The secular sounds of the great Spencer Wiggins – fantastic material cut for Fame and Sounds Of Memphis in the late 60s & early 70s – rawly emotional southern soul that sounds incredible to this day! Some tunes have a more keyboards and rhythm backed sound, others have a punchier, grittier, top shelf southern soul sound – all with Wiggins in great form vocally! From emotionally resonant intimacy to a gritty howl, his voice is a mighty instrument, and it's given a range of great songs to work with here – rare singles and previously unreleased gems alike! "I'm At The Breaking Point", "We Gotta Make Up Baby", "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Double Loving", "Soul Machine". "Love Attack","Cry To Me", "Hit And Run", "Water", "Love Works That Way", "Feed The Flame" and more. 22 tracks in all. CD

Rare and previously unreleased magic from the Memphis soul scene of the late 60s & early 70s – the third release in Kent's compilation series of gems from the Sounds Of Memphis and XL labels – possibly the rarest collection to date! The numbers here have a proudly southern soul groove at the core, but there's a breadth of styles and deep well of talent at play and this set really gets at the heart of it. Many of the tracks here are on par with the best known southern soul of the era and are as effective as the biggest hits – and we're hearing most of it for the first time! Soulful numbers from singers and groups alike – great stuff by The Minits, George Jackson, The Ovations, Erma Shaw, Willie Walker and many more. We keep thinking that the vaults will empty out, but Kent keeps digging more Sounds Of Memphis treasures – here's hoping it continues! 22 tracks in all: "If You Never See Me" and "Run Around" by Willie Walker, "Hook Line & Sinker" and "Lover Boy" by The Minits, "How Can I Get Next To You" (alternate vocal) and "Love Trying To Come" by George Jackson, "You're Slipping Away" and "Take A Look At Yourself" by Dan Greer, "Guessing Game" by Jimi Hall, "The Plumber" by The Ovations and more. CD

Tough, righteous rap from King Sun – 1989's XL – a set that still looms large after all these years! King Sun dropped knowledge from a Five Percenter influence with a flow that's as smooth, solid and authoritive as any Bronx rapper of the day – and the production by Sun Born sounds great to this this day. This one was out of print for far too long! Includes "Hey Love", which uses the "Moments In Love" sample by Art Of Noise, and is standout produced by Cut Master DC. Also includes "Lethal Weapon", 'Ft Tape", "It's A Heat Up" and "Time To Go". This long-awaited Traffic remastered edition includes the earlier single cuts "Mythological Rapper" and "Christmas In The City" – both on CD for the first time. CD

Percussion duets between Tony Oxley and Stefan Holker – with electronics by the latter – all served up at a level that reminds us why Oxley has been such an important improvising talent on the drums over the course of his many decades in music! As with the best improvisers, Tony is able to shift into a mode that's very resonant with his partner on a date – which in this case means work on drums that's often more spacious and textural than some of his other recordings – very aware of all the sonic possibilities of his instrument, and served up in ways that are often far from conventional sounds and rhythm! The CD features six improvisations, of varying lengths – but with a nicely unified vibe. CD

Three unreleased slices of work from the legendary Tony Oxley – a British drummer who's had an impact on his scene's music for decades – and also an artist who can handle a whole lot of other musical sources as well! The set begins with some very seminal sounds from Oxley – music from 1974 with a quintet that features Barry Guy on acoustic and electric bass, Dave Holdsworth on trumpet and effects, Howard Riley on piano, and Paul Rutherford on trombone – all giants from the key years of the Brit free jazz scene – working here with Oxley on drums, electronics, and effects – on titles that include "The Embrace", "Ensemble 1", and "Ensemble 2". Next is a long piece from 1981, titled "Frame" – with Oxley on drums, electronics, and even violin – next to Hugh Metcalfe on guitar and cymbals, Howard Riley on piano, Phil Wachsmann on violin and electronics, and the mighty Larry Stabbins on saxes! The final piece is "Combination" from 2016, and is spare, but equally striking – Oxley on electronics, working next to the percussion of Stefan Hoelker – almost evoking an older electro-acoustic style. CD

A beautiful document of a magical musical moment – one of the few live performances ever of the work of David Axelrod – a concert that's presented here in a special CD & DVD package! Axelrod's 60s albums are the stuff of legend – orchestral efforts with a funky undercurrent, and longtime favorites of beatheads around the globe. And while his best-known efforts have always been the product of careful studio work, he demonstrates here that the Axelrod sound is equally at home in a live setting – played brilliantly by a host of younger British players, with a sense of crispness and sophisticated funk that easily matches his recent album on Mo Wax! The DVD features wonderful footage of the entire show – and the CD captures the music with a clarity that's as great as anything that Axlerod ever did in the studio. Titles include "Holy Are You", "Urizen", "Holy Thursday", "The Edge", "Song Of Innocence", "Smile", "The Human Abstract", and great covers of "Norwegian Wood" and "Paint It Black". CD

A soaringly joyous album from British trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – one that has him leading a larger group in a style that resonates with similar projects of the time from artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs! Wheeler delivers some magnificent trumpet and flugelhorn solos – very much at the more straightforward, soulful side of his range – and the ensemble is overflowing with work from top-shelf contemporaries – including Mike Taylor on some key electric piano lines, next to Mike Osborne on alto, Tony Roberts on tenor, Ian Hamer on trumpet, Bobby Lamb and Keith Chrsitie on trombones, Alan Branscombe on acoustic piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums and percussion. The feel of the record is great – very much like better-known sessions where some of the top-shelf UK talents come together in a unified voice – and the set also features guest tenor from Evan Parker, trombone from Chris Pyne, and vocals from Norma Winstone. Winstone sings on "Song For Someone" – and other instrumental tracks include "Mikei", "Some Days Are Better", and "CP EP". CD

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s – and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time – almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside – and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity". CD