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Incredibly spare moody stuff from Jim Hall and Bill Evans! The record is a classic in understatement – and is the inevitable meeting of two players who'd both made a career out of saying more with less. The tracks are long and dreamy, and the piano/guitar lines seem to float in the air, suspended on little but ideas and imagination. Includes a very nice version of "Skating In Central Park", plus "Dream Gypsy", "Romain", and "Darn That Dream". The CD includes four previously unissued tracks – "Stairway To The Stars", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", and alternate takes of "Romain" and "My Funny Valentine".

A pair of hip 70s albums from the team of Ferrante & Teicher – back to back on one CD! In A Soulful Mood is a surprisingly soulful set from the team of Ferrante & Teicher – filled with lush instrumentals that mix their piano-heavy technique with some seductive 70s grooves! George Butler heads up the record on production, and definitely draws from some of his best orchestrated jazz albums of the time – bringing in currents you might not normally expect from the aging pair – and, in a way, making the larger orchestrations more of the lead than the keyboards. Although we've also got to admit, F&T play some sweet Fender Rhodes at times – on titles that include great 70s soul covers – like "Love's Theme", "Break Up To Make Up", "You Are Everything", "I'm Stone In Love With You", and "Betcha By Golly Wow" – plus an original called "Hong Kong Soul Brother", which has a nice funky soundtrack vibe! Killing Me Softly is a set that's heavy on strings, but still has some of the nice punch you'd find in the best Ferrante & Teicher albums of the 70s – done in conjunction with producer George Butler, but still with some traces of the old days too! The piano is mostly acoustic, and arrangements often have that lush mode the duo used when a bit less pyrotechnic – but there's a few gently funky numbers that still round out the set nicely. Titles include "Ben", "Also Sprach Zarathustra", "Seesaw", "Night Sounds", "Try Again", and "Living Together Growing Together".

Classic early 70s space rock from Hawkwind – mixing punchy, fuzzy aggression with trippy post psych soundscapes – with less keyboard-heavy prog noodling and tighter vibe! Doremi Faso Latido is the first Hawkwind album with Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister in the lineup, and although we can't say that this is why it's got a tighter sound, it's probably fair to speculate. It's great, whatever may make it so! Includes "Brainstorm", "Space Is Deep", "Lord Of Light", and "Down Through The Night".

A mid 70s masterpiece of heavy space rock from Hawkwind – one of their best albums ever! The sci fi errata that was always such crucial element to Hawkwind's ouvre is of course, still here in force, but the heavier, more insistent and lumbering groove really serves them well – spacey, hard rocking fun from legendary group that sounds as great here as they ever would on a studio album! Includes "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)", "D-Rider", "Web Weaver", "Goat Willow", "Paradox", "Lost Johnny" and more, plus "You'd Better Believe It (Single Version)", "Paradox (Single Version)", "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke) (Single Version)" and "It's So Easy".

Features early work by Duane and Gregg Allman!

16 of Chuck's best soul cuts, originally recorded for the Wand label. This stuff virtually defines the male side of the NY uptown soul sound, as you'll hear in tracks like "Any Day Now", "I Don't Want To Cry", "I Wake Up Crying", "Tell Him I'm Not Home", and "Any Other Way".

One of the greatest Milt Jackson albums ever – thanks to an incredible lineup that features Art Farmer on trumpet and Benny Golson on tenor – both of whom give the record a lot more edge than usual for Jackson! The set's almost a maturation of the earliest modern grooves that Milt forged in his earlier sessions for Blue Note and Prestige – a sound that comes across here with a lot more confidence and focus than some of his 50s Savoy sides – with a sharper, edgier quality that comes from Golson's great arrangements for the record. Milt's vibes have a really chromatic feel here, and a sound that's almost louder than usual – and the rest of the group features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Blues For Diahann", "I Remember Clifford", "Thinking Of You", and "Whisper Not".

Includes "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Where Are You", "Down The Aisle", "Tear After Tear", "Danny Boy", "Have I Sinned", "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)", "One Phone Call", and "I Believe".

A funky classic from Galt MacDermot! The record is Galt's score for the blacksploitation film that starred Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St Jacques – and it's a mix of vocal and instrumental tunes that takes off from the sound of his late 60s work. Melba Moore sings on a few cuts – and others have lyrics sung by George Tipton, Sakinah, Leta Galloway, and Denise Dillpena, mostly in a early 70s pop soul sort of mode. The instrumentals are actually the best bits, though – with those odd little rhythms that Galt could hit when he really wanted to! Titles include "Man In Distress", "Harlem Medley", "Black Enough", "Stockyard", "Deke", "Ed & Digger", "Coffin Ed & Gravedigger", and "Harlem By Day".

A tight little Machito album from the 60s – produced by Leroy Holmes, and done with a bit more punch than some of his other records from the time! The format's similar to other Machito sessions – in that some tracks have Machtio singing with a larger backing group, and others focus on more romantic styles from Graciela – making for a fully-rounded session that really shows off the ensemble's talents. The standout cut is "Tanga", a really hard-swinging mambo title with some driving percussion and fierce horn parts – and other titles include "Baja Del Caballo", "Yo Soy La Rumba", "Asi No Se Quiere A Nadie", and "Entre Juantio Y Jose".

Perez Prado turns his talents to a host of 60s soundtrack themes – and comes up with a great new groove in the process! The set's a great illustration of the soundtrack power of the United Artists label in the 60s – home to the James Bond scores and other big hits – yet Prado really makes each tune here his own – not just by adding in lots of Latin elements to the rhythms, but also by coming up with some really playful instrumentation on the top! Horns are mighty nice, and there's some other groovy bits too – on titles that include "Hard Days Night", "No Love, No Nothin", "Lilith Melody", "James Bond Theme", "Goldfinger", "Topkapi", "Zelda's Theme", and "Emily".

Tito gets in on the Charanga craze of the early 60s – and like everything he does, the album's handled strongly, although perhaps not at the top level of its field. Back cover has dance steps illustrated – and tracks include "El Panuelo", "El Latigo", "Oiganlo", "Que Cocine Caridad", and "La Comparsa".

Alive, and plenty lively – one of our favorite albums ever to feature the team of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims – and one that has them really stretching out a lot more than usual! The album's got a format that's quite different than the tightly-reigned sound of Sims and Cohn on other dates – as all the four tracks here run for longer than nine minutes – really allowing lots of room for solo space – and some great interplay between the reedmen too! Phil Woods joins the twin tenors on alto for two tracks – and the rest of the group features Mose Allison on piano, Nabil Totah on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Titles include "Lover Come Back To Me", "It Had To Be You", and "Wee Dot".

Titles include "Glad", "Freedom Rider", "Empty Pages", "Stranger To Himself", and "Every Mother's Son".

A nicely rootsy set from the team of Ike & Tina Turner – an album that's almost more "down home" than any of the records made by the pair in their roots! The style here is that "back to the country" sound that was favored both with mainstream rock and soul-revival artists of the time – kind of a rock approach that's heavy on guitars, recorded with some redneck undertones and the usual all-soul vocals you'd expect from Tina (who's put in kind of an unfortunate position on the front cover!) There's nothing earth-shattering here, but the record is definite trademark Turners – with tracks that include "Nutbush City Limits", "Drift Away", "Make Me Over", "Fancy Annie", "River Deep Mountain High", "Club Manhattan", and "Get It Out Of Your Mind".

A dozen great tracks from funky Latin soul grooves from LA – most of which forever transformed the sound of funk! All your favorites are here, with 12 tracks in all, including "Slippin Into Darkness", "Cisco Kid", "City Country City", "All Day Music", "Me & Baby Brother", "Why Can't We Be Friends", "Whose Cadillac Is That" and "Low Rider".

Bobby just couldn't miss in the 70s! This album features a smooth soul update of Bobby's raspy southern soul style – with results that are perfect, and which yield some very nice tracks that are both deep and soulful, and smooth-edged groovers. Womack's voice is fantastic, as always – and titles include "Put Something Down On It", "What's Your World", "Git It", "I Don't Know", "Jealous Love", and 2 very nice "Interlude" tracks!

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

A very cool set! This one comes in a hardcover book-like package – and not only includes the main record, but two full other records as well! Across 110th Street is one of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby. Facts Of Life features Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love". Looking For A Love Again is perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down".

The soundtrack that put John Barry over the top – and to many, THE James Bond soundtrack! The album chills from the first notes of the haunting title theme – the majestic "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey with a tone that's as dangerous as a razor-sharp hat spinning through the air! Barry then takes over with some wonderful instrumentals – a blend of crime jazz, mood pieces, chase themes, and more – all peppered with that dark dark Bond theme that we love so much! Titles include "Into Miami", "Teasing The Korean", "Alpine Drive", "Bond Back In Action", "Gassing The Gangsters", and "Death Of Goldfinger".

A really great early album from George Duke – quite different than his work for MPS to follow – and more in a groovy late 60s California mode! There's a vibe here that resonates nicely with some other late 60s sessions on Liberty Records – kind of an expansion of a Cali soul jazz mode, similar to the style the Crusaders were starting to go for – but colored in with some of Duke's obviously hip inclinations as well! George plays some great electric piano on the record – and other players include Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, and Jay Graydon on guitar – on titles that include "Soul Watcher", "Since You Asked", "Shades Of Joy", "Alcatraz", and "A Little Bit Of Seven".

Rarely are such "meeting of the minds" sessions worth any fuss at all – but in this case, the masterful talents of the players turn what should be a snoozy "common denominator" session into a modernist classic that still crackles with excitement after all these years! The real success factor here is Ellington, who was hitting a point in his career when he was really beginning to experiment again – as you'll hear in the beautifully angular piano lines that he lays next to Mingus' bass and Roach's lively drums. The set's nearly all originals, and titles include "Money Jungle", "Le Fleurs Africaines", and "Wig Wise". Very nice!

Titles include "Franklin's Tower", "Crazy Fingers", "Sage & Spirit", "Blues For Allah", "Sand Castles & Glass Camels", and "The Music Never Stopped".

A standout 60s soundtrack from the great Manos Hadjidakis – penned for a heist thriller from director Jules Dassin! The music follows slightly off the Dassin/Hadjidakis pairing on Never On A Sunday – using lots of familiar Greek elements, but moving these into more complicated film score modes as well – particularly on some of the cool mood-setting numbers you'd find in a heist film of this vintage – a surprisingly great setting for some of the more exotic moments in the music. There's plenty of bazuki in the mix, and some nice percussion too – and titles include "Meet Hans", "Istanbul", "Meet Arthur Simpson", "Main Title", "On The Road", and "The Road To Riches".

A stone classic from the legendary Hawkwind – a set that's steeped in all their best space rock modes of the 70s – yet which also has a wonderfully sharp sort of focus too! Keyboards, guitars, and drums soar to the skies right from the start – prefacing an intensity that so many others would later cop from the group, but never get this right – quite possibly because the simple 70s production really helps bring all the best elements right down on the money! In ways, the set almost echoes earlier psych performance and production – yet there's also a cleaner, clearer vibe going on – one that magically steps around the overindulgence of prog and the thinness of some of the later psych of the next decade. Titles include "The Demented Man", "Magnu", "Standing At The Edge", "Warriors", "Kings Of Speed", and "The Wizard Blew His Horn". CD features the bonus cut "Motorhead" – another start of a legend!

A pretty darn great soundtrack from Neal Hefti – with some great mod bits too! There's a lot of groovy organ on the set – and plenty of go-go drums that give the tracks a garagey soulful sound that separates the record from most of Hefti's other soundtrack work – a slightly grittier edge to match the youthful antics of Roddy McDowall and Tuesday Weld on screen. The title song, "Lord Love A Duck", is sung by The Wild Ones, who give it sort of a Brit Invasion kind of vocal sound – and other tracks include "Balboa Blast", "All Night Long", "The Year Of The Duck", "Gaudeamus", and "Bob's March".

One of a few great albums that Parker and McGriff cut together under the aegis of Sonny Lester. This one's a live set, and is perhaps the bluesiest of them all – but McGriff's organ keeps things wailing hard, and the only real blues cliches are in Parker's vocals. Fats Theus is on tenor, O'Donel Levy is on guitar, and Horace Ott plays electric piano. Tracks include "Pretty Baby", "Five Long Years", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "No One Knows (What Goes On When The Door Is Closed)".

Nice mellow LA funk, played by Lee Oskar with help from a lot of his bandmates in the group War. The sound is similar to some of War's Chicano funk grooves – but with some very nicely punctuated rhythms that have the drums snapping out more than on War's albums from the time. Oskar's harmonica playing is processed in a very cool way that almost completely hides its origins, and which gives it a lot of cool sounds and tones that you wouldn't expect. Titles include "The Journey", "BLT", "The Promised Land", and the nice nice "Down The Nile".

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog". Features great bonus tracks too – previously unreleased "Ghetto Jam" numbers that are even more open and freewheeling than cuts on the album – titles that include "Freight Train Jam", "58 Blues", "War Is Coming (blues version)", and a sweet rehearsal take of "The World Is A Ghetto".

War did the music for this funky soundtrack to an early Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs film, and although most of the stuff on here is just typical War stuff, there's one track called "Flying Machine" that's a long funky chase scene-type track that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "The Kingsmen Sign", "Junk Yard", "Superdude", and "Youngblood". One of the best War LPs!

Soaring grooves and mellow moments – a perfect blend of 70s soul styles, summed up here beautifully by Enchantment! The album's one of the group's greatest – and certainly one that's been very well-remembered around these parts – thanks to some rock-solid arrangements from Johnny Allen, who almost brings an indie soul vibe to the whole set – while still putting the whole thing together at a totally top-shelf level too! The harmonies are wonderful – especially on the ballads, like "Gloria" and "Sunshine" – and other tracks include "Sexy Lady", "Come On & Ride", "Thank You Girl For Loving Me", and "Dance To The Music". CD features 6 bonus tracks – "Come On & Ride (single)", "Hold On (single)", "Gloria (single)", "Dance To The Music (single)", "Sunshine (single)", and "Hold On (12" disco)".

Two very groovy 60s soundtracks – back to back, and both appearing on CD for the first time ever! First up is Divorce American Style – a nice little soundtrack written by Dave Grusin for this dark and depressing 60s comedy that starred Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds! Grusin's score is extremely well-written – as great on the mellow and sad moments as it is on the more upbeat ones – almost going into Neal Hefti territory with its rich array of blue notes and understated jazzy phrasing – really great sounds from the budding young jazz talent! And sure, there's still a few nice groovers on the set that have a kitschy 60s feel – it wouldn't be a Dick Van Dyke film without them – and titles include "The Other Woman", "Before The Storm", "The Judgement", "Sudden Bachelor Blues", "Financial Counterpoint", "Tacos Por Uno Por Favor Jose", "The Scheme", "Sunday Fathers", and "Social Suburbia". Art Of Love is one of Cy Coleman's best records from the 60s – a swinging little soundtrack that's awash in all his best jazzy tendencies – the modes first honed up at the Playboy Penthouse, and expanded even more on a range of 60s scores! The film's a bit forgotten – a goofy 60s comedy starring Dick Van Dyke, James Garner, Elke Sommer, and Angie Dickenson – but the music lives on wonderfully, and has a jazzy flourish with a bit of kitsch – somewhere in the Mancini style of the 60s, but with some wonderful floating piano lines by Cy himself! Orchestrations are by Bob Bain and Russ Garcia – both very groovy talents – and titles include "Nikki", "Parisian Women", "So Long Baby", "Kick Off Your Shoes", and "Inspector Revisited".

A standout 60s soundtrack from the great Manos Hadjidakis – penned for a heist thriller from director Jules Dassin! The music follows slightly off the Dassin/Hadjidakis pairing on Never On A Sunday – using lots of familiar Greek elements, but moving these into more complicated film score modes as well – particularly on some of the cool mood-setting numbers you'd find in a heist film of this vintage – a surprisingly great setting for some of the more exotic moments in the music. There's plenty of bazuki in the mix, and some nice percussion too – and titles include "Meet Hans", "Istanbul", "Meet Arthur Simpson", "Main Title", "On The Road", and "The Road To Riches". CD features some bonus tracks too!

Sparkling work from singer Irene Kral – and possibly the best album she ever cut! The backings here are by the Herb Pomeroy group – a slightly modern ensemble that still knows how to swing with a good dose of Boston soul – and the overall feel of the album's a lot more forceful than some of Irene's other albums, packing a punch we didn't know she had, and which we're happy to hear! There's a few cooler overtones here – somewhat in the June Christie mode – but overall the sound is upbeat, full, and swinging – served up with in arrangements by Ernie Wilkins and Al Cohn. Titles include "This Little Love", "What's Right For You", "Comes Love", "Lazy Afternoon", "I'd Know You Anywhere", and "It Isn't So Good".

A great soundtrack for a pretty darn obscure film – the third appearance of Inspector Clouseau, filmed after A Shot In The Dark and The Pink Panther, but featuring Alan Arkin in the title role, instead of Peter Sellers! The score is by Ken Thorne, and is quite different from more familiar Mancini moments from Panther films – a bit more whimsical overall, with a nice range of off-kilter instrumentation! Some tunes are groovy, others have an exotic flair – and overall, the soundtrack's a wonderfully strong effort – every bit as great as Ken Thorne's other few classics from the 60s. Titles include "Why Don't You Go" – a Brit Invasion-styled vocal track – plus "Bossa Nova", "Car Chase", "Fitting The Mask", "Don't Go", "March", "Lindt Vans", and "Water Ballet & End Titles".

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue shakes the foundation at Carnegie Hall on April Fools Day, 1971! There's a good reason for there being so many live albums by Ike & Tina – it's because they're damn great on stage – and this NYC set is a strong showcase for The Ikettes and The Kings Of Rhythm, too! The group was riding a peak wave of popularity around this time, and they cover a wide variety of songs in a set that's masterfully-paced – starting out slow and building up intensity as it goes! Titles include the Ikettes-led "Piece Of My Heart" and "Everyday People", the thunderous Tina intro "Doin' The Tina Turner", "Sweet Soul Music", "Proud Mary", "I Smell Trouble", "Ike's Tune", "I Want To Take You Higher", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Respect" and more.

One of our favorite Ray Barretto albums of the 60s – a real gem from the pre-Latin Soul years! The album's a clear attempt to cash in on the cash in on the James Bond craze of the time – issued by United Artists, who were releasing the Bond films, but also had Ray under contract during the period too. But despite that simple gimmick, it's a great little set – with a quality level that goes way beyond Bond soundtracks, or the usual from Barretto at the time! The tracks are all hard and groovy, with an excellent jazz feel – and some killer arranging from Ray that's right up there with the work he did for his legendary Charanga Moderna album! You may recognize the song titles – but their versions here are superb, and the album's filled with many many wonderful moments that step out with mad rhythms and great jazzy touches. Titles include "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "OO7", "Search For Vulcan", "Thunderball", and "Goldfinger". Nice "spy" shot of Ray on the cover, too!

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher".

It's a little-known fact that Memphis had a huge influence on the sound of late 50s/early 60s soul jazz – probably because most of the city's best players had to leave and go either to Chicago or New York to make their name. This set's a great reminder of that fact, as it brings together an important batch of players, most of them only freshly departed from Memphis at the time of the session – an assemblage that includes Frank Strozier, Phineas Newborn, Booker Little, Louis Smith, George Coleman, and Calvin Newborn. The tracks are long open-ended blowing session tunes – very different than the usual format for just about every player involved, which also makes for quite a striking record. Titles include very long takes on "Blue N Boogie", "Star Eyes", "After Hours", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Killer material from the mid 60s – recorded for United Artists after Ray's initial watusi work for Tico – and in a similar style that has mixes together Ray's Charanga Moderna sound with some more boogaloo and Latin Soul numbers! The record's a key bridge between these two chapters of Ray's career – and shows that he was an early player in the change of the Latin sound of the 60s – hitting hard with a tight, young jazzy group on this excellent set! Titles include "Trompeta y Trombon", "Boogaloo Con Soul", "Do You Dig It?", "Fuego y Pa'Lante", "Happy Birthday Everybody", "El Picor", and "Bilongo".

The lone album from the Bubble Puppy – a monumental effort of late 60s hard grooving psychedelia – and one of very best albums to come out of the original Texas psych scene! A couple of the Pup's labelmates at United Artists get a lot of revelry all these years later, and rightfully so – who would argue the importance of The Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators – but Bubbly Puppy deserve to be on that top shelf, too. The sound is tight and hard hitting, with trippy lyricism and groovy group harmonies, while the guitars range from cathartic fuzz to some surprisingly pretty melodicism. Not as far out as some of their peers, but the groove is absolutely killer. Titles include the benchmark single "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass", plus "Todd's Tune", "I've Got To Reach You", "Lonely", "Hurry Sundown", "Elizabeth", "It's Safe To Say", "Beginning" and much more.

One of the great lost ones from Blue Note – hard to find in any pressing, and a killer hardbop session from the days when the label could crank them out with a quality unmatched by other labels! Clifford Jordan's leading an unusual group here – a septet, which is a bit of a change from his smaller combos – with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, John Jenkins on alto, Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! At first glance, the lineup might look like more of an unstructured blowing session – but there's a lot more cohesion here than you'd guess – kind of an under-recognized chapter of Jordan's early musical vision, and one that marks him right away as a visionary leader as much as the tenor talent he was known for. Titles include "Not Guilty", "St. John", "Blue Shoes", and "Ju-Ba".

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangments and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. Titles include "Hurt So Bad", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Our Song", "Get Out Of My Life", and "Going Out Of My Head".

One of the boldest, most righteous 70s statements from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his previous body of work! The set's cast in the same large ensemble mode as Hannibal's Children Of The Fire album – and like that one, it features an array of all-star players, all united in the trumpeter's rich vision – artists who include Deirdre Murray on cello, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochrane on piano, Art Webb on flute, and Pat Peterson on vocals! Tracks are long, and build with energy that's very much in the Strata East mode – a vibe that Hannibal didn't seem to have down this well in the earlier part of the 70s, but which he more than made up for at the end of the decade with a record like this. Titles include "Now Stand", "A Sacred Multitude", "Returning To The Ways", "Of Live & Love & God", and "The Tribe".

A pretty great collection of work by Ike & Tina – with a strong focus on their harder-hitting sides! The set compiles tunes from the group's United Artists years, plus some other sides recorded for Liberty Records – and it's a really nicely done set that's pretty appealing to the kind of Ike Turner sounds that more recent soul and fans are digging. There's lots of less-familiar numbers on the set – with a total of 21 tracks that include "Doin It", "The Chopper", "Tell The Truth", "Bolic", "Baby", "Get You When I Want You", "Help Him", "Popcorn", "I Love Baby", "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", "I Wanna Jump", "Too Much Woman", and "I Love Baby".

A sprawling, double-sized set of Northern Soul singles – compiled by Richard Searling and with a focus on the pivotal mid 60s period – from the vaults of labels/imprints both big and small! It's got great singles issued at the time on Roulette, Capitol, United Artists, Sue, Veep, Minit, Liberty and more – mostly from '65-'68 – with some fairly famous names and comparably forgotten ones. Most of these tunes became rarities quite soon after they appeared – and it's s a massive set, too – with 50 tracks on 2CDs! Includes "Better Use Your Head" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "I'll Do Anything" by Doris Troy, "He Always Comes Back To Me" by Clydie King, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Breakout" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "My Dear Heart" by Shawn Robinson, River Of Tears" by by Barbara Banks, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish and more.

A killer selection of rare soul tunes from the EMI catalog of the late 60s! The cuts on here originally appeared on labels like Liberty, Imperial, Capitol, and United Artists – and they're selected by Dean Rudland with a very strong UK soulboy vibe. There's loads of stuff on here that we've never ever seen on wax, and the quality of the compilation is extremely high. Titles include "Don't" by Marva Josie, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "Looking For You" by Garnet Mimms, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Dance Dance Dance" The Casualeers, "Ski-ing In The Snow" by The Invitations, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, and "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Woods.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

A rare treasure from Thad Jones – a unique one-off session for United Artists, cut right around the same time as his classic 50s dates for Blue Note! The format is very laidback and open-ended – not really a blowing session, but kind of a relaxed studio outing – one that has Jones working with some players from his Detroit hometown, laying solos in the cut over some warmly soulful rhythms! Tracks are all nice and long, which gives plenty of room for solos – and in addition to Jones on cornet and flugelhorn, the set also features trombone from Al Grey, tenor from Billy Mitchell, piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from Elvin Jones. Mitchell is always amazing in a set like this – and the album's one of his few small group sets of the time – worth it alone for his excellent playing. Titles include "Like Old Times", "Minor On Top", "Let's Play One", and "No Refill".

A rare gem from Zoot Sims – a slightly obscure session issued in the early 60s by United Artists! Producer Alan Douglas put together the record – and as with most of the Douglas-produced albums of the period, the set's got that little "something extra" that makes it stand apart from a lot of other albums by the artist from the time. The whole package isn't too complicated, and just features Zoot blowing easy with a laidback (unnamed) quartet in what seems to be a live session. The solos come fast and free, and with a strong uncluttered sensibility that you don't often hear on other Sims records from the same period. Titles include "Zoot's Blues", "On the Alamo", "A Flat Blues", and "You Go To My Head".

Not just the Cinematic Orchestra – but a set that features work from other artists too – all in a beautifully evocative set of soundscapes that draws heavily from the collaboration, and which goes way beyond other previous work from the group! The sounds here are really united in a commitment to richly expressive modes – often working in a soundtracky style that lives up to the Cinematic promise – using strings on just about every track, but in these cool spare, stark ways that mix with the other instrumentation – and almost recall the glory of the first 4AD experiments in these modes from decades back. In addition to "Manhatta", "Entr'Acte", and "Necrology" by Cinematic Orchestra – the set also features "Lapis" by Austin Peralta, "Dream Work" and "Outer Space" by Dorian Concept & Tom Chant, and "Regen" by Gary Reverend.

An well done collection of work from the late 50s – one that shows Art Farmer to be one of the budding modernist voices in jazz at the time! The first 8 tracks on the set are from the United Artists album Modern Art – a great set of tight lyrical tunes, played by Farmer in his sparkling style, along with Benny Golson on tenor and Bill Evans on piano. Evans is a special treat here, as the 1958 session was recorded at a time when he was making a fair bit of appearances in various rhythm sections for horn players (like Miles Davis) – and although this role in Evans' career was a short one, it yielded some amazingly beautiful moments, as you'll hear on this album. Art's brother Addison plays bass, and Dave Bailey rounds out the group on drums. Tracks include "Cold Breeze", "Mox Nix", "Jubilation", and "Fair Weather". Next up are 4 more tracks from a 1958 Bethlehem session led by Teddy Charles – entitled Tribute To Hamp, and done as a modern jazz recasting of themes made famous by Lionel Hampton. The group on the set features Charles on vibes, Farmer on trumpet, plus Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, and Ed Thigpen – all performing versions of tunes that include "Air Mail Special", "Midnight Sun", and "Flying Home". The last 5 tracks on the CD are from Farmer's appearance on the 1958 Anthony Ortega session Jazz For Young Moderns – a well done set of modern chamber jazz, arranged by Bob Zieff, and featuring Ortega and Farmer with a lineup that included flugelhorn, bass clarinet, bassoon, and violin. The titles are freshly done, and include the original numbers "Four To Four", "Patting", and "Cinderella's Curfew".

United Artists issue of a speech that was originally issued by Sue Records in the mid 60s. The recording was made on December 17th, 1964 – after King returned from Oslo after receiving the Nobel Prize. The first 4 minutes of the record features introductory remarks by Rev Reuben L Speaks of The First AME Zion Church – then King speaks on the topics "Pilots Of The Movement – The Ground Crew & Mississippi" and "Who Is The Least Of These – and I Believe I've Got To Go Back To The Valley".

One of the boldest, most righteous 70s statements from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his previous body of work! The set's cast in the same large ensemble mode as Hannibal's Children Of The Fire album – and like that one, it features an array of all-star players, all united in the trumpeter's rich vision – artists who include Deirdre Murray on cello, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochrane on piano, Art Webb on flute, and Pat Peterson on vocals! Tracks are long, and build with energy that's very much in the Strata East mode – a vibe that Hannibal didn't seem to have down this well in the earlier part of the 70s, but which he more than made up for at the end of the decade with a record like this. Titles include "Now Stand", "A Sacred Multitude", "Returning To The Ways", "Of Live & Love & God", and "The Tribe".

One of the boldest, most righteous 70s statements from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his previous body of work! The set's cast in the same large ensemble mode as Hannibal's Children Of The Fire album – and like that one, it features an array of all-star players, all united in the trumpeter's rich vision – artists who include Deirdre Murray on cello, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochrane on piano, Art Webb on flute, and Pat Peterson on vocals! Tracks are long, and build with energy that's very much in the Strata East mode – a vibe that Hannibal didn't seem to have down this well in the earlier part of the 70s, but which he more than made up for at the end of the decade with a record like this. Titles include "Now Stand", "A Sacred Multitude", "Returning To The Ways", "Of Live & Love & God", and "The Tribe".

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and Patrick Moten, who would later work together on the masterful Poet LP – and the contrast between the more modern arrangements and Bobby's raspy soul vocals works wonderfully! The mellow tracks are really great – with a tight, lightly funky sound bubbling under Bobby's wonderful vocals – and the album's got loads of nice cuts like "The Roads Of Life", "Give It Up", "The Roots In Me", "Honey Dripper Boogie", "How Could You Break My Heart", and "What Are You Doing".

A beautiful collection of all the great and rare material Eddie Holland cut as solo singer in the late 50s and early 60s – including the incredible early Motown material, plus tracks he cut for Mercury, Kudo, Tamla and United Artists! Of course Eddie Holland is best remembered for uber-legendary work as producer, composer and arranger with the Holland-Dozier-Holland super soul unit – for damn good reason, but it's his early work as singer is way too strong to be considered a mere footnote to his greater legacy. Many of the cuts were written and produced by Berry Gordy, along with numbers written and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, some recorded more famously by later acts, so what you truly have here is the foundation for great things to come – it's beautiful stuff that shines brightly in its own light. Eddie's a solid singer and the songs are terrific, formative stuff that's a pivotal bridge from earlier R&B to massive soul. 56 tracks on 2CDs: "Little Miss Ruby", "Will You Love Me", "Just A Few More Days", "It's Not Too Late", "Just Ain't Enough Love", "Brenda", "Baby Shake", "Magic Mirror", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Action Speaks Louder than Words", "Bashful Kind", "Too Late To Cry", "Happy Go Lucky", "Pretty Little Angel Face", "Day Dreamer", "Rain And Thunder", "I Like Everything About You", "Happy Days" and many more. This set goes deeper than any compilation we've seen of Eddie's recordings, too, with a number of previously unissued Mercury recordings.

Patrick Adams picks the best of P&P Records – and the man definitely knows what he's doing – given that he was one of the "P's" in the label's name! The tunes here are heavy on those cool spaced-out grooves that Adams did so well – that wonderfully hip, and very underground style he used after an initial few years in more mainstream soul – the trademark imprint of P&P, and the reason why the label's tunes have gone onto influence so many others over the years! The grooves are all sublime – from quick-stepping moogy numbers, to mellower tracks that stretch out in this great sort of gentle funk – all tied together with a united production aesthetic and lots of shared sympathies between the artists. Titles include "Dance Dance Dance" by Marta Acuna, "Jump Jump Jump" by The Musicmakers, "God's Greatest Gift To Man Is Woman" by Margie Lomax, "God Save & Protect All The Children" by Margo Williams, "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra – and "Flying High", "Disco Juice", "Happy Music", and "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By" by Cloud One.