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A pair of overlooked gems from 70s singer/songwriter Marty Cooper – an artist who definitely leans towards the country side of the spectrum, but also comes across with more of a mellow rock feel too! A Minute Of Your Time is a 1972 set for the Barnaby label – one that beautifully mixes Cooper's raspy vocals with tunes that run from country twang to jazzier lines – especially on the tunes that feature sweet electric piano, and a bit less acoustic guitar. There's a knowing wink to some of these tunes – almost an echo of Lee Hazlewood, although Marty's a lot more sincere – and titles include "The Indiana Girl", "I Wrote A Song", "Mama Was A Cowgirl", "Cowboys & Daddies", and "To Say Goodbye To Anne". If You Were A Singer is a German-only album from the end of the 70s – but one that has Marty Cooper still working in the best mellow modes of his earlier work – kind of a commentary on country music and country ideals, nestled in a style that's real enough to have appeal to the mainstream it's commenting on. Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "Stephen", "Like A Gypsy", "A Second Hand Song", and "Ten Dollar Room". CD features one bonus track – the previously unissued "The Biplane Evermore".

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien – and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul – bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling voices we've ever heard in soul music. It takes courage to be this gentle and sincere, and although the record was never a hit when it was released, it's been a perpetual favorite of groovers for many many years – thanks to the depth of Lucien's lyrics, and the unique range of rhythms in the set! Includes the funky "Would You Believe in Me", the space "Lady Love", and the tracks "Kuenda", "Satan", "Love Everlasting", and soooo many more. Essential soul from one of the 70's most righteous artists – and probably the best place to start sampling his rich career!

The third volume in one of the most popular soul series we've ever stocked! The CD features 25 rare soul tunes – from a variety of northern and southern sources, all of them hard-to-find gems with a deep soul sound that's dripping with sincere emotion and raw songsmithery. Brit soul DJ/collector/writer Dave Godin put the set together – and it would be hard to find a more loving collection of tunes with such a no-nonsense approach to the material. Titles include "Thanks For Yesterday" by Eddie & Ernie, "I'm Undecided" by Toussaint McCall, "Who Are You Gonna Love" by Rozetta Johnson, "I Paid For The Party" by The Enchanters, "Too Far Gone To Turn Around" by JR Bailey, "My Deceiving Heart" by The Impressions, "I'm Missing You" by Loretta Williams, "Let Me Down Easy" by Betty Lavette, "Don't Leave Me Baby" by Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights, "Like It Stands" by Robert Ramsey, and "Look At The Boy" by Jean Plum.

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

Classic Bethlehem west coast jazz session, performed by trumpeter Conte Candoli with a quartet of players that includes Stan Levey on drums, Max Bennett on bass, and Claude Williamson on piano. Straight stuff, but with a clean west coast groove. Titles include "Tune For Tex", "Fine & Dandy", "Night Flight", and "I'll Remember April".

A really unusual album from Rosemary Clooney – recorded with lush backings from Nelson Riddle, in a style that gets past the lighter mode of earlier years! Clooney really opens up in Riddle's company – and hits a mature, adult mode that almost points the way towards directions Morgana King would take in later years. The tunes are all extremely well-chosen – and even the older numbers seem to have a more contemporary feel here, thanks to Riddle's unified arrangements throughout – an overall approach that avoids the "fast then slow then fast" mode that sometimes kept other Clooney albums from sounding like more serious vocal efforts. Titles include "Invitation", "I Wish It So", "Yours Sincerely", "Find The Way", "If I Forget You", "More Than You Know", and "Why Shouldn't I".

Fantastic double CD set that includes 44 tracks of the Moonglows amazing doo wop sides recorded for Chess in the 50's. This is some of the best doo wop ever recorded on the planet, and the track list includes such great cuts as "Secret Love", "Most of All", "In My Diary", "Penny Arcade", "Twelve Months Of The Year", "She's Alright With Me", "See Saw", "Over And Over Again", "Mr. Engineer", "Blue Velvet", "Lover, Love Me", "Sincerely", and lots of other cuts that you may be less familiar with. Super stuff, with a nice set of notes!

Excellent album that Harvey Fuqua put together with his old band during the time that he had emerged as a successful soul producer at RCA working with bands like The Nite Liters and The New Birth. The album features the group reprising some of their classic doo wop tracks, and giving them a 70's edge with the help of a small combo that includes Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, and Vernon Bullock. One highlight includes a great remake of "Sincerely" that has a nice break and a good groove to it. Other goodies are "The Ten Commandments", and "Most Of All". Better than you'd think!

A sublime set of piano and bass duets – one that comes across with a depth of feeling and richness of expression that takes it way past the usual! The presence of Isao Suzuki is an instant indication that things are going to be pretty darn fresh – as the bassist always has a way of moving past the obvious, trying for interesting little rhythms and offbeat phrasing – and often shifting from conventional bass to piccolo bass as well. Pianist Kunihiko Sugano comes across wonderfully too – sometimes lyrical, sometimes very punctuated in his phrasing – shifting his phrasing effortlessly in the course of the set, and working with Suzuki to create a really fresh set of moods. Brilliantly inventive throughout – way better than most American dates like this from the time – and proof that there was really something great bubbling in Japan during this stretch. Titles include "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Autumn In New York", "The Very Thought Of You", "Goodbye", and "Mean To Me".