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Later work from T-Bone, but very much in the style of his best R&B work! The album features small group backings that do the best to bring out the jazzier side of T-Bone's style – one that was a direct influence on countless jazz funk guitarists in later years – and players include Plas Johnson, Earl Palmer, Lloyd Glenn, and Barney Kessell playing some second guitar. Titles include "T Bone Blues", "Papa Ain't Salty", "Two Bones & A Pick", "Mean Old World", "T Bone Shuffle", and "Blues For Marili".

A cooking little album from guitarist George Freeman – his first album as a leader, recorded during a brief initial period of fame at the start of the 70s! The album's got a stripped-down, very groovy feel – one that takes off from some of Freeman's 60s work with Groove Holmes – but which puts George center stage, and allows for plenty of examples of his amazing tone and phrasing on the guitar! The core group is a trio – with Sonny Burke on organ and Billy Mitchell on drums – and Freeman's more famous brother Von joins in on tenor sax on a good portion of the tracks – playing in a soul jazz mode that's arguably better than that used on his Atlantic debut, recorded right around the same time. One more track features an even more unusual lineup – with Lester Lashley on trombone, Robert Pierce on organ, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre on tenor, making one of his few appearances on record of this type! But the real star of the set throughout is George Freeman – playing the electric guitar with a quality that's unlike anyone else we can think of – a nitty, gritty tone that's almost a direct heir of T-Bone Walker, but a lot jazzier overall! Titles include the great funky number "Must Be Must Be", plus "Hoss", "Cough it Up", "Mama Papa Brother", "Birth Sign", "My Ship", and "My Scenery".

Hardly the surf album you might expect from the title – although the set is a killer batch of guitar instrumentals – with more than enough power to blow any west coast groups right off the beach! At this early point in his career, Freddie King is way more than just a blues guitarist, and his style here was a definite precursor to funk – hard, heavy, and with the kinds of little tricks that would be taken up a lot by other players in the funky 45 era. The recording quality is great, and really brings out the deeper tones in King's instrument – creating a great link between the earlier T Bone Walker generation, and lots of heavy guitarists to come. Tracks are all nice, and titles include "San Ho Zay", "Side Tracked", "Wash Out", "In The Open", "Heads Up", "Just Pickin", and "Swooshy".

Mojo scores an exclusive interview with Eric Clapton – which takes a look at his time in The Yardbirds, Cream and beyond – plus features on agit rock icon Yoko Ono at 80-years-old, the enduring Depeche Mode, Eric Burdon, Alvin Lee, Sandie Shaw, Deerhunter, Stephen Stills, Time Machine, Jake Bugg, a look back at Red Wedge '86 with Paul Weller, Billy Bragg and The Smiths, and much more! Includes, as ever, the depth and insight of the Mojo new releaase and reissue reviews – and a free CD! Blues Breakers – 15 Classic Tracks features classic blues that Clapton favored and covered – with cuts by Freddy King, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James, T-Bone Walker, Howlin Wolf, Otis Rush, Robert Johnson and more.

An excellent album of Barry White-styled instrumentals – put together by Barry's right hand man Gene Page, and produced by Barry himself! The record's one of the best that Page ever cut – apart from his seminal blacksploitation soundtracks – and it's very much in the mode of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra albums from the same time, although perhaps with less of a string section. Players are an all-star cast of LA studio groovers that includes David T Walker, Wah Wah Ragin, Ernie Watts, Wilton Felder, and others – and tracks are mostly originals by Page and White. Titles include "Jungle Eyes", "She's My Main Squeeze", "I Am Living In A World Of Gloom", "Satin Soul", and "To The Bone".

A treasure trove of Tennessee soul – a package that brings together two classic compilations on Charly Records, along with a host of rare bonus tracks too! The original release of Music City Soul and SSS Soul Survey were not only the kind of sets that first got Charly recognition as a key label for reissuing soul – but they also drew much-needed focus to the efforts of the Nashville labels working at the end of the 60s – surprising powerhouses for soul music, even though much of their efforts failed to chart at the time! As you'll hear in this set, labels like SSS International, Silver Fox, and Minaret were filled with deep soul gems – the kind of music you'd normally expect to hear from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – but which was coming out in droves from Music City during a brief musical moment at the end of the 60s. The 2CD set features a whopping 50 tracks in all – with titles that include "Baby You Got It" by Clarence Murray, "The Game Of Love" by Willie Hobbs, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by Reuben Bell, "Soul Ranger" by Clifford Curry, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Natural Soul Brother" by Danny White, "Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Sundy Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "I Almost Called Your Name" by Johnny Soul, "Soulshake" by Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, "Medley Of Soul" by Big Al Downing, "My Train's Coming In" by Betty Lavette, "All Night Long" by T Bone Walker, "My Ancestors" by Willie Charles Gray, and "The Pleasure Of My Woman" by Georgie Boy.

A brilliant 70s session from UK reedman Bob Downes – one of his most compelling records ever, even if it wasn't widely issued at the time! The set's based on Downes' impressions of New York in the 70s – and it's got a really expansive vibe – surprising undercurrents of funk on some numbers, lyrical lines on others, and even some darker aspects that really show Bob trying to push the unique approach he first formed with his Open Music recordings at the start of the decade! Instrumentation is relatively spare throughout – with Bob on a variety of flutes, tenor, and alto sax – and also vocalizing a bit in these really compelling ways – in a group with Paul Rutherford on trombone and effects, Brian Godding on guitar, Paul Bridge on bass, and Denis Smith on drums. Production is nice and raw – very different than some of the over-recorded sessions from the scene at the time – and titles include "The Chase", "Harlem Blues", "Times Square", "Coke", "Skywalkers", and "39th Street".

An early 70s classic from The Crusaders – and a record that has the group perfectly poised between the rougher soul jazz of their roots and some of the tighter styles they brought into play during the 70s! The sound here is heavily electric – thanks to great keyboards from Joe Sample and bass from Wilton Felder – but the style isn't nearly as slick as on later albums recorded under the Crusaders name, thanks to the hipper, looser feel the group were allowed while working for the Chisa label! As on the first album recorded after the group shifted their name from the Jazz Crusaders, the set features added guitar work by Larry Carlton, David T Walker, and Arthur Adams – all of whom really help to emphasize the funkier side of the tracks while Wayne Henderson's trombone and Wilton Felder's tenor remind us they've still got a great talent for jazz! Titles include "Search For Soul", "Gotta Get It On", "Look Beyond That Hill", "Ain't Gon Change A Thing", and "A Message From The Inner City".

One of the headiest books we've ever seen on The Walker Brothers – and certainly much deeper than any of the pop press that used to come out on the group! Author Anthony Reynolds relates a wealth of details here – the rise of The Walker Brothers, the dissolution of the group, the key solo years of Scott and John, and their revival in the 70s – plus information on later developments as well – all with a lot more text than fluffy photos. The book's really heavy on detail at some points – and as proof of that, not only includes an appendix with stage and TV appearances by the group, but also a discography, and a full listing of songs/dates for the Scott Walker TV Show! 352 pages, softcover.