, working here with an excellent batch of tracks by Isaac Hayes & David Porter! Sam & Dave had made records before this period – but the cuts here are all from the years when they were recording with Stax Records – really burning things up, thanks to the great material that was often both penned and produced by Hayes and Porter, and always given a sharp Memphis groove that took the already-great dynamics of the pair and knocked it out of the park! At the time of these recordings, Sam & Dave were so hot that James Brown refused to have them open for him – as they'd completely exhaust the energy of the crowd – and you'll be able to hear why, on titles that include "Hold On I'm Comin", "May I Baby", "Soul Man", "I Thank You", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "You Got Me Hummin", and "Wrap It Up". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

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A wealth of funky instrumentals – never issued before! Sam & The Soul Machine were a funky New Orleans combo that had a sound that was a heck of a lot like the Meters – dubby bass, tight snapping drums, and some warm and bubbling organ work that gave the music a sweetly soulful finish. This fantastic set of tracks was recorded in 1969 – right at the height of the Crescent City funk scene – but was never issued before, due to a strange twist of fate (not to mention the IRS!) Rough and ready – and a perfect slice of deep deep funk! 12 tracks in all – including "T-Time", "Stand", "Mercy D", "Slow Motion", "Wanted Alive", "Meditation", and "Thesis". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An ultra-hip set of soul jazz from 70s Detroit – recorded back in the day by saxophonist Sam Sanders, but never issued at the time! The album's got this wonderfully warm, open sort of vibe – a quality that's kind of like an indie take on the CTI mode of the time, but much more relaxed – and nicely directed towards soul as well, given the vocals that grace some of the album's best moments! Some tunes are right on the money, with an undercurrent of funk – but other moments get a bit wilder and more righteous, in the style you'd expect from the legendary Strata Records imprint! Core instrumentation is by a combo that features Sanders on alto, plus lots of great keyboards, and guitar, baritone, and percussion. Vocals are by Jamil and Kenneth Harris – plus an unnamed female singer too – and titles include "Inner City Player", "Face At My Window", "Loser", "Funked Up", "Love's Gain", and "Summer Mist". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those cool Japanese-only albums from tenorist Sam The Man Taylor – with titles that include "Akai Glass", "Johnny Guitar", "Sans Toi Mamie", "Tokyo Blues", and "Kageo Shitaite". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool Japanese-only album – the tenor of Sam The Man Taylor amidst larger backings from Jinzo Kosugi, on tunes that include "Hakodate No Hito", "Koi", "Yanasage Blues", "Casbah No Onna", "Hokkaido Skies", and "Love You Tokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great Japanese-only albums from this fantastic American tenorist – a player who seemed to get a lot more interest overseas than back home! The set has Sam blowing very soulful tenor solos over larger backings – and as with some of his other Japanese records, the songs include some great reworkings of Japanese tunes! LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of southern soul from Sound Stage Seven – featuring sublime production by the great John Richbourg, and a sound that's simply out of this world! Sam Baker has a strong deep soul style – a bit like Otis Redding, filtered through the rougher edges of Syl Johnson – and this rare album of deep soul tracks is one of the few records of his fantastic work. Arrangements are by Dan Penn, Cliff Parman, and Aaron Varnell – and tracks include "It's All Over", "Sometimes You have To Cry", "That's All I Want From You", "I Believe In You", "Someone", "Just A Glance Away", and "Safe In The Arms Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love". CD

The quartet here is definitely great enough to earn their name – a wonderful pairing of the piano of Hank Jones and bass of Ray Brown at the core – augmented with superb work from Alan Dawson on drums, a player we love going back to his 60s recordings on Prestige – joined by Sam Most on flute and tenor near the end of the set! In that way, the whole thing is more of a trio date than anything else – recorded with superb tone on Brown's bass throughout, and with space for Dawson to deliver these great solo spots in the middle of some tracks – nicely understated, which is always part of his genius. Titles include "Blue Monk", "All Blues", "Sister Sadie", "Emily", "A Time For Love", "Tea For Two", and "The Voodoo". CD

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of indie blues from the Chicago scene – featuring some great players from the second generation after Chess Records stopped picking up the younger local talents! Magic Sam leads the group on vocals and guitar, and he's working here with Mighty Joe Young on guitar, Odie Payne on drums, and Mack Thompson on bass – all to craft a set of rough and ready blues tunes that would have played well on both sides of the tracks at the time. Titles include "That's All I Need", "All Of Your Love", "I Don't Want No Woman", "Mama Mama Talk To Your Daughter", and "Lookin Good", a nice instrumental! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little record from this longtime stalwart of the Chicago scene. Sam started out in Shrimpboat, gained great fame in Sea & Cake, and here delivers his most wonderful performance to date – a beautiful set of jazzy pop tracks, with backing by Josh Abrams, Archer Prewitt, Jim O'Rourke, and the great drummer Chad Taylor. The tracks bristle with a lovely sense of energy, and they have a sophistication that's wonderful – matched with a lyricism that keeps them always sounding fresh. Sam's turned into a wonderful vocalist, too – and we're betting you won't be able to take this one off the turntable once you get started. Titles include "The Shadow", "Don't Bother", "The Company", and "Faces & People". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the freest, most far-reaching work that Sam Rivers ever cut for Blue Note – a set recorded in 1967, but not issued until nearly a decade later by the label! The album's a great precursor of some of the work that Sam would do later in the 70s – still somewhat in a "new thing" mode, at points, but also sharper, and more angular too – with a nice sense of space in the playing. The group is a piano-less one – with Sam on reeds, joined by James Spaulding on alto, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Steve Ellington on drums, and Cecil McBee on bass – all mighty hip players who really realize Rivers' vision perfectly. Titles include "Precis", "Paean", "Effusive Melange", "Involution", "Afflatus", and "Helix". CD

One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note – ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set – the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session – held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) – and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". Plus, the original album is expanded by 4 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" and "Luminous Monolith". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A side each of these two important talents in blues – presented here in a format that makes the record a real double-header! Side one features Big Bill Broonzy in the lead – working with sweet electric lines on guitar alongside acoustic and his own really rich vocals – plus this very cool rhythm accompaniment from Washboard Sam, whose instrument has a way of coming across like some quickly snapped snare drum! Sam takes the lead on side two – singing and playing his instrument – and is joined on a few tracks by Broonzy's guitar and some piano from Memphis Slim. Big Bill titles include "Lonesome", "Little City Woman", "Romance Without Finance", and "By Myself" – and Washboard Sam numbers include "Never Never", "Minding My Own Business", "I'm A Lonely Man", and "Horseshoe Over My Door". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that doesn't stop him from using his voice to perfection, sweetly crafting beautiful lines on a batch of standards given the soul treatment, plus a few of Sam's own hits. And sure, it's easy to criticize this album after the release of the Live At The Harlem Square album in the mid 80s – which was recorded a year earlier, but rejected by RCA in favor of this album's crossover potential – but keep in mind that for most folks who didn't grow up with the hindsight of reissues, this album was all they had, and it still had quite an impact in the soul market. Titles include "The Best Things In Life Are Free", "Try A Little Tenderness", "If I Had A Hammer", "Twistin The Night Away", "You Send Me", and "This Little Light Of Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys". CD features 6 bonus singles too – including "I'm So Very Glad", "Signed Miss Heroin", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Save The Love At Any Cost", "Child Of The Streets (single)", and "So Tied Up (single)". CD

A great collection, and one that focuses on the hipper side of southern soul – with a few tracks each from Willie Hobbs, Dee & Lola, Vivalore Jordan, Oscar Irwin, and the great Sam Dees! LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks from JB Hutto & The Hawks, Sam Lay Blues Band, Floyd Jones-Eddie Taylor Band, and Billy Boy Arnold Band LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sam Jones' hippest sessions of the 70s – recorded with a quintet that also includes Charles McPherson on alto, Barry Harris on piano, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection of work recorded by bassist Sam Jones during the early 60s – done at a time when Jones had emerged from some key fame in the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, and was beginning to work as a leader on his own! The quality of the work here is extremely high, and Jones' sessions from the time marked a whole new voice for the bass as a leader in jazz – done at a time when soul jazz waves were rolling onto the market with great strength, and allowing the "bottom" of the genre's sound to come to the forefront. Players on the sessions include Nat Adderley, Charles Davis, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Timmons, Blue Mitchell, Les Spann, and Frank Strozier – and titles include "Blue Bird", "Some Kinda Mean", "There Is No Greater Love", "Home", "The Old Country", "Four", and "Unit 7". CD

One of the strongest statements ever recorded by bassist Sam Jones – a wickedly soulful session that cooks on all burners! The album's got a rich depth that far surpasses most of Jones' trio sessions – and is a full quintet album, with Terumasa Hino on cornet, Bob Berg on tenor, Ronnie Matthews on piano, and Al Foster on drums. Matthews' strong and soulful lines really push the whole group along – stretching out with modal energy that really seems to set the horns free. All tracks are extremely fresh, and played at a level that brings out the best we'd expect from the players – possibly more in fact – and the record's an under-appreciated gem in the Steeplechase catalog of the 70s! Titles include "Del Sasser", "Visitation", "Occurrence", "Jean Marie", and "Before You". LP, Vinyl record album

A tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible rare work from Magic Sam – a set recorded at his home in Chicago during the late 60s, and which has Sam coming across maybe more like a soul singer than ever before! The setting is very lean – just Sam on electric guitar and vocals – and it's that laidback approach that really lets the magic flow forth – these incredible vocals that could have easily been turned towards deep soul, if Sam wanted to record for Atlantic – and maybe even more powerful here without any other studio support at all! And sure, the approach is different than the better-known Magic Sam albums – but it's also a fantastic illustration of his mighty talents, as you'll hear on titles that include "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You're So Fine", "That's Why I'm Crying", "I'm So Glad", "Baby You Torture My Soul", "What Have I Done Wrong", and "Give Me Time". CD

With Lou Levy on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Barry Harris on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lenny McBrowne on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

All of Prima's sides for Capitol from the late 50s and early 60s, plus wife and colleague Keely Smith and band leader Sam Butera's solo work from the era in an incredible 8 CD box! We often think of Louis as kinda of a loungey, Vegas cool cat, but what is so awesome about the material you'll find here is how furiously manic so much of it is. The first 3 discs document Prima at his wild, hard-swinging studio best – and could give Tito Puente a run for his money in the sweaty big-beat department! Tracks include "Buona Sera", "Just A Gigolo/I A'int Got Nobody ", "Jump, Jive, And Wail", "The Closer To The Bone", "Pennies From Heaven", "Pump Song", "Fee Fio Foo", "Lazy River", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and tons more. Discs 4 covers live sets at the Harrah's Club and the Sahara, and includes "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "A Foggy Day", "Robin Hood", "Judy", and "Greenback Dollar Bill". Discs 5 & 6 cover Keely's sweeter but nearly as great sides, with Nelson Riddle and others, and tracks include "I Wish You Love", "It's Magic", and "Nothing In Common" and "How Are Ya' Fixed For Love?" with Frank Sinatra. Finally, Sam Butera's solo work is collected on the last 2 discs, returning things to Prima-style rockin' jazz, and including "Bim Bam", "Twinkle In Your Eye", "Bugs", "Tennessee Waltz", "Better Twist Now Baby", and "I'll Feel Good All Over". Great stuff from one of the tightest working units from the era, and a real treat to have in one place! CD

One of the greatest Sam Rivers albums we've heard in years – a really compelling little set that has Sam playing in a relatively straight manner, and working alongside vibes-based Bryan Carrott trio! The mix of vibes, bass, and drums is a great accompaniment to Rivers' searching work on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and many of the tunes have a slightly modal approach that keeps things rhythmic, and which seems to deepen Rivers' sense of soul a bit more than usual. A few tracks go a bit out, but there's a nicely straight feel to most of the numbers – and titles include "Solace", "The Mooche", "In Search Of Black Benny", "Moderation", "Space", "Abalone", and "Captain America". CD

One of Sam Rivers' most freely expressive albums – a set of extended improvisations that features the leader on tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – really spinning out with some strongly expressive solos! The rest of the lineup is quite free too – with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion – a pair who sometimes hit rhythmic impulses at the best moments, but also often stretch out and do their thing in a relatively free way too – and who work together with Rivers to push forward on that amazing territory that Sam first opened up on some of his classic long improvised performances for Impulse Records at the start of the 70s. Titles include "Judgement", "Hope", "Expectation", and "Vision". CD

A pretty great session – if only for the work of the sax players! The "stablemates" on the session are a host of older spiritual and soul jazz players – including Nathan Davis, Sam Rivers, Chico Freeman, and Arthur Blythe – alternating solos and coming together in some angular ensemble parts that really sound wonderful. The "Stablemates" reference is well chosen, as there's a lot of Benny Golson influences on the album – especially in the rhythm section of Don Pullen, Santi Debriano, and Idris Muhammad, who groove together with the crackling tightness that Golson would have used on a classic early 60s album, keeping the pace with a soulful swing, so that the horn players can cut loose in some modernist inflections. Titles include "Walkin", "I Remember Eric Dolphy", "Stolen Moments", "Linden Boulevard", and "Stablemates". CD

A rare late LP Sam & Dave cut for United Artists in the mid 70s – with raw & gritty soul vocals and rough hewn, yet soulfully resonant production by Steve Cropper, and backing by a slew of Memphis sessions specialists! Back At Cha is a coulda-shoulda-woulda been great comeback effort, and if failed to chart them for renaissance revival, it sounds pretty sharp all these years later. Sam & Dave's vocals go more for raw emotional grittiness, well matched by heavier Memphis soul backdrops for the most parts, and a touch of string accented sweetness in a spot or two. Titles include "When My Love Comes Down", "There's A Party In My Heart", "Blinded By Love", "Under The Boardwalk", "Come Into My Life", "Queen Of The Ghetto", "Give It What You Can" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sam Yahel on organ, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Brian Blade on drums, and Kahlil Kwame Bell on percussion. CD

A stone classic – not just from Sam Cooke, but in the genre of "best of" records too! The set's overflowing with classic singles from the legendary soul singers – almost the perfect record to start with if you've ever wanted to sample Sam's genius – that amazing voice, intimate sense of presentation, and undeniably mature, masculine sound that forever changed the face of soul music! Every track's a winner – and titles include "Only Sixteen", "You Send Me", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Having A Party", "Twistin The Night Away", "Wonderful World", "Summertime", "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Sad Mood", and "Bring It On Home To Me". CD

A stone classic – not just from Sam Cooke, but in the genre of "best of" records too! The set's overflowing with classic singles from the legendary soul singers – almost the perfect record to start with if you've ever wanted to sample Sam's genius – that amazing voice, intimate sense of presentation, and undeniably mature, masculine sound that forever changed the face of soul music! Every track's a winner – and titles include "Only Sixteen", "You Send Me", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Having A Party", "Twistin The Night Away", "Wonderful World", "Summertime", "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Sad Mood", and "Bring It On Home To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love". CD

Wonderful mellow work from Sam Cooke – and a set that's recorded with a sound that's very much in keeping with the "night beat" that you might expect from the title! In fact, there's not so much a "beat" as a simple easy groove – a gentle sort of "night" feeling, with some piano in the lead on many tracks, and backing by a larger group conducted by Rene Hall – a great setting that lets Cooke hit some of his most soulful moments on record from the time! The album includes many lesser-known Cooke performances – including "Trouble Blues", "You Gotta Move", "Fool's Paradise", "Lost & Lookin", and "Mean Old World". CD

A collection of unusual early 60s tracks – including "Little Girl Blue", "Far Away Places", "Bali Hai", "Trouble In Mind", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "Since I Met You Baby", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", and "Jamaica Farewell". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of work by the great Sam Cooke – featuring 30 tunes in all, and spanning the range of his full career – from his early roots in gospel music, to the incredibly powerful soul tunes he cut shortly before his untimely death. The set's got most everything you'd ever want to hear if you're looking for an overview of Sam's work – with titles that include "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Another Saturday Night", "Good Times", "Having A Party", "Sugar Dumpling", "Ain't That Good News", "Nothing Can Change This Love", "Little Red Rooster", "I'll Come Running Back To You", "What A Wonderful World", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Summertime", and "Only Sixteen". LP, Vinyl record album

With 20 tracks including "Driftin' Blues", "Smoke Rings", "But Not For Me", "Chains Of Love", "Cry Me A River", "Trouble Blues", "Fool's Paradise", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A 2LP set that brings together earlier Sam Cooke titles for RCA – some remastered and made into stereo titles, others just cleaned up a bit. There's a total of 20 tracks in all – with hits like "Twistin The Night Away", "You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Having A Party", "Another Saturday Night", and "Cupid" – plus lesser-known numbers like "Feel It", "Little Red Rooster", and "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An album that's a really beautiful showcase for the reed work of Sam Gendel – as he plays here alongside guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento, who really seems to unlock a different side in Sam's music! The album's got a lean vibe – very similar to some of Fabiano's other records, which we love – and Gendel blows soprano sax, but in this gentle way that's almost flute-like – skipping and lilting around the acoustic guitar at the core, as the pair play without any other backing at all! The record is another feather in Fabiano's cap, and has us really appreciating Gendel more than before – thanks to titles that include "Astral Flowers", "Ate De Manha", "Poeira", "Tupi", "Daiana", "Foi Boto", and "Capricho". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold little trio set from bassist Sam Jones – recorded with a great lineup that includes Keith Copeland on drums and Kenny Barron on piano! Barron plays both electric and acoustic piano on the album, and really brings a lot of his own strengths into play with Sam's bass work – and the best numbers on the album have them both stepping out in a highly rhythmic mode, really grooving along nicely with a pulse that both Jones and Kenny always have in the background, but don't display this strongly. Titles include Barron numbers "Tragic Magic" and "Seascape", and Jones originals "Lily", "Bittersuite", and "The Hymn Of Scorpio". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant 70s album from bassist Sam Jones – a player who rose to fame with Cannonball Adderley at the start of the 60s, and worked on his own as a leader too – but who really seemed to take off during the time of this recording! Sam's sense of groove and arranging is very strongly in place here – a sense of fire that was no doubt developed with Cannonball, but given a much wider vision on Jones' 70s albums like this – records that might well be some of the few to find a new space forward in the decade for a 60s soul jazz aesthetic! Sam's bass is right out front, and gets some good exposure on a few of the tunes' intros, too – and the rest of the lineup is excellent – with Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Louis Hayes on drums. Titles include "Miss Morgan", "Laverne Walk", "Sam's Things", "Trane's Changes", "Blue's", and "Stablemates". CD