All Categories — All Formats  

A 7-inch single commemorating Willie Nelson's 80th birthday – and his faith in and use of a particularly herbal remedy! Includes the Heroes album version of "Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die" with fellow aficionado Snoop Dogg, plus longtime friend and collaborator Kris Kristifferson and Willie acolyte Jamey Johnson. It's a fun track, but the real keeper is the flipside – Willie Nelson's previously unreleased solo version. Willie's often at his best when he's recorded in sparer, lonelier settings, and that's true for this track, too.

A surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme".

Dark genius from Waylon Jennings' late 60s/early 70s years at RCA – a surprisingly wonderful batch of tunes that have the deep-voiced singer working through an array of contemporary themes! True, a number of the cuts here are country covers of mainstream hits – but Waylon's deeply personal readings really transform the songs magically – almost pointing the way towards years-later country variants from folks like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, delivered here with a subtlety that's kept them hidden for all these many years. And as with other great sets on the Omni label, there's a rich batch of unusual tunes in the mix, too – the kind of offbeat country gems that we've come to love Omni for, and really praise them highly for brilliant collections like this! 28 tracks in all – including "Rock Salt & Nails", a duet with Lee Hazlewood – plus "Just To Satisfy You", "For The Kids", "Yes Virginia", "Singer Of Sad Songs", "Beautiful Annabel Lee", "Delia's Gone", "Don't Play The Game", "Where Love Has Died", "Sunday Morning Coming Down", "The Road", "The Days Of Sand & Shovels", and "Destiny's Child".

An excellent album of Latin material from Herbie Mann – and proof that he's equally great in just about any setting! The album's a rare Columbia Records outing from Herbie – but it's easily one of his greatest of the 60s, thanks to some really smoking arrangements from Oliver Nelson – plus an all-star cast of players that includes Carmell Jones, Dave Pike, Jimmy Heath, Patato Valdez, Willie Bobo, Charlie Palmieri, and a young Chick Corea on piano! Tracks are short, tight, and very rhythmic – grooving in a snapping approach to Latin that's filled with plenty of soul, but which also features plenty of jazzy touches as well. A few tunes here are familiar, but they're given wonderful new treatment by Herbie and Nelson – and the record easily beats most Verve or Impulse sessions of this type at their own game! Tracks include "Bijou", "Ave Maria Morena", "Watermelon Man", "Interlude", "Let's Boom Chitty Boom", "Senor Blues", "Jungle Fantasy", and "Jive Samba".

The sounds of the sixties – but way more than you might expect! There's definitely a few hits here, but most of the tracks are more unusual numbers too – presented here in a unique British twist on the 60s that not only includes some tracks that played big there, but not over here – and a whole host of collectable numbers that have come to represent the decade in some folks' eyes – even if the tunes only hit bigger fame in more recent years! So what does all that mean? It means you get a rich blend of rock, soul, and vocal numbers – both from the US and UK, in styles that run from mod to swinging to soulful to trippy! 46 tracks in all – including "We're In This Thing Together" by The Carrolls, "My Conversation" by The Uniques, "Night Life" by Willie Nelson, "You Can't Do That" by Nilsson, "No Matter What Sign You Are" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "I Close My Eyes & Count To Ten" by Dusty Springfiel, "Sukiyaki" by Kyo Sakamoto, "That Means A Lot" by PJ Proby, "Hole In My Shoe" by Traffic, "Super Girl" by Graham Bonney, "Move In A Little Closer" by Harmony Grass, "Run Baby Run" by The Newbeats, "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby" by Justine Washington, "No Need To Explain" by Flamma Sherman, "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett, "Head Over Heels" by Mike Rabin & The Demons, and "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter" by The Brand.

Dark genius from Waylon Jennings' years at RCA – a surprisingly wonderful batch of tunes that have the deep-voiced singer working through an array of contemporary themes! True, a number of the cuts here are country covers of mainstream hits – but Waylon's deeply personal readings really transform the songs magically – almost pointing the way towards years-later country variants from folks like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, delivered here with a subtlety that's kept them hidden for all these many years.

Two great albums from a time when Maynard Ferguson was really hitting his stride – back to back on one CD! New Sounds is a really nice set, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working in the group – a lineup that includes Willie Maiden on tenor sax, Dusko Goykovich (horribly misspelled in the notes) on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on Baritone, and Lanny Morgan on alto – all of whom get to step out in short but soulful solos that make the tracks bristle with more excitement than you'd think. And as with other Cameo jazz sides from the time, Rufus Jones is on drums – bringing in a nice little punch to the tracks that kicks them up in just the right sort of way. Titles include the originals "Bossa Nova De Funk", "Maine Bone", and "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" – plus a version of "Watermelon Man", and the bonus track "The Song Is You". Come Blow Your Horn is a surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme".

Sweet pop and soft rock from one of the greatest songwriting teams ever! Roger Nichols and Paul Williams may not be as familiar to you as Bacharach & David – or at least not as familiar as Paul Williams himself – but during the late 60s and early 70s, the pair emerged from the A&M studios as one of the greatest forces in LA songwriting! Both Nichols and Williams were hipper than the usual talents, and Nichols himself had recorded one of the greatest albums ever issued on A&M – and together, the pair managed to write some of the grooviest tunes ever to crack the mainstream as the 60s wore into the 70s. The songs here are touched with a great blend of California sun, hippie optimism, and love-burned realism – presented in a great array by a variety of pop and easy artists, making the set one of the greatest tributes to Nichols and Williams you could ever hope to hear! Titles include "The Drifter" by Heidi Bruhl, "Always You" by The Sundowners, "I Won't Last A Day Without You" by Paul Mauriat, "Someday Man" by The Casuals, "I Never Had It So Good" by Dobie Gray, "To Put Up With You" by The Sandpipers, "Talk It Over In The Morning" by Engelbert Humperdink, "Love So Fine" by Don Costa, "I Kept On Loving You" by Heaven Bound, "When Love Is Near" by The Original Caste, "Rainbow Connection" by Willie Nelson, and "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips – plus "Travelling Boy" and "Rainy Days & Mondays" by Paul Williams, and "Let's Ride" and "The Drifter" by Roger Nichols.