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The Drummonds are Renee Rosnes on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums.

One of the biggest records ever from The Chi-Lites – thanks to the "Oh Girl" title hit that's referenced on the cover! But apart from that ballad classic, the record's actually got a heck of a lot more to offer – some incredible harmony soul tracks that show that even during their hit years, The Chi-Lites were one of those groups who could still stay true to their roots – and still come up with amazing tunes again and again! Mainman Eugene Record is at the helm producing and writing most of the tunes on the set – and some of the best numbers have that little gentle groove that was the best Chi-soul contribution to the sound of the 70s – that lilt or bounce from the 60s, turned towards slightly more sophisticated modes for the new generation. Titles include "Being In Love", "Love Is", "Coldest Days Of My Life", "Living In the Footsteps Of Another Man", "Ain't Too Much Of Nothing", and "A Lonely Man" – and a cover of "Inner City Blues".

Soulful reggae legend Beres Hammond – still going strong on 2012's double album One Love, One Life – which is a nice, timeless take on his tried-and-true mix of lover's rock and straighter soul – and well produced by Beres and Chris Chin! Honestly, pretty much everything we've heard from Beres in recent years has been pretty strong – smartly focusing on the more timeless elements of Jamaican music and global soul – and One Love, One Life is right up there with the best of it! Breezy rhythms, soulful songs and charming vocals by Hammond! 20 tracks on 2CDs: Can't Waste No Time", "No Candle Light", "Lonely Fellow", "My Life", "More Time", "The Song", "Crazy Dreams", "Still Searching", "Don't You Feel Like Dancing", "Not Made Of Steel", "Prime Time", "Family", "Can't Make Blood Out Of Stone", "Truth Will Live On" and more.

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses!

After the success of Jarrett's Standards Trio recording, he revisits the format with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette – the first ever live recordings of this incredible trio in action! Like the studio recordings, this set features roomy, lyrical readings of standards, in a way, reminiscent of classic Bill Evans approaches to similar material – with a relaxed, moody spin on the proceedings. The tried-and-true material is given fresh life by the players, who roll from a looser dynamic with each player having their moments, to some tighter interplay in the heart of the tunes – and the appreciative French audience helping with the mood! 6 numbers: "Stella By Starlight", "The Wrong Blues", "Falling In Love With Love", "To Young To Go Steady", "The Way You Look tonight" and "The Old Country".

Kool & The Gang's a little bit slicker and a little bit smoother on The Force than on earlier classic records – but thankfully, they're still getting on down to the funky sounds! The Force does indeed have more of a spacey boogie than a jungle boogie vibe, but they're still doing what we love to hear from them. Party funk and soul from this legendary group – and the soul comes out especially well on the mellower numbers, which seem to take off from classics on albums like Love & Understanding or Open Sesame. Titles include "Free", "Slick Superchick", "Just Be True", "Mighty Mighty High", "Oasis", "The Force" and "Life's A Song".

An easy going set of tunes from Ramsey – still going quite strong after all these years, and getting some vocal help from Nancy Wilson on a number of tunes! The format is surprisingly lean, clean, and simple – with most tracks played by a small combo that features Ramsey on acoustic piano, plus supporting keyboards, guitar, and a bit of horns. There's a great cover of "Slippin Into Darkness" that takes the tune to places that Ramsey didn't reach in the 70s, and Nancy joins in on the titles "All This Love", "Give Me Something Real", "In The Name Of Love", and "Lost Up In Loving You". Other titles include "Ooh Child", "In My Life", and "One True Thing".

Another blast from Kingston's past, adding another piece to the Coxsone Dodd puzzle in Soul Jazz's ongoing Studio One series! This set collects Sugar Minott's formative days at Studio One, with his sweet soulful singing fully formed, but showcasing the dawn of the dancehall style, with Minott adding an altogether new twist to tried and true Studio One rhythms, laying the foundation for versioning, one of the cornerstones of modern reggae! His new lyrics and melodies breathe new life into classic tracks, including 'Vanity", "Please Be True", "Hang On Natty", "Jahovia", "Try Love", "Give A Hand", "Is It True", "Love Gonna Pack Up", "Give Me Jah Jah", "Party Time" and more! 17 tracks in all.

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on the set – a Philly vibe that really matches the best work from the Gamble & Huff stable, but with more of an indie vibe too – fitting for the Buddah Records placement of the set. The record features studio help from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, and Bobby Eli – whose work on the record helps link the style to the righteous grooves of groups like Soul Generation or True Reflection – both a good comparison to The Modulations too! Titles include "It's Rough Out Here", "I Found Love At Last", "Those Were The Best Days Of My Life", and "I'll Always Love You".

A wonderful little package – way more than just a collection of soundtrack work by Italian maestro Riz Ortolani – and instead, a fully-fleshed look at his long career – with vocal, instrumental, and even some jazz titles too! The 4CD set comes in a book-styled package – with some great images from Ortolani's career in the middle, and notes in Italian – and the CDs break things up beautifully, to offer a rich look at the music in ways we hardly would have expected – showing lots of aspects of Riz's career we've never heard on CD! CD 1 features famous film themes – including "Sweet Dreams", "Africa Addion", "Yellow Rolls Royce", "The Great Dreamer", and many others. CD 2 features vocal and instrumental interpretations of Ortolani's compositions – with tracks by Jack Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Fabio Boltro, Aretha Franklin, Shirley Bassey, Erroll Garner, Johnny Mathis, Julie London, Matt Monro, and others. CD 3 is titled Unforgettable Love – and features loads of sweet 60s instrumentals, all with a soundtracky sort of feel – including "Magic Man", "Una Casa A Roma", "Lui Lui Lui", "My Blue", "Un Amore Cosi Tenero", "Easy Life", "Til Love Touches Your Life", and "True Confession". And CD 4 is the most striking of all – some rare jazz tracks swung strongly by Ortolani, most of them larger ensemble numbers – with titles that include "The Cold Nose", "St Francisco Railways", "Miami Beach", "Free Dixie", "Please Another Ball", "The Day Of Anger", and "Unna Sull'Altra".

An undisputed funk classic – even back in the days before anyone ever said the phrase "funk classic"! This album must have been deleted the day it came out – because even though it's attained legendary proportions with groovers worldwide, it's always been hard to find – even back in the 70s! But unlike so many other "rare-but-not great" funk albums, this one's a killer – with a hard funky wah wah sound that we'd rank up there with James Brown's best work on Polydor from the early 70s, and which should have made Joe a millionaire, not a lost legend of soul music. The band is sharp as a knife – with hard drums, tight bass, and some simply amazing guitar riffing. But the best part is Joe – as his vocals are hard and emotional, with just the right touches of righteousness to carry off the album's political messages, but not too much as to spoil the party that the band's having in the background! Every single track is a winner, and if we were ever to make a list of the top five funk albums to own, this one would be on it! Titles include "The Way They Do My Life", "I Got So Much Trouble On My Mind", "The Trouble With Trouble", "Give Me Back My Freedom", "Live Like Brothers", and "Find Yourself". CD features a HUGE amount of bonus tracks too – titles that include "Thanks Dad (parts 1 & 2)", "This Girl Of Mine", "I'm Gonna Get You", "No", "Get Down Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "I'm A Young Man", "How High", "Let Me Be What I Am", "You Know It's True", and a 1969 version of "So Much Trouble In My Mind".

An undisputed funk classic – even back in the days before anyone ever said the phrase "funk classic"! This album must have been deleted the day it came out – because even though it's attained legendary proportions with groovers worldwide, it's always been hard to find – even back in the 70s! But unlike so many other "rare-but-not great" funk albums, this one's a killer – with a hard funky wah wah sound that we'd rank up there with James Brown's best work on Polydor from the early 70s, and which should have made Joe a millionaire, not a lost legend of soul music. The band is sharp as a knife – with hard drums, tight bass, and some simply amazing guitar riffing. But the best part is Joe – as his vocals are hard and emotional, with just the right touches of righteousness to carry off the album's political messages, but not too much as to spoil the party that the band's having in the background! Every single track is a winner, and if we were ever to make a list of the top five funk albums to own, this one would be on it! Titles include "The Way They Do My Life", "I Got So Much Trouble On My Mind", "The Trouble With Trouble", "Give Me Back My Freedom", "Live Now Brothers", and "Find Yourself". This version is overflowing with bonus tracks – 9 more than the original album, pulled from singles on GSF and Mercury – with titles that include "How High", "Let Me Be What I Am", "You Know It's True", "I'm A Young Man", "Get Down Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "No", "This Girl Of Mine", "I'm Gonna Get You", and "Thanks Dad (parts 1 & 2)". 18 tracks on the CD.

Smooth soul from Asaph – the self-proclaimed "son of soul", and a strong talent bubbling underground! Asaph first made his appearance in the R&B world as the lead singer of the early 90s group True Image – but since that time, he's really developed richly as an artist, writing and playing his own work, and singing in a mature style that's got lots of warm classic touches. There's certainly a strong influence here from gospel, but Asaph also works the groove in a style that's sexily secular – sliding around in warm and slinky grooves, moving in a range that's somewhere between Marvin Gaye and D'Angelo. Titles include "Sunshine", "Tell Me Girl", "I Apologize", "Heaven", "Key To My Heart", and "Come Back To Me" and now contains two extra tracks – "It's You" and "Feelin You".

A really stunning little record – way more than we expected – and our expectations were already pretty darn high! The album's contemporary – and features legendary Delfonics lead singer William Hart working with younger studio whiz Adrian Younge – who gives the whole thing the feel of some lost Delfonics tapes from the early 70s! Younge really unlocks the darkness that was always present in the group's music, but didn't always show up this well – that great sound they were hitting after the initial three LPs, when the themes got even stranger, and the trio moved way past simple love songs and pop hits. Hart's vocals are tremendous – instantly recognizable, and often supported by harmonies that keep them in just the right sort of old school focus – a sound that leaves us breathless throughout, and which makes for a really incredible album. Titles include "True Love", "To Be Your One", "Stand Up", "Party's Over", "Lover's Melody", "Life Never Ends", "Just Love", "So In Love With You", "Silently", and "Enemies".

A really stunning little record – way more than we expected – and our expectations were already pretty darn high! The album's contemporary – and features legendary Delfonics lead singer William Hart working with younger studio whiz Adrian Younge – who gives the whole thing the feel of some lost Delfonics tapes from the early 70s! Younge really unlocks the darkness that was always present in the group's music, but didn't always show up this well – that great sound they were hitting after the initial three LPs, when the themes got even stranger, and the trio moved way past simple love songs and pop hits. Hart's vocals are tremendous – instantly recognizable, and often supported by harmonies that keep them in just the right sort of old school focus – a sound that leaves us breathless throughout, and which makes for a really incredible album. Titles include "True Love", "To Be Your One", "Stand Up", "Party's Over", "Lover's Melody", "Life Never Ends", "Just Love", "So In Love With You", "Silently", and "Enemies".

Gilles Peterson's hand-picked Brownswood Bubblers series – which is nine volumes strong with the release of this one – and it's getting better and better! While soulful strains are a common thread in the series to date, diversity has always been the name of the game – and that while that continues to hold true, Vol 9 is anchored pretty strongly with funky soul – with tracks by Truth & Soul signees Lady, modern spacey soul singer/producer Slakah The Beat Child, Belleruche and a few more recognizable names – but it's also a got a bevy of artists ripe for discovery! Includes "Money" by Lady, "Nakamarra" by Hiatus Kaiyote, "Wanna Do" by Slakah The Beatchild, "Forgotten Notes" by Hackman, "Wasted Time (Ross PTH Remix)" by Belleruche, "Make It Good" by The White Lamp, "Private Life Of A Puppet" by Bev Lee Harling, Down Illusion" by Memotone and more.

A very cool little record – almost the musical equivalent of pulp paperbacks and b-movie crime films – served up on a host of rare tracks from the 50s and early 60s! Crime is the dominant theme here – as you might guess from the title – but the great thing about the music is the way it's handled – often with a slight sense of humor that offers up a nice contrast to more serious crime-based pop culture of the time – reflecting the postwar fascination with the genre, but offering up its own vision of things as well! Instrumentation and production usually play a big part in the tunes – pretty crafty, with lots of cool twists and turns that make things as vivid as pre-code comic book or True Confessions magazine! Titles include "Cops & Robbers" by Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew, "Dick Tracy" by The Chants, "The Prisoner's Song" by Hylo Brown, "21 Days In Jail" by Magic Sam, "Mr Dillon" by The Delcardos, "Life To Go" by George Jones, "Bad Detective" by The Coasters, "Birmingham Jail" by Warren Storm, "Jail Bird" by Sonny Knight, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy, "Dragnet" by Ray Anthony, and "Have You Got The Gumption" by Scatman Crothers.

Rare grooves in many flavors – a wonderful collection of rare gems from the American 70s underground – and a set that's overflowing with cuts from some of the most valuable albums of the period! The core vibe here is jazz, but there's also a lot more going on too – bits of funk, some spiritual touches, and some downright soulful moments too – all presented in a set of tracks that really lives up to the "deep" in the title – a bit like Gilles Peterson pulling together music of this nature, but as if he dug even deeper than usual! Titles include "Shake Your Poo Poo (45 version)" by Earl Carter & The Fantastic 6, "Vaya Mulatto" by Stone Alliance, "Free Man" by George Freeman, "African Rhythms (45 version part 1)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Mr PC" by Mike Selesia, "Destroy The Nihilist Picnic" by London Experimental Jazz Quartet, "Intergalactic Love Song (alt mix)" by The Diddys with Paige Douglas, "Ain't Got No I Got Life" by Nina Simone, "Only Yesterday" by Weldon Irvine, "Afra Jum (alt take)" by Francisco Mora Catlett, and "Dream Come True (part 1)" by Three Of Us.

One of the biggest records ever from The Chi-Lites – thanks to the "Oh Girl" title hit that's referenced on the cover! But apart from that ballad classic, the record's actually got a heck of a lot more to offer – some incredible harmony soul tracks that show that even during their hit years, The Chi-Lites were one of those groups who could still stay true to their roots – and still come up with amazing tunes again and again! Mainman Eugene Record is at the helm producing and writing most of the tunes on the set – and some of the best numbers have that little gentle groove that was the best Chi-soul contribution to the sound of the 70s – that lilt or bounce from the 60s, turned towards slightly more sophisticated modes for the new generation. Titles include "Being In Love", "Love Is", "Coldest Days Of My Life", "Living In the Footsteps Of Another Man", "Ain't Too Much Of Nothing", and "A Lonely Man" – and a cover of "Inner City Blues".

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses!

Rare Bacharach galore – an assortment of under-reissued tracks all penned by the mighty Burt – most of which are from the heyday of 60s uptown soul! Despite the 1952 in the date range on the title, almost all the tunes here are from the mid 60s – that time when Bacharach was writing new tunes like a demon, and getting most of them recorded by a range of great talents on the New York scene. Singers are a good mix of soul, pop, rock, and vocal artists – and although the material was done for a variety of different labels, there's a relatively unified feel – thanks to that snapping syncopation that Burt always brought to work like this. CD features 26 titles in all – including "How About" by Della Reese, "Third Window From The Right" by Dean Barlow, "I Wake Up Crying" by Del Shannon, "I Looked For You" by Charlie Gracie, "That's Not The Answer" by Vi Velasco, "More Time To Be With You" by Brook Benton, "Three Friends" by The Turbans, "Move It On The Backbeat" by Burt & The Backbeats, "You're Telling Our Secrets" by Dee Clark, "Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track" by The Hammond Brothers, "The Story Of My Life" by Big Al Downing, "Made In Paris" by Trini Lopez, "Rain From The Skies" by Adam Wade, and "True Love Never Runs Smooth" by Don & Juan.

Mary J's second LP, and every bit as fine as the first. She's still working with Puffy and Chucky Thompson here, staying true to the commercial R&B formula that has been Blige's mainstay over her entire career. 13 tracks of the fine Brooklyn soul sound, plus a couple of interludes, including "You Bring Me Joy", "I'm Going Down", "Be Happy", "My Life", "Mary's Joint", "No One Else" and "Mary Jane".

A wild little concept album from the Four Seasons – one that's packaged in newspaper-style cover, and which presents tunes that almost have that late 60s British "snapshots of life" approach to pop – particularly that put forth by The Kinks on Village Green Preservation Society. The album's a true genius effort from Bob Gaudio – now risen to the ranks of producer for the group, and also the key songwriter for the album too – working here in tandem with the great Jake Holmes, a wonderful choice for a record like this! Arrangements are inventive, playful, and definitely at a level that shows some influence from Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers – but there's also a focused, all-pop approach to the tunes too – one that's hook-heavy even when trippy, and which shows that the Four Seasons were as great at psychedelic and Sunshine Pop as any of the groups they'd inspired over the years. Titles include "Saturday's Father", "Wall Street Village Day", "Wonder What You'll Be", "Soul Of A Woman", "Something's On Her Mind", "American Crucifixion Resurrection", and "Mrs Stately's Garden".

Kool & The Gang's a little bit slicker and a little bit smoother on The Force than on earlier classic records – but thankfully, they're still getting on down to the funky sounds! The Force does indeed have more of a spacey boogie than a jungle boogie vibe, but they're still doing what we love to hear from them. Party funk and soul from this legendary group – and the soul comes out especially well on the mellower numbers, which seem to take off from classics on albums like Love & Understanding or Open Sesame. Titles include "Free", "Slick Superchick", "Just Be True", "Mighty Mighty High", "Oasis", "The Force" and "Life's A Song".

Roland makes a nod towards tradition – as he seemed to be doing often in the later years of his life – and he welcomes the great Al Hibbler into the studio for a true "meeting of the times". Hibbler's one of our favorite vocalists from the early 50s, but mixing him with Kirk is a strange approach. Oddly, though, the set works – thanks mostly to Hibbler's insistence on keeping things straight. Titles include "Something About Believing", "Daybreak", and "Carney & Begarnd Place". Plus, the album also features one track – "Dream" – which has Leon Thomas on vocals instead of Hibbler.

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on the set – a Philly vibe that really matches the best work from the Gamble & Huff stable, but with more of an indie vibe too – fitting for the Buddah Records placement of the set. The record features studio help from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, and Bobby Eli – whose work on the record helps link the style to the righteous grooves of groups like Soul Generation or True Reflection – both a good comparison to The Modulations too! Titles include "It's Rough Out Here", "I Found Love At Last", "Those Were The Best Days Of My Life", and "I'll Always Love You". CD features great bonus tracks too – including "What Good Am I", "Somebody's Been Messin", "Your Love Has Me Locked Up", "I Can't Fight Your Love (7" version)", and "Worth Your Weight In Gold (7" version)".

An incredible collection of revolutionary jazz album cover art from the 60s & 70s – bold, vivid and unforgettable art for bold, vivid and unforgettable jazz – compiled and edited by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker! It's a snapshot of an era in jazz music when cultural and stylistic boundaries were besting wide open – and many of the ones documented are the holy grails of the era – pressed in small quantities and firing up the rare crate diggers since! Iconic art for labels such asa BYG/Actuel, Strata East, Nimbus, ESP and many more, and artists including Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, Pharoah Sanders, Prince Lasha, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, and Marcus Belgrave to name just a few. Gilles Peterson, Stuart Baker and Soul Jazz have done an exceptionally great job with the notes and text, too – much better than other books of its kind! Heavy duty, large format hardcover, to give you true-to-life-size cover art – as it was meant to be seen! 179 pages.

One of the hippest Italian soundtracks of the 60s – and a motherlode of tracks by the great Piero Piccioni! The soundtrack is the source of the oft-compiled "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in Italy – and it also features the famous tracks "Richmond Bridge" and "You Never Told Me". Most of the music is by Piccioni and the wonderful vocal group I Cantori Moderni, with Edda Dell'Orso on vocals – but the CD also features some work by Lydia Mac Donald, Julie Rogers, and Ennio Morricone. Includes a few versions of the "Fontana" and "Richmond", plus "Ascot Dream", "Magic Castle", "Tango Walk", "Drag Beat", "This Is Life", "Palace Parade March", "Babylon, I'm Coming", and "His Dream Has Come True". Very groovy – with loads of excellent material, and 27 cuts in all!

An incredible record – unlike anything else we can think of, and one of those records that's had a fantastic life of its own in the past 25 years! The set was first recorded with production help from Marc Moulin in 1977, then released in 1981 as one of the first records on the legendary Crammed Discs label – and it's got a sound that blends together world music, electronics, jazz, and minimalism – in a true genre-busting mode that defies description! At one level, there's an artfulness here that's undeniable – but at another, the record has a spare, simple sense that's almost ethnographic – and the short tunes throughout ring out as a strange document of Europe between the cracks in the late 70s. Instrumentation includes saxes, Fender Rhodes, electronics, and a host of global percussion – and titles include "Mercredi Matin", "Animaux Velpeau", "Son Of L'Idiot", "Ciobane", "Comme On A Dit", "Mastoul Alakefak", "Vapona Not Glue", and "Fausto Coppi Arrive".

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris".

Ahhh . . . Great stuff! This Millie Jackson's tremendous debut album – and the work here is completely different from later records that have her more in a bitchy mode! Here, Millie's a heartbroken southern diva – right in the vein of Ann Sexton, Doris Duke, or Shirley Brown – and even though the arrangements are done north of the Mason/Dixon line (in New York by Bert DeCoteaux, and in DC by Tony Camillo), the record feels like it was lifted off the pressing plant in Muscle Shoals or Jackson! Titles include "I Ain't Giving Up", "I Miss You Baby", "Ask Me What You Want", "My Man, A Sweet Man", "I Just Can't Stand It", and "Strange Things". CD version features a whopping 11 bonus tracks – many of which were never issued before – and titles include the MGM numbers "My Heart Took A Licking" and "A Little Bit Of Something", plus "Ask Me What You Want (unedited master)", "Untrue Men", "I Don't Wanna Talk About It", "Strange Things (alt mix)", "My Man A Sweet Man (unedited master)", and "You're The Joy Of My Life (alt take)".

An incredible peek into a near-lost chapter of Chicago soul – the tiny Bandit label, home to The Majestic Arrows, one of the greatest indie harmony groups of the midwest in the 70s – plus a few other excellent soul artists! As with the other Eccentric Soul volume from Numero, this one offers far more than just an assortment of rare singles – and instead really digs deep to tell the true story of this tiny indie soul label. The music alone is totally great – as the set features a wealth of harmony soul tracks by The Majestic Arrows, plus other funk and soul tracks by Johnny Davis, Altyrone Deno Brown, and Linda Balintine – but the package is equally noteworthy – filled with the storied details of the unusual and exotic practices and lifestyles of the Bandit Records posse. The set features 17 full tracks – including "One More Time Around", "Another Day", "Doing It For Us", "Love Is All I Need", "Going To Make A Time Machine", "We Love Together", "The Magic Of Your Love", and "I'll Never Cry For Another Boy" by The Majestic Arrows; "We Have Love" and "Bring Back The One I Love" by The Arrows; "If You Love Me" and "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown; "You're A Habit Hard To Break" and "Glad About That" by Linda Balintine; and "You've Got To Crawl To Me" and "Boogedy Boogedy" by Johnny Davis. Plus, the set also features 3 rehearsal takes of tunes by the Majestic Arrows!

Soul awakening gospel that's stripped down souful and with profoundly soaring spirit – beautiful stuff recorded and issued by Waymon Jones, proprietor of Savannah, GA's Gusman Record Shop and issued as 45s & LPs on the Pitch and Gusman labels! This as exciting and vibrant a collection of rural southern gospel soul as we could have hoped for, with a couple early 60s recordings and a wealth of recordings through the 70s, by the Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, Southern Six of Springfield, SC, the Travelingaires, The True-Tone Singers, Mighty Revelaires, Sensational White Family Singers and more. The sprawling 3CD is organized by Pitch 45s, Gusman 45s and LP tracks from both imprints. 71 tracks on 3CDs! Includes "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars, "Fight On" by The True-Tone Singers, "Jesus Said He Loves Me" by Travelingaires, "All My Lifer" by The Phillip's Specials, "Christian Plea" by Southern Wonders, "Steal Away" by Mighty Revelaires, "He Said So" by Sensational White Family Singers and much more.

The best music in years from RZA – the man who introduced styliized martial arts soundtrack funk to hardcore hip hop – and the soundtrack to his own damn stylized martial arts film, The Man With The Iron Fists! Musically, it's top notch! RZA's wise enough to contemporize his tried-and-true style rather than revisit it – with swelling soul strings and a crisper sound than the dusty Shaw Bros-sampling Wu Tang sound of past endeavors –and he's joined by a diverse roster of guests that includes Ghostface, Raekwon and other Wu veterans, Kanye, MOP, Pharoahe Monch, The Black Keys, Corrine Bailey Rae, Danny Brown and many more! Includes "The Baddest Man Alive" with The Black Keys, "Black Out" with Ghostface, MOP & Pharoahe Monch, "White Dress" with Kanye West, "Rivers Of Blood" with Wu Tang Clan and Kool G Rap, "Chains" with Corrine Bailey Rae, "The Archer" with Killa Sin, "Just Blowin' In The Wind" with RZA and Flatbush Zombies, "Your Good Thing Is About To End" by Mable John, "Built For This" with Method Man, Freddie Gibbs & Streetlife" and more.

The great Wayne Shorter gets the cover honors of this issue – for a feature that celebrates his 80th birthday and his return to Blue Note after more than 40 years – and other pieces include an interview with saxman Gilad Atzmon, altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa, a profile of the latest collaboration between Kenny Wheeler & Norma Winstone, vibes player Joe Locke talking about the Bobby Hutcherson record that changed his life in this issue's Turning Point and much more! Also includes dozens of pages of reviews – which not only cover the best new releases on CD & DVD, but also books, instruements and live shows!