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A bursting treasure chest of prime rocksteady from Treasure Isle – featuring incredible 60s soulful and steady rockin' numbers by Alton Ellis & The Flames, The Paragons, Lester Sterling & Tommy McCook, The Melodians, Phyllis Dillon, The Three Tops, Joya Landis, Dobby Dobson, John Holt and many more! The consistency throughout this set, as well as the geniune love for the material that went into compiling is pretty wonderful – as are the songs. It's all from the fertile period of the rocksteady style, that soulful and steady sound that simmered out of the preceding ska style – spanning '66-'68 – backed by Duke Reid and backed by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics. 40 tracks on 2CDs: "Girl I've Got A Date", by Alton Ellis & The Flames, "You Don't Need Me" by Melodians, "In The Midnight Hour" by The Silvertones, "Wear You To The Ball" by The Paragons, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's Raining" by The Three Tops, "Soul Serenade" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "I'm A Loving Pauper" by Dobby Dobson, "Angel In The Morning" by Joya Landis and many more.

One of the greatest harmony groups to ever come from Jamaica – a killer quartet who fused together American soul styles with sweet reggae rhythms – all to create a groove that really helped push forward the sounds of Kingston! This collection of classic work by The Ethiopians is completely sublime throughout – numbers that step along slowly, with a great head-nodding groove – and vocals that echo out wonderfully with a collaborative, spontaneous quality you don't always get in reggae work of this vintage. Instrumentation is by a lineup of greats recorded at Treasure Isle and Wirl – including Tommy McCook on tenor, Winston Wright on Hammond, and Sly & Robbie on rhythms. Titles include "Train To Skaville (Original Version)", "Guilty Conscience", "Hurry On", "Reggae Hit The Town", "The Selah", "Ethiopean National Anthem", "Need Someone", "Slave Call", "Everything Crash", "Love Jah", and "Obeah Book". CD features a few bonus tracks not on the LP.

One of the greatest harmony groups to ever come from Jamaica – a killer quartet who fused together American soul styles with sweet reggae rhythms – all to create a groove that really helped push forward the sounds of Kingston! This collection of classic work by The Ethiopians is completely sublime throughout – numbers that step along slowly, with a great head-nodding groove – and vocals that echo out wonderfully with a collaborative, spontaneous quality you don't always get in reggae work of this vintage. Instrumentation is by a lineup of greats recorded at Treasure Isle and Wirl – including Tommy McCook on tenor, Winston Wright on Hammond, and Sly & Robbie on rhythms. Titles include "Train To Skaville (Original Version)", "Guilty Conscience", "Hurry On", "Reggae Hit The Town", "The Selah", "Ethiopean National Anthem", "Need Someone", "Slave Call", "Everything Crash", "Love Jah", and "Obeah Book".

Augustus Pablo dubbing it up in the 70s – prime rhythms recorded at Treasure Isle with the legendary players one would expect – with that inimitable melodica style and echoey atmosphere to spare! Players include Drumbago, Lynn Taitt, Gladstone Anderson, Lester Sterling, Tommy McCook and Winston Wright – who laid down the rhythms at Duke Reid's iconic studio, while Mr Pablo does his thing over it all in his masterful style. Includes "Rockers Magic", "Pablo On The Scene", "Treasured Vision", "Smoke Signal", "Blue Time", "Shepherd's Delight", "Eastern Dub", "Bright Light Version" and more.

A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60's! Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he's more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with some of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn't displace the treasure that is the original version of "Cantaloupe Island", the one that's been sampled famously by US3, but the album also includes lots of other nice moody tracks like "Oliloqui Valley" and "The Egg".

A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60's. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he's more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with some of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn't displace the treasure that is the original version of "Cantaloupe Island", the one that's been sampled by US3, but the album also includes lots of other nice moody tracks like "Oliloqui Valley" and "The Egg". Also includes 2 CD bonus cuts!

A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60's. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he's more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with some of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn't displace the treasure that is the original version of "Cantaloupe Island", the one that's been sampled by US3, but the album also includes lots of other nice moody tracks like "Oliloqui Valley" and "The Egg". Also includes 2 CD bonus cuts!

A mid 70s funky classic from the Isleys – but also one that we love for number of excellent mellower tracks! Sure, the Isleys could wear flashy suits and play some heavy guitar with the best and and the funkiest combos of the era – but honestly, what might really love them more here for the laidback, loving tunes they do so well. We actually think that this album includes 2 of their greatest ballad tracks ever – "Voyage To Atlantis" and "Footsteps In The Dark" – plus the great midtempo tune "Tell Me When You Need It Again" – but the whole thing is a treasure! Other tracks include "Climbin Up The Ladder (Part 1 & 2)", "The Pride (Parts 1 & 2)", and "Go For Your Guns". This Big Break UK remastered edition includes 3 bonus tracks: "Voyage To Atlantis (Alternate Version)", "The Pride (Part 1) (Single Version)" and "Voyage To Atlantis (Single Version)".

The oft-covered Bob Dylan songbook never sounds so soulful – classic interpretations of Dylan's canon from a great, far reaching roster of black artists – from the the ever-stirring Staple Singers, southern soul heroes Howard Tate and OV Wright, charismatic country soul from Brook Benton, great gender role perspective flipped versions by Nina Simone and Patti LaBelle, a funky tamborine take by Con Funk Shun and much more! It’s another excellent entry in the Songwriter Series from Ace Records, extra excellent in that it takes an obvious hero of 60s Songwriter – and actually pulls together songs that'll take you by surprise for their depth – whether you treasure Dylan, deep 60s & 70s solo & group R&B, funk, folk soul...or all of the above! Includes "Blowin In The Wind" by OV Wright, "Girl From The North Country" by Howard Tate, "The Man In Me" by The Persuations, "Lay lady Lay" by The Isley Brothers, "Emotionally Yours" by The O'Jays, "All Along The Watchtower" by Bobby Womack, "Maggie's Farm" by Soloman Burke, "Mr. Tamborine Man" by Con Funk Shun and more. 20 tracks in all.