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A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove!

A nice little set that combines some of Eddie's rare work for King from the mid 50s! Eddie's tenor is in wonderful form here, working with a real sense of economy on the album's short tracks – a sense that you don't always get in some of his more stretched-out sets for Prestige. Backing on most tracks is by an organ trio – with either Shirley Scott or Doc Bagby at the keys – and titles include "Mean To Me", "The Happy Whistler", "Smooth Ride", "Yesterdays", and "If I Were A Bell".

The greatest so far from this soulful Chicago group – a combo who are making big waves way beyond the Windy City, thanks to the tremendous vocals of JC Brooks! The album bursts out with a power the group have never had before – a tightness and focus that shows that these guys are definitely the real deal – and have definitely found their own unique voice in a world of copycat soul and funk – a groove that's completely contemporary, yet firmly rooted in the best bits of the past too – as fresh a change to funk and soul as some of the rootsier styles normally associated with Bloodshot Records! Brooks is a hell of a frontman in a live setting, but doesn't always come across this well on record – and the album may well be the first to really show the singer at his best. Titles include "Howl", "Married For A Week", "Rouse Yourself", "Security", "Ordinary", "Control", "Cold", and "River".

The second album from Chicago's great raw soul torch carriers JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – their debut for Bloodshot, and a record that's gonna catapult them to the forefront of the live soul scene, in the Chi and everywhere else! The group's proved over the past couple years, via their raw, yet propellant debut album, some great singles, and furious live show schedule, that they're poised to deliver in a bigger way. On Want More they do that and, uh. . .a bit more! JC's a rare singer who can both shout out in a gritty funk mode and coo with charisma on slower soul anthems, and the group delivers on both fronts, too. Producer Jimmy Sutton captures them perfectly. The core group features Billy Bungeroth on guitar, Kevin Marks on drums & percussion and Ben Taylor on bass. Includes "Want More", "Everything Will Be Fine", "I Got High", their great cover of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", "Baaadnews", "I Can See Everything", "Sister Ray Charles", "Awake" and more.

A different sound than usual for Syl Johnson – but a record that still has loads of those amazing vocals we love from Syl! The style's mostly modern soul – with a tightness that's different from the grit of earlier Johnson albums – that mode in which other singers of the time were tightening up their bag too. The approach works especially well on the midtempo groovers – which have the bite of Johnson's vocals providing a great contrast tot he smoother grooves of the instrumentation – in ways that really deepen the feel of the tunes, but in ways that are very different than classic work from Syl. Titles include "Mystery Lady", "Blue Water", "Who's Gonna Love You", "You're The Star Of The Show", "Gimme Little Sign", and a 9 minute "Otis Redding Medley".

Early material from Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins.

Truly, truly one of the most essential reggae albums of all time, and without a doubt one of our top dub albums. While we may be known for our hyperbolic comments on LPs here at Dusty, this album is very much deserving of the praise, and if you don't own it, you need to. Basically a collection of dubs of rhythms for some of Pablo's most popular productions as vocal cuts on 45s that had rocked the sound systems, this set features a mighty rockers rhythm team and mixing courtesy Errol Thompson and King Tubby. All solid tracks. Includes "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Say So", "Skanking Dub" "Satta Dub" and "Frozen Dub".

Truly, truly one of the most essential reggae albums of all time, and without a doubt one of our top dub albums. While we may be known for our hyperbolic comments on LPs here at Dusty, this album is very much deserving of the praise, and if you don't own it, you need to. Basically a collection of dubs of rhythms for some of Pablo's most popular productions as vocal cuts on 45s that had rocked the sound systems, this set features a mighty rockers rhythm team and mixing courtesy Errol Thompson and King Tubby. Includes "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Say So", "Skanking Dub" "Satta Dub" and "Frozen Dub". This Get On Down vinyl version is a box set of 3 X 10-inches with a 16-page booklet of notes and photos.

Three tracks off Dirty Mind.

Solid DC hip hop from Uptown XO – produced entirely by AB The Pro for a nicely cohesive vibe all the way – with appearances by Messiah, Doe Gicapom & Benjui, Sanni & U St Face. Includes "Grey Poupon" feat Messiah, "Spread Love", "Everyday" feat AB The Pro, "Finding My Way", "Salaam", "Reflection Eternal" feat Doe Gicapom & Benji, "Poor Man's Copyright "If I Should Die" feat Danni, "Grey Area" feat U ST Face and more.

We're not sure where "uptown" is in the Nashville scene – but the location hardly matters, given the strength of the grooves on this set! The package brings forth a whole host of Music City soul gems we've never heard before – lots of work from the Ref O Ree and Tee Jay labels, some of which has the care and class to match the uptown soul sound that was coming from New York in the 60s, although overall, the set's got even more charm as a southern-styled soul collection! You can definitely hear echoes of other Tennessee soul of the time – bits of Sound Stage Seven and Stax – yet the work here also has its own flavor, too – and is a welcome rediscovery in a world of familiar reissues. Titles include "I Still Remember You" by Gene Allison, "Sugar (alt)" by Thomas Henry, "Sweet Way Of Living" by Peggy Gaines, "Clean With Your Dirty Work (alt)" by Rufus Hunter, "I Hear A Melody" by Spice Of Life, "I'd Like To Try It One More Time" by Larry Birdsong, "Let The Funk Get Next To You" by Eddie & Freddie, "You're Still The One" by Roscoe Shelton, "It Has To Be Love" by Freddie Waters, and "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" by Levert Allison.

Raw & rambling folk sounds from Michael Hurly – recorded in early '72 – some of his better material of the era, living up to if not surpassing his Armchair Boogie of a couple years earlier! Michael's in seemingly amiable spirit here on some tunes, and a standing on shakier ground and in scarier waters at other points, with some country rock tinged jams and weirdo troubadour numbers. Titles include "Blue Driver", "Water Train", "The Sun Is Slowly Sinking", "I'm Worried, I'm Worried", "In Florida", "Lilly Pads Upon The Pond", "Trinidad" and more.

The greatest so far from this soulful Chicago group – a combo who are making big waves way beyond the Windy City, thanks to the tremendous vocals of JC Brooks! The album bursts out with a power the group have never had before – a tightness and focus that shows that these guys are definitely the real deal – and have definitely found their own unique voice in a world of copycat soul and funk – a groove that's completely contemporary, yet firmly rooted in the best bits of the past too – as fresh a change to funk and soul as some of the rootsier styles normally associated with Bloodshot Records! Brooks is a hell of a frontman in a live setting, but doesn't always come across this well on record – and the album may well be the first to really show the singer at his best. Titles include "Howl", "Married For A Week", "Rouse Yourself", "Security", "Ordinary", "Control", "Cold", and "River".

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus "The Controversial Suite".

Truly one of the most essential reggae albums of all time, and without a doubt one of our top dub albums – if you don't own it, you need to! Basically a collection of dubs of rhythms for some of Pablo's most popular productions as vocal cuts on 45s that had rocked the sound systems, this set features a mighty rockers rhythm team and mixing courtesy Errol Thompson and King Tubby. All solid tracks: "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Skanking Dub", "Frozen Dub" and "Say So".

Easily some of the greatest work ever recorded by Ted Taylor – done as a string of sessions in Chicago, New York, and Nashville for Okeh Records – and finally properly collected here in one great set! Taylor's a singer with a wonderful voice – one that was more famously tuned towards bluesier work later in his career, but which is hear heard coming off an initial run in doo wop – in a mix of modes that includes both Chicago and southern soul styles! Production is by Carl Davis, Billy Sherrill, and others – and no matter what the setting Taylor's vocals are incredible – crackling with a sense of emotion and soul that made him one of the singers to match at the time, even if his Okeh years never yeilded that many hits. CD features 25 tracks in all – with titles that include "So Hard", "I'll Make It Up To You", "Don't Lie", "Pretending Love", "I'll Release You", "Can't Take No More", "Be Ever Wonderful", "Need You Home", "Somebody's Always Trying", "Top Of The World", "Stay Away From My Baby", and "Mercy Have Pity".

Atlantic soul live – recorded in a great grassroots setting! The performance comes from the Uptown Theater in Philly – as important to that city as The Apollo was to New York – and features a host of key Atlantic Records talents from the 60s, really hitting some hard and heavy notes in the live setting – with a bit of MC introduction at the start from Jimmy Bishop! There's a few great surprises here – artists you don't normally associate with Atlantic – and titles include "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" by Patty & The Emblems, "Can't You Hear The Beat" by The Carltons, "My Girl Sloopy" and "The Watusi" by The Vibrations – plus "Under The Boardwalk" and "On Broadway" by The Drifters, "Down The Aisle" by Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells, and "I'm Gonna Cry" and "If You Need Me" by Wilson Pickett.

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)".

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove!

Solid DC hip hop from Uptown XO – produced entirely by AB The Pro for a nicely cohesive vibe all the way – with appearances by Messiah, Doe Gicapom & Benjui, Sanni & U St Face. Includes "Grey Poupon" feat Messiah, "Spread Love", "Everyday" feat AB The Pro, "Finding My Way", "Salaam", "Reflection Eternal" feat Doe Gicapom & Benji, "Evolution" feat AB The Pro, "If I Should Die" feat Danni, "Grey Area" feat U ST Face and more.

Overlooked Northern Soul from the west coast – a great batch of burners from San Francisco, and proof that the city had almost as much going on as Detroit! As you might guess from the "hitsville" in the title, there's a sound here that owes plenty to Motown – tight instrumentation alongside real soul vocals – all wrapped up with production that helps bring out the best elements of both, and focus it into a soaringly uptempo groove! But unlike Motown, most of the work here is much more obscure – lesser-known west coast singers and groups who really shine brightly, and who make the set a great discovery in 60s soul. Many tracks are from the indie Villa label – and titles include "Is It All Gone" and "Trust In Me" by The Magicians, "I Can't Jerk" by Ozz & The Sperlings, "Is It Love Baby" and "Why Did Our Love Go" by The Tandells, "We Got To Keep On" by The Casanova II, "I'll Always Love You" by The Performers, "Double Cookin" by The Checkerboard Sauares, "You Gotta Git" by Lonnie Hewitt, "You Can Forget It" by Sisters Three, "Times A Wastin" by The Fuller Brothers, "Why Would You Blow It" by Claude Huey, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, and "You're A Winner" by Harold Andrews.

A rare full length set by The Crystals – Phil Spector genius in all its glory, and a range of tracks that takes the group way past their hits! There's a sense of darkness here that's really amazing – sadder and often slower than the usual girl group groove – and recorded with plenty of echo next to the voices of the group, which makes the songs sound somehow even bluer. Despite the "twist" in the title, most of the work here is not of the dancefloor type – and the album's a rare treasure from the Philles catalog! Titles include "Please Hurt Me", "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen", "Frankenstein Twist", "Another Country – Another World", "Uptown", and "I Love You Eddie".

UK import 12" of what was released as a B-side in the US around the release of his Controversy LP, followed by by two of his hits from 2 previous albums, in the red tiger stripe cover.

A great rare discovery from Dexter Gordon – a previously-unissued live set, recorded in Montreal in the late 70s – at a time when Dex was really hitting some new heights in his playing! Although the album coincides with a time when Gordon had returned to these shores, and was getting his act together on the New York scene, it's also got some of the looser, more open modes of his previous European live recordings – the stretched-out, constantly creative solos that always made all the long tracks from Dexter so great on those records. But almost even more uniquely, the album also preserves some of Gordon's spoken parts at the start of the tunes – that wry wit that always made him a compelling presence on the stage. The group also features George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums – and although the titles are familiar, they're all transformed in the hands of Dex – as you'll hear on "Lover Man", "You've Changed", "Old Folks", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "LTD".

A rare early chapter in the career of guitarist Grant Green – local material, cut in his hometown of St Louis – in the years before Lou Donaldson picked him up and delivered him to Blue Note Records! Amazingly, though, the Grant Green heard here is every bit as great as the guitarist who emerged strongly on his early Blue Note dates as a leader – a smoking soloist with a strong talent for single-line grooving – working here in a hip organ combo that features Sam Lazar on Hammond and Bob Graf on tenor sax! Lazar's got a mean bite to his organ, and pairs beautifully with Green – and together, the players hit a groove that's gritty, yet which has surprisingly strong fidelity – more than enough to make the record an essential piece of Grant's catalog. The CD's hardly a muddy live recording, and instead has surprisingly great fidelity – and lots of long tracks with open solos, on titles that include "Deep", "Blue Train", "Holy Barbarian Blues", "Caramu", "Grovvin High", and "Out Of Nowhere".

On the "Jeep Bass" mix, Heavy D comes with a little harder vocals and production than usual.

A rare early slice of work from the legendary Hank Mobley – a live performance from 1953, and one that predates most of his better-known Blue Note material! The recording quality's aged a bit with time, but the genius of Mobley shines through right away – that bold, soulful approach to tenor sax that's unlike anyone else – and which went onto raise the standard for generations of players to come! Hank really gets to stretch out here, as most of the tracks are nice and long, and help show a side of Mobley's world that didn't always appear in the more polished setting of the studio. The group's great too – with Bennie Green on trombone, Walter Davis on piano, Jimmy Schenck on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – all jamming with Mobley on tracks that include "Blues Is Green", "Keen & Peachy", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Ow", "There's A Small Hotel", "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", and "All The Things You Are".

Two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop".

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".

The roots of the new soul. . . Mary J's first, and still her best, 12 tracks in all including "Real Love", "Sweet Thing", "Love No Limit", "You Remind Me", "Reminisce", "What's The 411?", "You Don't Have To Worry", "Changes I've Been Going Through", "Slow Down" and more.

A treasure trove of rare work from reedman Gigi Gryce – one of the most important talents of the 50s, presented here in a range of unissued sides from the best years of his career! The CD's overflowing with amazing material – some live dates, and some unissued studio material as well – all done in that perfect second period style of Gryce's career – the point when he moved past the tighter modernism of early years, and really opened up with this amazingly soulful sound! His alto work is impeccable – unlike anyone else we can think of on the instrument – very focused and crisp, yet wonderfully warm and human as well – with support on most numbers from excellent sidemen Richard Williams on trumpet and Richard Wyands on piano – two players who always seemed to drive Gigi onto new heights! Material includes 4 tracks from a 1961 Birdland broadcast – also with Eddie Costa on on vibes – then 2 more from a 1961 recording session also with Costa. Then there's 6 more cuts from an unissued 1960 session – and all three of these feature Williams and Wyands. The set's rounded out by material from a 1957 Signal Records party – featuring a group with Cecil Payne on baritone sax and Duke Jordan on piano. All cuts have been lovingly remastered, with the usual great sound we love from Uptown – and the set features 70 minutes of music, 18 tracks that include "Blues In Bloom", "Down Home", "A Premonition Of You", "Dancing The Gigi", "I'll Walk Alone", "Sonor", "All The Things You Are", "Man Of Moods", and "Movin".

Dope first single from Notorious BIG, released under the name BIG (after the dispute over the name Biggie Smalls, with the long-forgotten Miami Bass MC, and before adding Notorious to his name).

An amazing package, almost like getting three albums in one – thanks to a huge amount of bonus tracks! The core album is a gem – one that features two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop". 2CD set features two more slices of music – first another 5 bonus tracks that are alternate cuts from the album – then a full extra hour's worth of performance from a 1988 live date by the pair – on titles that include "One For Amos", "If You Can't Call Don't Come", "Minority", "Blues For David", and "Morning Star".

Amazing – simply amazing – and one of the best LPs of 60s soul you could ever buy! Darrell Banks was one of the many lost talents laboring in Detroit during the 60s – and he was part of the city's hip underground soul scene that included monster talents like Steve Mancha and JJ Barnes, all of whom fall into the "should have been famous" category, but who have fortunately been honored for years by soul fans worldwide. This album's one of two that Banks ever issued under his own name – and it's a collection of singles that were put together by Revilot, but issued in full LP format by Atlantic. Banks mixes together raw deep soul vocals with some hipper uptown production – and the result is soul that's about as classic as "classic" could be! Every single cut's a winner, written by some of the finest talents in soul music at the time – and tracks include "Here Come The Tears", "Our Love (Is In The Pocket)", "I'm Gonna Hang My Head & Cry", "Baby What'cha Got For Me", and Banks' semi-hit, "Open The Door To Your Heart".

Socking soul from the 60s – a record with American roots and a very groovy British sound! The set was the second full length album from Madeline Bell – an American singer transplanted to the mod UK scene of the 60s, where she really flourished in a rich career of hit singles, endless session work, and later fame with the group Blue Mink. The tunes on this set are a wonderful bridge between Madeline's two worlds – and have a sound that's a lot like the uptown soul coming out of the US at the time – sweet and smooth arrangements, topped by deeper soul vocals that make for a wonderful juxtaposition. Arrangements are by British talents Arthur Greenslade, Ian Green, and Keith Mansfield – and titles include "Step Inside Love", "Hold It", "Help Yourself", "After All Is Said & Done", "For Your Pleasure", and "It's Up To You". CD features bonus singles too – 6 more tracks that include "Thinkin", "Go Ahead On", "How Much I Do Love You", "What'm I Supposed To Do", and "We're So Much In Love".

Classic work by one of our favorite pop singers ever – the full-voiced Cilla Black, a vocalist we'd trade for Petula Clark or Dusty Springfield in a minute! During the 60s, Cilla was working in a strongly Bacharach-influenced mode – a style that picked up a lot of uptown touches from the New York scene, but which infused them with the more belting mode of Brit female singers of the time. The result is an incredibly powerful approach to pop – one that showcases Cilla's incredible voice, but which also has her wrapped up in beautifully full arrangements, and rhythms that often have that slightly syncopated gentle groove that we love from Bacharach's work with pop singers. CD features 25 tracks in all – including 6 making their CD debut – titles that include "Yo Yo", "A Man & A Woman", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "You're My World", "Love Letters", "One Little Voice", "Alfie", "Baby I'm Yours", "A Lover's Concerto", "Step Inside Love", "Liverpool Lullaby", "Forget Him", "Little Pleasure Acre", and "Rule Britannia".

Quite obscure later work from Maxine – done in a style that's partly like her classic uptown soul work for Wand, but which also has some more down-home and rootsy moments – in an approach that was clearly intended to make her come across as more of a hard soul singer! Arrangements are by Bert De Coteaux, and all very strong throughout – with a level of quality that matches the Atlantic sort of session of this type, which was probably what Bert was aiming for! Titles include the single "We'll Cry Together", plus "Piece Of My Heart", "See & Don't See", "Reason To Believe", "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", and "Didn't You Know".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

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".

A really rich document of the charms and talents of reedman Lol Coxhill – a set that features music from a wide range of scenes and settings in Lol's long career – including bits of hardbop from the 50s, R&B from the 60s, and a wide range of great performances from later years too! Coxhill's a hell of a player who always seems to shine, no matter what the setting – and this package is almost like a combination of the sharp edges of the Emanem recordings, the moodier feel of the Virgin albums and some of Lol's rockish work, and the charming whimsy of the Nato years too – all topped off with a few historic elements that only add to the color and tone of the package – especially given that the tunes aren't always presented in chronological order. We're under the impression that most music is exclusive to this set – and tracks include "Bad Boy", "Autumn In New York", "Vermillion Sands", "Three Go To Letchworth", "Out Of Nowhere", "Uptown Top Ranking", "Magic Buffalo", "A Brief Introduction To Sax", "Murder In The Air", and "Resonance".

The final third of Jackie DeShannon's legendary run for Imperial Records in the 60s – a smashing batch of singles that really represent some great musical growth at the time! On these sides, Jackie's even more soulful than before – definitely taking inspiration from the generation of singers who were singing her songs – and from the growing wave of girl vocalists who were working with more soulful styles too – especially those from the Brill Building scene. The result is a great blend of New York uptown and LA sunshine – a superb batch of tunes that really sums up the unique place that Jackie DeShannon had in modern music. Many tunes are originals by Jackie – and the set also features great tunes penned by Jimmy Holiday and Bobby Womack too – titles that include "Changin My Mind", "I Keep Wanting You", "What Is This", "Nicole", "Nobody's Home To Go Home To", "You Keep Me Hangin On/Hurt So Bad", "Brighton Hill", "Christmas", "Keep Me In Mind", "Bird On The Wire", "What Was Your Day Like", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "Always Together", and "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown".

A magnificent decade of music from Duke Ellington – the bulk of his fifties recordings for Columbia Records – all albums that really show the Duke stretching forth and greatly developing his style! The scope of performances here is breathtaking – as Ellington works with key sidemen of the postwar years, and moves into much longer-form recordings that before – tracks that help him deeply express his new ideas, and also make way for a few guest performers too. Each album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, replicating the original record – and the box features the albums Masterpieces By Ellington, Ellington Uptown, A Drum Is A Woman, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington Indigos, The Cosmic Scene, and At The Bal Masque – plus the Black Brown & Beige suite with Mahalia Jackson, and the Blue Rose album with vocals by Rosemary Clooney!

Given that Atlantic's big claim to fame with Aretha was that they took her from being a supper club jazz singer and made her a hard soul act, we've always been a bit surprised at the way they chose to hook her up with some Bacharach tunes after her first few sides – giving her a classier uptown sound to mix with the deeper southern style that broke her out big. This album's a great example of how Aretha can mix the two styles – as it features the title rendition of "This Girl's In Love With You", and great versions of "Dark End Of The Street" and "Sit Down & Cry", and the sublime "Call Me", which is a perfect blend of the two styles in one song. And oddly, the "classier" material was recorded down in Miami, Atlantic's new home for soul in the south.

A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz".

Fantastic! This is the kind of soul that we still collect vinyl for and are all the more thrilled to see officially reissued by careful curators such as those at Kent UK! Freddie Hughes is one of the great lost voices of the 60s, and this sparkling album of soulful tunes is a real gem – loaded up here with incredible bonus tracks recorded in earlier duo sessions! He's not the same singer as the Freddie Hughes from Chicago – and he hailed from San Francisco, a very unlikely source for such great soul music. The session was recorded with Lonnie Hewitt (Cal Tjader's funky piano player) in SF – but it's got that perfect New York Wand/Scepter "deep soul meets uptown" sound. The tracks are mostly written by Hughes or Hewitt – and they are all pretty amazing, filled with hooks that just don't quit, and some heartbreaking verses that match the work of writers like Curtis Mayfield or Garland Green. Titles include "Send My Baby Back", "He's No Good", "Tonight I'm Gonna See My Baby", "You're My Everything", "Natural Man" (the Aretha classic remodeled for a male perspective) and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" and bonus tracks "Love Can't Be Understood" and "My Baby Came Back". Earlier in the decade, Freddie sang in San Francisco duos Casanova II with Wylie Trass and The Soul Brothers with Ken Pleasants. This CD includes "Maybe They're Right", "Love's Philosophy", "I Was A Fool" and "We Got To Keep On" by Casanova II, plus "Let Our Love Go On", "Love's Philosophy" (Pts 1 & 2), "Where's My Baby" and more by The Soul Brothers, many previously unreleased. One more bonus track: "Do The Philly" on the Music City label, credited to The Music City All Stars.

Sublime stuff from Chuck – a mix of iceman soul and New York uptown production, crafted in a heartbreaking mode that was hardly ever matched by other singers of his day! This is a perfect one to bookshelf next to your Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson albums – and it includes Chuck's spooky hit "Tell Him I'm Not Home", plus "Lonely Am I", "Blue Holiday", "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak", and loads of other stuff that makes you sigh with heartache!

Great stuff from one of our favorite soul vocalists of the 60s! We love Deon Jackson – we love his sweetly honest vocal style, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This album is the only one he ever cut – and it's a masterpiece all the way through! Ollie's production mixes some wonderful lilting qualities with rollicking hard soul – it's a far-reaching approach that works incredibly well with Deon's unique approach to the vocals! Includes the super-hit "Love Makes The World Go Round" and a charming uptown soul take on "King Of The Road", plus "Come Back Home", "1-2-3", "You Said You Love Me", "SOS", "Love Is What You Make It" and "Hush Little Baby".

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions – blending Chicago soul with more adult-styled orchestrations from Riley Hampton – at a level that has Jackson sitting beautifully across a number of different modes at once – still appealing to the kids with the uptown groovers on the set, but also reaching to an older crowd with the beautiful ballads and heartbreaking love songs. The sound is incredible – easily one of the most fully realized full-length soul records on the Okeh label – and titles include "What Would You Do", "There Goes That Song Again", "I Don't Want To Suffer", "That's What Mama Say", and "It's All Over". CD adds in 10 more bonus tracks – most of which are previously unissued – making for an amazing collection that's one of the first time that Jackson's work at Okeh is finally getting its due! Bonus titles include "The Heartbreak Road", "Anything Can Happen", "Blue Rose", "Starting Tomorrow", "Don't Play With Love", "It's Hard To Believe", "You Gotta Give", and "Tell The World".

An excellent Quincy Jones score that stands head and shoulders above the soundtrack to the first film in this series, In The Heat Of The Night. Q is in fine fine form with this material – adding in a lot more funk than before, to fit the uptown theme of the film. There's lots of nice jazzy tracks on the record, and some tight funky ones that made the soundtrack virtually a blueprint for the blacksploitation sound of the 70s! Titles include "Soul Flower", "Call Me Mr. Tibbs", "Black Cherry", "Blues For Mr. Tibbs", and "Fat Poppadaddy".

A great one from Ben E King's "Supernatural" comeback years in the mid 70s – recorded at Sigma Sound with a really stellar approach on both the groovers and the mellow tunes! Ben's really letting his vocals open up on the set – going for that richness that was sometimes held back in the more uptown arrangements of the 60s, but which really flowers here in a fuller, richer, smooth soul mode. Arrangements are by Norman Harris, Bert De Coteaux, Ron Kersey, and Ron Baker – and the album's a great example of how the Sigma approach could take a great singer and make them even better! Titles include the Sam Dees tracks "I Betcha Didn't Know That", "Standing In The Wings Of Heartache", "No Danger Ahead", and "Tower Of Strength" – plus a great cover of Ashford & Simpson's "I Had A Love", and the cuts "Smooth Sailing", "We Got Love", and "Everybody Plays The Fool".

An overlooked later gem from Ben E King – and a record that goes way past the overplayed hits of the early years! Ben's always been a hell of a singer – but on a record like this, we can really rediscover his genius all over again – hearing him on a fresh batch of Atlantic recordings from the 60s – raspy charm fully intact, and set to some growing sophistication in the uptown backings – some of which even introduce a slight touch of funk to King's groove! The key cut in this respect is the amazing title cut – "What Is Soul" – worth the price of the album alone, but mixed with loads of other nice ones too – including "Teeny Weeny Little Bit", "Get In A Hurry", "Katherine", "There's No Place To Hide", "Cry No More", and "The Record".

Very nice record of lost soul from LA, recorded for Hanna-Barbera, who are much better known as purveyors of cartoons, not music! We don't know much about Jean, but she's got a lovely voice, and the setup for the record – which is an intimate live setting – gives her perfect space to groove around a lot. She's backed by a tiny combo that has Pete Jolly on piano, Howard Roberts on guitar, Hal Blaine on drums, and Emil Richards on percussion. Shorty Rogers and Gene Page did the arrangements, and they did a nice job coming up with tight jazzy backings that have a bit of an uptown sound, but which sound a lot harder because of the live setting. Great stuff, and a record we almost never see! Tracks include "All I Really Want To Do", "Just My Style", "England Swings", "Watermelon Man", and "I Got You".

A really unusual later chapter in the career of guitarist Robby Krieger – a post-Doors album done for Blue Note Records – and a set that's got more than enough jazzy touches to live up to its placement on the label! Krieger's guitar gets plenty of workout on the album's fusion-styled grooves – often a lot more jazz than the rock you'd expect, with some especially great keyboards from Stu Goldberg and Sal Marquez – the latter of whom handled most of the soulful arrangements on the set. There's a bit of vocals – sometimes by a chorus, sometimes processed in a way that's almost vocoder – and the whole thing owes a lot more to mid 70s funky fusion than any of Robby's work with the Doors. Titles include "The Ally", "Low Bottomy", "Big Oak Basin", "Spare Changes", "Uptown", and "Gumpopper".

A nice little 50s album that compiles Gene's work from the early 40s – his groundbreaking early swing sides, some featuring singer Anita O'Day, others with the great Roy Eldridge on trumpet! Tunes are tight, lively, and feature some killer drum work (natch!) – and titles include "After You've Gone", "Murder Hey Says", "Tuxedo Junction", "Massachusetts", "Disc Jockey Jump", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Drum Boogie", "Let Me Off Uptown", and "Slow Down".

Very early work by Patti LaBelle – working here with the young Bluebelles group, but in a setting that still points the way towards the Labelle sound of the 70s – given that the quartet also features vocals from Cindy Birdsong, Sarah Dash, and Nona Hendryx! The style is a great mix of female doo wop and uptown soul – harmony styles really maturing strongly for the 60s, and already taking strong advantage of the amazing vocals of Patti LaBelle! Things are sweet, but have a nice edge too – and even the familiar tunes take on a new life in the hands of the group – as you'll hear on "Over The Rainbow", "People", "More", "Groovy Kind Of Love", "He", "Patti's Prayer", and "Unchained Melody".

Although South African vocalist Miriam Makeba had been cracking the American scene for the better part of the 60s, this was the album that really put her on the map – as her hit version of the song "Pata Pata" forever guaranteed that African-tinged grooves would have a place in the pop charts! The track's included as the lead off song on this classic album of "uptown African soul" (if we might use such a term), and other goodies include "Click Song Number 1", "A Piece Of Ground", "West Wind", "Ha Po Zamani", and "Jol'inkomo".

A sweet groover from the Marvelettes – and a record that completely re-casts their sound for the Motown of the 70s! The group's still got the great soprano harmonies that made their early hits so wonderful, but the arrangements on the set are deeper and more sophisticated – taking them into hipper adult soul territory that we really love. Smokey Robinson produced, and wrote a lot of tracks for the set – and the backings are the work of Wade Marcus and David Van De Pitte – both well matched, and giving the album a fully unified sound. Titles include "So I Can Love You", "Marionette", "A Breathtaking Guy", "Uptown", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "Our Lips Seem To Rhyme Everytime".

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks, and maybe Van's best record of the 70s! The record shows Van sitting at the piano in an intimate setting – ala Barry White – and it's got a similar Love Unlimited Orchestra approach, with much large backing behind Van's voice, and a very full instrumental sound. Van sings lead vocals, which aren't always that great – but he more than makes up for it with some great piano and keyboard work, and some wonderful soul songwriting and arranging that recall his best uptown moments of the late 60s. The record has a few uptempo hustle-type tracks, but they're all pretty darn great soul songs, and there's loads of great mellow soul moments woven in to make the record a nice album of ballads and groovers. Titles include "Before & After", "Wings Of Love", "My Favorite Fantasy", "That's The Story Of My Life", and "You're So Right For Me".

Ahhh, good ol' Mel & Tim – possibly our favorite soul duo ever, and a really dynamic pair that carve some great new territory away from the path set by Sam & Dave! The album's a bit of a comeback for the duo, as you'd guess from the title – even though it was only recorded a few years after their initial work for the Bamboo label. There's a stylistic shift that marks a second chapter in the Mel & Tim groove – as they move away from the New York uptown sound, and go for more of a gritty southern sound – thanks to help from producer/arrangers Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins. The set list is filled with loads of great southern soul tunes – penned by composers who include Phillip Mitchell, Isaac Hayes, Dan Penn, and Homer Banks – on the titles "Heaven Knows", "Wrap It Up", "Don't Mess With My Money My Honey Or My Woman", "Carry Me", and a great cover of "I'm Your Puppet". CD reissue includes the bonus tracks "Forever In A Day", "It's Those Little Things That Count", "The Same Folk", and "Yes We Can-Can".

Killer early work from Freda Payne – an early album recorded for MGM many years before her later hit "Band Of Gold" – and a set with a great mix of soul and jazz modes, all arranged by the mighty Benny Golson! The record's got a really classy feel – one that has a lot more poise than some of Freda's later soul, and shows elements of the jazz she'd bring more to the forefront on Impulse Records. Yet Golson's backings also still keep plenty of soul in the mix too – using full arrangements to almost give Payne an uptown soul sound, with a heavy groove on some of the album's most memorable numbers. Titles include "San Juan", "I Don't Love You Anymore", "Too Late", "You Never Should Have Loved Me", "Feeling Good", "It's Here For You", "If You Loved Me", and "Sad Sad September".

Although James Phelps has a deep raw soul voice – he's matched here with some nice uptown arrangements courtesy of Phil Wright, for a sound that's a lot like some of the best solo Ben E. King solo stuff for Atlantic! "Love Is A 5-Letter Word" is a nice slowly-rolling track with a catchy chorus – and "I'll Do The Best" has an uptowny style that's wonderful – really one of those "shoulda been a hit" kind of tunes!

Beautiful set of polished soul tracks, sung by Freddie in his deep rich voice, amidst uptown arrangements by Gary Sherman. There's a great batch of cuts that includes Freddie's hit versions of "Hey Girl" and "I Got A Woman", plus "What Do I See In The Girl", "Where Is The Girl", and "Where Does Love Go".

Great uptown early Philly soul album from the late 60's, featuring the talents of a young Bunny Sigler before he got tied up making too many uptempo records. The record features arrangements by Joe Renzetti – in a sweet uptown style that brings out a lot in Bunny's young vocals. Includes the title hit, plus "Can You Dig It", "There's No Love Left", and "Lovey Dovey". Goofy cover, too.

One of the most obscure Stylistics albums of the 70s – a smooth late 70s modern soul effort, headed up by group soul maestro Teddy Randazzo! Teddy wrote, arranged, and produced the whole set – and the record nicely links together older group harmony styles, especially 60s uptown soul mode, with the more modern approaches that were appearing in the wake of the early 70s super-hit status of The Stylistics and other groups on the scene. The result is an approach that's more mature than the group's earlier work – still sweetly soulful, but also more confident and mature. Titles include "First Impressions", "You're The Best Thing In My Life", "Looking At Love Again", "I Can't Stop Lovin", and "California Sun".

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day".

Killer soul from Doris Troy – a wonderful selection of classic singles from a variety of different labels – mostly smoking selections from the 60s, but a few rare gems from later years too! Doris is one of those singers who never hit the chart heights of some of her contemporaries, but always managed to do impeccable work – as you'll hear here on a range of singles for labels like Calla, Cameo, Capitol, Atlantic, and Apple! Troy's got this amazingly rich voice – one we'd rank right up there with Aretha Franklin at her best – supported here by a range of backings that run from deep soul to uptown soul to some warmer 70s modes. Titles include "Face Up To The Truth", "Just One Look", "What A Night Night Night", "Don't Tell Your Mama", "You Tore Me Up Inside", "Heartaches", "He's Qualified", "I'll Do Anything", "Hear Me Calling", "Can't Hold On", "Tomorrow Is Another Day", and "What A Wonderful Lover".

A beautifully full session from McCoy Tyner – one recorded with added horns and voices, and very much in the mode of some of Horce Silver's best 70s experiments for Blue Note! The sound is as bold, dynamic, and soulful as other Tyner albums from the time – and the added elements really help create a unique feeling – horn parts that underscore the power of Tyner's piano, and wordless vocals that rise to the skies, with a feel similar to Donald Byrd or Max Roach sessions like this – but with a bit more 70s vibe overall. Other players include Earl Klugh on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and solos are by Jon Faddis on trumpet, Alex Foster on tenor, and Charles Stephens on trombone. Titles include "For Tomorrow", "Opus", "Festival In Bahia", "Rotunda", and "Uptown".

Excellent work from Dee Dee Warwick – Dionne's more soulful sister, and a heck of a singer! The record's got a mix of uptown soul production and deeper soul styles, with a sophisticated style that reminds us of Chicago work by singers like Joann Garrett, Marlena Shaw, or Ruby Andrews – totally tight and sophisticated up top, but with a nice kick on the bottom that really deepens up the groove! The sound is really wide-ranging – similar to what you might find on Shaw's Cadet albums from the time – and production is by some top shelf talents throughout – including Lou Courtney to Ed Townsend to Jerry Ross to Gamble & Huff – all of whom leave their own impressions on the record. Titles include "Foolish Fool", "You Taught Me To Love", "Thank God", "That's Not Love", "Thank You Love", and "When Love Slips Away". Great bonus tracks from singles, too – including "Ring Of Bright Water", "Next Time You Fall In Love", "All The Love That Went To Waste", "I Who Have Nothing", and "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do".

Excellent work from Baby Washington – a lot more obscure than her recordings for Sue, and a lot more together too, in a certain kind of way! The set was arranged, conducted, and produced by Henry Glover – who gives Baby a sophisticated uptown soul sort of feel, but still manages to keep some rootsiness in her vocals. There's some nice obscure numbers on the set too – and the record has a unified quality that wasn't always that common for a singer like her during the time. Titles include "All Around The World", "Take Me Like I Am", "This Old World", "Get A Hold Of Yourself", "It's A Hang Up Baby", "I'm calling You Baby", and "It's All Over But The Crying".

Muddy Waters' band meets the vocals and guitar of Luther Snake Johnson – in a sweet little set that's almost a double-header, given the talent on deck! The material's got a gritty feel that's right up there with Muddy's best for Chess – and the group features Mojo Buford on harmonica, Otis Spann on piano, and Waters on guitar (Muddy couldn't sing, due to contractual obligations!) Johnson's got a nice rough approach – almost a touch of soul at times – and the group keeps things nicely in a classic 60s electrified Chicago mode. Titles include "Sad Day Uptown", "I'm So Glad", "Chicken Shack", "Long Distance Call", "Digging My Potatoes", "Coming Home Baby", and "Mud In Your Ear".

A pair of lost classics – back to back in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Mary Wells album – non-Motown magic from Wells – a killer 60s album that really lives up to her previous promise! The scope is a bit wider here than before – and Mary's wonderful throughout, sticking closely in that classic blend of class and soul that made her one of the first standout stars of Motown – moving in equally great company here with studio help from Carl Davis, Riley Hampton, and Andre Williams! The tunes have a sweet midtempo groove – almost a bit of early Detroit into Chicago mid 60s soul – and titles include "Never Never Leave Me", "Use Your Head", "My Mind's Made Up", "Why Don't You Let Yourself Go", and "We're Just Two Of A Kind". Love Songs To The Beatles is even more compelling – the best of the 60s genre! Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem! Bonus tracks include "Jive Guy", "I'm Learnin", "I'm Sorry", "Say What You Gotta Say", and "Memories Are Creepin Up On Me".

Diverse dancefloor funk – Volume 1 in the Afrodisia Club series – featuring an international roster of modern funk combos including Diplomats Of Solid Sound, Brother Soul, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Hi-Fly Orchestra, Port Angels, New Mastersounds and more! Great stuff all around, from neo classic funky soul, mod funk, modern DJ tooled hip hop funk, straight up raw small combo cookers and more. 13 tracks in all: "If You're Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)" by Diplomats Of Solid Sound Featuring The Diplomettes, "Cookies" by Brother Soul, "Angel Food Pt 1" by Port Angels, "Soupy" by Maggie Thrett, "Don't Stop" by Patrick & Eugene, "Crosstown Traffic" by Hi-Fly Orchestra, "Thirty Three (Ju Ju Orchestra remix)" by New Mastersounds, "Soul Burger" by Soulful Torino Orchestra and more.

One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 60s – featured here in a great mix of soul, rock, and vocal numbers from the time – including a fair number of unusual versions of hits from the team of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil! Weil's got a style that's sometimes a bit deeper than her contemporaries – and when mixed with Barry's strong sense of punch in a tune, has a way of bringing some surprising sophistication to pop music – little emotive moments that peek out from more hook-heavy numbers – but all without ever sounding lachrymose or overblown. As part of that quality, lots of these tunes have some great New York-styled production – that uptown balance of emotion and class – and as with other titles in Ace's excellent songwriter series, the notes alone are almost worth the price of admission – given all the historical detail, cultural commentary, and cool images. Titles include "New World Coming" by Mama Cass, "Love Is Only Sleeping" by The Monkees, "Angelica" by Scott Walker, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" by Gene Pitney, "Love Him" by Doris Day, "Good Good Lovin" by Bobby Hebb, "You Baby" by Len Barry, "Born To Be Together" by The Ronettes, "This Is A Love Song" by Bill Medley, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by The Happenings, "Shape Of Things To Come" by Slade, and "Proud" by Johnny Crawford.

A sprawling set that commemorates the Reggae Golden Jubilee– one that's beautifully put together by VP – and featuring 100 pivotal tracks from the early 60s to the late 00s! Selector Mr. Seaga does a pretty terrific job on the tracklist – which focuses as much on tracks that proved to be among the most trailblazing as it does on big hits. It touches on the styles and subgenres from throughout reggae's history – from ska, to rocksteady, reggae, dub, deejay, dancehall and beyond – with bellwether material by Theophilus Beckford, Higgs & Wilson, Skatalites, U-Roy, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman, Third World, Dennis Brown, Maxi Priest, Sugar Minott, Beres Hammond, Sizzla, Shaggy and many, many more. "Dumplins" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "They Got To Go" by Prince Buster, "Bring Home" by Justin Hines & The Dominoes, "Rough And Tough" by Stranger Cole, "Hypocrite" by The Heptones, "Occupation" by Don Drummond & The Skatalites, "Wear You To The Ball" by U-Roy & The Paragons, "The A Fi Get A Beatin'" by Peter Tosh, "Police And Thieves" by Junior Murvin, "Right Time" by Mighty Diamonds, "Uptown Ranking" by Althea & Donna, "Over Me" by Yellowman, "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth, "Try Jah Love" by Third World, "Wild World" by Maxie Priest, "One Blood" by Junior Reid, "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus & Pliers, "Putting Up Resistance", by Beres Hammond, "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" by Dawn Penn, "Untold Stories" by Buju Banton, "Black Woman And Child" by Sizzla, "Gimme The Light" by Sean Paul, "Pon De River, Pon De Bank" by Elephant Man, "Welcome To Jamrock" by Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff and more.

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan.

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan.

A killer set of electronics from BEF – the production arm of Heaven 17, stepping out here in one of their few solo projects! The set is essentially instrumental readings of tunes by the more famous parent group – but done here in really tripped-out versions that play heavily with analogue synth, and which show the duo's connection to early Human League. And in a way, some of these numbers are very much like the best early work by Human League – quite cold and spooky at times! Titles include "Groove Thang", "Uptown Apocalypse", "Optimum Chant", "Baby Called Billy", and "Rise Of The East".

A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party Jam", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz".

A surprise mid 70s hit for Dionne Warwick – a warm and bubbling bit of soul, done with uptown maestro Jerry Ragovoy in a perfect AM pop style! The centerpiece of the album is the super-hit tune "Then Came You" – a duet with The Spinners produced and arranged by Thom Bell at Sigma Sound, and one of those tunes that sounded instantly great, and stayed on the airwaves for years. Ragovoy expands on this style for the rest of the album – moving past the easy hit hook to show Dionne as a maturing singer of her time, working in a variety of moods that stretch way past the early Bacharach hits. Titles include "Move Me No Mountain", "How Can I Tell Him", "Getting In My Way", "Who Knows", "Take It From Me", and "We'll Burn Our Bridges Behind Us".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

One of the best remix projects we've heard in years – most likely because the original work is so great! As the title indicates, the set features older Atlantic soul classics – remixed by a host of modern talents that include King Britt, Sa-Ra, Vikter Duplaix, and Quantic – all producers who really respect the sound of the original tunes! There's a great range of styles in the original work – which runs from soul jazz, to 70s soul, to 80s groove – and in a way, the whole thing's kind of an imagined selection of what some of these tunes might have sounded like, had they been issued during the time of 12" remixes! Titles include "Tonight" by Kleer remixed by Sa-Ra with Meshell Ndegeocello, "Watching You" by Slave remixed by Vikter Duplaix, "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge remixed by Daz-I-Kue, "Warm Summer Night" by Chic remixed by King Britt, "Little Ghetto Boy" by Donny Hathaway remixed by Freddy L, "Pick Up The Pieces" by Average White Band remixed by Charlie Dark, "Getting Uptown" by United 8 remixed by Quantic, "Nubian Lady" by Yusef Lateef remixed by Metisse, and "Riding High" by Faze-O remixed by Waajeed.

Pretty darn hip stuff – and with some great soloing by Cannonball! The record features Adderley's alto fronting a large group conducted by Ernie Wilkins, and featuring a host of hip players like Melba Liston, Oliver Nelson, Jerome Richardson, Ray Barretto, Sam Jones, and Wynton Kelly. The title track is a beautiful reading of Galt MacDermott's "African Waltz" – and other tracks include "Blue Brass Groove", "Something Different", "The Uptown", and "Letter From Home". Wilkins outdoes himself on this one, really providing some strong swinging arrangements that work well with the complicated groove of the project – and in a way, the record feels more like Randy Weston or Melba Liston's at the helm.

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.

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love".

One of Patti's excellent (and rare) soul albums for Capitol from the late 60s – proof that the uptown sound could come out of the Windy City! The album's got a great bouncy Chicago 60s soul approach – with that sort of pop swing feel that a lot of the Chi-town female singers were laying down at the time, less "little girl" than before, and with a sophisticated groove that really opened up the material. Titles include "Baby I Just Don't Feel It", "Without A Doubt", "Pee Wee", "I Get A Funny Feeling", and her great cover of "Workin On A Groovy Thing".

A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party Jam", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Har-You Theme", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz". CD features a bonus track – "Montego Joe's Har-You Postscript 2008".

The "plus one" on the set is Stanley Turrentine – who really warms up the sound nicely! Titles include "Gene's Lament", "Misty", "Uptown Sop", and "Yours Is My Heart Alone".

Think what you want about Lena Horne – but this is a plenty darn groovy album! Sure, Lena's style is usually a bit classy and uptown – almost so much so that we don't really dig most of her records. But here, she's working in a very groovy style – paired with the great guitarist Gabor Szabo, in a set of sweetly swinging tunes that share many touches with Gabor's grooviest sides for Impulse and Skey in the 60s! Gabor produced and arranged with Gary McFarland – and the pair really transform the sound of Lena's voice, taking her normally-poised vocals and loosening them up with a subtly funky undercurrent. Richard Tee plays some great organ on the set, in a small combo that also includes Grady Tate and Chuck Rainey – and titles include a lot of Beatles covers – like "Rocky Raccoon", "Fool On The Hill", and "In My Life" – plus the cuts "Nightwind", "Watch What Happens", and "My Mood Is You".

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 arrangements 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)", "Take Me Back", "Two People In The World", "Tears On My Pillow", "The Diary", and "Going Out Of My Head".