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One of the greatest of Barry's scores for the James Bond films – early enough to be raw, but confident enough to change up the mood nicely! The theme song features vocals by Tom Jones – and the rest of the tunes almost reads as a who's who of hipster influences, as so many of them have been taken up by other artists as band or album names. Titles include "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Thunderball", "The Bomb", "Chateau Flight", "Bond Below Disco Volante", "Death Of Fiona", and "Switching The Body". LP, Vinyl record album

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Somethin Bout You Baby is a set that has Jones changing things up from previous albums – moving a bit back towards some of the country-inspired pop he was singing in the late 60s – with a bit more emphasis on ballads and laidback tracks, usually done with an undercurrent of sadness. Johnnie Spence is still on deck to arrange – and titles include "Rainin In My Heart", "You Make Me Smile", "Which Way Home", "Sing For The Good Times", and a sweet funky take on "Right Place Wrong Time", with some great keyboards in the mix! LP, Vinyl record album

The lovely Kim Sang Hee takes on the music of both Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach – in a setting that has her working with nicely different backings for each of the different sources! The Burt Bacharach material is maybe our favorite – as Kim's sweet voice works wonderfully with the small combo backing of pianist Masahiko Sato, who really seems to get the right sense of space and timing for the Bacharach tunes that include "April Fools", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", and "This Girl's In Love With You". The Tom Jones material includes a range of different songs associated with Jones, not necessarily written by him – with groovy larger backings from the New Herd of Toshiyuki Miyama, with arrangements by Norio Maeda – on cuts that include "It's Not Unusual", "Little Green Apples", "Delilah", and "Green Green Grass Of Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A period score, but one with plenty of groovy touches – a masterpiece of 60s film scoring from the great John Addison! Addison's music for the famous Tony Richardson version of Tom Jones is every bit as playful as the images on the screen – with only marginal aesthetics of the period of the story, and instead lots of romping melodies, carried out on horn parts, percussive passages, and even some cool harpsichord bits. Most of the tunes move quite quickly – as does the action on screen – and titles include "Sylvan Misadventures", "Ladies Are Irresistible", "Love Theme From Tom Jones", "Wine & Women", "If He Swing By The String", and "The Squire Steps In". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s – a record that works both on the quirky levels of her early rise to fame, and on the more soulful expectations mainstream clubgoers had at the time – a beautiful balance that owes plenty to the input from Davis and Moulton! Titles include "Do Or Die", "Pride", "Fame", "Below The Belt", and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall In Love In New York City". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark little record from Grace Jones – a set that started off as one of those "hey, let's see if this model can sing" sort of records – but which has gone onto become an enduring classic! Most of the tunes are older ones, but they're remade with a soaring Sigma Sound groove by the best in Philly – taking sometimes-cloying lyrics and pushing them into hipper disco territory for the 70s – all with that odd wink and subtle sense of irony that would emerge more clearly in Jones' later records. Tom Moulton produced and mixed, and titles include "I Need A Man", "La Vie En Rose", "Sorry", "Tomorrow", "What I Did For Love", and "Send In The Clowns". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, Rickie Lee Jones went onto become a bit of a cliche in later years, but this early album's still got an undeniable power – and was a great breath of fresh air, at a time when it seemed like most of modern music was forgetting its roots! What is it with the LA scene from the 60s onward that they always seemed to find their best inspiration in the past? Artists like Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Tom Waits and others set the stage for a record like this – by reaching back into older styles and bringing them forward with a more contemporary spin. (And why was it that LA seemed to be the center of this mode – and New York, Chicago, and other cities never worked that way?) Rickie serves up a nice assortment of older-styled vocal cuts – performed with a mixture of traditional and 70s jazz backings, supported by some extra-classy Warner production from Lenny Waronker. Titles are all originals, but done with an older hipser sort of feel – and titles include "Easy Money", "Chuck E's In Love", "Young Blood", "The Last Chance Texaco", "Danny's All Star Joint", "Weasel & The White Boys Cool", "Company", "Coolsville", and "On Saturday Afternoons In 1963". LP, Vinyl record album

A great small group session – with the leader on piano, plus Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

The seminal first album from Jeannie C Riley – a record that may have been launched with a novelty hit in the lead, but which also marks Riley as a surprisingly strong singer overall! Part of the record's charm is the groovier than mainstream Nashville presentation of Shelby Singleton's Plantation label – not afraid to add in some cool 60s mod effects, chunky rhythms, and other hip elements to really send the tunes home – instrumentation that makes a great counterpart to Jeannie's biting way of delivering a lyric – heard famously on the Tom T Hall-penned title track "Harper Valley PTA", but pretty great overall on other cuts that include "Satan Place", "Sippin Shirley Thompson", "The Cotton Patch", "Mr Harper", "Widow Jones", "The Little Town Square", "Ballad Of Louise", and "Yesterday All Day Long Today". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Rolling Stones, Them, Tom Jones, The Zombies, Kathy Kirby, Mike Leander Orchestra, Unit 4 + 2, Bern Elliott, The Bachelors, Lulu & The Luvers, Johnny Howard Band, Billy Fury, The Applejacks, and Dave Berry. LP, Vinyl record album

Themes by Monty Norman, Matt Monro, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Macca & Wings, Carly Simon, Lulu, Sheena Easton & Rita Coolidge. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes unreleased versions by Big Country, Elvis Costello, Dire Straits, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Eddy Grant, Nick Hayward, Rubert Hine, Howard Jones, Tom Robinson, and Pete Townshend. LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album from James Moody – of the sort that opens up a whole new facet of his career! The record takes off from Moody's early 60s work for Chess – his post-bop recordings that started displaying a deeper side of his musical consciousness – and which occasionally featured work by composer/arranger Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's presence is felt very strongly here – as he produced the whole session, and contributed a few tracks – working in the Nola Penthouse studios at a level of hipness we never would have expected! Moody plays tenor, alto, and flute – working with a really great group that includes Patti brown on piano, Albert Heath on drums, Reggie Workman on bass, and Thad Jones on trumpet – and the scope of the work is far beyond anything you'd expect! The record's got a stunning early funk track by Edward Bland – "If You Grin You're In", which features a tripped-out organ line mostly just holding one note – while drums pound hard, and Moody blows it over the top – all set to this flattened production that makes the whole thing sound really eerie! Other great tracks include the loping groover "Capers", the wonderfully moody flute number "Wayward Plaint" (written by Dennis Sandole, of the oft-overlooked Sandole Brothers), and the tracks "Em Prean Shore" and "Buster's Last Stand". Tremendous throughout – and completely essential, whether you already like Moody or not! LP, Vinyl record album

A great record – and one of tenorist Harold Land's most obscure sessions – part of a short-lived early 60s attempt to make jazz cash in on the folk boom – yet one that also often gave for some really cool results! Despite what might seem like a cheap gimmick, the set actually sounds great – grooving with a soulful swing, in that LA underground mode that always made for Land's best recordings. The group includes the great Carmell Jones on trumpet, plus Jimmy Bond bass, John Houston piano, and Mel Lee on drums. Titles include "Blue Tail Fly", "Tom Dooley", "Scarlet Ribbons", and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little session that builds on the strength of Johnny Hodges' small group 50s sessions for Verve – and which lets Duke Ellington in on some of the action! The format is nicely stripped-down throughout – featuring Hodges in sextet and septet formation with players who include Ben Webster on tenor, Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Les Spann on flute, Lawrence Brown on trombone, and Jo Jones on drums. Surprisingly, Duke's actually only on piano on three tracks on the album – Billy Strayhorn handles keys on the other – but the session's still a great example of small combo Ellingtonia at its best, the special way Ellington players could extrapolate his ideas into a leaner formation on a record like this! Titles include "Ruint", "Stompy Jones", "Big Shoe", "Going Up", "Just A Memory", and "You Need to Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album that features late 30s recordings by some of Duke Ellington's most famous sidemen! The groups on most of these are fairly similar – mostly small group sessions from the larger Ellington outfit – pulled out in ways that give a strong focus on the solo talents of the session leader – and as with other packages in this series, the fidelity is much better than the original singles, and accompanied with full notes on the music! Titles include "Rexatious" and "Lazy Man's Shuffle" by Rex Stewart; "Echoes Of Harlem", "Swing Pan Alley", and "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me" by Cootie Williams; "The Rabbit's Jump", "Pyramid", and "Jitterbug's Lullaby" by Johnny Hodges; and "Caravan" and "Stompy Jones" by Barney Bigard. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a great one for this post-Coltrane cooker from Elvin Jones – as the set really has Elvin exploring some really fresh currents in jazz, with a range of complicated rhythms that really pull the whole session along strongly! Rhythm is really set free on the record – as Elvin works to unlock some tremendous new possibilities in jazz, but all at a level that's quite different than his previous work with his famous leader – a rich tapestry of new spiritual expression that's carried off wonderfully by Joe Farrell on flute, tenor, and English horn – plus George Coleman on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, and a bit more flute from Fred Tompkins. There's no piano on the album at all – and Wilbur Little plays some tremendous bass, with some occasional conga work from Candido as well. Titles are all originals by group members – or Mrs Jones – and titles include "Whew", "Agenda", "Agappe Love", "Mr Jones", and "Yes". LP, Vinyl record album

Tomeka Reid and Fred Lonberg-Holm are two of the most amazing contemporary musicians on cello – yet here, in a set of live duets, they also pay tribute to those who've gone before in jazz territory on the instrument – as they combine their own compositions with those by Sam Jones, Ron Carter, Fred Katz, and Harry Babasin! The music is sublime, and very different than most you'd expect from either player – more compositional at times, but still with the sense of individual and spontaneous expression that you'd get in more improvisational performances – as the whole thing is carried by a sense of richness in tone that reminds us that both Tomeka and Fred have an insane understanding of the cello's potential, showcased here in eight different songs that include "C'Mon", "How Can We", "Monti Cello", "Rally", "Fragile", "In Walked Ray", "Alla Mingus For La Bang", and "Pluck It". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album from McCoy Tyner – a set that's steeped in the modal soulfulness of his years with John Coltrane, but also handled in a way that really has him breaking away from the pack a bit! Half the album's played with a trio that features Jimmy Garrison on bass – but the strongest cuts feature a sextet with John Gilmore on tenor (making a rare non-Sun Ra appearance), Frank Strozier on alto, Thad Jones on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all working beautifully together in an early example of the soulful group groove that Tyner would hit even more strongly in the post-Coltrane years. Titles include "T N A Blues", "Three Flowers", "Contemporary Focus", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album from McCoy Tyner – a set that's steeped in the modal soulfulness of his years with John Coltrane, but also handled in a way that really has him breaking away from the pack a bit! Half the album's played with a trio that features Jimmy Garrison on bass – but the strongest cuts feature a sextet with John Gilmore on tenor (making a rare non-Sun Ra appearance), Frank Strozier on alto, Thad Jones on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all working beautifully together in an early example of the soulful group groove that Tyner would hit even more strongly in the post-Coltrane years. Titles include "T N A Blues", "Three Flowers", "Contemporary Focus", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn damn damn – maybe the funkiest album ever from Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings! The group have always been great, but there's something here that goes even farther than usual – an especially funky snap on the drums at the bottom, even on more laidback tunes – and a stone classic approach to funky soul, one that's definitely been honed to a "T" through their important work on the road during the previous few years! And Sharon Jones is great – with vocals that are way deeper and much longer-lasting than any rehab outpatient wannabe – sending home these tunes with a quality that may well pass most of her classic female soul inspirations from back in the day. And even though the set brings together some older singles and other odd bits, it's got a rock-solid punch that makes it a very unified album throughout! Titles include "Settling In", "I'm Not Gonna Cry", "When I Come Home", "Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects", "New Shoes", "Without A Trace", and "Inspiration Information". LP, Vinyl record album

A great meeting of tenor talents – a collection of some fantastic early material recorded by Jug for Prestige. This collection of great sides, originally issued as 78s, features Ammons and Stitt locking horns on "Blues Up And Down", "You Can Depend On Me", "Easy Glide", "Walkin", "Touch Of The Blues", "Who Threw The Sleeping Pills In Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" and "Chabootie", with sidemen that include Duke Jordan, Bill Massey, Tommy Potter, Gene Wright, Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Wesley Landers. Classic blowing material! LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent late 50s work by Milt Jackson for Atlantic! Bags & Flutes is very much in the style of Milt's classic Savoy sides from the preceding couple of years – mixing together his jazzy vibes with light lilting solos on flute, either by Bobby Jaspar or Frank Wess, Milt's old compatriot from the Savoy sessions. Piano is by Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones, and Kenny Burrell plays guitar on the whole album. Tracks include "Ghana", "Connie's Blues", "Sandy", "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" and "Bag's New Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

Nicely sharp sounds from the great JJ Johnson – a set that has the trombonist really honing his edge on a host of tight, short tracks – with a vibe that almost recalls his initial bop recordings on Blue Note and Prestige! The style here is a bit more sophisticated – definitely with an ear towards the modern directions that JJ was exploring in the 50s – but the sound is also nicely spontaneous, with more focus on improvisation between group members than larger arrangements – quite nice, given that the group features excellent tenor from Bobby Jaspar on tenor – and either Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones on piano, Percy Heath or Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are short, and titles include "Overdrive", "Cube Steak", "Chasin The Bird", and "Solar". LP, Vinyl record album

Goin Latin, and goin groovy too – thanks to some wonderful arrangements from Chicago soul legend Richard Evans – who really helps Ramsey Lewis open up his sound on the set! The format's less straight Latin than you might expect from the title – and Evans brings in a bouncing, bassy bottom that's still got a strongly American flavor – not really Latin Soul, but something of a blend of Latin and bossa elements with some of Evans' more soul-styled modes of the time! The mix of styles is really great – Ramsey's Chicago groove taken a bit south of the border – and tracks include the heavy smoker "Hey Mrs Jones", plus "Summer Samba", "Free Again", "Blue Bongo", "Function At The Junction", "One Two Three", "I'll Wait For You", and "Spanish Grease". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of hardbop tracks from this vastly underrated trumpeter! The session was originally recorded for the Signal label, but appears here in a Savoy issue, put out a few years after the original. Rodney is in perfect form here, hitting his stride during this comeback period, and playing in a group with other mature boppers like Tommy Flanagan, Ira Sullivan, Oscar Pettiford, and Philly Joe Jones. Tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Ubas", "Box 2000", "Red Arrow", and "Star Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

With Thad Jones on cornet and flugelhorn, George Adams on tenor and flute, George Lewis on trombone, Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Lenny White on drums; and special guests Warren Smith on tympani and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Rat Tomato", "I Have Been In You", "Flakes", "I'm So Cute", "Jones Crusher", "Dancin Fool", "Baby Snakes", "Bobby Brown Goes Down", and "Rubber Shirt". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done 2LP set that brings together the best moments from four different early Riverside albums from trumpeter Clark Terry – selections from – Serenade To A Bus Seat, Duke With A Difference, In Orbit, and Top and Bottom Brass – sessions that feature work from Thelonious Monk on piano, Johnny Griffin on tenor, and Philly Joe Jones on drums! Titles include "Cruising", "Digits", "Top N Bottom", and "Let's Cool One". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Bloodstone – an album that may be the group's best-remembered effort, and for good reason too! The album sets a whole new standard for harmony soul in the 70s – one that's tighter than some of the east coast groups, yet never too slick or polished – kind of a slow-building style that's filled with warmth, but has some trippier elements on the funky cuts too – a really great mashing of styles that instantly set Bloodstone apart from their contemporaries! At one level, the group seem to channel the fragile sounds of The Moments/Whatnauts – but at another, they pick up the heavier vibe of the Norman Whitfield-produced groups – with lots of bass at the bottom, and some psych soul production. The album includes their monster track "Natural High", which has some killer harmonies, plus other nice ones like "You Know We've Learned", "Peter's Jones", "Ran It In The Ground", and "Tell It To My Face". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really work nicely with the album's slight Latin inflections – a bit like those you might hear on some of Hawkins' Impulse Records material from the same generation. Milt Jackson's vibes are great too – chromatic and edgey, and set up with rhythm support from Kenny Burrell on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Indian Blues", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Sandra's Blues", "Stuffy", and "Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album