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Early jazz material – with Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Herbie Haymer on tenor, John Simmons on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums.

Richly creative work from Nu Band – a hip ensemble that features Roy Campbell on trumpets and flute, Mark Whitecage on alto and clarinet, Joe Fonda on bass, and Lou Grassi on drums and percussion! There's a flowing, open feel here that's very much like some of Campbell's best albums recorded under his own name – a strong continuation of the 70s loft jazz spirit – sometimes handled with a loose, open, improvisatory quality – but one that still hangs together with a really coherent sense of soul. Other numbers have a rhythmic intensity that really fits the title – and the live setting makes for some great extended performances, too. Titles include "Camel Caravan", "Seventh Heaven", "Parallel Realities", and "Little Piece".

The Cosmic Sounds label continues its rich exploration of the untapped Eastern European jazz scene of the 60s and 70s – finally set free in these post-Iron Curtain years, showing a wealth of wonderful music that's finally getting out to our western ears! This beautiful set focuses on Bulgarian recordings of the late 60s and early 70s – and like other volumes in the series, it's got a groove oriented approach that runs through a number of styles – from hardbop to soul jazz, funky fusion, and beyond! Titles include "Samba" by Jazz Quartet, "Sombrero" by Focus 65, "Sunday Afternoon Walk" by Jazz Quartet From The State, "For Goodby" by FSB, "Sunset Sunrise" by Simeon Shterev Quartet, and "A Trip" by Yordan Kapitanov.

An Isley Jasper Isley 3-fer – the '84, '85 & '87's Broadway's Closer To Sunset Boulevard, Caravan Of Love and Different Drummer – in a single set! Broadway was the first breakaway effort from the trio of Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper, and Marvin Isley – a set that's got an even leaner groove than some of the Isley Brothers material from years before! The group really hit their stride right away – stepping out in a sweet array of funky rhythms that have some definite 80s touches on the beats, yet which still share all the best Isleys elements overall! Guitar parts are especially sharp – that carved in soul sound that showed up in most Isleys projects from the early 70s onwards – and the vocals have a great sense of warmth and soul, especially on the mellower tunes in the set, which turn down some of the more hook-heavy rhythms heard on other tracks. Titles include "Serve You Right", "Sex Drive", "Love Is Gonna Last Forever", "Kiss & Tell", "I Can't Get Over Losin You", "Look The Other Way", "Break This Chain", and "Broadway's Closer Than Sunset Blvd". Ernie and Marvin Isley team up with Chris Jasper and for Caravan, and more fully reinventing their for the 80s! The record features the wonderful "Caravan Of Love", a soulful spiritual tune that's kind of to 80s soul what The Impressions "People Get Ready" was to 60s soul! Different Drummer was the last album by this configuration of the group, taking on different modes, with some soul gems in the mix. Titles include "Dancing Around The World", "High Heel Syndrome", "Liberation" and more. Includes "Different Drummer", "Do It Right", "Blue Rose", "8th Wonder Of The World" and more.

Lots of older songs, nicely messed up by the Chips – which creates lots of yelling from Dave! Titles include "Buffalo Gals", "The Alvin Twist", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and "Polly Wolly Doodle".

One of LA's best arrangers cooks up a very cool batch of instrumental cuts to honor the surfing crowd – and it totally transcends the genre! It evokes the mood and the style nicely, but it's not run of the mill surf music at all – but more of a 60s LA studio instrumentals celebration with a larger sense of arrangements, and some groovy guitar solos by a young Glen Campbell. Kind of close to a mid-period Beach Boys sense of arrangements-meet-surf sounds, and a nice Capitol sound to it. Titles include "Murphy's Grey Wet Suit", "Quigg Rides Again", "Surfing Baja", "Goofy-Foot Glen, "Come September", "End Of The World", "Easy Surf" and more.

You've seen the movie, now own the album! Pryor cuts loose in his prime early 80s years, reminding you that for a long stretch of time, he was America's top black comic. Includes "Women","Prison", "Africa", "Mafia Club", "Mudbone", "Freebase" and "Hospital".

Sunny mid 60s live material from Don Randi – playing in nice little nightclub setting on The Sunset Strip! The Hollywood scene of the mid 60s could make anyone groove – and perhaps none finer than west coast mainstay Don Randi – and this batch of piano trio instrumentals is prime proof! The set was played before a lively crowd who really get into the rhythms on the album's uptempo tracks – and it was recorded live at Sherry's in Hollywood. Titles include "Carnival", "Mellow Yellow", "Bang Bang", "Hang Loose", and "He Said She Said".

A tremendous double-length set by this hip group of legendary players – a quartet lineup that features trumpeter Roy Campbell, reedman Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker, and drummer Hamid Drake – all working together in sounds that definitely reach some other dimensions in music! The format is very loose and open-ended – perfect for the loft jazz-styled improvisations from the combo – working here in a very friendly, supportive setting in front of a Parisian audience – who clearly inspire the musicians to new heights. Some tracks are quite long, but stand as bold statements throughout – and others are a bit shorter, and nicely compact. Titles include "Other Dimensional Space Travelers Hip Bop", "Blues Configuration", "Slam Me Down", "Blues For Baghdad", "Desert Dance", "Suite For Miles Davis", and "James Brown Ascension".

A more obscure late 60s outing – with a bit less of David yelling at Alvin than we'd like – but still a set with some nice numbers, including "Que Sera Sera", "Chim Chim Chere-ee", "The Roses Of Success", and "The Bare Necessities".

Featuring Matt Warren and Ralphi Rosario.

Early Jimmy Smith work for Blue Note – packaged together here as a "standards" collection and issued on Liberty's Sunset label in the late 60s! The collection offers little in the way of session details – clearly an attempt to pass it off as new material – but it does feature some noteworthy liner notes from Babs Gonzales, who contributes some great historical recollections of Jimmy's music, penned in his own unique style! Titles include "Lady Be Good", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Tenderly", "I Cover The Waterfront", and "But Not For Me".

A fantastic collection of unreleased material by mid-to-late 60s psych pop songwriter genius Tandyn Almer – who's probably best know for penning the eternally great "Along Comes Mary" for The Association – but we sure didn't know how great of a performer he was on his own! The 15 track record was cut for his publisher Davon Music, who circulated it to insiders at the time, looking to sell the songs – but what they should have done was found a label and released it. Fuzzy guitars, raw drums and great keyboards, excellent background harmonies – and the good-natured, melodic quality that attracted groups like the Association to Tandyn! Sundazed has long been a favorite source of rewarding 60s and 70s reissues, but they really deserve some bigger love for releases like this one – which is a first-ever commercial release. It feels like a complete, finished production for the most part – and not at all like a bunch of demos. Psych pop greatness! Includes "Find Yourself", You Turn Me Around", "Anything You Want", "About Where Love Is", "Face Down In The Mud", "I Get High", "Bring Your Own Self Down" (by The Purple Gang)", "Where Will They Go", "Sunset Strip Soliloquy" and more.

Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense of individuality as his leads and solos echo out from the smoother backings. The set list is overflowing with tracks – 18 numbers in all – and titles include "Houston", "I Remember Bill Evans", "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Saturdays", "Some Other Sunset", "Getting Ready", "Gothic Jazz Dance", "Linus & Lucy", and "Reflections".

Excellent work from Chicago reed player David Boykin – a much more straight ahead album than some of his earlier work, but done with an edge that keeps it in the ranks of the AACM tradition that has informed much of Boykin's music from the start. Boykin is on sax and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Josh Abrams on bass, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Jim Baker on piano, and Isaiah Spencer on drums – grooving together in an angular modern bop approach that recalls some of Roland Kirk's most adventurous work of the 60s, touched with traces of the more soulful side of the Chicago avant scene. Titles include "Niki's Bounce", "Jacuzzi", "Virgo", "Sunset", "Stalking The Cat", "Sunrise", "Antimatter", and "Jiffy Pop".

Groundbreaking work on vibes by Gary Burton – recorded in a setting that's live and open, yet quite groovy too! There's a rhythmic freeness that marks the set from the very first note – lessons learned from the generation of Ornette, yet taken in new direction – and definitely into new colors and tones – thanks to Burton's amazingly chromatic vibes, and the vivid guitar of Larry Coryell – not to mention the unusual rhythms from Steve Swallow on bass and Bob Moses on drums. These youthful players push the envelope even more than on some of Burton's other RCA albums of the time – going for a groove that's much more open and abstract, and which puts Coryell's guitar in a role that's as important as Burton's vibes in the set. Titles include "Wrong Is Right", "Walter L", "Lines", "The Sunset Bell", and "Blue Comedy".

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

A really well-penned western score from Francesco De Masi – put together in ways that are even richer and more vivid than usual! The tunes are short, but really work some scene-setting magic in just a short space – leaning heavily on the full range of soundtrack drama while mixing in key western elements – and almost acting as a link between the spaghetti western generation and the previous era of Hollywood scoring. Instrumentation features great harmonica from Franco De Gemini, and a few vocal bits from I Cantori Moderni – and tracks include "Where Are The Killers", "Johnny Revenge", "Wishville", "Sibyl Murder", "Bloody Sunset", and "Over Death" – plus 13 more bonus tracks too!

Arguably one of the most lyrical and expressive trumpeters in the history of Jazz, Kenny Dorham was unquestionably the one the foremost players of his generation. An absolute must own for all fans of the mid 50's to late 60's hard bop as defined by this side and many other contemporaneous selections from the Blue Note catalog, all the hallmarks of the classic "Blue Note" are embodied in this LP: hard, swinging blues, atmospheric modal pieces, and mellow, introspective playing. Titles include the great "Sunrise In Mexico", plus "Buffalo", "Sunset", and "Windmill".

A laidback set from Teddy – nicely done, though, with the same easy groove that you'll find on Sonny Criss' Xanadu sets from the same time. The group's a quartet, with Duke Jordan on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – and tracks include "Sunset Eyes", "Imagination", "One By One", and "Stella By Starlight".

A much-needed entry in the too-short career of The Electric Prunes – a rare live performance from the late 60s, and material that's arguably even more hard-burning than most of their studio work at the time! There's plenty of fuzz and a fair bit of freak going on – and the group are very much at their garagey best here – still plenty trippy, but surprisingly focused too – without as much of the space that might have shown up on later records, and a blistering intensity that matches the best of the Sunset Strip scene at the time. The recording was done by Swedish radio, so is quite clear and strong – and titles include "You Never Had It Better", "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", "Long Day's Flight", "Smokestack Lightnin", "Get Me To The World On Time", and "Try Me On For Size".

A pair of classics from John Hartford – with bonus tracks too! First up is Aereo Plain – a groundbreaking album from the young John Hartford – not really folk, not really country – but a unique hybrid of both, and done with a good ear for unique sounds as well! Hartford's a really unique artist, especially at this key point in his career – and he's working here with producer David Bromberg, who himself was also helping to reinvent acoustic music at the time. The Warner Brothers placement of the record is key – as Hartford's got this sense of the past, mixed with the irony of the present – one which strongly echoes some of the hip rock contemporaries on the label, particularly the up and coming brand of post-Sunset LA talents. Titles include "Turn Your Radio On", "Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie", "First Girl I Loved", "With A Vamp In The Middle", and "Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry". Next is Morning Bugle – a record that's even rootsier than John's first for Warner – with just a bit of bass backing from Dave Holland, and excellent guitar from Norman Blake next to Hartford's own banjo. As before, the lyrics have this really unusual bent – steeped in images of the past, but with the sensibilities of the present – particularly the left-leaning politics of the early 70s time in which the album was recorded. Titles include "Streetcar", "My Rag", "Old Joe Clark", "On The Road", "Howard Hughes Blues", and "Got No Place To Go". 2CD set features 8 bonus tracks too – including "Airport Floor", "Back Up & Push", "Flower Power Died", and "Weave & Way".

Some of Bobbi Humphrey's greatest work of the post-Blue Note years – an album that's filled with soulful fusion tunes throughout, all with a great focus on her funky flute! Bobbi also sings a bit on the set, but in a way that's pretty darn great – wonderfully sweet at times, with a bit of an influence from Minnie Riperton that really warms up the set. Arrangements are by Cleveland Eaton, with a bit of help from Art Jenkins – and production is by Ralph MacDonald, who clearly has a great ear for the blend of jazz and soul that Bobbi's going for on the set. And although Larry Mizell's not on board, some of the cuts here still have that stepping/sliding sort of groove from Bobby's Mizell-produced Blue Note years – a really wonderful sound that's a perfect showcase for her uniquely jazzy talents on the flute! Tracks include "Freestyle", "Home Made Jam", "Sunset Burgundy", "Good Times", "My Destiny", "I Could Love You More", and "If You Want It". This Soulmusic.com edition has 2 bonus tracks: "Home-Made Jam (Extended Version)" and "Sunset Burgundy (Single Version)".

Raw, rare material from The Knack – a previously-unissued live performance from 1978 – recorded a year before their famous debut! We love that album to death, but the group have even more bite here – a rough-edged quality that's almost garagey at points – and which does a great job of linking together the Sunset Strip energy of both the 60s and 70s scenes – really showing that LA evolution that birthed The Knack in the first place! Most of the tunes here are familiar from the first album, but the versions here are much more powerful – almost like hearing some gritty demos of the band in formation. Titles include "Daughter Of The Law", "She's So Selfish", "Art War", "My Sharona", "That's What The Little Girls Do", "Good Girls Don't", "Let Me Out", "End Of The Game", "It's Alright", and "Your Number Or Your Name".

Not the power pop phenom Knack of "My Sharona" fame – and not the mid 60s UK Knack. This is the mid 60s Sunset Strip Knack – and one of at least 3 great band to have that name that we've been hipped to so far! This particular Knack was fairly short-lived. They signed with Capitol and released 4 strong singles back in the day – and all 8 of those sides are on this CD from Now Sounds UK – along with 5 previously unreleased tunes. It's strong, hooky Cali-bred take on post Brit Invasion grooves – well worth the discovery! Titles include "Time Waits For No One", "I'm Aware", "Pretty Daisy", "Softly, Softly", "The Spell", "Freedom Now", "The Girl With The Dark Brown Eyes", "Once Upon A Cheek", "No Show Today", "Merry Go Round" and more.

With a name like this, you'd expect Lollipop Shoppe to be a sweet California band with a sunny pop feel – but instead, they've got a really nasty, nicely gritty sort of feel – kind of Sunset Strip garage rock turned towards more manic modes, a bit like early Love at their best! There's a raw power here that's simply wonderful – hardly what you'd expect from the usual groups on Uni Records at the time – and more the style you'd be likely to find from some small indie set out in the hinterlands. Guitars are raw and rugged, vocals are sung with a heartbreaking intensity – and a clear bit of craziness – and the rough-edged production really suits the group's sound wonderfully. Titles include "You Must Be A Witch", "It's Makin It", "I'm Gonna Be There", "It's Only A Reflection", "It Ain't How Long", and "Don't Close The Door On Me". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Someone I Know" and "Through My Window".

A sweet two-fer from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – two Tappan Zee albums back to back on a single CD! First up is a deep glass of Champagne from Wilbert – classy, sophisticated jazz from the end of the 70s – but still served up with plenty of soul, too! Bob James and Jay Chattaway produced – and James plays Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on the set – helping carve out some mighty sweet lines next to Longmire's lead guitar – which often sounds best at some of the record's mellowest moments! Wilbert sings just a bit, too – underscoring some of the soul influences on the set – and titles include "Pleasure Island", "Ragtown", "Funshine", "Diane's Dilemma", and "Love's Holiday". With All My Love is sweet later work from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – a warm mixture of soul and funky jazz – and easily one of the better records to come from the Tappan Zee label at the time! Production is by Bob James and Jay Chattaway – with an R&B-inflected vibe that's a bit like some of the best late 70s work on Kudo or CTI. Longmire's still got that wonderfully chromatic style on guitar – which works well in this setting – and even though he sings a bit on the record, it's the instrumentals that keep us listening. Titles include "Take Your Time", "Music Speaks Louder Than Words", "Strawberry Sunset", "Hawkeye", and "But I Love You".

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee "Maggie's Back in Town." McGhee himself pays tribute to one of his favorite trumpet players, Clifford Brown by doing Brown's "Brownie Speaks." Other titles include "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Summertime."

A nice bit of funky organ work from Jimmy McGriff! The record's recorded with a slightly larger than usual band – but that's a good thing here, as players like Horace Ott, Cliff Davis, Richard Evans, and Everett Barksdale provide a strong bouncy groove, which Jimmy uses to solo over the top with some lean, mean funky Hammond solos! The album's got some excellent stone funky classics – like "The Bird", "Groove Grease", and "Plain Brown Bag" – plus some surprisingly funky readings of standards like "Canadian Sunset" and "Mr Lucky", both made to sound super-nice, thanks to excellent work on bass and drums!

Fuzzy sounds from the South Bay scene of the 60s – a really cool little combo that's equal parts psych and garage – with a tightness that's more Sunset Strip than most of the San Francisco groups of the time! The guitars have a nice sort of fuzz, but the rhythms are super-tight too – almost borrowing a soul influence at times, although there's no doubt that these guys are rockers through and through! The vocals have a quality that gets nicely trippy with the guitars, but never too far out – a bit like early Byrds – and titles include a nice remake of "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus the cuts "Signed DC", "Light Switch", "Our Fate", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Run Run Run", and "Evil Hearted You".

Sweet soulful work from Plunky Nakabinde – a set that has him hitting a different mode than his earlier sounds with Oneness Of Juju – yet still working in a great criss-crossing of styles throughout! The vibe here is righteous early 90s soul and jazz – blended together on the slightly smooth tip, with a main focus on Plunky's reed solos – but also featuring some nice vocals on a few numbers too. There's definitely some rootsy elements in the rhythms, although often carried out in electronic ways – and the range of material is a great testament to Plunky's growth over the years. Titles include "African Sunset", "A New World Order", "Knocking At Your Door", "Afrocentricity", "One World One Music", "Get Here", "Quiet Storm", and "Funk Loose & Fancy Free".

Groovy cats from 60s Brazil – a hip rocking quartet who clearly draw influences both from mod London and the Sunset Strip scene – but who also manage to make things come out in a style that's all their own! Guitar is at the lead on most of these tracks – often played with a twang that's simply wonderful, and captured with echoey production that also does wonders for the group's groovy rhythms and hip Hammond lines. Organ is never too out front, but instead burns in the background to let the guitar really take fire – and titles include "Esqueca", "Day Tripper", "Ciranda Do Le Le Le No 2", "Tchinf", "The More I See You", "Cosy", and "Recordando Carnaval".

A never-ran that should have been huge – four songs from Missouri's Pretty – produced here by Michael Quint from The Electric Prunes – with a fab blend of hard rock, psych, and other tripped-out touches! The music was supposedly recorded in a cave, but has the sound of some of the best from the Sunset Strip scene – that really rare blend of free-thinking and economic action – never too overindulgent, yet always packing a heck of a lot of new ideas into each spin of the single! Only one promo 45 was issued from these sessions – and the double 7" package features full notes on the group, and the tracks "Mustache In Your Face", "The Electric Hand", "Funhouse", and "Red Spoon Gravy".

A massive collection of classic Richard Pryor – in a box set that spans the best years of his career, and pulls together some of his greatest material ever – plus rare and unreleased bits! This is probably the best and most ambitious set of Richard's work that's ever been put together – especially considering that it features recordings from different record labels – particularly Laff, Stax and Warner. The 7 CDs feature the best bits from comedy albums released on those labels from 1968 to 1983 – including Richard Pryor, 'Craps' (After Hours), That N**er's Crazy, Is It Something I Said?, Bicentennial N**er, Wanted/Richard Pryor – Live In Concert, Live On The Sunset Strip and Here And Now – plus rare bits that have only ever been released on hard-to-find compilations and more – with nearly 2 hours of previously unreleased material. The 2 DVDs feature 3 complete classic concert films: Live In Concert, Live On The Sunset Strip and Here And Now. Last, but not least, it comes with a deluxe booklet with rare photos, essays, discography, filmography and more more!

The one-and-only full length by Ann Arbor, MI combo The Rationals! The group comes from that fertile regional rock scene that also spawned The Stooges & MC5 – and while The Rationals rock out with primal abandon in moments, they also carry a much more soulful R&B influenced vibe than some of their more notorious peers. There's bits of bluesy psych in the mix, too, and it's most certainly a worthy gem from a prime period for the outlying Motor City scene. Includes "Barefootin'", "Temptation 'Bout To Get Me", "Guitar Army", "Deep Red", "Sunset", "Glowin'", "Handbags And Gladrags", "Ha Ha" and more. This Big Beat UK edition has 4 bonus tracks: "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Guitar Army (Single Version)" and "Sunset (Single Version)".

Mid-to-late 60s Michigan rock from The Rationals – taking bit of both Mersey Beat and midwestern US rock and r&b influences into a mix of tunefulness and rugged, garagey rock – well worth the full on 2CD anthology treatment! A mix of sweetness and grit, with raw, rollicking guitar, bass & drums, and vocals that roll from a howl to a coo. 34 tracks on 2CDs, compiling singles from the 1965-1968, with a slew of previously unreleased recordings from the era! Titles include "Feelin Lost", "Someday", "Gave Me Love", "Turn On", "Irrational", "Respect", "Hold On Baby", "I Gotta Go Now", "You Got It Made", "Sunset", "Part Time Love" and much more.

One of the greatest Sonny Rollins records ever! The set is a legendary batch of trio tracks that feature Sonny working in a format that is incredibly free for the time, and which show him as more of a modernist than a bopper – although his solos are still pretty darn fantastic from a bop perspective – stretching out in free, piano-less space – really cutting some amazing edges, and blown in tones we might never have expected from Rollins a few years before. The group is beautifully open ended – with Wilbur Ware on bass and Elvin Jones on drums, and both of them in their best mode of the late 50s. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunset", "Sonny Moon For Two", and "Striver's Row". Great stuff, and one of the best sides that Blue Note ever cut!

Back to back killers from the legendary Billy Stewart – two great albums for Chess in one sweet set! First up is Unbelievable – a truly unbelievable album from Billy – maybe his standout moment of the 60s, and a record that set him apart from every other singer of his time! Stewart's famous vocals break out instantly on the huge hit "Summertime" – a leadoff number that really sets the record on fire – and sets the scene for an amazing batch of tunes that follow a similar format – familiar tracks that are completely recast in a new mode by Billy – pyrotechnic soul vocals that are as filled with feeling as they are shaped by technique! Backings are great, too – full and a bit jazzy at points – and with just the right sort of energy to keep things bouncing along all the way through. Titles include "Summertime", "A Foggy Day", "Canadian Sunset", "Time After Time", "Misty", "Moon River", "My Funny Valentine", and "That Old Black Magic". Cross My Heart is a collection of killer singles from the legendary Billy Stewart – put together by Chess after his too-early passing – but an amazing document of his completely unique talents as a soul singer! The work here is brilliant – vocals that soar and take off on the upbeat numbers, and reach deep deep levels on the mellower ones – and the set's a great one to take you past some of Billy's familiar hits, into territory of the great singles he issued with Chess in the 60s. Titles include the sublime "Cross My Heart", plus "Tell Me the Truth", "I'm In Love", "Fat Boy's Boogaloo", "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", "Why Am I Lonely", "How Nice It Is", "I'm In Love (Oh Yes I Am)", "What Have I Done" and "Why Do I Love You So".

A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and mellower soul – and wraps them up with a fresh and imaginative approach, not to mention plenty of wah wah work on guitar! Players on the set are a superstar array of the best talents in Watson's field – and include Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, and The Waters, who sing vocals on a few cuts. The set includes the killer instrumental "Bubbles", one of our favorite mellow grooves ever – plus the tracks "Goo Goo Wah Wah", "My Love For You Comes & Goes", "Good Friends", "Love Ain't Somethin", and "Sunset Boulevard".

A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and mellower soul – and wraps them up with a fresh and imaginative approach, not to mention plenty of wah wah work on guitar! Players on the set are a superstar array of the best talents in Watson's field – and include Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, and The Waters, who sing vocals on a few cuts. The set includes the killer instrumental "Bubbles", one of our favorite mellow grooves ever – plus the tracks "Goo Goo Wah Wah", "My Love For You Comes & Goes", "Good Friends", "Love Ain't Somethin", and "Sunset Boulevard".

An incredibly groovy album – filled with instrumental tracks that shift between funky big band and groovy 60s soundtrack – all arranged by Mike Nesmith and Shorty Rogers! The feel here is like that of some of Rogers' other groovy late 60s instrumental one-off albums – like his hot rod, dune buggy, or surf-orchestra sides – and Nesmith brings in a slightly cynical tone that manifests itself in the choice of some of the instrumentation for the tracks, and the overall setting of the record. Think Monkees instrumentals gone groovier, and you've got part of the picture – but there's also plenty of snippets of Sunset Strip hip and Warner Brothers longing for the past too! Titles include "While I Cried", "Don't Cry Now", "Tapioca Tundra", "Nine Times Blue", "Carlisle Wheeling", and "You Told Me".

An amazing look at the psychedelic scene in late 60s Memphis – music that's really mindblowing for the time, yet which often never got its due – given the stronger mainstream focus on Memphis as a hub for blues and soul! (In other words, had any of these cats hit the Sunset Strip in the late 60s, they would have been huge!) Given that Memphis already had a strong studio scene in place – where some of these musicians worked on other sessions – the recordings here are incredibly advanced – often full of cool production techniques and other little twists and turns – all elements that take already-great fuzzy, freaky, hairy rock and roll – and turn it into something even more incredible by the time it's caught on tape! Most of these names are new to our ears, and the package is definitely a historical treasure trove – as pleasing to our record collectors' sensibilities as the music is to our ears. Sound quality is excellent, and many numbers have not been issued before – titles that include "Eat Me Alive" and "We're In Town" by The Goatdancers, "Crazy Man's Woman" and "Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly" by Greg McCarley, "Blue Music Box" by Changin Tymes, "For Your Love" by the Honey Jug, "Rockin In The Same Old Boat" by Triple X, "Deja Vu" by Judy Bramlett, "Come On Along & Dream" by The Poor Little Rich Kids, "Flying Horse Of Louisiana" by Knowbody Else, "Dancing Girl" by The 1st Century, and "Ticket To Ride" by Mother Roses – plus an advertisement for The Goatdancers too!

After a series of incredible LPs for Blue Note throughout the 60s, Hill seemed to virtually disappear, recording sporadically for smaller European outfits throughout the 70s. This late 80s side brings him back to Blue Note, and reunites him with Bobby Hutcherson and some younger players for a set that recalls the wonderful modernity of those earlier sides. Hill's angular but propulsive approach still sounds great, though this set finds him veering closer to the inside that his earlier progressive sessions. Includes : "Pinnacle", "Golden Sunset", "Samba Rasta", "Tail Feather", "Spiritual Lover" and "Bobby's Tune". Cd features 3 bonus tracks ; "Pinnacle (alt take)", "Golden Sunset (alt take)' & "Spiritual Lover (alt take)".

An amazing, career-spanning compilation of pioneering psych and earlier material, mixed with more traditional elements of Korean music by Shin Joong Hyun – including his own numbers, great songs with his combos over the years and tunes he wrote for others to sing – from the late 50s to the early 70s! The stylistic breadth is pretty wide, but what's so impressive is that he's not merely traipsing through genres to stay current – he's a real master, and the consistently great quality throughout is a real thing to behold. It's passionate and soulful as all get out, whether it's a spare bit of rock or folk, raw and rumbling psych folk or garage-y stormers. One of the best global psych comps we've seen in a while! Includes "Moon Watching", "J Blues '72" and "I've Got Nothing To Say" (credited to Shin Joong Hyun), "Please Don't Bother Me Anymore" by Golden Grapes, "The Sun" by Kim Jung Mi, "Tomorrow" by lee Jung Hwa, "Spring Rain" by Park In Soo, "Sunset" by Jang Hyun, "Why That Person" by Bunny Girls, "Beautiful Rivers And Mountains" by Shin Joong Hyun & The Men and more.

A great solo effort from Mose Davis – best known for his earlier work in The Counts, but still sounding pretty darn hip here with a new combo of his own! The feel here is kind of an extension of the later Counts work on Aware Records – funky at the core, but with some smoother touches too – definitely a hint of Atlanta-styled sounds of the mid 70s – particularly some of the best clubby elements of that scene! Rhythms have a great choppy feel on the best numbers – almost an early Bohannon vein, but a bit more complex – and the album balances out groovers with some mellower numbers too – with great keyboards (organ, Fender Rhodes, and clavinet) from Robert Lowe Jr. Titles include "Love To Live", "Strivin For Tomorrow", "The Coming Of Moses", "Spanish Sunset", and "Something About You".

Late 70s work from Deodato – quite different than his bossa organ work of the 60s, and early 70s funk sides – but pretty darn great nonetheless! The album shows Deodato's continuing shift towards a more soul-based sound – and it mixes together a smoother club sound with jazzier elements of earlier work, all going for a sweet groove that has plenty of traces of modern soul! The highlight of the album is "Whistle Bump", a strident slick groover with washes of horns behind the keyboards and a nice conga breakdown in the middle. Other tracks include "Area Code 808", "Pina Colada", "Tahiti Hut", "San Juan Sunset", and "Love Island".

A trio of amazing albums – all of which really live up to the legend of Kim Fowley! First up is the well-titled Outrageous – one of the wildest albums ever from LA scenester Fowley – done in a very weird, very messed-up style that sort of sounds like The Stooges meet The Modern Lovers meet Alice Cooper! Fowley's fantastic on vocals – which are sort of of screeched and screamed, with revolutionary Riot On Sunset Strip-type lyrics, fused with a bit of Jim Morrison stoner spiritualism – a lot more compelling than you'd expect, and really mindblowing all the way through! The album's a perfect illustration of the genius that made Kim legendary, even when he wasn't having much of an impact on the mainstream – and titles include the incredible "Animal Man", plus "Hide & Seek", "Chinese Water Torture", "Bubble Gum", "Inner Space Discovery", and "Caught In The Middle". Next is Born To Be Wild – mindblowing organ work from the mighty Kim Fowley – a rare instrumental set that has Kim carving out amazing sounds on the organ that really match is vocal force on other records of the time! The set's a bit more soulful than usual for Fowley – a record that almost pushes a soul instrumental sound more strongly than Kim's usual Sunset Strip sleaze – although there is a nice fuzzy undercurrent to the record at times too! The set burns like some lost Tower Records soundtrack – and titles include "Born To Be Wild", "Soul Limbo", "Space Odyssey", "I Can't Stop Dancing", "Savage In The Sun", "Fresno1963", and "Pictures of Matchstick Men". Good Clean Fun is filled with awesome work from madman Kim Fowley – an album that offers hard rockers, some nice groovers, and even some trippier tracks that feature spoken or performed bits! The record's got a really wonderful approach that's a look at the lost genius of the LA scene of the late 60s – emphasized by an appearance on the record by Rodney Bingeheimer, the mayor of Sunset Strip, plus work by Motorcycle John and the Frog Prince! If you've ever heard about Fowley, but never found the record to truly convey his insanity on record, this is the one to check out – as it's as brilliant as it is insane! Titles include "Energy", "Baby Rocked Her Dolly", "Motorcycle", "One Man Band", "Good Clean Fun", "Search For A Teenage Woman", "I'm Not Young Anymore", "Lights The Blind & Lame Can See", and "Kangaroo".

Very nice album of short jazzy cuts, recorded by Bill Harris, the guitarist for The Clovers. This Bill's not to be confused with the trombonist Bill, also from the same era – as his sound's a lot more soulful, with nice touches of his R&B roots. Titles include "Golden Sunset", "Baker's Dozen", "Spring", "Rock Bottom Blues", and "The Harris Touch".

Some of Bobbi Humphrey's greatest work of the post-Blue Note years – an album that's filled with soulful fusion tunes throughout, all with a great focus on her funky flute! Bobbi also sings a bit on the set, but in a way that's pretty darn great – wonderfully sweet at times, with a bit of an influence from Minnie Riperton that really warms up the set. Arrangements are by Cleveland Eaton, with a bit of help from Art Jenkins – and production is by Ralph MacDonald, who clearly has a great ear for the blend of jazz and soul that Bobbi's going for on the set. And although Larry Mizell's not on board, some of the cuts here still have that stepping/sliding sort of groove from Bobby's Mizell-produced Blue Note years – a really wonderful sound that's a perfect showcase for her uniquely jazzy talents on the flute! Tracks include "Freestyle", "Home Made Jam", "Sunset Burgundy", "Good Times", "My Destiny", "I Could Love You More", and "If You Want It".

An easily-grooving set that features Illinois Jacquet blowing over small combo arrangements with Tommy Flanagan on piano and Kenny Burrell on guitar – plus some added Latin percussion from Willie Rodriguez! The presence of the Latin percussion really adds a nice element to the album – making the tracks dance lightly, in the "conga plus soul jazz" mode that was being employed heavily at the time on labels like Blue Note and Prestige – and in a style that really makes Jacquet hit a few new notes to match the groove! Titles include "Star Eyes", "Blues For The Early Bird", "Lester Leaps In", "Canadian Sunset", and "Desert Winds".

British blues meets LA's Laurel Canyon – a trans-Atlantic (or is it Pacific?) blend that makes for one of John Mayall's most compelling albums of the 60s! The album was recorded after the breakup of the Blues Breakers group – but it still features strong support from Mick Taylor on guitar – a key factor in the previous combo's sound, given almost even more space here to stand out front with Mayall. Other instrumentation includes bass and drums, plus a bit of tablas – and the overall approach is a lot more spare than other Blues Breakers sets – still bluesy in approach, but with some definite freer-thinking moments too, picked up from a trip to Laurel Canyon that was Mayall's inspiration for the set. Titles include "Walking On Sunset", "Vacation", "Ready To Ride", "Medicine Man", "Miss James", "The Bear", "First Time Alone", and "Fly Tomorrow".

This might well be the best album that Les McCann ever cut during the 70s! It's got some killer electric piano riffs, of the sort that are being sampled heavily today by the kids, and which are getting his music to a whole new generation. The tracks have a tight spacey funk sound, and they don't have any of the vocals that (we feel) can often get in the way of some of Les' later works! Loads of great tracks, including "The Harlem Buck Dance Strut" and "Dunbar High School Marching Band", both of which are nice and sexy and funky, and with a cool dope sound to them! Other tracks include "Before I Rest", "Soaring (At Sunset)", and "Sometimes I Cry".

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include Gordon's "All Clean", Sahib Shihab's "Rue De La Harpe", Drew's "Sunset", and a nice take of "On The Trail" – plus "Another Hair-Do", "I Can't Get Started", and "Half Nelson".

A bold slice of work from the Daptone musical universe – a hip project that features work from members of The Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Budos Band, and Antibalas – all put together with a range of sounds that really show the full spectrum of their styles! The groove's quite unique – even for the ultra-cool Daptone scene – as Menahan Street Band bring in bits of dub, funk, Latin, and Afro-styled sounds to their music – often working with a sense of spareness that seems influenced by 70s Ethiopia, but which comes off with a heavier Wu-inspired sound! There's no vocals at all – just really raw, stark instrumental bits – played on vibes, organ, tenor, flute, piano, trumpet, and some kickass percussion – produced with just the right sort of grit to make all tunes sound great. Titles include "Tired Of Fighting", "Home Again", "Montego Sunset", "The Traitor", "The Contendor", "Birds", "Esma", and "Going The Distance".

A classic from Wes Montgomery – and exactly the kind of record that made him a legend in the 60s! The set's one of Wes' collaborations with arranger Claus Ogerman – a key talent who was really on the rise at the time, and who understood how to perfectly balance Montgomery's unique sound on the guitar with larger arrangements in the back. There's a slightly Latin feel to some of the rhythms, as you might guess from the title – but it's very slight, and more there just to give the tracks a bit of a slink, in the classic full-on production way that Wes was using for his best Verve and A&M work in the late 60s. Titles include the classic groover "Bumpin On Sunset", plus the cuts "The Big Hurt", "Midnight Mood", "The Thumb", and "What The World Needs Now".

The early recordings of Georgia Anne Muldrow – and they're stunning – showing Georgia's depth of soul and boundless creativity was in full force even in her late teens! As a whole, the tunes on Early are a bit leaner and less trippy than some of her more recent recording, but her spirit is as open and the lyrics as spiritually minded as ever – we're pretty much floored by the high standard set here! It's a blend of beats, keys and voice from an inspiring talent, and perhaps most exciting, it sounds great, like she had been doing this for years and years already. The inner notes compare her, fairly we'd add, to Roy Ayers, J Dilla, Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, and maybe a little Innervisions-era Stevie if we can add one to the mix. Titles include "Child Of The Sun", "Never In Vain", "Run Away", "Break You Dawn", "Sunset", "Keep It Real?", "Alone With An Angel", "In Love Again", "Let It Go" and "Gears (Sing It Again)".

Naturally great work from soul jazz legend Houston Person – who's still going strong – and delivers one of the best of his High Note records to date! Person has always had an easygoing approach, which is probably something of a recipe for graceful aging – but whatever his secret may be, Naturally is a remarkably strong record – and he makes it sound easy! It's a timeless quartet jazz set – featuring fellow legend Cedar Walton on piano, Ray "Bulldog" Drummond on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Includes a nice take on Milt Jackson's classic "Bag's Groove", plus "That's All", "Namely You", "My Foolish Heart"", "Red Sails In The Sunset", "Don' Cha Go 'Way Mad", "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream" and "Sunday".

A great groovy moment from the legendary Perez Prado – a sweet late 60s record that's quite different than some of his work from the decade before! Perez still has all that great sense of punch in his rhythms – but he's also picked up some energy from the Latin Soul scene, plus other groovy touches from both bossa and 60s soundtrack styles – which makes for some great mod elements that really fit the image on the cover! The arrangements are large at points, but always really well-focused – and most tunes have some sort of standout instrument that really makes things move – like a bit of bongos, a honking tenor, or sweet organ line. Titles include a number of tracks written by Deodato – like "Cabo Frio", "Ate Parece", and "Quem Vem Depois" – which might mean that he's on the album, too – and other titles include "O Ganso", "Theme from the Monkees", "On My Mind", "Tamara", "San Remo Sunset", and "Llevame A La Luna".

Roxy Music's third album and the first one sans Brian Eno, making the record slightly less experimental, but still a wild avant pop masterpiece that finds the group at near peak perfection! The otherworldly elements aren't forgone in Eno's absence, with some spacey synthesizer washes and treated violin parts lending some otherwordliness – but the more focused songwriting and overall tunefulness make this one another classic! Titles include "Street Life", "Just Like You", "Amazona", "Psalm", "Serenade", "A Song For Europe", "Mother Of Pearl" and "Sunset".

Unusual sounds abound – not the trippy psych you might expect from the cover, but not that far off either – just skewed in a completely different style, from a great range of scenes! The package digs deeper than most we've ever heard – past obvious touchstones in music, to uncover some unique cross-genre sounds and modes that are pretty hard to categorize! Most of these tracks are from obscure private press records, European releases, or other unusual sources – and instead of the usual hippy-era dates, lots of these cuts are from the late 70s and 80s – yet still retain this mellow sort of warmth – a spirit that was born in the folk funk generation, yet which has evolved quite differently, and sometimes with electronic touches too. Titles include "House On The Rock" by Rob Mehl, "Basshoven" by George Oban, "Transformation" by Jeff Liberman, "Safe & Sound" by David Astri, "Catching A Wave" by Steve & Teresa,. "C'Etait Un Beau Dimanche" by Daniel Mathieu, "Metropolis" by Walter Hawkins, and "Formentera Sunset Clouds" by Iasos. 2CD version – one CD unmixed, the other a mix of tracks from the set!

Incredible funk from the early 70s Bay Area scene – almost all of it previously unissued! The wealth of music here is really amazing – rare gems recorded at Music Cty in Oakland, with a vibe that matches some of the more famous funk of the time – especially some of the trippier sounds from the other side of the bay, given that many of these cuts have a nice psychedelic undercurrent! A few groups here are ones we know from other work – making the album an essential piece of the puzzle in the funk underground of the 70s – but even if you're not a digger for rare stuff, you'll still find plenty here to love – as most of these tracks are plenty infectious right from the start. Titles include "Super Strut" and "City Country City" by Cookin Bag, "House Rocker" by Love Uprisers, "Backyard" and "Just Got To Be Loving You" by Houston Outlaws, "Drifting" by Chucky Thurmon &Y Pharris Wheel, "Bumpin On Sunset/We Got More Soul" by Charles Williams with Darondo, "Victor's Theme" by Victor Green, and "Let's Get It Together (early version)" by Two Things In One.

A fantastic collection of unreleased material by mid-to-late 60s psych pop songwriter genius Tandyn Almer – who's probably best know for penning the eternally great "Along Comes Mary" for The Association – but we sure didn't know how great of a performer he was on his own! The 15 track record was cut for his publisher Davon Music, who circulated it to insiders at the time, looking to sell the songs – but what they should have done was found a label and released it. Fuzzy guitars, raw drums and great keyboards, excellent background harmonies – and the good-natured, melodic quality that attracted groups like the Association to Tandyn! Sundazed has long been a favorite source of rewarding 60s and 70s reissues, but they really deserve some bigger love for releases like this one – which is a first-ever commercial release. It feels like a complete, finished production for the most part – and not at all like a bunch of demos. Psych pop greatness! Includes "Find Yourself", You Turn Me Around", "Anything You Want", "About Where Love Is", "Face Down In The Mud", "I Get High", "Bring Your Own Self Down" (by The Purple Gang)", "Where Will They Go", "Sunset Strip Soliloquy" and more.

Hmmm . . The cover's got crowds of people flocking to (or from?) a giant alto sax – but we're still not convinced that the album contains tracks that Earl finally succumbed to recording after exceissive popular demand. Still, we love that tone – as always – and it's a pleasure to hear it here, even on chestnuts like "Ebb Tide", "Avalon", "Temptation", "Body & Soul", and "Third Man Theme". Also includes "The Key", "Anvil Chorus", and "Velvet Sunset".

A fantastic bit of lost vocal jazz from the 60s – sung by Finnish vocalist Carola, an artist we'd rank right up there with Monica Zetterlund, Karin Krog, and some of our favorite European singers from the time! Like Monica and Karin, Carola sings mostly in English and has a very groovy approach – one that's partially inspired by American jazz singers of the 50s, but which is also very much in the spirit of the modal jazz and Saba scene going down in Europe at the time! Carola's singing here with hip backing from the trio of pianist Heikki Sarmanto, who also brings in some wonderful guest work on flute and tenor sax by Esa Pethman. The set includes a killer original called "The Flame" – written by Esa and Carola, and swinging with a modal style that's totally great – and which makes the track take on a very sweet jazz dance feel! The set also features a great version of the Clarke/Boland tune "Just Give Me Time", another original called "The Poem", and wonderful takes on "Detour Ahead", "So Long Big Time", "Work Song", "Lonely Woman", and "Sunrise Sunset".

Naturally great work from soul jazz legend Houston Person – who's still going strong – and delivers one of the best of his High Note records to date! Person has always had an easygoing approach, which is probably something of a recipe for graceful aging – but whatever his secret may be, Naturally is a remarkably strong record – and he makes it sound easy! It's a timeless quartet jazz set – featuring fellow legend Cedar Walton on piano, Ray "Bulldog" Drummond on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Includes a nice take on Milt Jackson's classic "Bag's Groove", plus "That's All", "Namely You", "My Foolish Heart"", "Red Sails In The Sunset", "Don' Cha Go 'Way Mad", "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream" and "Sunday".

Funky brilliance from Soul Cycle – a group with a killer classic blend of jazz and soul – one that takes us back to some of our favorite moments of the Bay Area scene of the 70s! The group's got a few contemporary touches – such as the odd turntable scratch from DJ King James – but most of the instrumentation is live, and jazz-based – played on Fender Rhodes, organ, saxes, bass, and drums – inflected in really unique ways by a string quartet on a few of the album's tracks. There's a depth here that goes way past the group's initial album – and although the vocals are great, we're especially in love with the instrumentation. Titles include "Club Groove", "Sunset Park", "Blue In Green", "Enoki", "Above The Clouds", "Simply Beautiful", and "Sun Stream".

The first full length from Blundetto – a Parisian radio programmer and artist showing impeccable taste here – with a slyly dubby and reggae & soul influenced groove and featuring collaborations with The Budos Band horns, Chico Mann, Tommy Guerrero, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Shawn Lee, Genreal Elektricks and Hindi Zahra! Blundetto shares compositional credits with the guest, and it has the feel of collaboration with that atmopherically soulful core groove. Really nice work for the Heavenly Sweetness label! Titles including the Blundetto cover of the Bob James classic "Nautilus" plus "Voices", "Mustang", "Mi Condena", "Cuban Shirt", "Party Animals". "White Birds", "Ken Park", "My One Girl", "Bad BadThings" and "Sunset Stroll".

No coolin out here, as the set's a great batch of soulful jazz numbers from the legendary Muse label – filled with overlooked gems from the imprint's key 70s run – including a fair bit of gems that will set you digging for other treasures from the label! The style here is less straight jazz funk than a mix of soulful and righteous styles – some straight, some a bit more exploratory – all pretty darn wonderful, and proof that Muse could often hit some of the hippest territory in jazz when it was on the money. The set features 8 tracks in all – including "Cheeka's Dance" by Groove Holmes, "Vibrations" by Buster Williams, "Dawn" by Kenny Barron, "Angel Man" by Jimmy Heath, "New Found Truths" by Catalyst, and "Bumpin On Sunset" by Jimmy Ponder.

Arguably one of the most lyrical and expressive trumpeters in the history of Jazz, Kenny Dorham was unquestionably one of the foremost players of his generation. An absolute must own for all fans of the mid 50's to late 60's hard bop as defined by this side and many other contemporaneous selections from the Blue Note catalog, all the hallmarks of the classic "Blue Note" are embodied in this CD: hard, swinging blues, atmospheric modal pieces, and mellow, introspective playing. Titles include the great "Sunrise In Mexico", plus "Buffalo", "Sunset", and "Windmill".

The clubby jazz funk debut of Freeez – plus the Anti-Freeez remix album from a couple years later – issued together along with even more bonus material in this great 2CD set! Dancefloor ready live band grooving is the warmly beating heart of the Freeez sound at this early point – with heated drums and killer basslines driving it – clearly influenced by late 70s international club sounds, but with this great, tight energy and dexterous musicianship that could only come from a real, functioning, true band. Nice stuff! Disc One includes the original album & remixes: "Mariposa (Butterfly)", "Caribbean Winter", "Easy On The Onions", "Sunset", "Flying High", "Roller Chase", "First Love" and more from the original, plus bonus tracks including "Ainti-Freeez (Set Me Free) – Disco Version", "Fly By Night", "Flying High (12" Remix)" and more. Disc Two includes early singles, demos, instrumentals and the complete Anti-Freeez remix album from 1984 – with "Keep In Touch", "Hot Footing It", "Stay", "Roller Chase (1984 Remix)", "Alone (1984 Remix)", "One To One (1984 Remix)", "Caribbean Winter (1984 Remix)", "Say You Will Be My Lover (Previously Unreleased Demo)" and more. 30 tracks on 2CDs.

French pop meets LA production – and the result is some of the best work ever recorded by A&M Records – a gently groovy, slightly sexy sound that really helped define the label in its early years! Claudine Longet's got a gentle Parisian style of singing that's perfect, simply perfect, on this first LP – set to lightly groovy arrangements by the great Nick DeCaro, gliding through a host of tunes that encompasses some of the grooviest hits of the decade – from soundtrack numbers to bossa tunes to familiar numbers that sparkle anew with Claudine's brilliance! Titles include "A Man and A Woman", "Wanderlove", "Meditation", "My Guy", "Sunrise Sunset", "A Felicidade", and "Hello Hello". CD features a full bonus mono mix of the album too!

Covers of John Lennon & The Beach Boys.